Olvasott szöveg értése

Task 1

You are going to read a text about a famous sight in Dublin, Ireland. Your task is to
complete the summary of the text using the information from the text. Write ONE word
that best completes each gap (1-11). Write your answers on the lines after the summary.
There is an example (0) at the beginning.

The Spire

The Spire of Dublin, alternatively titled the Monument of Light, is a large, stainless steel, pin-
like monument 121.2 metres (398 ft) in height, located in the middle of O'Connell Street, the
most popular and well known street of Dublin, Ireland.
The Spire is located on the site of the former Nelson's Pillar, which was a large granite pillar
topped by a statue of Horatio Nelson. It was built in 1808-1809, and was among the first and
grandest monuments erected in the United Kingdom in memory of Admiral Nelson.
With the foundation of the new Irish State in 1921-1922, it was inevitable that demand for the
removal of Nelson would increase. Many thought it ironic that the greatest British hero should
continue to hold pride of place in Ireland's capital city, while there were no statues to true Irish
national heroes.
At 1.32 am on 8 March 1966, a bomb destroyed the upper half of the pillar, throwing the statue
of Nelson into the street. The bomb had been planted by a group of former Irish Republican
Army volunteers. No one was hurt by the explosion. As the structure which was left was
considered too unsafe to restore, the Irish Army engineers blew up the rest of the pillar six days
after the original damage. Ironically enough, this planned demolition caused more destruction
on O'Connell Street than the original blast, breaking many windows.
Dubliners had to wait almost four decades for what has become the most recognizable landmark
of the city. The Spire was built to celebrate entering the new millennium. It was completed in
January 2003. This tall needle-like structure hasa 3 m base which is gradually reduced to 15 cm
at the top.
It is made to reflect the light falling on it, so the metal changes colour depending on the time of
day. From its base up to about 10m, the stainless steel is partially polished in an abstract design
thus acting as a mirror reflecting the street, people and traffic. From dusk, the Spire's surface is
softly lit and the top 12m is illuminated to warn aircraft.
The upper part of the Spire sways gently when the wind blows, reflecting the character of the
city's climate. The monument's tip can sway up to a maximum of 1.5 m under extreme wind
loading!
The spire has become a popular meeting point, and also, if you get lost, just look up for the
giant spire and you should be able to find your way around the area.

SUMMARY
The spire of Dublin is a tall metal monument in the 0)_______ of Dublin's main street.
Before the spire was built, in the same place there was another monument, the 1)___________
of Admiral Nelson. When the Irish Republic was founded, Irish people didn't want to have the
monument of a(n) 2) _________ person in their capital city. Finally, more than
3)___________years later, the monument was exploded. The bomb only destroyed the
4)______________part of it, so the Irish Army had to blow it up.The second explosion caused
a lot more 5) ___________than the first one.They built the Spire at the 6) ___________ of the
21st century. The interesting thing about the Spire is that it looks like a(n) 7)__________and in
its shiny metal surface you can see what is going on in the 8)____________
At night the upper part is lit for the safety of 9)_____________ . The top part moves if the
weather is 10) _____________. As it is a very tall structure you can 11)__________ it from far
away.

0) middle
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
Task 2

You are going to read an article containing tips about booking a budget airline flight. The
paragraph headings have been taken from the article. Your task is to match the
paragraphs (12-18) with the heading (A-I). Write your answers in the boxes below. There
is one extra headings that you do not need to use. There is an example (0) at the beginning.

A Few Things To Consider Before Booking a Flight

With fuel costs rising and airlines finding more fees to impose on travellers every day, airfare
isn't getting any cheaper. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to find the most affordable fares and
also avoid paying extra charges when you plan ahead.

0)______________, making this day the best day to book a flight for less.

12) _______________Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday are the slowest days to fly, which
means cheaper deals than the rest of the week. You can also find reduced rates on early morning
flights, since many people don't like to get up before the sun to get to the airport.

13) _________________Some airlines charge you to pick your seat when you book online. If
you show up early on your travel day, you can still get suitable seats. Some of the best seats get
held back until flight day, unless others are willing to pay extra for them ahead of time, so you
still have the chance at one of those.
14) ____________You already know that summer is the most expensive time to fly, and even
though most other times are more affordable, the days surrounding holidays can be crazy. Save
big if you're willing to travel on major holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

15)_______________Many travellers don't know that there's a sweet spot for booking and
getting the best price on your tickets. The best time to book is between three months and six
weeks from when you want to travel.

16) _____________Sometimes upgrades are free, but mostly you will be charged for seeking a
last-minute bump to first class, and the cost can be hefty.

17)____________Baggage fees vary wildly, but almost all airlines charge them and charge big.
Why pay for your clothes to fly with you? If everyone in your travel party checks a bag, your
bill can be astronomical before you ever even get to your destination.

18)_____________Unless you are flying internationally, it's rare your flight comes with a meal.
Snacks on the plane are not cheap and almost never healthy. Don't rely on what's on the small
menu and instead tuck some of your own snacks into your bag.

A) Don't wait until the last minute to book.

B) Fly during the least popular times.
C) Avoid extra fees.
D) Fly carry-on only.
E) Airlines put out their fare sales on Tuesday morning.
F) Choose your seat later.
G) Pack your own snacks.
H) Fly on holidays.
I) Avoid the upgrade if it's not necessary.

0) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18)

E
Task 3

You are going to read an interview Michael Parkinson did on his BBC talk show with
Sean Connery, who was the first James Bond. Some of the interviewer's questions or
remarks have been taken out of the text. Your task is to match the gaps with the sentences.
Write the appropriate letter in the corresponding box below. There is one extra sentence
you do not need. At the beginning there is an example (0) for you.

An Interview With Sean Connery

Parkinson: Steven Spielberg said, there are seven true movie stars, and one of them is Sean
Connery. 0)_____________

Connery: Thank you very much.

Parkinson: I first saw you in a movie 50 years ago which was called Hell Drivers. I can still
remember, after all those years. 19) _____________________

Connery: To be honest I never thought I’d reach 73.

Parkinson: 20)______________________

Connery: Well, they have great taste…I don’t like that seriously.

Parkinson: Your latest film again is an action movie. 21)______________

Connery: Yeah, yeah... yes. Well it's kind of interesting that I don't have a problem with going
into any kinds of clothes or no clothes for films, in terms of working in period films or whatever.

Parkinson:22)____________________

Connery: Oh, yes, without question. We used to see a main feature, a second feature, the trailer,
the news. So you could spend a week at the cinema.
Parkinson: You started working as a milk boy at the age of nine. You didn't go to school because
the local school closed. So you had little or no formal education. 23) _______________

Connery: Well, I left school at 13, because the war changed everything. You had to do what
you could do. After the war I was having a great time travelling all around the UK in a theatre
show. An American actor told me that if I wanted to be an actor, I would have to give myself
an education.

Parkinson:24)_________________

Connery: He gave me ten titles. I went to the libraries and read them all.
Parkinson:25)_____________

Connery:Yes, it did, enormously. I would never recognise it at the time. And nobody who is
really honest, including United Artists, can say that any of us anticipated the success it would
be.

Parkinson: What Bond gave you was independence and that allowed you to make some very
good films. Your latest The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is your 80th film.
26)_______________

Connery: Well, we'll see. I haven't made a film since 'The League'. I'm reading stuff at the
moment and who knows which way the wind blows. Sean Connery, thank you very much.

A) You have reached the age of 73 and are not losing it in the sense that you've been voted the
best-looking man of the century.
B) Are there more to come?
C) You don't just continue your career but you continue playing action heroes. You obviously
like that genre of movie.
D) When you were a child in Edinburgh, was the cinema a formative part of your life?

E) What kind of films do you like making?

F) Am I right in thinking that the role of Bond changed your life and career?
G) Did you think when you were making that movie that 50 years later, at the age of 73 you'd
still be a huge star?
H) Ladies and Gentleman, welcome Sean Connery to the studio.
I) At what point did you decide that education is the way out?
J) So how did you get it?
0) 19) 20) 21) 22) 23) 24) 25) 26)
H
Task 4
Read this article about a wonderful young composer. In the sentences (27-33) that follow
the text there are some gaps. Your task is to fill each gap with one word so that the
sentences correspond to what the text says. Write the words on the dotted lines. An example
(0) has been given for you.

MEET LITTLE MISS MOZART

Most children of her age would struggle to sit through an opera. But Alma Deutscher, 7, has
become a classical music sensation after her first work in this particular genre was highly
praised by the English National Opera.
Videos of her work have been viewed more than 300,000 times since her father shared
them on YouTube – and her abilities have led to comparisons with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart,
who by five had mastered the keyboard and started composing. Alma wrote her own sonata at
the age of six, followed by her opera, The Sweeper of Dreams, this year.
She said that her best compositions are created when she is on the swing in the garden
at home, but she also keeps a music scorebook by her bed for when inspiration strikes after she
falls asleep. Just like the idea for this work, which came in a dream.
Mr Deutscher and his wife Janie, who was an organ scholar at Oxford, moved with
Alma and her four-year-old sister Helen from Oxford to Surrey so that they could be closer to
the specialist Yehudi Menuhin School in Cobham, where Alma has weekly piano and violin
lessons.
The rest of the time, she is taught at home, and practises and composes for between four
and five hours a day. But her parents are not in favour of her taking part in competitions, and
have turned down all invitations to appear on television shows. Alma, meanwhile, is working
on a sonata that she was commissioned to write after performing one of her compositions
brilliantly in Italy. ‘It’s not the same style as my first one,’ she explained. ‘It’s very dramatic.
It’s more like Tchaikovsky than Mozart.’
When she is older, she wants a ‘big house full of instruments, all sorts of pianos and
violins, violas and cellos’.
‘I don’t mind if I am famous or not, I just want to be good,’ she added.

0) Most children of Alma’s age find operas boring.

27) Even the English National Opera formed a very good opinion of her first
……………….. .
28) Thanks to her ……………….. , Alma’s compositions are available to all on the
internet.

29) At the age of ……………….. Alma’s famous Austrian predecessor could already
play the piano.

30) She is even prepared for those sudden musical ideas which come to her in her
……………….. .

31) Alma’s ……………….. studied music at university.

32) Alma has been on ……………….. TV programmes so far.

33) As a result of a great concert success abroad, she is writing a(n) ……………….. .

0) boring
27)
28)
29)
30)
31)
32)
33)