Ex 1:
Exam Tips
When the day comes give yourself plenty of time (0) ........ do everything: have breakfast
but don't drink (1) ........ much; go to the toilet; arrive on time, but not too early or you will
find yourself getting more and more nervous while you wait to start.
In the exam, calm (2) ........ down by breathing deeply and thinking positively. Read the
exam questions carefully and underline all of the key instruction words (3) ........ indicate
how the questions should be answered. If possible start with the ones (4) ........ can do
easily to give you confidence. Remember what you've learnt from practising questions
and doing mock exams previously and plan your use of time. Don't panic (5) ........
everyone around you seems to start writing furiously straight away and don't be tempted
to follow their example.
Finally, after the exam, don't join in a discussion about (6) ........ everyone else
did, (7) ........ you want to frighten yourself, and drain your self-confidence for the next
exam. Above (8) ........, remember that exams are not designed to catch you out, but to
find out what you know, what you understand and what you can do.
Ex 2:
The Goulburn Valley
The Goulburn Valley is situated in the south-east corner of the Australian continent, in
the state of Victoria. Because
the introduction of irrigation over a century
ago, primary industry flourished, resulting in a multitude of orchards
market gardens. After World War II, migrants flocked to the area in search of work on
the farms, and in
cases, establishing a property of their own.
Unfortunately, the region has taken a turn for the worse over the past decade. The
irrigation water that was
plentiful has now been rationed, and many
farmers have been forced
the land. The main source of water is from the
Goulburn River, with several reservoirs located along its stretch to the mighty Murray
River. Dam capacities have fallen to dangerous levels, resulting in some farmers
having
inadequate supply of irrigation water.
the recent hardships, some farmers have continued to eke an existence
out of the land. Many have become
ingenious, devising new ways to
utilize water plus finding special niches to service the ever-changing urban needs.
Perhaps the Goulburn Valley can return to its prosperous times again.
Ex 3:
Too Good to be True
Some say you can do it in seven days, others promise success in 24 hours, or you may
prefer to take (0) ........ time and do it in 5 weeks. What are we talking about? Believe
it (1) ........ not, these periods (2) ........ time refer to language learning courses that
promise excellent results in less time (3) ........ it takes to say 'Bonjour'!
However, the advertisements of these companies are not necessarily the best guide
and if you don't know what to look for in a good course you could be left with
little (4) ........ than a large bill.
A complaint was recently made to a consumer rights group against WhizzLearn
Systems, a language school chain, and the company has been forced to remove its
claim that its technique is ten times better than any (5) ........ method. The Managing
Director of WhizzLearn Systems said (6) "........ we still believe our claim is true, we are
willing to change our advert. But the fact remains, if you spend 3 hours per day for 5
weeks on our language course you will soon be speaking the language. What
we (7) ........ have done was to make (8) ........ clearer in the advert."
Ex 4:
Camping Holidays
Although it has a reputation for being rather basic in terms of home comforts, the
modern material used in (0) ........ manufacture of tents means camping is at least
a (1) ........ less hard work. Nowadays tents are (2) ........ lightweight that you hardly
notice you're carrying them. They're easy to put up yet still a cheaper alternative to hotel
accommodation.
Talk to an expert first before spending a lot of money (3) ........ a tent. Different tents suit
different needs and there's no point (4) ........ buying a mountaineering tent (5) ........
you're planning to camp in these conditions. Don't be tempted to splash out on all the
latest equipment either. Most of the fun of camping lies in the chance to get back to
nature. There's no need to take anything more (6) ........ the basics.
Always try to plan your arrival at the site long before it gets dark. You will want to
see (7) ........ you're doing when you try to erect your tent. Don't forget to ask for
permission if you're not camping on a registered site, and remember to take a supply of
food and drink with you in (8) ........ the local shops are closed when you arrive. You can
then enjoy your first meal under the stars and begin to appreciate the joys of camping.
Ex 5:
Motorbike Stunt Rider
I work (0) ... a motorbike stunt rider - that is, I do tricks on my motorbike at shows. The
Le Mans racetrack in France was (1) ........ I first saw some guys doing motorbike stunts.
I'd never seen anyone riding a motorbike using just the back wheel before and I
was (2) ........ impressed I went straight home and taught (3) ........ to do the same. It
wasn't very long before I began to earn my living at shows performing my own
motorbike stunts.
I have a degree (4) ........ mechanical engineering; this helps me to look at the
physics (5) ........ lies behind each stunt. In addition to being responsible for design
changes to the motorbike, I have to work (6) ........ every stunt I do. People often think
that my work is very dangerous, but, apart (7) ........ some minor mechanical problem
happening occasionally during a stunt, nothing ever goes wrong. I never feel in (8) ........
kind of danger because I'm very experienced.
(Source: FCE Handbook. Reproduced with permission from Cambridge English)
Ex 6:
Where to go whale watching
When asked to list the things they would most like to experience in life, a
surprising 0 _____ of people mention seeing whales in their natural habitat. It’s an
ambition that can be 1
surprisingly easily. It is 2
that the
seas around Iceland are home to over five thousand orca whales. But their behaviour,
and therefore your chances of seeing them, varies 3
to the season.
