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Brush Up On Your Use of English Skills For Advanced
Brush Up On Your Use of English Skills For Advanced
Advanced
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Part 1
Phonetics
Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that
of the others)
1. A. rough B. tough C. cough D. though
2. A. healthy B. whom C. honest D. heal
3. A. impaired B. performed C. produced D. designed
4. A. supposedly B. markedly C. allegedly D. determinedly
5. A. prohibit B. co-exist C. frozen D. notify
6. A. children B. charity C. charm D. champagne
7. A. teenage B. luggage C. manage D. damage
8. A. invited B. crooked C. mentioned D. learned
9. A. throw B. brow C. slow D. crow
10. A. change B. hungry C. stronger D. Single
11. A. met B. effort C. chemistry D. explain
12. A. passion B. pleasure C. decision D. measure
13. A. easy B. ear C. lean D. eat
14. A. audible B. audience C. laundry D. draughty
15. A. species B. pollute C. accept D. receipt
16. A. school B. balloon C. flood D. moon
17. A. clerk B. terse C. term D. jerk
18. A. fly B. daggy C. extremity D.extraordinary
19. A. comb B. climb C. debt D. cable
20. A. neighbour B. height C. sleigh D. weight
21. A. theme B. there C. thin D. thank
22. A. nicest B. largest C. hottest D. best
23. A. cook B. blood C. school D. look
24. A. wants B. says C. increase D. laughs
25. A. of B. cafe' C. knife D. leaf
26. A.locate B. decorate C. nominate D. private
27. A. architect B. parachute C. choir D. psychology
28. A. pens B.walks C. cups D. students
29. A. much B. autumn C. sunny D. summer
30. A . wrong B. two C. windy D. wrist
31. A. chalice B. challenge C. choice D. chemist
32. A. leather B. tea C. lead D. leave
33. A allegedly B confusedly C supposedly D wickedly
34. A. decline B. body C. gradual D. dependen
35. A. finger B. sniff C. offspring D. of
36. A. searches B. edges C. measures D. cadges
37. A. mow B. bowler C. sow D. vow
38. A. would B. south C. count D. mouth
39. A. children B. divorce C. married D. present
40. A. rhyme B. behind C. hundred D. here
41. A. smoothly B. three C. enthusiasm D. think
42. A. missing B. scissors C. messenger D. massage
43. A. twinkle B. twelve C. twin D. twofold
44. A. none B. ink C. blown D. brand
45. A. because B. nurse C. horse D. promise
46. A. speak B. need C. heart D. read
47. A. school B. scholarship C. chemistry D. children
48. A. scheme B. church C. cheese D. child
49. A. exterminate B. expert C. extinct D. extinguish
50. A. photograph B. phobia C. Stephen D. Philippine
Choose the word whose stress pattern is different from that of the others
1. A. possibility B. disappointed C. manufacture D. instrument
2. A. environment B. mystery C. contribute D. terrific
3. A. influential B. creative C. introduction D. university
4. A. disappearance B. sympathetic C. capacity D. conversation
5. A. argument B. achievement C. Involvement D. confinement
6. A. gravity B. deposit C. pyramid D. colorful
7. A. industrial B. exhibition C. preparation D. decoration
8. A. argument B. reject C. attract D. install
9. A. librarian B. religious C. commercial D. Japanese
10. A. experiment B. fabulous C. merchandise D. influence
11. A. decorate B. disappoint C. festival D. primary
12. A. historic B. economic C. afternoon D.entertainment
13. A. remove B. cancel C. copy D. answer
14. A. Japanese B. engineer C. practical D.questionnaire
15. A. benefit B. environment C. wonderful D. category
16. A. different B. tradition C. opera D. capital
17. A. environment B. difficulty C. inhabitant D. community
18. A. impossible B. entertainment C. adorable D. ability
19. A. counterpart B. precede C. nursery D. compliment
20. A. tsunami B. terrorist C. involvement D. disaster
21. A. demolish B. substantial C. dramatic D. terrorist
22. A. surplus B. surface C. surgeon D. surprise
23. A. disappear B. precision C. mechanic D. discover
24. A. empty B. relate C. suggest D. effect
25. A. sample B. behave C. replace D. parade
26. A. industrial B. infallible C. intimacy D. intensity
27. A. enough B. aware C. support D. swallow
28. A. alcohol B. legendary C. prominent D. legitimate
29. A. industry B. memory C. ambiguous D. advertise
30. A. tunnel B. nightmare C. retain D. thesis
31. A. popular B. politics C. exciting D. origin
32. A. characterize B. absence C. datum D. charcoal
33. A. parachute B. armchair C. accent D. accidentally
34. A. deficiency B. psychology C. ecological D. competitor
35. A.exercise B.refusal C.collective D.abundant
36. A. photochemical B. trigonometry C. dramatically D. alphabetical
37. A. bigoted B. perpetrate C. relativism D.picturesquely
38. A. diligent B. dimension C. action D. armchair
39. A. terrible B. family C. relaxing D. popular
40. A. consciousness B. ecotourism C. biosphere D. confirm
41. A. curriculum B. grammatical C. repetitious D. historical
42. A. preparation B. apology C. geography D. experience
43. A. university B. punctuality C. agricultural D.mathematician
