METU/SFL
DBE
SPAN 2 REVISION HO
Fall 2024
201 GROUP
(Instructor’s Copy)
LANGUAGE
A. Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Do NOT use modals (CAN, SHOULD, etc.).
Do you like scary stories? Then, you probably know Stephen King, one of the most well-known horror writers.
Today, King (1) is considered (consider) very successful, but his life as a young writer (2) wasn’t (be) easy. He
had to work at multiple jobs to support his family and spend a lot of sleepless nights to finish his novels.
Stephen King (3) grew (grow) up in Maine, and most of his stories (4) take (take) place there. He (5)started
(start) writing stories at a very early age. When he was a teenager, he (6) got (get) a lot of rejection letters
from publishers. However, that (7) never stopped (never/stop) him from writing and fulfilling his dream of
becoming a great writer.
While King (8a) was studying (study) at the University of Maine at Orono, he (8b) began (begin) to write a
weekly column for the school newspaper. In 1970, he (9) graduated (graduate) with a B.A. in English. A year
later, he (10) married (marry) Tabitha Spruce. Because King couldn't find a job as a teacher immediately, the
couple (11) didn’t have (have) a comfortable life. King supported his family by (12) working (work) as a janitor.
Occasionally, he (13) sold (sell) stories to magazines.
In the early 70s, King (14) was teaching (teach) English at Hampden Academy in Maine when
a company finally (15) agreed (agree) to publish his novel Carrie. After that, King (16) didn’t
need (need) to teach to make money anymore, so he could become a full-time writer. He
(17)completed (complete) his second novel, Salem's Lot, in a small room in his garage. When
his mother (18) died (die) at the age of 59, King (19) was working (work) on three different
novels. However, after his mother’s death, it was very difficult for him to focus on any of them.
In the 80s and 90s, King (20) became (become) very successful with the publication of his
novels The Firestarter, Christine, and It. Today, his novels and stories (21) are read (read) in about sixty countries.
The films of King’s books are also very popular. Carrie, the first film adaption of King’s novels, (22)was
made (make) in 1976. King enjoys participating in the process of adapting his novels into films. He
(23)likes (like) to play small parts in the film adaptations. For example, in Rose Red, he can be seen as
the pizza delivery guy. In the recent remake of It, he (24) appears (appear) as an old shopkeeper.
As a talented storyteller, King (25) often combines (combine/often) horror, fantasy, science
fiction, and psychological realism. His success as a best-seller writer (26) comes (come) from his
ability to involve his readers in his stories and scare them. Moreover, he (27) is (be) interested in the
power of technology on human life.
King (28) keeps (keep) two dogs, a cat and a scorpion as pets in his house in Maine. In his free time, he (29)plays
(play) the guitar. His wife Tabitha is a writer, too. In fact, at present, Stephen and Tabitha (30)are preparing
(prepare) a book for children. The couple (31) is planning (plan) to release the book in January, 2025.
1
B. Read the text below, and fill in the blanks with the statements below using RELATIVE/ADJECTIVE CLAUSES.
Do NOT change the meaning. The statements are in the correct order.
Manga Kissas are everywhere, all around Japan. Kissa is a Japanese word for café, and Manga are Japanese
comic books. These Manga cafés are a good choice if you are looking for somewhere to have fun or spend your
free time, or even the night if you can’t afford to stay at a hotel.
In the past, people could go to these cafés and read Manga for a few hours and escape their busy lives. Now,
they have become something different. It now attracts people (1) whose hobbies include video games and
music. They offer computer facilities and places for karaoke as well as Manga books. The cafés have a lot of
books (2) (that/which)people can read for free. They are open for 24 hours, and they sell food and drinks
(3)that/which are affordable for everyone.
People often use Manga Kissas as a cheap form of accommodation, too – you pay per hour for your time in the
café, but it is much less expensive than a hotel. There are different rooms for teenagers and families. The
rooms (4) where teenagers stay are small, and the beds are not very comfortable. On the other hand, the
rooms for families are a little bigger. They are not exactly like five-star hotels, but people have their own private
space.
1) Their hobbies include video games and music
2) People can read them for free
3) They are affordable for everyone
4) Teenagers stay there
C. Mark the best choice for each blank.
It is hard to imagine a life without the Internet today. Around 60% of people think that the Internet is one of
the most important tools in their lives. When it started (1) _____ the second half of the twentieth century,
only scientists and people in government knew how to use it. However, now, many people (2) ____ hours
online every day. For example, the average Internet use was six hours and 37 minutes a day per person in
2022. We use it to entertain ourselves, to find information, and to communicate with people. Apart from this,
the Internet (3)____ a lot to shop online.
