Read the Study Strategy. Practise reading the blog out loud.

Film records

The record books are full of great film trivia, but only gossip about stars is usually heard. I like the gossip, but what about the film trivia we aren't told about? Some film records are much more interesting. For example, did you know that Robert Downey Jr. was paid more than any other actor for his role as Iron Man in the Avengers films (the huge sum of eighty million US dollars)? And I bet you can’t guess which film has the record for the most tickets sold. I was amazed! Well, apparently more cinema tickets were sold for Gone with the Wind, a 1930s romance, than for any other film. I haven’t even seen it but it sounds terrible! The classic science fiction film Star Wars comes a close second, and I’m sure that it’s a much better movie.

One truly unbelievable film record was set by a man called Ashish Sharma in Mathura, India, in 2008. He sat in a cinema and watched films for an incredible 120 hours and twenty-three minutes – that’s forty-eight films in total.

Another film-related record from India is about the world’s largest film poster. It was made to advertise India’s biggest action film of 2015, Bãahubali. The size of it is extraordinary! At nearly 5,000 square metres, it’s more than half the size of a professional football pitch! It wasn’t made in the usual way. It was designed by the film’s director S. S. Rajamouli and it was made by a team of thirty people who worked around the clock for three days.

VOCABULARY PLUS Use a dictionary to check the meaning of the words in blue in the text.

Film records

The record books are full of great film trivia, but only gossip about stars is usually heard. I like the gossip, but what about the film trivia we aren't told about? Some film records are much more interesting. For example, did you know that Robert Downey Jr. was paid more than any other actor for his role as Iron Man in the Avengers films (the huge sum of eighty million US dollars)? And I bet you can’t guess which film has the record for the most tickets sold. I was amazed! Well, apparently more cinema tickets were sold for Gone with the Wind, a 1930s romance, than for any other film. I haven’t even seen it but it sounds terrible! The classic science fiction film Star Wars comes a close second, and I’m sure that it’s a much better movie.

One truly unbelievable film record was set by a man called Ashish Sharma in Mathura, India, in 2008. He sat in a cinema and watched films for an incredible 120 hours and twenty-three minutes – that’s forty-eight films in total.

Another film-related record from India is about the world’s largest film poster. It was made to advertise India’s biggest action film of 2015, Bãahubali. The size of it is extraordinary! At nearly 5,000 square metres, it’s more than half the size of a professional football pitch! It wasn’t made in the usual way. It was designed by the film’s director S. S. Rajamouli and it was made by a team of thirty people who worked around the clock for three days.

Read and listen to the blog again. Choose the correct answers.

1. The writer believes that gossip about film stars …

a. is usually only about awards that stars win.

b. is less interesting than some other film facts.

c. isn’t interesting.

2. Gone with the Wind …

a. is not a modern film.

b. holds many film records.

c. made eighty million dollars.

3. Ashish Sharma …

a. plans to watch the film that will be 120 hours long.

b. has watched forty-eight films in his lifetime.

c. has had a film record for several years.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 35 to 44.

         Reference books are not designed to be read from the first page to the last but rather to be consulted to answer the questions and provide both general and specific pieces of information.

         One of the most (35) ______ used reference books is a dictionary, which provides information about words. It lists meanings and spellings, (36) ______ how a word is pronounced, gives (37) ______ of how it is used, may reveal its origins and also lists synonyms and (38) ______. To help you find the words faster, there are guide words at the top of each page showing the first and last words on that page and of course it (39) ______ to know the alphabet!

         There may be numerous special sections at the back with (40) ______ about famous people and places, lists of dates and scientific names, etc. There is usually a section at the front (41) ______ how to use the dictionary, which includes the special abbreviations or signs.

         An atlas is also a reference book and (42) ______ charts, tables and geographical facts, as well as maps. Political maps locate countries and cities, physical maps show the formation of the land with its mountains and valleys, and economic maps show industries and agriculture. To find a specific place, you need to look in the (43) ______ at the back of the atlas and the exact position on the map. There are numerous map (44) ______ that you need to know in order to be able to read a map-almost like a special language-and these are explained at the front of the atlas.

Điền vào ô 43

A. foreword

B. Preface

C. complement

D. index

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 35 to 44.

         Reference books are not designed to be read from the first page to the last but rather to be consulted to answer the questions and provide both general and specific pieces of information.

         One of the most (35) ______ used reference books is a dictionary, which provides information about words. It lists meanings and spellings, (36) ______ how a word is pronounced, gives (37) ______ of how it is used, may reveal its origins and also lists synonyms and (38) ______. To help you find the words faster, there are guide words at the top of each page showing the first and last words on that page and of course it (39) ______ to know the alphabet!

         There may be numerous special sections at the back with (40) ______ about famous people and places, lists of dates and scientific names, etc. There is usually a section at the front (41) ______ how to use the dictionary, which includes the special abbreviations or signs.

