ENT203 READING ASSIGNMENT

Reading Passage 1
1. San Francisco
Fisherman’s Wharf is a historic marketplace on the seafront with trendy restaurants, shops
and street performers. Visit Ghirardelli Square, home to amazing Ghirardelli Ice Cream
and Chocolate Shop and Pier 39, a lively market place with shops, restaurants and music.
From here you can take a cruise round the Bay.
2. Golden Gate Bridge
Connecting San Francisco and Marin County, this is the largest suspension bridge in the
world and one of the most famous Californian landmarks. As you can cross the 4200-FT
bridge below the famous orange towers, you’ll enjoy awesome views of the entire Bay
Area.
3. Alcatraz Island
Once a high –security prison, Alcatraz Island is one of the Bay Area’s most interesting
tourist attractions. Take the ferry from Pier 41 and visit the dark cell blocks that were home
to America’s most wanted criminals.
4. Santa Cruz
Go to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, which is in the lighthouse, and see classic boards
including one eaten by a shark- the surfer survived! Next stop, the Santa Cruz Beach
Boardwalk for a ride on the Giant Dipper rollercoaster.
5. Venice Beach
This is where skateboarding started, so you must visit the famous skate park right on the
beach. Also watch the bodybuilders at Muscle Beach Gym, which is where Arnold
Schwarzenegger started his career.
6. Hollywood
You can stand in the footprints of Johnny Depp at Grumman’s Chinese Theatre and then
meet his strangely accurate wax model, along with Hugh Jackman, Lance Armstrong, and
Brad and Angelina, all at Madame Tussauds Hollywood. Discover how films are made at
the working movie studio at Universal Studio Hollywood, where there are also exciting
park rides and shows.
7. Los Angeles
Have you ever wanted to record yourself? Now you can at the fascinating Grammy
Museum. You can also learn how to dance like Michael Jackson, and find out about the
links between blues and rap.
 8. Disneyland
One of the most magical places in the world, Disneyland Park has hundreds of rides such
as Space Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure, Matterhorn and Pirates of Caribbean. A day
in Disneyland is a day you will never forget.

Read the text and match the person with the place they would enjoy most. Write a
recommendation for them in the box.
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge
Madame Tussauds Hollywood Grammy Museum Alcatraz Island

1. “I love ferry rides. They're so much fun. I also like visiting places with an interesting and unusual
history.” ………………………..
Alcatraz Island

2. “I'd love to have my photo taken with all my favorite film stars!” ………………………..
Madame Tussauds Hollywood

3. “I really want to go on some exciting rides. I’ve just taken up surfing too so I’d like to learn
more about that.” ………………………..
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

4. “I'm a keen photographer so I want to go to the place with the best views.”
………………………..
Golden Gate Bridge

5. “When I'm on holiday, two things are most important for me: great shopping and great food.”
………………………..
San Francisco

6. “I'm a music lover and my dream is to record a song.” …………………………………

Grammy Museum

Reading Passage 2
Read the text carefully and decide if the statements are True (T) or False (F).
Madagascar – When to go
Madagascar has two seasons, a warm, wet season from November to April, and a cooler dry
season between May and October. However, different parts of the country have very different
weather.
The east coast is hotter and wetter, with up to 4000mm of rainfall per year. In the rainy
season, there are strong winds, and these can cause a lot of damage. Avoid visiting eastern
Madagascar between January and March because the weather can make road travel very difficult.
The dry season is cooler and more pleasant.
The high, central part of the country is much drier and cooler. About 1,400 mm of rain falls
in the rainy season, with some thunderstorms, but the summer is usually sunny and dry, but it can
be cold, especially in the mornings, with freezing showers, and it may snow in mountain areas
above 2,400m, and even stay there for several days.
 The west coast is the driest part of the island. Here, the winter months are pleasant with little
rain, cooler temperatures and blue skies. The summers can be extremely hot, especially in the
southwest. This part of the country is semi-desert, and only gets around 300mm of rain per year.
1. Madagascar has two seasons: warm season and wet season…………...T

2. There is more rain in January than in June. …………...

T

3. Between January and March are beautiful time to visit eastern Madagascar. …………...
F
4. It sometimes has thunderstorms in the rainy season in the central part of Madagascar.
…………...
T
5. The driest part of the island is the east. …………...
F

6. The dry season is a good time to visit eastern Madagascar. …………...

T

7. The center of Madagascar is the coldest part. …………...

T

8. Snow sometimes falls in Madagascar. …………...T

9. The west coast has the best weather in the summer. …………...
F

10. The high, central part of the country is semi-desert. …………...

F

Reading Passage 3
Read the email and answer the questions.

To: Ellie Crest

Subject: Surfing Holiday
Hi Ellie,
I’m so pleased you can come surfing in August! Paul, Rose and Kevin are coming too, so
there will be five of us. We’ve decided to return to New Sands, because the surf board hire is so
cheap there.
I’m starting to think about accommodation. We won’t camp again after last year! I hated
staying in a tent in all that rain!
Kevin wants to hire a caravan. There are some nice ones with 3 bedrooms, showers and
cooking facilities. The problem is, none of the caravan parks take short bookings in the summer.
The minimum stay is a week. It’s a shame because there are several nice parks near the beach.
There’s a youth hostel in New Sands. It’s the cheapest option after camping, and there’s a
big kitchen and dining room where we can cook. The problem is, accommodation is in dormitories
and I don’t really want to sleep with strangers.
There are a few guest houses in New Sands. Some have triple rooms, so we’d only need to
book two rooms. They’re affordable, but we wouldn’t be able to cook there. We’d have to eat out
at restaurants, or eat sandwiches for every meal! We’ll have to book soon if we choose that option,
because many guest houses are already full. The hotels in New Sands are far too expensive, even
though I’d love to stay at the Sunrise Pavilion with its rooftop pool!
The final option is to rent a cottage. Few cottages offer mid-week breaks in summer, but I
found one. It has three bedrooms - a double, a single and a twin, so two of us would have to share
a bed! There’s a big kitchen diner with a microwave, washing machine and dishwasher. The living
room has a TV and DVD player. There’s just one bathroom, but there’s a separate WC. There’s a
nice garden too. The problem is, it’s 5 miles from the beach, so we’d have to hire a car, because
there aren’t any buses.
Let me know which option you prefer.
Cheers
Natalie
1. Last year the friends stayed in a…
A. caravan
B. tent
C. youth hostel
2. Last year the friends had problems with…
A. the transport.
B. their surf boards.
C. the weather.
3. The friends want to stay in New Sands for…
A. a week.
B. a week and a half.
C. less than one week.
4. The problem with the caravan park is that…
A. caravans are only available for full weeks.
B. there are not have enough beds for everyone.
C. all the caravans are fully booked.
5. Natalie doesn’t want to stay in the youth hostel because…
A. it is the cheapest.
B. she has to share the room with the strangers.
C. it does not have any self-catering facilities.
6. What is Not True about the guest house
A. It is expensive.
B. It doesn’t have a kitchen
C. If they stay there, they have to eat out.
7. The Sunrise Pavilion is a…
A. hotel.
B. restaurant.
C. Guess house.
8. What is true about the cottage?
A. It has two bedrooms
B. It is near the beach
C. It allows people to stay for less than a week.
9. In the cottage, …
 A. there is a DVD player and a TV in each bedroom.
B. the shower and toilet are in the different room.
C. the cooking area and washing area are in the different room.
10. The problem with the cottage is…
A. its size.
B. its location.
C. its price.

