Skills Tests Units 1–10 A Answer Keys & Audio

Scripts
Presenter I see. But still, that seems like a
Unit 1 lot of effort to go to, just to do something
exciting.
James Yes, it seems a strange idea, doesn’t
Everyday English it? Especially if you want an easy life. Well,
the thing is, it leads to self-improvement,
1 self-belief, and, I guess, a real element of
1 explain, C self-satisfaction. Take my own example: I
have a minor problem with my feet. When I
2 exactly, A was eleven, I was told by a doctor that
3 understand, D although walking wouldn’t give me too
much trouble, I’d never run a marathon. So,
4 Are, B fast-forward fifteen years to the London
Marathon, which I completed without any
5 view, E
problems, apart from the obvious
exhaustion and aching bones! Once I’d got
Listening over that, I felt pretty good about myself. I
felt like I’d overcome a real obstacle there.
2 I’m not sure I’d have tried to run a
1 self-confidence marathon if I’d had normal feet!
Presenter So, what you’re saying is that
2 give yourself goals setting challenges for yourself is a deeply
personal thing.
3
James Absolutely. What might be
1 c challenging for one person might be easy
2 b for another. People can experience many
different life-changing events which mean
3 a setting new goals for themselves. Take an
example of someone who has lost an arm
4 a
or leg, or their eyesight. Just getting from A
to B on their own would be a challenge to
Audio Script begin with. Yet the people who cope best
with these unpredictable situations are the
Presenter So, James, tell the listeners what ones who rethink their aims and set
your new book is all about. themselves new challenges. They often
James Sure! Well, it’s a well-known fact that manage to go beyond even their own
those who achieve the greatest success in expectations.
life are those who really push themselves, Presenter What about failure?
both mentally and physically. This requires
moving out of your comfort zone. James Mmm, good point. I mean, we’re not
superhuman! The most important thing is
Presenter That sounds scary. not letting failure get you down, though.
James Exactly – and that’s why people do it. You need to get up and start again, or
Stretching yourself and not knowing continue where you left off. It’s like the old
whether you’re going to achieve your goal saying about falling off a horse, isn’t it?
or not is scary, but that’s all part of the You’ve got a choice: you can either let the
appeal. In short, it’s got to seem unrealistic fear get to you, or you can get straight back
at the time to be a challenge. Being realistic on. People are often surprised that even
isn’t very exciting. You need to make your the most successful entrepreneurs have
target something that’s just out of reach. failed many times before they become
successful.

1
 Presenter So, you want people to carry on
horse riding.
James Of course! And that’s what this book Unit 2
is all about. It’s not an easy ride. The
journey is often full of self-doubt, physical
pain, frustration, anger … any number of
Everyday English
emotions, really. But once you’ve achieved 1
what you set out to do, you’ll feel on top of
the world and ready to take on something 1 c
new. 2 b
Presenter Well, you’ve certainly inspired me.
3 c
You seem to have done the same for our
listeners, as we have a lot of people on the 4 c
lines ready to speak to you. Let’s go to our
first caller. 5 a

Reading Listening
4 2
1 d 1 d
2 b 2 c
3 d 3 a
4 d 4 b
5 a 5 d

Writing Audio Script

5 Presenter Hello, everyone. Today I’m on the

remote island of Shola where, thanks to
Students’ own answers
funding by the local government and
following years of campaigning, building
Challenge! has recently started on a new community
centre. This is an exciting new project that
6 could change the community here forever.
1 a Up until now, the only place for people to
socialize was in the hall of the local primary
2 d school. The centre promises to provide a
3 c much-needed focal point for the local
community. I’m here with a local resident,
4 a Sally Turner, to hear what she has to say
about it. Hello, Sally.
5 b
Sally Hi.
6 c Presenter So, after all the hard work, things
7 c are happening at last.
Sally Yes, it’s great news. I’m just glad that
8 c our voices have finally been heard. There
has been so much demand for a place like
this, so we appreciate the efforts of
everyone who has helped this to become a
reality.
Presenter What will it mean to local
residents?

