Listen to an appeal from a charity and decide whether these statements are True (T) or False (F).
Benedicto owns a banana plantation in the Philippines.
Benedicto usually buys cans of cola in the plantation shop.
All the children in Benedicto's family attend school.
Plantation owners employ children because they are willing and docile workers.
Consumers play a role in helping to tackle the exploitation of child labour.
Supermarkets are uninterested in improving pay and conditions for food producers.
When fair trade principles are applied, working adults get higher wages.
You will hear five short extracts in which people talking about their roles in film, cinema and TV. Choose what each person is expressing from the list A - H.
You will hear a radio interview about flu pandemics. Choose the best answer which fits best according to what you hear.
How does Andrew define what he does for a living?
Many healthy pigs were killed in 2009 because _____.
What do experts know about the origin of the 2009 flu epidemic?
How many people died from the H1N1 virus in the 2009 pandemic?
Most researchers believe that the Spanish flu pandemic resulted in _____.
a minimum of 25,000,000 deaths
fewer than 25,000,000 deaths
fewer deaths than those caused by World War I
over 100,000,000 deaths
Listen to the recording and complete the following summary. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS or A NUMBER taken from the recording for each blank.
Artificial Intelligence has recently started to appear in and science fiction.
helps computers identify relationships in data that lead to innovations like recommendation systems.
AI allows machines to understand and with ChatGPT.
In healthcare, AI can accelerate the discovery of and the use of robots in hospitals.
In agriculture, AI is being used to decrease the use of for better crop production.
The advancement of AI can promote , deepfakes, and copyright violations.
In military operations, too much regulation of AI could pose risks to .
In the future, one of the major questions about AI is how to encourage while minimizing negative effects.
My train _____ at 3.15, so could you be there to collect me?
Tom and Jane are talking about their plan for the weekend.
Tom: I'm going to spend the weekend sitting in front of the television.
Jane: _____
I think nobody is living in this house now, _____?
Let us hope that _____ a nuclear war, the human race still survives.
Although many people do not consider it harmful, alcohol is the _____ in the United States.
It's urgent _____ of the problem immediately.
After the concert, everyone had to _____ home through the thick snow.
_____, playing music is an effective way for them to open their heart to the outside world.
He must have taken a wrong turn; otherwise, he _____ here an hour ago.
Tim was forced to leave his job but he got a generous golden _____
You do realise that your decision will _____ a great strain on our relationship.
Jack: I'll do the washing-up, shall I?
Lily: _____.
It's a _____ shame that so little is done nowadays to help the homeless in our large cities.
Most teenagers go through a rebellious _____ for a few years but they soon grow out of it.
A(n) _____ decision has been made and there is nothing we can do about it now.
_____ the balcony chairs will be ruined in this weather.
_____ have made communication faster and easier through the use of email and Internet is widely recognized.
Your rental agreement _____ states that no pets are allowed in the building.
No matter how I tried to convince him that I was right, he _____ his ground dismissing all my arguments.
When I told my family I wanted to be a professional musician, I faced a _____ of criticism from my parents, who strongly disapproved of the idea.
Complete the passage by changing the form of the word in capitals.
A Morning Essential?
Coffee is probably one of the most popular drinks in the world, especially in the mornings when people need something to perk them up and assist them with getting on with their days. For many of us, it would simply be inconceivable to start the day without at least one cup of roasting-hot coffee, but do we really need it? Obviously, (CURE) addicts will tell you that a hit of caffeine is not only (PLEASE) but an essential part of their morning routine, largely because people believe that it is coffee that makes them (INDUSTRY) fully functioning members of society.
However, the health effects of coffee are (CONTROVERSY) which is why an increasing number of people are turning to (CAFFEINE) versions, or even drinks such as green tea. Coffee can have negative consequences for people who are prone to anxiety or (REST) and it also becomes a habit that is hard to break. People who drink coffee regularly find it irresistible, and stopping can lead to withdrawal symptoms.
Perhaps this realisation is also a reason why people are turning to alternatives. Nobody wants to be addicted to something, albeit (LITERAL) (CONSCIOUS). This interest in alternative choices is, of course, a good idea, but although coffee is occasionally disparaged by the press and health (PROFESSION) alike, it also has some clearly beneficial (CHARACTER). Studies have shown that coffee can help protect people from numerous illnesses, such as diabetes and Alzheimer's.
Match the words in column A with their strongest collocates in column B and then use the full phrases to fill the gaps in the sentences below. You should make change if necessary.
Even during tense family discussions, she always rather than make the argument worse.
