uk
enTest 3
Task1
Read the text below. Mach choices (A - H) to (1 – 5). There are three choices you do not need to use.
(1) _________
As football’s First Family agonize over whether to pack their designer suitcases, Giles Tremlett reveals the quality of life they could be living in the Spanish capital.
There was an extra spring in the step of traders and bar owners in Madrid’s main shopping street, Calie Serrano. As the weekend throng headed for the heart of the city, businesses were preparing for another day of healthy takings — and things could be about to get even better: the Beckhams may soon be in town.
The swirl of humour surrounding David Beckham’s possible transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid has sent pulses racing here. The city is used to the sight of the world’s most glamorous footballers, but the potential arrival of Britain’s most famous show business couple — la Spice pija (Posh Spice) and ‘el Beckham’ — has sent Madrilenians into a frenzy.
(2) _________
Prince Andrew has used the royal jet to fly to Scotland and back for a round of golf — landing the taxpayer with a £10,000 bill.
The Duke had the BAel46 jet, from 32 Squadron, wait 11 hours while he played in the golf match. He spent the afternoon on the links at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews, then had dinner in the clubhouse before being whisked back to the waiting jet for the return flight to London.
Andrew joined R&A members on the first day of their Spring Meeting at the historic home of golf on Bank Holiday Monday. He carried out no other duties in Scotland that day — and didn’t even meet up with his nephew, Prince William, who is a student at St Andrews University.
(3) _________
Outrage greeted the Government last night after it insisted that burglars have the same legal rights as their innocent victims. The astonishing claim could lead to hundreds of greedy criminals suing for injuries received while committing offences.
MPs on all sides and campaigners for crime victims said it was madness to treat the guilty as if they were innocent, and united in declaring that crime must not pay.
The move came as a court heard that key documents that could have won Tony Martin early release were withheld from the Parole Board by Home Secretary David Blunkett.
(4) _________
The ten greatest movie goddesses of all time will be unveiled on Monday — with no Brit beauties on the list.
Chicago babe Catherine Zeta Jones, Titanic star Kate Winslet and screen legend Elizabeth Taylor all land on the cutting room floor. They lose out to EIGHT Americans and two Aussies.
Channel 4 viewers were invited to name their 100 film favourites — men or women. The 100 Greatest Movie Stars are revealed tomorrow night, then the top ten men and women the following evening. But The Sun already knows the hottest secret — the leading ten ladies.
(5) _________
Child-minders are set to be banned from smacking children in their care — even if they have permission from parents. The new rules are soon to be officially unveiled by the Government.
The ban, which will cover England’s 70,000 registered child-minders, will also see carers stopped from smoking in front of youngsters, the Department of Education and Skills said.
| A | Preliminary made public. |
| B | To reign all over the city. |
| C | Costly trip back and forth. |
| D | Leniency towards lawbreakers. |
| E | Spanking is prohibited. |
| F | Girl officer in ‘jail sex hell’ |
| G | Neighbours stunned as family flees |
| H | Poll win foils coup bid |
Task 2
Read the text below. For questions (6 – 11) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
Tropical ‘Brown Widow’ Spider, New to Los Angeles
Captured in Torrance;On Display at Museum
Discovery Part of Ongoing l.A. Spider Survey
By the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles, Feb. 3, 2003 — A tropical «Brown Widow» spider, new to the Los Angeles area, has been captured as part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County’s ongoing Spider Survey. The live, venomous spider, along with its egg sac containing up to 100 baby spiders, is currently on public display in the Museum’s Insect Zoo.
Brian Brown, associate curator of entomology, said this spider has not been found previously in the Los Angeles area. «The Brown Widow probably originated in Africa, but has been introduced into the tropics almost worldwide», he said. According to Brown, one of the many ways the spider could have made it to the Southland was through commercial imports of plants, flowers, food or furniture.
The Brown Widow is so rare to the Los Angeles area that this is the first one out of 3,000 spiders so far to be collected as part of the Museum’s Spider Survey. The survey began last Spring to discover which types of spiders are found in the greater Los Angeles basin. «This is the most unusual specimen we’ve found through the survey so far», Brown said.