1.
a) in
b) on
c) at
d) until
2.
a) have been spent
b) spend
c) have spent
d) are spent
3.
a) was used
b) used
c) has used
d) is used
Amazon.com was one of the first companies (4)_____ products on the Internet. One day, Jeff Bezos made a
prediction about the future. He saw that Internet use was growing (5)____, and he thought that people would
like to shop on the Internet. He decided to leave his high paying good job and go to Seattle, Washington. At
that time, one of his best friends told him, “You shouldn’t leave this job (6)_____ you find a better one. The
economy is bad, so you (7) _____ be very careful.” However, Bezos was determined to found his own
company. He created an online bookstore (8) _____ Amazon.com in Seattle. Starting this kind of business was
very risky in those years. Computers were not common, and there were only about 10,000 Internet users
around the world. Therefore, people (9)____ very limited knowledge of online shopping. Bezos took a risk. He
(10)____ much money, and because of that, he started the company in a garage instead of an office. In the
beginning, he had trouble finding customers for his website.
2
4.
a) which sold
b) sold
c) was sold
d) where it is sold
8.
a) which it called
b) that was called
c) As he started
d) He started
5. a) quicker
b) the quickest
c) quickly
d) quick
9.
6.
a) throughout
b) before
c) when
d) after
a) were having
b) didn’t have
c) weren’t having
d) had
7. a) could
b) used to
c) might
d) need to
10. a) was having
b) had
c) wasn’t having
d) didn’t have
What (11)____ successful in the following years? The answer was that the website gave people a lot of
opportunities to help them with their shopping. Thanks to Amazon.com, people (12)____ for books about a
subject in seconds, buy them using their credit cards, and get them in their mailbox in only three or four days.
When people entered the website, they saw lots of products on their screens – they (13)_____ leave their
homes or drive to the nearest bookstore. An online bookstore was a new idea, but the business grew in a very
short time. Four years after it started, Amazon.com (14)____ to sell music and DVDs, too. In 2022, the website
had 310 million customers, and they bought many different items, including books, electronics, videos, and
video games.
11.
a) made Amazon.com
b) did Amazon.com make
c) does Amazon.com make
d) makes Amazon.com
12. a) should search
b) could search
c) must search
d) have to search
13. a) couldn’t
b) mustn’t
c) didn’t have to
d) didn’t use to
14. a) has begun
b) began
c) is beginning
d) was beginning
When Amazon.com first started, people said, “If I want to buy something, I need to see and touch it. Online
shopping is crazy. (15)_____ can make money with an online company.” They were wrong. Today, Jeff Bezos is
a billionaire – he is now the world’s fifth richest person, and after seeing people’s interest in online shopping,
many companies started online stores to sell their products. More than 20% of products worldwide (16)____
online today. Some people predict that this figure will be around 30% by 2025. The question is: What will
happen to real shops: the ones in malls and on the streets after that? Will they still earn money, or will they
close down? No one (17) _____, but we’ll soon find out.
15. a) Somebody
b) Everybody
c) Nobody
d) Anybody
16. a) are selling
17. a) knows
b) were sold
b) is known
c) are sold
c) know
d) have sold
d) are known
***
Most parents want the best of everything for their kids. This is also true for Korean parents. The problem is
that they expect too much of their kids. Almost every schoolchild in South Korea (18)____ to study at one of
the country's top universities by their parents. The school day starts at 8 a.m., and students finish studying
somewhere between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. at night. The interesting thing about the education system in the
country is that the students spend the lessons sleeping (19)____ stay up late studying at night. While the
teacher at school (20) _____ the subject, the students are asleep on their desks, and unfortunately, this isn’t
an extraordinary situation in the country.
18.
a) forces
b) forced
c) is forced
d) was forced
19. a) in order to
b) until
c) as soon as
d) when
3
20.
a) is explained
b) will explain
c) is explaining
d) will be explained
The teachers don't mind this, but parents complain about the quality of education at schools as they think the
problem is with the teachers. (21)____, they spend money on private teachers to help their kids. Nowadays,
there are more private teachers than school teachers in the country, and the most popular ones (22)____ a
fortune from online and face to face classes – their income is around $4,000 a month. Most parents rely on
private teachers to get their children into university. After studying a lot at night with their private teachers,
students (23) _____ on the classes. Some of them feel (24)____ at school as they think they need to study
more with their private teachers. Consequently, they say that they waste time at school.
21. a) Furthermore
b) As a result
c) However
d) In other words
22.
a) are made
b) are making
c) will make
d) will be made
23. a) shouldn’t focus
24. a) more uncomfortably
b) don’t have to focus
b) as uncomfortable as
c) can’t focus
c) uncomfortably
d) mustn’t focus
d) uncomfortable
The South Korean government (25)____ about the problem in the system, and they have announced that they
will make some changes. School teachers have to do training, and the government is going to organize
seminars and conferences twice a month to improve the quality of the education system. Government officials
also say that they will only work with teachers (26) _____ highly committed. It is a strange world – some
children in different countries (27) _____ to stop studying. However, others don’t even want to start.
