Especial PAU

Question 1

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

En primer lugar, recuerda que tu respuesta debe de ser TRUE, FALSE, con la palabra completa y por supuesto en inglés. Cuando copies del texto para justificar tu respuesta, limita la cita copiando solamente la información necesaria, que si bien debe de recoger las respuestas a todas las partes de la pregunta, no debes incluir información extra, ya que esto conlleva una penalización.

Tienes que tener en cuenta que en algunas ocasiones la justificación a la frase dada puede estar en dos partes, incluso en distinto párrafo. Debes incluir toda la información, para ello puedes utilizar dos citas separadas.

Todas las partes de la frase tienen que ser “verdaderas”. Si cualquiera de las partes de la frase es falsa, toda la frase es falsa aunque muchas de las otras sean verdaderas.

Presta mucha atención a las partículas negativas, calificadores, intensificadores, o sucesiones de frases muy largas.

Las negativas pueden confundirte. Si la pregunta contiene negativas, tales como “no, not, cannot”, elimina la negativa y lee lo que te queda. Decide si la frase es verdadera o falsa. Si es verdadera, normalmente, su negativa es falsa.

Fíjate bien si en la frase aparece un modal que indique posibilidad o certeza y que en el texto se refleje también esa posibilidad, para que esa frase sea verdadera, si la pregunta da una posibilidad que en el texto aparece como algo seguro, evidentemente la frase es falsa.

Los calificadores son palabras que limitan o amplian frases generalistas.
Palabras como “sometimes, often, ordinarily, generally” amplian las posibilidades de hacer las frases más exactas. Hacen las afirmaciones más modestas, más parecidas a la realidad, y normalmente son respuestas “verdaderas”.

Las palabras “absolutas” limitan las posibilidades.
“no, never, none, always, every, entirely, only” implican que la frase debe ser totalmente verdadera todo el tiempo y normalmente indican respuestas “falsas”

Las frases largas a menudo incluyen grupos de palabras separadas por algún signo de puntuación. Presta atención a la “verdad” de cada una de sus partes. Si una de ellas es falsa, entonces normalmente indica que la respuesta es “falsa”

Ejemplo:
La pregunta que te hacen es la siguiente:

Once Laura has achieved her goal, there will be no more objections from the Dutch government organisations.

Aquí tienes que justificar que Laura ha alcanzado su objetivo y que el gobierno no pondrá más objeciones.
En el texto esta información aparece en el último párrafo:

"Now, after sailing around the world, with difficult port approaches, storms, dangerous reefs, and the full responsibility of keeping myself and Guppy safe, I feel that the nightmares the Dutch government organisations put me through, were totally unfair," Miss Dekker wrote.I hear now that the Dutch government organisations have started causing problems again. I am seriously thinking about not returning to the Netherlands.”

Y la justificación sería la siguiente:

“Now, after sailing around the world ........ .I hear now that the Dutch government organisations have started causing problems again.”

Como ves, la información que damos viene en dos partes separadas del párrafo y no lo hemos copiado todo entero, ya que nos penalizarían porque estaríamos añadiendo datos que no son necesarios.

Question 2

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

1. Lee la pregunta y fíjate bien en el tipo de información que te piden: razones, lugar, momento… . Fijate bien en los pronombres interrogativos (why, where, when,,, ) A veces la información que se pide es doble, por ejemplo, what and where…..?

2. Utiliza palabras clave o sus sinónimos para ayudarte a localizar la respuesta en el texto. (Los nombres, verbos y adjetivos suelen ser las palabras clave)

3. Fíjate bien en el tiempo verbal en el que se te hace la pregunta ya que la respuesta será en ese mismo tiempo.

4. Escribe la respuesta con tus propias palabras en la medida que te sea posible, si has utilizado alguna palabra del texto, cámbiala por un sinónimo. No añadas información innecesaria, ni tampoco des tu opinión, la opinión la tienes que reflejar en question 5.

5. Comprueba la ortografía y la puntuación así como el tiempo verbal y el vocabulario.

Ejemplo: Where have they done the research? What technique did they use?

Fíjate que en esta pregunta tienes que responder por el lugar y además por la técnica utilizada para hacer esta investigación.

Respuesta: They have done the research in the USA. They used a technique called “focused attention“, which makes the people’s mind concentrate on their breathing while they meditate.


Por tanto la primera parte de la respuesta incluye el lugar y en el mismo tiempo verbal en que va dicha pregunta.

En cambio en la segunda parte cambiamos el tiempo verbal para dar respuesta a la segunda información que nos pedían, ya que esta pregunta utiliza el pasado simple.

Question 3

Impington Village College pupil Chris Whitehead wears a skirt in protest at his school's policy of making boys wear long trousers in the summer.
Chris Whitehead wore a skirt to classes at Impington Village College, near Cambridge, Cambs. He is protesting against the school uniform policy.
Chris believes that forcing boys to wear long trousers during the sizzling summer months affects concentration and their ability to learn. He said: ''In the summer girl students are allowed to wear skirts but boys are not allowed to wear shorts. We think that this discriminates against boys. I will march in a skirt with other boys waving banners and making a lot of noise. I will be wearing the skirt at school all day in protest at the uniform policy and addressing the assembly with the student council, wearing a skirt.''
Chris's mum Liz Whitehead, 50, has praised her son. She said: ''I am delighted that Chris is taking action on what he believes in.
I am really proud he is brave enough to wear a skirt to school for what he believes in and back him all the way.''
The ban on shorts was imposed following consultation with students, teachers and parents in 2009. But when Chris joined the school he was outraged by the policy and pledged to overturn the decision.
Headteacher Robert Campbell said: ''Our uniform policy had a significant consultation and ours is typical of most schools in Cambridgeshire and the consensus was we were going to go for that. ''Chris is one of our brightest and most articulate students and we have got a very strong student council. He is one of only two year 8 pupils on it.”

