READING ASSIGNMENT FOR ENT303

READING PASSAGE 1
Whether you're travelling to the islands or the mountains of Thailand, you're likely to spend at
least one night in its capital city on the way. Bangkok might be noisy and polluted but it's also an
exciting city with plenty of things to see and do. Why not make it a longer stay?
Where to stay
The Khao San Road was a famous traveler spot even before Leonardo di Caprio's character in the
film The Beach stayed there. But it's noisy, not very pretty and not very Thai. For something
more authentic, Phra Kanong offers an alternative place to stay, with its fantastic street markets
where everyday Bangkok people eat, work and live. It's not as convenient for the main tourist
sites, but it has a Skytrain station so you can be at the Grand Palace in 20 minutes.
How to get around
Bangkok's traffic can be a nightmare. Sure, you can easily take a taxi – if you want to spend
hours stuck in traffic jams – but there are two much better ways to get around the city. To
explore the temples and historical sites, catch an express boat river taxi or a long tail boat along
the Chao Phraya River and the canals. For the modern part of the city, the Skytrain is a fast,
cheap way to travel from the river to the shopping malls and nightlife of Sukhumvit, and the
famous Chatuchak street market.
Where to eat
The simple answer is: everywhere! Thai street food is among the best in the world, and for
around $5 you can eat a filling and delicious meal. Some food stands have little plastic seats
where you can sit and eat and they cook the same dish over and over, like fried chicken on rice
or Pad Thai noodles. Head for Chinatown – Yaowarat Street – and choose whatever looks most
interesting from the many excellent Chinese and Thai restaurants and food stands.
What to do
After you've seen the main sites like the Giant Buddha at the temple of Wat Pho and the
spectacular Grand Palace, and shopped at Chatuchak market, check out the snake farm and watch
the live snake show. You can even touch a snake yourself if you want to!
Task 1
Match the Bangkok landmarks and places with the descriptions.
a. Wat Pho
b. Khao San Road
c. Sukhumvit
d. Yaowarat Street

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 e. Phra Kanong
f. Chao Phraya
1. ………………………………………… a place that you might see in the film The Beach
2. ………………………………………… a place where local Thai people go
3. ………………………………………… an alternative route through the city
4. ………………………………………… a place to go for shopping and bars
5. ………………………………………… a place to go for food
6. ………………………………………… an important sightseeing spot
Task 2
Are the sentences true or false?
1. One night is enough time to see Bangkok.
2. Khao San Road is an authentic Thai area of the city.
3. Phra Kanong is further away from the main tourist sites than Khao San Road is.
4. The river boat taxis often get stuck in traffic too.
5. Taking the Skytrain is a faster way to see the city than going by taxi.
6. You need to choose where to eat carefully, as not everywhere is good.
READING PASSAGE 2
Social media influencers
It is estimated that about 40 per cent of the world’s population use social media, and many of
these billions of social media users look up to influencers to help them decide what to buy and
what trends to follow.
So what is an influencer and how do we become one?
An influencer is a person who can influence the decisions of their followers because of their
relationship with their audience and their knowledge and expertise in a particular area, e.g.
fashion, travel or technology.
Influencers often have a large following of people who pay close attention to their views. They
have the power to persuade people to buy things, and influencers are now seen by many
companies as a direct way to customers’ hearts. Brands are now asking powerful influencers to
market their products. With some influencers charging up to $25,000 for one social media post, it
is no surprise that more and more people are keen to become influencers too. If you are one of
them, then here are five tips on how to do it.
1. Choose your niche

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What is the area that you know most about? What do you feel most excited talking about? Find
the specific area that you’re most interested in and develop it.
2. Choose your medium and write an interesting bio
Most influencers these days are bloggers and micro-bloggers. Decide which medium – such as
your own online blog, Instagram or Snapchat – is the best way to connect with your followers
and chat about your niche area. When you have done that, write an attention grabbing bio that
describes you and your specialty area in an interesting and unique way. Make sure that people
who read your bio will want to follow you.
3. Post regularly and consistently
Many influencers post daily on their social media accounts. The more you post, the more likely
people will follow you. Also, ensure that your posts are consistent and possibly follow a theme.
4. Tell an interesting story
Whether it is a photo or a comment that you are posting, use it to tell a story that will catch the
attention of your followers and help them connect with you.
5. Make sure people can easily find your content
Publicize your posts on a variety of social media, use hashtags and catchy titles and make sure
that they can be easily found. There is no point writing the most exciting blog posts or posting
the most attractive photographs if no one is going to see them. Most importantly, if you want to
become a social media influencer, you need to have patience. Keep posting and your following
will gradually increase. Good luck!
Task 1
Choose the best answer.
1. A social media influencer is not someone who …
a. guides the decisions of their followers.
b. is an expert in a particular area.
c. pays their followers to buy products.
d. has many followers who pay attention to their opinions.
2. Companies want to use influencers to help …
a. sell their products to their followers.
b. develop new products.
c. write their blog posts.
d. design their websites.
3. If you want to be an influencer, your bio on your social media account shouldn’t …
a. say who you are.

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 b. talk about your niche area.
c. be interesting.
d. be the same as other people’s bios.
4. You should make sure that you post …
a. once a month.
b. every day for the first month and then once a month after that.
c. about similar subjects.
d. about all sorts of different things.
5. You can make sure that people find your post by …
a. using hashtags.
b. using funny or memorable titles.
c. using different social media to link to your post.
d. doing all of the above.
6. What should the title of this blog post be?
a. Five ways to influence people
b. Five ways to use influencers in marketing
c. Five tips on becoming a social media influencer
d. Five tips on making money as an influencer

Task 2
Are the sentences true or false?
1. An influencer needs to know about as many topics as possible, e.g. fashion, travel, technology,
etc.
2. Companies are paying some influencers up to $25,000 to post about their products.
3. Most influencers write regular posts on their blogs or micro-blogs.
4. You can chat with your followers using your bio.
5. Your posts should not only be attractive but should tell a story.
6. You can become a social media influencer in a short time. \

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READING PASSAGE 3
The legend of fairies
(1) Fairies today are the stuff of children’s stories, little magical people with wings, often shining
with light. Typically pretty and female, like Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, they usually use their magic
to do small things and are mostly friendly to humans.
(2) We owe many of our modern ideas about fairies to Shakespeare and stories from the 18th and
19th centuries. Although we can see the origins of fairies as far back as the Ancient Greeks, we
can see similar creatures in many cultures. The earliest fairy-like creatures can be found in the
Greek idea that trees and rivers had spirits called dryads and nymphs. Some people think these
creatures were originally the gods of earlier, pagan religions that worshipped nature. They were
replaced by the Greek and Roman gods, and then later by the Christian God, and became
smaller, less powerful figures as they lost importance.
(3) Another explanation suggests the origin of fairies is a memory of real people, not spirits. So,
for example, when tribes with metal weapons invaded land where people only used stone
weapons, some of the people escaped and hid in forests and caves. Further support for this idea is
that fairies were thought to be afraid of iron and could not touch it. Living outside of society, the
hiding people probably stole food and attacked villages. This might explain why fairies were
often described as playing tricks on humans. Hundreds of years ago, people actually believed
that fairies stole new babies and replaced them with a ‘changeling’ – a fairy baby – or that they
took new mothers and made them feed fairy babies with their milk.
(4) While most people no longer believe in fairies, only a hundred years ago some people were
very willing to think they might exist. In 1917, 16-year-old Elsie Wright took two photos of her
cousin, nine-year-old Frances Griffiths, sitting with fairies. Some photography experts thought
they were fake, while others weren’t sure. But Arthur Conan Doyle, the writer of the Sherlock
Holmes detective stories, believed they were real. He published the original pictures, and three
more the girls took for him, in a magazine called The Strand, in 1920. The girls only admitted
the photos were fake years later in 1983, created using pictures of dancers that Elsie copied from
a book.
Task 1
Are the sentences true or false or is the information not given?
1. Fairies are not usually male.
2. Newer religions changed how people thought of fairies.
3. People used iron to protect themselves from fairies.
4. People thought very good babies were presents from the fairies.
5. Arthur Conan Doyle created some fake photos.
6. Elsie and Frances were surprised Arthur Conan Doyle believed them.
Task 2
Circle the best answer.

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1. In paragraph 1, the word they refers to …
a. fairies.
b. children.
c. stories.
2. In paragraph 2, the words these creatures refer to …
a. tree and rivers.
b. the spirits of trees and rivers.
c. the Ancient Greek people.
3. In paragraph 2, the word they refers to …
a. pagan gods.
b. pagan religions.
c. Greek and Roman gods.
4. In paragraph 3, the words this idea refer to …
a. the idea that fairies were based on people.
b. the idea that fairies used metal weapons.
c. the idea that fairies used stone tools.
5. In paragraph 3, the word this refers to …
a. the fact that fairies were thought to be afraid of iron.
b. stolen food.
c. the possibility that hiding people stole food and attacked villages.
6. In paragraph 4, the word more refers to …
a. the girls.
b. the photos.
c. the fairies.