44. A. obligatory B. geographical C. international D.undergraduate
45. A. architectural B. cosmopolitan C. appreciative D. archeologist
46. A. mausoleum B. conservative C. disqualify D. magnificant
47. A. document B. develop C. opponent D. astonish
48. A. Magazine B. returnee C. misfortune D. monomania
49. A. forgettable B. philosophy C. humanism D. objectively
50. A. redundant B. officer C. unique D. suspect
Multiple choice: lexico-grammar
1 After the playwright rewrote the script, the story began to take _____.
A. set B. form C. shape D. part
2 Anyone who criticises the lead is simply asking for ______ .
A. trouble B. pain C. difficulty D. discomfort
3 Don't worry, you'll do splendidly tonight - just go out there and break a
_____.
A. limp B. leg C. mould D. step
4 Sophie was feeling a bit _____ on her luck after not getting the part, so
Frank bought her lunch.
A. down B. under C. below D. behind
5 The play is simply a vehicle for its stars and falls _____ of having a decent
plot.
A. fast B. short C. quick D. thin
6 Anna's friend knew the casting director, so she pulled a few _ to arrange an
audition.
A. ropes B. wires C. threads D. strings
7. General Custer was confident of victory despite being vastly _____ by the
enemy.
A outnumbered B outclassed C overcome D. overtaken
8. The ministry refused to ______ the figures to the press.
A. release B. leak C. show D. add
9. Steve ______ his chances of passing by spending too much time on the
first question.
A. threw out B. threw off C. threw away D. threw in
10. Mr Jones gave his sons some money to ______ them up in business.
A. get B. set C. put D. make
11. ______ comes a time when you have to make a decision and stick to it.
A. It B. Therefore C. There D. That
12. James had, _____, saved the manuscript of his first novel from the
burning house.
A. lastly B. at last C. lately D. at least
13. Mr Nixon refused to answer the questions on the _____ that the matter
was confidential.
A. reasons B. excuses .C grounds D. foundations
14. As they came under heavy fire, the captain ordered his men to ______.
A. fall away B. fall back C. fall over D. fall out
15. Our main ______ is to reduce debt by cutting costs.
A. objective B. decision C. resolution D. desire
16. The discovery of penicillin was a significant medical ______.
A revolution B innovation C novelty D breakthrough
17. Employers are not allowed to discriminate against an applicant because
of their social or financial _______.
A. past B. background C. history D. precedent
18. It's important to project a(n) ______ image during the interview.
A. upbeat B. positive C. optimistic D. cheerful
19. Aspirin was used as a medicine as far ______ as the 5th century BC.
A. back B. beyond C. behind D. before
20. Competitive ______ is an essential requirement for success in the
entertainment industry.
A. mind B. thought C. spirit D. soul
21. The brochure stated the hotel was situated ______ beside the sea.
A direct B precise C right D exact
22. There is a wide ______ of options to choose from with something to suit
all tastes.
A. degree B. variance C. scale D. range
23. They say he inherited his money from a ______ relative he had never
met.
A. faraway B. remote C. distant D. slight
24. Carrie doesn't do her own washing, she ________ her little sister to do it
for her.
A. makes B. gets C. lets D. puts
25. You must complete the Business _____ course satisfactorily before you
can progress to the third year programme.
A. Morals B. Values C. Rights D. Ethics
26. For the _____ of rewiring your home, hiring an electrician is a wise
move.
A. aim B. purpose C. object D. intention
27. He agreed to give me his car for the weekend on _____ that I helped him
write his essay.
A. condition B. term C. rule D. decree
28. The Beatles remain hugely popular among the ______ and the old alike.
Ex 3
Civets look like small, gingery-brown cats with long ringed tails, their coats
covered with blurred darker blotches, and curious protuberant amber-
coloured eyes with vertical pupils (1)______ give them a faintly reptilian
look. I had collected Potsil in West Africa when he was (2) _____born and
still blind. As (3)_____ as his eyes opened and he got his milk (4)_____, I
realised I was rearing a monster. Potsil lived to eat and would fall (5)_____
anything, living or dead, that came within reach. He carried the textbook
definition of 'omnivorous' to untold lengths. There was nothing he would not
throw (6)_____ onto with screams of joy, even if it were some revolting
'titbit rejected by every other species as being inedible. His greatest ambition
in life was to consume a human (7)_____— a task he did not feel was
(8)______ his abilities. This made cleaning out his cage a hazardous activity,
for though he looked lethargic he could move like lightning when spurred on
by his gastric juices
Ex 4:
Vitamins are substances required for the proper functioning of the body. In
this century, thirteen vitamins have been discovered .