25.
a) is knowing
b) knows
c) is known
d) knew
26. a) are
b) who are
c) that were
d) were
27. a) will tell
b) will be told
c) tell
d) are told
D. Mark the best choice for each blank.
Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in southwestern England,
and it dates from the late Stone and early Bronze ages. The monument consists of a
circular group of large upright stones. Even today, the real purpose of Stonehenge
(1)_____ , but many scholars believe that the monument (2)_____ as a ceremonial
or religious center, probably by the Neolithic people of the British Isles more than
3,500 years ago.
1. a) doesn’t know
b) isn’t known
c) hasn’t known
d) hasn’t been known
2. a) built
b) was building
c) was built
d) has built
(3) _____ Stonehenge was discovered in the mid-16th century, British scholars were shocked by its size as it
was the first time that they saw such a huge monument. After they studied the temple, they concluded that it
(4) _____ by Druids, a group of Celtic priests, in the 1st century A.D. Another group claimed that the builders
(5) _____ the Romans. However, twentieth century scientists showed that these theories were false.
3. a) during
4. a) built
5. a) have been
b) until
b) was built
b) were
c) before
c) used to build
c) are
d) when
d) was building
d) used to be
Today we know a lot more about Stonehenge. Extensive archaeological studies have already revealed that the
temple was there (6)_____ the Romans arrived in the area. However, the monument (7) _____as a mystery. In
the past, there were lots of stories about the stones and their power, but today most people (8) _____ any of
these stories.
4
6. a) as soon as
b) until
c) before
d) during
7. a) is still seen
b) has still seen
c) was still seen
d) still sees
8. a) remember
b) are remembering
c) don’t remember
d) aren’t remembering
A variety of factors have affected Stonehenge negatively. In the early 2000s, a lot of citizens (9a) _____about
the closeness of the A303 highway and its potential danger to the monument when British officials (9b) _____
to take action and do something about the problem. (10) _____ this unique monument, a group of
organizations such as English Nature, the Highways Agency, and the National Trust have worked on the
“Stonehenge Project” in cooperation with the related government offices.
9. a) were complaining/decided
10. a) Protecting
b) were complaining/were deciding
b) To protect
c) complained/were deciding
c) Who protects
d) complained/decided
d) Which protects
Currently, the Ministry of Transport (11) ______ to move the highway further away from the site of the
temple, and the new road construction (12) ______. Soon, Stonehenge (13) _____ from the risks that the
highway and traffic create. In addition, in two years, a new world-class visitor center (14) _____ outside
Stonehenge, so people from all over the world will be able to come and visit the monument without worrying
about accommodation.
11. a) are trying
12. a) continued
13. a) will be saved 14. a) will construct
b) is trying
b) will continue
b) is saved
b) has constructed
c) have tried
c) is continuing
c) will save
c) is going to be constructed
d) tries
d) is continued
d) saves
d) has been constructed
E. Mark the best choice for each blank.
Florence is a beautiful city in Italy that is famous for its art and history. It is a place (1)_____ every year. The
city is famous for its museums (2) _____ some of the best art collections in the world. One of the most famous
museums is the Uffizi Gallery. You can see paintings by famous artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli
there.
1. a) is visited by many tourists
2. a) have
b) where many tourists visit
b) where it has
c) where is visited by many tourists
c) which have
d) it is visited by many tourists
d) which it has
The dome of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is another important landmark. The sculptor Arnolfo di
Cambio (3) _____ to build it in 1296. Various local artists (4) _____ to work on it during the following century
and a half.
3. a) who began
4. a) continued
b) was begun
b) who continued
c) began
c) were continued
d) which was begun
d) that were continued
In addition to art and history, Florence (5) _____ for its beautiful parks where people can relax and enjoy
nature. One of the most famous parks is Boboli Gardens. It is located behind the Pitti Palace. This park has
many fountains and sculptures (6) _____ visitors from all over the world.
5. a) knows
6. a) that attract
b) is known
b) attract
c) has known
c) that it attracts
d) which is known
d) attracts
5
VOCABULARY
A. Mark the best choice for each blank.
Throughout history, many questions have (1)_____ both scientists and ordinary people. Some mysteries are
difficult to explain because they involve unusual beliefs that are held by (2) ______ people. For example, why
do some people think that breaking a mirror brings bad luck? Is there a way to test and prove it? Scientists try
to find answers to all kinds of strange phenomena, but it is not possible to solve all mysteries as there isn’t
enough (3) _____. In fact, some phenomena (4) _____ completely unknown. That is, there are things in this
world that we can’t explain. This doesn’t mean that we won’t, one day.
1. a) disrupted
b) puzzled
c) occurred
d) exchanged
2. a) private
b) amateur
c) mysterious
d) superstitious
3. a) prize
b) isolation
c) evidence
d) damage
4. a) remain
b) hide
c) confuse
d) acquire
In many cultures, people follow traditions based on superstitions. Some of these are strange but
are still (5)______ by many as ways to avoid bad luck. For example, it is possible to (6) _____
people who avoid walking under ladders because they believe it brings bad luck. Other traditions
exist because people want to (7)______ themselves from harm. For instance, some carry lucky
charms, like an evil eye bead, which are (8) ______ to bring good luck.
