CU after summer

Now that the "busy days" are coming, here are our last posts of this school year.
Hope that you find Our Blog useful. We'll see you again in September.
In the meanwhile, let's listen to some music to get ready for the summer hols.



“Summercat” – Billie the Vision & The Dancers

I kissed you good bye at the airport. I held you so close to me. I said ‘So here we are now and I can’t stop from crying Lilly’. And you said ‘Hey hey hoo, you know this is the way to go. You will forget about me when I’m on that plane. Forget about me when I’m on that plane.’

Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you tonight

The plane took off and my love went with it. The chilly wind whipped my both cheeks hard. And the man next to me said ‘Everything is gonna be alright’. I said ‘Nothing is gonna be alright, but thank you anyway’. And then I saw your face in the airplane window. I waved my hands and I shouted to you:

Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you tonight

I wore a T-shirt and my worn out hat. Abandoned as a summer cat. And as I stood there as a broken hearted I realized you got the car keys still. So I broke into my own old car. I fell asleep on the passenger seat. I dreamed of summer sex with you and you whispered in my ear:

Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you tonight

Why can’t you leave me tomorrow instead?

And above the clouds she said to herself ‘I can’t believe how naive a man can be. That’s why I love you so and that’s why I can’t be with you…’

Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you Tonight tonight tonight tonight
I wanna be with you tonight

..... and some others for you to enjoy.

Holiday snaps

What’s on your computer screen?

Would you put any of these images on your screen?

Taking photos

Match each word to the correct definition:
a photograph
b photographer
c photography
d wallpaper
e portrait
f scene
g snap


1 A view that you can see in a picture.
2 A person that takes pictures with a camera.
3 A picture taken with a camera.
4 The image that appears in the background of your computer screen.
5 The process of taking pictures with a camera.
6 A photo taken without professional equipment, usually on holiday.
7 A drawing, painting or photo of someone, especially of their face only.


In Spain, people say ‘patata’ when they are posing for a photo. Do you know which word we say in English?
cheese!
(Try saying ‘cheese’ – notice how your mouth opens wide!!)


http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/gallery/2010/feb/28/charles-veley-worlds-most-travelled#/?picture=359797622&index=0

http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/trails/tipper-of-the-week-archive.jsp

Key
1 f 2 b 3 a 4 d 5 c 6 g 7 e

Holiday snaps of 'smiling' three-ton hippo 'Otis' become web hit

When Jay Parker told his wife Lauren to say ‘cheese’, it seems someone else was listening, too. Otis the hippo pressed his face against the glass of his tank and produced what appears to be a beaming smile.
And when the couple exchanged positions, the three-ton beast duly obliged with another grin for the camera next to her husband. The Parkers, from Little Rock, Arkansas, took their extraordinary photographs during a holiday visit to San Diego Zoo in California.

'We took the picture on holiday at San Diego Zoo, my wife is a big fan of animals so we always try and visit somewhere when we are away,' said Mr Parker.

'Actually the week we were there the zoo had just put two hippos together for the first time in the tank. Hippos are not usually that friendly and the two they had in the tank - the male Otis and the female Funani - had been having a bit of a fight with each other that day. Mr Parker said 'When I look at his face I think he looks pretty tired by it all, or maybe he's having a happy dream - either way it's a great picture.'

To add another dimension to the memorable snap, the picture has become an internet hit after Jay posted them on the internet and pops up on blogs and chatrooms from USA to China. Mr Parker, 35, from Little Rock, Arkansas, even gets fan mail from people far away telling him he is their computer screensaver or Facebook profile picture.

He said: 'It's kind of strange to think there are people out there with a picture of me on their computer, but I guess I'm just the hippo man as far they're concerned.’


Question 1 [2 points]Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) Jay Parker appears in the first photograph of Otis in San Diego. b) Lauren likes animals a lot.
c) Otis has always had company in his tank. (
d) Mr Parker received emails from people all over the world.

Question 2 [2 points] Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) When and where were the photos taken?
b) Who has used the photos of Mr and Mrs Parker and how?

Question 3 [1.5 points] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a) very wide and happy (paragraph 1)
b) animal (paragraph 2)
c) to appear (paragraph 5)

Question 4 Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) The Parkers, from Little Rock, Arkansas, took their extraordinary photographs during a holiday visit to San Diego Zoo in California.
The extraordinary photographs ……..

b) My wife is a big fan of animals so we always try and visit some when we are away.
If my …….

c) Mr Parker said: 'It's kind of strange to think there are people out there with a picture of me on their computer, but I guess I'm just the hippo man as far they're concerned.’
Mr Parker said that it …………

Question 5 Write a short essay (between120-150 words) on the following topic:
‘Nowadays, the internet makes it possible for everyone to be famous’. Do you agree? Is it always a good thing?