A lack of any vitamins in a person’s body can cause illness. In some cases,
an excess of vitamins can also (1) _____to illness. For example, sailors in
the past were prone to suffer from scurvy (2) _____is a disease resulting
from the lack of vitamin C. It causes bleeding of the gum, loss of teeth and
skin rashes. Sailors suffer from scurvy because they did not eat fruits and
vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C ,which is necessary for
good (3)_____.
Ex 5:
Ex 6:
Though the evolution and domestication of the dog have long been studied,
the story is (1) _____ no means fully understood as (2) ______. There are
currently more than thirty species of Canidae, the dog-like animals (3) _____
include wolves and coyotes, jackals and foxes, but the Grey Wolf, Canis
Lupus, is the domestic dog’s sole wild ancestor and cousin, and it (4) _____
exists.
Ex 7:
A cup of coffee, like any (1) _____ experience, can be enriched by selection
and consciousness. "No beans about it," the best coffee decisions (2) _____
the ones most pleasant to one's own palate - the selection of one's coffee is a
matter of personal preference. Choosing coffee beans can also be a
perplexing experience, (3) _____ there is a huge range of coffee types and
beans blends from all around the world. The final flavour and quality
involves many complex factors, beginning with the coffee seed, the beans'
botanics, a wide variety of soil and climate conditions, cultivation altitudes,
and the care (4) _____ in harvesting the beans. Raw green coffee beans are
then subjected (5) _____ many influencing factors, including various
processing, production, roasting, blending and brewing methods. On a global
note, (6) _____ many species and varieties of coffee trees from different
areas of the world also offer their own distinctive flavours. There are more
than forty-five coffee-exporting countries - all of (7) _____ use different
classification systems - that supply the world with coffee beans, in sizes
ranging over sixty known species of coffee plants. No wonder coffee can
involve a puzzling java jargon! Fortunately, the world's coffee nomenclature,
from mountain to market, can be classified (8) _____ simple categories. This
briefly outlines the basics of bean botanics, coffee cultivation and
processing, and global classifications used by the coffee trade and coffee-
producing countries.
Ex 8:
Ex 1:
The process of making rain is simpler than you might think. As warm,
moisture-laden air (1) ______ from the surface of the earth, it cools and
some of the air (2) ______ into tiny droplets that eventually become clouds.
These droplets form around the microscopic particles such as dust and
smoke which are (3) ______. in the air.
The science of weather modification is now big (4) ______. Using radar and
sensitive equipment that (5) _______. atmospheric changes, weather
modifiers fly above or below the clouds and spray them with billions of
minute particles known as seeding agents. These particles either fall into
clouds or are wafted into them from below by warm (6) ______ They then
‘attract’ tiny water droplets which (7) ______ around each one.
When enough droplets are attached, precipitation — the third and final (8)
_______. in the process which returns water to the earth's surface — occurs,
and it rains. It may take as many as a million droplets to form a single
raindrop. If the clouds contain ice crystals, the results are similar, but now
snow will form instead of rain.
Ex 2:
There can be no (1) ______ that online shopping is of huge benefit to the
consr.nner. Far from becoming (2) ______ online shoppers are very demanding.
Overpriced merchants with poor services should beware. Gone are the days
when stores could charge what they liked for goods and get away with it. The
same. too. for shady manufac-turers: smarter consumers know which products
have a good (3) ______ and which do not. because online they now read not
only the sales (4) ______ but also reviews f rom previous purchasers. And if
customers are disappointed, a few (5) ______ of the mouse will take them to
places where they can let the world know. Nowadays there is nothing more
damning than a flood of negative comments on the internet.
However, the big boys, as always, are ahead of the game. Some companies are
already adjusting their business models to take account of these trends. The
stores run by Sony and Apple, for instance, are more like brand showrooms than
shops. They are there for people to try out (6) ______ and to ask questions to
knowledgeable staff. Whether the products are ultimately bought online or
offline is of secondary importance.
Online traders must also adjust. Amazon, for one, is (7)______ turning lrom
being primarily a bookseller to becoming a (8) ______ retailer by letting other
companies sell products on its site, rather like a marketplace. During America's
Thanksgiving weekend last November, Amazon's sales of consumer electronics
in the United States (9) ______ its book sales for the first time in its history.
Other transformations in the retail business are (10) ______ to follow.
Ex 3:
People spend about one-third of their lives asleep. It seems certain ,therefore,
that sleep has a vital function. However, what that function might be is still in
(1)_______. Scientists are far from being in agreement about (2)______ why so
much of our precious time is given over to sleep. There seem to be three main
theories. The most popular states that the functions and (3)_______ of sleep are
primarily physiological. It claims that we sleep in order to (4) the health of our
body. In other words, biological processes work hard as we sleep to repair any
damage done during the day and to restore ourselves to (5)______ efficiency.
However, a second theory places more emphasis on the learning benefits of
sleep. This theory holds that sleep allows us to process the information that we
(6)______ during the day, and asserts that , without sleep, learning would not
take place. A third popular theory is (7) on ideas about energy, saying that we
need (8)______ of sleep in order to, in a sense, recharge our batteries and so
have an adequate supply of energy for the coming day.