5. a) considered
b) criticized
c) anticipated
d) passed
6. a) behave
b) turn on
c) depend on
d) observe
7.
a) determine
b) protect
c) enable
d) injure
8.
a) proposed
b) supposed
c) divided
d) demonstrated
In social sciences, scientists often look into these beliefs to understand why they have (9) _____ until the
modern ages. They have learned that the main reason is the fear of the unknown. For example, the sound of a
creaking door at night might (10) _____ someone because they cannot immediately detect the cause.
9.
a) belonged
b) confused
c) survived
d) competed
10. a) frighten
b) beat
c) divide
d) arrange
Have you ever wondered why sleep is so important? It’s because your brain really (11) _____ on it! Good sleep
improves your (12) _____ abilities, like thinking clearly and remembering things. What do you need for a good
night’s rest? Below are some tips.
 It is important to have a dark and quiet environment. Without these, your sleep will be (13) _____
throughout the night, and this means you will never get enough sleep.
 You need to stick to a sleep schedule. In other words, timing (14) _____. You must go to bed and get up
at the same time every day.
 You must consume less caffein. It is true that a cup of coffee makes you (15) _____, but you need to be
able to relax for a good night’s sleep. Therefore, (16) _____ in caffein intake is essential if you want to
sleep better.
 Limit daytime naps. Long daytime naps can make it really difficult to (17) _____ asleep during night. Try
not to sleep more than one hour.
 Regular physical activity can (18) _____ you to sleep better. However, avoid being active too close to
bedtime. Spending time outside every day might be helpful, too.
6
11. a) treats
b) belongs
c) occurs
d) depends
12. a) mental
b) regular
c) extensive
d) separate
13. a) accepted
b) disrupted
c) owned
d) recognized
14. a) matters
b) drags
c) feeds
d) scares
15. a) smooth
b) odd
c) alert
d) shallow
16. a) pollution
b) recreation
c) pressure
d) reduction
17. a) blow
b) fall
c) reach
d) have
18. a) abandon
b) enable
c) solve
d) reflect
The Roanoke Colony is one of the greatest mysteries in American history. In 1587, a group of settlers arrived
on Roanoke Island, but a few years later, when ships returned to check on the settlers, they found the colony
was (19) _____. There was no one there. The (20) _____ of the entire colony shocked everyone, and no one
knows exactly what happened. Some people believe the settlers faced a natural (21) _____, like draught or
bad weather. Others think they joined nearby Native American tribes. Whatever the truth may be, the story of
Roanoke continues to puzzle historians to this day.
19. a) applied
20. a) transportation
21. a) victory
b) disappeared
b) disappearance
b) rivalry
c) restricted
c) trouble
c) happening
d) abandoned
d) achievement
d) disaster
Every year, many bird species travel long distances in search of food and warmer weather. In other words,
they (22)______ to warmer climates, and this happens in specific patterns. Birds often stop to rest in places
where they can find food and (23) _____ during their journey. The (24)______ of birds follow the same routes
every year, except for some that may change their path due to bad weather or other dangers.
22. a) enter
23. a) shelter
24. a) flood
b) grab
b) storm
b) main
c) migrate
c) predator
c) majority
d) supply
d) friction
d) depth
***
The clothing industry is one of the largest in the world, and it offers a wide (25) ______ of styles and products.
From casual wear to formal suits, clothes are made to suit everyone’s needs. However, some customers
(26)______ about poor quality or high prices. Many manufacturers focus on producing clothes that (27)______
natural materials, like cotton or wool, as these are more comfortable. However, these materials can
(28)______ after they are washed and do not fit the user any more. This can be frustrating for customers. They
are aware of the fact that clothing companies make a huge (29) ______ every year and criticize them for
caring only about the money they make instead of customer satisfaction. Mark Gene, the head of Customer
Rights organization in California, says that high customer satisfaction benefits companies, too: “If a company
causes a lot of dissatisfaction among its customers but doesn’t do anything about it, people eventually stop
buying its products because they see it as (30)_____, and no company wants to lose the trust of its customers.
25.
a) range
b) suit
c) waste
d) bargain
26. a) weigh
b) predict
c) complain
d) register
27. a) receive
b) purchase
c) contain
d) return
28.
a) recommend
b) shrink
c) wave
d) ignore
29. a) scenery
b) response
c) luxury
d) profit
30. a) dedicated
b) dishonest
c) selfish
d) strict
7
READING
TEXT I
Read the text below, and answer the questions that follow.
1 Psychologist Jim Stigler was fascinated to see that Asian students usually do better than American students at
elementary math. He thought that persistence, i.e., continuing to try to do something, might be the most
important factor. To see this, he did an experiment. In the experiment, he gave the same unsolvable math
problem to Japanese and American children. Of course, the children didn’t know that the problem couldn’t be
solved. The American researcher expected that most American students wouldn’t try for very long to solve it,
and he was right. They started working on the problem, struggled shortly, and then stopped trying when they
saw they couldn’t solve it. However, the Japanese students worked on and on. Finally, Stigler stopped the
experiment.