Holiday snaps of 'smiling' three-ton hippo 'Otis' become web hit

Key

Question 1
a) False - And when the couple exchanged positions, the three-ton beast duly obliged with another grin for the camera next to her husband.
b) True – ‘my wife is a big fan of animals so we always try and visit somewhere when we are away,'
c) False - 'Actually the week we were there the zoo had just put two hippos together for the first time in the tank.
d) True - Mr Parker, 35, from Little Rock, Arkansas, even gets fan mail from people far away telling him he is their computer screensaver or Facebook profile picture.

Question 2
a) Jay and Lauren Parker come from Little Rock, Arkansas. While they were on holiday, they took some photographs at San Diego Zoo in California in front of the hippopotamus tank there.
b) The photographs have become extremely popular on the web after Jay Parker uploaded them. Afterwards, American and Chinese blog and chat users have used it, as well as others who use it as wallpaper on their computer or as the photo for their Facebook profile.

Question 3
a) beaming
b) beast
c) pops up/(to) pop up

Question 4
a) The extraordinary photographs were taken during a holiday visit by the Parkers, from Little Rock, Arkansas, to San Diego Zoo in California.

b) If my wife wasn’t/weren’t a big fan of animals, we would not always try and visit some when we were away.

c) Mr Parker said that it was kind of strange to think that there were people out there with a picture of him on their computer, but he guessed he was just the hippo man as far as they were concerned.’

The Spy Who You May Have Met

Most of us think of spies as people who work in foreign countries gathering information. But there’s another kind of spy – one that you may have even encountered without knowing it. Shopping spies are hired to go into a shop, bank, restaurant or other business pretending to be ordinary customers. Their goal is to see what kind of service they receive. Afterwards, they tell the managers of companies how well their employees did.

The results of the shopping spies’ reports can have a big impact. One shopping spy went to a restaurant that had an extremely dirty toilet. She went to tell the waiter, who refused to help`, and told her that he wasn’t going to work any harder than he had to. The manager heard about the problem, and the employee was fired a few days later. Although workers have lost their jobs based on visits like these, shopping spy Sandra Smith stresses that most workers shouldn’t’ feel threatened. ”We’re not inspecting them. I’m not trying to trick them,” she said. “The client wants to know what the average citizen sees when he or she walks into the establishment. I just want to see if the workers are doing their job. That’s pretty much it.”

There are some benefits to being a shopping spy such as free meals at restaurants. Occasionally the shoppers even keep the items they buy. However, most jobs in this field are part-time – sometimes as little as two days a month – so shopping spies don’ t generally take the job for the benefits of the money. Rather, they are entranced by the excitement, fun, and perhaps even the opportunity to improve the business world just a little bit.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.

1. All of us have met shopping spies.


2. The spy at the restaurant complained because the toilet was a mess.


3. The people who employ spies want to know what the employees do in the break.


4. As a benefit of their job, shopping spies get high pay.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

1. What information does a shopping spy gather?


2. What motivates most shopping spies to do their job?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. to collect (par.1) b. filthy (par.2) c. delighted (par.3)

Question 4 ( 1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. The employee was fired a few days later. They ……………………………………

b. “I just want to see if the workers are doing their job. Sandra Smith said that ……………………………………….

c. One employee was fired because he refused to help. He wouldn’t ……………………….........

Question 5 (3 points)
Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:

Where do you like to do your shopping? Give reasons.

The Spy Who You May Have Met

Question 1

1. False. “one that you may have even encountered without knowing it.”
2. True. “One shopping spy went to a restaurant that had an extremely dirty toilet. She went to tell the waiter, who refused to help`, and told her that he wasn’t going to work any harder than he had to. The manager heard about the problem, and the employee was fired.”
3. False.” I just want to see if the workers are doing their job. That’s pretty much it.”
4. False. “ so shopping spies don’ t generally take the job for the benefits of the money.”

Question 2

1. They gather information about the service they get in the different places and about the workers’ job.
2. They usually take the job because it’s a funny, exciting job and they also try to make the service received in the different businesses better.

Question 3

1. gathering / to gather
2. extremely dirty
3. entranced

Question 4

1. They fired the employer a few days later.
2. Sandra Smith said that she just wanted to see if the workers were doing their job.
3. He wouldn’t have been fired if he hadn’t refused to help.

