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Read the Text and Make up the Plan of the Programming Process. There are steps of the programming process: A program usually provides a solution to a given problem - for example, how to calculate wages and income tax in a big company. First of all, you have to understand exactly what the problem is and define it clearly. This means you have to decide, in a general way, how to solve the problem. The next step is to design a step-by-step plan of instructions. This usually takes the form of a flowchart, a diagram that uses special symbols to show how the program works - where it makes decisions, where it starts and ends, where data is input. Next, you write the instructions in a programming language, like BASIC, Pascal or C. These computer instructions are called source code. Then you have to use a compiler, a special program that converts the source code into machine code (the only language understood by the processor which consists of 1s and Os). Once you've written the program, you have to test it with sample data to see if there are any bugs or errors. The process of correcting these errors is called debugging. Computer programmers have to find the origin of each error, write the correct instruction, compile the program again and test it until it works correctly. Finally, you have to write program documentation, a detailed description of how to use the program.

Read the text and choose the correct answer. On the one hand, extreme sports can push people to their physical and mental limits. It’s easy to lose your cool that can lead to potentially dangerous mistakes. On the other hand, jumping out of an aeroplane can help people to be more centred. Due to this experience, they can become capable of staying calm and centred during many stressful situations. In other words, extreme sports are able to manage your own life very easily. Extreme sport is able to make you ...

Read the text and choose the correct answer. Extreme sports are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, activities such as mountain biking, snowboarding and skateboarding are continuing to attract larger numbers of people every year. At the same time, a decline has been noted in other activities which are considered to be more traditional, including basketball. This is most likely to be linked to several factors, ranging from the increased adrenaline rush to the positive mental and physical health aspects of participating in an extreme sport. What statement is false, according to the text?

Read the text and choose the correct answer. It is imperative to utilize proper techniques of stretching to keep your muscles in good shape. Different stretches are used by professionals. For example, fitness and stretching exercises of professional surfers incorporate dynamic stretches, and professional surfers emphasise on relaxing their upper bodies and on tight muscles. Every muscle must be tight. Doing these stretches regularly makes it easier to surf without suffering from injuring. Stretches vary and are based on a lot of types of exercises that people should do. What is very important for professional surfers, according to the text?

Read the text and choose the correct answer. All of us do certain movements during the day that give a workout for the applicable muscles. However, you probably notice that you feel sore after doing something that isn’t on your typical daily schedule. This is because you make different muscles unusually move that can cause soreness. On the other hand, if you work with your muscles correctly, it can also be good for your overall physical condition. When you do an extreme sport, your different muscles start working that may be a positive thing for your health. What statement is true, according to the text?

Read the text and choose the correct answer. Before you begin any extreme sport, you should make sure that you are physically and mentally capable to perform difficult tasks. If you are ready to begin, you will be able to choose a certain extreme sport to get your adrenaline flowing! You, keep in mind that, if you are naturally clumsy or have any medical conditions that inhibit your sense of balance, it may not be wise to do extreme sports. Some studies have even discovered that socialisation is critical for cognitive functionality. Extreme sports may be able to help people in socialisation. For example, you’re more likely to jump out of an aeroplane with your friend. This may create a stronger bond between you and your friend. What statement is false, according to the text?

Read the text and choose the correct answer. Sara Campbell takes a final deep breath and dives into the sea. She goes down into the blue water and carries on going down ... and down. Soon, the people on the surface can’t see her any more. She doesn’t have an air tank, but she has just a wetsuit, goggles and a monofin – a large flipper that makes her look like a modern-day mermaid. What statement is false, according to the text?

Read the text and do the tasks.

Read the text and choose the correct answer. Later that morning, Becky and Aunt Agatha went swimming in the ocean. It was fun to jump with the waves. Then, they went to the house and ate sandwiches and strawberries for lunch. Becky had lunch in a nice cafe.

Read the text and choose the correct answer. It was fun to jump with the waves. Then, Becky and her aunt, Agatha went to the house and ate sandwiches and strawberries for lunch. Becky and her aunt, Agatha had sandwiches and strawberries for lunch.

Read the text and choose the correct answer. Becky didn’t have a hat. Aunt Agatha told her not to worry because Becky could wear one of hers. Becky tried on four hats. The pink one was really pretty, but it was too big for Becky. She did not like the green hat at all. The blue hat was nice, but it had a big flower on it. Becky did not like it. Then, Becky saw a big brown hat with a yellow ribbon on it. That hat was made of straw. It was a very good hat for the beach, and Becky put it on. Becky liked a pink hat, but it was too small.

Read the text and choose the correct answer. Becky didn’t have a hat. Aunt Agatha told her not to worry because Becky could wear one of hers. Becky tried on four hats. The pink one was really pretty, but it was too big for Becky. She did not like the green hat at all. The blue hat was nice, but it had a big flower on it. Becky did not like it. Then, Becky saw a big brown hat with a yellow ribbon on it. That hat was made of straw. It was a very good hat for the beach, and Becky put it on. Becky liked a big brown straw hat.

Read the text and choose the correct answer. Becky didn’t have a hat. Aunt Agatha told her not to worry because Becky could wear one of hers. Becky tried on four hats. The pink one was really pretty, but it was too big for Becky. She did not like the green hat at all. The blue hat was nice, but it had a big flower on it. Becky did not like it. Then, Becky saw a big brown hat with a yellow ribbon on it. That hat was made of straw. It was a very good hat for the beach, and Becky put it on. Becky was tired to try on for hats.