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READING PASSAGE 4
An email from a friend
Hi!
I’ve been meaning to write for ages and finally today I’m actually doing something about it. Not
that I’m trying to make excuses for myself, it’s been really hard to sit down and write, as I’ve
been moving around so much. Since we last saw each other I’ve unpacked my bags in four
different cities. This job has turned out to be more of a whirlwind than I expected, but it’s all
good!
I went from London to Prague to set up a new regional office there. You know I’d always
wanted to go, but maybe I was imagining Prague in spring when I used to talk about that. Winter
was really hard, with minus 15 degrees in the mornings and dark really early in the evening. But
at least it was blue skies and white snow and not days on end of grey skies and rain, like at home.
It’s tough being away from home over Christmas, though, and Skype on Christmas Day wasn’t
really the same as being with everyone.
From there I was on another three-month mission to oversee the set-up of the office in New
York. Loved, loved, loved New York! It’s like being in one big TV show, as everywhere looks
just a little bit familiar. I did every tourist thing you can think of when I wasn’t working, and
must have spent most of my salary on eating out. It was really hard to leave for the next job,
especially as I kind of met someone (!) More about Michael later ...
So then I was posted to LA, which felt like a whole other country compared with the East Coast.
I could definitely get used to that kind of outdoor, beach lifestyle, but I didn’t spend as much
time getting to know California as I could have because I was flying back to see Michael every
other weekend. He came to see me when he could, but his job means he’s often working at
weekends, so he couldn’t make the flight very often. Those three months flew by and then I was
off again, to Frankfurt, which is where I am now. And … so is Michael! He got a month off
work and we’re trying to work out how we can be in the same place at the same time for a while.
We figure the first step in that direction is getting married, which is also why I wanted to write –
I can’t get married without my oldest friend there! The wedding’s going to be at home in London
in September and I hope you can come!
Anyway, tell me all your news and I promise not to leave it so long this time!
Lots of love,
Kath
Task 1
Match the descriptions (a–e) with the cities (1–5).
1. …… New York a. Where she will get married
2. …… London b. A city that wasn’t what she expected
3. …… Frankfurt c. An expensive place
4. …… Prague d. A place she didn’t really see much of

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5. …… LA e. The most recent city she’s lived in

Task 2
Circle the best answer.
1. Recently, Kath has been …
a. making an effort to email people she knows.
b. too busy to even think about writing emails.
c. thinking about writing an email to her friend.
2. Prague was …
a. better than Kath imagined.
b. just as Kath imagined.
c. not as nice as Kath imagined.
3. Kath says Christmas was …
a. exciting because she was in a new place.
b. difficult because she missed her family.
c. as good as usual thanks to technology.
4. In New York, she spent most of her money on …
a. tourist attractions.
b. restaurants.
c. a TV.
5. How did Kath feel about LA?
a. It’s nice for a holiday but not to live.
b. She would have enjoyed spending more time at the beach.
c. She didn’t really like the beach part of the LA lifestyle.
6. Kath and Michael are …
a. thinking about how to spend more time together.
b. working out where to hold the wedding.
c. planning to get engaged

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READING PASSAGE 5
Work–life balance
Ronan
I work in a fairly traditional office environment doing a typical nine-to-five job. I like my job,
but it’s annoying that my commute to work takes an hour and a half each way and most of my
work could really be done online from home. But my boss doesn’t seem to trust that we will get
any work done if left to our own devices, and everyone in the company has to clock in and out
every day. It’s frustrating that they feel the need to monitor what we do so closely instead of
judging us based on our task performance, like most companies do these days.
Jo
I used to do a typical five-day week, but after I came out of my maternity leave, I decided that I
wanted to spend more time with my children before they start school. After negotiating with my
boss, we decided to cut my working week down to a three-day work week. This of course meant
a significant cut in my pay too, as I’m paid on a pro-rata basis. I’ve since noticed, though, that
my workload hasn’t decreased in the slightest! I’m now doing five days’ worth of work in three
days, but getting paid much less for it! I find myself having to take work home just so that I can
meet the deadlines. It’s wearing me out trying to juggle work with looking after my children and
my family, but I don’t dare to bring this up with my boss because I think he feels as if he’s made
a huge concession letting me come in only three days a week.
Marcus
I work for a global IT company, but because their headquarters is in the States, I do all my work
online from home. That means that I don’t waste time commuting or making idle chitchat with
colleagues. I work on a project basis, and this flexibility is very valuable to me because it means
that I can easily take some time off when my children need me to go to their school
performances or if I need to schedule an appointment with the dentist. The downside is that
without clear office hours, I tend to work well into the evening, sometimes skipping dinner to
finish a task. It can also get quite lonely working on my own, and I sometimes miss sharing ideas
with colleagues.
Lily
I’m a freelancer and work for myself. This is great because I am in control of what I do and how
I spend my time. At first, I was working from home, but I found it really hard to concentrate.
There were just too many distractions around: housework that needed doing, another cup of tea,
my family members wanting my attention for various things. So I started to go to a nearby café
to work, but the Wi-Fi connection wasn’t ideal and I found myself drinking too much coffee. In
the end, I decided to rent a desk in a co-working space with five other freelancers like myself. I
liked getting dressed to go to work in the morning and being able to focus in an office
environment. The other freelancers do similar kinds of web-based work to me and so it’s nice to
have workmates to bounce ideas off as well.
Task 1
Circle the best answer.

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1. Ronan would prefer it if he …
a. wasn’t left to his own devices.
b. could spend more time commuting and less time in the office.
c. could work from home and be judged based on task performance.
d. could trust his boss more.
2. Jo wanted to reduce her working hours because she …
a. thought she would be more efficient and productive when she was at the office.
b. wanted to bring her work home.
c. wanted to go on maternity leave.
d. wanted to spend time with her children.
3. Jo is unhappy with her three-day work week because …
a. she didn’t realize how much the change would affect her economically.
b. she now hast to spend more time looking after her children and her family.
c. she has more deadlines to meet.
d. her workload has remained the same although she’s reduced her hours.
4. In Marcus’s opinion, which of these is a disadvantage of working from home?
a. You spend a lot of time in the house.
b. It’s easy to get distracted by your family.
c. You tend to work later.
d. You end up eating more as you have access to the fridge all day.
5. Why did Lily not like working from home?
a. She found it lonely.
b. Her family didn’t like her working.
c. She didn’t have a good Wi-Fi connection.
d. There were a lot of distractions.
6. What solution did Lily find most suitable for her working needs?
a. Renting an office space to work from.
b. Working from a café.
c. Working for an employer.
d. Working for other freelancers.

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Task 2
Are the sentences true or false?
1. Ronan’s boss thinks his employees will not be as productive if they work from home.
2. Ronan thinks that the performance of employees should be judged according to how much
time they spend in the office.
3. Jo is paid the same for a five-day work week as she is on a three-day week.
4. Jo feels exhausted trying to manage both a five-day workload and childcare.
5. Although Marcus sees the benefit in not having idle chit-chat, he misses interacting with his
colleagues.
6. Lily didn’t like working from the café because the coffee wasn’t very good.
READING PASSAGE 6

Aphantasia: A life without mental images

Close your eyes and imagine walking along a sandy beach and then gazing over the horizon as
the Sun rises. How clear is the image that springs to mind?
Most people can readily conjure images inside their head - known as their mind's eye. But this
year scientists have described a condition, aphantasia, in which some people are unable to
visualise mental images.
Niel Kenmuir, from Lancaster, has always had a blind mind's eye. He knew he was different
even in childhood. "My stepfather, when I couldn't sleep, told me to count sheep, and he
explained what he meant, I tried to do it and I couldn't," he says. "I couldn't see any sheep
jumping over fences, there was nothing to count."
Our memories are often tied up in images, think back to a wedding or first day at school. As a
result, Niel admits, some aspects of his memory are "terrible", but he is very good at
remembering facts. And, like others with aphantasia, he struggles to recognise faces. Yet he does
not see aphantasia as a disability, but simply a different way of experiencing life.

Mind's eye blind

Ironically, Niel now works in a bookshop, although he largely sticks to the non-fiction aisles. His
condition begs the question what is going on inside his picture-less mind. I asked him what
happens when he tries to picture his fiancee. "This is the hardest thing to describe, what happens
in my head when I think about things," he says. "When I think about my fiancee there is no
image, but I am definitely thinking about her, I know today she has her hair up at the back, she's
brunette. But I'm not describing an image I am looking at, I'm remembering features about her,
that's the strangest thing and maybe that is a source of some regret."
The response from his mates is a very sympathetic: "You're weird." But while Niel is very
relaxed about his inability to picture things, it is often a cause of distress for others. One person
who took part in a study into aphantasia said he had started to feel "isolated" and "alone" after
discovering that other people could see images in their heads. Being unable to reminisce about
his mother years after her death led to him being "extremely distraught".

The super-visualiser

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At the other end of the spectrum is children's book illustrator, Lauren Beard, whose work on the
Fairytale Hairdresser series will be familiar to many six-year-olds. Her career relies on the vivid
images that leap into her mind's eye when she reads text from her author. When I met her in her
box-room studio in Manchester, she was working on a dramatic scene in the next book. The text
describes a baby perilously climbing onto a chandelier.
"Straightaway I can visualise this grand glass chandelier in some sort of French kind of
ballroom, and the little baby just swinging off it and really heavy thick curtains," she says. "I
think I have a strong imagination, so I can create the world and then keep adding to it so it gets
sort of bigger and bigger in my mind and the characters too they sort of evolve. I couldn't really
imagine what it's like to not imagine, I think it must be a bit of a shame really."
Not many people have mental imagery as vibrant as Lauren or as blank as Niel. They are the two
extremes of visualisation. Adam Zeman, a professor of cognitive and behavioural neurology,
wants to compare the lives and experiences of people with aphantasia and its polar-opposite
hyperphantasia. His team, based at the University of Exeter, coined the term aphantasia this year
in a study in the journal Cortex.
Prof Zeman tells the BBC: "People who have contacted us say they are really delighted that this
has been recognised and has been given a name, because they have been trying to explain to
people for years that there is this oddity that they find hard to convey to others." How we
imagine is clearly very subjective - one person's vivid scene could be another's grainy picture.
But Prof Zeman is certain that aphantasia is real. People often report being able to dream in
pictures, and there have been reported cases of people losing the ability to think in images after a
brain injury.
He is adamant that aphantasia is "not a disorder" and says it may affect up to one in 50 people.
But he adds: "I think it makes quite an important difference to their experience of life because
many of us spend our lives with imagery hovering somewhere in the mind's eye which we
inspect from time to time, it's a variability of human experience."