1. A discussion B. dispute C argument D debate
Ex 4:
In 1979, hours after having run the New York Marathon, the former Olympic
champion Chris Brasher wrote an article for The Observer newspaper which
began: "To believe this story you must believe that the human race is one
joyous, happy family, working together, laughing together, (1) ______the
impossible. Last Sunday, in one of the most trouble-stricken cities in the world,
11,532 men and women from 40 countries in the world, assisted by over a
million black, w hite and yellow people, laughed, cheered and suffered during
the greatest folk festival the world has seen."Enchanted with the sight of people
coming together for such an occasion, he concluded by questioning " ... whether
London could (2)_______ such a festival?" Within months the London
Marathon was born, with Brasher making trips to America to study the race
organisation and finance of big city marathons such as New York and Boston,
the oldest in the world. He (3)_______ a contract with Gillette worth £50,000,
established the organisation's charitable (4)_______, and (5)________ down six
main aims for the event, which he not only hoped would echo the scenes he had
witnessed in New York, but also put Britain firmly on the (6) _______ as a
country capable of organising major events. His vision was realised on March
29th 1981 , with the (7)_______ London Marathon (8) _______ to be an instant
success. More than 20,000 people applied to run : 7,747 were accepted and
6,255 crossed the finish line on Constitution Hill as cheering crowds lined the
route.
Ex 5:
The history of air power has been much confused, both by the glamour
surrounding flight and by a lack in the past of (1) ______ perspective on the
part of its proponents. To pierce this confusion, we must examine the context
(2) ______ which the airplane first flew. Its arrival (3) ______ with the
beginning of (4) ______ industrialisation and with the closure of frontiers in the
United States, Russia, Australia, South Africa, and South America. Humans
were now confined to know geographic boundaries and their frustrations were
accentuated by the stalemate of the First World War when airmen – the
romantic frontiersmen of the day – appeared to be as free as the birds. Man had
(5) ______ the air in 1890s, just after the tabloid newspapers of the sensational
(6) ______ pages were started. This, and the fact that flying (7) ______ with the
cinema and shared its young heroes in the 1920s with radio, made glamorisation
inevitable. Flying somehow fit into each nation’s idealised characteristics. In
America, the Wright brothers were upper-class theoretical and practical
mechanics; (8) ______, pioneer fliers were more often gentry, manufacturers,
or engineers as in Britain, France and Russia, or even nobility as in Germany
and Japan.
2. A. from B. on C. in D. by
Ex 6:
Ex 7:
In one study, volunteers assessed athletes' faces as they waited for their medals.
In particular, they looked out for athletes with a tuchenne smile', which is
thought to show happiness and is (4) _______ by a raising of the mouth and a
crinkling round the eyes. Gold medal winners were rated as happiest, but those
in second place seemed less happy than bronze medallists. Researchers also
found that the (5) _______ by which a medal was won or lost appeared
important: silver medallists who (6) _______ lost out on gold were significantly
less happy than those who only just beat the third-placed athlete.
Do silver medallists (7) _______ on how they might have won gold, whereas
bronze medallists just feel lucky to win something? We can't be sure, but
researchers think comparative performance may greatly affect the (8) _______
of happiness.
Ex 8:
The shark is a meat- eating fish and one of the most feared animals of the sea.
Scientists (1)______ about 250 species of fish as sharks. These fish live in
oceans (2)_____ the world, but they are most common in warm seas.
Sharks (3)________ greatly in size and habits. Whale sharks, the largest kind of
shark, may grow 60 feet long. A whale shark weighs up to 15 tons, more than
twice (4) ______much as an African elephant. The smallest shark may (5)_____
only 4 inches long and weigh less than 1 ounce. Some kinds of sharks live in the
depths of the ocean, but (6)______ are found near the surface. Some species
live in coastal waters, but others (7)______ far out at sea. A few species can
even live in (8)______ water.
All sharks are carnivores (meat- eaters). Most of them eat (9)______ fish,
including other sharks. A shark’s only natural enemy is a large shark. Sharks eat
their prey whole, or they tear off large chunks of flesh. They also (10)______on
dead or dying animals.
4. A. as B. so C. very D. exactly
Reading Comprehension
Ex 1:
After a bumpy 225km drive from a meagre airstrip in Tindouf, south western
Algeria, a sprawling single-story town begins to emerge from the desert’s dust.
As the sun climbs in the cloudless sky, visitors are rewarded with their first
glimpse of Dakhla refugee camp. It isn’t the most obvious setting for a film
festival, but for seven years, just before the glitz and glamour of Cannes, the
Sahrawi people of Dakhla have hosted actors and film-makers from around the
world for this six-day event. This year, for the first time, direct flights were laid
on from London, giving the opportunity for overseas visitors to play a part in
this extraordinary occasion. But despite the energy and excitement, the
background to the film festival is a serious one, as the Sahrawi people have
been living for thirty years in this isolated desert outpost, having been forced to
flee their native Western Sahara.