Read the text and choose the correct answer. What is the purpose of this passage? You may not have heard the words freshman fifteen before, but they are very important for students who are entering college. A freshman is a first-year college student. And the fifteen refers to fifteen pounds - the fifteen pounds (about seven kilograms) of weight many American students will gain in their first year at college. There are a few reasons why first-year college students often gain weight. The most common reason is that many college students just don't eat right. However, it's encouraging to know that it's really quite easy for students to avoid gaining those fifteen pounds. Making the wrong choices College kitchens serve many kinds of food. New students often gain weight because they are choosing to eat a lot of unhealthy food, especially when their parents are not around to advise them on what they should eat. Some students may also buy snacks to eat while they are studying. The average college student often stays up late at night, so he or she might eat a lot of fast food and drink a lot of soda because these things are easy to get at night. Furthermore, college students often have less time for walking, running, and doing sports because they are busy with their schoolwork or other college activities. How to stay healthy However, if you're careful, you can avoid gaining the freshman fifteen. Here are some ideas for staying healthy at college: • Eat only when you are hungry, not when you're bored. • Fill half of your plate with vegetables. • Don't eat desserts that are full of sugar; have some fruit after dinner instead. • Try not to eat while you study, or keep healthy snacks like baby carrots nearby. • Always eat at the dinner table and never in front of the TV or the computer. • Choose water over sugary drinks. • Try to get out of your room regularly for some fresh air and exercise. Remember that the freshman fifteen can happen to anyone. Make a deal with your friends to try and eat healthy food together. Walking, running, and playing sports is always more fun with friends, too. Help each other eat right and stay fit, and you can have a happy and healthy freshman year.

Read the text and choose the correct answer. Which of the ideas about eating right is NOT mentioned in the passage? You may not have heard the words freshman fifteen before, but they are very important for students who are entering college. A freshman is a first-year college student. And the fifteen refers to fifteen pounds - the fifteen pounds (about seven kilograms) of weight many American students will gain in their first year at college. There are a few reasons why first-year college students often gain weight. The most common reason is that many college students just don't eat right. However, it's encouraging to know that it's really quite easy for students to avoid gaining those fifteen pounds. Making the wrong choices College kitchens serve many kinds of food. New students often gain weight because they are choosing to eat a lot of unhealthy food, especially when their parents are not around to advise them on what they should eat. Some students may also buy snacks to eat while they are studying. The average college student often stays up late at night, so he or she might eat a lot of fast food and drink a lot of soda because these things are easy to get at night. Furthermore, college students often have less time for walking, running, and doing sports because they are busy with their schoolwork or other college activities. How to stay healthy However, if you're careful, you can avoid gaining the freshman fifteen. Here are some ideas for staying healthy at college: • Eat only when you are hungry, not when you're bored. • Fill half of your plate with vegetables. • Don't eat desserts that are full of sugar; have some fruit after dinner instead. • Try not to eat while you study, or keep healthy snacks like baby carrots nearby. • Always eat at the dinner table and never in front of the TV or the computer. • Choose water over sugary drinks. • Try to get out of your room regularly for some fresh air and exercise. Remember that the freshman fifteen can happen to anyone. Make a deal with your friends to try and eat healthy food together. Walking, running, and playing sports is always more fun with friends, too. Help each other eat right and stay fit, and you can have a happy and healthy freshman year.

Read the text and choose the correct answer. What advice does the passage give about sports? You may not have heard the words freshman fifteen before, but they are very important for students who are entering college. A freshman is a first-year college student. And the fifteen refers to fifteen pounds - the fifteen pounds (about seven kilograms) of weight many American students will gain in their first year at college. There are a few reasons why first-year college students often gain weight. The most common reason is that many college students just don't eat right. However, it's encouraging to know that it's really quite easy for students to avoid gaining those fifteen pounds. Making the wrong choices College kitchens serve many kinds of food. New students often gain weight because they are choosing to eat a lot of unhealthy food, especially when their parents are not around to advise them on what they should eat. Some students may also buy snacks to eat while they are studying. The average college student often stays up late at night, so he or she might eat a lot of fast food and drink a lot of soda because these things are easy to get at night. Furthermore, college students often have less time for walking, running, and doing sports because they are busy with their schoolwork or other college activities. How to stay healthy However, if you're careful, you can avoid gaining the freshman fifteen. Here are some ideas for staying healthy at college: • Eat only when you are hungry, not when you're bored. • Fill half of your plate with vegetables. • Don't eat desserts that are full of sugar; have some fruit after dinner instead. • Try not to eat while you study, or keep healthy snacks like baby carrots nearby. • Always eat at the dinner table and never in front of the TV or the computer. • Choose water over sugary drinks. • Try to get out of your room regularly for some fresh air and exercise. Remember that the freshman fifteen can happen to anyone. Make a deal with your friends to try and eat healthy food together. Walking, running, and playing sports is always more fun with friends, too. Help each other eat right and stay fit, and you can have a happy and healthy freshman year.