Question 3
Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words or definitions given.
** Consejo: Las palabras que vas a encontrar en esta parte de la prueba están siempre en el mismo orden en el que aparecen en la pregunta; si hay que encontrar 2 palabras en el párrafo 2, por ejemplo, la primera palabra que tienes que encontrar aparecerá antes que la segunda.
1. to make someone do something (paragraph 2)
Aquí hace falta un verbo.

Los verbos en el párrafo 2 son:
believes, forcing, affects, learn, are allowed, wear, think, discriminates, will march, waving, making, addressing.
El verbo correcto es “forcing”. If you force someone to do something, you oblige or make them do something.
Las respuestas aceptadas aquí serían:

to force (infinitive with ‘to’),
force (infinitive without to)
forcing (la forma del verbo tal como aparece en el texto).

** Otro consejo: Si miras a la siguiente pregunta, ésta te dice que el verbo tiene que aparecer antes de “sizzling” en el texto, así que los únicos verbos posibles son: believes, forcing, wear.

2. very hot (paragraph 2)

Aquí hace falta un adjetivo.
Los adjetivos en el párrafo 2 son: long, sizzling
El adjetivo correcto es “sizzling”. Incluso aunque no conozcas esta palabra, puedes elegirla probablemente como respuesta porque conoces el significado de “long”.

3. skill (paragraph 2)
Aquí hace falta un nombre
Los nombres en este párrafo son:
boys, trousers, months, concentration, ability, summer, girl students, skirts, shorts, banners, noise, school, protest, uniform policy, assembly, student council
El nombre correcto tiene que aparecer después de “sizzling”, así que podemos eliminar “boys” y “trousers”
El nombre correcto aquí es “ablity”. It means the power or skill to do something.

4. a long piece of cloth, with a message on it, carried by people in a protest march (paragraph 2)
Aquí hace falta un nombre
Mira en c) para ver la lista de nombres del párrafo 2
El nombre correcto tiene que aparecer después de “ability” en este párrafo, así que podemos eliminar “boys, trousers, months, concentration, ability’.
El nombre correcto es “banners” Banners are often made and carried in protests and demonstrations.
Las respuestas aceptadas serían “banner” y “banners” (La palabra aparece en plural en el texto, pero la forma singular también se aceptaría).

5. to express your admiration (paragraph 3)
Aquí hace falta un verbo
Los verbos en el párrafo 3 son:has praised, said, taking, believes, am, is, wear, back
El verbo correcto es: to praise / praise / praised / has praised (Todas estas respuestas serían aceptadas:

6. not frightened by danger (paragraph 3)
Aquí hace falta un adjetivo.
Los adjetivos en el párrafo 3 son:delighted, proud, brave
La respuesta correcta es “brave”. If you are brave, you are not frightened by possible dangers.

7. prohibition (paragraph 4)
Aquí hace falta un nombre
Los nombres que aparecen en el párrafo 4 son: ban, shorts, consultation, students, teachers, parents, school, policy, decision
El nombre correcto aquí es “ban”. A ban is when something has been forbidden or prohibited officially.

8. very angry and shocked (paragraph 4)
Aquí hace falta un adjetivo
El único adjetivo que aparece en el párrafo 4 es “outraged”, así que es la respuesta correcta.

9. to promise (paragraph 4)
Aquí hace falta un verbo
Los verbos del párrafo 4 son: imposed, joined, was, pledged, overturn. Pero la respuesta tiene que aparecer después de la respuesta anterior: “outraged”. Esto quiere decir que nuestras posibilidades se reducen a “pledged” y “overturn”.
La respuesta correcta es “pledged”
Se aceptarían: to pledge, pledge or pledged.

10. discussion (paragraph 5)
Aquí hace falta un nombre
Los nombres del párrafo 5 son: headteacher, uniform, policy, consultation, schools, consensus, student, student council, pupils
La respuesta correcta para esta definición es “consultation”

11. agreement (paragraph 5)
Aquí hace falta un nombre
Mira la lista de los nombres del párrafo 5en la pregunta anterior(10) . El nombre para esta pregunta tiene que estar después de “consultation”, así que podemos eliminar headteacher, uniform, policy, consultation
La respuesta correcta es “consensus”

12. Very intelligent (paragraph 5)
Aquí hace falta un adjetivo
Los adjetivos del párrafo 5 son: significant, typical, bright, articulate, strong
La respuesta correcta es “brightest”
Puedes dar esta respuesta utilizando la forma en superlativo del texto (brightest / the brightest) o el adjetivo base (bright)

13. able to express yourself clearly and effectively (paragraph 5)
Aquí hace falta un adjetivo.
Los adjetivos del párrafo 5 son: significant, typical, bright, articulate, strong.
La respuesta correcta es “articulate”.
Puedes escribir esta respuesta usando el adjetivo superlativo del texto (most articulate / the most articulate) o la base del adjetivo ( articulate)

Question 4

Question 4[1.5 points]
Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

1. Lee la frase que te dan.
2. Lee las palabras que te dan.
3. Identifica la estructura gramatical que se pide y decide lo que tienes que cambiar en la frase que tienes que escribir.
4. Escribe la frase, comprueba que
a. has incluido toda la información que te dan en la frase original
b. tiene el mismo significado y que la frase es correcta
c. Revisa tiempo verbal, conectores, estructura gramatical…………….