In summer, the whales have a 4
to hang out near the coast and can be
seen swimming up fjords and inlets. During the winter months, however, the animals are
generally to be found 5
out at sea. 6
season you choose for
your trip, whale-watching trips are very easy to organise, and there’s a chance you’ll get
to see other whale species too.
Besides Iceland, another option is to 7
for northern Norway between October
and January. Orcas arrive here at this time of year in 8
herring, which form an important part of their diet.
Ex 7:
of large shoals of
Ex 8:
The London Marathon
The London Marathon race is a long-running story. (0) It was first held in
1981, (1)
when more than half a million marathon runners of various shapes,
sizes and abilities have completed the challenge of running the full 42 km of the course.
The London Marathon was the brainchild of Chris Brasher. The former Olympic
champion brought the idea home to London (2)
completing the New York
Marathon in 1979. ‘Could London stage (3)
answering his (4)
29 1981, (5)
an event?’ wondered Brasher,
question by organizing the first London Marathon on March
6,255 runners completed the course.
The event has captured the public imagination and there are always (6)
people wanting to take part. Last year (7)
in it, although only 46,500 (8)
many
amazing 98,500 people applied to run
be accepted.
For most of (9)
thousands who do take part, the day is about fun, achievement
and raising money for charity - with varying degrees of pain! It is the immense
community spirit that (10)
the race so special. Clubs, community groups and
schools assist and entertain along the route as the runners - many of (11)
in
fancy dress - run through the streets raising money for charitable causes. The streets of
London are turned (12)
the longest street party in the world as crowds line the
course to cheer the runners and enjoy the spectacle.
Ex 9:
Learning an Instrument
Learning to play an instrument is (0) something that can give a lot of pleasure. It’s
also an achievement and a skill (1)
stays with you for life. Music has a
part to play in everyone’s life, and has been described (2)
language”.
a “primary
Learning to play an instrument isn’t easy at the beginning (3)
and determination. And while there’s nothing wrong with aiming (4)
top, music is definitely (5)
ought (6)
takes effort
the
something to take up because you think you
do it.
A lot of adults regret not (7)
learnt to play an instrument when they were
younger. But it is never (8)
late to learn! And the advantages of learning
an instrument are far greater than just the pleasure of producing a marvellous
sound. When you’ve progressed far (9)
, there are lots of amateur groups
which you can join (10)
you want to be part of larger group. Once you’ve
reached a good enough standard to join a band or orchestra, you add the team
skills like (11)
you get from playing sport. There’s also a great social side
to playing with others, as (12)
as the chance to travel through touring.
Ex 10:
Dinosaurs Eating
Dinosaurs died out more than 60 million years ago, so (0) how on earth can we tell
what they used to eat? Find out at the Cameron Museum, where you can
step (1)
lunch. (2)
in time and join some dinosaurs enjoying their
you enter the new Meet the Dinosaurs exhibition, you’ll meet four
full-size dinosaur heads, (3)
of them munching away on their favourite food.
The model dinosaurs are (4)
realistic that you could easily forget that
they’re (5)
real. Scientists have pieced (6)
information from fossils
to work out that dinosaurs with large claws and sharp teeth ate meat, while flatter teeth
were used (7)
manners (8)
the (9)
But, (10)
grinding plants. 50 Tyrannosaurus rex, with its prehistoric table
teeth as sharp as razors, might not have been
relaxing dinner guest!
you’re a meat eater or a vegetarian, (11)
to the exhibition and (12)
not come along
sure you don’t miss an incredible day out!
Ex 11:
High-jumper
When high-jumper Dick Fosbury (0) went to the Mexico City Olympic Games in I968,
the tall, shy senior from Oregon State University was known (1)
for his
namesake technique than his talent. But after he came (2)
medal with an Olympic record of 2.24m. high jumping (3)
Since 1972, 13 of 15 men’s Olympic medallists (4)
and took the gold
changed forever.
used the Fosbury Flop.
Fosbury devised the Flop (5)
a high school competition in Oregon, in I963. As
a second-year student, he was struggling with the scissors-kick
style, (6)
straight. (7)
carries the jumper over the bar one leg at a time with the body
the bar got higher,’ he recalls, ‘I started to lean
back (8)
and further. making my back more parallel (9)
the ground.‘
Though the changing process continued another two years. Fosbury’s head-first, face
up technique generated little interest
(10)
tradition-bound college coaches. He had started to study engineering at
Oregon State (11)
track coach Berny Wagner saw enough potential in Fosbury
to grant (12)
a small scholarship. Wagner also asked Fosbury to try the
Western Roll, a more conventional style.
Ex 12:
Swimming with Seals
The UK is home to half the world’s population of grey seals and there (0) are many local
boat trips offering sightseeing tours out to the islands and sandbanks (1)
animals are most regularly found.
the
But if you really want to get close (2)
the seals and understand something
about their way of life, then you need to go on an underwater seal-watching trip. On
these trips, you have the chance to go over the side of the boat and,
equipped (3)
a wetsuit, mask and snorkel, spend time in the water alongside
the animals.