Reading Passage 4
Read the text and choose the best answer for each question.

Celebrity Profile
We all know Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games, but who is the actress who plays her,
Jennifer Lawrence?
Fast Facts
• Name: Jennifer Shrader Lawrence
• Place of birth: Kentucky, USA
• Date of birth: August 15, 1990
• Profession: TV and film actress

Jen’s family
• Mother: Karen Lawrence
• Father: Gary Lawrence
• Brothers: Ben and Blaine Lawrence

Did you know? Jennifer has never had acting classes. When she was a child Jennifer liked
sports and she played hockey and basketball for all-boys team. She also worked as a model. At the
age of 14 she knew she wanted to be an actress, so she went to New York City to look for work.
She appeared in advertisements for MTV and the fashion company H&M and got work as an
actress on TV. Her family moved to Los Angeles so that Jennifer could work on TV and in films.
In 2010 she acted in the film Winter’s Bone and she was nominated for many awards including an
Oscar. In 2012 she starred in the film The Hunger Games as Katniss Everdeen. When she isn’t
working, Jen likes painting, surfing and playing the guitar.

1. What sports did NOT Jennifer play at school?

a. basketball
b. surfing
c. hockey
 2. What films hasn’t Jennifer Lawrence starred in?
a. Titanic
b. Winter’s Bone
c. The Hunger Games
3. What cities hasn’t she lived in?
a. Los Angeles
b. Miami
c. New York
4. What jobs hasn’t she done?
a. actress
b. model
c. fashion designer
5. What doesn’t Jennifer do in her free time?
a. play hockey
b. painting
c. surfing
6. What are her two brothers called?
a. Karen and Ben
b. Ben and Blaine
c. Gary and Blaine
7. Jennifer has done some modelling
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
8. She likes playing the piano.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
9. Jennifer's family supported her dreams to be an actress.
a. True
b. False
c. Not given
10. Jennifer was nominated for an Oscar in 2010
a. True
b. False
c. Not given

Reading Passage 5
Read the text and choose the best answer for each question.
 Sixteen - What now?
You’re 16 and finally you can leave school! By now, you’re probably sick of teachers,
desks, tests and exams. But don’t just run for the exit. You need to think carefully about what to
do next.
If you want a professional career, you will need to go to university and get a degree. To do
that, you need to stay at high school for another two years. But you needn’t stay at the same place.
There are several options in the district of Northacre.
St. Leopold’s School has the best pass rate of all the high schools in the district. It offers a
wide range of subjects in the humanities and sciences. St Leopold’s is, of course, a private school,
so may be too expensive for you. But don’t worry, there are several other options if you want to
follow the academic route. Knowle Grammar School is a state school, so there are no fees, and it
has excellent tuition and facilities. It is a boys’ school from the ages of 11-16, but from 16-18 it is
co-educational. But it is selective, so you’ll have to pass an exam to get in. If you’re interested in
going into Business, check out Wyle River Academy. This school specializes in subjects like
Business Studies, Management and Economics. If you prefer the arts, look at the courses on offer
at Northacre College. Here you can study woodwork, art, textiles and much more.
Northacre College also offers a wide range of vocational qualifications. You can do a 1-
year certificate or a 2-year diploma in subjects like electrics, plumbing, roofing and hairdressing.
If you’d prefer to work outdoors, look at Milldown College, where there are courses in Farm
Mechanics, Land Management, Animal Management and much more.
A final option is to get an apprenticeship with a local or national company. You will get
on-the-job training, gain certificates or diplomas and start earning straight away. But be warned -
places are limited! Find out more at the Jobs Fair on 26th May at Northacre College.

1. The aim of the article is to…………

A. advise young people about how to get to university.
B. advise young people to stay in education.
C. tell young people about the options available.
2. The article advises reader who want a professional career to…
A. stay at the same school for two more years.
B. go to high school for two more years, then get a degree.
C. go to university immediately.
3. St Leopold’s is the best school for…
A. good exam results.
B. facilities.
C. humanities and sciences.
4. You can only attend St Leopold’s school if you…
A. pass an exam.
B. study both humanities and sciences.
C. pay tuition fees.
5. You can only attend Knowle Grammar School if you…
A. are a boy.
B. can afford the tuition fees.
C. pass an exam.
6. Anna wants to work with horses. Where is the best place for her to study?
A. Wyle River Academy
B. Milldown College
C. Northacre College
7. Harry wants to be a builder. Where is the best place for him to study?
A. Northacre College
B. Wyle River Academy
C. Milldown College
8. Kevin wants to be a fashion designer. Where is the best place for him to study?
A. Wyle River Academy
B. Northacre College
C. Milldown College
9. Caroline wants to run her own company. Where is the best place for him to study?
A. Wyle River Academy
B. Northacre College
C. Milldown College
10. What is the problem with apprenticeships?
A. They are expensive.
B. They don’t give you any qualifications.
C. There are few available.