2
Sally Community spirit is central to our
village and other nearby villages, so
activities at the new centre will reflect this.
We hope it will become a thriving social
meeting point and local cultural centre.
There will be painting and dance classes
for retired residents in the mornings, and it
will be kid-friendly during the afternoons
with things like playgroups and after-school
clubs. And then at night, there’ll be things
like exhibitions, keep-fit classes and social
evenings for the adults.
Presenter Sounds great. So, do you know
when it’s going to be ready?
Sally Well, we’ve been told it will have been
completed by the time we have our annual
summer fair in July. You never know,
though! These things often fall behind
schedule, but we’re hopeful they’ll be
finished by then. There are a handful of
local businesses which are helping the
construction companies to carry out the
project, so we are relying on them to keep
everything moving and on schedule. They’ll
also be using the centre, so that’s good
motivation.
Presenter And have you thought about how
you’re going to keep the place running?
Sally As far as finances are concerned, we
have a group of volunteers who are going
to care for the garden and who will be
responsible for cleaning the building. This
will cut costs considerably, and we can also
generate income through the hall, which
can hold up to 100 people. We’ll be renting
it out for private parties, theatre nights and
meetings throughout the year. We’ve had a
long time to think about this.
Presenter I can see that. And I hear there’s
going to be a sports ground as well.
3
Sally Yes, that’s right. This will take the
pressure off the primary school, whose
sports facilities are booked up months in
advance by local clubs. The land where the
community centre will be built has been
abandoned for a long time and there’s
plenty of room for a couple of football
pitches. We just needed the go-ahead from
the local government office. At one point,
they were planning on building a factory
there, which would have been very
unappealing. The benefits of having the
sports field go further than simply having a
space to play sport. It also protects the land
from future building work and maintains the
attractiveness of our village, which is well
known for its beautiful scenery.
Presenter Well, thanks for talking to us
today, Sally, and I hope that by this time
next year you’ll be celebrating the opening
of the community centre.
Sally Me too. I’m looking forward to it.
Reading
3
1 d
2 a
3 c
4 b
5 c
Writing
4
Students’ own answers
Challenge!
5
1 c
2 a
3 d
4 b
5 d
6 a
7 b
8 a

Unit 3
Everyday English
1 of their childhood.
1 objective
2 convinced
3 could
4 agree
5 going
Listening
2 completely useless, although he claims that
1 c
2 d
3 b
4 d
5 a
Audio Script
Claire Oh, I really need a coffee. I’m so
stressed about the house move.
Mark You’ve still got a few weeks. You don’t
have to panic just yet.
Claire I’ll need every minute! There are just
piles and piles of stuff to sort out.
Mark Well, at least you’ve got Bill.
Claire I’m not sure if he’s a help or a
hindrance. I mean, he’s keen to give me a
hand, but everything he wants to throw out,
I can’t bear to part with, and vice versa. We
just don’t see eye to eye on what we
consider to be rubbish.
Mark Yeah, I know what you mean.
I remember when we moved and Helen
wanted to take this rusty old metal
ornament with her because it meant
something to her. It’s not even as if it’s
worth anything! And it’s been in the garage
ever since – I think she’s forgotten all
about it.
Claire I can see her point, actually. I’m just
the same with the stacks of paintings and
handmade models the kids have done. It’s
not like you need them in your everyday
life. It’s just that they have such sentimental
value. You’re kind of throwing away a part
Mark Oh, come on, Claire – remember those
old paintings you did at school that Mum
kept and then gave to you years later? I
remember you throwing them straight in the
bin. If I were you, I’d just keep a few pieces
of the kids’ creations that you particularly
like.
Claire It’s not even like they take up much
space, though. I have more of a problem
with the second-hand computer parts Bill
seems to accumulate. Almost all of it is
one day he plans to use all the parts to
build a new computer.
Mark Ha ha! Boys and their toys, eh? I’m the
same with car parts.
Claire The thing is, I have no idea when I
picked up all this clutter. Don’t you
remember the days when we were
students? I could fit my entire life into two
backpacks.
Mark Me too. That was the great thing about
student life. You’re not worried about
material possessions because you don’t
actually have any!
Claire I guess most of the stuff we have
comes with settling down, buying a house
and having a family. Toys, bikes, beds …
it’s never ending! It’s so easy to get caught
up in this process … one thing kind of leads
to another.
Mark Yeah, and you need something to
spend your hard-earned cash on apart from
bills. I don’t think the problem is buying
things. It’s more a problem of hoarding the
things you already have. It’s so difficult to
get rid of anything. I’ve got a friend who
only lets her kids buy a new toy with their
pocket money when they decide which old
toy they want to give away. That certainly
keeps the clutter down and it helps out
local charity shops as well. It’s much better
than throwing the stuff out, if you ask me.
Claire That sounds like a brilliant idea! I’ll
suggest it to Bill. I’m not convinced he’ll go
for it, but it’s worth a try. I guess we’d have
to stick to that rule ourselves, too, if we
expected the kids do it.