Western Sahara, Africa’s last colony, was taken over by Morocco when the
Spanish withdrew in 1976, despite a ruling from the International Court of
Justice. This was followed by a brutal 16-year war, during which time tens of
thousands of Sahrawis fled across the Algerian border to refugee camps. In
1991, a ceasefire agreement was drawn up, in which a referendum on self-
determination was promised to decide the fate of the country and its people.
However, almost twenty years later, the gears of diplomacy have turned slowly
and nothing has happened. Meanwhile the refugees have been left stranded in
five refugee camps dotted around the vast, inhospitable desert.
Dakhla, home to nearly 30,000 of these refugees, is the most remote of these
camps, being located 175 km from the nearest city. Unlike its namesake, the
beautiful coastal city in Western Sahara, this Dakhla has no paved roads and is
entirely dependent on outside supplies for food and water. Temperatures
regularly top 120 degrees, there is minimal vegetation and there are frequent
sandstorms. Locally it is known as the Devil’s Garden. Despite these obvious
setbacks, the town is clean and well organised, with wide sandy streets. Houses
and tents are grouped in neat family compounds. There are hospitals, funded by
aid agencies, and a good standard of education. For the duration of the festival,
an articulated lorry is parked in the central compound, and a multiplex-sized
screen is mounted on its side. Around it are stalls and tents housing workshops
and exhibitions.
The aim of the festival is to raise international awareness on the plight of the
refugees. However, it also offers a rare chance for the refugees to go to the
movies and experience some educational opportunities. It is hoped that it might
foster a new generation of Sahrawi film-makers, especially as this year, the
festival also celebrated the opening of a permanent film, radio and television
school in a neighbouring camp.
The program of films for this year included over forty films from around the
world. Films range from international blockbusters to various works on and by
the Sahrawi people. The themes mostly centre on experiences of struggle and
hope, but there were lighter moments, such as an animated film for the children
and a flash of Rachel Weisz’s naked bottom during the ancient Egyptian epic
Agora which proved to be a highlight for many older boys. However, the
runaway favourite was ‘a Victime’, a documentary about Ibrahim Leibeit, a 19-
year-old Sahrawi who lost his leg to a land mine last year.
Films are screened at night, so the daytime is taken up with exhibitions, camel
races and football matches. One afternoon the London-based charity
‘Sandblast’ put on a joint workshop with a film-maker, giving refugees the
opportunity to learn about filmmaking and create their own video messages.
These were put online so that their extended families in Western Sahara, from
whom they have been separated for more than 33 years, could watch them.
Helen Whitehead, a film-maker from London said, ‘Working together really
broke down language and cultural barriers. It was very rewarding, and we came
across some real talent.’
More than 500 visitors flew into Tindouf on charter planes and braved the rough
drive to the settlement. All the visitors to the festival stay with Sahrawi families,
sharing their homes and partaking of their food. Living with these displaced
people gives overseas participants an invaluable insight into the conditions in
which the refugees live. Alongside the film buffs there are real celebrities such
as actors Victoria Demayo and Helena Olano. They are mostly B and C listers
from the Spanish film industry, although the real stars do take an interest.
Director Javier Cardozo was a visitor last year, and Penelope Cruz is a long-
term supporter, but pulled out of attending the festival this year at the last
minute. Will the celebrity backing make a difference to the plight of the
refugees? Possibly. Cardozo’s suggestion that the Spanish, as the ex-colonial
masters of Western Sahara, were responsible for the situation received
significant coverage in the Spanish Media and put some pressure on the
government to take some action. However, although the campaign in Spain is
growing steadily, the focus of attention cannot only be on the Spanish
government.
On the final day of the gathering, there is a dusty red-carpet ceremony in which
the White Camel award for best picture is presented to Jordi Ferrer and Paul
Vidal for ‘El Problema’, their 2009 film about Western Sahara. Actors,
activists and festival organisers gather on stage in high spirits to show their
solidarity with the refugees. But as the stalls are dismantled and the trucks are
driven away, the thoughts of the visitors turn to the people they are leaving
behind. They may never get the chance to see the world or fulfil their dreams of
becoming actors or film-makers. For them, there is nowhere to go. Dakhla is
essentially a desert prison.
3. What does the writer say about the original city of Dakhla?
A. It is by the sea.
D. The international films were more popular than the local films
D. They showed the local films to their families via the internet.
C. The visitors only care about the refugees for the duration of the festival
Ex 2:
In 1910 the music hall comedian Billy Williams scored his biggest hit with the
song When Father Papered the Parlour, mocking the incompetence of the
amateur home decorator. Fifty years later, comedians Norman Wisdom and
Bruce Forsyth were still entertaining millions on the TV show Sunday Night at
the London Palladium with a similar routine, but the joke was starting to look
dated. The success of magazines such as The Practical Householder was already
proving that, as the 1957 Ideal Home Exhibition proclaimed, “Do-it-yourself is
a home hobby that is here to stay.”
