Read the text and decide which answer best fits each gap.
COFFEE CULTURE
The other day I wanted a cup of coffee, so I popped into the bank. I sat in a soft armchair and watched the world go by, which, in this case, was the for the services of the bank clerks. I'm joking, of course, but this could soon be common in banks in big cities.
The for "real coffee" in Britain, like that for mobile phones, seems never-ending. However, the suspicion is that the attraction for many British people not so much in the coffee as in the "coffee culture" that surrounds it. This is to do with big, soft sofas and the idea that if you sit on one, you too can join the actors in the American TV comedy Friends.
In London, the first café opened in 1652. Men would gather there, often at regular times during the day, to news and gossip, discuss of the day, and do business. The cafés acted as offices and shops in which merchants and agents, clerks, and bankers could carry out their .
In London today it is estimated that there are more than 2000 cafés and the number is . It won't be long before coffee is sold everywhere. You can already buy it in hospitals, motorway service stations, supermarkets, and at tourist throughout the country.
Read the text and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only ONE word in each gap.
GOOD AT LANGUAGES
At school, Sarah Biggs says she was very bad at languages. Now she speaks English, Spanish and Italian and works a bilingual secretary in a travel company in England. several foreign languages at work is not easy, but for Sarah, and other multi-lingual secretaries like her, it is all standard practice.
Sarah comes from Spain, where she attended school and college. But it was time spent abroad after college encouraged her interest in languages.
In her job, Sarah has great deal more responsibility than the title of secretary would suggest. She stresses the importance of being fluent in Spanish because part of her job is dealing with customers from Latin America. such clients come from abroad, she has to translate everything say into English. She is given no time for preparation at all, so this aspect of her job is one of the most difficult.
It is important for Sarah to be up-to-date with changes her own language, so she reads Spanish newspapers and books looking for new additions to her vocabulary. Sarah says she not give up this job even if they offered her a better salary in another company.
Read the text and use the word given in capitals at each gap to form a word that fits in each gap.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PETS
Having friends is extremely important, and most people spend a lot of time with them. But is there another important type of (FRIEND) that they may be missing out on? Would having a pet be just as good? There is some (EVIDENT) to support this interesting suggestion. It is well-known that dogs can form strong bonds with people, and can show signs of (HAPPY) if their owner suddenly leaves (EXPECTED). In the same way, some people feel as close to their pets as to their human friends, gaining (STRONG) and comfort from their animals. It seems that the connection between animals and people goes deeper than might be expected. Studies into the (BEHAVE) of gorillas show that these creatures have (EMOTION) relationships that are not so different from our own. So although a pet may never (COMPLETE) replace a friend, there is clearly a place for both.
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.
This old car probably won't last for more than a year. (UNLIKELY)
=> This old car more than one year.
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in brackets. You must use between TWO and FIVE words, including the word given. Do NOT change the word given.
The heavy snow meant that no trains were running. (PREVENTED)
=> The trains the heavy snow.
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.
"How are you feeling after your operation, Chloe?" the doctor asked. (SHE)
=> The doctor asked after her operation.
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.
I'm happy to take you to work in the car. (LIFT)
=> I don't mind to work.
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.
I'm certain you didn't see Jacob at the match because he's in Canada. (SEEN)
=> You Jacob at the match because he's in Canada.
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.
He doesn't enjoy running as much as cycling. (MORE)
=> He likes running.
You are going to read an extract from a book in which actor Ewan McGregor explains how he first became interested in motorbikes. Choose the answer which you think fits best according to the text.
My first bike
Film star, Ewan McGregor, recently rode round the world on a motorbike. He talks about how he first took up riding motorbikes.
My biking beginnings can be summed up in two words: teenage love. My first girlfriend was small with short, mousy blonde hair, and I was mad about her. Our romance came to an abrupt end, however, when she started going out with another guy in my hometown, Crieff. He rode a 50cc road bike first and then a 125. And whereas I had always walked my girlfriend home, suddenly she was going back with this guy.
I was nearly sixteen by then and already heartbroken. Then one day, on the way back from a shopping trip to Perth with my mum, we passed Buchan's, the local bike shop. I urged my mother to stop the car. I got out, walked up the short hill to the shop and pressed my nose to the window. There was a light-blue 50cc bike on display right at the front of the shop. I didn't know what make it was, or if it was any good. Such trivialities were irrelevant to me. All I knew was that I could get it in three or four months' time when I was sixteen and allowed to ride it. Maybe I could even get my girlfriend back.