Despite years away from the spotlight, the singer managed to with her latest album.
She so she should work in sales and marketing.
Read the following passage and decide which answer best fits each gap.
Gerard Mercator: The Man Who Mapped the Planet
When Gerard Mercator was born in 1512, the geography of the globe still remained a mystery. It was unclear whether America was part of Asia, if there was a vast of sea at the top of the world or if Australia was connected to Antarctica.
Mercator's childhood was spent chiefly in Rupelmonde, a Flemish trading town on the river, and it was here that his geographical imagination was by the ships which passed to and from the rest of the world. Alongside imagination, he developed two very different skills. The first was the ability to gather, and co-ordinate the geographical information provided by explorers and sailors who frequented the margins of the known. He also had to be able to imagine himself from the heavens, to achieve the visionary of gods in the skies, down on the world. The main reason why Mercator's name is familiar to us is because of the Mercator Projection: the solution he to represent the spheroidal surface of the globe on a two-dimensional plane. It is less well known that Mercator was the first man to conceive of mapping the surface of the planet or that he the idea of multiple maps being presented in bound books, to which he gave the name 'Atlas'.
It is difficult for us now to be surprised by maps, so many are there, and of such detail and coverage, but we should bear in mind that Mercator lived at a time when such knowledge was far from . He was the man who altered our worldview forever.
Fill each of the following blanks with ONE suitable word.
THE TRUE PRICE OF ORGANIC FARMING
Organic farming is a system of agricultural production that doesn't make of genetically modified seeds and that substitutes artificial pesticides and fertilisers organic ones. But why is there almost always a substantial difference the cost of organically produced food and that of non-organic alternatives?
One reason organic produce is at considerably higher prices (which in some cases can be 100% higher) relates to labour costs, which are undoubtedly greater for the organic farmer. A downside of not using chemicals is that food production is slower and crop failure is more common. The organic farmer must, therefore, spend more time preparing the land and put a more intense effort into tending to crops as well as controlling pests and weeds - sometimes by hand. What is more, as the well-being of livestock is prioritised in organic farming, animals with better-quality food, as well as ensuring their living conditions are optimal, keeps prices high. So, all things , organic food may actually be good value for money, which is probably why consumers are anything but discouraged from purchasing what they perceive to be much healthier, tastier food.
concerns over the effects of conventional farming on both human health and the environment first surfaced, the number of people opting to cut out conventionally produced food from their diet has been on the . In fact, the demand for organic produce is now so high that the supply is unable to it,
Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.
Issues affecting the southern resident orcas
A. Orcas, also known as killer whales, are opportunistic feeders, which means they will take a variety of different prey species. J, K, and L pods (specific groups of orcas found in the region) are almost exclusively fish eaters. Some studies show that up to 90 percent of their diet is salmon, with Chinook salmon being far and away their favorite. During the last 50 years, hundreds of wild runs of salmon have become extinct due to habitat loss and overfishing of wild stocks. Many of the extinct salmon stocks are the winter runs of Chinook and coho. Although the surviving stocks have probably been sufficient to sustain the resident pods, many of the runs that have been lost were undoubtedly traditional resources favored by the resident orcas. This may be affecting the whales' nutrition in the winter and may require them to change their patterns of movement in order to search for food.
Other studies with tagged whales have shown that they regularly dive up to 800 feet in this area. Researchers tend to think that during these deep dives the whales may be feeding on bottomfish. Bottomfish species in this area would include halibut, rockfish, lingcod, and greenling. Scientists estimate that today's lingcod population in northern Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia is only 2 percent of what it was in 1950. The average size of rockfish in the recreational catch has also declined by several inches since the 1970s, which is indicative of overfishing. In some locations, certain rockfish species have disappeared entirely. So even if bottomfish are not a major food resource for the whales, the present low numbers of available fish increase the pressure on orcas and all marine animals to find food. (For more information on bottomfish, see the San Juan County Bottomfish Recovery Program.)
B. Toxic substances accumulate in higher concentrations as they move up the food chain. Because orcas are the top predator in the ocean and are at the top of several different food chains in the environment, they tend to be more affected by pollutants than other sea creatures. Examinations of stranded killer whales have shown some extremely high levels of lead, mercury, and polychlorinated hydrocarbons. Abandoned marine toxic waste dumps and present levels of industrial and human refuse pollution of the inland waters probably present the most serious threat to the continued existence of this orca population. Unfortunately, the total remedy to this huge problem would be broad societal changes on many fronts. But because of the fact that orcas are so popular, they may be the best species to use as a focal point in bringing about the many changes that need to be made in order to protect the marine environment as a whole from further toxic poisoning.
