Università degli Studi di Napoli L’Orientale

Prova scritta- Lingua e linguistica inglese 1 – MTS/MCC/MEA

MOCK EXAM APRIL 2018 TOTAL MARK: ………../60

Cognome……………………… .............Nome…………………...................Matricola…..

Exercise 2. Reading Comprehension. Read the text and answer the questions (15 marks)

How far will you go? – Patrick Barkham – The Guardian

A new breed of 'trophy tourists' are redefining what extreme holidays are all about. But
are they just showing off? And what are they doing to the planet? Patrick Barkham
reports.
Trekking to Kathmandu or visiting the slums of Kolkata are no longer exotic enough. Today's
trophy tourists want to tick off ever more extreme locations on their global adventures. Travel
supplements bulge with the ultimate - and ultimately self-defeating - quest to find the completely
unspoilt destination.
We are all aware of the contradictions of modern tourism; how it can cascade unimaginable
riches on impoverished corners of the world and also destroy the very tranquillity we all seek.
The urge to explore is a human impulse as basic as breathing. People have toured the world out
of curiosity rather than economic or political conquest for centuries. But the extreme adventuring
of today's wealthy citizens is driven by two, often contradictory trends. Some of us want to
reconnect with our authentic selves through the mirror of another culture, sensing that our
materialistic modern lives lack "a connection between us and the soil and the things we grow", as
Peter Burns, professor of tourism and international development at the University of Brighton,
puts it. In contrast, others unashamedly obey the status-seeking urge to tick off exotic
destinations - "trophy tourism", says Burns. "The reality is that extreme tourism are adventures
for the rich and the elite."
Extreme trips may make for the sharing of great tales - and pictures - back home but they are
also part of the modern quest for authenticity, the seeking out of "traditional" cultures that are
seen to be more in touch with the natural world.
This hope is a myth, Burns argues, because our world really is globalised. Television reaches
almost everywhere, and events we see as tourists in traditional societies - such as dancing - are
almost always put on for our benefit.
Bundled in with our desire to impress with obscure locations and find our authentic selves in the
mirror of foreign societies are concerns about travel, the environment and climate change. It all
collides in Antarctica. More than 50,000 people now visit the continent every year.
Adventure tourism operator Discover the World has taken everyone from 18-year-olds to 83-
year-olds to Antarctica. "In the past, people would say, 'Why visit the Antarctic? It's just a load
of ice and penguins,' but it's incredibly spectacular and it really is the final frontier," says Nicola
Rickett of Discover the World.
While there are concerns about the impact of even carefully controlled tourism on the Antarctic,
Rickett argues that people who visit tend to become evangelical about the environment when
they return home. "Some tour operators call them polar ambassadors because people do go home
and talk about the environment."
A strict - but voluntary - code of conduct set out by International Association of Antarctica Tour
Operators (IAATO) is adhered to by most operators in the region with the exception of a few
large cruise ships. Rules govern where people are allowed to land, what distances to keep from
wildlife and even the disinfecting of boots before stepping on to the continent.
Environmental groups have called for a cap on the number of ships that can sail into Antarctic
waters. Both scientists and tour operators admit that the growth of visitors to the Antarctic may
not be sustainable.
The Antarctic is vast but tourists and scientists tend to converge in the same spots, and some
scientists aren't happy.
Dr Pete Convey, a terrestrial biologist for British Antarctic Survey, says there are plenty of
scientists who would prefer Antarctica to remain an unspoiled place of research. However, he
admits he does not always simply see the Antarctic through the detached eyes of a scientist. "I go
as a scientist to study insects, soil and plants but I appreciate the things that tourists appreciate.
The single biggest thing that has always struck me about the Antarctic is its scale. It's incredibly
beautiful and there are very few places in the world where you can't see any sign of human
impact."
Antarctica may be seen as the final frontier by many travellers but the quest for greater levels of
adventure seems a ceaseless one. Where next? Space? Burns does not approve of what could
become the ultimate destination of choice for the trophy tourist. "Space tourism is grotesque,
quite frankly. With the problems and troubles of the world, to even think about such a thing is an
indulgence too far."
(adapted from an article in ‘The Guardian’)

Answer the following questions in your own words and giving reasons for your answers:

1. “Travel supplements bulge with the ultimate - and ultimately self-defeating - quest to find the
completely unspoilt destination.” Why does the writer claim that this quest is “self-defeating”?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. “Extreme trips” and “trophy tourism” are both terms used in the article for particularly
adventurous holidays. Do both terms imply the same thing? Give reasons to support your answer.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

3. Extreme tourism is for the rich. Does the writer imply that he disapproves of their behaviour?
If so, how does he do this?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Antarctica is emblematic of a precarious balance between controlled tourism and the need to
protect the last uncontaminated place on our planet. Based on the information given in the
article, do you think that people should be allowed to visit Antarctica? Why / why not?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

5. “Space tourism is grotesque, quite frankly”, states Professor Burns. Can you think of any
arguments in favour of space tourism? Or do you agree with Burns?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Exercise 3.Summarise the article ‘How far will you go?’ in 200 – 250 words. (15 marks)

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4. Key Word Transformations (20 marks)

For questions 1 -10, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. Use between 3-6 words,
including the word given.

1. We were going to fly there but we knew there was pilots’ strike.
WOULD
We ___________________ there but we knew there was pilots’ strike.

2. I made sure to book a table at the restaurant as I had heard it was going to be full.
HAVING
I made sure to book a table at the restaurant ________________ to be full.

3. There is no possibility whatsoever of my attending the wedding.

QUITE
It’s _______________________________________the wedding.

4. In the end there was no traffic, so it wasn’t necessary to leave so early for the airport after
all.
HAVE
We _____________________________ an early time for the airport after all as in the
end there wasn’t any traffic.

5. You have offended me and you have insulted me

ONLY
____________________________ me, but you have also insulted me.

6. Never give your credit card PIN number to anyone.

 CIRCUMSTANCES
___________________________ your credit card PIN number to anyone.

7. We had only just finished the Listening test when we were asked to start the Reading
Comprehension test
SCARCELY
_______________________ Listening test when we were asked to start the Reading
Comprehension test.

8. The original idea was to ban the use of dictionaries in all exams by June.
HAVE
Originally, the use of dictionaries in all exams_________________________ by June.

9. At least four people are needed to operate this machinery.

THAN
No _______________________________ are needed to operate this machinery.

10. It is felt that the fact she does not have enough experience may affect her chances of
getting the job.
HER
It is felt that _____________________________ may affect her chances of getting the
job.