1.

Solar Storms Threaten Earth‟s Technology and Gadgets

CBBC Newsround. Feb 22 2011.
Eruptions on the Sun‟s surface could be a danger to the gadgets we use back here on
Earth. Lots of technology depends on satellites – like tracking systems in car sat navs and
in mobile phones. But experts say space storms could damage these satellites, affecting
the gadgets that rely on them. It means that governments and tech companies are now
working hard on ways to deal with this problem, before the next solar storm happens. The
last time the Sun was very active was about 10 years ago, when the technology we used
every day didn‟t rely on satellites quite as much. But scientists say the Sun will become
more active again in the next few years. And as the gadgets we use now depend more on
satellites than before, they could be affected a lot.
According to the report;
a) Modern technology is affected by the sun.
b) The gadgets we currently use are independent of satellites.
c) A solar storm will happen in ten years.
d) The sun is less active than it was previously.

2. New Zealand Silent for Christchurch Earthquake Memorial

March 1 2011. CBBC Newsround.
A two‐minute silence has been held in New Zealand to remember those who died in the
Christchurch earthquake. It was held exactly a week after the country‟s second largest city
was first struck by the tremors, at 12.51 pm on Tuesday February 22. So far, 155 people
are known to have died in the quake as buildings fell to rubble around them, but officials
fear that number will rise. Dozens of people are still missing and there have been several
aftershocks. The earthquake is New Zealand‟s deadliest disaster in 80 years.
The earthquake in New Zealand;
a) Occurred in the country‟s biggest city.
b) Was the worst disaster ever.
c) Was the worst disaster in many years.
d) Happened close to midnight.

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3. Government Want to Move Time Forward One Hour
First News. February 24 2011.
Evenings may get lighter, and mornings darker, if the Government decides to move clocks
forward an hour. A lot of people, including environmental and road‐safety campaigners and
the tourist industry, want our clocks to be moved forward an hour so that evenings are
lighter. The tourist industry says it would bring more visitors to the country, creating more
jobs and money. Road safety campaigners say fewer people would be injured on the roads
because afternoon rush hour has been found to be more dangerous than the morning rush
hour. Environmentalists argue that the clocks moving forward would be good for the
environment because electricity use would be reduced.
One effect of moving time forward could be;
a) An increase in the use of electricity.
b) Fewer road accidents.
c) Lighter mornings.
d) Longer working hours.

4. Dead Fish Wash Up in California

CBBC Newsround. March 9 2011.
Millions of small, dead fish have washed up on a marina in California in the U.S.A. The
anchovies, sardines, and mackerel coated the surface of the King Harbor Marina in
Redondo Beach, near Los Angeles, attracting flocks of birds. The government there is
worried it will cause a big public health hazard. It‟s thought the fish died due to lack of
oxygen. The carcasses will now be „recycled‟ by turning them into fertilizer.
The dead fish;
a) Are causing a health hazard.
b) Will be used as compost.
c) Were found at sea.
d) Are causing birds to die.

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5. Plastic Bag Use in Britain is on the Rise
First News. Feb 7 2011.
New Government figures show that the number of plastic bags people use in Britain is on
the rise. Britain doesn‟t have a rule that makes shops charge for carrier bags. Instead
retailers have pledged to reduce the number of bags they give out. However, it looks like
people are not being discouraged to take plastic bags and actually used more in 2010 than
they did in the previous year. The picture is very different in Ireland. In 2002 a tax was put
on plastic bags so customers pay for bags at the shop till. This has resulted in a massive
drop in the number of carrier bags being used. In Ireland each person used 11 bags a
month in 2002. This fell to just two bags a month by 2009. In the U.K. shoppers use nearly
8 bags a month.
According to the report;
a) Plastic bags are free in Ireland.
b) People are using less plastic bags in England.
c) Plastic bags are free in England.
d) People are using more plastic bags in Ireland.

6. B.B.C. Newsround. November 16 2010.

Congratulations to Prince William and his girlfriend Kate Middleton – they‟re getting married
next year! The Royal wedding will take place during spring or summer 2011 in London, after
the couple got engaged while on holiday in the African country Kenya. Prince William gave
Kate his mother‟s engagement ring, because he said both women were very special to him
and it was a way of bringing them together. Kate says she‟s happy but slightly daunted
about joining the Royal family.
The Royal wedding will take place;
a) At the end of 2011.
b) While the couple are on holiday.
c) In Africa.
d) In early or the middle of 2011.