Father of the CD” Dies

The pioneer of the compact disc (CD) Norio Ohga has died aged 81 of multiple organ failure in the Japanese capital Tokyo. Mr Ohga was president and chairman of Sony between 1982 and 1995. He is credited with pioneering the use of the CD. Sony sold the world's first CD in 1982. Mr Ohga was responsible for its size. He recommended a disc should be 12 cm in diameter because it contained enough space to store Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, which is 75 minutes long. The size of CDs has remained unchanged since and became the format for DVDs. CD sales in Japan overtook record sales within five years of their introduction. Ohga was an avid music enthusiast and studied to become an opera singer in his youth.

Sony's current chairman, Sir Howard Stringer, paid tribute to Mr Ohga’s leadership and vision. He said the former chairman transformed Sony from a company that sold radios and electronics into a global entertainment giant. Ohga rose through the Sony ranks at a speed highly unusual for a Japanese company and was an executive by his 30s. Ohga moved Sony into new directions, making them an international player. He was key in the purchase of Hollywood studio Colombia Pictures and the record company CBS. He also oversaw the launch of Sony’s highly successful PlayStation game console. Mr Stringer said: “By redefining Sony as a company encompassing both hardware and software, Ohga-san succeeded where other Japanese companies failed.”
(25th April, 2011)

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.

a. The pioneer of the CD died from cancer in Tokyo
b.The former Sony chairman once trained to be an opera singer.
c. Mr Ohga bought a Hollywood movie studio and record company.
d. He had very little part to play in the launch of the Sony PlayStation.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.
a. Why do CDs are the size they are?
b. What contributions did Mr. Ohga do to Sony?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a. innovation (par.1) b. fan (par.1) c. to include (par.2)

Question 4 ( 1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a. CD sales in Japan overtook record sales within five years of their introduction.
Record sales ………………………………………………
b. The size of CDs has remained unchanged since 1982
The size of CDs hasn't ……………………………………..
c. : “By redefining Sony as a company encompassing both hardware and software, Ohga-san succeeded where other Japanese companies failed.”
Mr. Stringer said that …………………………………...

Question 5 (3 points)
Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:
How many different ways are there to keep your music? What’s your favourite?

Father of the CD" Dies

Key

Question 1

a. False. “The pioneer of the compact disc (CD) Norio Ohga has died aged 81 of multiple organ failure in the Japanese capital Tokyo.”
b. True. “ Ohga was an avid music enthusiast and studied to become an opera singer in his youth.”
c. True. “ He was key in the purchase of Hollywood studio Colombia Pictures and the record company CBS.”
d. False. “He also oversaw the launch of Sony’s highly successful PlayStation game console. “

Question 2

a. CDs are the size they are because Mr. Ohga wanted a CD to store as much length of music as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony has, which is 75 minutes. That meant the CD should have a diameter of 12 cm.
b. Mr. Ohga turned Sony into an international player. He bought a Hollywood film studio and a record company and he supervised the launch of the PlayStation.

Question 3

a. pioneer
b. enthusiast
c. encompassing / to encompass

Question 4

a. Record sales were overtaken by CD sales in Japan within five years of their introduction.
b. The size of CDs has never changed / hasn’t changed since 1982.
c. Mr. Stringer said that by redefining Sony as a company encompassing both hardware and software, Mr. Ohga-san had succeeded where other Japanese companies had failed.

Google launches Latin translation tool

Google Translate, a service that can instantly translate entire web pages or chunks of text in to another language, has added Latin to its list.
Google Translate supports more than 50 languages, including minority languages such as Welsh and Haitian Creole, and the addition of Latin is sure to please scholars and traditionalists.

In a blog post, written entirely in Latin, Jakob Uszkoreit, a senior engineer at Google, said that Latin was far from a “dead language”. “There are many Latin language learners,” he wrote. “Over 100,000 American students take the National Latin Exam every year and many more learn Latin all over the world. And there is a wealth of information originally written in it.”

He said that while Google recognised that the Latin translation tool would rarely be used to decipher emails or captions on YouTube videos, it would enable web users to read many of the crucially important philosophical and scientific texts originally written in this language. “There are tens of thousands of scanned books written in Latin on Google Books, and many more contain Latin quotes and proverbs,” he wrote.

Google expects translations to and from Latin to be among the most accurate offered by its Google Translate tool. “Unlike any of the other languages Google Translate supports, Latin offers a unique advantage: most of the text that will ever be written in Latin has already been written, and a comparatively large part of it has been translated in to other languages. “We use these translations, found in books and on the web, to train our system.”
Google has also added a Latin text-to-speech function, too, to help people with their pronunciation.