Read the text and choose the correct answer. Which of the ideas would the writer of the passage probably agree with? You may not have heard the words freshman fifteen before, but they are very important for students who are entering college. A freshman is a first-year college student. And the fifteen refers to fifteen pounds - the fifteen pounds (about seven kilograms) of weight many American students will gain in their first year at college. There are a few reasons why first-year college students often gain weight. The most common reason is that many college students just don't eat right. However, it's encouraging to know that it's really quite easy for students to avoid gaining those fifteen pounds. Making the wrong choices College kitchens serve many kinds of food. New students often gain weight because they are choosing to eat a lot of unhealthy food, especially when their parents are not around to advise them on what they should eat. Some students may also buy snacks to eat while they are studying. The average college student often stays up late at night, so he or she might eat a lot of fast food and drink a lot of soda because these things are easy to get at night. Furthermore, college students often have less time for walking, running, and doing sports because they are busy with their schoolwork or other college activities. How to stay healthy However, if you're careful, you can avoid gaining the freshman fifteen. Here are some ideas for staying healthy at college: • Eat only when you are hungry, not when you're bored. • Fill half of your plate with vegetables. • Don't eat desserts that are full of sugar; have some fruit after dinner instead. • Try not to eat while you study, or keep healthy snacks like baby carrots nearby. • Always eat at the dinner table and never in front of the TV or the computer. • Choose water over sugary drinks. • Try to get out of your room regularly for some fresh air and exercise. Remember that the freshman fifteen can happen to anyone. Make a deal with your friends to try and eat healthy food together. Walking, running, and playing sports is always more fun with friends, too. Help each other eat right and stay fit, and you can have a happy and healthy freshman year.

Read the text and choose the correct illustration. The Battle of Moscow began on October 2, 1941, when the Operation Typhoon started. The Germans had 1 million men, 1,700 tanks and 950 planes, while the Soviet capital was defended by 500,000 men, about 900 tanks and 300 planes. By October 7, the main routes to Moscow were open to the Wehrmacht. However, the German advance was stopped at the towns of Vyzma and Bryansk. This gave the Moscow defenders commanded by Georgi Zhukov enough time to organize the defense at the Mozhaisk Line. The Germans attacked the Mozhaisk Line and broke through in several areas, approaching the Russian capital to 45 miles from the center. By mid-October, however, heavy rain turned the roads into sea of mud which temporarily put the German tanks and vehicles out of service. The Typhoon Offensive came to an end and let the Soviets to turn their capital into a fortress. By mid-November, the ground was finally frozen and the Germans decided to launch a second offensive on Moscow. The Germans managed to break through the defensive line and came as far as 18 miles to the center of Moscow. On December 5, Stalin approved counterattack north of Moscow and another one south of the city on December 15. The German army was now facing 1,1 million men who were well prepared and used to temperatures as low as -28 degrees Celsius. By January 7, the Wehrmacht was pushed 62-160 miles (100-250 kilometers) from the Soviet capital and Stalin did not give the Germans another chance to get as close to Moscow until the end of the war. Victims of the Battle of Moscow vary greatly but it is estimated that about 1 million men were killed, wounded or captured from October 1941 to January 1942.

Read the text. Determine which of the following statements below correspond to the content of the text (True), which do not correspond (False) and what the text does not say (Not stated). Summerhill School What will you do if your teacher says that you can have a lesson or go home? In fact, in Summerhill School teachers really do it. Summerhill is the oldest children’s democracy in the world. It is, maybe, the most famous ‘free’ school. This school in Suffolk (the United Kingdom) is a very special place. Trees and grass, meadows and playing fields give children a good chance to play games, to do sports. Children don’t wear uniforms there, they can play as much as they want. They also do a lot of project work. A man called A. S. Neill opened this school in 1921. Neill knew well what kinds of problems many children have at school and he believed he could help them feel free. So each child there can choose what he wants in life. The children at Summerhill decide themselves if they want to have lessons or not. It is strange, but most of them do. They often come from schools in which they were unhappy and didn’t want to do any work at all. But at Summerhill they usually decide that to have classes is more interesting than not to have them. Like in most other schools, the children study different subjects. At the beginning of a term each student gets a timetable, on which they write the lessons they want to have. Another unusual thing about Summerhill is the meetings. There teachers and students discuss the school rules two times a week. If a teacher wants to tell everyone about a student’s bad behaviour, he can do it at the meeting. A student can also say what he dislikes about a teacher. At the meetings children can listen, think and make decisions about their own lives. And you? Can you make decisions yourself? Would you like to study at Summerhill? Choose the correct answer. At the end of the school year children decide what lessons they want to have. _________

