II. You are going to read an article in which four crime writers talk about other authors they like. For questions 1–10, choose from the crime writers (A–D). The writers may be chosen more than once.

A.  John Harvey on Peter Temple

I started reading Temple’s books about 10 years ago, and at the time it was fairly straightforward crime fiction set in Australia, a lot of it with a horse-racing background. The books were OK, but not exceptional. Then suddenly with The Broken Shore, he just hit something quite different and moved up a level. He is writing the kind of books I‘ve spent 20 years trying to write, and writing them better than I do. He’s using crime fiction not just to tell a story, but to say something about today’s society. He really gets the connections between politics, the police and the media right. I love the writing – it‘s really taut and a lesson in how to say a lot without being too wordy.

B.  Sara Paretsky on Liza Cody

There is a lot of good, stylish writing out there that puts me off because it’s unfelt. I’m looking for someone who has a gift for storytelling, and who is willing to do the hard work of digging into the emotional aspect of life. Liza Cody does that, and she takes a lot of risks. She doesn’t just do the easy thing to be recognized in the marketplace; she goes where the story and emotion takes her. For instance, she had to self-publish her most recent book, Ballad of A Dead Nobody, because no one in the industry was willing to. These days, you’re told you have to create a brand or a series, with a recognizable link. She is willing to turn her back on that and focus on what her inner voice is telling her.

C.  Mark Billingham on Michael Connelly

The first Connelly book I read was The Poet, his first standalone novel and a big breakthrough for him. By then, he had written four books in his Harry Bosch series, which I went back to read. He has maintained a level of quality through a long-running series – an incredibly difficult thing to achieve. People talk about how you create suspense, tricks such as cliffhangers and reveals, but actually the real secret is to create characters the readers care about. Bosch, a detective in the Los Angeles Police Department, is a character who has grown and changed, who you come to know and care about. All that aside, he is a fantastic storyteller, probably the best in modern mystery fiction. I think his days as a journalist – he was a crime reporter on the Los Angeles Times – stood him in good stead because he never forgets the story.

D.  Ann Cleeves on Johan Theorin

I read Theorin’s first novel, Echoes from the Dead, after my Swedish editor had said: ‘There’s this Swedish author writing four books set on an island in the Baltic – I wonder if he stole the idea from you?’ because I’ve written novels set in the Shetlands. I was a bit annoyed – although I’m sure it was coincidental – so I wasn’t prepared to like it. But I really loved it. He has this interesting detective who is elderly and lives in a sheltered housing complex, so he can’t be out there doing car chases. One of the books is about this crumbling house by the shore and you’re not sure if there’s a supernatural element. It has the most wonderful climax. Theorin is prepared to take his time over the telling of the story, which is unusual these days. If you look at the bestsellers, they usually move quite rapidly. There is nothing wrong with that, but Theorin writes in a much deeper, literary way.

III. You are going to read a magazine article about children performing in musical shows in theatres. For questions  1-15, choose from the people (A – D). The people may be chosen more than once. Write your answers in ‘Your answers’ part.

Kids on stage

Children are performing in popular musicals in many London theatres. We talked to
various people about the phenomenon of children on stage.

­­­­­

A. THE DIRECTOR

Andrew Tyler chooses children to appear in stage musicals

I’m not only looking for children who can sing, dance and act, they also have to have lively
personalities and a lot of confidence - it’s essential that they grab the audience’s attention and if they can’t do that, I don’t choose them. When I’m working on a show, I start by contacting agents and telling them what I need, and then I hold auditions for as many children as I can. When the children have been chosen, I draw up the contracts for them and the schedule for performances - there are usually three teams of children for each show and they perform according to a rota system. No child is in a show for more than six months. Being in a show is tiring for the children because they have to combine it with going to school, but they have a great time and they learn an enormous amount about discipline, teamwork and concentration, as well as special skills such as choreography and singing.

B. THE YOUNG PERFORMER

Emily Gould is currently appearing in a popular London show

I love musicals and I’m thrilled to be in this one. I’ve got quite a big part and have to sing a song all by myself in one scene. I’m always pretty nervous during each performance because I’m worried that I might make a mistake. But at the same time I’m excited about doing it and I feel quite proud of myself when I’m on the stage. I’m one of the youngest children in the show - the age range is five to thirteen. The older children are good to me - they remind me about what I have to do next and encourage me a lot. I don’t have time to be in any of the sports teams at school, which is a shame because I’d like to do that too, but acting and singing are great. I want to keep on performing in musicals for the next few years at least, though I’m not sure I want it to be my career.