Reading Passage 6
Food and restaurants
Are you looking for somewhere special to go this weekend? Do you want to try something new?
Check out one of these hot new restaurants.
Last Days of the Raj
A centrally located Indian restaurant, perfect for eating before or after the cinema or a show. In
summer enjoy your meal in the beautiful garden. The most popular dishes are lamb and chicken
cooked with mild, medium or hot spices. For brave customers there is extra hot!
A Taste of Tuscany
Whether you’d like a great value-for-money lunch or a relaxed evening meal in stylish
surroundings, this is the place for you. The chefs have all been trained in Italy and they make both
traditional and contemporary dishes. We recommend the pasta and seafood.
Your Local Caff
Remember when cafés served full English breakfasts – sausages, beans, fried bread, bacon and
eggs – with a strong cup of tea? Well, this place still does and you can have your breakfast at any
time you like during the day while you listen to your favorite tunes from the 1980s.
The Lemon Tree
This pretty restaurant serves healthy food that’s tasty too. Come in for a vegetarian snack at
lunchtime or a great fruit smoothie or a cappuccino and a delicious piece of cake in the afternoon.
Food is bought from local producers whenever possible.
Cheesy Bites
A restaurant that only serves cheese, but hundreds of cheeses from many countries and in lots of
different forms. They serve reasonably priced lunches but dinner can be expensive. Lovely food
and a very elegant dining room, looking onto an amazing flower garden.
Fast Best
Fast food doesn’t have to be junk food, as this café proves. Do you fancy a really good hamburger
made with the best ingredients, or old-fashioned fish and chips fried to perfection, all on the table
in super-quick time? Speed and quality are important here, and the prices aren’t bad either.
The Chocolate Box
The owner of this small café used to cook all kinds of food, but then she realised she preferred
desserts to anything else. If you want meat or fish, don’t come here. They only do desserts! Lots
of different kinds of sweets. Chocolate lovers will be excited by the range of chocolate cakes.
Musical Chairs
Have you noticed how music improves the taste of your food? This new restaurant has different
types of live music every night except Sundays, and excellent food to go with it. Great fish dishes,
steak and pizza. Monday is classic rock night, so see you there!

1. “My girlfriend and I are vegetarian. Could you recommend a suitable restaurant for us?”
The Lemon Tree
Tom, aged 18. ……………
2. “My friend has a sweet tooth and I want to take her somewhere special this weekend.”
Lucy, aged 16 ……………
The Chocolate Box

3. “My mates and I all love spicy food. Can you recommend somewhere good for us to go
tonight?” Dino, aged 21 ……………
Last Days of the Raj

4. “I only get 30 minutes off for lunch and I'm in a hurry. Where can I get something quick
to eat?” Melissa, aged 27. ……………
Fast Best

5. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day in my opinion. Do you know anywhere
that serves a good brekkie?”. Mickey, aged 38. …………… Your Local Caff

6. “We love Italian food, especially pasta. Everyone loves Italian, don't they? Any good
Italians near here?” Momo, aged 22. …………… A Taste of Tuscany

Multiple choice
7. Which restaurant serves an all-day breakfast including sausages, bacon and eggs?
 A. Last days of the Raj
B. A taste of Tuscany
C. Your local Caff
D. The Lemon Tree
8. Which restaurant serves hot and spicy food?
A. Last days of the Raj
B. A taste of Tuscany
C. Your local Caff
D. The lemon Tree
9. Which restaurant is good for people who don't eat meat?
A. Last days of the Raj
B. A taste of Tuscany
C. Your local Caff
D. The Lemon Tree
10. In which two restaurants can you listen to some great music?
A. Cheesy bites
B. Fast best
C. The chocolate box
D. Musical Chairs

Reading Passage 7
Read about a woman’s job as a Christmas elf! And fill in the gaps with the appropriate words
or phrases.
November a holiday resort wrap days got up uniform
dressed third Santa Christmas Christmas tree

A few years ago, I worked as an elf at (1) ………………….a holiday resort in Lapland, in the north of
Sweden. The resort was in a forest. Visitors and workers stayed in small wooden cabins all around
the forest. There was one large cabin where people ate meals. I started work there in mid (2)
………………….
November and stayed until just after Christmas.
Tourists used to stay at the resort for four (3) …………………...
days On the first day, they arrived
at the airport and travelled to the resort by coach. I didn’t have to work until the evening.
Sometimes I went skiing. Then, while the guests had their evening meal, I worked behind the desk
in reception. I helped people find their cabins, told them about the itinerary and sold tickets for
extra tours. I didn’t dress as an elf at that time; I wore the hotel (4) ………………….
uniform

On day 2, I and three other elves (5) ………………….

got up at about eight o’clock. Of course, it
was still dark at that time. In Lapland it gets light at about half past ten during the winter, and it
gets dark again soon after two o’clock. We (6) …………………. dressed in our elf costumes and drove
across the snow on skidoos to a cabin in the forest. Inside the cabin, there were huge presents and
huge tools. We had to (7) ………………….
wrap the presents and pretend to make toys with the tools.
There were mirrors in the cabin windows. These made us look very small. When tourists looked
through the windows, they saw tiny elves using normal-sized tools!
On the (8) ………………….
third day, we went to a different cabin – Santa’s cabin! This was the
day when the children finally met Father Christmas. The children would meet (9)
………………….
Santa and get a toy. Then they came into the elves’ workshop to meet us. This room
was full of toys and beautifully decorated with a Christmas tree. I and the other elves pretended
to make toys and chatted to the children in our own elf language.
The next day, the tourists went home and the next group arrived. I worked on reception again.
Working as an elf was great fun, and a magical way to spend (10) …………………...!
Christmas

