B2 First Use of English Part 1

Use of English Part 1

San Francisco Sea Lions Intoxicated

A toxin produced by marine algae can impair sea lions' memory, scientists reported
Monday, making it difficult for sick sea lions to find their (0)way to food.
Large growths, or blooms, of the algae off the coast of California may have
contributed to the (1)______ number of starving sea lions that have washed up on the
state's beaches since 2013.
The algal toxin (2)______ not only sea lions, but dolphins, fur seals, sea otters, and other
species. And the problem is unlikely to go away, particularly because warming ocean
waters and nutrient-rich agricultural runoff tend to fuel algal (3)______.
“The blooms are just going to get bigger and bigger. Sea lions are just the (4)______ of
the iceberg,” says Peter Cook of Emory University, who (5)______ the behavioral effects
of domoic acid at a conference of the Society for Marine Mammalogy. “It’s a grim
story.”
Since 1998, scientists have known that domoic acid causes seizures and other
neurological problems in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus). At high enough
(6)______, it can even kill the animals. But until now, only anecdotal evidence suggested
an impact on behavior.
Scientists had previously noticed odd behaviors, including "sea lions swimming up
rivers and going into cities and (7)______ with people," says veterinary scientist Shawn
Johnson of the Marine Mammal Center. “It’s exciting to finally see science (8)______
what we’ve known for a long time.”

Example (0):
0 A path B way C road D route

1 A bizarre B unique C remarkable D unprecedented

2 A affects B alters C upsets D disturbs

3 A outbursts B explosions C outbreaks D onsets

4 A apex B peak C tip D edge

5 A mentioned B claimed C reported D informed

6 A doses B levels C stages D measurements

7 A contacting B connecting C relating D interacting

8 A ratify B validate C approve D justify

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B2 First Use of English Part 2

Use of English Part 2

Bad Weather Makes Good Pictures

Photographer Dan Westergren recently traveled throughout South Australia, capturing

(0)the people and places of this exciting region.

Wilpena Pound is (1)________ of the visual wonders of South Australia, located in the
heart of the Flinders Ranges National Park. (2)________ the ground, this spectacular

rock formation shows as a dramatic escarpment that looks especially nice (3)________ it

is struck by the rising sun. I headed out at 5 a.m., hoping to be at Hucks Lookout

(4)________ time to photograph “the Pound” as it was hit by the day’s first light.

But Mother Nature (5)________ a different idea. Flinders Ranges is normally an arid
place, but my visit there coincided with a period of unusually heavy rainfall. (6)________

though the sky was completely filled with thick clouds, I drove to the lookout hoping

that, somehow, the rain (7)________ stop. Soon after arriving and about 20 minutes

before the actual sunrise, I saw what seemed like a little spotlight shining on the trunk

of a small tree. I was hoping to photograph alpenglow—the magical, colorful light that
appears (8)________ before sunrise — as it kissed the ridgeline, but the mountains were

completely hidden in the clouds.

Realizing I was witnessing alpenglow shining on a small, chest-high shrub, I shot two

frames (9)________ the scene returned to a drab, ordinary state. A little later, the clouds

parted, and the sun did shine on the cliff, but this photo of the shrub is by (10)________
the best picture from that morning. The atmosphere put on a little show for me, and

luckily, I was paying attention.

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B2 First Use of English Part 3

Use of English Part 3

Students Wearing KKK Hoods

The Citadel, a state-funded (0)military college located in South MILITIA

Carolina, is in hot water after photos were distributed on social

media that appear to show cadets wearing Ku Klux Klan hoods.

In a (1)______________ obtained by local television station WCIV-TV, The STATE

Citadel’s Lt. Gen. John Rosa stated that the cadets in the photos “were

singing Christmas carols as part of a ‘Ghosts of Christmas Past’ skit,”

and that “These images are not (2)______________ with our core values CONSIST

of honor, duty and respect.”