4
 Mark Yeah, and remind him how much
removal companies charge. If I know Bill,
that will motivate him! There’s nothing Unit 4
worse than unpacking and realizing you
could’ve saved yourself a small fortune if
you hadn’t packed half of it in the first
Everyday English
place.
1
Claire I suppose you’re right. Well, I’d better
get back to it. I’ll see you at the weekend. 1 c
Thanks for the coffee! 2 a
Mark OK, see you.
3 c
Reading 4 b

3 5 c
1 T
2 T
Listening
3 T 2
1 F
4 F
2 F
5 T
3 T
6 F
4 F
7 T
5 F
8 F
6 F
9 T
7 T
10 F
8 F
Writing 9 T

4 10 F
Students’ own answers
Audio Script

Challenge! Alison Oh, hi, Tom. What are you reading?

Tom I’m just flicking through this magazine.
5
Alison Is that the actress from that new
1 c romantic comedy? She looks great.
2 a Tom Yeah, she does. I wish I could look as
good as all these people in magazines and
3 b on TV.
4 d Alison I know, but they don’t look that
fantastic without a lot of help, do they?
5 a They don’t even have to resort to plastic
6 a surgery. There are loads of tricks they use
to make someone look good: soft focus, the
7 c right lighting, make-up …
8 b Tom I guess you’re right, but with all the help
in the world, it would be hard to make me
look anywhere near as good as the big
movie stars!

5
Alison You must be joking! It would only take Alison I completely agree with you. But the
the right pose, good lighting and maybe media puts a lot of pressure on people to
something to cover up your spots … conform to a stereotype and some people
Tom Hey, you’re meant to be my friend! want a quick fix … . So are you going for a
jog tonight?
Alison Ha ha! I’m just saying it’s possible.
My sister got me a photo session for my Tom Well, I wasn’t going to, but I suppose I
birthday last year. It’s not something I should after what I’ve just said! Are you
would have chosen, but I was pleasantly going to join me?
surprised. It lasted a few hours. They Alison Maybe next time.
started off doing my hair and make-up, then
they put me in some stylish clothes and at Reading
the end of all that I had my photos taken.
Tom I suppose they charged you a fortune 3
for the copies of the photos. 1 d
Alison Well, of course, they tried to, but I 2 c
dug my heels in, and once I’d got the price
down a bit, I only bought a couple I really 3 b
liked.
4 b
Tom And did they alter the shots in any way?
Alison They did suggest giving me a tan, 5 d
and I was tempted to be honest. But then I
came to my senses. I mean, I could have Writing
ended up looking really orange!
Tom Yeah, that would have been weird! I 4
wouldn’t want to be unrecognizable. A Students’ own answers
couple of years ago, I saw that actor,
Anthony Hawkins, in the street. I almost
walked right past him. He bore no Challenge!
resemblance to a picture I’d just seen in a
magazine. 5
Alison Actually, I’m a bit sick of being 1 b
bombarded with images of ‘perfect’ men 2 a
and women. It seems unfair to have to look
at them all the time, and it’s no wonder a lot 3 d
of people have low self-esteem or hate the
4 c
way they look. I’m sure the world didn’t use
to be like this. 5 c
Tom That’s true. Look at Marilyn Monroe. 6 a
She was admired for her beauty and there
wouldn’t have been any airbrushing or 7 b
anything like that in her day.
8 d
Alison Yeah, she was beautiful. If she had
been a young woman today, she might
have felt the need to have surgery to
correct what she saw as her imperfections.
Tom I guess people should be happier with
themselves and what they are as a person.
Alison Easier said than done.
Tom Yeah, I know – but think how much
better we would feel if we were more
relaxed about our appearance. We’d have
more energy to concentrate on the more
important things in life like our friends,
hobbies and sport.