2 In his book The Learning Gap, Stigler provides more information about his experiment. According to the book,
most American people assume that the Asian education system is based on rote and drill. In other words, they
think that Asian students memorize and repeat a lot, so they learn better. Stigler says this is not true. Japanese
and Chinese teachers believe that their main goal is to stimulate thinking, so they try to help their students to
analyze ideas and concepts and to form their own opinions. In addition, they tell their students when they
think long enough about a problem, they can eventually find its solution. Stigler also states that believing in
hard work is one reason why Asian students do better than American students academically. He says, “People
in our country believe that success in school requires inborn talent, a natural ability to do something well. If
you believe that achievement is mostly the result of ability, then, you don’t believe in education. This means
you believe that some kids can’t learn. Asians, on the other hand, believe that everybody can learn if you give
them the time.”
3 Stigler argues that American people’s strong interest in ability causes them to waste many children’s potential.
He feels that most cases of academic failure in the country are because of this focus on ability. However, Asian
cultures value hard work. They believe that anyone can be successful if they try hard enough. (I) Many Asian
folktales give the idea that if you work hard, you can achieve any goal. With hard work and patience, there is
nothing that people can’t achieve. (II) Americans, on the other hand, put children in classes by their ability. As
a result, students can understand their teachers’ opinions about them: very smart, kind of smart, and kind of
stupid. “Feeling bad because of being not intelligent is common in the US,” says Stigler. Consequently,
students don’t have many dreams for their future careers. (III) In order to build a good career, a person should
not only have the necessary skills and intelligence but also work hard.
4 Psychologist Carol Dweck has conducted some studies to show the dangers of believing that geniuses – very
intelligent people-- are born rather than made. Her studies suggest that if people believe they aren’t born
intelligent, and they can’t get smart by working hard, they are not very likely to be successful. In one study,
Dweck asked 229 seventh graders this question: “Are people born smart or get smart by working hard?” Then,
they compared the students’ sixth-and seventh-grade test scores. The scores of students with the get-smart
views stayed high or improved. On the other hand, the scores of students with the born-smart assumption
stayed low. Although changing Americans’ views of ability is a challenging task, Dweck claims that it is possible
to encourage students to believe in hard work. Some institutions in the country are working on that with
Dweck. They organize seminars for teachers to help them understand the disadvantages of the born-smart
system and encourage them to completely refuse it.
5 “We tell teachers to talk to kids and say that they all can get high scores in their tests, and these teachers tell
their kids that they don’t have to be born smart, they just need to work hard. Most kids get excited when they
hear this,” says the researcher Kim Taylor. To support this, she shows the test scores of 137 third-grade
students from Detroit public schools. The students’ test scores rose by 15% in just one year as they were
8
encouraged by their teachers to work harder. According to Taylor, the government needs to change the
education system in the country. “If the government continues to follow the “born-smart” idea instead of
“get-smart,” American kids will continue to fail academically,” she says.
Mark the best choice for each question.
1.
a)
b)
c)
According to para. 1, the American students in Stigler’s experiment __________.
quickly realized that the problem was unsolvable
thought that they could solve the problem
were not as determined as the Japanese students
2.
a)
b)
c)
The word “stimulate” in para. 2 probably means __________.
to encourage
to educate
to receive
3.
a)
b)
c)
Which of the following is FALSE according to para. 2?
Asian students can do well at school as they do a lot of memorization and repetition.
Asian students’ success is mostly the result of their hard work and persistence.
Asian teachers do not believe students need to have an inborn talent to be successful.
4.
a)
b)
c)
Which of the following underlined sentences is irrelevant in para. 3?
I
II
III
5.
a)
b)
c)
Psychologist Carol Dweck believes that __________.
people cannot become intelligent later in life
it is easy to change Americans’ opinion on education
teachers should reject the idea of “born-smart”
6.
a)
b)
c)
Which of the following is TRUE according to para. 5?
Kim Taylor believes that hard work should be appreciated more at schools.
The US government now thinks that “get-smart” idea is the best option.
The students in Detroit were more successful as they were born smart.
7.
a)
b)
c)
What is the main idea of the text?
Many students in the US fail the tests as they aren’t assisted enough by teachers.
The US education system must understand the importance of hard work.
The Asian education system is better at giving math education to children.
9
TEXT II
Read the text below, and answer the questions that follow.
1 Around ten thousand teenagers every month Google, “Am I ugly?,” and psychologists say that they will
continue to ask this question. Body image, or people’s feelings about their appearance, is a big problem for
many young people today.