C. The waters around the San Juan Islands are extremely busy due to international commercial shipping, fishing, whale watching, and pleasure boating. On a busy weekend day in the summer, it is not uncommon to see numerous boats in the vicinity of the whales as they travel through the area. The potential impacts from all this vessel traffic with regard to the whales and other marine animals in the area could be tremendous. The surfacing and breathing space of marine birds and mammals is a critical aspect of their habitat, which the animals must consciously deal with on a moment-to-moment basis throughout their lifetimes. With all the boating activity in the vicinity, there are three ways in which surface impacts are most likely to affect marine animals: (a) collision, (b) collision avoidance, and (c) exhaust emissions in breathing pockets.
The first two impacts are very obvious and don't just apply to vessels with motors. Kayakers even present a problem here because they're so quiet. Marine animals, busy hunting and feeding under the surface of the water, may not be aware that there is a kayak above them and actually hit the bottom of it as they surface to breathe. The third impact is one most people don't even think of. When there are numerous boats in the area, especially idling boats, there are a lot of exhaust fumes being spewed out on the surface of the water. When the whale comes up to take a nice big breath of "fresh" air, it instead gets a nice big breath of exhaust fumes. It's hard to say how greatly this affects the animals, but think how breathing polluted air affects us (i.e., smog in large cities like Los Angeles, breathing the foul air while sitting in traffic jams, etc.).
D. Similar to surface impacts, a primary source of acoustic pollution for this population of orcas would also be derived from the cumulative underwater noise of vessel traffic. For cetaceans, the underwater sound environment is perhaps the most critical component of their sensory and behavioral lives. Orcas communicate with each other over short and long distances with a variety of clicks, chirps, squeaks, and whistles, along with using echolocation to locate prey and to navigate. They may also rely on passive listening as a primary sensory source. The long-term impacts from noise pollution would not likely show up as noticeable behavioral changes in habitat use, but rather as sensory damage or gradual reduction in population health. A new study at The Whale Museum called the SeaSound Remote Sensing Network has begun studying underwater acoustics and its relationship to orca communication.
The reading passage has four sections (A-D). Choose the most suitable heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the appropriate numbers (i-vii).
|
List of headings i. Top Ocean Predators ii. Toxic Exposure iii. Declining Fish Populations iv. Pleasure Boating in the San Juan Islands v. Underwater Noise vi. Smog in Large Cities vii. Impact of Boat Traffic |
Section A
Section B
Section C
Section D
Complete the chart below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS.
| Causes | Effects |
|---|---|
| Scientists believe some whales feed | these whales dive very deep |
| Scientists believe that the area is suffering | rockfish caught today is smaller than rockfish caught in the past |
| Orcas are at the top of the ocean food chain | affects orcas more than it does other sea animals |
| Orcas are a popular species | we can use orcas to make society aware of the problem in marine pollution |
| People enjoy boating, fishing and whale watching in the San Juan Islands | on weekends there are near the whales |
| Kayaks are not noisy | hit them when they come up the air |
| A lot of boats keep their motors running | whales breathe exhaust fumes |
| is primarily caused by vessels | whales have difficulty hearing and communicating |
Read the following passage and choose the answer that fits best according to the text.
PETROLEUM RESOURCES
Petroleum, consisting of crude oil and natural gas, seems to originate from organic matter in marine sediment. Microscopic organisms settle to the seafloor and accumulate in marine mud. The organic matter may partially decompose, using up the dissolved oxygen in the sediment. As soon as the oxygen is gone, decay stops, and the remaining organic matter is preserved.
Continued sedimentation, the process of deposits' settling on the sea bottom, buries the organic matter and subjects it to higher temperatures and pressures, which convert the organic matter to oil and gas. [I] As muddy sediments are pressed together, the gas and small droplets of oil may be squeezed out of the mud and may move into sandy layers nearby. [II] Over long periods of time (millions of years), accumulations of gas and oil can collect in the sandy layers. [III] Both oil and gas are less dense than water, so they generally tend to rise upward through water-saturated rock and sediment. [IV]
Oil pools are valuable underground accumulations of oil, and oil fields are regions underlain by one or more oil pools. When an oil pool or field has been discovered, wells are drilled into the ground. Permanent towers, called derricks, used to be built to handle the long sections of drilling pipe. Now portable drilling machines are set up and are then dismantled and removed. When the well reaches a pool, oil usually rises up the well because of its density difference with water beneath it or because of the pressure of expanding gas trapped above it. Although this rise of oil is almost always carefully controlled today, spouts of oil, or gushers, were common in the past. Gas pressure gradually dies out, and oil is pumped from the well. Water or steam may be pumped down adjacent wells to help push the oil out. At a refinery, the crude oil from underground is separated into natural gas, gasoline, kerosene, and various oils. Petrochemicals such as dyes, fertilizer, and plastic are also manufactured from the petroleum.