A woman, believed to be a female cadet attending The Citadel

(3)______________ posted the photos to Facebook, and said that she ORIGINAL

was both threatened and offered bribes to remove the images from

her Facebook page.

“I was threatened, harassed and offered money from (4)______________ NUMBER

Citadel Cadets to take it offline in order to not ‘ruin their lives,’” the

woman said. Her identity is currently being withheld until a full

(5)______________ by administrators can be completed. INVESTIGATE

The Facebook post (6)______________ shows the cadets wearing white CLEAR

hoods made famous by the Ku Klux Klan, during a rehearsal or

performance of Christmas carols. More (7)______________ is that with DISTURB

the cadets is what appears to be an adult instructor present at the

time seemingly unconcerned by their (8)______________ of head CHOOSE

garments.

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B2 First Use of English Part 4

Use of English Part 4

For questions 1-6, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to
the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must
use between two and five words, including the word given. Here is an example (0).

Example:

0. My brother fixed my car engine easily.

EASE
My car engine was fixed with ease by the mechanic.
________________________________________________________________________________

1. I was terribly bored watching that film last night.

FOUND
I _________________________________ last night.

2. Studying a little harder won’t hurt you, you know?

HARM
It won’t do _________________________________ study a little harder, don’t you think?

3. We saw many interesting places when we were coming back.

WAY
We saw many interesting places _________________________________ back.

4. Jane is too impatient to tolerate a class full of children.

PUT
Jane is so impatient that she will _________________________________ a class full of
children.

5. We can’t afford to buy a new house on such low income.

ENOUGH
Our income isn’t _________________________________ able to buy a new house.

6. He is the best chess player I know.

BETTER
He plays chess _________________________________ player I know.
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B2 First Use of English Key

KEY AND CREDITS

Use of English Part 1
1. D - unprecedented
2. A - affects
3. C - outbreaks
4. C - tip
5. C - reported
6. B - levels
7. D - interacting
8. B - validate

Source:
Author of original material: Nadia Drake
Platform: National Geographic
Direct link to source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/151214-sea-lion-
toxin-memory-science/
Adapted by: Luis Porras Wadley (KSE Academy)

KSE Academy is responsible solely for the adaptation of the original text, and for the
creation of the activities. This is only an extract of the original text. This material is not
for sale and it is meant to be used for non-commercial purposes only, and the original
source/author of the text should always be acknowledged.

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B2 First Use of English Key

Use of English Part 2

1. one
2. From
3. when / if
4. in
5. had
6. Even
7. would / could
8. just / right
9. before
10. far

Source:
Author of original material: Dan Westergren
Platform: National Geographic
Direct link to source: http://onassignment.nationalgeographic.com/2015/12/08/bad-
weather-makes-good-pictures/
Adapted by: Luis Porras Wadley (KSE Academy)

KSE Academy is responsible solely for the adaptation of the original text, and for the
creation of the activities. This is only an extract of the original text. This material is not
for sale and it is meant to be used for non-commercial purposes only, and the original
source/author of the text should always be acknowledged.

www.keepsmilingenglish.com
B2 First Use of English Key

Use of English Part 3

1. statement

2. consistent

3. originally

4. numerous

5. investigation

6. clearly

7. disturbing

8. choice

Source:
Author of original material: James Woods
Platform: usuncut.com
Direct link to source: http://usuncut.com/news/students-prominent-college-citadel-
just-caught-wearing-kkk-hoods/
Adapted by: Luis Porras Wadley (KSE Academy)

KSE Academy is responsible solely for the adaptation of the original text, and for the
creation of the activities. This is only an extract of the original text. This material is not
for sale and it is meant to be used for non-commercial purposes only, and the original
source/author of the text should always be acknowledged.

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B2 First Use of English Key

Use of English Part 4

1. found the film | terribly boring
2. you any harm | to
3. on | our way
4. not | put up with
5. high enough | to be
6. better than | any other / better than | every other

Written by: KSE Academy

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