Read the text below and mark the facts as True or False. Russians call it the Mendeleev periodic table, while in other countries people drop the name of the Russian chemist Dmitry Mendeleev – the scientist who came up with the concept that atomic weights of elements largely predetermine their physical and chemical properties. In the anticipation of an anniversary of this discovery (1869-1870), we decided to find out more interesting facts from the director of the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research, who kindly agreed to answer our questions. Can you tell us about the history of this discovery and its importance nowadays? It’s amazing but Mendeleev based his classification on 63 elements only, of which just 48 had atomic weights precisely determined at that time. Others had not been studied thoroughly. His first table was put on a sheet of paper with some gaps for unknown elements and he corrected the atomic weights for the elements which he thought were incorrect. All the missing elements were discovered later and all the atomic weights he thought wrong proved to be as he predicted! Now we are working on discovering the 119th of the Mendeleev table and there seems to be no limit. One of the elements discovered recently is named after Mendeleev. Were there any attempts to classify elements before and after his discovery? Yes, just a few. The earliest was based on two large groups of acid-forming and base-forming elements. However, this broad classification proved inadequate. The second made a distinction between metals and non-metals. But it turned out to be inconsistent. The German chemist Lothar Meyer put forward similar proposals shortly after Mendeleev, but criticized Mendeleev’s predictions of incorrect atomic weights of some elements. Can the Mendeleev periodic table be regarded as a law of nature? No one can deny that. It has been verified many times decades after Mendeleev’s death in 1907. Now it’s as valuable as the work of Copernicus in astronomy or Einstein’s theory of relativity. Was Mendeleev nominated for a Nobel prize? Yes, three times – in 1905, 1906, 1907. Unfortunately, he failed to get a prize due to the long time that had passed since his discovery and the time when Nobel prizes were first introduced in 1901.

Read the text and choose the correct answer. New Year’s Day is the major holiday in Russia. Russians usually put up a New Year tree and decorate it with colourful toys and glass balls. The main New Year tree of the country is put up in the State Kremlin Palace. Small trees are put up in shop windows, in streets and squares, even on roofs. A lot of people like buying real New Year trees; others prefer plastic ones. Children like the holiday a lot. They can stay up late and then get their presents. At ten minutes to midnight on the 31st of December Russian families gather in front of the TV-set and watch the President making his traditional speech. After the clock on Spasskaya tower strikes midnight, everybody says “Happy New Year”. After that, the time for presents comes. Russian children believe that Father Frost brings presents. After all the presents are given out, Russians have fun, eat, and play games all night long.

Read the text and choose the correct answer.

Read the text and match the parts of the sentences after it. Teen Polyglot Has Mastered 23 Languages New York teen Timothy Donner, has an unusual hobby – he likes to learn languages! And he does it so well that he can conduct a conversation in all of them. It took the 17-year-old five years to master 23 languages! This has earned him the title of the world’s youngest polyglot. But he is still not satisfied. The youngster’s wish to learn languages began in 2009 after completing basic Hebrew (иврит) lessons. He enjoyed it so much that he decided to become fluent on modern Hebrew. Then he picked up Arabic. Within four days, he managed to master the alphabet and by the end of the week, he could read the language fluently. After that, there was no stopping him. Over the years, he has added Russian, Farsi, Italian, Spanish, Persian, Swahili Indonesian and many others to his repertoire of languages. The list doesn’t include the ones that he has taken up at school, which include French, Mandarin, Latin and of course, English. The most amazing part is that he has managed to learn all the additional languages on his own, using just online apps and grammar books. The young polyglot begins by learning how to pronounce the alphabet correctly. Then he teaches himself the correct grammar. Then he develops his skills by reading newspapers and talking to native speakers, either in person or in Internet chat rooms. He is now in constant contact with a lot of polyglots. One of them is 31-year-old Ohio resident Moses McMormick, who knows 50 languages!

Read the text and choose the correct answer. British Teenage Magazines About half of British young people aged 12 to 16 read teenage magazines! Two of the most popular magazines for girls are ‘Sugar’ and ‘Bliss’. They have glossy, colourful covers and include beauty and fashion, celebrity gossip, real life stories, horoscopes, quizzes and problem pages. Of course, boys don’t usually find these magazines very interesting! Instead, they buy music magazines like ‘NME’ or magazines about sport, like ‘Shoot’ or ‘Match’. Usually, teenage magazines contain a lot of language that only teenagers use! They might use ‘celeb’ instead of celebrity, for example, or ‘fave’ instead of favourite. They also use ‘lads’ instead of ‘boys’, ‘dosh’ instead of ‘money’ and ‘natter’ instead of ‘talk to your friends’! This makes the magazines more attractive to teenagers and easier to understand. On a more serious note though, a lot of these magazines can help teens find solutions to problems they don’t feel comfortable discussing with their parents. That’s why the problem pages in these magazines are very popular. In fact, many teens buy them just for the problem page. How about you? What do you like most in magazines?

Choose the correct option. The increase in temperature of the earth’s atmosphere is called _______ .

Choose the correct option. Consumerism (the production and sale of more goods and services) increases the amount of _______ produced.

Choose the correct option. ​______ products are made to be thrown away after use.

Choose the correct option. Untreated ________ is being pumped into the sea, from where it pollutes our beaches.

Put the words in brackets into the correct form. The idea is to show that our planet is in danger and it needs care and _______ (PROTECT).

Put the words in brackets into the correct form. It's __________ (POSSIBLE) to remain indifferent to changes in the climate which go on and on.

Put the words in brackets into the correct form. The Earth Hour is a part of an ________ (ECOLOGY) education whose aim is to make people understand their responsibility to the planet.

Put the words in brackets into the correct form. It’s about realising that we live on a __________________(WONDER) planet.

Read the text and decide which answer A, B, C or D is correct.

Read the text and choose the correct answer.

