Standing on the street in the centre of Kilis, a small Turkish city on the border with Syria, a steady stream of noisy motorcycles, scooters and cars zoom past. It’s certainly not the most bicycle-friendly city, but local leaders are determined to change that with a new network of cycle lanes, and by giving away thousands of bikes to local children.
Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war seven years ago, millions of Syrians have sought shelter in Turkey. While there are refugee camps lining the border, most refugees opt to live in cities such as Kilis. The population of Syrian refugees now exceeds the number of locals here and Arabic is heard as much as Turkish. Many shops and restaurants are emblazoned with Arabic signs.
The mayor, Hasan Kara, wants Kilis to be viewed as a place that has graciously opened its doors to refugees. As part of that, Kara has embarked on a series of civic and infrastructure projects aimed at creating a liveable environment. Perhaps the most unusual is a scheme to give thousands of free bicycles to the city’s children. “So far, we have distributed more than 4,000 bicycles, and our target is to give out at least 15,000,” Kara explains as we talk in his office in a restored historical building near the centre.
On the streets nearby, motorcycles and scooters zoom past in every direction; some carry entire families of three and four, and it is rare to see a helmet. “We placed importance on the bicycle project because as you can see, the usage of motorcycles is very common,” he says. “Now, we’re seeing children coming to and from school on their bicycles.” To get a bike, children must meet three requirements: they must get a smoker relative to quit, maintain strong grades while improving a weak area of study, and promise to ride for an hour a day.
In addition to the bikes for kids scheme, Kilis has built a four-mile cycle lane close to the city centre, near rows of modern apartment buildings. The mayor aims to build a 20-mile network of bike lanes throughout the city, including one along its main shopping street, in an attempt to break the dominance of cars and motorcycles. Initial funds for the cycle project came from the city and Turkey’s Ministry of Health but there is not enough to complete the project, so Kara is calling on the European Union for help.
11 Dec 2018, The Guardian (Adapted)
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) Kilis is not currently a very easy city for cyclists.
b) It is not very common to hear Arabic spoken in Kilis.
c) The projects proposed by Hasan Kara aim to make the city a better place for residents.
d) Any child who gets a relative to stop smoking will receive a bike.
Question 2: [2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words according to the text.
a) What is the traffic in the city of Kilis currently like?
b) What different things is the proposed project trying to do?
Question 3: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.
a) constant (paragraph 1)
b) flow (paragraph 1)
c) objective (paragraph 3)
d) unusual (paragraph 4)
e) effort (paragraph 5)
Question 4: [1,5 POINTS] Choose the correct option, a, b, c or d for each question and COPY the sentence onto your answer sheet.
1. According to the text, the majority of the Syrian refugees in Kilis...
a) would like to live in special camps.
b) have to live in special camps.
c) choose not to live in special camps.
d) have never lived in special camps.
2. The text says that...
a) some of the children have already started using the bikes they have been given.
b) some of the children said they don´t want to use the new bikes they have been given.
c) no children are still waiting to be given their bikes.
d) none of the children have started using their new bikes yet.
3. Unless a child does well in school...
a) he/she may be given a bike.
b) he/she will not get a bike.
c) he/she may not want to receive a bike.
d) he/she will expect to receive a bike.
Question 5: [3 POINTS] Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of riding a bike where you live? Is it a good or bad place for cyclists?
No One Seems to Care how Dangerous CrossFit Is
Carolyn Nagler has witnessed a lot of accidents in her year attending CrossFit classes. Her own most painful experience happened six months after first wandering into a class, when she cut her legs in missing her target during a “box jump”. Still, that hasn’t stopped the 45-year-old from returning to her local gym in Astoria, Queens, up to five times a week. “I was bleeding all over, but I got up and kept going,” she says. “If I hadn’t, I would never be able to do a box jump now.”