I'd ridden my first bike when I was about six. My father got hold of a tiny red Honda 50cc and we headed off to a field that belonged to a family friend. I clambered on and shot off. I went all over the field, thought it was just the best thing. I loved the smell of it, the sound of it, the look of it, the rush of it, the high-pitched screaming of the engine. Best of all, there was a Land Rover parked next to two large piles of straw with about a metre and a half between them. I knew that from where the adults were standing, it looked as if there was no distance between them. Just one large heap of straw. I thought I would have a go. I came racing towards the adults and shot right through the gap in the straw. I was thrilled to hear the adults scream and elated that it had frightened them. It was my first time on a motorbike. It was exciting and I wanted more.
So when I looked through Buchan's window in Perth that day, it suddenly all made sense to me. It was what had to happen. I can't remember whether it was to win back my ex-girlfriend's heart or not, but more than anything else it meant that, instead of having to walk everywhere, I could ride my motorbike to school and the games fields at the bottom of Crieff and when I went out at weekends.
I started to fantasize about it. I spent all my waking hours thinking about getting on and starting up the bike, putting on the helmet and riding around Crieff. I couldn't sleep. Driven to desperation by my desire for a bike, I made a series of promises to my mum: I won't leave town. I'll be very safe. I won't take any risks. I won't do anything stupid. But, in fact I was making the promises up - I never thought about keeping them.
At the time that I was begging for a bike, I'd already had an accident with a bike belonging to George Carson, the school laboratory technician. When I asked him if I could borrow it, he agreed, not knowing that I didn't have a clue how to ride it. The bike was in an alleyway up the side of the school hall. I managed to start it and zoomed down the alleyway until I crashed smack into a wall, bending the wheel and snapping the handlebars. Mr. Carson came out to find me looking very red-faced. The bill for the damage came to more than £80, a fortune to fifteen-year-old in those days and one that took me months of working as a dishwasher and waiter at the Murray Park Hotel to pay back.
(Adapted from Long Way Round by Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman)
One result of Ewan's accident was that he ____
You are going to read an article about a service for teenagers. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A - G the one which fits each gap. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
A. And often it's better to talk to a complete stranger about these things, rather than someone you know really well.
B. I think our chat made her feel a lot better.
C. Everyone occasionally has difficulties with their relatives, their colleagues, their neighbours, their boss!
D. That alone can often be a help in itself.
E. However, it doesn't work for everyone.
F. A thirteen-year-old girl is being teased by her older brother.
G. You can also chat directly with one of our counsellors online through our website.
Help is at hand
The children's charity Child Power UK has launched a new service for teenagers in need of a friendly ear. Charlie Benn investigates.
'Being a teenager has never been easy, and, from all our research, it seems to be getting more difficult every year.' So says Janet Faulkner, Director of Child Power UK. Helping Hand, a new service for thirteen- to nineteen-year-olds, is her brainchild. 'l realised that there was lots of help at hand for young people in extreme difficulty. They can ring ChildLine, for example, if they're suffering from bullying or have run away from home, things like that, but nothing for the more everyday problems they face. And so I created Helping Hand to fill the gap.'
The concept is simple. A teenage boy feels embarrassed every time he goes shopping with his mum. Someone is jealous of their best friend because they've got a cool new mobile phone. Who do they turn to? Helping Hand.
'They're little things, yes,' says Janet, 'but they often don't feel little to the person in that situation. All problems need to be sorted out and talked about. We provide a 24-hour free service to do two main things - listen sympathetically, and offer advice where appropriate.'
Since its introduction two months ago, Helping Hand has already dealt with over 1,000 cases. 'If you're a teenager, you can contact us in three main ways,' says Janet. 'There's a free number you can call (0909 9090909) or you can send us an email and we'll get back to you within half an hour. Many people like that option because it's direct but at the same time they feel comfortable. We're also planning to introduce a service soon that allows teenagers with similar problems to talk to each other online.'
There are five full-time Helping Hand counsellors at present, all trained in child psychology and counselling. One of the team, Jenny, described her work. 'It's a great feeling being able to make a difference to someone's life,' says Jenny. 'This morning, for example, I helped one teenager who was really upset because none of her friends at school had remembered her birthday. And there was a fifteen-year-old boy who had seen the film Billy Elliot and wanted to start doing ballet, but was afraid of what his father would say. He's going to make his dad watch the film before he talks to him about it.'