Imagine that you are an editor of your school social media site and you have interviewed seven classmates for your new online post “Celebrations have become too commercialised”. Read the texts and count how many classmates are not sure if it is good that celebrations have become too commercialised or not. Write the correct number of the students in figures. 1. Sophie: "I don't like Valentine's Day and Halloween because they seem like they're all about buying things instead of actually celebrating something special. Last year, my friends spent a lot of money on roses for Valentine's Day and it didn't feel honest". 2. Mike: "I don't care if festivals are commercialised or not as long as I can have fun with my friends. I love going to music festivals, even though there's a lot of advertising and product placement". 3. David: "It's sad that people waste money on unnecessary things for fake holidays. We should show love for our partners or family every day, not just on Valentine's Day. Big corporations just want to make money”. 4. Max: "I absolutely hate commercialised celebrations! It's all just a way for companies to make more money and for people to show off what they have. Every year at Halloween my neighbours spend hundreds on decorations and it's such a waste”. 5. Emily: "Well, celebrating special occasions is nice and having traditions is important, but seeing ads for products seems too focused on materialism. It depends on the situation, like if it's a small family gathering or a big corporate event". 6. Tom: "I love commercialised festivals because they always bring something new and exciting to the table. For example, I cannot wait for New Year this year because my favorite coffee shop has a special line of holiday drinks that I know I'll enjoy, and they only have them during the New Year season". 7. Kate: "I'm really on the fence about commercialised celebrations. On one hand, it's great because it brings people together and it's fun, but on the other hand, it can feel like companies just want you to spend your money. I just can't decide which way I lean".

Read the text and choose the correct answer. English is an international language spoken by an increasing number of people around the world. In many English-speaking countries, though, English isn’t the only language. In the UK, for example, people speak Welsh, Gaelic and a few other old languages. Because these languages aren’t international, people pay less attention to them. So, what does this mean for children who grow up speaking them as their mother tongue? I grew up in Wales. My family spoke English, but the Welsh language was everywhere. When you were driving around Wales, all the road signs were in English and Welsh. As a child, I hated reading everything twice! We had Welsh television programmes too. While everyone in England was watching fashionable American TV shows, we were learning about local farming in Welsh! At secondary school I was dreaming of going to live in Paris, when I realized that instead of Welsh lessons, I needed French lessons. No one spoke Welsh outside Wales. Now I feel differently. Welsh is a part of my identity and, besides, we have better Welsh TV now! In parts of Scotland, some children grow up in families where grandparents still speak Gaelic. Gaelic has even fewer speakers than Welsh, and few are confident that this part of their culture will survive. It’s difficult when English is everywhere else in the country, but teaching subjects in Gaelic in schools helps. However, often there aren’t enough Gaelic-speaking teachers. Unless families continue to speak the language at home too, these languages won’t survive. Between 1950 and 2010, 230 languages went extinct, nowadays, a third of the world’s languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers left. Every two weeks a language dies with its last speaker, 50 to 90 percent of them are predicted to disappear by the next century. Many old languages are disappearing in the UK. People on the Isle of Man spoke Manx for centuries until the last native speaker died in the twentieth century. The same thing happened to Cornish. There was a language spoken by smugglers who were bringing goods into the country illegally, or travellers and criminals. It allowed them to keep secrets from the police, but it too has disappeared. Languages, even if they are spoken by very few people, have a history and culture, and it’s a shame to see them go. When humanity loses a language, we also lose the potential for greater diversity in art, music, literature, and oral traditions. If we care about saving forests and animals, we should care about saving languages too.

Advanced level Read the text and choose the correct option. Work–life Balance Ronan I work in a fairly traditional office environment doing a typical nine-to-five job. I like my job, but it’s annoying that my commute to work takes an hour and a half each way and most of my work could really be done online from home. But my boss doesn’t seem to trust that we will get any work done if left to our own devices, and everyone in the company has to clock in and out every day. It’s frustrating that they feel the need to monitor what we do so closely instead of judging us based on our task performance, like most companies do these days. Jo I used to do a typical five-day week, but after I came out of my maternity leave, I decided that I wanted to spend more time with my children before they start school. After negotiating with my boss, we decided to cut my working week down to a three-day work week. This of course meant a significant cut in my pay too, as I’m paid on a pro rata basis. I’ve since noticed, though, that my workload hasn’t decreased in the slightest! I’m now doing five days’ worth of work in three days, but getting paid much less for it! I find myself having to take work home just so that I can meet the deadlines. It’s wearing me out trying to juggle work with looking after my children and my family, but I don’t dare to bring this up with my boss because I think he feels as if he’s made a huge concession letting me come in only three days a week. Marcus I work for a global IT company, but because their headquarters is in the States, I do all my work online from home. That means that I don’t waste time commuting or making idle chit-chat with colleagues. I work on a project basis, and this flexibility is very valuable to me because it means that I can easily take some time off when my children need me to go to their school performances or if I need to schedule an appointment with the dentist. The downside is that without clear office hours, I tend to work well into the evening, sometimes skipping dinner to finish a task. It can also get quite lonely working on my own, and I sometimes miss sharing ideas with colleagues. Lily I’m a freelancer and work for myself. This is great because I am in control of what I do and how I spend my time. At first, I was working from home, but I found it really hard to concentrate. There were just too many distractions around: housework that needed doing, another cup of tea, my family members wanting my attention for various things. So I started to go to a nearby café to work, but the Wi-Fi connection wasn’t ideal and I found myself drinking too much coffee. In the end, I decided to rent a desk in a co-working space with five other freelancers like myself. I liked getting dressed to go to work in the morning and being able to focus in an office environment. The other freelancers do similar kinds of web-based work to me and so it’s nice to have workmates to bounce ideas off as well.