New Yorkers are always seeking new, extreme methods for staying fit, and high-intensity interval-training (HIIT) workouts such as those at CrossFit — in which participants complete physically demanding repetitions— have unique appeal to New Yorkers’ need for both competition and novelty. With these extreme workouts, however, come injuries. “I do think there is a sort of race between gyms to find the next new thing,” says Jordan Metzl, a specialist sports doctor who also teaches an HIIT class. He says he’s seen a 30 percent increase in HIIT- related injuries at the hospital over the past two years. “It can kill you,” CrossFit co-founder Greg Glassman even told the New York Times in 2005. “I’ve always been completely honest about that.”
Noel Lozares, an orthopedic and sports physical therapist who often works with Olympic athletes, says it’s easy for workout enthusiasts to get carried away. He recommends that people interested in HIIT should already be active — whether it’s running, yoga or pilates — three days a week. “You always want to consult the instructor,” he says. “So many people who have never done any kind of exercise before get into these classes, and that’s when injuries happen.”
The most common athletic ailments include muscle strains, particularly in the lower back; knee and shoulder injuries; and tendon issues. Still, doctors believe strength training is an important part of any athlete’s workouts — and can make other kinds of exercise, like running, easier and more productive. Before a session, Metzl recommends doing what he calls a “dynamic warm-up” to get muscles and joints moving. Another important part of staying fit and healthy is allowing the body time to recover, says Lozares. “I am working with athletes who are members of the US Olympic team — none of them do HIIT every day.”
March 15, 2016. New York Post (Adapted)
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) Carolyn Nagler now goes to the gym every day.
b) Gyms in New York are very competitive when looking for new activities to offer clients.
c) There have been fewer patients from CrossFit injuries at Metzl’s hospital recently.
d) The typical problems associated with CrossFit are all located in one single part of the body.
Question 2: [2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words according to the text.
a) What is CrossFit and why is it considered dangerous by some?
b) According to the text what different precautions are necessary if you do CrossFit?
Question 3: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.
a) however (paragraph 1)
b) to look for (paragraph 2)
c) singular (paragraph 2)
d) attraction (paragraph 2)
e) to ask for an opinion (paragraph 3)
Question 4: [1,5 POINTS] Choose the correct option, a, b, c or d for each question and COPY the sentence onto your answer sheet.
1. Carolyn Nagler...
a) hasn’t seen other people get hurt in CrossFit classes.
b) hasn’t been hurt in CrossFit classes herself.
c) has been hurt in CrossFit classes herself.
d) has hurt other people in CrossFit classes.
2. Greg Glassman claims...
a) to have always told the truth about the risks involved in CrossFit.
b) to have been more or less sincere about the risks involved in CrossFit.
c) to have lied openly about the risks involved in CrossFit.
d) to have avoided speaking about the risks involved in CrossFit.
3. Despite being professionals, the Olympic athletes mentioned in the text...
a) rarely do daily HIIT workouts.
b) like to do daily HIIT workouts.
c) never do daily HIIT workouts.
d) try to do daily HIIT workouts.
Question 5: [3 POINTS] Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:
Do you like extreme sports? Do you think all dangerous sports and hobbies should be illegal? Give your opinion.
KEY
Opción 1
Question1: [2 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
Se otorgará 0,5 pts a cada respuesta.
1. Kilis is not currently a very easy city for cyclists.
TRUE It’s certainly not the most bicycle-friendly city,
2. It is not very common to hear Arabic spoken in Kilis. FALSE Arabic is heard as much as Turkish
3. The projects proposed by Hasan Kara aim to make the city a better place for residents. TRUE ...projects aimed at creating a liveable environment.
4. Any child who gets a relative to stop smoking will receive a bike.
. FALSE To get a bike, children must meet three requirements: (they must get a smoker relative to quit, maintain strong grades while improving a weak area of study, and promise to ride for an hour a day.)
Question 2:[ 2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words according to the text Cada apartado se valorará con 1 pt. 0´5 para la comprensión del texto y 0´5 para la expresión escrita respectivamente.
1. What is the traffic in the city of Kilis currently like?
The traffic in Kilis sounds quite hectic and dangerous. There are a lot of cars and motorbikes already, and traditionally, fewer bicycles. The use of the motorbikes seems particularly risky as they rarely use safety equipment and often carry too many passengers.