2 Faye is fifteen, and she lives in Denver, in the US. Like many teenagers, she just wants everyone to like her. (I)
It is Sunday night. She is getting ready for school for the week, but she is both confused and afraid. (II) Her
mom and dad tell her all the time that she is beautiful. However, every day at school, someone tells her that
she is ugly. This has happened for a long time, about eight months, and because of this, she takes a video of
herself one day, posts it on YouTube, and asks people this question: “Am I pretty, or am I ugly?” (III)
Thousands of people, especially teenage girls, are posting videos like this nowadays asking for people’s
opinions on their physical appearance.
3 According to two different studies, more than 50% of teenage girls in the US think that they should be on a
diet, and almost 45% of teenage boys are worried about their bodies and their weight. These studies also say
that their concerns will increase. What is the reason for this? Many people say it is because of the media. Turn
on the TV, and you will see beautiful models, handsome actors, and fit sports stars. Open a magazine or
browse the Internet, and it is usually the same. Many young people feel that they must do something to look
like these “perfect” people. ________________. In the USA, for example, the average woman is 163 cm tall
and weighs 64 kg. On the other hand, the average model is 180 cm tall and weighs 53 kg. When people don’t
look like these people on the Internet, they feel less confident. Most of the time, they want to be as slim as
these models. Most people try to lose as much weight as possible. When they realize that it is impossible to
look so good, they get anxious or depressed. Body image problems do not disappear when people get older.
For example, in the UK, women over 50 spend more money on cosmetics than any other age group, and older
men spend a lot of money to try to avoid hair loss.
4 Surely, we want our kids to be healthy. However, in an appearance – focused culture, parents are encouraging
their kids to spend more time on their body image, and this definitely has a negative effect on them.
Therefore, their relationships, the development of their physical and mental abilities, and their studies begin
to suffer. Around 60% of teenagers, both girls and boys, are now choosing not to socialize, or spend time with
their friends because they don’t think that they look good enough, and 32%, nearly one in three teenagers, are
now reluctant to participate in classroom activities. They don’t want to be in these activities as they are
worried about their appearance. Approximately 20% of high school students are not coming to class when
they don’t feel good about it. Unfortunately, this situation is consistent across Russia, the US, China, and
European countries. If there is a big problem like this in most parts of the world, schools, governments, and
businesses should work together to solve this problem so that our kids grow up valuing themselves – if they
don’t do this, our kids will continue to suffer psychologically, physically, and academically.
5 Especially in the US, we can all start taking responsibility for the types of pictures and comments on our own
social networks. We won’t feel its effects soon, but eventually we will be successful. It is important to start by
saying that a person’s appearance doesn’t have any influence on others, and it is not part of their identity. We
can write nice comments on people’s posts by focusing on their actions and not on their appearance. For a
long time, our culture’s interest in appearance has had a very negative effect on us. Let’s show our kids the
truth. Let’s build confidence in our schools. It will be easier with education – we need to provide body-image
lessons for our kids in high schools. It is really necessary to work together so that the little one-year-olds of
today can become confident in the future. Let’s do this. It is not very difficult. This has to be the main purpose
of everyone in the country.
10
Mark the best choice for each question.
1.
a)
b)
c)
According to para. 2, Faye ___________.
is spending a lot of time watching videos on YouTube
doesn’t want to go to school because of her parents
has had problems with other students’ opinions about her
2. Where in para. 2 does this sentence belong?
Faye is not the only example.
a) I
b) II
c) III
3.
a)
b)
c)
Which of the following best completes para. 3?
However, for most, this is just not possible
Therefore, they suffer a lot psychologically
Also, they try to achieve the desired weight
4.
a)
b)
c)
According to para. 3, which of the following is FALSE?
In the US, boys are almost as worried about their weight as girls.
When people get older, they begin to worry less about their appearance.
Teenagers in the US will continue to be concerned about their appearance.
5.
a)
b)
c)
In para. 4, the writer thinks that ___________.
parents are partly responsible for children’s body-image problems
body-image problems are more common in the US and European countries
more than half of teenagers avoid school because of their appearance
6.
a)
b)
c)
In para. 4, “do this” refers to ___________.
grow up
continue to suffer
solve this problem
7.
a)
b)
c)
According to para. 5, which of the following is TRUE?
American people should act more responsibly on social media.
In the US, focusing on appearance is quite a new trend.
the US education system provides body-image classes.
8.
a)
b)
c)
What is the main idea of the text?
Body image is common among teenagers, and it affects their academic performance negatively.
Negative body image is a major problem, and we can solve it by educating young generations.
Social media is everywhere, and it is the main reason for negative body image.
11
LISTENING
A. For items 1-3, you will listen to a lecture on women in science in the UK. You will hear the lecture only
ONCE. As you listen to the lecture, mark the alternative that best answers each question or completes each
statement. Before you listen to the lecture, you will have 45 seconds to look at the questions and the
alternatives.
1.
a)
b)
c)
In the UK, _____________.
boys are less interested in learning facts than girls
girls don’t have enough confidence for science
schools support both girls and boys to study science
2.
a)
b)
c)
Which of the following is FALSE?