Read the text and choose the correct option. A cat’s adventures When we first got our cat Gina, I thought taking care other would be a rather leisurely activity. But Gina has the most peculiar of behaviours, and I’m not just referring to her tendency to chase after the occasional trapped house fly or her love of licking drips from the sink tap. She does something that I imagine few other cats in the world would do. If you can believe this, she commutes by bus every single day to the zoo to gaze at wild animals. Gina’s story is so incredible she’s even been featured on the national TV news. She’s been filmed hopping onto the bus, which comes like clockwork every day to the stop two blocks down the street from our house. It doesn’t even pass by our house; I can’t imagine how she found the stop. Actually, there are many things I can’t imagine about this scenario, such as how she knows the bus schedule or where the stop for the zoo is. Were never even taken her to the zoo. Why on earth would we? And surely we would have gone by car rather than by bus if we had. It’s anyone’s guess how long she had been doing it before we realised what was going on. She’d scratch at the door in the morning for us to let her out. I would see her trot out of the garden and down the street, but I never thought anything of it. After a while, I began to notice that she’d be gone for several hours, but would always return at 4 pm, hungry. I started to suspect something when it occurred to me that she was leaving the house at exactly the same time every day. I decided to investigate this odd routine. One day I waited until she was just out of sight. I snuck out of the house, careful not to make any noise to disturb her. I left the property from the same place as she did. I spotted her a block down, her tail fluffing up in the air as she looked both ways before crossing to the next block. ‘We teach our kids that, not our cats!’ I thought to myself. At any rate, when she got a bit further ahead, I saw her arrive at the bus stop. I stood very still, not taking my eyes off her for a second. Then the bus came, the doors opened, and she just jumped right in. I couldn’t believe it! Standing there dumbfounded, I realised something that made my eyes widen and my eyebrows rise - there were no passengers waiting at the stop. Why did the bus even stop? So, in my distressed state, my knee-jerk reaction was to, well, run after the bus! I ran like an Olympic sprinter, and luckily there was little traffic at the junctions. I finally caught up with the bus at a red light. I banged on the door, the driver opened it and there was Gina, perched on the dashboard. She saw me and miaowed. ‘My cat! I shrieked. ‘How is this possible?’ The driver said she had been doing it for months, getting off at the zoo, and getting back on later in the day. I grabbed her, took her home and apologised for my frantic behaviour, but the next day she was off again, so I decided to pay a visit to the zoo, to see just exactly what she was getting up to on the next stage of her daily adventure... 1. The author originally thought that cats_______.

Read the text and choose the correct option. A cat’s adventures When we first got our cat Gina, I thought taking care other would be a rather leisurely activity. But Gina has the most peculiar of behaviours, and I’m not just referring to her tendency to chase after the occasional trapped house fly or her love of licking drips from the sink tap. She does something that I imagine few other cats in the world would do. If you can believe this, she commutes by bus every single day to the zoo to gaze at wild animals. Gina’s story is so incredible she’s even been featured on the national TV news. She’s been filmed hopping onto the bus, which comes like clockwork every day to the stop two blocks down the street from our house. It doesn’t even pass by our house; I can’t imagine how she found the stop. Actually, there are many things I can’t imagine about this scenario, such as how she knows the bus schedule or where the stop for the zoo is. Were never even taken her to the zoo. Why on earth would we? And surely we would have gone by car rather than by bus if we had. It’s anyone’s guess how long she had been doing it before we realised what was going on. She’d scratch at the door in the morning for us to let her out. I would see her trot out of the garden and down the street, but I never thought anything of it. After a while, I began to notice that she’d be gone for several hours, but would always return at 4 pm, hungry. I started to suspect something when it occurred to me that she was leaving the house at exactly the same time every day. I decided to investigate this odd routine. One day I waited until she was just out of sight. I snuck out of the house, careful not to make any noise to disturb her. I left the property from the same place as she did. I spotted her a block down, her tail fluffing up in the air as she looked both ways before crossing to the next block. ‘We teach our kids that, not our cats!’ I thought to myself. At any rate, when she got a bit further ahead, I saw her arrive at the bus stop. I stood very still, not taking my eyes off her for a second. Then the bus came, the doors opened, and she just jumped right in. I couldn’t believe it! Standing there dumbfounded, I realised something that made my eyes widen and my eyebrows rise - there were no passengers waiting at the stop. Why did the bus even stop? So, in my distressed state, my knee-jerk reaction was to, well, run after the bus! I ran like an Olympic sprinter, and luckily there was little traffic at the junctions. I finally caught up with the bus at a red light. I banged on the door, the driver opened it and there was Gina, perched on the dashboard. She saw me and miaowed. ‘My cat! I shrieked. ‘How is this possible?’ The driver said she had been doing it for months, getting off at the zoo, and getting back on later in the day. I grabbed her, took her home and apologised for my frantic behaviour, but the next day she was off again, so I decided to pay a visit to the zoo, to see just exactly what she was getting up to on the next stage of her daily adventure... 2. Which of the following is true about Gina’s zoo trips?