Ejemplo: I won't go to the party if you don't go with me.
Unless ……………………………………………..

La frase que te dan es una condicional tipo 1, con un conector, if, seguido de una oración en forma negativa.
En la frase que se te da, solo hay una palabra que es ‘unless’, luego lo que te piden es que modifiques la subordinada y lo haces con otro condicional poniendo la frase en afirmativa con unless. Luego la respuesta será: Unless you go with me, I won't go to the party .

Las estructuras más usuales en este apartado son oraciones activas, pasivas, estilo directo e indirecto y subordinadas: concesivas, de relativo y condicionales.

Aquí tenemos algunas transformaciones típicas de la Pregunta 4.

REPHRASING

1. “When is the next out –of – school activity?”
I wanted to know……………………………………………
2. “Please, don’t shoot me”, he said to the robber.
He …………………………………………………………………………..
3. Where did he keep his keys?
I wonder……………………………………………………………….
4. The government won't win the elections unless they create employment.
The government won’t …………………………………………………………………………
5. In spite of working efficiently, Mark has never been promoted.
Although …………………………
6. New traffic lights are going to be installed here
They …………………………………………………………………
7. The Louvre museum is visited by thousands of people every year
Thousands of people …………………………………………………..
8. During the job interview, they asked me to show them my C.V.
While I……………………………………………..
9. I haven’t heard of yoga and meditation as a school subject before.
This is ………………………………………………………
10. You don’t earn good wages, so you can’t wear expensive clothes.
If ………………………………………………………………………
11. John won the race. Nevertheless, he didn't feel happy.
Despite …………………………………………………………………
12. We have visited Cartago. There are many Roman remains there.
We have …………………………………………………………………………………
13. He started to lose weight at the age of twelve.
He has……………………………………..
14. My older brother has been driving for three years now.
My older brother …………………………………………………………..ago.
15. “Please wait for me here”, Mary asked her brother.
Mary ……………………………………
16. “Let’s apply for this job right now”, my sister said.
My sister ………………………………………………………………
17. “Why don’t you hire a baby-sitter for tomorrow night”, he suggested.
He suggested…………………………………………………………………………….
18. “Don’t be late this evening”, the teacher told the students.
The teacher …………………………………………………………………..
19. People believe English is very difficult.
English ……………………………………………………………………….
20. It is said that he arrived later.
People ……………………………………………………………………….
21. My mother makes a cake every week.
A cake ………………………………………………………………………….
22. Millions of people are watching the Oscars ceremony at the moment.
The Oscars ……………………………………………………………..
23. A very good technician repaired my computer last month.
I …………………………………………………………
24. You worked hard so you got promotion.
If ……………………………………………………………………………
25. We'll go to the beach unless it rains.
If it ………………………………………………………………..
26. It’s ages since I last visited Russia.
I ………………………………………………………………………..
27. Mary works in our office. Her husband is a plastic surgeon.
Mary …………………………………………………………………………………..



KEY

1. I wanted to know when the following out-of- school activity was.
2. He begged / asked the robber not to shoot him.
3. I wonder where he kept his keys. (El verbo introductorio está en presente, así pues no se cambia el tiempo del verbo).
4. The government won't win the elections if they don’t create employment.
5. Although Mark works / has worked efficiently, he has never been promoted.
6. They are going to install new traffic lights here.
7. Thousands of people visit the Louvre museum every year.
8. While I was doing/ having the job interview, they asked me to show them my C.V.
9. This is the first time that I’ve heard of yoga and meditation as a school subject.
10. If you earned good wages, you could wear expensive clothes. / If you earn good wages, you can wear expensive clothes.
11. Despite winning the race / his victory in the race, John didn’t feel happy.
12. We have visited Cartago where there are many Roman remains
13. He has been losing weight since he was twelve.
14. My older brother started driving three years ago.
15. Mary asked her brother to wait for here there.
16. My sister suggested / recommended applying for that job immediately.
17. He suggested / recommended that I /we hire for a baby-sitter for the following night.
18. The teacher told his / her students not to be late that evening.
19. English is believed to be very difficult.
20. People say that he arrived later.
21. A cake is made by mother every week.
22. The Oscars ceremony is being watched by millions of people at the moment.
23. I had/got my computer repaired by a very good technician.
24. If you hadn’t worked hard, you wouldn’t have got promotion.
25. If it rains, we won’t go to the beach / If it doesn’t rain, we’ll go to the beach.
26. I haven’t been in Russia for ages
27. Mary, whose husband is a plastic surgeon, works in our office.