By this stage, Britain had mostly completed its transition from primitive
housing conditions, made bearable – for those who could afford it – by servants
and handymen, into a world where families looked after themselves in highly
serviced environments. Recognisably modern technology, in the form of
telephones, televisions and electricity, had become ubiquitous and was to
transform domestic living still further in the coming years. The makeover of
British homes in the twentieth century is recounted in Ben Highmore’s
entertaining and informative new book. He takes us on a whirlwind tour of an
everyday house, from entrance hall to garden shed, illuminated by extensive
reference to oral histories, popular magazines and personal memoirs.
At its centre, though, is the way that our homes have reflected wider social
changes. There is the decline of formality, so that living rooms once full of
heavy furniture and Victorian knick-knacks are now dominated by television
screens and littered with children’s toys. There is a growing internationalism in
taste. And there is the rise of domestic democracy, with the household
radiogram and telephone (located in the hall) now replaced by iPads, laptops
and mobiles in virtually every room. Key to that decentralisation of the home –
and the implied shift of power within it – is the advent of central heating, which
gets pride of place as the innovation that allowed the whole house to become
accessible at all times of day and night. Telling an unruly child to ‘go to your
room’ no longer seems much of a threat.
Highmore also documents, however, some less successful steps in the onward
march of domestic machinery. Whatever happened to the gas-powered fridges
we were promised in 1946? Or to the Dishmaster a decade later that promised to
do “a whole day’s washing up in just three minutes”? Rather more clear is the
reason why a 1902 Teasmade failed to catch on: “when the alarm clock
triggered the switch, a match was struck, lighting a spirit stove under the kettle”.
You don’t have to be a health and safety fanatic to conclude that a bedroom
isn’t the ideal place for such a gadget. Equally disturbing to the modern reader
is the prewar obsession with children getting fresh air. It was a belief so
entrenched that even a voice of dissent merely argued that in winter, “The
healthy child only needs about three hours a day in the open air, as long as the
day and night nursery windows are always open.” Nowadays, the fresh air
obsession has been replaced by irrational fears of horrors outside the home. It’s
easier to laugh at the foibles of the past, and Highmore doesn’t always resist a
sense of modern superiority, though, for the most part, he’s an engaging and
quirky guide, dispensing sociological insights without jargon.
The message is that even the language of the home has changed irrevocably:
airing cupboards are going the same way as drawing rooms. As for that Billy
Williams song, “By the 1980s”, Highmore writes, “it would be impossible for
anyone to imagine their front room as a ‘parlour’ without seeming deeply old-
fashioned.” He’s not entirely correct, for there was at least one person who was
still employing such terminology. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher sold her
message with the use of what she called ‘the parables of the parlour’, which
suggests she understood the truth that, despite the catalogue of changes, there is
a core that seems consistent. A 1946 edition of Housewife magazine spelt it out:
“men make houses, women make homes”. When you watch a male comedian
today doing a routine about his wife’s attachment to scatter cushions, it seems
worth asking: has the family dynamic really moved a great deal?
2. In the second paragraph, the reviewer says that the book includes evidence
illustrating
A. that some British people’s homes were transformed more than others
B. various unsuccessful inventions failed because they did not work properly
D. there were unsuccessful inventions which might have been good ideas
5. In the fifth paragraph, the reviewer says that in his book, Highmore
A. sometimes focuses on strange ideas that were not very common in the past
D. sometimes includes topics that are not directly relevant to the main topic
6. In the final paragraph, the reviewer suggests that Highmore may be wrong
about
B. which changes in home life in Britain have been most widely welcomed
Ex 3:
Simply ticking the boxes isn’t enough
I have been asked what I think about the idea of ‘Investing in People’. The best
answer I can give is that I think that what it tries to achieve – basically making
the link between business improvement and focusing on the needs of the people
who work for an organisation – is great. My problem is with organisations who
subscribe to it as a way to help them ‘get better’, when they don’t bother to
understand where they went wrong in the first place. They need to ask what
explicit and implicit policies and procedures they have in place that prevent
their people from being able to do the right thing for the right reasons.
I am sure that there are managers out there who don’t know any better, and
assume that to manage they simply need to put pressure on their people to
perform. But people don’t demonstrate high performance because they are told
to. They do it because they see the need to do it, and make the choice to do so.
They do it because they are connected to the business goals and they see how
their contributions can help achieve them. Such managers may tell themselves
they can put a ‘tick’ in the ‘we care about people’ box. But simply putting ticks
in boxes is no good if it doesn’t reflect reality.
I know of a company that was so concerned that its people were doing the ‘right
thing’ that it put in place a series of metrics to measure their effectiveness. So
far, so good. But one of the objectives – making successful sales calls –
manifested itself in the metric ‘Number of potential customers seen in one day’.
The sales people obviously focused their efforts on going from one customer’s
office to another, and not on closing deals. Instead of the employees becoming
more effective, they focused on getting the boxes ticked. Good intent; poor
thinking.