As oil becomes increasingly difficult to find, the search for it is extended into more hostile environments. The development of the oil field on the North Slope of Alaska and the construction of the Alaska pipeline are examples of the great expense and difficulty involved in new oil discoveries. Offshore drilling platforms extend the search for oil to the ocean's continental shelves - those gently sloping submarine regions at the edges of the continents. More than one-quarter of the world's oil and almost one-fifth of the world's natural gas come from offshore, even though offshore drilling is six to seven times more expensive than drilling on land. A significant part of this oil and gas comes from under the North Sea between Great Britain and Norway.
Of course, there is far more oil underground than can be recovered. It may be in a pool too small or too far from a potential market to justify the expense of drilling. Some oil lies under regions where drilling is forbidden, such as national parks or other public lands. Even given the best extraction techniques, only about 30 to 40 percent of the oil in a given pool can be brought to the surface. The rest is far too difficult to extract and has to remain underground.
Moreover, getting petroleum out of the ground and from under the sea and to the consumer can create environmental problems anywhere along the line. Pipelines carrying oil can be broken by faults or landslides, causing serious oil spills. Spillage from huge oil-carrying cargo ships, called tankers, involved in collisions or accidental groundings can create oil slicks at sea. Offshore platforms may also lose oil, creating oil slicks that drift ashore and foul the beaches, harming the environment. Sometimes, the ground at an oil field may subside as oil is removed. The Wilmington field near Long Beach, California, has subsided nine meters in 50 years; protective barriers have had to be built to prevent seawater from flooding the area. Finally, the refining and burning of petroleum and its products can cause air pollution. Advancing technology and strict laws, however, are helping control some of these adverse environmental effects.
The word "accumulate" in the passage is opposite in meaning to _____.
According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true about petroleum formation?
Look at the four numbered brackets [] that indicate where the following sentence can be added to the passage.
Unless something acts to halt this migration, these natural resources will eventually reach the surface.
Where would the sentence best fit?
Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the underlined sentence in paragraph 2?
The word "adjacent" in the passage is closest in meaning to _____.
Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3 about gushers?
What does the development of the Alaskan oil field mentioned in paragraph 4 demonstrate?
The word "those" in the passage refers to _____.
According to paragraph 5, the decision to drill for oil depends on all of the following factors EXCEPT _____.
In paragraph 6, the author's primary purpose is to _____.
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
Andrew is the most generous person I have ever met.
-> I've yet ...............
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
I left without saying goodbye as I didn't want to disturb the meeting.
=> Rather ...............
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
They have only a slim chance of winning the competition.
-> It's ...............
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
"You should have finished the report by now", the boss said to his secretary.
-> The boss scolded ...............
Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.
They believed that Oliver failed his exam because he was nervous.
-> Oliver's failure in his exam was put ...............
Use the word given in brackets and make any necessary additions to write a new sentence in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence. Do NOT change the form of the given word. You must use between THREE and SIX words, including the word given.
I will only play Scrabble with Daria if she promises not to try and bend the rules. (ABIDE)
=> Unless Daria , I won't play Scrabble with her.
Use the word given in brackets and make any necessary additions to write a new sentence in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence. Do NOT change the form of the given word. You must use between THREE and SIX words, including the word given.
The man wanted to object, but he kept quiet for the sake of peace. (LIP)
=> The man wanted to object, but he the sake of peace.
Use the word given in brackets and make any necessary additions to write a new sentence in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence. Do NOT change the form of the given word. You must use between THREE and SIX words, including the word given.
I suddenly realized the meaning of a "freebie". (DAWNED)
=> It suddenly the meaning of a "freebie" was.
Use the word given in brackets and make any necessary additions to write a new sentence in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence. Do NOT change the form of the given word. You must use between THREE and SIX words, including the word given.
She came to see me when she had nothing to do. (END)
=> Only when she she come to see me.
Use the word given in brackets and make any necessary additions to write a new sentence in such a way that it is as similar as possible in meaning to the original sentence. Do NOT change the form of the given word. You must use between THREE and SIX words, including the word given.
Our company is the only company allowed to import these chemicals. (MONOPOLY)
=> Our company has these chemicals.