2. What different things is the proposed project trying to do?
The project is trying to improve the traffic situation by encouraging children to use bikes and giving them the equipment and infrastructure they need to do this. It is also trying to improve people’s health by getting people to stop smoking and to motivate children to study more.
Question 3: [1,5 POINTS]Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words given.
Se otorgará 0,3 pts. a cada respuesta
1. constant (paragraph 1) steady
2. flow (paragraph 1) stream
3. objective (paragraph 3) target
4. unusual (paragraph 4) rare
5. effort (paragraph 5) attempt
Question 4:[1,5 POINTS]Choose the correct option, a, b, c or d for each question and COPY the sentence onto your answer sheet.
Se otorgará 0,5 pts. a cada respuesta
1. According to the text, the majority of the Syrian refugees in Kilis...
c. choose not to live in special camps.
2. The text says that...
a. some of the children have already started using the bikes they have been given.
3. Unless a child does well in school...
b. he/she will not get a bike.
Question 5:[3 POINTS]Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of riding a bike where you live? Is it a good or bad place for cyclists?
1,5 pts. se otorgará a la estructura global de la redacción teniendo en cuenta la coherencia y la claridad de las ideas, argumentos y opiniones expresadas. Con 1,5 pts. se valorará la expresión escrita teniendo en cuenta la ortografía, la corrección y la adecuación del léxico y de las estructuras gramaticales al tema.
Opción 2
Question1:[2 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
Se otorgará 0,5 pts a cada respuesta.
1. Carolyn Nagler now goes to the gym every day.
FALSE Still, that hasn’t stopped the 45-year-old from returning to her local gym in Astoria, Queens, up to five times a week.
2. Gyms in New York are very competitive when looking for new activities to offer clients. TRUE “I do think there is a sort of race between gyms to find the next new thing,”
3. There have been fewer patients from CrossFit injuries at Metzl’s hospital recently.
FALSE He says he’s seen a 30 percent increase in HIIT-related injuries at the hospital over the past two years.
4. The typical problems associated with CrossFit are all located in one single part of the body. FALSE The most common athletic ailments include muscle strains, particularly in the lower back; knee and shoulder injuries; and tendon issues.
Question 2:[2 POINTS] Answer the following questions in your own words according to the text
Cada apartado se valorará con 1 pt. 0´5 para la comprensión del texto y 0´5 para la expresión escrita respectivamente.
1. What is CrossFit and why it is considered dangerous by some?
CrossFit is a specific type of fitness programme that combines different types of vigorous exercise. It is considered dangerous because it causes a high number of injuries due to its intensity and difficulty.
2. According to the text what different precautions are necessary if you do CrossFit?
The text says that people who do CrossFit should already be actively involved in other exercise programmes, should talk to an expert before starting and should not do it too often. It is also important to warm-up and cool-down correctly before and after the activity.
Question 3:[1,5 POINTS]Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words given.
Se otorgará 0,3 pts. a cada respuesta 1.however (paragraph 1) still
2.to look for (paragraph 2) seeking 3.singular (paragraph 2) unique 4.attraction (paragraph 2) appeal
5.to ask for an opinion (paragraph 3) consult
Question 4:[1,5 POINTS]Choose the correct option, a, b, c or d for each question and COPY the sentence onto your answer sheet.
Se otorgará 0,5 pts. a cada respuesta
1. Carolyn Nagler...
c. has been hurt in CrossFit classes herself.
2. Greg Glassman claims...
a. to have always told the truth about the risks involved in CrossFit.
3. Despite being professionals, the Olympic athletes mentioned in the text...
c. never do daily HIIT workouts.
Question 5:[3 POINTS]Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:
Do you like extreme sports? Do you think all dangerous sports and hobbies should be illegal? Give your opinion.
1,5 pts. se otorgará a la estructura global de la redacción teniendo en cuenta la coherencia y la claridad de las ideas, argumentos y opiniones expresadas. Con 1,5 pts. se valorará la expresión escrita teniendo en cuenta la ortografía, la corrección y la adecuación del léxico y de las estructuras gramaticales al tema.
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