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7. B.B.C. Newsround. November 17 2010.
A rare pink diamond has been sold for a world record‐breaking 29 million pounds. It‟s the
highest sum of money that a jewel has ever been snapped up for at an auction. The stone
went up for sale at Sotheby‟s in Geneva, Switzerland. The “fancy intense pink” diamond is
about the size of a large marble – it‟s rare for a pink diamond to be this big. Well known
London jeweler Laurence Graff bought the sparkly rock and named it “The Pink Graff” –
after himself! New owner Mr. Graff said: “It is the most fabulous diamond I‟ve ever seen in
the history of my career and I‟m delighted to have bought it.”
The diamond is unusual because of;
a) Its color.
b) Its size.
c) Its age.
d) Its name.

8. B.B.C. Newsround. Jan 12 2011.

A military sniffer dog that went missing more than two years ago has been reunited with her
trainer. Sarbi‟s handler lost sight of her when the pair was caught in an explosion in
Afghanistan when their patrol was ambushed in September 2008. It is thought she was
being looked after by Afghans, before being found a year later by American troops. Her
trainer had assumed she was dead, but now she has been reunited with him and is back
home in Australia. Sarbi is now being tested to find out if she is fit enough to return to work.
Sarbi is currently;
a) With her trainer.
b) With the American troops.
c) With Afghans.
d) Working again.

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9. B.B.C. Newsround. Jan 11 2011.
Scientists have discovered the smallest planet ever to be found outside our solar system.
Kepler‐10b is 1.4 times bigger and 4.6 times heavier than Earth, although it could not
support life. That is because daytime temperatures there are over 1,300 C –hot enough to
melt iron and hotter than molten lava. It‟s 560 light years away from Earth and has a solid
and rocky surface. It was discovered using NASA‟s Kepler telescope. The telescope
detected the planet orbiting a star hundreds of light‐years away.
It would not be possible to live on the new planet because;
a) It is too far away from Earth.
b) It is too rocky.
c) It is too hot.
d) It is too small.

10. CBBC Newsround. Jan 19 2011.

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.2 has struck the south‐west of Pakistan near the
border with Afghanistan. The quake, which was felt as far away as India‟s capital and
Dubai, happened more than 50 miles underground. This suggests the damage above
ground will be limited. The earthquake hit in the early hours of Wednesday morning. It is
thought the 109,000 people living in the region would have felt strong shaking.
We know that the earthquake;
a) Caused a lot of destruction.
b) Happened below the earth‟s surface.
c) Was not very strong.
d) Happened in an uninhabited area.

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11. CBBC Newsround. Jan 21 2011.
If you enjoy borrowing books from your local library, you can imagine how annoying it would
be if the council decided they wanted to close it down! That‟s exactly what has happened at
Stony Stratford library in Milton Keynes. So to show their anger, the locals have borrowed
all 16,000 books. They hope by emptying the shelves, the council will realize how important
the library is to the local community. Now it seems the council is rethinking whether or not
to shut it down.
The council;
a) Is angry with the locals.
b) Will definitely close the library.
c) May not close the library.
d) Has emptied the shelves.

12. CBBC Newsround. Jan 25 2011.

Two British people are feared dead in the explosion at Domodedovo airport in Russia‟s
capital city, Moscow. Yesterday‟s terrorist attack killed 35 people and injured more than
100. The President of Russia has launched a major police investigation and he vowed he‟ll
track down whoever was behind the attack. The blast happened in the baggage reclaim
area of Domodedovo airport, 25 miles from the city centre. Ambulances rushed to the
scene to treat the injured. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron said: “We should never allow
the terrorists to win.”
It appears that;
a) The attackers have been found.
b) The attack happened in the city centre.
c) A police investigation is underway.
d) The President will investigate the police.

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13. CBBC Newsround. Jan 31 2011.
A hill climber has survived after falling 1,000 feet down a mountain in Scotland. Adam
Potter, 35‐years‐old, said he thought he would die as he fell down the steep slope after
slipping. But rescuers in a Royal Navy helicopter found him standing up reading a map
when they arrived on the scene at Sgurr Choinnich Mor Mountain. Mr. Potter is now
recovering in hospital in Glasgow and he‟s said he hopes to be back in the mountains in a
few weeks.
The hill climber Adam Potter;
a) Is not expected to survive.
b) Will not climb in the future.
c) Was found on his feet.
d) Was found unconscious.