C. THE STAGE MOTHER

Anita Benfield’s son Tom is currently appearing in a popular musical in London

Tom started going to a local drama school when he was five. Last year, the head of the school suggested that he was good enough to audition for this musical. I took him to a series of four auditions and he got the part. We’d had no experience of the audition process and although he got the part, I thought it was horrible. The vast majority of the children get rejected. At the end of each audition, dozens of children burst into tears when they were told that they hadn’t been successful - they were absolutely devastated. When Tom got chosen, we were given the schedule for the ten weeks of rehearsals - I hadn’t realized how much time would be taken up. It’s all rather exhausting - for the parents as much as the children. When the performances start, you get a timetable of the performances the child will be appearing in. But he also has to be available at short notice to replace a child who is ill, and this makes it hard to plan anything. Because of that, we can't book a holiday and recently we weren’t able to attend a family wedding.

D. THE EX-CHILD STAR

Ian Miller was a child star in the 1980s

My parents were very keen for me to be on the stage and I showed a lot of talent for it when I was a child. By the time I was ten, I’d been in a number of stage musicals and also appeared in various TV series. When I went to secondary school, I stopped performing because I developed other interests and lost my enthusiasm for it - I didn’t want to give up so much time to do it, I wanted to do what my friends were doing. I enjoyed my time as a child performer but I didn’t miss it when I stopped. Lots of child performers don’t go on to become successful adult performers even if they want to. People in the business tend to think that they aren’t capable of developing into good adult performers and they aren’t taken seriously when they’re older. I don’t want my own children to do it - I think performing can be very stressful for children and I think it’s much better for children to concentrate on getting a good education and then train to be a performer when they’re older, if they want to.

Part 3: A. You are going to read an article about learning from mistakes. Four sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-D the one which fits each gap (1-4). ( 4 points)

A. Learn to talk about your mistakes, at work and at home.

B. They fail to see them as part of the learning process.

C. Then they restart the computer and experiment again. 

D. People who achieve great success then have more to lose when things go wrong.

LEARNING FROM MISTAKES

Have you ever noticed how children are always making mistakes? They do it all the time, and it doesn’t seem to bother them. You don’t learn to walk without falling over. You don’t learn to speak without mispronouncing lots of words. You don’t learn to juggle without dropping balls. But if you create an environment where mistakes are not accepted, then people become frightened of them.(1)......... In these kinds of environment people learn to hide their mistakes, and not to celebrate them as a good thing. If you’re not making mistakes then you’re not learning anything valuable. 

Do you remember the first time you touched a computer? You didn’t want people to watch you as you started to touch the keys. You worried that if you touched the wrong button, you would delete all the important files. Children aren’t like that. They experiment with all the buttons, just to see what will happen. (2)......... And they are learning from every move they make. 
        The fear of success comes later, and we can see this often in successful professionals and leaders. (3).......... So they start to worry, and decide not to take risks. Don’t let this happen to you. (4)........... See what opportunities can arise from you the mistakes you make, and soon you’ll feel happier about yourself.

B. Find words or expressions in the text which mean: (6 points)

1. fall on the ground                                                                        ...................................................

2. say something with the wrong pronunciation                         ...................................................

3. throw and catch three or more balls together              ...................................................

4. the buttons on a computer                                              ...................................................

5. do things that could cause problems                            ...................................................

6. possibilities for things you can do                                ...................................................

You are going to read an article about a sailing race. Choose the most

suitable heading from the list A - H for each paragraph from 1 – 5 of the article. There

are two extra headings which you do not need to use. There has been an example for you.  (10 pts)

          EX:      Paragraph 0: D

Paragraph 0:         D

Imagine for a moment, spending the night on board of a large yacht, being roughly woken in the pitch dark and ordered on deck. Every so often you will be totally drenched, very suddenly, in salt water. You will be sharing the same cramped space with 14 other people for a whole year. Your stomach, when not affected by seasickness, will be hit by the competitive tension and nervousness that afflicts all sportspeople. You will be obliged to concentrate without cease. The slightest loss of focus could cost someone their life.

