READING COMPREHENSION TEST – GROUP 4

NAME & SURNAME:_____________________________________________

1. Notice in a car park

WARNING

All cars must show a valid ticket in the front window. Cars without a valid ticket
will be immobilized with a clamp. Removing the clamp will cost €100. The driver will
also be fined €250

Which statement is true about the car park?

a) A ticket must be shown in any window
b) Cars without a ticket will be towed away
c) You can choose to pay a fine of either €100 or €250
d) If the ticket is incorrect it is €100 and a €250 fine

2. BBC cutbacks

The BBC has announced that it is considering stopping broadcasting programmes

during the night to cut costs. A spokesperson said that at these times the
audience figures were lower than during the day and many programmes were
repeated. This would enable the BBC to maintain the current licence fee paid by
viewers

The BBC is stopping night broadcasting:

a) To save money
b) Because nobody watches TV
c) Because people don’t like to watch repeats
d) To put up the licence fee

3. New York fire started by turtle

A pet turtle started a fire in a New York City flat after getting out of its tank
and knocking over the terrarium's heat lamp. The six-year-old African turtle
which was about the size of a football was unharmed, but one firefighter and
three police officers suffered smoke inhalation during the fire in Brooklyn.
Another turtle that lived in a water tank was also killed in the fire. Fire officials
said the heat lamp crashed to the floor, igniting a pile of art supplies, including
thinner and paint. Within minutes, it had spread through the third floor flat.
The turtle was found by one firefighter in the kitchen and was rescued. Both
the pets resided in their owner's bedroom – he and his family, were not home at
the time.
What do we learn about the turtle?
a) Its companion was killed
b) It was killed in the fire
c) It was rescued by its owner
d) Its owner was in the flat at the time

4. The only woman pilot flying Typhoons in the RAF

The red haired pilot flew a seven-hour mission in a Typhoon Eurofighter, one of
the world’s top warplanes. The British Defence Ministry has asked the
media not to reveal her identity for security reasons. The pilot left the alliance
air force base in southern Italy with missiles slung under the plane’s wings.
As one of 20 expert British pilots sent to protect Libya, she is in the frontline
of the Tornados and Typhoons in operation. On her return, she gave a salute. A
military source said it was quite an important event for the RAF – she is the
first female Eurofighter pilot. They added that she was picked because she is
good, she has shown outstanding potential.

What do we learn about the pilot?

a) She was named by the Defence Ministry
b) She is the first woman to pilot a Eurofighter
c) She was chosen because she is a woman
d) She was chosen because she had no potential

5. Bought for £100-worth £40m!

When a man bought a dirty old picture in a junk shop for £100 he thought it
was a bargain. He bought it for the frame and only later on closer inspection
he noticed a signature in one corner. Art experts say the painting could be a
Cezanne worth £40 million. The canvas was rolled up tightly at the edges so
he carefully unrolled it to see the markings. He realised he could be looking at
the first-ever Cezanne painting. He just bought it for the frame. He took it an
auction house. He has also sent the photos to the National Gallery and is due to
have a meeting there. A National Gallery spokesman would not comment.

Why did the man buy the painting?

a) Because he liked the painting
b) Because he liked the frame
c) Because he saw the signature
d) Because he thought it was valuable
 6. Motorways lights to be turned off

Lights on three stretches of motorway involving 25 kilometers of motorway in

northwest of England are to be permanently switched off to save cash, cut
carbon emissions and reduce light pollution. It follows a previous plan which saw
lights turned off on quiet stretches of motorway between midnight and
5am. However, this is the first time that this has been done permanently. The
initial switch off was one of the first policies to emerge from voters who were
asked how to help identify where spending cuts could be made. At the time it
was feared that road safety could be put at risk. But such concerns proved to
be unfounded as evidence so far indicates that switching off the lights hasn’t
had an impact on safety.