Question 5

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

En la pregunta 5 el tema de la redacción es generalmente de opinión personal. Recuerda que los límites son 120-150 palabras y que el exceso o el defecto conllevan una penalización en la nota.

Lee bien la redacción que se pide.
Es conveniente que hagas un esquema rápido con las ideas que vas a reflejar, así será más fácil enlazarlas y llegar a una conclusión adecuada.

Así que a grandes rasgos lo que debes de tener en cuenta los siguientes aspectos:

1. Estructura

• Divide en párrafos
• En el primer párrafo, introduce el tema y da tu opinión.
• En el segundo y tercero, escribe por qué estás de acuerdo o no con el tema.
• En el último párrafo, escribe una conclusión breve, que concuerde con la opinión dada anteriormente y sea un resumen de lo dicho.

2. Contenidos

• Da ejemplos y escribe sobre acontecimientos que no te resulten complicados
• Utiliza adverbios de tiempo y conectores para enlazar párrafos y oraciones.
• No hables de ventajas o desventajas.

3. Vocabulario

• Dar opiniones
 In my opinión……
 I think that ……….
 I feel very strongly that………….
 I completely agree/disagree …………..

• Enlazar
 Because
 However
 Also
 Therefore
 Although

• Tiempo
 First of all
 Firstly, Secondly, Finally

• Dar razones
 My main reason is ………………..
 Another reason is……………………

• Conclusión
 To conclude
 To finish with
 I think it’s clear that…………….

Marks &Spencer launches 'shwopping' scheme

Britain's biggest clothing retailer is launching a campaign to stop one in four items of clothing bought in the UK ending up in the bin.

Marks & Spencer wants customers to hand over an old or unwanted garment whenever they buy a new one, to encourage a phenomenon which has been given the name "shwopping". It wants to kick-start a culture which could allow unwanted items to be resold, reused or recycled by its charity partner Oxfam.

But the move has sparked fears that smaller charity shops could miss out on donations. Cath Lee, chief executive of the Small Charities Coalition, said: "It's great to encourage recycling in this way, but it would be a great shame if an unintended consequence is that the shops of smaller, less well known charities receive fewer donations as a result.

The scheme is part of M&S's Plan A programme and an expansion of a partnership with Oxfam and has seen more than 10m items donated, worth an estimated £8m. Donors handing old M&S clothing into Oxfam stores received a £5 M&S voucher. Shoppers will be encouraged to take their unwanted garments into all M&S stores in the UK and leave them in recycling bins by the tills, although this time they are being given no financial incentive.

M&S has already created a coat made almost entirely from recycled wool and cashmere from damaged clothing returned to stores. The clothes are collected and sent to a specialist fabric maker, where they are reduced to fibre, cleaned and spun into wool to make the item.

Question 1. Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.
a) You don't need to buy at the stores to leave a piece of clothing.
b) Some people are worried there will be less donations given to small charity shops.
c) M&S and Oxfam have just started this relation to attract more donations.
d) Customers will get money in return to their unwanted items.

Question 2. Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) What is the main purpose of the programme?
b) Why is this programme different from the one they had before?

Question 3. Find a word or a phrase in the text that means the same as
a) give (par.2)
b) boost (par. 3)
c) remuneration (par. 4)

Question 4. Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning
a) Cath Lee said: "It's great to encourage recycling in this way.
Cath Lee said…………………………………………….
b) Donors who handed old M&S clothing into Oxfam stores received a £5 M&S voucher.
If donors.......................................................
c) The clothes are collected and sent to a specialist fabric maker. They...............................................................

Question 5. Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
Do you think we are too worried about fashion?

A 40 -year-wait for plant to flower – and then it dies

A plant has flowered for the first time after almost 40 years at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Just before flowering, the Agave franzosinii more than quadrupled in height – growing a rate of almost 3ft a week until it was as tall as a house. The plant outgrew its conservatory, forcing staff to remove parts of the roof to allow its progress to continue. When it did finally bloom, most of the 3in yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers were outside the building. However, as Agaves die shortly after flowering the glorious display did not last long.
The plant is of the same family as the Agave tequilana, which is used to make the spirit tequila. Collectively they are known as “century plants”, as it was previously thought they only flowered every hundred years. Where they grow in arid parts of Mexico, they are an oasis for wildlife, as they are full of pollen and nectar, attracting birds, bees and bats.
By chance, the flowering took place while Sir David Attenborough was filming at Kew Gardens for a new series, Kingdom of Plants 3D. Its progress was filmed for the show.
Before it died, staff at Kew took some seeds from it, which have already been sown and reached around 2ft in height. They are expected to flower some time around the middle of the century.

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) This Agave Franzosinii has bloomed before.
b) Gardeners at Kew had to modify the building to let the plant grow.
c) Tequila can be made from the Agave Franzosinii plant.
d) Only insects are attracted to Agave plants.

Question 2 [2 points] Answer the following questions in your own words.
a) Why is this family of plants called “century plants”?
b) Why was Sir David Attenborough at Kew Gardens?