6
 Jenny I suppose I take your point. The thing
Unit 5 is, one doesn’t necessarily cancel out the
other, does it? And one of the great things
about an e-reader is that it enables you to
Everyday English enlarge the font if you need to. We both
know she doesn’t have the best eyesight in
1 the world. She wouldn’t have to worry
1 hoping, C about where she’d left her glasses!
Steve That’s true. And I suppose when she
2 decide, D and Dad go away on all those exotic
3 should, A cruises, she won’t have to have an extra
bag for her novels! That’s got to be a plus
4 Doesn’t, E for Dad as well. He always ends up having
to carry it all.
5 go, B
Jenny Yeah, that’s the best thing about it,
really. It’s not so much that they’re so slim
Listening and lightweight, more that you have so
many books to choose from. When I went
2 away last year, I succeeded in reading a lot
1 negative more because I was spoilt for choice with
all the books on my e-reader. I can easily
2 buy the present Jenny suggested picture Mum sitting next to the pool,
browsing her library of books. She’ll love it.
3 You can see that, can’t you?
1 a Steve Up to a point … I’m just thinking of
2 c how often her phone dies because she’s
forgotten to recharge it. I can see her
3 a getting to an absolutely riveting part of the
book, when suddenly the screen goes
4 a
blank! That’s going to be really annoying for
5 b her. Doesn’t it make more sense to buy her
an e-reader and suggest that Dad gets her
6 b a book voucher so she can choose whether
7 d to buy e-books or ordinary books? That
way, she ought to be happy with one or the
8 d other. Besides, not all books are available
in e-book format.
Audio Script Jenny You sound like you’re trying to cling
on to the past! You’ve got to move on.
Steve Have you got any ideas for Mum’s
Steve I’m just trying to see it from Mum’s
birthday? It’s next week!
point of view. She loves swapping novels
Jenny Well, what about my brilliant idea of with her friends at the book group as well.
buying her an e-reader? Have you An e-reader won’t let her do that. Oh, and
forgotten about that? what if she drops the thing? They are pretty
Steve Oh yeah, you did suggest that. You fragile, aren’t they? Dropping a book costs
know what Mum’s like, though. Don’t you you nothing, but dropping an e-reader is a
think she’d miss turning the pages of an different thing altogether!
actual book, browsing in bookshops … that Jenny I’m sure she’ll manage to get it from A
sort of thing? to B without too many problems, Steve.
She’s not a child! And, anyway, we can just
encourage her to buy a case for it as soon
as possible.
Steve I suppose the pros outweigh the cons.
You’ll be pleased to hear that I’m actually
on the point of agreeing to your idea.

