Why computers are important

Why computers are important

Thank you

I love it, and I want to share it

What is important is to keep learning, to enjoy challenge, and to tolerate ambiguity. In the end there are no certain answers.
Martina Horner.President of Radcliffe College

The Emperor's New Clothes

Complete the gaps with words and expressions from the box


an extraordinary method at the gates of the palace disclosed the incredible news He changed clothes almost heard the scoundrel's strange story Once upon a time spread over his kingdom that it looks invisible the better of him The chamberlain notified the prime minister to anyone who is too stupid to see to show them off to take advantage We are two very good tailors who had heard of the Emperor's vanity whose only worry in life


The Emperor's New Clothes


________________________ there lived a vain emperor ________________________ was to dress in elegant clothes.__________________ every hour and loved ___________ _____________to his people.

Word of the Emperor's refined habits __________________________and beyond. Two scoundrels ___________________________decided _________________________of it. They introduced themselves __________________________with a scheme in mind.

" _____________________________and after many years of research we have invented ___________________to weave a cloth so light and fine ___________________________. As a matter of fact it is invisible _______________________and incompetent to appreciate its quality."

The chief of the guards _______________________________________ and sent for the court chamberlain. ______________________________, who ran to the Emperor and _______________________. The Emperor's curiosity got _______________________and he decided ____________the two scoundrels.





Self-Access Group. CiefP Santander


KEY

1. Once upon a time
2. whose only worry in life
3. He changed clothes almost
4. to show them off
5. spread over his kingdom
6. who had heard of the Emperor’s vanity
7. to take advantage of it
8. at the gates of the palace
9. We are two very good tailors
10. an extraordinary method
11. that it looks invisible
12. to anyone who is too stupid
13. heard the scoundrel’s strange story
14. The chamberlain notified the prime minister
15. and disclosed the incredible news
16. the better of him
17. to see

Mamma Mia!

Money, money, money for Greek island as Mamma Mia! draws tourist hordes

Some want weddings. Others want champagne receptions at sunset on their own private beach. Others want to dance and kiss on the beach. It's called the Mamma Mia! effect. And nowhere is it felt more keenly than on the Aegean isle of Skopelos. "The phones never stop ringing," says Mayor Christos Vasiloudi. "People call in all the time asking how they can get to our Mamma Mia! paradise."
"It's extraordinary. I've had requests from people in England, Hungary, Australia, asking whether they can marry here, hold champagne parties here, buy land here," said Mahi Drossou, a local travel agent. "One English couple wondered whether they could book the beach that features in the film for a private wedding.
Until the arrival of the Hollywood star cast 15 months ago, Skopelos (population 4,696) was best known for its plums, pears and pine trees. Without an airport, reachable only by ferry, few could have imagined that the 96 sq km isle, east of Athens, would become the backdrop of a blockbuster featuring Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan. Even fewer could have foreseen its emergence as the film's star.
"I've met people who have come because friends had seen the film four or five times and they wanted to see what all the fuss is about," said Dimitra Rekkas at the town hall. "The producers checked out at least 25 Greek islands before opting for Skopelos. They chose our island because of its greenness and the fact it really is a small paradise."
The film's success could not have been better timed for a country whose tourist-dependent economy has been hard hit by violent anti-government protests. On Thursday - thirteen days after riots erupted over the police shooting of a teenage boy - Greek officials announced that hotel bookings had dropped by 40%, prompting Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to announce emergency measures to boost tourism.
"Okay, we need Mamma Mia! in this economic crisis but a lot of us would hate it if the film that promoted our island also ended up destroying it," said travel agent Mahi Drossou. "It's great that people want to come and marry here and dance and kiss on our beaches but Skopelos has an unspoilt natural beauty and we want to keep it that way."

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a) People all over the world are interested in owning property on the island.
b) Many people thought that the real protagonist of the film was Skopelos.
c) It didn’t take the film makers long to decide on a setting for the film.
d) The inhabitants of the island are afraid that this film success will put an end to its beautiful landscape.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) What kind of place is Skopelos?
b) Why was “Mamma Mia”´s success beneficial for the island?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as
a) appear (par. 2)
b) excitement (par.4)
c) increase (par.5)

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) They wondered whether they could book the beach for a private wedding.
They wondered whether the ………………………………………………….
b) “They chose our island because of its greenness and the fact that it really is a small paradise.
Dimitra said that ……………………………………………………………….
c) We need “Mamma Mia!” because there is an economic crisis.
If there ……………………………………………………………………………

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:Would you take part in a competition like “Survivors”?

Self-Access Group. CEP Santander

Money & Banking

Match the words on the left with the definitions on the right



1. savings a. money you borrow and pay back later

2. loan b. when you spend more money than you have in an account

3. mortgage c. money you don’t spend but keep in the bank for later

4. overdraft d. a record of where your money is in a bank

5. interest e. to put money into your bank

6. withdraw f. a special arrangement to borrow money to buy a home

7. deposit g. to take money out of the bank

8. account h. a percentage you pay when you borrow money

Tourist Information office

Welcome to Cheltenham Spa

Fill in the gaps with words from the box

accommodation call enjoyable provide qualified range
seeing stock trails


Make our Tourist Information Centre your first 1 …………………. when planning your visit to Cheltenham. Our friendly team can provide an extensive 2………………………. of services to make your stay 3…………………………. and memorable. We can book your 4………………….. , from a homely bed and breakfast to a four-star-hotel. We can 5……………………… tickets for local events and we are booking agents for National Express and local coach operators.
In summer we organise our own varied programme of Scenic Coach Tours of the Cotswolds, plus regular walking tours of Regency Cheltenham, all escorted by 6………………….. guides. We also 7……………………. a wide range of maps, walking 8....................................... and guidebooks plus quality gifts and souvenirs. We can help you with advice on what to see, where to go and how to get there.
We look forward to 9……………………….. you in Cheltenham Spa.