Exercise 1: Do the following statements agree with the information in the text? Write
True/False or Not Given.
1. Aphantasia is a condition, which describes people, for whom it is hard to visualise mental
images.
2. Niel Kenmuir was unable to count sheep in his head.
3. People with aphantasia struggle to remember personal traits and clothes of different people.
4. Niel regrets that he cannot portray an image of his fiancee in his mind.
5. Inability to picture things in someone's head is often a cause of distress for a person.
6. All people with aphantasia start to feel 'isolated' or 'alone' at some point of their lives.
7. Lauren Beard's career depends on her imagination.
8. The author met Lauren Beard when she was working on a comedy scene in her next book.
Exercise 2: Complete the sentences below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the
passage for each answer.

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1. Only a small fraction of people have imagination as ___________ as Lauren does.
2. Hyperphantasia is ___________ to aphantasia.
3.There are a lot of subjectivity in comparing people's imagination - somebody's vivid scene
could be another person's ___________ .
4. Prof Zeman is ___________ that aphantasia is not an illness.
5. Many people spend their lives with ___________ somewhere in the mind's eye.
READING PASSAGE 7
Life lessons from villains, crooks and gangsters
(A) A notorious Mexican drug baron’s audacious escape from prison in July doesn’t, at first,
appear to have much to teach corporate boards. But some in the business world suggest
otherwise. Beyond the morally reprehensible side of criminals' work, some business gurus say
organised crime syndicates, computer hackers, pirates and others operating outside the law
could teach legitimate corporations a thing or two about how to hustle and respond to rapid
change.

(B) Far from encouraging illegality, these gurus argue that – in the same way big corporations
sometimes emulate start-ups – business leaders could learn from the underworld about
flexibility, innovation and the ability to pivot quickly. “There is a nimbleness to criminal
organisations that legacy corporations [with large, complex layers of management] don’t have,”
said Marc Goodman, head of the Future Crimes Institute and global cyber-crime advisor. While
traditional businesses focus on rules they have to follow, criminals look to circumvent them.
“For criminals, the sky is the limit and that creates the opportunity to think much, much bigger.”

(C) Joaquin Guzman, the head of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel, for instance, slipped out of his
prison cell through a tiny hole in his shower that led to a mile-long tunnel fitted with lights and
ventilation. Making a break for it required creative thinking, long-term planning and
perseverance – essential skills similar to those needed to achieve success in big business.

(D) While Devin Liddell, who heads brand strategy for Seattle-based design consultancy,
Teague, condemns the violence and other illegal activities he became curious as to how criminal
groups endure. Some cartels stay in business despite multiple efforts by law enforcement on both
sides of the US border and millions of dollars from international agencies to shut them down.
Liddell genuinely believes there’s a lesson in longevity here. One strategy he underlined was
how the bad guys respond to change. In order to bypass the border between Mexico and the US,
for example, the Sinaloa cartel went to great lengths. It built a vast underground tunnel, hired
family members as border agents and even used a catapult to circumvent a high-tech fence.

(E) By contrast, many legitimate businesses fail because they hesitate to adapt quickly to
changing market winds. One high-profile example is movie and game rental company
Blockbuster, which didn’t keep up with the market and lost business to mail order video rentals
and streaming technologies. The brand has all but faded from view. Liddell argues the difference
between the two groups is that criminal organisations often have improvisation encoded into
their daily behaviour, while larger companies think of innovation as a set process. “This is a
leadership challenge,” said Liddell. “How well companies innovate and organise is a reflection
of leadership.”

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Left-field thinking

(F) Cash-strapped start-ups also use unorthodox strategies to problem solve and build their
businesses up from scratch. This creativity and innovation is often borne out of necessity, such as
tight budgets. Both criminals and start-up founders “question authority, act outside the system
and see new and clever ways of doing things,” said Goodman. “Either they become Elon Musk
or El Chapo.” And, some entrepreneurs aren’t even afraid to operate in legal grey areas in their
effort to disrupt the marketplace. The co-founders of music streaming service Napster, for
example, knowingly broke music copyright rules with their first online file sharing service, but
their technology paved the way for legal innovation as regulators caught up.

(G) Goodman and others believe thinking hard about problem solving before worrying about
restrictions could prevent established companies falling victim to rivals less constrained by
tradition. In their book The Misfit Economy, Alexa Clay and Kyra Maya Phillips examine how
individuals can apply that mindset to become more innovative and entrepreneurial within
corporate structures. They studied not just violent criminals like Somali pirates, but others who
break the rules in order to find creative solutions to their business problems, such as people
living in the slums of Mumbai or computer hackers. They picked out five common traits among
this group: the ability to hustle, pivot, provoke, hack and copycat.

(H) Clay gives a Saudi entrepreneur named Walid Abdul-Wahab as a prime example. Abdul-
Wahab worked with Amish farmers to bring camel milk to American consumers even before US
regulators approved it. Through perseverance, he eventually found a network of Amish camel
milk farmers and started selling the product via social media. Now his company, Desert Farms,
sells to giant mainstream retailers like Whole Foods Market. Those on the fringe don’t always
have the option of traditional, corporate jobs and that forces them to think more creatively about
how to make a living, Clay said. They must develop grit and resilience in order to last outside the
cushy confines of cubicle life. “In many cases scarcity is the mother of invention,” Clay said.
Exercise 1: Match the headings below with the paragraphs from A-H.
1. Jailbreak with creative thinking _________
2. Five common traits among rule-breakers __________
3. Comparison between criminals and traditional businessmen __________
4. Can drug baron's espace teach legitimate corporations? __________
5. Great entrepreneur __________
6. How criminal groups deceive the law __________
7. The difference between legal and illegal organizations __________
8. Similarity between criminals and start-up founders __________
Exercise 2: Complete the sentences below. Write ONLY ONE WORD from the passage for
each answer.
1. To escape from a prison, Joaquin Guzman had to use such traits as creative thinking, long-
term planning and __________.

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2. The Sinaloa cartel built a grand underground tunnel and even used a __________ to avoid the
fence.
3. The main difference between two groups is that criminals, unlike large corporations, often
have __________ encoded into their daily life.
4. Due to being persuasive, Walid Abdul-Wahab found a __________ of Amish camel milk
farmers.
Exercise 3: Choose the correct letter.
1. The main goal of this article is to:
A Show different ways of illegal activity
B Give an overview of various criminals and their gangs
C Draw a comparison between legal and illegal business, providing examples
D Justify criminals with creative thinking

READING PASSAGE 8
Trash Talk
Sorting through a mountain of pottery to track the Roman oil trade
(A) In the middle of Rome’s trendiest neighborhood, surrounded by sushi restaurants and
nightclubs with names like Rodeo Steakhouse and Love Story, sits the ancient world’s biggest
garbage dump—a 150-foot-tall mountain of discarded Roman amphoras, the shipping drums of
the ancient world. It takes about 20 minutes to walk around Monte Testaccio, from the Latin
testa and Italian cocci, both meaning “potsherd.” But despite its size—almost a mile in
circumference—it’s easy to walk by and not really notice unless you are headed for some
excellent pizza at Velavevodetto, a restaurant literally stuck into the mountain’s side. Most local
residents don’t know what’s underneath the grass, dust, and scattering of trees. Monte Testaccio
looks like a big hill, and in Rome people are accustomed to hills.
(B) Although a garbage dump may lack the attraction of the Forum or Colosseum, I have come
to Rome to meet the team excavating Monte Testaccio and to learn how scholars are using its
evidence to understand the ancient Roman economy. As the modern global economy depends on
light sweet crude, so too the ancient Romans depended on oil—olive oil. And for more than 250
years, from at least the first century A.D., an enormous number of amphoras filled with olive oil
came by ship from the Roman provinces into the city itself, where they were unloaded, emptied,
and then taken to Monte Testaccio and thrown away. In the absence of written records or
literature on the subject, studying these amphoras is the best way to answer some of the most
vexing questions concerning the Roman economy—How did it operate? How much control did
the emperor exert over it? Which sectors were supported by the state and which operated in a
free market environment or in the private sector?
(C) Monte Testaccio stands near the Tiber River in what was ancient Rome’s commercial
district. Many types of imported foodstuffs, including oil, were brought into the city and then
stored for later distribution in the large warehouses that lined the river. So, professor, just how
many amphoras are there?” I ask José Remesal of the University of Barcelona, co-director of the
Monte Testaccio excavations. It’s the same question that must occur to everyone who visits the
site when they realize that the crunching sounds their footfalls make are not from walking on
fallen leaves, but on pieces of amphoras. (Don’t worry, even the small pieces are very sturdy.)
Remesal replies in his deep baritone, “Something like 25 million complete ones. Of course, it’s
difficult to be exact,” he adds with a typical Mediterranean shrug. I, for one, find it hard to