Read the text and choose the correct option. A cat’s adventures When we first got our cat Gina, I thought taking care other would be a rather leisurely activity. But Gina has the most peculiar of behaviours, and I’m not just referring to her tendency to chase after the occasional trapped house fly or her love of licking drips from the sink tap. She does something that I imagine few other cats in the world would do. If you can believe this, she commutes by bus every single day to the zoo to gaze at wild animals. Gina’s story is so incredible she’s even been featured on the national TV news. She’s been filmed hopping onto the bus, which comes like clockwork every day to the stop two blocks down the street from our house. It doesn’t even pass by our house; I can’t imagine how she found the stop. Actually, there are many things I can’t imagine about this scenario, such as how she knows the bus schedule or where the stop for the zoo is. Were never even taken her to the zoo. Why on earth would we? And surely we would have gone by car rather than by bus if we had. It’s anyone’s guess how long she had been doing it before we realised what was going on. She’d scratch at the door in the morning for us to let her out. I would see her trot out of the garden and down the street, but I never thought anything of it. After a while, I began to notice that she’d be gone for several hours, but would always return at 4 pm, hungry. I started to suspect something when it occurred to me that she was leaving the house at exactly the same time every day. I decided to investigate this odd routine. One day I waited until she was just out of sight. I snuck out of the house, careful not to make any noise to disturb her. I left the property from the same place as she did. I spotted her a block down, her tail fluffing up in the air as she looked both ways before crossing to the next block. ‘We teach our kids that, not our cats!’ I thought to myself. At any rate, when she got a bit further ahead, I saw her arrive at the bus stop. I stood very still, not taking my eyes off her for a second. Then the bus came, the doors opened, and she just jumped right in. I couldn’t believe it! Standing there dumbfounded, I realised something that made my eyes widen and my eyebrows rise - there were no passengers waiting at the stop. Why did the bus even stop? So, in my distressed state, my knee-jerk reaction was to, well, run after the bus! I ran like an Olympic sprinter, and luckily there was little traffic at the junctions. I finally caught up with the bus at a red light. I banged on the door, the driver opened it and there was Gina, perched on the dashboard. She saw me and miaowed. ‘My cat! I shrieked. ‘How is this possible?’ The driver said she had been doing it for months, getting off at the zoo, and getting back on later in the day. I grabbed her, took her home and apologised for my frantic behaviour, but the next day she was off again, so I decided to pay a visit to the zoo, to see just exactly what she was getting up to on the next stage of her daily adventure... 3. The author realised there was something funny about Gina when...

Read the text and choose the correct option. A cat’s adventures When we first got our cat Gina, I thought taking care other would be a rather leisurely activity. But Gina has the most peculiar of behaviours, and I’m not just referring to her tendency to chase after the occasional trapped house fly or her love of licking drips from the sink tap. She does something that I imagine few other cats in the world would do. If you can believe this, she commutes by bus every single day to the zoo to gaze at wild animals. Gina’s story is so incredible she’s even been featured on the national TV news. She’s been filmed hopping onto the bus, which comes like clockwork every day to the stop two blocks down the street from our house. It doesn’t even pass by our house; I can’t imagine how she found the stop. Actually, there are many things I can’t imagine about this scenario, such as how she knows the bus schedule or where the stop for the zoo is. Were never even taken her to the zoo. Why on earth would we? And surely we would have gone by car rather than by bus if we had. It’s anyone’s guess how long she had been doing it before we realised what was going on. She’d scratch at the door in the morning for us to let her out. I would see her trot out of the garden and down the street, but I never thought anything of it. After a while, I began to notice that she’d be gone for several hours, but would always return at 4 pm, hungry. I started to suspect something when it occurred to me that she was leaving the house at exactly the same time every day. I decided to investigate this odd routine. One day I waited until she was just out of sight. I snuck out of the house, careful not to make any noise to disturb her. I left the property from the same place as she did. I spotted her a block down, her tail fluffing up in the air as she looked both ways before crossing to the next block. ‘We teach our kids that, not our cats!’ I thought to myself. At any rate, when she got a bit further ahead, I saw her arrive at the bus stop. I stood very still, not taking my eyes off her for a second. Then the bus came, the doors opened, and she just jumped right in. I couldn’t believe it! Standing there dumbfounded, I realised something that made my eyes widen and my eyebrows rise - there were no passengers waiting at the stop. Why did the bus even stop? So, in my distressed state, my knee-jerk reaction was to, well, run after the bus! I ran like an Olympic sprinter, and luckily there was little traffic at the junctions. I finally caught up with the bus at a red light. I banged on the door, the driver opened it and there was Gina, perched on the dashboard. She saw me and miaowed. ‘My cat! I shrieked. ‘How is this possible?’ The driver said she had been doing it for months, getting off at the zoo, and getting back on later in the day. I grabbed her, took her home and apologised for my frantic behaviour, but the next day she was off again, so I decided to pay a visit to the zoo, to see just exactly what she was getting up to on the next stage of her daily adventure... 4. How did the author follow her cat to the bus stop?