Question 3 [1.5 points] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.
a) speed (paragraph 1)
b) soon (paragraph 1)
c) luckily, coincidentally (paragraph 3)

Question 4 [1.5 points]

Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a) As Agaves die shortly after flowering, the glorious display did not last for a long time.
If ….. .............................................
b) Sir David Attenborough was filming a new series at Kew Gardens and recorded the plant’s progress.
A new series ………………………………………………, and the plant’s ……………………….. .
c) “We took some seeds from the plant and we hope they will flower some time around the middle of the century,” a Kew representative said.
A Kew representative said that they ………………………………….. and that………………………

Question 5[1.5 points]

Write a short essay (between120-150 words) on the following topic:
“We could not live without plants”. Discuss.

Do you enjoy wearing Levi's blue jeans?

Do you enjoy wearing Levi's blue jeans? Blue jeans have become popular all over the world, but do you know how they got started?

Read on to find out...

Levi Strauss was born in Germany in the mid 1800's and emigrated to the United States as a young man. He lived in New York City and learned the dry-goods business for several years. In 1853 he took his knowledge and his dreams to San Francisco (California., USA.) His dream to succeed came true over the next 20 years as he became a very successful businessman.

Many of Levi Strauss' customers were cowboys and miners. They needed clothing that was strong and durable. Strauss found a special fabric from France that was comfortable and lasted a long time. It was called "serge de Nimes," which was later shortened to the word denim.

Another man named Jacob Davis bought large amounts of the denim fabric from Levi Strauss. He was a tailor who made pants for hard-working men. One of his customers was continually tearing the pockets off his pants. So Jacob Davis decided to put rivets on certain parts of the pants to make them stronger. The customer loved the new pants so much that he told all his friends, and soon Jacob Davis was busy making lots of pants with rivets.

Jacob Davis soon realized that using rivets was a great business idea, and he didn't want anybody to steal that idea. He decided that he would need to get a patent. But being a poor tailor, he didn't have enough money to pay for the patent. After thinking it over, he went to the businessman Levi Strauss and told him his idea. He said, "If you agree to pay for the patent, we will share the profits from the riveted pants." Levi Strauss did agree, and the new riveted pant business was called Levi Strauss and Company. Today Levi's jeans are more popular than ever, and Levi's name continues to live on.

Say whether the following sentences are true or false.

1. Levi Strauss was born in 1853.
2. Levi Strauss wanted to become a great businessman.
3. Levi Strauss sewed pants in his business.
4. Jacob Davis sewed pants in his business.
5. Jacob David used denim to make pants.
6. Jacob Davis put rivets in pants because they looked good.
7. Levi Strauss didn't want to pay for Jacob Davis' patent.
8. Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis became business partners.

KEY:
1-F, 2-T, 3-F, 4-T, 5-T, 6-F, 7-F, 8-T

A 40 -year-wait for plant to flower – and then it dies

Key
Question 1

a) False.A plant has flowered for the first time after almost 40 years at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
b) True. . The plant outgrew its conservatory, forcing staff to remove parts of the roof to allow its progress to continue.
c) False. The plant is of the same family as the Agave tequilana, which is used to make the spirit tequila
d) False. … they are an oasis for wildlife, as they are full of pollen and nectar, attracting birds, bees and bats.



Question 2
a) Some years ago, people believed that plants from the Agave plant family only produced flowers once every century. The name ‘century plants’ comes from this time.
b) Sir David Attenborough was making a series of television programmes called Kingdom of Plants 3D at the Botanical Gardens.



Question 3
a) rate b) shortly c) By chance



Question 4
a) If Agaves did not die shortly after flowering, the glorious display would last/ have lasted for a long time.
b) A new series was being filmed by Sir David Attenborough at Kew Gardens and the plant’s progress was recorded.
d) A Kew representative said that they had taken some seeds from the plant and (that) they hoped (that) they would flower some time around the middle of the century.

Marks &Spencer launches 'shwopping' scheme

KEY
Question 1
a) False.”Marks & Spencer wants customers to hand over an old or unwanted garment whenever they buy a new one“
b) True.”it would be a great shame if an unintended consequence is that the shops of smaller, less well known charities receive fewer donations as a result.”
c) False.” The scheme is part of M&S's Plan A programme and an expansion of a partnership with Oxfam“
d) False. “ although this time they are being given no financial incentive.“

Question 2
a) The main purpose of the programme is to encourage customers to donate the clothes they don't want or use and to give them to Oxfam, a charity organization, to use or sell them or even recycle them.

b) Customers used to take the items of clothing to an Oxfam shop and got 5GBP to spend at M&S stores, whereas with this new programme you take clothes to M&S directly and get no money in return.

Question 3
a) (to) hand over
b) (to) encourage
c) incentive

Question 4
a) Cath Lee said that it was great to encourage recycling in that way.
b) If donors hadn't handed old M&S clothing into Oxfam, they wouldn't have received a £5 M&S voucher.
c) They collect and send the clothes to a specialist fabric maker.

The Big Egg Hunt

Between 21st February and Easter weekend, you can take part in an Egg Hunt in London! Watch this video to find out more!

Can you answer these questions about the Big Egg Hunt?

1 How many eggs are there?

2 What is the name of the most expensive, special egg?

3 What's different about the Where's Wally Egg?

Now, visit this page and decide which egg you would like to find or buy! (Unfortunately, some of them, like the Egg Letter Box are already sold. :·C )

http://www.thebigegghunt.co.uk/eggs

Key
1 There are 209 eggs in the hunt, plus the prize egg.
2 The Diamond Jubilee Egg
3 The Where's Wally Egg will not be in one place all the time - it's the roaming egg.