The lights have been switched off:

a) To save money
b) To stop people using the motorway
c) To make people happy
d) To increase road safety

7. The first electric ship

It looks like the world's smallest aircraft carrier, designed by a child with an
oversized Lego set. But this vessel is in fact the largest solar-powered ship in
the world. Planet Solar is currently on a voyage to set a round-the-world record
- and promote the use of sustainable energy. In doing so it would be the first
fully solar-powered vessel to circumnavigate the globe. It cost 12.5million Euro
to build. The ship is covered in more than 500 square meters of solar panels,
which power two electric motors. The ship's hull has been model tested in wind
tunnels and has been tank tested to determine the hydrodynamics and
aerodynamics of the hull. The ship - which can hold 40 passengers - has been
designed to be used as a luxury yacht after the record attempt is finished.

What information is given about the ship?

a) The ship was designed by a child
b) The ship holds the round the world record
c) The ship is totally solar powered
d) The ship will carry cargo in the future
 8. Barcelona bans nudism on its streets

Tourists who stroll bare-chested or in swimwear through the streets of

Barcelona will be ordered to cover up or face fines under a ban that came into
force this week The city has prohibited beachwear beyond the beach in an
attempt to clean up its image and rid the city streets of unsightly flesh.
Barcelona's urban police force will be able to impose on the spot penalties to
those who refuse to cover up. The exceptions will be on the beach itself, the
seafront promenade, and the streets adjacent to the beach tourist sites. The
decision to impose a ban has been publicized with the distribution this week of
15,000 leaflets across the city, and handed out to tourists on arrival at hotels.

What does the article say about the new law?

a) You will be given a choice to get dressed or be fined
b) People who break the rules will be sent to court
c) People will be fined if they don’t cover up on the beach
d) Tourists are not warned of the new laws when they get to their hotel

9. Mobiles phones may cause brain cancer

The World Health Organization's cancer research agency says mobile phones are
"possibly carcinogenic". The evidence suggests an increased risk of brain cancer
cannot be ruled out. However, any link is not certain - they concluded that it was
not clearly established that it does cause cancer in humans. A group of experts
said they looked at all relevant studies of people using mobile phones. The WHO
can give mobile phones one of five scientific labels: carcinogenic, probably
carcinogenic, possibly carcinogenic, not classifiable or not carcinogenic. It
concluded that mobiles should be rated as "possibly carcinogenic" because of a
possible link with a type of brain cancer. The vast majority of existing studies
have not found a link between phones and cancer, and if such a link exists, it
is unlikely to be a large one.

What do we learn about mobile phones and cancer?

a) You can definitely get cancer if you use a mobile phone
b) The experts did their own studies
c) The WHO can use as many scientific labels as it wants
d) The majority of studies say there is no link
 10. Chinese teenager sells his kidney

A Chinese teenager was so desperate to acquire the new iPad 2 that he sold one
of his kidneys for just 2,500 Euro to pay for it, The 17-year-old boy confessed
to his mother that he had sold the kidney after spotting an online
advertisement offering cash to anyone prepared to become an organ donor.
After negotiations the boy had the kidney was removed at a local hospital.
Trading organs online is a common practice in China, despite repeated attempts
by China's government to stamp out the practice. The boy, who has suffered
complications following the surgery, returned home but was unable to keep what
he had done from his mother. "When he came back, he had a laptop and a new
Apple handset, his mother said, showing off the livid red scar where her son's
kidney was removed, "I wanted to know how he had got so much money and he
finally confessed that he had sold one of his kidneys is declining. Apple
products like the iPhone and the iPad are in huge demand in China, and are seen
as a badge of wealth and sophistication by young consumers.