Reading Passage 8

Digital Habits Across Generations

Today's grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media, but the different generations'
online habits couldn't be more different. The over-55s are joining Facebook in increasing numbers, meaning
that they will soon be the site's second biggest user group, with 3.5 million users aged 55–64 and 2.9 million
over-65s.
Sheila, aged 59, says, 'I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos
and photos of them. It's a much better way to see what they're doing than waiting for letters and photos in
the post. That's how we did it when I was a child, but I think I'm lucky I get to see so much more of their
lives than my grandparents did.'
Ironically, Sheila's grandchildren are less likely to use Facebook themselves. Children under 17 are
leaving the site – only 2.2 million users are under 17 – but they're not going far from their smartphones.
Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. 'It's my alarm clock so I have to,' she says. 'I look at it before
I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.'
Unlike her grandmother's generation, Chloe's age group is spending so much time on their phones at
home that they are missing out on spending time with their friends in real life. Sheila, on the other hand,
has made contact with old friends from school she hasn't heard from in forty years. 'We use Facebook to
arrange to meet all over the country,' she says. 'It's changed my social life completely.'
Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone and social media addiction as their
parents were the early adopters of the smartphone. Peter, 38 and father of two teenagers, reports that he
used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. 'I was always connected and I felt like I was always working,'
he says. 'How could I tell my kids to get off their phones if I was always in front of a screen myself?' So,
in the evenings and at weekends, he takes his SIM card out of his smartphone and puts it into an old-style
mobile phone that can only make calls and send text messages. 'I'm not completely cut off from the world
in case of emergencies, but the important thing is I'm setting a better example to my kids and spending more
quality time with them.'
Is it only a matter of time until the generation above and below Peter catches up with the new trend
for a less digital life?

Read the text and decide these sentences are True (T) or False (F)
 1. More people aged 55 or more use Facebook than people aged 65 or more……………...
T
2. Grandparents typically use Facebook less than their grandchildren. ……………...
F
3. Sheila feels grateful to social media. ……………...
T
4. Peter found his own smartphone use affected how he felt about how much his children used their
phones. ……………...
T
5. Peter has changed how much he uses his phone during the working day. ……………...
F
6. Peter feels that the changes make him a better parent. ……………...
T

Reading Passage 9

How to be a Safe and Smart Searcher

Several keywords will help to find better results. More than one keyword when you are
doing a search. If you want to find out about seagulls, for example, search for bird seagull and bot
just “seagull” + because seagull might also be the names of just anything else, from a hotel to a
documentary film.
Exact references can you find what you’re looking for. If you are looking for an exact phrase
or sentence, e.g. “seagulls are very clear”, type it between inverted commas (“”) and only exact
matches will be shown. This is useful when you want to find something you’ve already seen but
lost.
Avoid common words like ‘a’ or ‘the’ in a search. These aren’t always helpful and are
usually unnecessary.
Remove unwanted results by adding a minus symbol (-). For example, seagull-hotel-film
would leave out all references to hotels and films.
Check your spelling. Make sure that you spell every word in the search box correctly. The
smallest typing mistakes can bring unwanted results especially when the mistyped word exists.
Have a filter. It’s a good idea to filter your online searches, especially when you are
searching for pictures. Ask an adult to help you add a filtering system. There are lots of filtering
software options available.
Experiment with different search engines until you find the one that’s best for you. Some
search engines personalize the results, so check out the option of using a search engine that doesn’t
do this and you will get different results.
Reliability is very important when you are searching on the internet. Always ask yourself,
‘Is this reliable’ Don’t make the mistake of believing everything you see. Some websites are
unreliable and some information is false. Check your information on other websites before
accepting it.

Read the text and decide these sentences are True (T) or False (F)
1. You should only use one keyword in a single search. …………
F

2. Inverted commas are a useful way to find something you’ve already seen. …………
T
3. Words like ‘an’ are unhelpful in a search. …………
T
 4. If your keyword could refer to a lot of different things, you can’t avoid getting a long list
of results. …………
F

5. Small spelling mistakes aren’t important. …………

F

6. Filter software is especially important for image searches. …………

T

7. Some search engines give different results to different people. …………

T

8. Some websites contain false information. ………… T

Reading Passage 10
Read the text quickly and check the sentences True (T) or False (F).

Shanghai is sinking
Officials in Shanghai, the second biggest city in China, say they must reduce the
construction of new high-rise building. Over the last ten years, about 3,000 new buildings have
gone up, and there are plans for 2,000 more. Shanghai is growing faster than any other city in
history. It looks good, but now the weight of the concrete and steel is making the city sink. Many
parts are sinking more than a centimeter every year.
The tallest building in china is in Shanghai, and a building that will be the tallest in the
world is going up. It seems that planners are forgetting that the area was once a swamp. The rock
bed is about 300 meters below the surface and the land is very soft. Officials are worried about
what will happen to buildings that are already up and the city’s subway if construction continues.
Some of the subway tunnels are already changing shape.
The problem is the worst in the busy financial center, where there are huge skyscrapers on
what was farmland not long ago. A report says that land there sank nearly four centimeters last
year. Land around the tallest building sank nearly six centimeters.
Officials started to record changes in 1921, and they believe the city has sunk nearly two
meters since then. There is similar problem in Bangkok and Mexico City, and the people of
Shanghai need to understand that construction must slowdown. The officials hope to show them
how bad the problem is. However, with so many building already up it may be too late.

1. Shanghai used to be considered as a second largest city in China. ………….

F

2. The sinking of the city is the result of the heavy buildings. ………….
T

3. Shanghai has no the tallest building in China. ………….F

4. Soft soil is one of the problems that Shanghai is facing. ………….

T

5. All the construction is favorable for Shanghai’s subway. ………….F

6. Some parts of Shanghai are influenced heavily by the sinking problem compared to other
parts. ………….
T

7. The sinking problem only occurs in Shanghai. …………. F

8. Shanghai people have been aware of what problems that their city is facing. ………….
F

Reading Passage 11
 The Golden Age of Comics
The period from the late 1930s to the middle 1940s is known as the Golden Age of comic
books. The modern comic book came about in the early 1930s in the United States as a giveaway
premium to promote the sales of a whole range of household products such as cereal and cleansers.
The comic books, which were printed in bright colors to attract the attention of potential customers,
proved so popular that some publishers decided to produce comic books that would come out on
a monthly basis and would sell for a dime each. Though comic strips had been reproduced in
publication prior to this time, the Famous Funnies comic book, which was started in 1934, marked
the first occasion that a serialized book of comics was attempted.
Early comic books reprinted already existing comic strips and comics based on known
characters; however, publishers soon began introducing original characters developed specifically
for comic books. Superman was introduced in Action Comics in 1938, and Batman was introduced
a year later. The tremendous success of these superhero comic books led to the development of
numerous comic books on a variety of topics, though superhero comic books predominated.
Astonishingly, by 1945 approximately 160 different comic books were being published in the
United States each month, and 90 percent of U.S. children were said to read comic books on a
regular basis.

1. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that, at the beginning of the 1930s, comic books most likely
cost
A. nothing
B. 5 cents
C. 10 cents
D. 25 cents
2. Comic books would least likely have been used to promote
A. soap
B. cookies
C. jewelry
D. bread
3. It is implied in the passage that Famous Funnies
A. was a promotional item
B. appeared in a magazine
C. had been produced prior to 1934
D. was published on a regular basis
4. From the information in paragraph 2, it appears that Superman most likely
A. was introduced sometime after Batman
B. was a character that first appeared in a comic book
C. first appeared in Famous Funnies
 D. first appeared in a promotional comic strip
5. It is implied in paragraph 2 that it is surprising that
A. comic strips were more popular than comic books
B. superheroes were not too popular
C. 90 percent of U.S. children did not read comics
D. comic books developed so quickly

Reading Passage 12
Ketchup
The sauce that is today called ketchup (or catsup) in Western cultures is a tomato-based
sauce that is quite distinct from the Eastern ancestors of this product. A sauce called ke-tiap was
in use in China at least as early as the seventeenth century, but the Chinese version of the sauce
was made of pickled fish, shellfish, and spices. The popularity of this Chinese sauce spread to
Singapore and Malaysia, where it was kechap. The Indonesian sauce ketjab derives its name from
the same source as the Malaysian sauce but is made from very different ingredients. The
Indonesian ketjab is made by cooking black soy beans, fermenting them, placing them in a slat
brine for at least at week, cooking the resulting solution further, and sweetening it heavily; this
process results in a dark, thick, and sweet variation of soy sauce.
Early in the eighteenth century, sailors from the British navy came cross this exotic sauce
on voyages to Malaysia and Singapore and brought samples of it back to England on return
voyages. English chefs tried to recreate the sauce but were unable to do so exactly because key
ingredients were unknown or unavailable in England; chefs ended up substituting ingredients such
as mushrooms and walnuts in an attempt to recreate the special taste of the original Asian sauce.
Variations of this sauce became quite the rage in eighteen-century England, appearing in a number
of recipe books and featured as an exotic addition to menus from the period.
The English version did not contain tomatoes, and it was not until the end of the eighteen
century that tomatoes became a main ingredient, in the ketchup of the newly created United States.
It is quite notable that tomatoes were added to the sauce in that tomatoes had previously been
considered quite dangerous to health. The tomato had been cultivated by the Aztecs, who had
called it tomato; however, early botanists had recognized that the tomato was a member of the
Solanacaea family, which does include a number of poisonous plants. The leaves of the tomato
plant are poisonous, though of course the fruit is not.
[A] Thomas Jefferson, who cultivated the tomato in his garden at Monticello and served
dishes containing tomatoes at lavish feasts, often receives credit for changing the reputation of the
tomato. [B] Soon after Jefferson had introduced the tomato to American society, recipes combining
the newly fashionable tomato with the equally fashionable and exotic sauce known as ketchap
began to appear. [C] By the middle of the nineteenth century, both the tomato and tomato ketchup
were staples of the American kitchen. [D]
Tomato ketchup, popular though it was, was quite time-consuming to prepare. In 1876,
the first mass-produced tomato ketchup, a product of German-American Henry Heinz, went on
sale and achieved immediate success. From tomato ketchup, Heinz branched out into a number of
other products, including various sauces, pickles, and relishes. By 1890, his company had
expanded to include sixty-five different products but was in need of marketing slogan. Heinz
settled on the slogan “57 Varieties” because he liked the way that digits 5 and 7 looked in print, in
spite of the fact that this slogan understated the number of products that he had at the time.

1. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The different names of a sauce
B. The inventor of a recipe
D. The variation of the sauce
D. The history of a sauce
2. The word ancestors is closest in meaning to
A. predecessors
B. descendants
C. creators
D. ingredients
3. The word it in paragraph 1 refers to
A. a salt brine
B. a week
C. the resulting solution
D. this process
4. It is NOT stated in paragraph 1 that
A. the Chinese sauce was in existence in the seventeenth century
B. the Malaysian sauce was similar to the Chinese sauce
C. the Chinese sauce was made from seafood and spices
D. the Indonesian sauce was similar to the Chinese sauce
5. It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that mushrooms and walnuts were
A. difficult to find in England
B. not part of the original Asian recipe
C. not native to England
D. transported to England from Asia
6. The author mentions The English version at the beginning of paragraph 3 in order to
A. indicate what will be discussed in the coming paragraph
B. explain why tomatoes were considered dangerous
C. make a reference to the topic of the previous paragraph
D. provide an example of a sauce using tomatoes
7. According to paragraph 3, the tomato plant
A. was considered poisonous by the Aztecs
B. is related to some poisonous plants
C. has edible leaves
 D. has fruit that is sometimes quite poisonous
8. This passage would most likely be found in
A. an entertainment magazine
B. a novel
C. a popular science journal
D. a book of short stories

Reading Passage 13
Hermit crabs occupy the empty shells of dead sea snails for protection while still retaining
their mobility. They are capable of discriminating among a selection of shells of various sizes and
species, and they choose the one that fits the body most closely. Hermit crabs change shells as they
grow, although in some marine environments a large enough variety of shells may not be available
and the hermit crab may be forced to occupy a smaller-than-ideal "house." When a shell becomes
too small for the hermit crab to occupy, it will sometimes become aggressive and fight other hermit
crabs to gain a larger shell.
Hermit crabs may encounter empty shells in the course of their daily activity, but the vacant
shell is usually spotted by sight. The hermit crab's visual response increases with the size of an
object and its contrast against the background. The hermit crab then seizes the shell with its
walking legs and climbs on it, monitoring its size. If the size is right, the crab investigates its shape
and texture by rolling it over between its walking legs and running its claws over the surface. Once
the shell's opening has been located, the crab uses its claws to remove any foreign material before
preparing to enter. The crab rises above the opening, flexes its abdomen, and enters the shell
backward. The shell interior is monitored by the abdomen as the crab repeatedly enters and
withdraws. When completely satisfied with its new mobile home, the hermit crab will emerge one
last time, turn the shell over and make a final entrance.