New York

Watch the video and answer the questions below

1. What is Broadway Avenue?
2. Where is Times Square?
3. Why is it called Times Square?
4. How tall is the Chrysler Building?
5. How big is Central Park?
6. What can you see at Lincoln Center?
7. Name two museums near Central Park
8. What is the 5th Avenue famous for?
9. How many buildings are there in Rockefeller Center?
10. What style is St. Patrick’s Cathedral?
11. Which religion?
12. How many floors does the Empire State Building have?
13. When was it built?
14. What is Madison Square Garden used for?
15. What colour are the taxis in New York?
16. What’s the name of the castle in Battery Park?
17. Who was the first president of the United States?
18. What used to be in Ground Zero?
19. Which animal can you see in the financial district?
20. The Brooklyn Bridge goes from…………………… to …………………
21. When was it completed?
22. How much did it cost to cross it?
23. Where was the federal immigration station?
24. Name two neighbourhoods in Manhattan.
25. Where do people usually go in the evenings in Manhattan?

KEY

1. One of the longest roads in Manhattan
2. Broadway and 42nd street
3. Because the New York Times newspaper used to be there.
4. It’s 1048 feet.
5. 840 acres
6. operas and concerts
7. Natural History Museum and Metropolitan Museum
8. For the expensive brand name shops.
9. 19
10. Gothic
11. Catholic
12. 86
13. 1932
14. Shows, sport events, awards ceremonies
15. Yellow
16. Clinton Castle
17. George Washington
18. The World Trade Center
19. A bull
20. Manhattan to Brooklyn
21. in 1883
22. 1 penny
23. Ellis Island
24. Chinatown, Little Italy
25. Broadway

Could the new 5p and 10p coins cause skin trouble?

Worries are spreading that brand new 5p and 10p coins could cause skin problems.

The new coins contain more of a metal called nickel and less copper, than the present coins. Skin experts - called dermatologists - say this could cause problems for people with nickel allergies, including some people with eczema. But people from the Royal Mint, who make the coins, say the change will not have any bad effects.

The new 5p and 10p coins are being introduced because nickel is cheaper than copper, which is getting more expensive. But up to 10% of the UK population, mainly women, are thought to be affected by a nickel allergy.

Similar coins in Sweden have been reported as being an "unacceptable risk to health", according to medical experts. The UK Government and the Royal Mint say they are confident the new coins won't cause any more skin problems than the present ones.

True or False?
1. Copper causes more allergies than nickel.
2. The British government doesn’t think the coins will cause any more problems.
3. More women than men have nickel allergies.
4. Sweden introduced similar coins in the past.
5. The new coins do not contain any copper.
6. The new coins will be produced by the Royal Mint.
7. There is no such thing as a nickel allergy.
8. People with eczema do not have nickel allergies.

Match each word to its definition

allergies / brand new / confident / eczema / effects / introduced / present

-completely new, especially not yet used
-happening or existing now
-condition that makes a person become ill because they have eaten certain foods or been near certain substances
-condition in which areas of the skin become red, rough and sore
-results
-put something into use for the first time
-certain of something

What is the missing word?
1. The new coins_______________more of a metal called nickel.
2. The new 5p and 10p coins are being_______________because nickel is cheaper.
3. The new coins won't cause any more skin_____________than the present ones.
4. The____________will not have any bad effects.



KEY

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

Vocabulary
brand new completely new, especially not yet used
present happening or existing now
allergies condition that makes a person become ill because they have eaten certain foods or been near certain substances
eczema condition in which areas of the skin become red, rough and sore
effects results
introduced put something into use for the first time
confident certain of something

Missing words
1 contain 2 introduced 3 problems 4 change

The Empire State Building

The most famous building in a city famous for its buildings, to this day the ESB is a cherished symbol of New York held in high esteem by the city's millions of residents, and has become an icon to the world. This present state of grandeur has roots that run deep. The Empire State Building was begun amid unlikely circumstances. During the American depression of the early 20th century, most large construction projects were canceled. Jobs were hard to find, and workers were eager to earn their wage, so construction continued through weekends and holidays, allowing the building to be finished ahead of schedule. The depression also made building materials much cheaper. The building, itself, cost $24,718,000.00 -- about half of its original anticipated price.

The Empire State Building is 1,453 feet 8 and 9/16th inches tall from street level to its highest point -- a lightning rod. This is on top of the foundation which rests 55 feet below ground. From the lobby level it is possible to ascend to the 80th floor in just 45 seconds thanks to a system of 73 elevators. With all this technology and strength, it's important to note that the ESB didn't have air conditioning for its first few decades. The first air conditioning system was installed in 1950, and has been expanded several times. The Empire State Building is famous for the illumination of its upper floors, in 1964 the top 30 floors of the building were illuminated for the World's Fair. By 1976 the building's lighting scheme took a more artistic turn. In that year red, white, and blue lights celebrated the nation's bicentennial. Blue and white were used when the Yankees won baseball's World Series in 1977. The tradition has intensified and diversified. Sometimes the lights change on a daily basis to reflect current events and holidays. Orange for Halloween; green on Saint Patrick's Day. But in the spring and autumn, when birds migrate, the lights are turned off to keep from disturbing their route.

