Task 1 (Reading)

Read the text below. For questions (1-5) choose the correct answer (A, B, C, D). Write your
answers on the separate answer sheet.
The Benefits of Digging in the Dirt
Nature schools are helping make outdoor play a priority for a generation of kids suffering from
nature-deficit disorder. Nowadays, children enter kindergarten having watched, on average, 5,000 hours
of television. iPads, iPhones, and the push to show early academic achievement by memorizing shapes
and colours from the age of two, has pulled them away from creative play and the open air.
In his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods, journalist Richard Louvre argued that children need to
unplug themselves from their computers and smart phones and reconnect with the original way of
learning about the world: by wandering around outside. The book, naturally, was a big hit with
environmentalists.
So, last summer I enrolled my year-and-a-half-old daughter in a parent-child class at the Brooklyn
Forest School in Prospect Park. We walked to the park once a week and met up with other families to
pour some water on dirt to make mud, poke a stick in the water, and sing songs. The forest school is not a
new concept, and programmes like this one are becoming increasingly popular.
Studies show that in schools with an environmental education component, students score higher on
tests in maths, reading, writing, and listening than their non-nature- exposed mates. Other positive effects
include improved critical thinking, problem solving, and cooperation. And there are health benefits, too:
kids who play outside more often are less likely to develop illnesses.
On some days last summer, when it was extremely hot I told myself we could just do this on our own
without paying for it. After all, many of our activities mirrored those of my own childhood.
As we walked through the park, I accidentally spilled some water and I thought to employ a lesson
from forest school: make mud. We took turns squishing the mud, spreading it on the bark of a nearby tree,
and picking out leaves to stick to our "sculpture." Since then, my daughter increasingly stops while we are
walking the dog in the park and sits down to get dirty in leaf piles. There is a lot of pasting clumps of dirt
onto exposed tree roots, and a lot of curious glances from passers- by. It is often hard to get her to leave
her mud creations behind, and we are both happier for it.

1. What does the author say about kids entering kindergartens?

A They go to nature schools at the age of two
B They develop creative skills through technology
C They use gadgets instead of playing outside
D They have problems with remembering things

2. What is stated in the text about Richard Louvre's book?

A It compares computers and smart phones
B It describes methods of teaching science
C It raises problems of forest protection
D It enjoys great popularity with ecologists

3. Which of the following is TRUE about the Brooklyn Forest School?

A It is an innovation in the field of education
B It teaches its students how to plant trees
C It offers a course lasting a year and a half
D It involves parents in the process of learning
 4. Which benefit of schools with an environmental education component is NOT mentioned in the
text?
A increased study motivation
B higher academic performance
C improved interactional skills
D better physical condition

5. How does the author spend time with her daughter?

A They take care of homeless dogs
B They gather beautiful leaves in parks
C They take lessons of mud sculpture
D They enjoy themselves playing with mud

Task 2 (Reading)
Read the texts below. Match choices (A - H) to (6 - 10). There are three choices you do not
need to use. Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

People's Occupations and the Skills They Require

6_____________________
They are rescuers extensively trained in providing emergency services in hazardous situations
that threaten property and civilian or natural populations, like collapsed or burning buildings. In
some places, they are also taught first aid and given medical training so they can help people in
other ways.
7_____________________
Traditionally, they are associated with collections of books, but their role is continually
evolving to meet social and technological needs. Today they may deal with provision and
maintenance of information in many formats, including physical books, electronic resources,
magazines, newspapers, audio and video recordings, photographs, and web-based and digital
resources.
8___________________
They are professional practitioners, concerned with applying scientific knowledge,
mathematics, and inventiveness to develop solutions for technical, societal and commercial
problems. They design materials, structures, and systems while considering the limitations
imposed by practicality, regulation, safety, and cost. Their work forms the link between scientific
discoveries and their applications to human needs and quality of life.
9___________________
They must have creative skills and be interested in the environment, because they build and
maintain gardens, parks and other outdoor areas. In this job they need to be able to understand
design drawings and have a good knowledge of plants. They also need organizational skills to
make sure projects get completed on time.
10___________________
They plan, organize and take part in leisure activities for 4 to 16 year olds, so they need
patience and tolerance, as well as a responsible and caring attitude. They work at places like
breakfast or afterschool clubs and holiday schemes. They can be involved in activities ranging
from art, crafts, cooking and drama to outdoor games and taking children on outings. Sometimes
these are all on the same day. They don't need to have qualifications to start this job, but some
paid or voluntary experience will be useful.

A Landscapers
B Playworkers
C Engineers
D Archivists
E Housekeepers
F Teachers
G Firefighters
H Librarians

Task 3 (Use of English)

Read the texts below. For each of the empty spaces (11 -15) choose the correct answer (A,
B, C or D). Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

The Progress of Computing Technology

Having developed everything from scanners to text-to-speech synthesizers, one artificial
intelligence expert predicted that a computer (11)________________the world chess champion, a
feat that was achieved in 1997 (12)_______________Deep Blue defeated Garry Kasparov.
Now Kurzweil has claimed that (13)_______________2029, computers will be able to
interact with us on a far more (14)_______________ -like level. Sophisticated voice recognition,
speech synthesis and natural language processing (15)_______________to a whole new
generation of machines capable of cracking jokes, learning from their experiences and engaging
in everyday conversation like a real person.

11 A beats В beat C will beat D would beat

12 A when В unless C till D while
13 A by В at C on D for
14 A humanist B human C humanly D humanistic
15 A gives rise B has given rise C is giving rise D will give rise
 Task 4 (Use of English)
Read the text below. For questions (16 - 22) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Dog Wigs As a Family Business

Here's the latest canine fashion (16)__________- dress your pampered dogs in colorful wigs
that will bring the best out of them - at least that's what their owners and the maker of these wigs
seem to think!(17)___________ Ruth Regine, a veteran US wig maker, these hair pieces can be
(18)__________with great ease and comfort by the dogs and cost up to only £35. With these wigs
and other hair accessories, the dogs do indeed look happy, perhaps because they did not have a
glimpse at themselves in the mirror. Ruth, who (19) from a family making wigs for eight
generations explains that there was nothing else she wanted to do, having always seen her family
in the wig business. Ruth (20)_____________that she made her first dog wig for her niece and
then started making wigs for her friends and family members at no cost at all until she finally
decided to make it a business in its own right. Now Ruth offers her clients all sorts of wigs tailor
made to the customer's (21)______________and has a well established business even if she has
only started out recently. She gets (22)___________from all over the world and offers a great
variety of wigs to her clients. For instance, clients can have their dogs dressed like Madonna,
Elvis or Sarah Palin.

16 A flow B model C trend D manner

17 A According to B In relation C In agreement D On behalf of
to with
18 A put B worn C carried D dressed
19 A goes B appears C comes D occurs
20 A speaks B explains C talks D considers
21 A beliefs B demands C regulations D intentions
22 A orders B wishes C tasks D missions
22 A combination B difference C mixture D variety

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22