Seals are extremely inquisitive creatures and, once you’re in the water, they will swim
past you trying to work (4)
who you are and (5)
you’re doing
there. (6)
they can appear shy at first, seals soon (7)
used to you
being in the water, and will come and play around you. Young pups especially like
to (8)
contact with divers, and often use their teeth, gently biting masks and
fins and cameras out of curiosity. It can be a thrilling experience.
Ex 13:
Multimedia Education
Multimedia PC’s have transformed educational computing (0) from an activity that
took (1)
in an isolated corner of the classroom (2)
one that everyone
can (3)
part in together.’ says Josephine MacDermott. The (4)
that the
children see it as a game is wonderful; we all learn lots more when we’re having fun.’
‘The software Sam’s class (5)
using bears little resemblance to the familiar
shoot-em-up games of home entertainment.
Emily Jeffreys is practising her keyboard skills while avoiding a hungry crocodile. Emily
likes using the computer for writing ‘because it‘s neater (6)
rub things (7)
without it showing.’ Ellis Street (8)
pencil and you can
it easier than holding
a pen: ‘You don't have to move your hands so much.’
‘The computer can be set to challenge (9)
a sense of achievement.’ (10)
who (11)
ability levels and so gives each child
out MacDermott. One six-year-old,
just learnt all his tables, is shouting out his four-figure maths total. The
others are impressed, but more interested (12)
pushing up their own scores.
Ex 14:
Spot the Gorilla
The gorilla experiment is famous in modern psychology. Participants are asked to watch
a video of friends playing an informal game of ball and count the (0) number of times
the ball is passed from one player to (1)
. The entire game and all the players
are visible on screen throughout the experiment, and only one camera was used to film
it.
Halfway through the game, someone wearing a gorilla costume walks into the shot and
begins to (2)
part in the game. The figure remains on screen for around nine
seconds. The strange thing is that the viewers are (3)
number of passes that around half of (4)
gorilla (5)
all. (6)
busy counting the
regularly fail to notice the
these people are told about the gorilla, they are
amazed to think they could (7)
missed it.
The experiment works every time, but why some people see the gorilla and others don’t
remains a mystery. Indeed, researchers have never been able to predict which
participants (8)
see the gorilla.
Ex 15:
The Mini-Monet
Kieron Williamson is a very successful landscape painter. His
paintings, (0) which mostly depict the peaceful countryside around his home village in
eastern England, sell very well. Perhaps this shouldn’t (1)
as that much of a
surprise. It’s a beautiful part of the world, and landscape paintings are always popular.
The strange thing about Kieron, however, (2)
that he is only seven years old. At
a recent exhibition of his work, all the paintings were sold in half an hour, some for
€100,000 each. Kieron now has fans all over the world, and has gained the nickname
the ‘Mini-Monet’.
What’s even (3)
surprising is that Kieron doesn’t come from an artistic family
and only started painting two years (4)
. He first got
inspiration (5)
some boats he saw on holiday at the seaside. Kieron asked his
parents if they (6)
buy him a sketch pad and pencils (7)
draw them. Only when they saw (8)
talented.
that he could
hell he drew did they realize that he was
Ex 16:
Diet during Pregnancy
If you (0) ate healthily during the months leading (1)
to your pregnancy,
that’s great! There are only a few changes you’ll need to (2)
now that your baby is (3)
, the way. (4)
switched to a healthier (5)
to your diet
, you have not already
, don't worry. It's never too (6)
to start -
even if you’re several months’ pregnant. Changing (7)
a better diet now
will help your body cope with the remainder of your pregnancy as well
as (8)
of benefit to your developing baby. The general healthy eating
guidelines still apply to you. (9)
are one or two nutrients you need in larger
than normal amounts while you are pregnant.
A small amount of extra protein (10)
are eating a mixture of foods (11)
should (12)
Ex 17:
Postman
needed during pregnancy. But if you
is enough to satisfy your appetite, you
getting all the protein you need.
l picked up my bag of (0) letters and left the post office. The bag (1)
and I had a lot of letters to deliver. (2)
seven o'clock (3)
going to be a warm day.
full
I was still very cheerful. It was
a fine summer morning. The sun was shining. It was
I started on my long walk (4)
the streets of Hillwick with a light step. It
wasn't only the bright morning (5)
made me happy. (6)
my
wife and I - had (7)
living in London. I had been a postman there for a
long time. Then I had the opportunity to lake a postman’s job in Hillwick and I
decided to take (8)
the (10)
. Several (9)
l wondered if I had done
thing. It is not always wise to leave the place that you are
used to. But now, six weeks after we had moved, I knew that I had been right.
We'd found a comfortable little house (11)
a good garden. We liked
the atmosphere of the quiet, sleepy town, and we'd already made some
friends. (12)
enjoy living there.
in Hillwick pleased us both. I knew that we were going to