Paragraph 1:

For the eight crews taking part in the Round-the-world yachting race, this has been daily life since they left Britain eleven months ago. Now, after racing 50,000 across kilometers of ocean, they are soon due home. While most of us have worked, slept, taken a holiday, these crews have sailed and sailed, day after day, night after night, in weather conditions that would test any human. This is the reality of ocean yacht racing, which bears little resemblance to the popular image of sailing - the quick sprint around a lake before returning ashore for a meal and a warm bath.

Paragraph 2:

Racing 20-metre yachts around the world is a story of unrelenting hard work, pushing yourself to the limits of endurance. But it is also a story of the vastness and beauty of the sea, of seeing the sun rise and set on hundreds of desolate horizons, and of the supreme satisfaction of arriving somewhere knowing that wind alone has taken you there.

Paragraph 3:

Unlike the captains, who are professional sailors, the crews all consist of amateur volunteers who have actually paid for the privilege of taking a year off from their work and enduring these difficult conditions. On board London Light the ages range from 21 to 65. For the youngest member, Susan Porter, the trip is about the excitement of both the racing and the elements “Being able to pitch yourselves as a team against a storm gives you a huge sense of achievement”, she says

Paragraph 4:

Jerry Wallace, a marketing director, found sailing a refreshing change from the selfish individualism of business. Although he was prepared for the discomfort, the mental stress of long distance racing was not what he has anticipated, “A grand Prix driver has a few hours of focus, a footballer 90 minutes, but we have been racing for 11 months. This is something I didn’t really appreciate before I start.”

Paragraph 5:

Inevitably, there are tensions. The kind of people who choose to take part in races like this tend to motivated and strong-willed. On a trivial level, there are the usual arguments about things like cleaning, tidying, personal hygiene, even the way people snore. Row on a boat must be addressed immediately. Left to develop, they get much worse. On London Light they have done this by having a meeting where problems can be discussed and resolved by majority vote. Cooperation is the key, and everyone can have their say. The London is one of the few boats that has never lost any crew early because of a personality clash.

XI. You are going to read an article about a sailing race. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A - H for each paragraph from 1 – 5 of the article. There are two extra headings which you do not need to use. There has been an example for you.  

          EX:      Paragraph 0: D

A. The consequences of poor performance E. Benefiting from the power of nature

B. An unexpectedly demanding way of life F. Cooperating to overcome the power of nature

C. A solution that seems to work G. It’s not what people think

D. The terrible consequences of making a mistake H. No way out if you don’t like it

Paragraph 0: 

Imagine for a moment, spending the night on board of a large yacht, being roughly woken in the pitch dark and ordered on deck. Every so often you will be totally drenched, very suddenly, in salt water. You will be sharing the same cramped space with 14 other people for a whole year. Your stomach, when not affected by seasickness, will be hit by the competitive tension and nervousness that afflicts all sportspeople. You will be obliged to concentrate without cease. The slightest loss of focus could cost someone their life.

Paragraph 1: 

For the eight crews taking part in the Round-the-world yachting race, this has been daily life since they left Britain eleven months ago. Now, after racing 50,000 across kilometers of ocean, they are soon due home. While most of us have worked, slept, taken a holiday, these crews have sailed and sailed, day after day, night after night, in weather conditions that would test any human. This is the reality of ocean yacht racing, which bears little resemblance to the popular image of sailing - the quick sprint around a lake before returning ashore for a meal and a warm bath.

Paragraph 2: 

Racing 20-metre yachts around the world is a story of unrelenting hard work, pushing yourself to the limits of endurance. But it is also a story of the vastness and beauty of the sea, of seeing the sun rise and set on hundreds of desolate horizons, and of the supreme satisfaction of arriving somewhere knowing that wind alone has taken you there.

XI. You are going to read an article about a sailing race. Choose the most suitable heading from the list A - H for each paragraph from 1 – 5 of the article. There are two extra headings which you do not need to use. There has been an example for you.  