“Many buildings tout themselves as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." Only the Empire State Building says it in art.”, a spokesperson said.

Question 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text:

a) Because jobs were hard to find, the building ended up being more expensive than planned.
b) The existing air conditioning system is the same as the one installed in the 50s.
c) Sports events have affected the lights on the building.
d) The illumination is enviromentally friendly.

Question 2 Answer these questions in your own words:

a) How did the American depression affect the ESB construction?
b) What determines the lighting used on the ESB?

Question 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as:
a) appreciated (par.1)
b) willing (par.1)
c) device to prevent damage to the building from stormy weather (par.2)

Question 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning:
a) The depression also made building materials much cheaper.
Building...
b) Workers were eager to earn their wage, so construction continued through weekends and holidays.
If workers had not...
c) “Many buildings tout themselves as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." Only the Empire State Building says it in art.”, a spokesperson said.
A spokesperson said...Question 5 Write a short essay (120 to 150 words) on the following topic:

Question 5  Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
Would you travel to New York if you had the opportunity to? Why? Why not?

The only living boy in NY

Listen to the song by Simon and Garfunkel and do the activities.

Correct the wrong words

Tom, catch your train right on time.
I know your part'll go fine.
Run down to Mexico.
Da-n-da-da-n-da-n-da-da and here I am,
The best living boy in New York.


Order the lines

The only living boy in New York
I can gather all the news I need on the weather report.
Da-n-da-da-n-da-da-n-da-da here I am
I get the news I need on the weather report.
Hey, I've got nothing to do today but smile.

Half of the time we're gone but we don't know where,
And we don't know where.

Here I am..........

Half of the time we're gone but we don't know where,
And we don't know where.


Fill in the gaps

Tom, get your _________ right on time.
I know you've been eager to fly ______ .
Hey let your honesty shine, shine, shine now
Da-n-da-da-n-da-da-n-da-da
Like it ________ on me
The _______ living boy in New York,
The _______ living boy in New York.


Here I am

Here I am


Now you can correct your answers here

The car that changes colour

Watch the video and answer the following questions.

1. When does the car change colour?


2. What have they used to make this possible?


3. What's another word for paint?


4. What do they use to change the driver's mood?


5. Why does the car become red?

KEY

1. According to the driver's mood


2. A special kind of paint


3. Coating


4. They use different kinds of music


5. Because the driver is excited about what he sees

A Hundred Billion Hamburgers

Once upon a time, a businessman named Ray Kroc discovered a restaurant owned by two brothers. The restaurant served just four things: hamburgers, French fries, milk shakes and coca cola. But it was clean and inexpensive, and the service was quick. Mr Kroc liked it so much that he paid the brothers so that he could use their idea and their name: Mc Donald's.

Beef, big business and fast service were the ingredients when Mr Kroc opened his first Mc Donald's in 1955. Four years later, there were 100 of them. Kroc knew Americans liked success. So he put signs saying how many millions of Mc Donald's hamburgers people had bought. In just four years, the number was one hundred million. Now, there are more than 13,000 Mc Donald's restaurants from Dallas to Paris and from Moscow to Beijing.

Anyone who wants to open a Mc Donald's must first work in one for a week. Then, they do a nine-month training programme, in the restaurants and at "Mc Donald's University" in Chicago. There they learn the Mc Donald's philosophy: quality control, service, cleanliness and cheap prices. Mc Donald's has strict rules, Hamburgers must be served before they are ten minutes old, and French fries, seven.

Mc Donald's has never stopped looking for new methods to attract customers, from drive-in windows to birthday parties. Chicken, fish, salad and, in some places, pizza are now on the menu. Mc Donald's in Holland even sells a vegetarian burger.
Their international popularity shows they have found the recipe for success.



1. Say whether the following statements are TRUE or FALSE
1. Ray Crock and his brother had a reataurant.
2. One of the reasons for Mc Donald’s success is its fast service.
3. There are Mc Donald’s in Europe,America and Asia.
4. If you don’t work in Mc Donald’s for a month, you can’t open one.
5. If you are a vegetarian, you can’t go to one of these restaurants.

2. Answer the following questions

1. What was on the menu in the first Mc Donald’s?
2. How many restaurants are there now?
3. What do people have to do if they want to open a restaurant?
4. What’s the key to Mc Donald’s success?
5. What do the restaurants do to attract customers?


KEY
1

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

2

1. Hamburgers, French fries, milk shakes and coca-cola
2. There are over 13,000 retaurants all over the world.
3. If you want to open a restaurant, you have to work in a Mc Donald’s for a week and then you have to train for nine months to learn their philosophy.
4. They control the quality, have a quick service, are clean and the food is not expensive.
5. They open drive-in windows, do parties, include other types of food and even offer vegetarian burgers.

Gorilla and rabbit become best chums at US zoo

They seem an unlikely pair, but a gorilla and rabbit in America have become best of friends!

They both live in Erie Zoo in the state of Pennsylvania and are attracting quite a bit of attention.

Samantha, the 47-year-old gorilla, didn't take well to other gorillas like herself. So to stop her from getting lonely, zoo keepers introduced her to a small friend - a rabbit named Panda.

At first they introduced the two animals with some fencing between them, to see how they got on.

They hit it off and now Panda even comes over by Samantha's feet and nibbles some of her food.