It was a 4th-grade student from Van Deene Elementary School in Torrance, while on a Honda Earth Odyssey Program field trip run by the Museum, who discovered the spider.
The program is designed to introduce elementary school children to biodiversity and build environmental awareness. The children had been briefed about spiders before the field trip onto the school grounds. The student recognized the spider as being of particular interest and pointed it out to Beth Nordeen, a Museum outreach educator.
«The spider was inside a rolled-up leaf of a Bird of Paradise plant on the school grounds», Nordeen said. «It was in a tangled web along with an egg sac». Using a stick, she tugged on the web, until she was able to place the spider and its egg sac into a plastic bottle with a cap. Nordeen added that you never want to handle any spider with your bare hands.
The scientific name for the Brown Widow is Lactrodectus geometricus. There are about 30 described widow species including Black Widows, Red Widows, and the Brown Widows — the Black Widow being the most common of the widow family in the Los Angeles area. A Brown Widow spider can grow to one-and-a-half inches long. It has an orange-to-yellow hourglass design on its underside, as opposed to the familiar red hourglass design on the Black Widow.
«The good news is that Brown Widows are not as aggressive as the Black Widows. The bad news is that they are twice as poisonous», Brown said. «Brown Widows will not attack if they are not bothered or made to feel threatened». He added that a Brown Widow will more than likely «play possum» if confronted by a potential enemy.
Most spiders in Southern California are unable to puncture human skin and if they do, their venom would not be harmful to humans. There are three known species in Los Angeles that pose a threat to humans -the Black Widow, Violin spider, and now the Brown Widow. The Violin spider, often misidentified as the Brown Recluse, is a fast little spider measuring only a half-inch as an adult. In Southern California, it has only been found in only a few areas of Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire. If bitten by any one of these spiders, seek medical assistance.
| 6. | The found Brown Widow is | ||
| A | the dead poisonous spider in the area | ||
| B | has been several times found in Los Angeles | ||
| C | at present displayed publicly | ||
| D | separated from its baby spiders for the sake of museum visitors | ||
| 7. | The venomous spider could have been brought to Los Angeles | ||
| A | by theisecpologist for the museum. | ||
| B | with traded goods | ||
| C | by the scientific named Brian Brown for further studies. | ||
| D | with a type of plant. | ||
| 8. | Who was the Brown Widow spider found by? | ||
| A | An African student traveling in the field. | ||
| B | Scientists who were employed by the museum. | ||
| C | A pre-teen from a primary school involved in the museum project | ||
| D | Teachers together with schoolchildren from Elementary school. | ||
| 9. | When the spider was found | ||
| A | a bird brought it across the ocean. | ||
| B | it was pulled from the web into a bottle safely sealed. | ||
| C | Brian Brown sent it to the museum. | ||
| D | a school child handled it with here bare hands. | ||
| 10. | Which is NOT TRUE ABOUT Brown Widows | ||
| A | They are as likely to attack as Black Widows | ||
| B | They are twice more poisonous than Black Widows | ||
| C | Brown Widows will not attack if they are not disturbed. | ||
| D | Brown Widows «play possum» facing a potential enemy. | ||
| 11. | What do you think the main idea of this article is? | ||
| A | Be careful with poisonous spiders. | ||
| B | The Black Widow is more aggressive than the Brown Widow spider. | ||
| C | A new kind of spider was found in the Los Angeles area. | ||
| D | School children can find spiders in Los Angeles. | ||
Task 3
Read the text below. Mach choices (A - H) to (12 – 16). There are two choices you do not need to use.
(12) _________
Paints and chemicals group ICI is to cut more than 700 jobs worldwide during the first phase of a restructuring announced today.
The job cuts, which will take place over the next two years, include about 300 posts in the UK, although ICI has not specified where these will be.
The moves come as ICI attempts to revive its fortunes after a shock profits warning in February sent its share price tumbling.
(13) _________
The Prince of Wales, who is to meet leading scientists to discuss concerns about nanotechnology, was warned today against giving credence to «scare stories».