1. According to the passage, hermit crabs occupy vacant shells for

A. mobility
B. flexibility
C. protection
D. discrimination
2. According to the passage, a hermit crab changes shells when it
A. outgrows the one it has
B. hunts for food
C. becomes aggressive
D. locates any vacant shell
3. According to the passage, the way in which hermit crabs locate empty shells is through which
of the following senses?
A. hearing
 B. touch
C. taste
D. sight
4. A crab investigates a vacant shell for all of the following EXCEPT
A. size
B. type
C. shape
D. texture
5. According to the passage, a hermit crab enters a new shell
A. head first
B. claws first
C. backward
D. with its walking legs
6. According to the passage, a hermit crab settles into its new "mobile home"
A. after entering and leaving several times
B. without inspecting the interior first
C. immediately after locating the shell opening
D. after fighting other hermit crabs for a larger shell

Reading Passage 14
Education was of primary importance to the English colonists and was conducted at home
as well as in established, schools. Regardless of geographic location or finances, most Americans
learned to read and compute numbers. For many, the Bible and other religious tracts were their
only books; however, the excellent language contained in such works usually made them good
primers. Many families owned one or more of Shakespeare's works, a copy of John Bunyan's
classic A Pilgrim's Progress, and sometimes collections of English literary essays, poems, or
historical speeches.
In 1647 the Massachusetts School Law required every town of at least 50 households to
maintain a grammar school. The law was the first to mandate public education in America. In the
middle colonies at the time, schools were often dependent on religious societies, such as the
Quakers and other private organizations. In the South, families employed private tutors or relied
on the clergy to conduct education. At the outset, most elementary schools were for boys, but
schools for girls were established in the eighteenth century in most cities and large towns. In spite
of the informal atmosphere of most American schools, the literacy rate in the colonies of mid-
eighteenth-century America was equal to or higher than in most European countries.
Before the American Revolution, nine colleges had been founded, including Harvard,
William and Mary, Yale, the College of New Jersey (now Princeton), Brown, Rutgers, Dartmouth,
and Kings College (later Columbia University)- By 1720 the natural sciences and modern
languages were being taught, as well as courses in practical subjects such as mechanics and
agriculture. At the end of the eighteenth century, medical schools were established at the College
of Philadelphia and at King's College.

1. According to the passage, most Americans learned how to

A. write
B. read
C. farm
D. speak a foreign language
2. According to the passage, all of the following sometimes substituted for school books EXCEPT
A. historical speeches
B. works of Shakespeare
C. literary essays
D. biographies
3. According to the passage, the Massachusetts School Law applied to every town with how many
households?
A. less than fifty
B. exactly fifty
C. fifty or more
D. fifteen
4. According to the passage, the middle colonies often depended upon which group to provide
education?
A. private organizations
B. colleges
C. established primary schools
D. businesses
5. According to the passage, who often conducted education in the South?
A. public school teachers
B. doctors
C. clergy
D. politicians
6. How well educated were Americans in comparison to most European countries?
A. much worse
B. the same or better
C. far better
D. less or equal
7. According to the passage, all the following subjects are mentioned as being taught in colleges
in the 1700s EXCEPT
A. languages
B. science
C. medicine
 D. economics

Reading Passage 15
The study of control processes in electronic, mechanical, and biological systems is known
as cybernetics. The word was coined in 1948 by the American mathematician Norbert Wiener
from the Greek word meaning pilot or steersman. Cybernetics is concerned with the analysis of
the flow of information in both living organisms and machines, but it is particularly concerned
with systems that are capable of regulating their own operations without human control.
Automatic regulation is accomplished by using information about the state of the end
product that is fed back to the regulating device, causing it to modify or correct production
procedures if necessary. The concept of feedback is at the very heart of cybernetics and is what
makes a system automatic and self-regulating. A simple example of a self-regulating machine is a
thermostat, which reacts to continual feedback about the outside temperature and responds
accordingly to achieve the temperature that has been programmed into it.
The applications of cybernetics are wide reaching, appearing in science, engineering,
technology, sociology, economics, education, and medicine. Computers can keep a patient alive
during a surgical operation, making instantaneous modifications based on a constant flow of
information. In education, teaching machines use cybernetic principles to instruct students on an
individual basis. In the home, automation is present in such everyday products as refrigerators,
coffeemakers, and dishwashers. In industry, automation is increasing its applications, although it
is currently applied primarily to the large-scale production of single units. In industries in which a
break in the flow of production can ruin the product, automatic controls are invaluable. Chemical
and petroleum plants are now almost completely automatic, as are industries involved in the
production of chemicals and atomic energy. Automation has become the answer when human
safety is the number one priority.

1. Cybernetics is the study of control processes in all of the systems EXCEPT

A. ecological
B. biological
C. mechanical
D. electronic
2. According to the passage, cybernetics is primarily concerned with systems that
A. are controlled by humans
B. analyze flaws of information
C. are self-regulating
D. have wide-reaching applications
3. According to the passage, how is automatic regulation accomplished?
A. By modifying and correcting production procedures
B. By feeding information to the regulatory device
 C. By analyzing the flow of information to the organism
D. By making modifications in cybernetic principles
4. According to the passage, what makes a system automatic and self-regulating?
A. information
B. production procedures
C. human control
D. feedback
5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an area in which cybernetics has applications?
A. Technology
B. Engineering
C. Philosophy
D. Education
6. According to the passage, automation in industry is primarily used in producing
A. large quantities of a single unit
B. everyday household products
C. small amounts of many different products
D. high-tech surgical instruments
7. According to the passage, automation is extremely important when the top priority is
A. efficiency
B. speed
C. convenience
D. safety

Reading passage 16

Read the following passage and choose the correct answers A, B, C or D to each question.
John Fisher, a builder, and his wife Elizabeth wanted more living space, so they left their small
flat for an old 40-metre-high castle tower. They have spent five years turning it into a beautiful
home with six floors, winning three architectural prizes.
“I love the space, and being private”, Elizabeth says. “You feel separated from the world. If
I’m in the kitchen, which is 25 meters above the ground floor, and the doorbell rings, I don’t have
to answer it because visitors can’t see I’m in!”
“There are 142 steps to the top, so if I go up and down five or six times a day, it’s very good
exercise! But having to carry heavy things to the top is terrible, so I never buy more than two bags
of shopping from the supermarket at a time. Apart from that, it’s a brilliant place to live.”
“When we first saw the place, I asked my father’s advice about buying it, because we couldn’t
decide. After paying for it, we were a bit worried because it looked awful. But we really loved it,
and knew how we wanted it to look.”
 “Living here can be difficult - yesterday I climbed a four-meter ladder to clean the windows.
But when you stand on the roof you can see all the way out to sea on a clear day, and that’s a
wonderful experience. I’m really glad we moved.”