Panda does have a place to get away to if Samantha did happen to ever react, but for the time being they are getting on very well!


Vocabulary
Match each words to its definition

attention / attracting / fencing / gorilla / introduced / nibbles

drawing something towards yourself
notice, thought or interest
large ape that comes from western Africa
brought two things together for the first time
structure that divides two areas, similar to a wall but made of wood or wire
eats something by taking a lot of small bites

True or false?

1. Gorillas and rabbits don’t usually live together.
2. Panda sometimes eats Samantha’s food.
3. Pennsylvania is in the United States.
4. Panda can’t escape if Samantha reacts.
5. The two animals were separated by a fence initially.
6. Samantha got on well with other gorillas.
7. No one is paying attention to the pair.
8. Zoo keepers brought the pair together.

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

1. unlikely
a)the same as likely
b)the same as friendly
c)the same as improbable

2. hit it off
a)the same as removed
b)the same as attacked
c)the same as got on

3. lonely
a)the same as isolated
b)the same as unassisted
c)the same as loved

4. getting
a)the same as taking
b)the same as becoming
c)the same as finding


KEY

attracting drawing something towards yourself
attention notice, thought or interest
gorilla large ape that comes from western Africa
introduced brought two things together for the first time
fencing structure that divides two areas, similar to a wall but made of wood or wire
nibbles eats something by taking a lot of small bites


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

improbable
got on
isolated
becoming

The Power of Music

Music has got a very strong power over living things. It can change the way we feel and help us to work, learn and study. It can make animals feel calm and happy, too. But not all music is good for us.

Farmers sometimes play slow, relaxing music for their animals. When cows and hens listen to music, the hens lay a lot of eggs and the cows make more milk. But animals don’t like all types of music. A group of psychologists played two different types of music for rats. They put the rats in two boxes. In one box there was classical music by Bach, and in the other box there was rock music. The rats could move to the other box through a door. Almost all the rats went into the box with the classical music, so they definitely preferred it.

Believe it or not, plants prefer classical music, too. In a scientific experiment, Dorothy Retallack played different types of music for plants, including jazz, classical music with violins, rock with loud drums, Indian and country music. The plants grew very well with the relaxing jazz, classical and Indian music. They grew quite well with the country music. But the plants in a room with rock music died.

If some types of music are good for a plant’s health, they will probably be good for ours, too. In fact, many hospitals are using music therapy and are having amazing results. Classical music often helps patients sleep better and feel calmer. So, try listening to Mozart, Chopin or Brahms. The results may surprise you.

1. Say whether the sentences are TRUE or FALSE

1. Hens lay a lot of eggs when they listen to music.
2. Cows don’t make any milk when they listen to music.
3. There wasn’t any country music in the boxes.
4. There was a door between the rats’ boxes.
5. The rock music didn’t make much difference to the plants.
6. Classical music is good for a plant’s health, but it is bad for ours.

2. Answer the questions according to the text.

1. How can music help people?

2. How do psychologists know that rats prefer classical music?

3. What happened to the plants that heard the rock music?

4. How does classical music help hospital patients?


KEY

1.

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

2.

1. Music can help people to work, learn and study.
2. During an experiment they did, all the rats moved into the box with classical music.
3. They all died.
4. Classical music helps patients to be calmer and sleep better.

University of Cambridge

University of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world (after Oxford).

It is situated in the town of Cambridge, England. According to legend, the university was founded in 1209 by scholars escaping from Oxford after a fight with locals there.

Cambridge has produced more Nobel prize winners than any other university in the world, having 80 associated with it, about 70 of whom were students there.

It regularly heads league tables ranking British universities, and a recent league table by the Times Higher Education Supplement rated it sixth in the world overall and first for science.

The universities of Oxford and Cambridge, often referred to together as Oxbridge, compete to be seen as the strongest overall university in the UK. Historically, they have produced a significant proportion of Britain's prominent scientists, writers and politicians.

Questions about the text

1. The University of Cambridge is the oldest university in England.
True.
False.
We don't know.

2. The University of Cambridge was founded by scholars from Oxford.
True.
False.
We don't know.

3. Many Nobel Prize winners were students at the University of Cambridge.
True.
False.
We don't know.

4. Many scientists, writers and politicians were students at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
True.
False.
We don't know.


KEY

False
True
True
True

The Empire State Building

Key

Question 1
a) FALSE “The depression also made building materials much cheaper. The building, itself, cost $24,718,000.00 -- about half of its original anticipated price.”
b) FALSE “The first air conditioning system was installed in 1950, and has been expanded several times.”
c) TRUE “Blue and white were used when the Yankees won baseball's World Series in 1977.”
d) TRUE “But in the spring and autumn, when birds migrate, the lights are turned off to keep from disturbing their route.”

Question 2
a) The ESB was built during the American depression, when the economic situation made it difficult to find jobs. Even so, the building was finished before and at a lower price than it was thought.
b) The colour of the lights changes depending on celebrations, festivals, daily events and even seasons of the year.

Question 3
a) cherished
b) eager
c) lightning rod

Question 4
a) Building materials were made cheaper by the depression.
b) If workers had not been eager to earn their wage, construction wouldn’t have continued through weekends and holidays.
c) A spokesperson said that many buildings touted themselves as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." Only the Empire State Building said it in art.