15
believe that the whole mountain is made of amphoras without any soil or rubble. Seeing the
incredulous look on my face as I peer down into a 10-foot-deep trench, Remesal says, “Yes, it’s
really only amphoras.” I can’t imagine another site in the world where archaeologists find so
much—about a ton of pottery every day. On most Mediterranean excavations, pottery washing is
an activity reserved for blisteringly hot afternoons when digging is impossible. Here, it is the
only activity for most of Remesal’s team, an international group of specialists and students from
Spain and the United States. During each year’s two-week field season, they wash and sort
thousands of amphoras handles, bodies, shoulders, necks, and tops, counting and cataloguing,
and always looking for stamped names, painted names, and numbers that tell each amphora’s
story.
(D) Although scholars worked at Monte Testaccio beginning in the late 19th century, it’s only
within the past 30 years that they have embraced the role amphoras can play in understanding the
nature of the Roman imperial economy. According to Remesal, the main challenge
archaeologists and economic historians face is the lack of “serial documentation,” that is,
documents for consecutive years that reflect a true chronology. This is what makes Monte
Testaccio a unique record of Roman commerce and provides a vast amount of datable evidence
in a clear and unambiguous sequence. “There’s no other place where you can study economic
history, food production and distribution, and how the state controlled the transport of a
product,” Remesal says. “It’s really remarkable.”
Exercise 1: Which paragraph contains what information? Write the correct letter, A-D.
1. Questions about the Roman economy _________
2. A unique feature _________
3. Description of the dump _________
4. Dialogue with a professor _________
Exercise 2: Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading?
Write True/False or Not Given.
1. World’s biggest garbage dump is surrounded by restaurants and nightclubs. _________
2. The garbage dump is as popular as the Colosseum in Rome. _________
3. Ancient Roman economy depended on oil. _________
4. There is no information on how many amphoras are there. _________
5. Remesal says that Monte Testaccio is a great place to study economics. _________

Exercise 3: Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.

1. It is unknown for __________ what’s underneath the grass, dust, and scattering of trees.
2. Monte Testaccio stands near the ancient Rome’s _________ .
3. Remesal doesn't believe that the whole mountain is made of _________ without any soil or
rubble.
4. Remesal’s team washes and sorts thousands of amphoras each year’s two-week _________ .
5. _________ started working at Monte Testaccio in the late 19th century.

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READING PASSAGE 9
Scientists Are Mapping the World's Largest Volcano
(A) After 36 days of battling sharks that kept biting their equipment, scientists have returned
from the remote Pacific Ocean with a new way of looking at the world’s largest - and possibly
most mysterious - volcano, Tamu Massif.

(B) The team has begun making 3-D maps that offer the clearest look yet at the underwater
mountain, which covers an area the size of New Mexico. In the coming months, the maps will be
refined and the data analyzed, with the ultimate goal of figuring out how the mountain was
formed.

(C) It's possible that the western edge of Tamu Massif is actually a separate mountain that
formed at a different time, says William Sager, a geologist at the University of Houston who led
the expedition. That would explain some differences between the western part of the mountain
and the main body.

(D) The team also found that the massif (as such a massive mountain is known) is highly
pockmarked with craters and cliffs. Magnetic analysis provides some insight into the mountain’s
genesis, suggesting that part of it formed through steady releases of lava along the intersection of
three mid-ocean ridges, while part of it is harder to explain. A working theory is that a large
plume of hot mantle rock may have contributed additional heat and material, a fairly novel idea.

(E) Tamu Massif lies about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) east of Japan. It is a rounded dome,
or shield volcano, measuring 280 by 400 miles (450 by 650 kilometers). Its top lies more than a
mile (about 2,000 meters) below the ocean surface and is 50 times larger than the biggest active
volcano on Earth, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa. Sager published a paper in 2013 that said the main rise
of Tamu Massif is most likely a single volcano, instead of a complex of multiple volcanoes that
smashed together. But he couldn’t explain how something so big formed.

(F) The team used sonar and magnetometers (which measure magnetic fields) to map more than
a million square kilometers of the ocean floor in great detail. Sager and students teamed up with
Masao Nakanishi of Japan’s Chiba University, with Sager receiving funding support from the
National Geographic Society and the Schmidt Ocean Institute.

(G) Since sharks are attracted to magnetic fields, the toothy fish “were all over our
magnetometer, and it got pretty chomped up,” says Sager. When the team replaced the device
with a spare, that unit was nearly ripped off by more sharks. The magnetic field research
suggests the mountain formed relatively quickly, sometime around 145 million years ago. Part of
the volcano sports magnetic "stripes," or bands with different magnetic properties, suggesting
that lava flowed out evenly from the mid-ocean ridges over time and changed in polarity each
time Earth's magnetic field reversed direction. The central part of the peak is more jumbled, so it
may have formed more quickly or through a different process.

(H) Sager isn’t sure what caused the magnetic anomalies yet, but suspects more complex forces
were at work than simply eruptions from the ridges. It’s possible a deep plume of hot rock from
the mantle also contributed to the volcano’s formation, he says. Sager hopes the analysis will

17
also help explain about a dozen other similar features on the ocean floor, as well as add to the
overall understanding of plate tectonics.

Exercise 1: What paragraph has the following information? Write the correct letter, A-H
1. Possible explanation of the differences between parts of the mountain __________
2. Size data __________
3. A new way of looking __________
4. Problem with sharks __________
5. Uncertainty of the anomalies __________
6. Equipment which measures magnetic fields __________
7. The start of making maps __________
8. A working theory

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the
passage.
9. A large plume of __________ rock may have contributed additional heat and material.
10.Tamu Massif is a __________ , or shield volcano.
11. Replacing the device with a __________ didn't help, as that unit was nearly ripped off by
more sharks.
12. Sager believes that the magnetic anomalies were caused by something more
than __________ from the ridges.
READING PASSAGE 10
The atom bomb was one of the defining inventions of the 20th Century. So how did science
fiction writer HG Wells predict its invention three decades before the first detonations?

(A) Imagine you're the greatest fantasy writer of your age. One day you dream up the idea of
a bomb of infinite power. You call it the "atomic bomb". HG Wells first imagined a uranium-
based hand grenade that "would continue to explode indefinitely" in his 1914 novel The World
Set Free. He even thought it would be dropped from planes. What he couldn't predict was how a
strange conjunction of his friends and acquaintances - notably Winston Churchill, who'd read all
Wells's novels twice, and the physicist Leo Szilard - would turn the idea from fantasy to reality,
leaving them deeply tormented by the scale of destructive power that it unleashed.
(B) The story of the atom bomb starts in the Edwardian age, when scientists such as Ernest
Rutherford were grappling with a new way of conceiving the physical world. The idea was that
solid elements might be made up of tiny particles in atoms. "When it became apparent that the
Rutherford atom had a dense nucleus, there was a sense that it was like a coiled spring," says
Andrew Nahum, curator of the Science Museum's Churchill's Scientists exhibition. Wells was
fascinated with the new discoveries. He had a track record of predicting technological
innovations. Winston Churchill credited Wells for coming up with the idea of using aeroplanes
and tanks in combat ahead of World War One.
(C) The two men met and discussed ideas over the decades, especially as Churchill, a highly
popular writer himself, spent the interwar years out of political power, contemplating the rising
instability of Europe. Churchill grasped the danger of technology running ahead of human

18
maturity, penning a 1924 article in the Pall Mall Gazette called "Shall we all commit suicide?".
In the article, Churchill wrote: "Might a bomb no bigger than an orange be found to possess a
secret power to destroy a whole block of buildings - nay to concentrate the force of a thousand
tons of cordite and blast a township at a stroke?" This idea of the orange-sized bomb is credited
by Graham Farmelo, author of Churchill's Bomb, directly to the imagery of The World Set Free.
(D) By 1932 British scientists had succeeded in splitting the atom for the first time by
artificial means, although some believed it couldn't produce huge amounts of energy. But the
same year the Hungarian emigre physicist Leo Szilard read The World Set Free. Szilard believed
that the splitting of the atom could produce vast energy. He later wrote that Wells showed him
"what the liberation of atomic energy on a large scale would mean". Szilard suddenly came up
with the answer in September 1933 - the chain reaction - while watching the traffic lights turn
green in Russell Square in London. He wrote: "It suddenly occurred to me that if we could find
an element which is split by neutrons and which would emit two neutrons when it absorbed one
neutron, such an element, if assembled in sufficiently large mass, could sustain a nuclear chain
reaction."
(E) In that eureka moment, Szilard also felt great fear - of how a bustling city like London
and all its inhabitants could be destroyed in an instant as he reflected in his memoir published in
1968:
"Knowing what it would mean - and I knew because I had read HG Wells - I did not want this
patent to become public." The Nazis were on the rise and Szilard was deeply anxious about who
else might be working on the chain reaction theory and an atomic Bomb. Wells's novel Things
To Come, turned into a 1936 film, The Shape of Things to Come, accurately predicted aerial
bombardment and an imminent devastating world war. In 1939 Szilard drafted the letter Albert
Einstein sent to President Roosevelt warning America that Germany was stockpiling uranium.
The Manhattan Project was born.
(F) Szilard and several British scientists worked on it with the US military's massive financial
backing. Britons and Americans worked alongside each other in "silos" - each team unaware of
how their work fitted together. They ended up moving on from the original enriched uranium
"gun" method, which had been conceived in Britain, to create a plutonium implosion weapon
instead. Szilard campaigned for a demonstration bomb test in front of the Japanese ambassador
to give them a chance to surrender. He was horrified that it was instead dropped on a city. In
1945 Churchill was beaten in the general election and in another shock, the US government
passed the 1946 McMahon Act, shutting Britain out of access to the atomic technology it had
helped create. William Penney, one of the returning Los Alamos physicists, led the team charged
by Prime Minister Clement Atlee with somehow putting together their individual pieces of the
puzzle to create a British bomb on a fraction of the American budget.
(G) "It was a huge intellectual feat," Andrew Nahum observes. "Essentially they reworked the
calculations that they'd been doing in Los Alamos. They had the services of Klaus Fuchs, who
[later] turned out to be an atom spy passing information to the Soviet Union, but he also had a
phenomenal memory." Another British physicist, Patrick Blackett, who discussed the Bomb after
the war with a German scientist in captivity, observed that there were no real secrets. According
to Nahum he said: "It's a bit like making an omelette. Not everyone can make a good one."When
Churchill was re-elected in 1951 he "found an almost complete weapon ready to test and was
puzzled and fascinated by how Atlee had buried the costs in the budget", says Nahum. "He was
very conflicted about whether to go ahead with the test and wrote about whether we should have