          EX:      Paragraph 0: D

A. The consequences of poor performance   E. Benefiting from the power of nature

B. An unexpectedly demanding way of life  F. Cooperating to overcome the power of nature

C. A solution that seems to work  G. It’s not what people think

D. The terrible consequences of making a mistake  H. No way out if you don’t like it

Paragraph 0: 

Imagine for a moment, spending the night on board of a large yacht, being roughly woken in the pitch dark and ordered on deck. Every so often you will be totally drenched, very suddenly, in salt water. You will be sharing the same cramped space with 14 other people for a whole year. Your stomach, when not affected by seasickness, will be hit by the competitive tension and nervousness that afflicts all sportspeople. You will be obliged to concentrate without cease. The slightest loss of focus could cost someone their life.

Paragraph 1: 

For the eight crews taking part in the Round-the-world yachting race, this has been daily life since they left Britain eleven months ago. Now, after racing 50,000 across kilometers of ocean, they are soon due home. While most of us have worked, slept, taken a holiday, these crews have sailed and sailed, day after day, night after night, in weather conditions that would test any human. This is the reality of ocean yacht racing, which bears little resemblance to the popular image of sailing - the quick sprint around a lake before returning ashore for a meal and a warm bath.

Paragraph 2: 

Racing 20-metre yachts around the world is a story of unrelenting hard work, pushing yourself to the limits of endurance. But it is also a story of the vastness and beauty of the sea, of seeing the sun rise and set on hundreds of desolate horizons, and of the supreme satisfaction of arriving somewhere knowing that wind alone has taken you there.

Paragraph 3: 

Unlike the captains, who are professional sailors, the crews all consist of amateur volunteers who have actually paid for the privilege of taking a year off from their work and enduring these difficult conditions. On board London Light the ages range from 21 to 65. For the youngest member, Susan Porter, the trip is about the excitement of both the racing and the elements “Being able to pitch yourselves as a team against a storm gives you a huge sense of achievement”, she says

Paragraph 4: 

Jerry Wallace, a marketing director, found sailing a refreshing change from the selfish individualism of business. Although he was prepared for the discomfort, the mental stress of long distance racing was not what he has anticipated, “A grand Prix driver has a few hours of focus, a footballer 90 minutes, but we have been racing for 11 months. This is something I didn’t really appreciate before I start.”

Paragraph 5: 

Inevitably, there are tensions. The kind of people who choose to take part in races like this tend to motivated and strong-willed. On a trivial level, there are the usual arguments about things like cleaning, tidying, personal hygiene, even the way people snore. Row on a boat must be addressed immediately. Left to develop, they get much worse. On London Light they have done this by having a meeting where problems can be discussed and resolved by majority vote. Cooperation is the key, and everyone can have their say. The London is one of the few boats that has never lost any crew early because of a personality clash.

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HGH (Human Growth Hormone) could be the favorite drug at the next athletic world championships, and we might never know it. It is a natural substancr produced by the human body, and it helps children’s bones and muscles to grow. Scientists are allowed to make the drug and it is also legal to take HGH in most countries. HGH is considered a wonder drug for children. It helps many children with growth problems every year.
However, some athletes are now taking the drug. HGH helps add muscle in adults and recent research by the World Anti-Doping Agency shows that HGH may improve the sportsman’s time by 5% when he takes part in short, fast races. Some athletes say that HGH surely makes them stronger. It also helps them to recover more quickly from injuries.

Although it is banned by most professional sports, HGH is almost impossible to test for. The drug is completely natural and it will only show in tests for around 24 hours after taking it. Testing is usually done only during competitions, but athletes use HGH during training, so it is very difficult to know who has used the drug. This makes it very attractive for some athletes. Scientists are developing a new test which will find the drug in the body for up to two weeks. But it isn’t going to be easy. Everybody has different levels of natural HGH in their body.
For this reason, scientists are warning athletes of the possible problems with the drug. Research shows that HGH increase the risk of cancer. But is this enough to stop athletes from taking it? Scientists don’t think so. Some athletes will do all they can to win, and worry about their health later.

