Test

12 grade
th

1. Read the text below. Are the sentences 1 – 5 ‘Right’ (A) or ‘Wrong’ (B)? If there is not enough information
to answer Right or Wrong, choose ‘Doesn’t say’ (C). Write your answers on your exam sheet.
(5 x 0,60p = 3 points)

‘This is our first boys-only trip together, because this is a special under-5s Fun and Fitness term-time break and,
sadly for big sister Maisie, school comes first. So while mummy tries to sell the idea of girlie nights in watching
entertainment shows and eating pizza as compensation, Gregor and I have an action-packed itinerary ahead.
Our arrival early afternoon was simple. After a short wait for our keys we went to investigate our home for the
next few nights – a two-bedroom ‘Prestige’ caravan.
Decorated in pleasant neutral furnishings with heating in every room and a kitchen (complete with milk, tea
and sugar), comfort is certainly not an issue.
Although there’s a programme of regular activities, Fun and Fitness breaks offer extra opportunities for tots to
take part in events especially for their age group.
But with our first scheduled session not due until the morning, we were free to do as we pleased, so it was off
to the pool.
Free, unlimited swimming is a real plus, especially when the hardest thing about going is remembering to stick
the cosies on the radiator on your return so they’re dry in time for the next dip. Apart from a couple of friendly
lifeguards, we had the pool to ourselves and enjoyed splashing each other to our hearts’ content. Dried and dressed, it’s
only a minute’s walk back to our caravan and while Gregor catches up with some Charlie and Lola on the DVD player,
I make tea. ‘

1. For Maisie, after school comes swimming.

A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn’t say

2. They didn’t have to wait for long until they got the room?
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn’t say

3. The house was pleasantly decorated in neutral tones.

A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn’t say

4. The first session schedule did not start the next day.
A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn’t say

5. They had a garden to enjoy the weather?

A. Right B. Wrong C. Doesn’t say

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2. Read the text below. For questions 1-10 choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according
to the text. Write your answers on your exam sheet.
(10 x 0,40p = 4
points)
‘We are used to taking command of our personal climate in planes and cars by using simple controls. Why not
in buildings too?
A study of the effect of installing individual air-conditioning vents at office desks, and putting controls at each
worker’s fingertips, suggests it can cut a building’s energy use in half.
The approach costs more to install than a conventional system, and has never taken off commercially. But
engineer Stefano Schiavon at the University of California, Berkeley, and colleagues say their research shows the idea is
worth revisiting, as companies and countries seek to cut emissions.
They simulated an office building in a hot, humid climate like that of Singapore, where air conditioning is
relied on throughout the year. results showed the building’s energy use was cut by 50 per cent.
Personalised ventilation means less air needs to be cooled and pumped through a building because air needs
only to be blown at desks, and not throughout entire rooms. Individual vents can also switch off automatically when a
desk is vacant.
The result is that a room’s temperature can increase while keeping people comfortable at work.
Raising a building’s temperature even a little can save large amounts of energy. The Japanese government is
campaigning to convince offices to discourage suits and ties, to allow office thermostats to be turned up slightly and
save power.
‘In an environment like Singapore, it’s pretty clear that these systems would pay for themselves in energy
savings’, Schiavon says.
Air conditioning is a major driver of south-east Asia’s electricity use, and accounts for the bulk of energy used
by buildings in Singapore.
Past research has shown personal ventilation can also make people more comfortable, and hinted it can limit
the spread of airborne diseases.
The personalised approach isn’t always suitable, though. Only workplaces where people tend to stay in one
place would benefit, points out environmental engineer Peter Nielson of Aalborg University in Denmark. Savings are
also smaller in cooler climates, where on cold days the number of people directing warm air onto themselves causes the
room to overheat. ‘
1. In what places do we command our personal climate?
A. In the yard
B. On the bus
C. In planes and cars
D. Anywhere

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2. What could the installation of air-conditioning vents at office desks lead to?
A. Saving energy
B. Wasting more energy
C. Costs less on installation of new devices
D. Nothing really

3. Why the idea of putting controls at each fingertip should be considered by companies?
A. Because companies are interested in new gadgets
B. Because companies have money to spend
C. Because companies seek to cut emissions
D. Because companies seek to increase emissions

4. What is the Japanese government campaigning for?

A. Discouraging wearing suits and ties at work
B. Asking people to wear jeans at work
C. Allowing employees to be late for work
D. Asking employees to work overtime

5. Can the temperature of a room increase while people still feel comfortable at work?
A. No
B. Depends on the weather
C. Depends on the climate
D. Yes

6. Was there any effect on energy saving in Singapore?

A. No. there wasn’t
B. Unnoticeable
C. More than 80%
D. By half

7. Would the company get their investment back in time if they consider buying this type of equipment?
A. No, because the equipment is too expensive
B. Yes, but not soon
C. Yes, definitely as the equipment pays itself in energy saving
D. Doesn’t say

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8. Does personal ventilation have a positive influence on the well-being of the employees?
A. No, because they have to look after it every moment
B. No. because it breaks down a lot
C. Yes, because they can feel more comfortable
D. Yes, at times

9. Is air conditioning used a lot in Singapore?

A. Almost never
B. Only in the hot summer days
C. Sometimes
D. All the time

10. Are cooler climates benefiting from the same energy saving as the hotter ones?
A. No, because in colder days air-conditioning might overheat the rooms
B. Yes, because individual controllers can be stopped
C. No, because in hotter days people tend to overuse it
D. Yes, because they invest more