14. The Chicago Sun Times. Jan 25 2011.

Police are looking for the body of a late beloved Italian TV host after visitors at the cemetery
found his tomb broken into and his coffin missing. Generations of Italians grew up watching
Mike Bongiorno as he hosted quiz shows and other entertainment programs during the
fledging days of television in Italy. Bongiorno died in 2009 at the age of 85. Police in Arona,
a town in northern Italy, said officers are still investigating at the Dagnente cemetery and
would not comment. Italian news reports said a local man who came to the cemetery to visit
a family grave noticed Bongiorno‟s tomb was open Tuesday morning and the coffin gone.
Which of the following is true?
a) The body of Mike Bongiorno was stolen by a family member.
b) Mike Bongiorno had appeared as a TV host in the early days of TV.
c) Mike Bongiorno was a well‐known news presenter.
d) The body of Mike Bongiorno was removed from his coffin.

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15. The Chicago Sun‐Times. Jan 24 2011.
A marauding monkey that terrorized resort towns in central Japan last year by biting nearly
120 people has escaped captivity. Officials in Mishima City said the monkey slipped out of
the government‐run nature park it had been kept at since its capture last October when a
keeper was cleaning its cage. The city published an emergency notice urging residents to
lock their doors, though no new attacks have been reported. The fugitive monkey, known as
“Lucky”, is a type of macaque that is one of the most common wild animals in Japan. They
are considered a nuisance in rural areas, where they damage crops and steal food. Lucky
has proved a tough catch in the past, avoiding citywide monkey hunts during its previous
two month biting spree.
It appears as though the monkey;
a) Escaped last October.
b) Has now been missing for two months.
c) Is a rarity in Japan.
d) Is aggressive towards people.

16. The Guardian. Feb 4 2011.

The prime minister of Burma‟s outgoing military government has been appointed as
president, handing a key junta member the top job in the post‐election administration. Thein
Sein, 65, is the country‟s first civilian president after nearly 50 years of military rule. His
appointment by parliament is the latest step in Burma‟s self‐declared transition to
democracy after elections in November. Critics have condemned the process as a sham
aimed at cementing military rule. The military‟s delegates in parliament and their civilian
allies hold an 80% majority in the new legislature, which chose the president from a pool of
three vice‐presidents named yesterday. Thein Sein is the most prominent of the three and
was seen as a shoo‐in for the head of government.
Burma‟s authorities have claimed that:
a) It is becoming a democracy.
b) The elections were a sham.
c) Military rule is now stable.
d) The new president is only temporary.

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17. Damain Carrington. The Guardian. Feb 3 2011.
Billions of trees died in the record drought that struck the Amazon in 2010, raising fears that
the vast forest is on the verge of a tipping point, where it will stop absorbing greenhouse
gas emissions and instead increase them. The dense forests of the Amazon soak up more
than one‐quarter of the world‟s atmospheric carbon, making it a critically important buffer
against global warming. But if the Amazon switches from a carbon sink to a carbon source
that prompts further droughts and mass tree deaths, such a feedback loop could cause
runaway climate change with disastrous consequences.
The potential danger is that;
a) The Amazon could absorb too much carbon.
b) The Amazon could produce carbon.
c) The Amazon could absorb oxygen.
d) Another record drought is expected in 2011.

18. Cara Anna. New Zealand Herald. Feb 9 2011.

Chinese officials said today they were preparing for a “severe, long‐lasting drought” in the
key wheat‐producing eastern province of Shandong, with no rain in sight until mid‐month
and possibly beyond in the parched region. On Tuesday, the UN food agency warned that
the months‐ long drought was putting pressure on wheat prices in China, the world‟s largest
wheat grower. Average flour prices rose more than 8 percent in January from the previous
two months. As the drought continues, the focus will be on whether China, which is largely
self‐sufficient in wheat, will reach out for imports and how that would affect global prices for
the staple, which has already risen about 35 percent since mid‐November. China‟s national
weather bureau forecasts little if any rain for the Shandong region through Feb. 17.
As a result of the drought, it is possible that:
a) Many people will leave Shandong.
b) The price of wheat will drop internationally.
c) China may have to buy wheat from abroad.
d) The UN will put pressure on wheat prices.

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19. B.B.C. News. Feb 2 2011.
Denmark is to build an underwater tunnel to Germany, cutting road and rail journey times
between Western Europe and Scandinavia. The Danish parliament rejected plans for a
bridge across the Fehmarn Strait in favor of the tunnel, deciding it would be safer and
greener. Denmark and Germany agreed on the need for the 18km link in 2008.
Construction of the Danish‐funded tunnel is to begin in 2014 and should be completed
within six years. A budget of 32bn kroner (4.2bn euros ) has been drawn up. The tunnel will
be built between the Danish island of Lolland and the German island of Fehmarn. Both
islands are already connected by bridges to the rest of their respective countries. When the
tunnel is completed, the duration of a rail journey between Hamburg and Copenhagen will
be cut from about 4.5 to three hours, the project‟s website says.
It is believed that the proposed tunnel;
a) Will lengthen the journey from Hamburg to Copenhagen.
b) Will be completed in 2014.
c) Will be environmentally friendly.
d) Will be too expensive to build.