Question 1:[2 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a) Google Translate can be used to produce translations of stretches of language.
b) Only widely spoken languages are available on Google Translate.
c) The Google engineer wrote his message in American English.
d) There is no possibility of listening to Latin on Google Translation.

Question 2:[2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words.

a) Is Latin studied these days?
b) Why will Google Latin translations be particularly reliable?

Question 3:[1.5 POINTS]Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a) To make happy (paragraph 1).
b) a large amount (paragraph 2).
c) extremely (paragraph 3).

Question 4:[1,5 POINTS] Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) Over 100,000 American students take the National Latin Exam every year and many more learn Latin all over the world.
The National Latin Exam …… and Latin ……

b) “What lessons do you have this morning, James?”
I asked James ……………………………………………………………

c) Many important philosophical and scientific texts were written in Latin People want to read these texts.
People want to read the

Question 5:[3 POINTS]Write a short essay (120 - 150 words) on the following topic:
‘Not everything that we have to study at school is useful.’ Do you agree?

Olympic stadium almost finished!

Construction work on London's Olympic Stadium has finished and it's almost ready to go!

International inspectors laid the last piece of turf on the field of the stadium, just under three years after building work began.

Inspectors will now begin a check-up of preparations for the London 2012 Games.

But it's not completely finished and ready for action yet... there are 700 rooms inside the venue which still need some final touches.

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe said: "We wouldn't want anyone to run away with the idea that this stadium is ready to stage an Olympic track and field championship tomorrow."

He added: "With one year and a few months to go, this is a great place to be."

The surface of the running track will be laid later this year at the stadium, which is to be taken over by West Ham football club once the Games are over.

This is so the track is not damaged by cranes which may have to be used to install equipment for the Games and its ceremonies.

True or false?

1. All the grass in the stadium has been put in place.
2. Building work on the stadium began over three years ago.
3. Lord Coe said that he didn’t want people to run at the stadium.
4. The running track has not been completed yet.
5. No one knows what to do with the stadium once the Olympics are over.
6. The stadium will be used for track and field events.
7. Lord Coe is chairman of the 2012 Olympics.
8. The track has been damaged by cranes.

Match the words below to their definitions

ceremonies / construction / cranes / inspectors / stage / surface / turf

when you work to build something
people whose job it is to officially examine something
ground with grass on it
organize an event
top layer of a field or track on which sports are played
tall metal structure used for lifting heavy objects
formal acts done on important occasions

What is the missing word?

1. This stadium is ready to stage an Olympic track and field ______ .
2. The surface of the running track will be ___________ later this year.
3. There are 700 rooms inside the ___________ .
4. Inspectors will now begin a check-up of ___________ .

KEY

True or false?

1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. True
7. True
8. False

Vocabulary

construction when you work to build something
inspectors people whose job it is to officially examine something
turf ground with grass on it
stage organize an event
surface top layer of a field or track on which sports are played
cranes tall metal structure used for lifting heavy objects
ceremonies formal acts done on important occasions

What’s the missing word

Championship
Laid
Venue
Preparations

16 lambs found inside two cars

Sixteen lambs have been discovered by police crammed inside two cars on a motorway.

The vehicles were stopped by cops on the M5 near Oldbury in the West Midlands in the middle of the night.

Some of the animals were on the backseat, while others had been put inside the boot.

The lambs are now being cared for by a nearby farmer, before they get reunited with their owner in Gloucestershire.

Six men have been arrested.

Match the words below to their definitions

arrested / boot / cops / crammed / discovered / reunited

found
force a lot of things into a small space
name in the UK for covered space at the back of a car
brought together again
taken away by the police to be questioned about a crime
policemen or policewomen

True or false?

1. The lambs were discovered in the morning.
2. The lambs will be returned to their owner.
3. All of the lambs were on the back seats of the cars.
4. The lambs were stolen.
5. The owner of the lambs was arrested.
6. Oldbury is in Gloustershire.
7. The cars were parked when they were found.
8. The lambs were wearing boots.

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?
motorway
a) the same as driveway
b) the same as highway
c) the same as underway
animals
a) the same as animators
b) the same as creatures
c) the same as minerals
cared for
a) the same as transported
b) the same as concerned about
c) the same as looked after
nearby
a) the same as local
b) the same as underneath
c) the same as above




KEY
Vocabulary

discovered found
crammed force a lot of things into a small space
boot name in the UK for covered space at the back of a car
reunited brought together again
arrested taken away by the police to be questioned about a crime
cops policemen or policewomen

True or false?