The new technology has already created tiny machines such as transistors the size of a single molecule. But there is a growing debate on how it will be used, with optimists pointing to the prospect of pollution-free energy production and pessimists worried about nano-terrorism.
(14) _________
Sir Richard Branson is to make a direct appeal to Prime Minister Tony Blair to save the future of Concorde.
British Airways is axing the flagship from October, but Virgin Atlantic chief Sir Richard wants to take over the aircraft and run it with first and second class seats.
But, fearing that the Concordes may be broken up and sold off to collectors, Sir Richard said he would approach Downing Street.
(15) _________
Moaning Danniella Westbrook this morning walked out of TV gameshow I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here — just hours after viewers voted for her to stay.
The ex-EastEnders star was devastated after weather-girl Sian Lloyd got the boot last night, instead of her, and decided she’d had enough.
(16) _________
Unexpectedly good results in the local elections have given Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith a second chance to prove himself, one of the top members of his team says.
Shadow trade secretary Tim Yeo conceded that the party still had «a mountain to climb» before it would be considered a serious alternative to the Labour Government.
But he said the winning of 500 seats should halt whispers of a leadership challenge and allow the party instead to present its ideas to the country
| A | Up to 1000 posts to be axed. | |
| B | BA slashes seat prices as first-class cabin empties | |
| C | Voting results are a much needed boost. | |
| D | Star takes offence. | |
| E | Minister denies clash over murder terms | |
| F | Plea for saving aircraft. | |
| G | MOB Fury in Baghdad | |
| H | Sparking row over microscopic devices. |
Task 4
Read the text below. Choose from (A - H) the one which best fits each space (17-22).There are three choices you do not need to use.
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME
Ralph and Непе hadn’t been to a baseball game in about five years. They were only 15 miles from the stadium, but (17)_______________ those 15 miles seem more like 60 miles. It took about an hour to get to the stadium. Then, when the game was over, it took half an hour just to get out of the parking lot. Then the drive home was another hour.
(18) ________________.
«Honey, the Giants are in town», Непе said. «I want to see Barry Bonds hit a home run. Can we go to the game? We haven’t gone in such a long time».
«You’re right. It has been a while. OK, I’ll go if you don’t mind driving», said Ralph.
«Great! Let’s get ready. If we get there early enough, I might get his autograph. Maybe he’ll hit a foul ball we can catch». Непе was excited. «We!?» Ralph thought.
An hour later they were in their car. They lived in Pasadena near an old church. They went south on Orange Grove and then south on the 110 freeway. The 110 is California’s original freeway, full of twists and turns .
Accidents occur daily; California drivers think (19)_______________—speed up!
The traffic was lighter than they expected. They arrived at the stadium 40 minutes before game time. They paid the $8 parking fee, parked and locked the car, and walked to the main entrance .
Several individuals were standing around outside the stadium (20),______________. «Are you going to buy from a scalper*?» asked Непе.
«Yes. Just like last time. That one looks honest», Ralph replied.
They walked over to a man in a red cap .(21)___________. The man had tickets for good seats at a fair price. Ralph gave the man $45 and thanked him.
«Don’t thank me, my friend. Thank your local police department. Put your hands behind your back, please. You’re under arrest».
«What?» Ralph was astonished. «What’s going on?»
«Buying scalped tickets is illegal in Los Angeles», said the undercover police officer. «It’s been illegal for 25 years. Don’t worry. The police station is right outside the park. We’ll have you back here (22)__________. You can pay the $150 fine with your credit card». The officer handcuffed Ralph.
«This has got to be a joke. You people have never enforced this law before», said Ralph.