What information do we get from the article?

a) The boy donated his kidney to another person
b) The Chinese government is not trying to stop trading organs
c) The operation was a total success
d) Devices manufactured by Apple are popular in China

11. Las Vegas elects mayor’s wife to replace him

Las Vegas has elected the mayor’s wife to replace him. Carolyn Goodman, wife of
the outgoing Mayor Oscar Goodman, gained more than 60 per cent of the vote in
a city election. She stood because her husband had already served the maximum
of three four- year terms. Mrs. Goodman who will be sworn in next month said
that the city was going to have a good time in the next four years. During
his time in office her husband became known for travelling the world with
showgirls in an attempt to boost tourism to the city. Mr. Goodman, a former
lawyer, also appeared as himself in the Martin Scorsese film “Casino.” Mrs.
Goodman campaigned on a promise to continue her husband's work in attracting
development to the decaying downtown area of the city. Las Vegas has been
badly hit by the recession and is suffering widespread closures and high
unemployment.

What do we learn about the ex-mayor of Las Vegas?

a) You can be the mayor in Las Vegas only 4 times
b) Mr. Goodman directed a film
c) Mr. Goodman used dancers as publicity
d) Mr. Goodman is still a lawyer
 12. Expensive ornaments

A collection of Chinese jade ornaments has sold for a massive £12.m, a sum more
than double the price of the British mansion they were found in. The 16
objects had been kept in display cabinets in a country mansion for the last 60
years before coming onto the market. Their sale sparked a bidding war between
super-rich Chinese collectors whose new-found wealth has transformed the
Asian art market in the last few years. Multi-millionaires from the Far East are
rapidly buying back their cultural heritage, sending prices soaring and leaving
Western bidders struggling to compete. Some of the pieces date back to the
18th century, when they were made for a Chinese emperor. bidders in the room
as well as on the phone were from Hong Kong and mainland China so three
Mandarin speakers were brought in to assist with the bidding.

What information do we get from the text:

a) The jade items are worth more than the house
b) Many Chinese collectors are selling items at the moment
c) All the items date from the 18th century
d) The auction house already had people who spoke Chinese

13. Color predicts personality

What color do you prefer? The seemingly simple answer may predict your
personality, at least according to a recently developed test. The new test takes
sixty seconds to complete, and asks takers to order as many as fifteen colored
squares by preference. For example, which color do you like the least, black,
grey, or white? Much like other personality tests, this one can help individuals
choose jobs that match their personality profiles. However, this test is unique
because most other tests are verbal and may not translate well to other
languages or cultures. The new test, solely based on colors, can be used all over
the world.
The test has already been administered to more than 750,000 people,
including more than 800 famous Chief Executive Officers (CEOs).
Surprisingly, the test indicated that these CEOs would make good social
workers, artists, and teachers. They overwhelmingly preferred magenta, red,
and yellow compared to most people. According to the test, these colors mean
the person isn't so much of a perfectionist, but is also more emotionally
unstable than others.

According to the article:

a) The test checks only your preference for black, white and grey
b) The test works only with native English speakers
c) CEOs who took the test would also make good artists and teachers
 d) CEOs who took the test had strong characters, but were unstable
14. Royal Navy Submariner Admits Secrets Breach

LONDON – A Royal Navy submariner on Tuesday admitted collecting secret

coding programs that could aid an enemy of state, and meeting with people he
believed were Russian agents.
Petty Officer Edward Deve was arrested earlier in a British intelligence sting
operation. He was charged with communicating information that could be “directly
or indirectly useful to the enemy”, in breach of the Official Secrets Act.
Deve, 30, from Northern Ireland, pleaded guilty at a court hearing to gathering
details of “crypto material” – programs used to encrypt secret information. He
also admitted misconduct in a public office in relation to a meeting with two
people he thought were from the Russian secret service.
He acknowledged discussing the movement of British nuclear submarines with the
pair, who were in fact members of the British secret service.
Deve will be sentenced Dec.12.

According to the text:

a) The Petty Officer collected secret programs.
b) The Petty Officer gave information to his superior officer
c) The Petty Officer will not go to prison
d) The Petty Officer denied having committed the crime