1. False
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. False
8. False

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?

1.b) the same as highway
2.b) the same as creatures
3.c) the same as looked after
4.a) the same as local

Google launches Latin translation tool

Key
Question 1
a) True Google Translate, a service that can instantly translate entire web pages or chunks of text in to another language,
b) False Google Translate supports more than 50 languages, including minority languages such as Welsh and Haitian Creole,
c) False In a blog post, written entirely in Latin, Jakob Uszkoreit, a senior engineer at Google,
d) False Google has also added a Latin text-to-speech function, too, to help people with their pronunciation.
Question 2
a) A considerable number of people around the planet study Latin and more than 1000,000 Americans sit the National Latin Exam annually.
b) Latin texts are rarely written these days, meaning that translations already exist and they can be fed into Google Translate to create the programme.
Question 3
a) please/to please
b) a wealth
c) crucially
Question 4
a) The National Latin Exam is taken by over 100,000 American students every year and Latin is learnt by many more all over the world.
b) I asked James what lessons he had had that morning.
c) People want to read the many important texts that/which were written in Latin.

More wild fires raging across UK

Firefighters across the UK are tackling MORE big countryside fires brought on by the hot weather.

Blazes are burning in Berkshire, Yorkshire, Lancashire, the Highlands of Scotland and County Down, Tyrone and Armagh in Northern Ireland.

It's been the hottest April on record and there's only been half the normal amount of rain so it's easy for fires to start and spread.

Prime Minister David Cameron has praised the work of the firefighters.

Police are warning they will arrest anyone suspected of deliberately starting a fire after some teenagers were seen starting fresh fires at Swinley Forest near Crowthorne, Berkshire.

Experts in Northern Ireland say that many of the fires have been started on purpose.

There are about 60 firefighters at a massive moor fire near Mytholmroyd in West Yorkshire and in North Yorkshire a fire is threatening an industrial estate on the outskirts of Thirsk.

Nine crews are at a fire near Belmont, near Bolton in Lancashire, and two engines are at another moor fire near Ormskirk. A Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "We are hoping it rains, as the land is so dry."

A large area of heather and gorse was on fire on the Balmoral Estate, the Royal Family's home in Scotland.

Fires in the wild can be caused by sunlight shining through bottles or glass and causing a spark or by cigarettes that aren't put out properly.

Match the words below to their definitions

blaze / estate / gorse / moor / on purpose / outskirts / suspected / threatening

large and intense fire
when it is thought something is true or probable
intentionally or deliberately
likely to cause harm or damage
group of houses or factories built in a planned way
areas at the edge of a town or city
open area of hills covered with rough grass
type of bush with thorns and small yellow flowers

TRUE OR FALSE?

1. The wild fires are limited to England.
2. No buildings are at risk from the fires.
3. Balmoral Estate in located in Lancashire.
4. The fires near Crowthorne may have been started by teenagers.
5. This April has been the hottest since people started keeping records.
6. A moor fire is burning near Thirsk.
7. Wildfires can be started by sunlight shining on grass.
8. The police have already arrested people for starting the fires.

What is the missing word?

1. There are about 60 firefighters at a______________moor fire near Mytholmroyd.
2. Some______________were seen starting fresh fires.
3. A large area of_______________and gorse was on fire.
4. David Cameron has________________the work of the firefighters.



KEY
Vocabulary

blaze large and intense fire
suspected when it is thought something is true or probable
on purpose intentionally or deliberately
threatening likely to cause harm or damage
estate group of houses or factories built in a planned way
outskirts areas at the edge of a town or city
moor open area of hills covered with rough grass
gorse type of bush with thorns and small yellow flowers

TRUE or FALSE?

1. False
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. True
6. False
7. False
8. False

What is the missing word?

1. massive
2. teenagers
3. heather
4. praised

Three-legged sheepdog wins prize

A sheepdog with three legs has won a competition for best farm dog in England and Wales.

Jack lost his leg after a serious injury last year, but made an amazing recovery and still works on his owner's farm in North Wales.

The Rees family sent in a photo of Jack and explained why he should be named top dog in the competition.

Judges at the National Farmers Union said they were impressed by Jack's battle against hardship.

One judge said: "This is a dog who has certainly seen his fair share of adversity following his accident last year but who has bounced back to his hard-working, irreplaceable best."