19
'the art and not the article'. Meaning should it be enough to have the capability… [rather] than to
have a dangerous weapon in the armoury."
(H) Churchill was convinced to go ahead with the test, but the much more powerful hydrogen
bomb developed three years later worried him greatly.HG Wells died in 1946. He had been
working on a film sequel to The Shape of Things To Come that was to include his concerns
about the now-realised atomic bomb he'd first imagined. But it was never made. Towards the end
of his life, says Nahum, Wells's friendship with Churchill "cooled a little". "Wells considered
Churchill as an enlightened but tarnished member of the ruling classes." And Churchill had little
time for Wells's increasingly fanciful socialist utopian ideas.
(I) Wells believed technocrats and scientists would ultimately run a peaceful new world order
like in The Shape of Things To Come, even if global war destroyed the world as we knew it first.
Churchill, a former soldier, believed in the lessons of history and saw diplomacy as the only way
to keep mankind from self-destruction in the atomic age. Wells's scientist acquaintance Leo
Szilard stayed in America and campaigned for civilian control of atomic energy, equally
pessimistic about Wells's idea of a bold new scientist-led world order. If anything Szilard was
tormented by the power he had helped unleash. In 1950, he predicted a cobalt bomb that would
destroy all life on the planet. In Britain, the legacy of the Bomb was a remarkable period of elite
scientific innovation as the many scientists who had worked on weaponry or radar returned to
their civilian labs. They gave us the first commercial jet airliner, the Comet, near-supersonic
aircraft and rockets, highly engineered computers, and the Jodrell Bank giant moveable radio
telescope.
(J) The latter had nearly ended the career of its champion, physicist Bernard Lovell, with its
huge costs, until the 1957 launch of Sputnik, when it emerged that Jodrell Bank had the only
device in the West that could track it. Nahum says Lovell reflected that "during the war the
question was never what will something cost. The question was only can you do it and how soon
can we have it? And that was the spirit he took into his peacetime science." Austerity and the
tiny size of the British market, compared with America, were to scupper those dreams. But
though the Bomb created a new terror, for a few years at least, Britain saw a vision of a benign
atomic future, too and believed it could be the shape of things to come.

Exercise 1: Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct
letter, A–J. Note that one paragraph is not used.
1. Scientific success __________
2. Worsening relations __________
3. The dawn of the new project __________
4. Churchill's confusion __________
5. Different perspectives __________
6. Horrifying prediction __________
7. Leaving Britain behind the project __________
8. Long-term discussion __________
9. New idea __________
Exercise 2: Choose the correct letter.
1. How can you describe the relations between Churchill and Wells throughout the years?

20
 A. passionate → friendly → adverse
B. curious → friendly
C. respectful → friendly → inhospitable
D. friendly → respectful → hostile
2. What is the type of this text?
A. science-fiction story
B. article from the magazine
C. historical text
D. Wells autobiography

READING PASSAGE 11
“Facebook Saves the Day”

Section A

WESTON— In a painful ending to an otherwise glorious vacation, Phil and Virginia Cooper and
their daughters, Miranda and Grace, arrived home without the hundreds of vacation snapshots
they had taken.

“We’ll always have our memories,” said Phil, “but no pictures of our family’s activities or the
beautiful New England scenery and Cape Cod beaches where we spent the last two weeks of our
summer vacation.”

Section B

“Phil has always been a little absentminded, but this takes the cake,” Virginia said with an
affectionate smile. “We were getting settled in the car for the long drive home, and Phil got out
to snap one last picture of the sunset. Then he set the camera on the roof of the car while he got
his jacket out of the trunk.” Needless to say, the camera fell off the car as they drove off. The
family discovered the camera was missing when they got home. Then Phil suddenly remembered
placing the camera on the top of the car.

Section C

“I felt terrible for having been so careless and was sure the situation was hopeless. Days had
passed. The camera would have been lying on the ground through bad weather, or perhaps
someone had found it and taken it home,” Phil said. The camera case had the Coopers’ name and
address, but the camera hadn’t been in the case.

Section D

21
Last weekend, while training for an Ironman Triathlon event, Adam Secrest, 24, spotted the
camera along the side of Callman Road near Barton Beach, Massachusetts. He picked it up,
looked for a name, and finding none, stashed it in his car, thinking he would try to locate the
owner after his run. Once home, Secrest turned on the camera and scrolled through the photos.

“I felt sort of like a snoop, but my spying was purposeful,” he said. “I was looking for clues to
the owner’s identity, and I was optimistic that I would find something.”

Soon he came across a photo of two young girls getting on a yellow school bus with the words
WESTON, NJ on the side. In a burst of creative thinking, Secrest thought someone might
recognize the girls, so he posted the photo on Facebook and urged his friends to share it, with
this message: Do you know these kids from Weston, New Jersey? I found a camera with this
photo in Barton, Massachusetts, and want to locate the owner. Please share.

Section E

Facebook friends shared the photo hundreds of times. It was just a matter of time until it
appeared on the Weston Community page and someone recognized Miranda and Grace and
called Virginia Cooper, who contacted Secrest, first through Facebook, and then by phone. The
camera arrived at the Coopers’ house by mail yesterday.

“Lots of people say social media is a meaningless waste of time, but here’s an example of how
powerful and useful it can be,” said Secrest.

Which section:

1. suggests that Virginia thinks her husband is often a little careless?

2. explains why Phil thought it was unlikely they would get the camera back?

3. mentions that Adam had mixed feelings looking at the family’s pictures?
4. states that many people collaborated in finding the camera’s owner?
5. describes how Adam came up with the idea of using social media to help?

6. says that the Coopers had enjoyed their trip?

7. gives an example of a negative view people have of social media?

READING PASSAGE 12
What a way to spend the summer!
Students tell us about good jobs they’ve got for the summer.
A James

22
Wow! What an excellent job! Just for the summer I’ve got the best job in the world. I’m a
lifeguard on my local beach. Swimming is my biggest hobby and I normally spend every day of
my holidays on the beach. Now I can do the same thing and earn some money at the same time! I
have to watch the people in the water and help them if there are any problems. Most people are
very sensible and don’t take risks or do dangerous things. Sometimes young children swim out
too far though. Then they get tired and can’t swim back. I go and help them. So, I’m on the
beach in the sun and everyone thinks I’m a hero. Cool job huh? It’s a shame I have to go back to
school in two weeks.
B Sally
Last year I worked in a supermarket over the summer and it was a bit boring. Also it was really
hot! So this summer I wanted a job outdoors. There was a notice at school advertising for people
to help at a big tennis tournament in my town. I love tennis and the competition is outside on
grass courts, so it sounded perfect. And it is! I’m a ball girl. That means I stay by the net and
when there are balls on the court I run across and pick them up. It’s quite tiring but I’m getting a
lot of exercise which is brilliant. I also meet famous players every day. Much better than working
in a supermarket!
C Imogen
When it’s hot and you’re out in the sun, what’s the best thing to eat? Ice cream! And my job this
summer is selling it! I sell ice creams from a stall on the beach near my home and I liked the idea
of eating ice cream all the time – for free. The idea was great but the reality isn’t! The first day I
ate so much that I was ill. So, now I hardly ever eat one – I just don’t like them anymore. But the
good thing is that I’m outside and I think I’m the most popular person on the beach. When
people see me they’re always happy and smiling! That makes you feel very good.

Exercise 1 Read the article and answer the questions.

