READING COMPREHENSION

Ex1 : For each question, choose the correct answer

The End of TV?
Tom Collins offers his opinion
I keep reading articles that argue the TV is dead. According to this view, people are spending far more time using
the Internet for their entertainment and for information. As a result, they argue the TV is becoming less and less
important in our lives. The time we spend watching videos online is certainly increasing but I don't think this is a
reason to believe we should be saying goodbye to the television.
The TV is still a very popular way a lot of us get our entertainment at home. It offers us the chance to see top
musical artists, great films and documentaries and sometimes, thanks to important live events, it has the power to
bring the whole country and all ages together in a way the Internet never could. How often do thousands or even
millions of friends or families sit down at the same time to watch something together online?
Some people argue that the TV offers a poor quality of programmes on the many channels we now have. It is
certainly true that many of the channels do nothing more than repeat old shows or offer cheap, low quality
programmes. However, I would argue that a lot of content on the Internet isn't particularly great. At least TV
shows have professional people checking the quality of shows, which a lot of content on the web doesn't.
I agree that it is easy to keep up-to-date with the latest news on the Internet, even though much of it is not true or
certainly can't be trusted. I enjoy sitting down to the news on TV in the evening, knowing that I am more likely to
believe the information than the things I read online. Anybody can post information on the Internet and a lot of it
is opinion rather than fact.
So I don't think we should be so quick to say goodbye to the TV. In fact, I think it has many more years left in it!
I certainly won't be swapping my TV for the latest laptop and will continue to enjoy relaxing in front of it in the
evenings.
Reading PET practice test-part 3
Questions :
1. The author thinks that :
A. TV is no longer important.
B. People are spending more time watching videos on the Internet.
C. People spend too much time on the Internet.
D. People don't have time to watch TV.
2. What does the author say about TV?
A. It's the only way to see important live events.
B. It is more popular than the Internet.
C. It can attract huge audiences for live events.
D. It is more popular with certain age groups.
3. The author thinks that
A. Nothing on the Internet is checked.
B. It is cheaper to make programmes for the Internet.
C. Some programmes are shown again and again on TV.
D. There are too many channels on TV.
4. The author says that compared to the Internet,
A. TV news is more reliable.
B. People don't give their opinion on TV.
C. TV news is not up to date.
D. TV news can always be trusted.
5. What might the author say about the TV?
A. "Eventually, mobile phones and laptops will replace it."
B. "It will remain a popular form of entertainment."
C. "We need fewer channels and better quality programmes."
D. "It's not as important as it used to be."
Ex2 : Read the text and then answer questions 1-5
Different Colours can affect us in many different ways; that’s according to Verity Allen. In her new series
‘Colour me Healthy’, Verity looks at the ways that colours can influence how hard we work and the choices we
make. They can even change our emotions and even influence how healthy we are.
‘Have you ever noticed how people always use the same colours for the same things?’ says Verity. ‘Our
toothpaste is always white or blue or maybe red. It’s never green. Why not? For some reason we think that blue
and white is clean, while we think of green products as being a bit disgusting. It’s the same for businesses. We
respect a company which writes its name in blue or black, but we don’t respect one that uses pink or orange.
People who design new products can use these ideas to influence what we buy.’
During this four-part series, Verity studies eight different colours, two colours in each programme. She meets
people who work in all aspects of the colour industry, from people who design food packets, to people who name
the colours of lipsticks. Some of the people she meets clearly have very little scientific knowledge to support
their ideas, such as the American ‘Colour Doctor’ who believes that serious diseases can be cured by the use of
coloured lights. However, she also interviews real scientists who are studying the effects of green and red lights
on mice, with some surprising results.
Overall, it’s an interesting show, and anyone who watches it will probably find out something new. But because
Verity is goes out of her way to be polite to everyone she meets on the series, it’s up to the viewers to make their
own decisions about how much they should believe.