Try our dogs quiz

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_1650000/newsid_1654100/1654175.stm

Match the words below to their definitions

adversity / competition / hardship / impressed / injury /irreplaceable

event where people try to win a prize by being the best at something
damage to your body
admired or respected someone because of what they did
when life is difficult or unpleasant
difficult or unlucky situation
when something cannot be replaced because it is too special, valuable or unusual

True or false?

1. Jack is the best farm dog in Scotland.
2. The Rees family lives in North Wales.
3. Jack does not work on the farm any more.
4. The Rees family owns Jack.
5. No one knew why Jack should be named best farm dog.
6. Jack has not recovered from his injury.
7. The competition was run by the National Farmers Union.
8. Jack lost his leg the previous year.

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?
1. serious
a) the same as slight
b) the same as bad
c) the same as deep
2. battle
a) the same as strike
b) the same as worry
c) the same as fight
3. explained
a) the same as excluded
b) the same as gave reasons
c) the same as wondered
4. named
a) the same as renamed
b) the same as called
c) the same as chosen


KEY

Vocabulary

competition event where people try to win a prize by being the best at something
injury damage to your body
impressed admired or respected someone because of what they did
hardship when life is difficult or unpleasant
adversity difficult or unlucky situation
irreplaceable when something cannot be replaced because it is too special, valuable or unusual

True or false?
1. False
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. True
8. True

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?
b) the same as bad
c) the same as fight
b) the same as gave reasons
c) the same as chosen

X Factor: Simon quits as UK judge

Simon Cowell won't be returning as a weekly judge on the new series of The X Factor. There have been loads of rumours about his role because he's busy launching the show in America.
ITV said it's looking at ways for Simon to appear later on in the series - and we're told he will continue to have an "enormous presence" backstage. "We have known for some time that Simon's on-screen presence would be less this year," an ITV spokesman said. "That is something we are completely comfortable with."
There's no word yet on the other judges Dannii Minogue, Louis Walsh, and Cheryl Cole - who has been rumoured to be in the running for a job on The X Factor USA.
Meanwhile, Britain's Got Talent kicked off on Saturday without Simon Cowell on the panel.
The ratings were down compared to the first episode of previous series, but Simon's due to return as a judge for the live shows.

Match the words below to their definitions

enormous / episode / in the running / kicked off / presence / role / rumours / series

number of related events or things, one following another
position or purpose that someone or something has
pieces of news that might be true or invented
very large
when someone is involved in something
having a reasonable chance of winning
started
one of the single parts into which a story is divided, especially when it is broadcast on the television or radio

True or false?

1. ITV is concerned that Cowell is not returning.
2. There is going to be series of The X Factor in America.
3. Cowell’s departure from The X Factor came as a surprise.
4. None of the other judges have confirmed that they are returning.
5. Cowell was a judge on Britain’s Got Talent in the past.
6. Cheryl Cole may get a job on television in the USA.
7. Simon Cowell will not have anything more to do with The X Factor.
8. The X Factor appears on ITV.

What is the missing word?

1. He's busy __________ the show in America.
2. That is something we are completely __________ with.
3. Britain's Got Talent kicked off on Saturday without Simon Cowell on the ____________ .
4. The __________ were down compared to the first episode of previous series.




KEY

Vocabulary
series number of related events or things, one following another
role position or purpose that someone or something has
rumours pieces of news that might be true or invented
enormous very large
presence when someone is involved in something
in the running having a reasonable chance of winning
kicked off started
episode one of the single parts into which a story is divided, especially when it is broadcast on the television or radio

True or false?

1. False
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. True
6. True
7. False
8. True

What is the missing word?

1. He's busy launching the show in America.
2. That is something we are completely comfortable with.
3. Britain's Got Talent kicked off on Saturday without Simon Cowell on the panel.
4. The ratings were down compared to the first episode of previous series.

New York cabbie picks up $5,000 fare to California

New York taxi driver Mohammed Alam has picked up the fare of a lifetime - $5,000 (£3,000) to drive across the US to Los Angeles. He got a shock when he was asked to drive the two friends. Investment banker John Belitsky and friend Dan Wuebben wanted to do something "magical".
They decided on a cab ride to LA and struck the deal with Mr Alam after finding him at LaGuardia Airport.
The 2,448-mile trip took six days and included a stop in Las Vegas where the friends won $2,000. On 22 April, after their winning streak in Las Vegas, he tweeted: "Woke up Alam to a shower of $100 bills at sunrise."
Mr Belitsky, of Leonia, New Jersey, and Mr Wuebben, of Queens, New York, haven't yet said how they intend to get back to the East Coast. But Mr Alam says a mate will help him make the drive back home from their destination.
New York news blog NYU Local estimated that the trip would have cost $17,000 (£10,000) if the meter had been running for the whole trip.