KEY

1. call
2. range
3. enjoyable
4. accommodation
5. provide
6. qualified
7. stock
8. trails
9. seeing

Word Building

CLASSIFICATION: Vocabulary
TOPIC: Word Building
ACTIVITY TYPE. Gap filling
LEVEL: 4




Add a word that is derived from the one between brackets.


1. You can rely on Jane. She is very………………… (depend)

2. That rule is not ………….. …in this case (apply)
3. Don’t tell anyone. This is …………… (confide)
4. Librarians spend a lot of time …… their books (class)
5. Despite his …….…………Stevie Wonder managed to become a top pop singer. (able)
6. In wartime there is often a …….. ….…of food. (short)
7. See Mr Baker. This matter is his ………………… (response).
8. The company got more than 20 ……………….. (complain)
9. What ….. ………………do you need for this job? (qualify)
10. It is ……………. to take credit for other people’s ideas. (moral)
11. The price is £5, excluding ……………… and packing. (post)
12. I spent my ………………. in the country. (child)
13. People who smoke ……………….. their children to do likewise. (courage)




Self-Access Group. CiefP Santander




KEY

1. dependable
2. applicable
3. confidential
4. classifying
5. disability
6. shortage
7. responsibility
8. complaints
9. qualifications
10. immoral
11. postage
12. childhood
13. encourage

Describing characters

Describing characters
Match the adjectives in the “Positive” column with its correspondent opposite in the “Negative” column

Positive Negative
1. hard-working a. tense
2. clever b. weak
3. relaxed c. shy
4. generous d. narrow-minded
5. cheerful e. lazy
6. flexible f. cruel
7. strong g. miserable
8. self-confident h. easy-going
9. stubborn i. rigid
10. kind j. stupid
11. broad-minded k. mean





KEY
1-e
2-j
3-c
4-k
5-g
6-i
7-b
8-c
9-h
10-f
11-d

Eating chocolate is good for maths

Scientists reveal how eating chocolate can help improve your maths
Eating chocolate could improve the brain's ability to do maths, a new study suggests. Mental arithmetic became easier after volunteers had been given large amounts of compounds found in chocolate, called flavanols, in a hot cocoa drink. They were also less likely to feel tired or mentally drained, the findings, presented at the British Psychological Society annual conference in Brighton show.
Prof David Kennedy, director of the brain, performance and nutrition research centre at Northumbria University, and a co-author of the study, said that chocolate could be beneficial for mentally challenging tasks. The findings suggest students who binge on chocolate when revising for exams may gain a real benefit from doing so. The flavanols, part of a group of chemicals called polyphenols, work by increasing the flow of blood into the brain.
For the study 30 volunteers were asked to count backwards in groups of three from a random number between 800 and 999 generated by a computer. The findings show that they could do the calculations more quickly and more accurately after they had been given the drink. However, the same was not true when the group was asked to count backwards in groups of seven, which the researchers described as a more complex task, requiring a slightly different part of the brain. The findings also show that the volunteers did not get as tired doing the calculations if they had been given the cocoa drink, despite being asked to do them over and over for an hour.
The researchers gave the volunteers a total of 500mg of flavanol. Although the amount was too great to be found naturally in the diet, researchers said that people should ensure that they have lots of flavanols, also found in fruit and vegetables, on a regular basis. Dark chocolate contains higher quantities of the chemical than plain or milk chocolate.
Prof Kennedy said: "The amount that we are giving is more than in the diet but there is quite a lot of evidence that general amounts are protective. The more fruit and vegetables and things that are high in polyphenols the better that is for your brain in the long run.”

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether these statements are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a. The study took place at a conference in Brighton.
b. Chocolate contains a substance which makes blood flow more easily.
c. People normally eat around 500mg of flavenol every day.
d. There is more flavenol in dark chocolate than there is in milk chocolate.
Question 2. (2 points) Answer these questions in your own words.
a. Why is it more difficult to count backwards in groups of seven than in groups of three?
b. Which foods does Professor Kennedy suggest that we should eat to help us perform mental activities and why?
Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that mean the same as:
a. to eat a lot of something (p.2) b. repeatedly (p.3) c. contain a lot of (p.5)
Question 4 (1.5 points) Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a. Eating chocolate could improve the brain’s ability to do maths.
The brain’s ability ..........................
b. Students who eat a large amount of chocolate when revising for exams may gain a real benefit from doing so.
If ............................................
c. Professor Kennedy said “The amount that we are giving is more than in the diet but there is quite a lot of evidence that general amounts are protective. “
Professor Kennedy said that ..................................................
Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic.
So many different people tell us what to eat and what not to eat. Should we listen to their advice?