Another company wanted to improve the speed with which it was able to
introduce new products. Competition was beating it to the market place, and
consequently the company was losing market share. Senior management sent
out the message to reduce the time spent in getting products into customers’
hands, with the explanation that they couldn’t afford delays. This was a
relatively easy task, especially since the time spent testing the products was cut
in half to accomplish the time reduction. The result was new products were
introduced in less time than those of the competition – but soon rejected by
customers for poor quality. Good intent; reckless implementation.
A third company I know is trying hard to help employees see that they have
some control over their future. The company instituted a programme with a title
like ‘Creating our own future’ or something like that. A good idea; get the
people involved in the future of the company. But instead of the employees
becoming motivated to contribute, they saw it as a hollow exercise on the part
of senior management who, in the past, had paid little attention to anything
other than getting the job done so they could report great earnings. Yes, the
programme was a big ‘tick the box’ effort, but that was all it was in the minds of
the people that it was designed for.
All these examples are representative of senior management who see the need to
improve things in their organisation, but don’t see how to do it. For a start, a
programme targeted at improving things is only as good as management’s
ability to motivate their people. And when the employees simply see the
programme as a box-ticking exercise, then it’s hopeless.
1. The writer thinks that putting the concept of ‘Investing in People’ into
practice
C. may create problems where previously there had not been any problems.
2. The writer’s main point in the second paragraph is that the perfor
3. hat point does the writer make about the first company he describes?
D. The data that it collected did not measure what it was supposed to measure.
4. What point does the writer make about the second company he describes?
A. It made what should have been an easy task into a complicated one.
5. What does the writer say about the programme introduced by the third
company he mentions?
A. Employees did not believe that it had been introduced for their benefit.
B. Employees felt that it was in fact a way of making their jobs even
C The reason given for introducing it was not the real reason why it was
introduced.
D. caused managers to believe that their previous methods had been better.
Ex 4:
What Salman Khan, the founder of the non-profit online school Khan Academy
has to say to the parent of an eleven-year-old in the USA is frankly terrifying:
‘If your child is not placed in the fast track for math in sixth grade, his chances
of becoming a doctor or an engineer are probably zero. And it’s decided when
he’s eleven years old.’
This is exactly what happened to his cousin Nadia. Usually a straight-A student,
she had done poorly in a maths streaming test in sixth grade because she had
failed to understand one concept. This one test result, Khan says, might have
harmed her academic destiny. Nadia’s distraught mother turned to Khan for
help. Khan tutored her remotely over the phone and Nadia passed her retake
with flying colours. Soon, many more relations and friends wanted Khan’s help.
Unable to handle the volume of requests, at the suggestion of a friend, he started
to record his lessons on video and post them on YouTube. ‘At first I was
dismissive,’ Khan says. ‘I thought YouTube was for dogs on skateboards.’
Now Khan has more than 3,000 videos to his name, which are watched by
nearly three million unique users a month, via YouTube and his own website.
His friendly, avuncular style, coupled with his knack for making difficult
concepts seem simple, has helped children – and adults – all over the world
move into the fast track. He says his aim is to create ‘the world’s first free,
world-class, virtual school where anyone can learn anything’. Some teachers are
wary of him, thinking that he is trying to supplant them, but many more
embrace his approach and have started ‘flipping’ the classroom, encouraging
students to watch Khan’s videos at home and then tackling maths problems
together in class.
Khan believes that the rigidity of the school system is outdated and deadens a
child’s natural curiosity. ‘Aged one to four, kids are excited by anything new,
they want to figure it out, then all of a sudden, when they turn five, you start
seeing fewer curious kids, by nine or ten you see very few with any curiosity,
and by eighteen it’s very much the exception. Curiosity is just stamped out of
them. I’m convinced it’s indoctrination, not a genetic thing. Kids are herded
together, the bell rings, you’re rewarded for passivity, you’re rewarded for
compliance, that’s what keeps you moving through the system.’
Private school education makes little difference, he says. Nor does he believe
that student-teacher ratio is an issue. ‘The idea that smaller classes will
magically solve the problem of students being left behind is a fallacy. ’ As he
points out, if a teacher’s main job is lecturing to the students, it doesn’t really
matter how many students are in the classroom. What matters is the ‘student-to-
valuable-human-time-with-teacher’ ratio. What his videos do, Khan says, is free
teachers up for more personal interaction.
He thinks bigger classes with more teachers would provide a more creative
learning ground. In his ideal classroom there would be 75-100 students of
widely varying ages, with three or four teachers. Some students would be
working at computers; others would be learning economics through board
games; others would be building robots or designing mobile apps; others would
be working on art or creative writing. His dream is nothing short of
revolutionary.
‘In 500 years I hope people look back and say, “Imagine, kids had to learn in
classrooms that were like factories and it was unheard of for an eight-year-old
to truly, deeply understand quantum physics. Isn’t that strange?