The speaker didn’t like working in the lab in the UK.
There are more women than men in labs in France.
Male scientists in the UK respect women in science.
3.
a)
b)
c)
In the UK, after having children, women in science ______________.
get financial support from the government
have more advantages than men in science
are not as lucky as the women in France
B. For the items in this section, you will hear a radio interview with psychologist Robert Epstein. You will
hear the interview only ONCE. As you listen, mark the alternative which best answers each question or
completes each statement. Now, you have 60 seconds to look at the questions and the alternatives.
4. Robert Epstein tried to find a date _______.
a) by asking his cousin to introduce him to someone
b) by using an online dating website
c) by reading books on relationships and love
5. Epstein was initially bothered by the fact that _______.
a) Ivana was very attractive
b) Ivana lived with her mother
c) Ivana’s English wasn’t very good
6. Epstein tested Ivana by _______.
a) including random alphabet letters in his e-mails
b) going to Moscow to surprise her
c) making her think that he was a computer program
7. After his experience with Ivana, Epstein _______.
a) decided not to date anyone else
b) contacted a computer programmer
c) had another similar experience
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C. For items 8-10, you will listen to a radio program on the effects of social media on businesses. You will
hear the program only ONCE. As you listen, mark the alternative that best answers each question or
completes each statement. Before you listen, you will have 45 seconds to look at the questions and the
alternatives.
8.
a)
b)
c)
Carroll’s guitar was broken when the airline workers in _______ threw it.
Nova Scotia
Chicago
Nebraska
9.
a)
b)
c)
Which of the following is TRUE?
Dave asked United Airlines to give him $3,500 to buy a new Taylor guitar.
United Airlines offered Dave $1,200 of flight tickets instead of money.
Dave tried to get the money from United Airlines for nine months.
10. After Dave’s song was watched by 150,000 people, _____.
a) United Airlines offered him a payment
b) he agreed to remove the video from YouTube
c) United Airlines gave $5,000 to a charity
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TAPE SCRIPT
A. For items 1-3, you will listen to a lecture on women in science in the UK. You will hear the lecture only
ONCE. As you listen to the lecture, mark the alternative that best answers each question or completes each
statement. Before you listen to the lecture, you will have 45 seconds to look at the questions and the
alternatives. (***pause 45 seconds***)
Today, I am going to talk about some of the problems that women in science face in the UK.
The problem begins in schools. In the UK, schools are not doing enough to encourage girls to study science.
Most science classes are about learning facts, and boys are happier about facts. They are interested in the
answers of questions like “Is this right?” or “Is this wrong?” However, girls are more interested in
understanding things. They are interested in the answers of questions like “How good is this?” or “How bad is
this?” Our education system does not pay attention to this difference, so girls don’t feel confident when they
study science. If we want girls to feel confident in science classes, and if we don’t want them to feel frustrated,
we should give girls some confidence and motivation.
The next problem is male attitudes towards women in science. Early in my career, I didn’t enjoy spending time
in the lab a lot – sometimes I even hated it because I was often the only woman in my lab in Oxford. One male
colleague called me simply “the girl.” Over the years, men have said some negative things to me such as, “You
don’t look like a scientist.” I realized that there was a problem in the UK when I went to France a few years
later. In the lab in Paris, everything was different, and I soon discovered the reason. In France, more than 60%
of the people in the labs are women. I mean, the number of female scientists is higher in France than in the
UK, and so women get more respect.
Another problem for women in science is about having children. This is very important for female scientists in
their late 20s and early 30s. In the lab in Paris, having children is not a very big problem for a woman’s career.
It doesn’t have a negative effect on the careers of those French women. However, in Britain, if women take
time off work to have a child, things can be very hard for them later because the government doesn’t support
women with children financially or professionally. If she wants to return to work after having children, it is
difficult to compete with men. While female scientists spend time taking care of their children, male scientists
continue to do their research, writing lots of academic papers, and publishing them. When the woman starts
working again, male scientists will have more academic papers and, of course, more advantages.
In the end, if you are not a woman, and if you are not a scientist, talking about women in science might not
seem very important. But if you are both of those things, you might feel uncertain about your career. (fade
out) (***pause 5 sec.)
B. For the items in this section, you will hear a radio interview with psychologist Robert Epstein. You will
hear the interview only ONCE. As you listen, mark the alternative which best answers each question or
completes each statement. Now, you have 60 seconds to look at the questions and the alternatives. (***pause
60 seconds)
Host: You’re listening to NPR’s Radiolab. Today on our program, psychologist Robert Epstein. He is the former
editor-in-chief of Psychology Today magazine. He’s written a lot of books on relationships and love, and he
also happens to be one of the world’s leading researchers in computer-human interaction, like artificial
intelligence, basically. So, … when did you decide to go on to the computer to get a date?
Epstein: (laughs) Well, umm, 2006, maybe, after I got divorced.