1. Which of these statements is false ?
A. HGH is a natural substance.
B. HGH is needed to help bones and muscles grow.
C. HGH is used as medicine for children.
D. HGH is not allowed to be produced in many countries.
2. The second paragraph tells you that ____.
A. some athletes believe HGH can help them do better.
B. HGH is mainly taken by some scientists.
C. research shows that HGH is effective in 5% of athletes.
D. HGH doesn’t have any effect on performance.
3. Apart from making them stronger, why is talking HGH attractive for some athletes ?
A. Because it can be taken during a competition.
B. Because it is very difficult to test.
C. Because it is allowed to take it.
D. Because it works for 24 hours.
4. Scientists are afraid that ____.
A. some athletes will pay no attention to the dangers of using HGH.
B. there isn’t any risk of developing cancer as a result of taking HGH.
C. health problems caused by HGH will stop athletes from taking it.
D. athletes’ results are almost the same, so they want HGH to help them be the best.
5. The text is about
A. suggestions for new ways of detecting HGH.
B. HGH as a legal drug for sprinters.
C. the use of HGH in professional sports.
D. HGH as a drug in the treatment of adults.

READING 

You are going to read an article about a national vote for people’s favourite tree. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (65-70). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

                       TREE OF THE YEAR

The aim of the national Tree of the Year competition is to promote and celebrate the most interesting trees around the country. Images and descriptions of a shortlist of 28 trees are put online and the public are asked to vote for their favourite.

The four trees that gain the most votes before 5 p.m. on 5th October will be given a grant of £1,000. In addition, all trees that receive 1,000 or more votes will get a grant of £500. The grants may be spent on a tree health check or advice from a tree expert, or an educational event, for example. (65) ………………. 

Among the 28 shortlisted trees there are a wide range of tree species, each with its own unique, fascinating story. For example, the ‘Ding Dong’ tree is a copper beech tree growing in a primary school playground. It was named the ‘Ding Dong’ tree because of a game pupils invented in which they race to touch its trunk, shouting ‘Ding Dong!’ The protective space underneath the 50-year-old tree is used as a magical outdoor classroom, while the indoor classroom displays pictures of the tree through each season of the year. (66) ……………….

Many of the other trees in the competition are remarkable for their age alone. The Craigends Yew, for example, is thought to be up to 700 years old, making it one of the oldest in Scotland. It is an amazing sight as many of its branches have layered. (67) ………………. As a result of these extra growths, the total size when measured around the tree’s crown (the main body of its leaves and branches) is a massive 100 metres.

Another very old tree, the Holm Oak in Kilbroney Park, Northern Ireland, is much loved by local people. It measures 3.6 metres around the trunk, and its beautiful bark looks like the skin of a snake. (68) ………………. The advantage of this lack of uprightness is that young children can climb safely and easily on it. Kilbroney Park is home to many remarkable trees, but this tree was chosen as the favourite by community members.

A 500-year-old veteran oak tree stands in the ancient woodland pasture at Carngafallt in Wales. One of the interesting things about this twisted, hollow tree is that it has several ‘air trees’ growing out of it. An ‘air tree’ is one growing without its roots touching the ground. (69) ………………. It extends its roots down inside the oak’s hollow trunk.

The original Bramley apple tree in Nottinghamshire is younger than many in this competition, but is the famous parent of all modern Bramley apple trees. (70) ………………. Many years later, Matthew Bramley, the new owner of the tree, was carrying some of his fruit when he met a gardener called Henry Merryweather. Henry asked if he could take some cuttings from Matthew's trees to grow his own trees. Mr Bramley agreed, provided they were named ‘Bramley's Seedling’.

Read the following passage, then choose the item (A, B, C or D)that best answer each of the question about it

   Every four years people all over the world watch the Olympic Games. It is a time for all kinds of people to unite in peace. Some of them join together to compete for gold medals. Millions of other people watch them on television.

   Why do we have the Olympic? How did they begin?

   The first Olympic Games were in Greece in 776 B.C. There was only one event. People ran a nice the length of the stadium. The Games lasted one day.

   Slowly people added more events. The Games were only for men, and women could not even watch them. Only Greeks competed. They came from all parts of the Greek world. The time of the Games way; a time of peace, and government let everyone travel safely. The winners became national heroes.

   The first modem Games were in 1896 in Athens. The Greeks built a new stadium for the competition. Athletes from several countries competed. Then there were Olympics every four years in different cities in Europe and the United States until 1952. After that they were in Melbourne, Tokyo, Mexico City, and Montreal besides in European cities. Each year there were athletes from more nations. The first Winter Olympics were in 1924. The athletes compete in skiing and other winter sports.

Which sport is competed in the Winter Olympic?

A. Running

B. Skiing

C. Horse racing

D. Car racing