Match the words below to their definitions

destination / trip / magical / mate / meter /shock

emotional reaction to something you don’t expect
the act of travelling from one place to another one
friend
special and exciting
place that you are going to
device that measures the amount of something

True or false?
1. Los Angeles is near to New York.
2. The trip cost less than if it has been on the meter.
3. You can drive from New York to Los Angeles in less than a week.
4. John and Dan were enemies.
5. John Belitsky works in a bank.
6. Dan Wuebben drove the taxi.
7. The meter was not running during the trip.
8. The journey actually cost ten thousand pounds.

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?
1.whole
a) the same as missing
b) the same as partial
c) the same as entire
2.asked
a) the same as requested
b) the same as told
c) the same as demanded
3.running
a) the same as walking
b) the same as turned on
c) the same as dripping



KEY

shock emotional reaction to something you don’t expect
journey the act of travelling from one place to another one
mate friend
magical special and exciting
destination place that you are going to
meter device that measures the amount of something

True or false?
1. False
2. True
3. False
4. False
5. True
6. False
7. True
8. False

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?
1. c) the same as entire
2. a) the same as requested
3. b) the same as turned on

GOING TO or WILL

Complete the gaps with GOING TO or WILL

1) I'm hungry - Oh, I _______________ you a sandwich.(make)

2) He ________________ Law at Sheffield University next year.(study)

3) Oh darling! I love you so much, _______________ me? (you/marry)

4) Look at those clouds! It __________________ any minute.(rain)

5) Jack ________________ Kim tomorrow afternoon.(meet)

6) What _________________ after school today? (you/do)

7) I think he _______________ very successful. (be)

8) Who do you think _______________ the next national elections? (win)

9) We __________________ to Warsaw next week for a meeting. (fly)

10) I promise you: I ________________ my homework on time next week. (finish)



KEY

1. will make
2. is going to study
3. Will you marry
4. is going to rain
5. is going to meet
6. are you going to do
7. will be
8. will win
9. are going to fly
10. will finish

SIGNS

Signs

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Kids banned from using sunbeds

Children and teenagers across England and Wales have been banned from using sun-beds. The new law will stop under 18s from getting a tan on the beds in places like gyms and salons. And the punishment for breaking the rules is pretty big - tanning shops could be fined £20,000 if they're caught letting kids use the beds. A leading health charity says the new law will help protect children from developing skin cancer in later life. The law was passed last year but it comes into force today.

True or false?
1. A sunbed can give you a tan.
2. The new law will cure cancer.
3. The law came into force as soon as it was passed.
4. The ban applies to England, Ireland and Wales.
5. Once you are 18, you can use a sunbed.
6. Sunbeds can’t give you cancer once you turn 18.
7. Teenagers who get caught using a sunbed can be fined up to £20,000
8. There are shops where you can got to get a fake tan.

Match the words below to their definitions
banned / charity / gyms / in force / salons / tan
forbidden to do something
places where people go to exercise
shop selling beauty or fashion products or services
when your skin is brown from being in the sun
organisation which gives money or help to people in need
when something is in force, it is currently in use, as in “the following rules are in force”
Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics?
1. leading a) the same as important b) the same as following c) the same as outspoken
2. passed a) the same as forgotten b) the same as approved c) the same as debated
3. pretty a) the same as petty b) the same as fairly c) the same as slightly
4. letting a) the same as releasing b) the same as opening c) the same as allowing

KEY
True or false?
1. True 2. False 3. False 4. False 5. True 6. False 7. False 8. True

Vocabulary
banned forbidden to do something
gyms places where people go to exercise
salons shop selling beauty or fashion products or services
tan when your skin is brown from being in the sun
charity organisation which gives money or help to people in need in
force when something is in force, it is currently in use, as in “the following rules are in force”

Which word or phrase means the same as the one in italics? a) the same as important b) the same as approved b) the same as fairly c) the same as allowing

Meditation Better Than Pain-Killers

Meditation can be better at relieving pain than the best pain-relieving drugs, according to a new report published in the Journal of Neuroscience. The study into the effects of the mind and pain was led by Dr Fadel Zeidan in the USA. The research looked at a technique called “focused attention,” which is a form of meditation where people focus their thoughts only on their breathing. Dr Zeidan said: “This is the first study to show that only a little over an hour of meditation training can dramatically reduce both the experience of pain and pain-related brain activation”. Zeidan added: “We found a big effect - about a 40per cent reduction in pain intensity and a 57 per cent reduction in pain unpleasantness.”