Which person:
1 has changed his/her opinion about something because of her job? ____
2 uses a particular ability in his/her job? ____
3 would like to continue the job after the summer? ____
4 compares two types of summer jobs? ____
5 isn’t enjoying his/her job as much as expected? ____

Exercise 2 Read the article and choose true (T) or false (F).
6 James spends every day on the beach. T/F
7 James works part-time as a life-guard. T/F
8 The job Sally got at a supermarket was very tiring. T/F
9 Imogen sells ice creams near his home. T/F

23
10 Imogen is actually a famous person. T/F
READING PASSAGE 13
Should everyone learn to code?
Nearly everyone today has access to a computer at home, at work or at school and knows how to
use it. Some of us can use a computer for very basic things, others for more challenging tasks,
but there is no question about it; today’s children are growing up in a world where it will be
essential to have advanced computer skills to find work or be part of the modern community.
Already schools are preparing young people at earlier and earlier ages to use technology. Many
schools use computers in the classroom and it is routine for students to do online research for
projects and even submit homework online.
However, experts say that schools need to do more. Using a computer is not the same as
understanding how it works. And educationalists want all children to have classes in computer
programming, or coding, as it is called. In the past, the youngsters who coded were often male
and had the reputation for being obsessed with computers. This earned them the nickname of
‘nerd’ or ‘geek.’ Today coding is becoming more popular and teenagers no longer care about
such labels.
The main problem of giving coding lessons to every child is obviously related to having enough
of the right equipment. Eben Upton wanted to solve this problem. He realized that the number of
students who were applying to study IT at college was dropping and it was important to change
this. So, he co-designed and developed an amazing little computer called the Raspberry Pi for
use in schools. This is a tiny computer, the same size as a credit card. It can be connected to a
computer monitor or TV screen and works with a normal keyboard and mouse. The Pi is small,
cheap and effective. It allows students in classrooms to find out more about computers and how
to code. Eben started selling the Pis in 2012 and now, there are more than two million in use
worldwide.
In spite of this progress, there are still not enough computers in classrooms. Amy Mathers is a
very clever fourteen-year-old from Manchester and she recently won first prize in the ‘Digital
Girl of the Year’ award. This award highlights the achievements of girls in Europe and hopes to
encourage more girls to become coders. However, Amy could not use a Raspberry Pi at school.
She had to buy one (or rather her mother did!) and she learned what she could do on it by herself
and from organized free events such as ‘Manchester Girl Geeks’ workshops and ‘Codecademy’.
Amy thinks more students should have the opportunities that she did.
When asked at what age children should start to learn coding, Amy said that anyone who could
read and type could learn to code! So, maybe we’ll soon see baby Raspberry Pis in toyshops?

Exercise 1 Read the article and choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
1 What opinion does the writer express in the first paragraph?
A Everyone should develop advanced computer skills.
B Learning computer skills is very challenging.
C Students can learn computer skills when they are very young.

24
 D Computer classes need to be a routine part of the school day.
2 Experts think that students __________.
A should learn to make computers.
B needn’t worry about nicknames.
C require more instruction on writing computer programs.
D have more chance of success with computers if they are male.
3 Eben Upton developed a computer __________.
A to make it easier for school children to learn to code.
B to increase the number of students going to his university.
C to replace existing computers in schools.
D to build a business and make money.
4 Amy Mathers is well-known because __________.
A she started a series of popular computer workshops.
B she won an international competition.
C she developed a better computer than the Pi.
D she gives advice to students who want to become coders.
5 Which sentence best summarizes the article?
A The Raspberry Pi has solved the problem for schoolchildren learning to code.
B Education needs more investment to enable students to use computers well.
C Girls are progressing faster and faster with computing skills.
D Students need to learn code and they need to learn young.

Exercise 2 Read the article and choose true (T) or false (F).
6 It will be necessary for today’s children to have advanced computer skills. T/F
7 Today coding is becoming more popular, so teenagers are obsessed with computers. T/F
8 The number of students who studied IT at college was seen to decrease. T/F
9 The Raspberry Pi is a computer. T/F
10 Amy didn’t use the Raspberry Pi at school because she could invent a computer herself.
T/F

READING PASSAGE 14
Lola’s Blog
Monday March 31st

25
Well! Today was the big day! The auditions for the school play, Romeo and Juliet, took place in
the school hall after lessons finished this afternoon, and loads of people turned up. I was so
scared that I nearly turned round and ran away. But my friend Mick was with me and he
persuaded me to stay. I really want to be in this play. Luckily, not everyone there wanted to
audition. 1) ____ I waited nervously for half an hour and then I finally went up on the stage to do
my speech. It was very scary and I was all sweaty when I finished! It was such a relief to walk
down the steps into the hall again – even if my legs were shaking! 2) ____ But it’s no good. I’m
too worried. I hope I get the part! I really do!
Wednesday April 2nd
You won’t believe it! Miss Davis has given me the part of Juliet! Yesss! She posted a list of the
cast for the play on the noticeboard and also on the school website. I’m playing Juliet and Gareth
Lodge is playing Romeo. He’s going to be really pleased, too. 3) ____ It’s nice to know people
care about me! I just hope I can do the part well. It isn’t easy and there are lots of lines to learn.
I’ve never done a Shakespeare play before, so it will be really interesting. I’m very excited.
Saturday June 7th
I can’t believe it! The last two months have gone past so quickly. We’ve had lots of rehearsals
and tonight is our first night. I’ve been panicking all week! 4) ____ Everyone forgot their lines,
including me – right in the middle of a big, romantic speech! And the lights went out just before
the fight scene, so the boys couldn’t see who they were fighting! But Miss Davis has spent all
day checking the lights and the stage so it should be ready for this evening. I’m going to relax
now and then go through my lines one last time. 5) ____ It’s been such a lot of fun and I would
really like it to be a success tonight. Wish me luck! More about how it goes tomorrow.

Exercise 1 Read the blog and choose which sentence (a–f) fits each space (1–5) in the text.
You do not need one of the sentences.
a I’ve been home now for an hour and I’ve been trying to do some homework.
b I’ve been worrying about it for ages.
c I hope I don’t get an attack of nerves when I’m waiting to go on stage.
d I’ve had lots of emails and messages today saying congratulations and good luck.
e A lot were friends who had come to give support or even just to watch.
f The final rehearsal, which was last night, went very badly.

Exercise 2 Read the article and choose true (T) or false (F).
6 Many people attended the auditions for the play at Lola’s school. T/F
7 Lola was finally chosen for the part of Juliet. T/F
8 Lola’s friend, Mick, played Romeo. T/F
9 Lola could do the part well because there were not many things to remember. T/F

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10 The play would be performed on June 8th. T/F

READING PASSAGE 15
Can anyone help?
Nickysox14: I’m trying to save up to go on holiday to the USA next year, but at the moment
I’ve got nothing in the bank! My problem is clothes – I don’t like wearing the same things, so
I’m always buying something new. I need to stop ... and soon. Can anyone give me some advice?
And please don’t just say ‘Don’t go shopping!’ – I can’t!
Dexy393: OK! Nicky. I had the same problem. Last year I had this plan – to go and visit my
cousin in Australia. I was going to give up buying clothes and write down how much money I
saved each week to give me motivation. It lasted exactly ... two weeks. I saved a lot of money in
the first week by doing jobs for people. I walked my neighbour’s dogs, cleaned some cars and I
didn’t spend anything. Then the next weekend I went shopping with my mates and there was a
sale in my favourite shop. Disaster! I spent everything I’d saved because there were so many
bargains! I felt terrible. Then another friend invited me to a ‘swishing’ party. Have you heard of
them? It’s a party where friends swap old clothes that they don’t want any more. I thought these
parties were for oldies, like my mum! But they’re not. Everyone is having these parties these
days – even celebrities! It’s a way of getting a new look without spending anything. It’s also a
way of helping the environment because people don’t throw away as much as they used to. The
only people who don’t benefit from this really are the clothes shops! Apparently the word
‘swishing’ was invented by Lucy Shea, the person who started the PR green company Futerra.
It’s the sound that silk clothes make when they move.
Anyway – my friend, who has been to loads of these parties, persuaded me to go with her. You
have to take some of your own clothes with you to swap and then you can take the same number
of ‘new’ clothes home. I took an old red coat with me – not a hard choice! I bought it last year –
in the sale, of course – but it still cost me a lot of money. It was a designer label. But the next day
I realised that it didn’t really suit me, so I haven’t worn it since. Something good to swap, I
thought. I also took some summer tops and a really expensive handbag which someone had given
me for my birthday – but I didn’t like the colour. I didn’t really know what the party would be
like. I thought maybe there would be a lot of cheap or very old-fashioned clothes there to swap.
But I was really surprised. The quality of the clothes was excellent! I think a lot of people buy
the wrong things in sales like I do. I went home with a fantastic blue silk shirt and a top designer
black jacket. And I spent nothing! I also had a great time. There was music, good food and I met
some lovely people. Bonus! Try it and you’ll soon be saving money for the USA. I’ve put some
party links below.

Exercise 1 Read the article and choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
1 Nicky needs some advice about
A earning some money quickly
B finding a cheap holiday

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 C dealing with a spending habit
D buying inexpensive clothes
2 Dexy and Nicky are similar because they both
A tried doing extra jobs to get some money.
B wanted to go on a long trip.
C stopped buying clothes for a while.
D had a plan which failed.
3 ‘Swishing’ parties
A sell new designer clothes cheaply.
B can benefit the environment.
C are popular with older people.
D encourage people to swap clothes online.
4 What does ‘it’ in the following line refer to? It’s a way of getting a new look without
spending anything.
A recycling clothes
B using a green website
C spending nothing
D having swishing parties
5 When Dexy went to a party she
A swapped something that she didn’t like.
B couldn’t decide easily what to take.
C came home with a designer red coat.
D took some clothes with her that she’d worn a lot.