         An atlas is also a reference book and (42) ______ charts, tables and geographical facts, as well as maps. Political maps locate countries and cities, physical maps show the formation of the land with its mountains and valleys, and economic maps show industries and agriculture. To find a specific place, you need to look in the (43) ______ at the back of the atlas and the exact position on the map. There are numerous map (44) ______ that you need to know in order to be able to read a map-almost like a special language-and these are explained at the front of the atlas.

Điền vào ô 35

A. Greatly

B. Mainly

C.  widely 

D. largely

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 35 to 44.

         Reference books are not designed to be read from the first page to the last but rather to be consulted to answer the questions and provide both general and specific pieces of information.

         One of the most (35) ______ used reference books is a dictionary, which provides information about words. It lists meanings and spellings, (36) ______ how a word is pronounced, gives (37) ______ of how it is used, may reveal its origins and also lists synonyms and (38) ______. To help you find the words faster, there are guide words at the top of each page showing the first and last words on that page and of course it (39) ______ to know the alphabet!

         There may be numerous special sections at the back with (40) ______ about famous people and places, lists of dates and scientific names, etc. There is usually a section at the front (41) ______ how to use the dictionary, which includes the special abbreviations or signs.

         An atlas is also a reference book and (42) ______ charts, tables and geographical facts, as well as maps. Political maps locate countries and cities, physical maps show the formation of the land with its mountains and valleys, and economic maps show industries and agriculture. To find a specific place, you need to look in the (43) ______ at the back of the atlas and the exact position on the map. There are numerous map (44) ______ that you need to know in order to be able to read a map-almost like a special language-and these are explained at the front of the atlas.

Điền vào ô 44

A. marks

B. signs 

C. signals

D. symbols

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 35 to 44.

         Reference books are not designed to be read from the first page to the last but rather to be consulted to answer the questions and provide both general and specific pieces of information.

         One of the most (35) ______ used reference books is a dictionary, which provides information about words. It lists meanings and spellings, (36) ______ how a word is pronounced, gives (37) ______ of how it is used, may reveal its origins and also lists synonyms and (38) ______. To help you find the words faster, there are guide words at the top of each page showing the first and last words on that page and of course it (39) ______ to know the alphabet!

         There may be numerous special sections at the back with (40) ______ about famous people and places, lists of dates and scientific names, etc. There is usually a section at the front (41) ______ how to use the dictionary, which includes the special abbreviations or signs.

         An atlas is also a reference book and (42) ______ charts, tables and geographical facts, as well as maps. Political maps locate countries and cities, physical maps show the formation of the land with its mountains and valleys, and economic maps show industries and agriculture. To find a specific place, you need to look in the (43) ______ at the back of the atlas and the exact position on the map. There are numerous map (44) ______ that you need to know in order to be able to read a map-almost like a special language-and these are explained at the front of the atlas.

Điền vào ô 36

A. speaks

B. tells

C. says

D.  gives

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 31 to 35.

    Reference books are not designed to be read from the first page to the last but rather to be consulted to answer the questions and provide both general and specific pieces of information.

    One of the most (31) _____ -used reference books is a dictionary, which provides information about words. It lists meanings and spellings, tells how a word is pronounced, gives (32) _____ of how it is used, may reveal its origins and also lists synonyms and antonyms. To help you find the words faster, there are guide words at the top of each page showing the first and last words on that page - and of course it (33) _____ to know the alphabet!

    There may be numerous special sections at the back with facts about famous people and places, lists of dates and scientific names, etc. There is usually a section at the front (34) _____ how to use the dictionary, which includes the special abbreviations or signs.

    An atlas is also a reference book and it contains charts, tables and geographical facts, as well as maps. Political maps locate countries and cities, physical maps show the formation of the land with its mountains and valleys, and economic maps show industries and agriculture. To find a specific place, you need to look in the (35) _____ at the back of the atlas and the exact position on the map. There are numerous map symbols that you need to know in order to be able to read a map-almost like a special language-and these are explained at the front of the atlas.

Điền ô số 33

A. assists

B. pays

C. helps

D. works

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 35 to 44.

         Reference books are not designed to be read from the first page to the last but rather to be consulted to answer the questions and provide both general and specific pieces of information.

         One of the most (35) ______ used reference books is a dictionary, which provides information about words. It lists meanings and spellings, (36) ______ how a word is pronounced, gives (37) ______ of how it is used, may reveal its origins and also lists synonyms and (38) ______. To help you find the words faster, there are guide words at the top of each page showing the first and last words on that page and of course it (39) ______ to know the alphabet!

         There may be numerous special sections at the back with (40) ______ about famous people and places, lists of dates and scientific names, etc. There is usually a section at the front (41) ______ how to use the dictionary, which includes the special abbreviations or signs.

         An atlas is also a reference book and (42) ______ charts, tables and geographical facts, as well as maps. Political maps locate countries and cities, physical maps show the formation of the land with its mountains and valleys, and economic maps show industries and agriculture. To find a specific place, you need to look in the (43) ______ at the back of the atlas and the exact position on the map. There are numerous map (44) ______ that you need to know in order to be able to read a map-almost like a special language-and these are explained at the front of the atlas.

Điền vào ô 39

A. assists

B. Pays

C. helps 

D. works