7
 Jenny That’s a relief. I was beginning to
think that I was fighting a losing battle! I do
think you’re right about the book voucher
Unit 6
as well, though. I should have thought of
that. Everyday English
Steve Well, that’s agreed, then. Let’s keep
our fingers crossed and hope it doesn’t find 1
its way back to the shop. 1 is
Jenny Since when do you worry so much?
2 ticks
Steve Since I started buying expensive
presents for my mum! 3 wouldn’t
Jenny It’ll be worth it. It’ll be the best present 4 say
she’s ever received!
5 might
Steve You’re probably right.

Reading Listening
4 2
1 T 1 T
2 F 2 F
3 F 3 T
4 T 4 F
5 F 5 T
6 T 6 F
7 F 7 T
8 T 8 F
9 F 9 F
10 F 10 T

Writing Audio Script

5 Helen Hi, John. I thought you were meant to

be working!
Students’ own answers
John I was. I just needed a break, so I’m
catching up with the news.
Challenge! Helen I don’t know why you don’t just read
the newspaper.
6
John You know I love sitting down relaxing
1 c with the paper. It’s just that by the time I get
2 a to read the news, it’s old news already. I
already know what’s making the headlines.
3 b It’s all so much quicker online.
4 d
5 a
6 d
7 d
8 c

8
Helen Obviously online news is more John Not me. Give me as many ways to
immediate, but I’m not sure I trust it as read the news as possible and I’m in my
much. When journalists produce a paper, element!
there seems to be more thought going into Helen You’re not kidding. If I was like you, I’d
it. It’s not simply a case of getting the news never get anything done. Technology has
out there as quickly as possible. There’s made everything instantly available, hasn’t
bound to have been loads of occasions it? In a way, I miss the good old days when
when a journalist writes a story after you could just switch off from everything.
delving into someone’s private life, but with
John Yeah, I know what you mean. Things
limited evidence and even less respect.
move on so quickly. Anyway, you can use
Then it’s put online, and before you know it,
the tablet now if you want to.
it’s gone viral! There’s no accountability,
either. If something is controversial or if Helen Oh, yeah. Thanks.
there are complaints, it’s simply taken
offline. That isn’t the case with newspapers Reading
– they have to print an apology.
3
John Admittedly that does happen, but half
the time people don’t believe those stories 1 a
anyway. They know they’re not true. It’s 2 c
just entertainment, that’s all, and it gives
the journalist an adrenaline rush, I’d 3 d
imagine.
4 c
Helen But there seems to be so much
celebrity content on these news websites, 5 c
and it’s all such trash.
John But it’s not all about famous people, is Writing
it? How about looking at news from a global
perspective? Newspapers used to be 4
limited geographically. News on the internet Students’ own answers
changed all that, and it means we’re more
informed about different areas of the world
as a result. Sure, I can read something that Challenge!
has local relevance, but equally I can read
something about a village in Africa or the 5
state of the economy in Australia. 1 c
Helen In reality you don’t tend to do that,
2 b
though, do you?
John No, but the thing is, hypothetically, I 3 d
could read all of that on a news site.
4 a
Helen Well, it looks as if newspapers will be
nothing but a display in our museums soon, 5 b
anyway. They’re falling out of favour; the 6 d