Exercise 2 Read the article and choose true (T) or false (F).
6 Nicky needs some money to buy new clothes. T/F
7 Dexy used to save up money to motivate himself for the trip to Australia. T/F
8 Dexy spent all the money he had saved on the first week. T/F
9 Dexy thinks “swishing party” is a way to save the environment. T/F
10 Dexy suggested trying “swishing party” to save up some money. T/F

READING PASSAGE 16

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 Hedgehog Concept

The Hedgehog Concept is based on an ancient Greek parable that states, "The fox knows many
things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing."
The fox uses many strategies to try to catch the hedgehog. It sneaks, pounces, races, and plays
dead. And yet, every time, it walks away defeated, its tender nose pricked by spines. The fox
never learns that the hedgehog knows how to do one big thing perfectly: defend itself.
Philosopher Isaiah Berlin took this simple story and applied it to the modern world in his 1953
essay, "The Hedgehog and the Fox." Berlin put people into two groups: foxes and hedgehogs.
He argued that the foxes pursue many goals and interests at the same time. As a result, their
thinking is scattered and unfocused, and ultimately they achieve very little. Hedgehogs, however,
simplify the world and focus on a single, overarching vision, which they then achieve.
Business researcher and consultant, Jim Collins, developed the idea in his classic 2001 book,
"Good to Great." Collins argued that organizations will more likely succeed if they can identify
the one thing that they do best – their "Hedgehog Concept."
When an organization has identified its Hedgehog Concept, its leaders should devote all of their
energy and resources to pursuing it. Collins argues that when the going gets tough, it's the
organizations that focus on what they're good at that survive and thrive.
You can find your organization's Hedgehog Concept by making three separate assessments:
1. Understanding what your people are truly passionate about.
2. Identifying what the organization does better than anyone else.
3. Determining where it's good at generating revenue. (Collins calls this "understanding your
economic engine.")
Once you've looked at the model's three circles, concentrate on the overlap. That's where you'll
find your Hedgehog Concept: the central vision of the three that should guide your organization's
strategy.
For example, imagine that people in your organization are passionate about innovation, and
about benefiting vulnerable people. You realize that you have the capability to be the best in the
world at developing affordable water filtration systems and portable water carriers. You have a
great charity network, and you have experience in making high-volume, major account sales.
Therefore, a possible Hedgehog Concept could be to develop a portable water filtration system
that people in developing nations could use to filter river water. You could sell these products in
bulk to charities.

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Don't worry if your Hedgehog Concept isn't obvious right away. You may have to do some
additional analysis or explore different combinations to find the core vision that works best for
you.
Task 1 Choose the best answer.
1. What is the thing that hedgehogs can do without mistakes?
A. Running away
B. Playing dead
C. Protecting itself
D. Attacking others
2. What does the hedgehog group do when they aimed to achieve their goal?
A. Aim at only one goal
B. Chase after many goals
C. Find a vision before doing it
D. Asking for advice from others
3. What is the Hedgehog Concept about?
A. The three characteristics that the fox has
B. A lesson from the fox and the hedgehog
C. The three assessments we do
D. An old parable from Greece
4. What does “overlap” refer to?
A. The vision which is out of three circles
B. The intersection of three circles
C. The intersection of each circle
D. The different part of the three circles
5. Which one is not in the three assessments?
A. Comparing what other organizations are doing well
B. Analyzing what we do best.
C. Exploring markets that can make more money.

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D. Finding out what we really enjoy doing
6. Which idea was not mention in the passage?
A. The meaning of the Hedgehog Concept
B. Ways to achieve the Concept
C. Examples to clarify the idea
D. Several strategies from the parable
Task 2 Are the sentences true or false
1. Hedgehog is the favorite food of the fox. T/F
2. There are only two groups of people in the world. T/F
3. The key to success is to know your strengths. T/F
4. Only those businesses that focus on what they do best
survive the difficult time. T/F
5. Three assessments are needed to find their Hedgehog
Concept. T/F
6. This Hedgehog Concept might require some exploration to figure it out. T/F

READING PASSAGE 17
Put to the test

Some students bring good luck charms to school on test days. They might keep a four-leaf clover
in their pocket or wear a pair of lucky underwear. While these things can’t hurt, there are better
ways of doing well on a test. Test is like running a marathon. Both activities require you to give
all you got in a long run. There are a couple of strategies you can use to stay relaxed, focused and
motivated for the whole test.
Runners train before a big race. For a reading test, there may be comprehension questions on
vocabulary, main idea, details, cause and effect, sequence, and inferences. You may also be
asked to summarize the text. For a writing test, you will likely be asked to write a paragraph
about a given topic. The topics will often involve describing something, explaining how to do
something, telling a story about something, or giving your opinion about something. The goal of
a test is usually to independently apply the skills you have learned and practiced in class.
Just like before a big race, it is a good idea to take care of your basic needs before the test begins.
For example, get plenty of sleep the night before. During the day of the test, get enough to eat.

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Go to the bathroom ahead of time. These things will help you focus.
When you get the test, do not forget to put your name on it. Then, take a quick look at each page.
A long test may have different sections. Notice how many marks each section is worth. Like a
runner, you will want to be careful about your pace. If you have a limited amount of time to
complete the test, you will want to leave yourself enough time for the sections that are worth the
most marks. If you feel nervous, you may want to build your confidence by starting with the
questions that are easiest for you. You can also take short brain breaks between sections to take
some deep breaths, roll your neck and shoulders, and massage your temples.
During a reading test, it can help to do a quick pre-reading exercise you have been taught, even if
it is not part of the instructions. For example, try scanning the text to figure out the topic before
you read the whole thing more carefully. Then think about what you already know about the
topic. Predict the details that might be in the reading. For a writing test, pre-writing is a very
important first step. Brainstorm your ideas and organize them before you start writing. Some
students skip these two things, but they probably should not. These activities warm up your brain
so that it will work more efficiently.
Before you hand in your test, review your answers. Unlike a marathon, it doesn’t matter who
finishes first during a test. Check your grammar and spelling. Make sure your instructor will be
able to read your handwriting. Finally, be sure that you answered every question.
Follow these tips and, if your lucky underwear doesn’t work, you will have a solid back-up plan
in place.
Task 1 Choose the best answer.
1/ What is not listed as something to do in the day before taking a test?
A. Go to the bathroom
B. Get enough to eat the day before the test
C. Get lots of sleep the night before a test
D. Bring something that brings luck
2/ What is not listed as something to do if you are not confident you will do well on a reading
test?
A. Massage your temples and take deep breaths as short break.
B. Do a pre-reading exercise
C. Start with the easiest questions first
D. Do think about what you’ve learned after the test
3/ The article is mainly about _______________ .
A. how to do well on a test

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 B. how to prepare for a test
C. how runners usually do well on tests
D. how to beat all kinds of test
4/ How does the author feel about lucky charms?
A. They can help you get a high score on a test
B. Some can help you get a high score on a test, but others cannot
C. They do not hurt, nor do they help when you take a test
D. They don’t work
5/ How should you start preparing for a test?
A. Do relaxation exercises to stay focus.
B. Think about the kinds of questions you might see.
C. Prepare a solid back-up plan in place
D. Keep your luck charms with you
6/ What is the first thing to do when you get a test?
A. Put your name on it
B. Start answering questions with the most marks
C. Check to see how many marks of each part
D. Skim through the whole test
Task 2 Are the sentences true or false
1/ Thinking about the topic allows you to predict the details. T/F
2/ Bringing luck charms is what all students do. T/F
3/ Scanning and pre-writing help the brain work better. T/F
4/ Test is like a marathon because you have to do your best for a long time. T/F
5/ Check your work early and hand in to your instructor. T/F
6/ If your instructor can’t read your handwriting, you will get lower mark. T/F

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READING PASSAGE 18

Secrets of a Happy Brain

The human brain remembers negative experiences more easily than positive ones. Our brains
have developed this way because threats, like dangerous animals, had a more immediate effect
on our ancestors’ survival compared to positive things like food or shelter. As a result, you likely
know what makes you unhappy, but do you know what makes you happy?
Research suggests that our level of happiness depends partly on factors we cannot control – our
genes and our life circumstances. But our level of happiness is also shaped by the choices we
make. If you’ve been chasing wealth, fame, good looks, material things, and power, you may be
looking for happiness in all the wrong places.
People who form close relationships tend to be happier than those who do not. The number of
friends we have is not important. What matters is the quality of our relationships. Relationships
that bring happiness usually involve the sharing of feelings, mutual respect, acceptance, trust, fun
and empathy.
People who make a habit of caring for the wellbeing of others tend to be happier. This might
involve volunteering for an organization or reaching out to support friends and family on a
regular basis.
People who exercise regularly improve both their physical and mental well-being. Some research
has shown that exercise can be as effective as medication in treating depression.
When we are so interested in an activity, we enjoy that we lose track of time, we are in a state of
flow. The activity could be making art, playing piano, surfing, or playing a game. People who
experience flow in their work or hobbies tend to be happier.
People who include spirituality in their daily life tend to be happier. Practicing spirituality is a
way of recognizing and trying to understand the wonder and beauty of existence. Some people
do this by going to a place of worship or praying. Some people practice yoga or meditation.
Some people go for long walks in nature.
People are more likely to be happy if they know what their strengths are and use them regularly.
People who set goals and use their strengths to achieve them tend to be happier. People are
especially happy when they can use their strengths to serve the greater good.
People who think positively by being grateful, mindful, and optimistic are more likely to be
happy. Being grateful means being thankful. Being mindful means being open to, focusing on,
and enjoying the experiences of the present moment. Being optimistic means being hopeful
about the future.
Task 1 Choose the best answer.
1/ What would the author think is not a way of caring for the well-being of others?
A. volunteering at a home for old people
B. practicing yoga or meditation