20. First News. Feb 4 2011.

The lost „eighth wonder of the world‟ has been re‐discovered at the bottom of a lake in New
Zealand, 125 years after it was thought to have been destroyed. Colored steps known as
the Pink Terraces, once New Zealand‟s most treasured tourist attraction, were found at the
bottom of Lake Rotomahana this week. Scientists from both New Zealand and America
discovered the colored steps during an attempt to map the lake floor. Images were taken by
robots beneath the lake revealing a pink colored staircase, covered in a brown sediment 60
meters below the surface of the lake. The Pink and White Terraces were thought to be
destroyed and lost forever in the eruption of Mt. Tarawera in 1886, which was also
responsible for the deaths of 100 people.
The „eighth wonder of the world‟;
a) Has been discovered for the first time.
b) Has been lost forever.
c) Used to attract visitors.
d) Was being searched for by scientists.

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21. First News. Feb 4 2011.
More than 190,000 people, including celebrities and public figures, have signed a letter of
petition to try to help save England‟s forests. The Government is thinking about privatizing
large areas of our native woodland, which means they would sell the forests to private
owners. At the moment the Government owns 18% of England‟s forests and spending cuts
could mean that some, or all of this, is sold. A bill is being presented before the House of
Lords to get permission to sell, although it is hoped that a letter of petition will help stop the
sale.
The report states that;
a) England‟s forests are owned by private owners.
b) England‟s forests will be destroyed.
c) A letter will not prevent the sale.
d) Famous people are helping to prevent the sale.

22. CBBC Newsround. Feb 7 2011.

A politician with cerebral palsy has claimed other MPs mocked his disability during a debate
in Parliament. Conservative MP Paul Maynard has accused Labour MPs of “pulling faces”
at him as he tried to speak. It‟s unclear if they were making fun of his condition –or just
trying to distract him, as MPs often do to each other. On Monday Mr. Maynard said he had
no further comment to make after an interview with „The Times‟ newspaper. He won‟t be
making an official complaint to the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow.
Mr. Maynard believes that the other MPs;
a) Were laughing at his condition.
b) Were sympathetic towards his condition.
c) Understand his condition.
d) Resent his condition.

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23. B.B.C. News November 18 2010.
Venezuela has deported three suspected left‐wing rebels to Colombia, a sign of improving
relations. Colombia says one belongs to the Farc rebel group, while the other two allegedly
belong to the ELN. Earlier this year, then Colombian President Alvaro Uribe alleged
Venezuela was harboring rebels. The deportations came a day after Colombia promised to
extradite a drug suspect, Waled Makled, to Venezuela rather than the United States.
Venezuela‟s President Hugo Chavez had expressed concern that a trial in the U.S. for the
Venezuelan national might be used to wrongly implicate his government in drugs trafficking.
M. Makled, who is accused of smuggling tons of cocaine into the U.S., has alleged he was
supported by Venezuelan officials.
Colombia accused Venezuela of;
a) Drug trafficking.
b) Hiding rebels.
c) Deporting rebels.
d) Extraditing drug suspects to the U.S.

24. CBBC Newsround. Jan 27 2011.

Famous Faces, including Sienna Miller, say they believe newspaper reporters illegally
listened to their mobile phone messages to try to get information. And they‟ve decided to
take The News of the World newspaper to court. Investigations first started more than three
years ago when a reporter was caught trying to listen in on members of the royal family to
find stories. The owners of the paper say they‟ve always given police all the information
they have and dismissed anyone involved. But Metropolitan police detectives have now
launched a new inquiry into allegations of phone hacking at the News of the World.
It is believed that newspaper reporters;
a) Are investigating the royal family.
b) Have been breaking the law.
c) Are giving information to the police.
d) Are taking „The News of the World‟ to court.