number of people reading newspapers is
going down every year. 7 d
John As a matter of fact, I think there are a 8 b
lot of people like me. I like my newspaper
and the news websites. I think they can co-
exist. For me, it’s about where I am. If I’m
on the sofa on a Sunday, I’ll reach for a
paper, and if I’m working from home or in
the office, I find the news on a tablet or
laptop is more convenient.
Helen I’m not sure many people would agree
with you, especially the younger
generation. For some people, online news
is what they’ve been brought up with.
9
 Dave Yeah, but it would be wrong to give the
Unit 7 impression that all retired people are over
the hill when it comes to doing exercise,
wouldn’t it? My grandma is so set in her
Everyday English ways that she swims every day, even when
she’s not feeling too good. It’s as though
1 the swim helps her fight illness.
1 b Teresa I suppose you’re right. So, we’ll have
a section on sport and we could include lots
2 b of photos – and then what about family?
3 c Dave We could show how much time retired
people spend with their family each week.
4 c Maybe we could produce a weekly
5 a schedule. It’s usually a case of mums and
dads needing their parents to help them
with their childcare.
Listening Teresa I know. People in their eighties and
nineties are more self-reliant these days, as
2
long as they’re still healthy. People seem to
1 work be getting elderly at an older age, if you
2 interests see what I mean. And, as so many parents
work full time, retired people are a valuable
source of childcare. I used to love my
3
grandparents looking after me when I was
1 c little.
2 a Dave I wish I could say the same. I’d have
loved to have been spoilt rotten by mine.
3 b The thing is, they were always away
4 d travelling, so they couldn’t be that
supportive to my parents. They have a long
5 c wish list of places to go and they’re still
6 c ticking them off. They’ve been everywhere!
Teresa It sounds like they’re living charmed
7 d lives.
8 a Dave They really are. In some ways, they’re
in the prime of their lives. They’re very
Audio Script active and they’re never here! My mum
keeps telling them that they should slow
Teresa So, have you got any ideas for the down a bit, but they just laugh it off. That’s
school project about retirement? the way I’d like to be at their age.
Dave Well, I was thinking we should divide it Teresa So, how about we have a section on
into areas like family, holidays, sport – that travel and the most popular travel
sort of thing. destinations for people over sixty-five?
Teresa Yeah, OK, though I’m not sure we’ll Dave Yeah, that should be easy to research
have that much to say about physical on the internet. Perhaps we’d better
exercise. If I look at my grandparents, they mention the people who choose to continue
rarely do anything other than gardening. My working. I mean, a lot of people ease off a
grandad used to be really active, but since bit, but they’re still keen to keep on
he stopped working he can’t be bothered. working.
It’s not that he isn’t dynamic in his own Teresa Actually, a significant problem is that
way, it’s just that there are lots of other a lot of people can’t survive on their
things he’d rather be doing. pension – so it’s more a case of having to
work rather than wanting to.
Dave Not necessarily. Look at your grandad.