1. What is the writer trying to do in the text?

A. describe how to turn an old tower into a house
B. recommend a particular builder
C. describe what it is like to live in a tower
D. explain how to win prizes for building work
2. From this text, a reader can find out
A why visitors are welcome at John and Elizabeth’s house.
B why Elizabeth goes shopping every day.
C why Elizabeth asked her father to buy the tower.
D why John and Elizabeth left their flat.
3. How long have they spent turning the old tower into a house?
A. 5 years
B. 25 years
C. 40 years
D. 142 years
4. How does Elizabeth feel about living in the castle tower?
A. scared
B. lonely
C. separated
D. awful
5. Why does Elizabeth think she doesn’t need to answer the doorbell when she is in the kitchen?
A. Because she is very busy.
B. Because the visitors can’t see whether she is in the kitchen or not.
C. Because the kitchen is too high from the ground floor.
D. Because the kitchen is separated from the world
6. What problem does Elizabeth have with living in such a tall building?
A. Her visitors find it difficult to see if she is at home.
B. She feels separated from other people.
C. She cannot bring home lots of shopping at once.
D. It is impossible to clean any of the windows.
7. Which sentence is true?
A. John won many architectural prizes before buying the castle tower.
B. John Fisher spent all his life to turn the old castle tower into a beautiful home.
C. Elizabeth felt worried after buying the castle tower.
D. Elizabeth didn’t like her tall building.
8. Which sentence is NOT true?
 A. John and Elizabeth bought the tower to have more living space.
B. In their tall building, the kitchen is 25 meters from the ground floor.
C. Elizabeth can do exercise a lot when she lived in her tall building.
D. Elizabeth wanted to buy the tower as soon as she saw it.

Reading Passage 17
Read the following emails. Who is each question about? Write the correct name (Jack, Marcy
Kathy, Daniel) in the blanks.

Addy’s advice
1. I have a big problem. It's my best friend. She doesn't really have any time for me these
days. I call her, and she can't talk. I text her, and she doesn't answer right away. I think it’s because
of her cat, Peaches. She got this little cat for her 30th birthday, and now she takes it everywhere.
She even dresses it in little sweaters and hats. I don't know what to do. Is it possible to be jealous
of a cat? - Jack
2. There's this new person at work. She works next to me and we get along, but she's always
asking me to do things for her. For example, she asks me to get her coffee when I get some for
myself. Or she drops by and asks me to copy things for her when she's "busy”.' She’s not my boss!
Should I just refuse to do things for her? I want to be nice, but I have to do my own work. Can you
help me, please? - Marcy
3. My lithe brother is driving me crazy. I’m 15, and he’s 10. He has his own Mends, but he
won't leave me and my friends alone. They come over a lot to study or just watch TV. He bothers
me and sometimes tells my friends things that are personal about me. Maybe he just wants
attention, but it's very annoying. He should just grow up! Anyway, I told my mom and dad, but
they say I need to solve the problem. - Kathy
4. I’m a neat person, and I used to live alone. I got a roommate a few months ago to help with
the rent. The problem is, my roommate is not like me at all. He never goes any chorea around the
house. He just sits around playing video games and watching TV. The apartment is always a mess,
and I’m the one who has to clean it up. I can’t count on him for anything. Should I just clean the
apartment myself? This is a big problem for me. – Daniel

1. Who lives with a messy person? ………………..

Daniel

2. Who is a teenager? ………………..

Kathy

3. Who is jealous of an animal? ………………..

Jack

4. Who is doing someone else's work? ………………..

Marcy

5. Who lived alone last year? ………………..

Daniel

6. Who mentions parents in the letter? ………………..

Kathy

7. Who has a problem with best friend? ………………..

Jack

8. Who has a problem with sibling conflict? ………………..

Kathy
Reading Passage 18
Read the passage, then write true (T) or false (F)

A Walk Across Japan

Mary King and Etsuko Shimabukuro completed a 7,974-killometer walk across Japan. Mary
takes our questions about their incredible accomplishment.
Why did you walk across Japan?
The mapmaker Indo Tadataka inspired me. He spent 17 years on and off walking through
Japan. He drew the country’s first real maps.
How long did it take?
A year and a half. We walked from the island of Hokkaido, in the north, down to Okinawa.
In Hokkaido, we walked about 40 kilometers a day, and on the other islands, about 30. We often
had no choice about the distance because we had to find a place to sleep.
Describe a typical day.
There really wasn't one, but we tried to start by 7: 00 a.m. and walk for 10 to 12 hours.
Sometimes we had breakfast on the road. We had to be careful in Hokkaido because the bears there
could smell our food. We saw bears twice, which was terrifying!
Did you walk every day?
No. We needed to do our laundry, check our email, and rest. Also, I wanted to interview
people for my blog.
What were some of the best parts?
There were many! We stayed in a haunted guesthouse, walked on fire at a festival, and visited
many wonderful hot springs.
Any low points?
You know, overall, we really enjoyed ourselves, but there were a lot of aches and pains along
the way. The traffic could be scary because there weren't always sidewalks for pedestrians.
Did you ever think about giving up?
No, we never wanted to stop. Actually, I was sad when it ended. I wanted to walk from
Okinawa back to Tokyo, but Etsuko said we had to accept that we accomplished our goal. It was
time to go home.
Would you do it over again?
Definitely. I'd love to retrace our steps when I'm 80. But I've also set myself the goal of
walking across the U.K. or India someday.