The study involved a group of volunteers who had never meditated before. They attended four 20-minute classes to learn about focused attention. Before and after the meditation training, the researchers examined the participants’ brain activity using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). During the scans, a heat device was placed on their leg to create pain. The MRI scans showed that after the meditation training, pain felt by every volunteer decreased from between 11 to 93 per cent. Zeidan compared these results to medicines, saying: “Meditation produced a greater reduction in pain than even morphine or other pain-relieving drugs, which typically reduce pain by about 25 per cent.”

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a. The technique focuses people’s attention on the source of the pain.
b. Only an hour of meditation can make you feel 60% less pain.
c. The group of people who took part in the sudy were used to meditating.
d. The meditators had their brains scanned before and after meditating.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.
a. Where did they conduct the research? What technique did they use?
b. How did they carry out the study?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a. discomfort (par.1) b. strength (par.1) c. put (par.2)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a. “This is the first study to show that only a little meditation can reduce the experience of pain.” Dr. Zeidan said that ……………………………………………
b. The researchers examined the participants’ brain activity.
The participants’ ………………………………………………….
c. People who use the “focused attention” technique feel less pain.
If they didn’t ……………………………………………………….

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic: Would you like to “volunteer” for anything? Give reasons.

50 years since first man in space

Celebrations have been taking place in Russia to mark 50 years since the first man in space.

Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history on 12 April 1961, when he went where no man had gone before. A rocket blasted Gagarin into space, where he stayed for 108 minutes before returning safely to Earth - a hero.

To mark the anniversary, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev held a video link-up with the International Space Station and an award ceremony.

Space race
At the time, it was a major victory for the Soviet Union in their space race against America. Before Gagarin's 1961 flight, no one knew whether humans could survive in space. Some people said the force of the take-off would crush his body. Others thought that being weightless would send him mad. He was fine.

Man on the moon
But the US hit back a few years later when Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, in 1969.

Nowadays, the Russians and Americans are no longer rivals and work together in space discovery.


Match the words below to their definitions

award / celebration / ceremony / mark / rivals / survive / victory

special, enjoyable event about something important
commemorate
formal act done on an important occasion
when you win something
continue to exist after being in a difficult situation
people competing against each other
prize given to someone for achieving something

True or False?

1. Dmitry Medvedev gave an award to Gagarin.
2. There were concerns that humans would die in space.
3. Weightlessness made Gagarin temporarily insane.
4. Gagarin was physically unaffected by his time in space.
5. Russians and Americans still compete in space.
6. Neil Armstrong landed on the moon after Gagarin did.
7. Gagarin stayed in space for over two hours.

What is the missing word?

1. A rocket __________ Gagarin into space.
2. Some people said the force of the take-off would _________ his body.
3. __________ , the Russians and Americans are no longer rivals.
4. Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made __________ on 12 April 1961.

KEY

Vocabulary

celebration special, enjoyable event about something important
mark commemorate
ceremony formal act done on an important occasion
victory when you win something
survive continue to exist after being in a difficult situation
rivals people competing against each other
award prize given to someone for achieving something

True or false?

1. False
2. True
3. False
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. False

What is the missing word?

1. blasted
2. crush
3. Nowadays
4. history

Meditation Better Than Pain-Killers

KEY

Question 1
a. False. “…. a technique called “focused attention,” which is a form of meditation where people focus their thoughts only on their breathing.”
b. False. “…only a little over an hour of meditation training can dramatically reduce both the experience of pain ………..about a 40 per cent reduction in pain intensity and a 57 per cent reduction in pain.
c. False. “The study involved a group of volunteers who had never meditated before.”
d. True. “Before and after the meditation training, the researchers examined the participants’ brain activity using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). The MRI scans showed that after the meditation training, pain felt by every volunteer decreased from between 11 to 93 per cent.“

Question 2
a. The investigation took place in the USA. They used an approach known as “focused attention“, where people concentrate exclusively on their breathing while they meditate.
b. They gave people with no previous expreience of meditating four classes to show them how to meditate focusing on their breath. The activity in these people’s brains was tested before and after the experiment and during the experiment, they made them feel some pain by putting heat on their legs.

Question 3
a. unpleasantness b. intensity c. placed/place

Question 4
a. Dr. Zeidan said that that was the first study to show/that showed that only a little meditation could reduce the experience of pain.
b. The participants’ brain activity was examined by the researchers.
c. If they didn’t use the “ focused attention“ technique, they would feel more pain.