10
 Teresa OK, yeah, in my grandad’s case it’s
more about keeping his mind active and
less about still getting a salary, but I think Unit 8
he’s the exception. At any rate, I agree we
need a section about work. Is that enough?
Dave I think so. Shall we start tomorrow?
Everyday English
Teresa I don’t think we should put it off. 1
We’ve got quite a lot to do. Do you have an 1 looks
hour now and we can get started?
Dave OK, then. 2 would
3 spotted
Reading
4 safe
4 5 depends
1 T
2 F Listening
3 T
2
4 T 1 F
5 F 2 F
6 T 3 T
7 T 4 T
8 F 5 F
9 T 6 F
10 T 7 F
8 T
Writing
9 F
5 10 F
Students’ own answers
Audio Script
Challenge!
Radio presenter So, welcome to the show.
6 With me today is Jeremy Allen, the writer of
a new book, Food for Thought, which has
1 c
just been published.
2 a Jeremy Hi.
3 b Radio presenter Jeremy, can you tell the
listeners about why you wrote this book?
4 d
5 b
6 b
7 a
8 d

11
Jeremy Sure, well, I wanted to write about
healthy food for children, and then, as I was
writing, the idea of ‘brain food’ started to
become the focus. By that, I mean snacks
or meals that will enhance your growing
child’s mental capacity. As parents, I think
we have a moral obligation to give our kids
the best possible start in life by steering
them away from takeaways and food which
gives them instant satisfaction. Our bodies
are basically better off without them, as
they do more harm than good in the long
run.
Radio presenter I see. Is this something you
want to see at home or school, or both?
Jeremy Well, ideally, both. I mean, the main
message is to prevent children from being
fed the wrong things from a young age,
because it’s a hard habit to break once
they’ve grown up. Kids eat too much sugar
these days, and consequently experience
problems with their health, mood swings
and tooth decay. I’m not saying all sugar
products should be banned altogether.
Rather, I hope to be able to increase the
intake of food that actually does young
people good. Fruit, salmon, vegetables,
eggs and yoghurts, to name but a few.
Radio presenter Easier said than done. I
mean, I have a four-year-old son who
objects to being fed anything green!
Jeremy Yeah, I know what you mean.
Mealtimes can be agonizing! Let’s face it,
you can tell your kids about how vegetables
are good for them and will make them grow
until you’re blue in the face, and it won’t
make any difference. I guess the thing is to
try to disguise the vegetables in a tomato
sauce or something like that. My daughter
was the same; I used to chop them up
really finely for her and that seemed to do
the trick. You can also use them in a soup,
or blend them. Vegetables are known to
provide essential minerals and vitamins.
They help your immune system, not to
mention keeping brain cells strong.
Radio presenter What about eggs, then,
and dairy products?
12
Jeremy Well, you can get away with giving
most kids eggs in some form or other,
because they are so versatile. You can boil
them, scramble them, make an omelette
and so on. Generally, they give the body
protein. More than that, though, the yolk is
critical for brain development. Yoghurts and
milk are packed with carbohydrates and
protein and are said to give the brain a vital
source of energy.
Radio presenter So, are menus in schools
changing?
Jeremy Well, these things don’t happen
overnight, but some steps have been
taken. The way to sell it to schools is by
illustrating the advantages through the
benefits to students’ behaviour. Generally,
students who follow a balanced diet tend to
be calmer and have a longer concentration
span. In the majority of cases, this results
in better grades and students who are more
likely to reach their full potential.
Radio presenter Well, I don’t see how any
parents and teachers would be able to
argue with that.
Jeremy I think that, in the face of these types
of dilemmas, the best thing to do is to lead
by example. In actual fact, most adults also
have a sweet tooth, though!
Reading
3
1 a
2 c
3 d
4 b
5 d
Writing
4
Students’ own answers
Challenge! Audio Script

5 Sally Smith Hello, everyone. Today, I’d like

1 c to address the subject of technology stress.
We’ve probably all suffered from it, even
2 a though we may not know we have. Every
3 b day, we are bombarded with technology
from our tablets, smartphones and laptops.
4 a Technology has brought us instant
messaging and we feel we are under
5 a
pressure to respond as soon as possible. If
6 b we get a number of messages in close
succession, at an inconvenient time, or
7 d when we’re feeling under the weather, we
8 c can start to feel stressed. The technology
that was designed to try to make our lives
easier can often quickly become the enemy
Unit 9 and make us feel under attack!
In actual fact, a study was carried out by
the University of Gothenburg in 2012 and
Everyday English the results are hardly surprising to most of
us. People who used their smartphones
1 and laptops more than average were more
1 tell likely to suffer from things like sleep
disorders, mental health issues and
2 finish increased anxiety.
3 questions However, if we examine the other end of
the scale, on the rare occasion we don’t
4 convinced have access to technology, we still aren’t
5 free happy. Even when we’re abroad on
holiday, or on a remote weekend break, the
fact that there is no signal or Wi-fi at the
Listening hotel is usually a groan-inducing situation.
But this is when we’re supposed to be
2 getting away from it all! Apparently, it’s not
B only geeks and techies who refuse to go
anywhere without their electronic devices
3 and expect perpetual internet access.
1 a It may be worth examining our own lives
here. I’m certain that many of us would
2 d testify that we have the use of our tablet,
smartphone or laptop under control. But is
3 a
this really the case? How dependent are
4 d you on your electronic devices? Is there
any time in the day when you don’t have
them with you or when they’re switched
off? I don’t think so. Do they take priority in
a social situation? There has recently been
a campaign by the Macquarie Dictionary to
stop people from ‘phubbing’. This means
snubbing or ignoring the people you are
with in favour of your phone.