4. The writer mentions different children’s ages to illustrate his idea that
B. the older a child is, the less able they are to assimilate new information.
4. The writer mentions different children’s ages to illustrate his idea that
B. the older a child is, the less able they are to assimilate new information.
5. In Khan’s opinion, the suggestion that a lower student-teacher ratio solves the
problem of ineffective learning is
A. illogical.
B. unproven.
C. unworkable
D. counterproductive.
Transformation
1. In the end, I felt that I had been right to leave the club.
I had_________________________________________________.
His sole_________________________________________________.
You run_________________________________________________.
It came as _________________________________________________.
He wasn’t to_______________________________________________.
“Rarely ______________________________________________________.
He has ______________________________________________________.
Is this ______________________________________________________.
11. Although the dog appeared harmless, it was, in fact, quite dangerous.
Contrary ___________________________________________________.
I should___________________________________________________.
To the best___________________________________________________.
14. They are demolishing the old bus station and replacing it with a new one.
15. I'm disappointed with the Fisher's new album when I compare it to their
previous one.
16. Sarah cried her eyes out immediately she was told she'd failed her driving
test.
17. He was sentenced to six months in prison for his part in the robbery.
He received___________________________________________________.
There is______________________________________________________.
19. Just thinking about his face at that moment makes me laugh.
The very____________________________________________________.
In__________________________________________________________.
He has set____________________________________________________.
It ________________________________________________________.
However___________________________________________________.
Not until____________________________________________________.
30. It was assumed that Roy would marry that old rich lady.
We find__________________________________________________.
As long as_________________________________________________.
34. We were impressed by the new cinema but found it rather expensive
Impressive__________________________________________________.
35. “If my members agree to that, I’ll be very surprised,” said the union
delegate.
36. Alan worked too hard at the office, and this led to his illness.
Alan’s illness__________________________________________________.
So ________________________________________________________.
He greeted ____________________________________________________.
I’m_______________________________________________________.
42. Only two out of the five rooms we have booked have air conditioning.
Never _____________________________________________________.
45. He was able to study overseas because his parents had been very wealthy.
Had it _____________________________________________________.
46. The boy does whatever his father wants in an obedient way.
The owner__________________________________________________.
Were______________________________________________________.
50. Without your help, I couldn't have been able to find my way.
60. If there are any problems, I can be there right away. (MOMENT)
Should_____________________________________________________.
61. Mark got lucky when he got the lead role. (STROKE)
It was a_____________________________________________________.
63. After the play finishes, I plan to relax and enjoy time off. (FEET)
66. The dotcom has been operating for six months. (SET)
The dotcom_______________________________________________.
68. The offer the investors made has been withdrawn. (BACKED)
69. The start-up failed because of the founder lacked vision. (BROUGHT)
70. I'll come in to see how you're progressing from time to time. UP
I'll __________________________________________________________.
Do __________________________________________________________?
72. I’d be grateful if you could have a look at these figures (CAST)
_____________________________________________________________.
73. The ferry timetable can alter depending on the weather. (SUBJECT)
74. His argument was irrelevant to the case being discussed. (NOTHING)
His argument__________________________________________________.
75. Karen sometimes appears very silly. (APT)
Karen______________________________________________________.
I__________________________________________________________.
She__________________________________________________________.
78. If you don’t work harder, you will fail the exam. (SOCKS)
You_________________________________________________________.
77. The new film was barely similar to the book I had read. (BORE)
The new_____________________________________________________.
78. I know his name but I can’t quite remember it. (TIP)
79. The school play has really lasted too long. (DRAGGING)
81. The pickpocket was caught while attempting to steal a man’s wallet. (ACT)
82. Many people believe that all cats have tails, but they are wrong.
(POPULAR)
When______________________________________________________.
We lost__________________________________________________.
86. It’s important to defend what you believe in when others express their
doubts. (STAND)
There’s__________________________________________________.
___________________________________________________________.
89. What he told me made me very curious to hear the rest of the history.
(APPETITE)
What______________________________________________________.
91. What did you think about the exam? I couldn't understand the last question
at all. (HEAD)
What____________________________________________________.
92. Remote parts of the country always become isolated in severe weather.
(CUT)
93. I want to know if you have finalised those delivery dates yet. (ROUND)
Have you_________________________________________________.
94. Unfortunately, if there is a rise in interest rates, we shall have to increase our
prices. (EVENT)
Unfortunately, _________________________________________________.
95. It's hard to be sure, but I think unemployment rates are beginning to fall.
(TELL)
As__________________________________________________________.
96. They all assume that James will be willing to work late. (GRANTED)
Everyone_____________________________________________________.
97. You need to make up your mind about the topie for your dissertation soon.
(COME)
98. My boss said I should do some work on my French so I could take part in
meetings. (BRUSH)
My boss eneouraged____________________________________________.
99. Tina said she was pleased I had let her know what was going on.
(PICTURE)
100. The millionaire had made it clear how he wished his donation to be
allocated, and that was how it was done. (ACCORDANCE)