Reading B1 practice test-part 3
Questions :
1. What is the writer doing in this text?
A. giving information about how colours influence us
B. reporting what happens in a new television series
C. giving information about a television presenter
D. giving his opinion of a recent television show
2. Which of the following shows the probable content of the four shows?
A. Part 1 – Health; Part 2 – Products and Industry; Part 3 – Emotions; Part 4 – Decisions
B. Part 1 – Blue and Black; Part 2 – Red and Orange; Part 3 – White and Grey; Part 4 – Green and Yellow
C. Part 1 – Meeting Designers; Part 2 – Meeting People who Name Colours; Part 3 – Meeting Doctors; Part 4 –
Meeting Scientists
D. Part 1 – Cleaning Products; Part 2 – Make-up; Part 3 – Clothes; Part 4 – Food
3. According to Verity, why is a knowledge of colour important?
A. It can help you to choose the best products.
B. It can give you new ideas.
C. It can help you to change people’s minds.
D. It can help you to sell products.
4. Who does the writer respect least?
A. Verity Allen
B. The people who name lipsticks
C. The ‘Colour Doctor’
D. The scientists who work with mice
5. Which of the following would make a good title for the text?
A. Enjoy it, but don’t believe everything.
B. Another great show from Verity Allen! Five Stars!
C. Don’t miss this if you work in Business!
D. Watch this programme! It will make you healthy!
Ex3 : Read the passage and answer the following questions
South Korea pays lonely people to leave the house (20th April 2023)
Many people around the world stay at home and do not want to go out. They cut themselves off from the world
outside. They are recluses … people who do not want to meet other people. The government in South Korea has
thought of an idea to encourage these people to "re-enter society". It will pay young people $500 a month to leave
their home. The monthly payment will be for lonely people aged nine to 24 years old who come from poorer
families. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said it wants to help younger people. It said it wants young
people to go out. This will support their "psychological and emotional stability, and healthy growth".
There are many reasons for people not wanting to leave the house. The number of recluses has gone up
because of the pandemic. Korea says about 3.1 per cent of young Koreans are reclusive. They "have noticeable
difficulty in living a normal life". The government said children shut themselves off from society for many
reasons. These include bullying, exam stress, family problems, bad parenting and technology and social media. It
said the $500-a-month payment will help these young people. This means they could be less likely to have mental
problems. They will also be healthier. Korea has an ageing society. It needs young people to work so they can
help old people.
Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
Paragraph 1 :
lonely cut stability thought help stay wants pay
Many people around the world (1) _____________________ at home and do not want to go out. They (2)
_____________________ themselves off from the world outside. They are recluses – people who do not want to
meet other people. The government in South Korea has (3) _____________________ of an idea to encourage
these people to "re-enter society". It will (4) _____________________ young people $500 a month to leave their
home. The monthly payment will be for (5) _____________________ people aged nine to 24 years old who
come from poorer families. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family said it wants to (6)
_____________________ younger people. It said it (7) _____________________ young people to go out. This
will support their "psychological and emotional (8) _____________________, and healthy growth".
Paragraph 2 :
society ageing number stress likely wanting difficulty payment
There are many reasons for people not (9) _____________________ to leave the house. The (10)
_____________________ of recluses has gone up because of the pandemic. Korea says about 3.1 per cent of
young Koreans are reclusive. They "have noticeable (11) _____________________ in living a normal life". The
government said children shut themselves off from (12) _____________________ for many reasons. These
include bullying, exam (13) _____________________, family problems, bad parenting and technology and social
media. It said the $500-a-month (14) _____________________ will help these young people. This means they
could be less (15) _____________________ to have mental problems. They will also be healthier. Korea has an
(16) _____________________ society. It needs young people to work so they can help old people.
Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).
1. Many people cut themselves off from their homes.
2. A recluse is someone who likes meeting new people.
3. S. Korea will pay young, lonely people $500 a month to go out.
4. The Ministry of Gender Equality wants to help older people to go out.
5. The pandemic increased the number of people who are reclusive.
6. The article says about 31% of Koreans are reclusive.
7. One reason for reclusiveness is social media.
8. More people in South Korea are living to be an older age.