Helping Hand doesn't claim to be able to solve every problem. 'We can't work miracles,' says Andrew Carter, another counsellor, 'and we can't make all problems disappear just like that but Helping Hand gives kids the chance to express their frustrations and anxieties. I had a teenager the other day who had just split up with his girlfriend. He didn't want to talk to anyone in his family about it, and his friends just joked about it when he brought the subject up. He really only needed somebody to listen to him. And that's what we're there for.'
'Sometimes,' says Jenny, 'there are issues we just can't deal with at all. We're not health professionals, so there's no way we can discuss medical problems. All we can really do is suggest they go and see their doctor. And last week someone sent me an email asking if I knew where they could buy a cheap second-hand digital camera. We don't really have answers to questions like that!'
'Helping Hand has been such a success, though,' says Janet, 'that a number of other charities are looking into ways of running similar services for older people. It's not just teenagers that have problems. And it really does help to talk. Who knows? Maybe we'll all be using a service like this in the future!'
You are going to read about four countries that offer work experience opportunities for young people. Choose the section that contains the information in each question. The sections may be chosen more than once.
PROJECT ABROAD
A. INDIA
Magical India is a land of many contrasts. It is impossible to generalize about this subcontinent, and everyone has a different experience and different opinions. To live in India is to be part of a way of life totally unlike anything else.
People who volunteer to work in India spend up to six months at a time in the south of India. It's an area with a special feel to it - the villages and farms feed local people well, while the temples, sometimes built on great rocks overlooking the plain, satisfy people's spiritual needs.
South Indian community life is very close; if you work there, you will be treated as an addition to any school or family that you join. The food is famous for its variety of spices, vegetables and fruit and many people are vegetarians.
You will find yourself helping with both primary and secondary school children. Some schools also have children as young as nursery age, and you may well have the chance to work with them as well.
Travelling in India offers great opportunities. The rainy seasons in June and July and October keep the climate cooler and do not interfere with daily life.
B. GHANA
Ghana is a colourful country of thick tropical forests, wild savannah or bush and great beaches. It is home to one of Africa's friendliest and most welcoming people. The Ashanti built their kingdom on Ghana's gold - their country used to be called the Gold Coast. Modern Ghanaian culture is open and varied.
In recent years Ghana has attracted new money, and many Ghanaians have returned home from working or studying abroad bringing new investments and ideas with them.
In Ghana, people attach great importance to social and community events and many people are deeply religious. The official language is English but the main spoken languages are Ewe, Twi and Ga.
Children and their parents see education as a way to better jobs and good lives and children work hard at school. If you are working with young children in a primary school, you will find that teaching lively songs and rhymes is very popular.
Travelling around is cheap. Local minibuses, buses and trains operate throughout most of the country and wherever you go you will be given a warm welcome.
C. NEPAL
If you choose to work in Nepal, you will find a well-established programme for volunteers, particularly in the capital Kathmandu.
You will be offered opportunities in schools both in and around the city, ranging from well-equipped independent and state schools to much smaller ones set up to help children who, without an education, would have no future.
Volunteers spend up to six months at a time working with children from the ages of five to seventeen. You have a choice of working in busy Kathmandu, one of the villages in Kathmandu Valley or in the peaceful town of Pokara at the base of the great Annapurna mountain range by the shores of the beautiful Phewa Lake. Accommodation is either with host families or local hostels.
The surrounding countryside is excellent for walking and climbing, boating on the lake, and white-water rafting in the mountain rivers.
D. TOGO
Togo in West Africa is situated between Ghana and Benin. The capital city, Lome, is on the coast close to the Ghanaian border.
Togo's official language is French and although Togo has been independent since 1960 the French influence is still evident, from the architecture to the food.
Lome is said to have the best market in West Africa and the Togolese are warm and hospitable people. Accommodation is cheap; you can choose to stay with a host family or you may prefer to find your own room or apartment.
The south of the country is flat with lagoons along the length of the coast but as you travel north the land becomes hilly and rich with coffee plantations.
We can offer you work opportunities in secondary schools where the classes Tangein age from 11-20.
Which of the countries would you choose if you want to work with pre-school-age children?