C1.

READING COMPREHENSION B

1 Read an article about culture shock. Then choose the best summary statement (a-h) for each paragraph (1-5). There are three
extra statements you do not need to use.

Culture shock: 5 things you should know

Culture shock isn´t just about feeling homesick when you experience a different culture; it can affect you in many ways. You
may experience headaches, stomach ache, insomnia, and irritability. To help avoid these negative effects, here are some
things you should know.
(1) ____________________
It is never simple to settle into a new culture as you need to learn the language, make new friends, and get to know more
about the customs, the timetables, the weather and the food. These may be quite different to what you’re used to, so it´s no
surprise that you´ll feel a bit disoriented at first. These initial feelings will pass as you grow in confidence, pick up more of the
language and find out how to get around. You´ll soon begin to settle in and enjoy this new culture.
(2) ____________________
At first you might be shocked at how different the new culture is and you´ll probably have certain expectations. For example,
there may be very different attitudes to punctuality, physical contact or personal hygiene, and people may dress differently
and have different rules about smoking and drinking in public. Try not to be too critical and to accept these differences.
(3) ____________________
Before you go, you should ensure you can keep in touch with all those you will be missing back home. If you don´t want to run
up enormous bills, get a new SIM card for your mobile and SKYPE. If you’re using a video conference programme, make sure
your dear ones also have it and know how to use it. You had also better get a travel adapter to plug in your appliances and
chargers.
(4) ____________________
Culture shock is often experienced in phases. The initial excitement and novelty of experiencing a new culture is often
replaced by a phase of anxiety and general frustration with the new environment and the people within it. In the last phase,
you´ll hopefully become more tolerant of the second culture and accept the limitations of your culture back home. Soon you
should get a more balanced view of the two cultures and your position within them.
(5) ____________________
On returning home from abroad you´ll probably feel happy and relieved to see familiar surroundings and faces again. However,
you may go through culture shock again and it is typical to develop a negative outlook towards your first culture not long after
coming back. This is normal as we search for our identity and increase intercultural understanding.

a. Do expect to experience contradictory feelings.

b. Do not assume everything will be better than home.
c. Don’t make fast assumptions and stay open-minded.
d. Going through different stages will help you get used to the new culture.
e. Stop missing your own culture as soon as possible.
f. The shock might be worse than you expected.
g. You may feel initially confused but this will change over time.
h. You will feel homesick so plan how to cope with it prior to moving.
5 marks
C1.1

2 Read an article about the growing gap between the rich and the poor in the world. Complete each gap (1-10) with one suitable
word from the list supplied below. There are five words you do not need to use.

Growing economic divide in the UK

Forbes magazine suggests that there are 447 billionaires in the world whose estimated combined wealth is more than that of the total
incomes of at least fifty percent of the world’s population. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD), this gap between the world’s rich and poor is (1) ______ widening. The growing wealth divide is no less prevalent within the United
Kingdom where, in this time of financial uncertainty, crisis and austerity (2) ______, money is accumulated in the hands of a few.

Evidence of the UK’s wealth gap has been revealed in a report by the Social Market Foundation which looked at the incomes and bank
(3)_____ of thousands of people. It discovered that there was an increase of 64% in the wealth of the richest one-fifth of families between
2005 and 2013. This group now have investments of around £10,000 compared with £6,000 seven years earlier. At the same time, the
poorest 20% of families are less (4) ______ than they were in 2005 with their net wealth falling by 57%.

Age was also found to have an impact on financial inequality in the UK. Home owners who had paid off their mortgages before the crisis
are much better off. On the other hand, the (5) ______ earned by those aged between 26 and 35 have fallen sharply. This group are less
likely to be home owners with the proportion of people buying homes within this age (6) ______ falling from three-quarters in 2005 to
around half in 2013. This age bracket have little money saved but greater (7) ______, and are more dependent on overdrafts from banks.
Their economic position is less certain and in an era in which there has been an explosion in the amount of non-standard work, they are
more likely to have precarious short-term contracts.

A United Nations report also (8) ______ growing inequality in the UK, revealing that Britain is now the most unequal country in the Western
world. It argues that the gap between the rich and the poor is as great as in Nigeria and that the poor in Britain have similar incomes as
their equivalents in Hungary and Korea. It also shows that the poorest 40 per cent of Britons share a lower proportion of the national
wealth – approximately 15% - than any other Western country while the richest fifth have incomes that are on (9) ______ 10 times as high
as the poorest fifth.

Many economists now believe that such inequality is an obstacle to economic growth and prosperity. The OECD recommends that
governments should (10) ______ more in skills, education and promoting better quality jobs. This, it is hoped, will raise the living standards
for the poorest 40%, which in turn would lead to a growth in overall national income.

amount average complaint debt forever

highlights invest measures media poor

range savings spend wages well-off

5 marks

TOTAL READING: 10 MARKS