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25. CBBC Newsround. Feb 4 2011.
Four thousand soldiers have been sent to northern Queensland to help with the clean‐up
after Cyclone Yasi lashed the Australian state. Hundreds of rescuers are using chainsaws
to cut through fallen trees, power lines and wreckage to reach towns cut off by the storm. At
least one person is now known to have died. Australia‟s Deputy Prime Minister Wayne
Swan called Tully a „war zone‟ after a 30‐minute tour of the town. Officials have called for
people to remain calm while they wait for rescuers to reach them. Hundreds of millions of
pounds worth of banana and sugar cane crops have been destroyed by the cyclone.
Cyclone Yasi is being called the country‟s worst storm in 100 years.
It appears that;
a) There were no deaths during the storm.
b) Towns have been isolated by the storm.
c) The Australian Prime Minister has visited the area.
d) It will be impossible to rescue people.

26. Dan Collyns. B.B.C. News November 21 2010.

Yale University has promised to return thousands of archaeological pieces taken from
Machu Picchu nearly a century ago, Peru‟s president has said. The relics from the 15th
Century Inca citadel have been the focus of a bitter dispute lasting more than seven years.
Peru says the arte‐facts were loaned in 1911 but never returned. It filed a lawsuit against
the university in 2008. The agreement comes after a concerted media campaign by
Peruvian President Alan Garcia and his government. Marches fronted by ministers and the
president himself were staged in Lima and Cuzco. Mr. Garcia even appealed directly to his
U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, to intervene.
The original agreement between Peru and Yale University was that;
a) Yale would keep the arte‐facts.
b) Yale would borrow the arte‐facts.
c) Peru would donate the arte‐facts to Yale.
d) Yale would pay for the arte‐facts.

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27. The Guardian. Jan 9 2011.
At least 11 people have died in new battles with security forces in Tunisia after four weeks
of unrest, it was reported today. The interior ministry said eight people were killed over the
weekend in the western towns of Thala and Kasserine. Protesting against joblessness and
other social problems has damaged many cities in the country since 17 December, when a
26‐year‐old graduate set himself on fire when police confiscated his fruits and vegetables
for selling without a permit. Mobs have since attacked public buildings and the local office of
the party of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
The clashes with Security forces in Tunisia;
a) Began over the weekend.
b) Are occurring only in Thala and Kasserine.
c) Have caused unemployment.
d) Were set‐off by the actions of the graduate.

28. Miles Brignall. The Guardian. November 13 2010.

For several years „Guardian Money‟ has highlighted how little of the purchase price of
Christmas cards goes to the charity concerned, but two years ago we found what we
thought might be the best Christmas card ever – one in which the charity received 100% of
the purchase price. The Sreepur Village charity, two hours north of the Bangladeshi capital,
Dhaka, cares for nearly 100 destitute mothers and 500 abandoned children. Started 25
years ago by former British Airways flight attendant Pat Kerr, it now helps fund itself from
the sale of Christmas cards created by the women in and around the village. At the heart of
the project is the paper‐making facility. The community‟s mothers have been trained to
produce it from locally grown material.
Sreepur Village charity differs from a lot of other charities in that;
a) Its resources are not locally produced.
b) It gets the full return from its sales.
c) It is supported by a paper‐making business.
d) It charges a higher price for what it produces.

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29. Matt Sedensky. NZ Herald. Jan 11 2011.
Adam Martin doesn‟t fit in here. No one else in this nursing home wears Air Jordans. No
one else has stacks of music videos by 2Pac and Jay‐Z. No one else is just 26. It‟s no
longer unusual to find a nursing home resident who is decades younger than his neighbor:
About one in seven people now living in such facilities in the U.S. is under 65. “It‟s just a
depressing place to live,” Martin says. “I‟m stuck here. You don‟t have privacy at all. People
die around you all the time. It starts to get really depressing because all you‟re seeing is
negative, negative, negative.” The number of under‐65 nursing home residents has risen
about 22 percent in the past eight years to about 203,000, according to an analysis of
statistics from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That number has climbed
as mental health facilities close and medical advances keep people alive after they‟ve
suffered traumatic injuries.
Among the reasons given for keeping people under 65 in nursing homes is;
a) There is a reduction in psychiatric facilities.
b) They are less likely to be depressed than in hospital.
c) To prevent feelings of isolation.
d) To further medical understanding of the ageing process.

30. B.B.C. News. Jan 10 2011.

An Indian shaman who allegedly forced women to drink a potion to prove they were not
witches has been arrested. Nearly 30 women fell ill after they were rounded up in Shivni
village in central Chhattisgarh state on Sunday and made to drink the herbal brew. A senior
police officer told the BBC that six villagers had also been arrested. Witch hunts aimed at
women are common in east and central India, and a number of accused are killed every
year.
According to the report;
a) Six villagers from Shivni village were accused of witchcraft.
b) Suspected witches are sometimes murdered.
c) The 30 women were willing to drink the brew.
d) Police officers are often sent on witch hunts.

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