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 C. giving advice to a friend who has marriage problems
D. available to back your friends up
2/ Things we cannot manage that affect our level of happiness are _______________ .
A. the number and quality of relationships we have
B. the number of volunteer positions we have
C. our genes
D. our habits
3/ What is not given as a way people can include spirituality in their daily lives?
A. getting certain exercise
B. going to a church or pagoda
C. taking long walks in nature
D. watching and finding beautiful things
4/ What is part of thinking positively?
A. feeling grateful about decisions we had made
B. wishing that we could be positive
C. appreciating what we have
D. living in the future
5/ What is not part of being mindful?
A. enjoying the memory
B. focusing on this moment
C. taking pleasure in what you are doing at this time
D. enjoying what is happening
6/ How does the author explain spirituality?
A. It is a way or recognizing the need to understand and protect the beauty of nature.
B. It is a way of making new wonder through its beauty.
C. It is a way of identifying and trying to understand the amazing aspects of life.
D. It is a subject in which we learn about the beauty of existence

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7/ Why doesn't the brain remember positive experiences as much as negative ones?
A. The negative experiences can be learned easier
B. Our ancestors didn't understand what made them happy.
C. Positive experiences like having food and shelter were necessary for the survival of our
ancestors.
D. Positive experiences were not as important for the survival.
8/ According to the reading, people are in a state of flow when _______________ .
A. we feel the need to make art
B. time seems to pass very quickly

C. people do their activities everyday

D. we look at the time all the time
9/ The writer probably believes that _______________ can help someone experiencing
depression.
A. starting to workout.
B. learning
C. some research
D. medication
10/ What is not mentioned in the reading as being part of a quality relationship?
A. mutual respect
B. smiling
C. sharing of feelings
D. believing in each other

READING PASSAGE 19

The Most Amazing Structure on Earth

There are people who say the most amazing structure on earth is the human brain. It is so
complex that it took about 700 million years to develop. Humans started out as wormlike
creatures that used one end of the body to move forward. Ever so slowly, a bunch of nerves
began developing at that one end — the head. These nerves helped the creature to sense light,

36
food, and danger. Eventually, this bunch of nerves became the creature’s brain. To carry
messages from the brain to other parts of the body, the creature grew a spinal cord. Later, the
creature became a fish with eyes, ears and a nose that could send the brain information about
sights, sounds, and smells.

The human brain is very mysterious. Many questions about the brain have not yet been
answered. For example, why do we need to sleep or why do we dream? There is a lot about the
brain that we do not yet understand. Believe it or not, people used to think of the brain as useless
stuffing. Of course, we now know the brain is our control centre. The surface of the brain is
called the cerebral cortex. It is the part of the brain that makes us intelligent, and it consists of
four parts called lobes. The front lobe is where much of our thinking and feeling happens. The
top lobe processes information which is coming from parts of our bodies, such as our skin and
muscles. The side lobe plays an important role in hearing, speech, and long-term memories while
the back lobe processes images from our eyes.

Which do you think is more powerful: your brain or a supercomputer? You might be surprised to
learn that the world’s best supercomputer is only about as powerful as half a mouse brain! Your
brain is packed with 100 billion brain cells called neurons. They send information to your body
telling it what to do, and they receive information from each of your senses, what you see, feel,
taste, hear and touch. All this information travels to and from parts of your body along your
spinal cord, which is like a highway found down the centre of your back. As the information
travels from neuron to neuron, pathways are created. When you think about or practice
something again and again, those pathways get stronger. That is how the brain learns and
remembers. You were born with most of the neurons you have now, but when you were a baby,
you didn’t have many pathways to connect them. As an adult, you now have more than 125
trillion connections between your neurons. No computer on earth can compete with the speed of
your brain and how much information it can hold.

Task 1 Choose the best answer.

1/ The brain's neurons use the spinal cord like a ________________ .
A. center
B. roadway
C. map which shows the locations of different parts of the body
D. supercomputer
2/ The cerebral cortex consists of ________________ .
A. the front lobe
B. four different lobes

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 C. four useless lobes
D. one lobe which is important for hearing
3/ People who injure the side lobe of the cerebral cortex _____________ .
A. may have trouble remembering things
B. may not be able to feel happiness or sadness as well as other people
C. are usually not very intelligent
D. may not be as intelligent as other people
4/ What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
A. People used to think the brain was very mysterious.
B. The cerebral cortex has three parts.
C. Parts and roles of the cerebral cortex.
D. Questions that people wonder about the brain.
5/ What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. The number of neurons in our brains.
B. How the brain learns and remembers.
C. The brain's neurons send and receive information very fast
D. Brain’s neuron in the body is faster than any computer.
6/ As used in this reading, the words "useless stuffing" refers to _____________ .
A. unimportant lobes
B. unimportant material
C. unused or new neurons inside the brain
D. not working part
Task 2 Are the sentences true or false
1. Everyone knows that brain is the most amazing structure on Earth. T/F
2. Nowadays, people have fully known every aspects of the brain. T/F
3. A mouse brain is about twice as strong as the world's best supercomputer. T/F
4. The top of the cerebral cortex sends and receives information about what people touch. T/F

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5. Adult humans have 125 trillion connections between neurons. T/F
6. People can create more pathways if they learn. T/F
READING PASSAGE 20

The Story of Joy Kogawa

1 Joy Kogawa remembers her childhood home in Vancouver fondly. The house always had the
smell of wood burning in the fireplace. The walls were covered with paintings, photos, and
bookcases. The sounds of music, storytelling and laughter sailed through the air. Her bedroom
had toy boxes filled with cars, dolls, and games. A cherry tree stood in the yard outside her
window. But her happy days there were cut short.
2 In 1941, a warplane from Japan dropped a bomb on the United States. Canada went to war with
Japan. The prime minister of Canada thought that Japanese Canadians might be spies. So he had
all Japanese Canadians taken from their homes. They were sent to live and work in camps. To
pay for the camps, their homes and belongings were sold. Most of the people sent to the camps
were born in Canada. Half of them were under the age of 19. Both the RCMP and the military
agreed the prime minister’s decision did not make sense. But the prime minister did it anyway.
He wanted Canada to be mostly for white people. He hoped the Japanese Canadians would just
go back to Japan.
3 Joy Kogawa was just six years old when her family was forced from their home. They were put
on a train and shipped to a camp in Slocan, British Columbia. The family had to live in a one-
room shack. It was a heat trap in the summer and an ice box in the winter. Her family was forced
to work on a farm. Joy had to work alongside them in the beet fields – often instead of going to
school. She dreamed of going back to her home in Vancouver.
4 After the war, Joy did not want to be thought of as Japanese. She thought of herself as a white
person. It was a way of trying to forget the painful past. One day, Joy came across some letters.
They were written by a Japanese Canadian woman and sent to her brother in Toronto. The letters
were about how terrible it was to live in a time of so much racism. The writer called for justice.
These letters gave Joy an idea. She decided to write a story based on what had happened to her
family. She wrote a book called Obasan. As she wrote it, she began to accept herself as Japanese
Canadian. And she began to want justice, too.
5 Joy began to work for justice for the Japanese Canadians who had been put in camps. She
worked with others to hold meetings, write letters, and organize rallies. Her book, Obasan,
helped people across Canada to understand the terrible things that had happened. Finally, in
1988, the federal government said it was sorry for what had happened. It paid back part of what
had been taken from Japanese Canadians. It promised to work to make sure such a terrible
injustice never happens again.
In 2005, Joy’s childhood house in Vancouver was going to be torn down. Joy helped raise
enough money to buy it back. To this day, the house still stands as a reminder of the injustice of
racism and war. If we remember our past, we can avoid making the same mistakes in the future.

39
Task 1 Choose the best answer.
1/ Which of the words below does not have the same meaning as "fondly" (paragraph 1)?
A. unlovingly
B. lovingly
C. warmly
D. warm-heartedly
2/ Joy Kogawa was born in ____________.
A. 1939
B. 1935
C. 1941
D. 1988
3/ What ended Joy's happy childhood days in Vancouver?
A. Canada made war against America.
B. Japan and Canada went to war against Germany.
C. Her parents divorced.
D. Canada went to war with Japan.
4/ What did Joy never do when she lived in the camp?
A. attend school
B. work on a farm
C. work at a factory
D. live in a shack
5/ Why were Japanese Canadians forced to leave their homes and sent to camps?
A. They were spies.
B. Their skills were needed to build the camps.
C. They were thought to be spies.
D. The RCMP suspected them of spying.
6/ In paragraph 5, the word "rallies" is closest in meaning to ____________.

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 A. people coming together to show support for someone or something
B. people coming together for a sad occasion
C. people getting together to celebrate and have fun
Task 2 Are the sentences true or false
1/ Joy’s family house is now a symbol of the injustice of racism. T/F
2/ Turning back the time to live with her family was always her dream. T/F
3/ Her family had lived in a huge penthouse in Slocan. T/F
4/ Joy's book, "Obasan" helped people understand the injustices Japanese Canadians had
suffered. T/F

5/ The letters Joy found after the war were written by a Japanese Canadian woman from Toronto.
T/F
6/ The origin of most of the Japanese Canadians who were sent to the camps was Canada. T/F

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