1. Both Mary King and Etsuko Shimabukuro answer the interview questions. F
2. Mary’s accomplishment is that she walked across Japan in 17 years. F
3. Mary walked across Japan with another person. T
4. Mary often had to walk between 30 to 40 kilometers to finish the trip on time. F
 5. When seeing bears, Mary felt terrified. T
6. Mary stopped during their walk across Japan to draw pictures and interview people. F
7. One of the interesting things in the journey is visiting a ghost house. T
8. The traffic was scary because there were too many pedestrians on the sidewalks. F
9. Mary sometimes wanted to stop, but Etsuko said they had to accomplish their goal. F
10. Mary wanted to walk across India someday. T

Reading Passage 19
Read the following text and complete it using the words given in the word box.

door restaurant didn’t invitations unfortunately

listened thought doorbell graduated having

Embarrassing Moments

When I ……………….
graduated (1) from college last year, I had three parties: one that we planned
and two that we ………………. (2) plan!
didn't

My brother Ted emailed the ……………….

invitations (3) to 20 of our friends, but he got confused and
said that the party was on June 25th, not June 26th. While I was reading his email later that day, I
saw his mistake. Ted was working late that night, ……………….
unfortunately (4), some of our friends didn't
read the emails carefully.
Ted and I were……………….
having (5) dinner at my house on Friday, June 25th, when we heard
the doorbell. When we opened the ……………….
door (6), we saw six of our friends. They looked
confused when they saw our surprise. Ted was embarrassed at first, but then we told them what
had happened, and everyone thought it was really amusing! We didn't have enough food for
everyone, so we ordered pizzas from a ……………….
restaurant (7) near our house. We talked, told jokes,
watched a movie, and had a great time!
The next evening, we had the real party! Sixteen of our friends were there —including our
friends from the night before. This time we had Chinese food. We danced and ……………….
listened (8)
to music, and everyone went home after midnight.
When I woke up on Sunday morning, I……………….thought (9), "Hmm. Four of our friends said
they were coming, but they weren't at the party last night. I hope they weren't confused by the
second ……………….
doorbell (10) rang. I opened the door, and ... you guessed it! There were our four
missing friends, ready for a party. I called Ted at his apartment. He ran to his car, drove to a
Mexican restaurant, and ordered some tacos while I got ready for party number three!
— Sarah, New York, NY
Reading Passage 20
Read the following passage and choose the correct answers A, B, C or D to each question.

USA Teen Summer Camps

1. Zion National Park
Zion National Park has deep canyons and huge red cliffs, and is the most incredible place to
go rock-climbing. This is the toughest, most exhilarating activity on offer - and it's enormous fun,
too! Our instructors teach you how to climb - then you're on your own! After everyone's reached
the top of the cliff, we just zip back down again on ropes in a matter of minutes. If you're a thrill-
seeker, you'll adore the adrenaline rush! To chill out, we'll then go tubing gently down the river in
inflatable donuts.
2. Las Vegas
Las Vegas is the coolest place ever! We'll be staying at the famous Hotel Circus-Circus, where
acrobats and trapeze artists perform around the clock! Right beside the hotel, you'll find the
Adventure dome, an indoor theme park with the most fantastic roller coaster, guaranteed to make
you scream! We take in the bright lights, casinos and shops at Caesar's Palace, and stop by the
luxurious Bellagio hotel, featured in many Hollywood films, with its fabulous dancing fountains.
3. Lower Kern
Lower Kern is our next destination and white-water rafting is on the menu! We each take an
oar as we shoot the rapids. It's a real white-knuckle ride and a must for anyone who enjoys getting
wet!
4. Sequoia National Forest
Sequoia National Forest is a magical place. It's home to the oldest living trees on Earth, the
giant sequoias, whose ancestors have been around for 175 million years! Sequoias are mighty tall.
In fact, the General Sherman Tree is the largest living organism on Earth. It stands at over 1486.6
meters! You'll see plenty of amazing wildlife in the forest, not all of it friendly! You'll need to use
bear boxes to store provisions, as bears are curious and have huge appetites!
5. Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is one of the greatest wildernesses on Earth. Set on the slopes of the
Sierra Nevada mountains, the park has spectacular cliffs, huge waterfalls and clear mountain
streams. We visit the fantastic Yosemite Valley, which was carved out by an enormous glacier.
After a coach drive through the park, we'll take a hike past awesome waterfalls and through the
largest sub-alpine meadow in the Sierra. Prepare for cool mountain air and the most stunning
sunsets you've ever seen!
In Santa Cruz, our next stop, you can learn the art of surfing. We wake early to hit the best
waves of the day. Later, we chill out in this typical California beach town, complete with
boardwalk and rides. Then, it's off to Muir Woods, where we get a chance to give something back
to the National Parks by planting notice species or helping maintain trails.
 We finish our holiday with a sightseeing trip round San Francisco. Then, sadly, it’s back to
the airport, after the most incredible summer of adventure.
Price includes: two leaders, airport pick-up and drop-off, camping equipment, all activities
and gear listed in the itinerary, all meals.

1 Where can you go for a walk in grassy fields surrounded by mountains?

A. Muir Woods
B. Yosemite Valley
C. Zion National Park
D. San Francisco
2 Which objects are essential in Sequoia National Forest?
A. food containers
B. emergency weapons
C. bear cages
D. D protective clothes
3 Where can you have a hair-raising time paddling down a fast-flowing river?
A. Muir Woods
B. Yosemite National Park
C. Santa Cruz
D. Lower Kern
4 Which is the most difficult but exciting of all Bold West's activities?
A. hiking
B. rafting
C. rock-climbing
D. surfing
5 Which of the following is not included in the price?
A. climbing equipment
B. the air fare
C. food
D. tents
6 Where can you be entertained by people doing tricks, twenty-four hours a day?
A. Hotel Circus-Circus
B. the Bellagio Hotel
C. Caesar's Palace
D. Santa Cruz
7 What does the itinerary say you can see at the Bellagio?
A. a celebrated shopping mall
B. a well-known casino
C. a beautiful lake
D. a spectacular water feature
8 Where can you take part in a relaxing water activity?
A. Muir Woods
B. Zion National Park
C. Sequoia National Forest
D. Las Vegas