Host: And you decided to try online dating?
Epstein: Well, yeah, yeah, everyone was doing it. My cousin, actually, convinced me to try it, so I did. And … I
went to a website, and I, you know, I communicated with various people. And one of the women I
was communicating with … lived in Southern California, where I do, so I thought that was great, cause, you
know, you want someone to be nearby. Her name was Ivana. She had a very attractive photo online. Her
14
English was poor, which bothered me at first. Then she said she wasn’t really in California, she was really in
Russia. But all four of my grandparents came from Russia, so I continued to write to her. She wrote back to
me in very poor English. I remember, uhh, that she liked to walk in parks, and her telling me about her family,
and her mom. They lived in a small apartment, and I knew where in Russia they lived. I felt like we were really
communicating.
Host: Oh, so it was getting serious. Wow. Then what happened?
Epstein: Well, two months passed, and I began to feel uncomfortable, like something wasn’t right. The
main problem was, … I would say something like, “Did you get my letter about coming to Moscow in April?” or,
“Tell me more about this friend of yours that you mentioned,” and she didn’t answer my questions. She did
not. She was still replying with long e-mails, but they were kind of general. Then, at some point, I realized what
might be happening, finally. I decided that I should test her somehow, to find out what was going on, so I
started to send, uh, some e-mails which included random alphabet letters instead of words.
Host: Wait a second, so you’d say, “What are you watching on TV? Are you watching dbgglp?”
Epstein: Exactly, and it didn’t … make … any … difference. She didn’t ask about the random alphabet letters in
my e-mails. She kept writing the same long replies. And that’s when I realized, … Ivana was not a person.
Ivana … was …a computer program. I had been tricked.
Host: Wow. So, what’d you think?
Epstein: Well, I felt like a fool, an incredible fool, especially with my background in computers, (yeah) that I had
been fooled for that long. The funny thing is, after this incident, I began to talk to another woman online, at
least I thought it was a woman. But she also turned out to be a robot. I discovered it this time because the
programmer contacted me from the UK, and said, “I know who you are. You have not been communicating
with a real person, you’ve been communicating with a computer program.
Host: Wow, you’ve been now tricked twice by robots, so to speak.
Epstein: Well, maybe more than twice.
Host: Well, how common do you think this is? Do you think that all those online dating sites are full of
these robots?
Epstein: You know, I think they are. That’s what you have to understand. There are like, hundreds of these things
out there, there might be thousands. That’s what’s coming. That’s the future. (***pause 20 seconds)
C. For items 8-10, you will listen to a radio program on the effects of social media on businesses. You will
hear the program only ONCE. As you listen, mark the alternative that best answers each question or
completes each statement. Before you listen, you will have 45 seconds to look at the questions and the
alternatives.
(***pause 45 seconds***)
Hello, and welcome to How’s Business? Today, we’re going to look at how social media can affect businesses.
I’d like to start with the story of Dave Carroll, an American singer-songwriter because he had a very bad
experience with United Airlines, an airline company in the US.
Dave and his music group were flying with United Airlines from Nova Scotia to Nebraska, and they needed to
stop in Chicago. While they were waiting to get off the plane in Chicago, one of the passengers said, “My God!
They’re throwing guitars out there.” When Dave and the other group members looked out of the plane
window, they were frustrated to see that the airline workers were throwing the group’s guitars to each other,
and Dave couldn’t believe it. He immediately complained to United Airlines, but nobody listened to him.
15
When the music group arrived in Nebraska, Dave discovered that his very expensive Taylor guitar was broken.
The guitar was about $3,500, but the damage to his guitar cost him $1,200. He tried to get $1,200 from United
Airlines. He phoned and e-mailed their offices in Nova Scotia, Chicago, and New York without success for nine
months from April to January – during these nine months, United Airlines simply said, “No.” In the end, he
even suggested that instead of money, the company could give him $1,200 of flight tickets. Again, the answer
was “no.” So, what else could a singer-songwriter do? Dave was angry, and he wanted to do something. He
called his friends and asked for help to write a song and make a video about his experience. The song was
called United Breaks Guitars. He posted it on YouTube, and it was a huge hit. The song reached number one on
the iTunes music store in a week, and the video was watched over two million times in only three months.
After 150,000 people watched the video on YouTube, Dave got a phone call from United Airlines. The
company official said, “If you agree to remove the video from YouTube, we will give you $5,000.” Dave refused
to get the payment and said he will not remove the video. He told the company official to give the money to
charity. However, the company didn’t like this answer. In the meantime, the effect of Dave’s video was getting
bigger and bigger. Soon, newspapers, websites, TV, and radio stations all over North America were writing
stories about the song.
Dave Carroll’s favorite guitar was broken, but in the end United Airlines were the bigger losers. The BBC said
that the company lost an incredible $180 million in the first four weeks after the video because many people
didn’t want to fly with this company. (fade out) (***pause 5 sec.)
This is the end of the recording.
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