A scalper* is someone who sells tickets outside a sports ground or theatre, usually for more than their original value.
| A | the heavy traffic on game day made | |
| B | the Los Angeles area | |
| C | Ralph’s instincts were correct | |
| D | in other words, the traveling took longer than the game itself | |
| E | looking casual but actually selling tickets on the sly | |
| F | a baseball game | |
| G | yellow lights and sharp curves mean the same thing | |
| H | right after we book you |
Task 5
Read the text below. For questions (23 – 34) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
HOMEWORK AT ROOT OF MANY FAMILY ARGUMENTS
Homework can cause friction between parents and children, especially in middle-class families where concerns about a child's future can lead to a dangerous (23)________ of pressure to succeed, according to a recent report. Homework can also create anxiety, boredom, fatigue and emotional exhaustion in children, who resent the encroachment on their free time, (24)________ they think homework helps them do well at school. The resulting (25)________ to the parent-child relationship may (26)________ any educational advantage homework may (27)________ the Institute claimed. The report found that problems can (28)________ when parents try to help with homework, especially when they feel they (29)________ the knowledge or the time. Parents may inhibit their children's effectiveness in doing homework by trying to control the homework environment - telling children when and where to do homework or trying to eliminate distractions - instead of helping them (30)________ it to suit their learning styles, the body said. On the plus side, the report said, parental (31)________ in homework has been shown to be the strongest predictor of better grades. Report Author Dr Susan Hallam said:` Parents have the most positive influence when they (32)________ moral support, make appropriate resources available and discuss general issues. They should only actually help with homework when their children specifically ask them to` .
| A | B | C | D | |
| 23 | surrondings | mood | attitude | climate |
| 24 | as if | even though | supposing | if |
| 25 | damage | injury | destruction | violence |
| 26 | stand out | extend | outweigh | protrude |
| 27 | bring | fetch | create | grow |
| 28 | raise | arouse | rise | arise |
| 29 | omit | miss | lack | deprive |
| 30 | amend | adapt | refine | convert |
| 31 | involvement | contribution | collaboration | connection |
| 32 | assume | rely | expect | offer |
Task 6
Read the text below. For questions (35 – 46) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
A VACATION IN GREECE
Dear Jason,
Thank you so much for your recent letter. I really enjoyed reading about your holiday in Spain. It sounds like you (33)________ a wonderful vacation. Let me34____________ about our summer holiday in Greece!
The flight to Greece went smoothly. However, we had some problems with the ferry in Athens! We (35)________ a ferry crossing two weeks before we (36)________ and arrived at the port with our tickets in hand. Unfortunately, the ferry was 37____________ in sight! We rushed about the port (38)________ to find the ferry, but no one (39)________ of the ferry lines! Finally, after we (40)________ (wait) for about four hours, a man (41)________ us that the ferry line (42)________ owners and had a new name and kindly (43)________ us to the correct ferry. Well, we were pretty lucky as the ferry (44)________ to depart that very moment! We hopped on board and drank a beer to calm our nerves.
Sorry, I write you later.
Best wishes, Ken.
| A | B | C | D | |
| 33 | have | had | has | has had |
| 34 | tell you | say you | to tell you | to say to you |
| 35 | have been booked | have booked | had booked | booked |
| 36 | leave | had left | has left | left |
| 37 | everywhere | nowhere | anywhere | somewhere |
| 38 | try | have trying | trying | tried |
| A | B | C | D | |
| 39 | had ever heard | ever hear | ever heard | have ever heard |
| 40 | wait | had been waiting | waited | waiting |
| 41 | was telling | was told | told to | told |
| 42 | change | has change | changed | had changed |
| 43 | directed | direct | had directed | have been directed |
| 44 | were preparing | was preparing | prepare | preparing |
Writing
45. You had a good meal in a local restaurant with your family. Write a letter to the newspaper to tell them about this restaurant. In your letter
- describe the meal you had
- describe the service and atmosphere
- say why you think the restaurant is worth visiting
You should write at least 100 words. Do not write any dates and addresses. Start your letter with
Dear Sir,
1.B; 2.C; 3.D; 4.A; 5.E; 6.C; 7.B; 8.C; 9.B; 10.A; 11.C; 12.A 13 H; 14.F; 15.D; 16.C; 17.A; I8.D; 19.G; 20.E; 21.C; 22.H; 23.D; 24.B; 25.A; 26.C; 27.A; 28.D; 29.C; 30.B; 31.A; 32.D; 33.B; 34.A; 35.C; 36.D; 37.В; 38.C; 39.A; 40.B; 41.D. 42.D; 43.A; 44.B