13
 I’d better explain here that I am not anti-
phone use by any means. I’m not one to Challenge!
get all nostalgic about the good old days.
Rather, it would be nice to set some kind of 6
ground rules to limit usage. For a start, 1 d
learn to switch it off. Let me give you an
example. Many people have a landline at 2 b
home. This means people can reach you in
3 b
case of emergency. Why not switch off your
smartphone, at least for a couple of hours, 4 a
or when you’re asleep? Forbid yourself
from using your phone when socializing, 5 d
however tempting. You could also have 6 c
house rules like ‘no technology when
eating’ or ‘no technology in the kitchen’. 7 b
Finally, if you are lucky enough to have 8 a
some time off from work, make sure you
get some quality downtime by switching off.
Go to the beach or swimming pool with a
book, instead. Take the challenge and Unit 10
you’ll actually feel the benefits!

Reading Everyday English

1
4
1 c
1 F
2 b
2 T
3 c
3 T
4 a
4 F
5 b
5 T
6 F Listening
7 T
2
8 T
1 F
9 T 2 F
10 F
3 T

Writing 4 F
5 T
5
6 T
Students’ own answers
7 T
8 T
9 F
10 F

14
Audio Script Kerry OK, well, how about another example?
If a married politician whose personal life
Teacher So, the main topic we have to was a mess, with affairs here, there and
discuss is whether politicians’ private lives everywhere, pledged to promote family
can be made public if it’s in the public’s values, how would that work out? Likewise
interest. Who would like to start off? with a minister who was trying to promote
Simon? state school education when it was clear to
Simon Mmm, well, personally speaking, the nation that their kids went to private
whatever they get up to in their private life school. I’m sure that their campaigns would
is up to them, as long as they’re capable of start to lose momentum as soon as these
doing the job at hand. You don’t agree to stories were in the public domain, which is
allow the electorate into your house when justifiable in my opinion.
you take on your position, do you? Teacher Simon, what do you think about
Teacher Kerry, you look like you might want Kerry’s argument?
to come in here. Simon I suppose we’re all hypocrites in
Kerry Well, I was going to say that, some way. We can’t expect politicians not
whichever way you look at it, politicians are to put a foot wrong. Imagine the pressure!
in the public eye and a lack of privacy is The main thing to analyse is if they’re doing
part of the deal. I suppose I just regard it as a good job. Everything else is irrelevant.
their social responsibility. I mean, if I’m Teacher Well, we’ll have to leave it there, I’m
going to put my trust in someone by voting afraid.
for them at the polling station, I need to
know what kind of life they lead. If this is Reading
something they aren’t willing to share, it’s
almost as if they do actually have 3
something to hide and therefore aren’t 1 d
honest with themselves or their
constituency. 2 a
Simon I get that to a certain extent. People 3 b
are completely different behind closed
doors, though. You could be an absolutely 4 c
terrible father and husband, but a fantastic 5 c
politician. Take that guy in the local
elections, I can’t remember his name.
Anyway, he did so much for ethnic diversity Writing
and equal opportunities; basically, he
worked towards the common good. Yet, 4
when the press discovered his gambling Students’ own answers
habit, it was game over for him. They
jumped on it and didn’t give up until he’d
gone.
Kerry I’ll admit, that was a real shame.
Teacher So, is it really more a question of
what you represent in politics?
Kerry I guess it comes down to that for me.
John Dunne, who I think you’re talking
about here, is a left-wing politician and was
Culture Minister, and I don’t think his
gambling affected that. Had he been in
charge of finances, that would have been a
different story. I’m not sure you’d be able to
trust someone with public finances who is
unable to manage their own.
Simon I don’t see why not. If you ask me,
they’re able to separate those two parts of
their life.
15
Challenge!
5
1 a
2 c
3 d
4 b
5 a
6 c
7 d
8 a

16