Read the text and choose the correct option. A cat’s adventures When we first got our cat Gina, I thought taking care other would be a rather leisurely activity. But Gina has the most peculiar of behaviours, and I’m not just referring to her tendency to chase after the occasional trapped house fly or her love of licking drips from the sink tap. She does something that I imagine few other cats in the world would do. If you can believe this, she commutes by bus every single day to the zoo to gaze at wild animals. Gina’s story is so incredible she’s even been featured on the national TV news. She’s been filmed hopping onto the bus, which comes like clockwork every day to the stop two blocks down the street from our house. It doesn’t even pass by our house; I can’t imagine how she found the stop. Actually, there are many things I can’t imagine about this scenario, such as how she knows the bus schedule or where the stop for the zoo is. Were never even taken her to the zoo. Why on earth would we? And surely we would have gone by car rather than by bus if we had. It’s anyone’s guess how long she had been doing it before we realised what was going on. She’d scratch at the door in the morning for us to let her out. I would see her trot out of the garden and down the street, but I never thought anything of it. After a while, I began to notice that she’d be gone for several hours, but would always return at 4 pm, hungry. I started to suspect something when it occurred to me that she was leaving the house at exactly the same time every day. I decided to investigate this odd routine. One day I waited until she was just out of sight. I snuck out of the house, careful not to make any noise to disturb her. I left the property from the same place as she did. I spotted her a block down, her tail fluffing up in the air as she looked both ways before crossing to the next block. ‘We teach our kids that, not our cats!’ I thought to myself. At any rate, when she got a bit further ahead, I saw her arrive at the bus stop. I stood very still, not taking my eyes off her for a second. Then the bus came, the doors opened, and she just jumped right in. I couldn’t believe it! Standing there dumbfounded, I realised something that made my eyes widen and my eyebrows rise - there were no passengers waiting at the stop. Why did the bus even stop? So, in my distressed state, my knee-jerk reaction was to, well, run after the bus! I ran like an Olympic sprinter, and luckily there was little traffic at the junctions. I finally caught up with the bus at a red light. I banged on the door, the driver opened it and there was Gina, perched on the dashboard. She saw me and miaowed. ‘My cat! I shrieked. ‘How is this possible?’ The driver said she had been doing it for months, getting off at the zoo, and getting back on later in the day. I grabbed her, took her home and apologised for my frantic behaviour, but the next day she was off again, so I decided to pay a visit to the zoo, to see just exactly what she was getting up to on the next stage of her daily adventure... 5. The author’s face showed the greatest reaction when...

Read the text and choose the correct option. A cat’s adventures When we first got our cat Gina, I thought taking care other would be a rather leisurely activity. But Gina has the most peculiar of behaviours, and I’m not just referring to her tendency to chase after the occasional trapped house fly or her love of licking drips from the sink tap. She does something that I imagine few other cats in the world would do. If you can believe this, she commutes by bus every single day to the zoo to gaze at wild animals. Gina’s story is so incredible she’s even been featured on the national TV news. She’s been filmed hopping onto the bus, which comes like clockwork every day to the stop two blocks down the street from our house. It doesn’t even pass by our house; I can’t imagine how she found the stop. Actually, there are many things I can’t imagine about this scenario, such as how she knows the bus schedule or where the stop for the zoo is. Were never even taken her to the zoo. Why on earth would we? And surely we would have gone by car rather than by bus if we had. It’s anyone’s guess how long she had been doing it before we realised what was going on. She’d scratch at the door in the morning for us to let her out. I would see her trot out of the garden and down the street, but I never thought anything of it. After a while, I began to notice that she’d be gone for several hours, but would always return at 4 pm, hungry. I started to suspect something when it occurred to me that she was leaving the house at exactly the same time every day. I decided to investigate this odd routine. One day I waited until she was just out of sight. I snuck out of the house, careful not to make any noise to disturb her. I left the property from the same place as she did. I spotted her a block down, her tail fluffing up in the air as she looked both ways before crossing to the next block. ‘We teach our kids that, not our cats!’ I thought to myself. At any rate, when she got a bit further ahead, I saw her arrive at the bus stop. I stood very still, not taking my eyes off her for a second. Then the bus came, the doors opened, and she just jumped right in. I couldn’t believe it! Standing there dumbfounded, I realised something that made my eyes widen and my eyebrows rise - there were no passengers waiting at the stop. Why did the bus even stop? So, in my distressed state, my knee-jerk reaction was to, well, run after the bus! I ran like an Olympic sprinter, and luckily there was little traffic at the junctions. I finally caught up with the bus at a red light. I banged on the door, the driver opened it and there was Gina, perched on the dashboard. She saw me and miaowed. ‘My cat! I shrieked. ‘How is this possible?’ The driver said she had been doing it for months, getting off at the zoo, and getting back on later in the day. I grabbed her, took her home and apologised for my frantic behaviour, but the next day she was off again, so I decided to pay a visit to the zoo, to see just exactly what she was getting up to on the next stage of her daily adventure... 6. What does the expression ‘knee-jerk reaction’ in the fifth paragraph mean?

Read the text and choose the correct option. A cat’s adventures When we first got our cat Gina, I thought taking care other would be a rather leisurely activity. But Gina has the most peculiar of behaviours, and I’m not just referring to her tendency to chase after the occasional trapped house fly or her love of licking drips from the sink tap. She does something that I imagine few other cats in the world would do. If you can believe this, she commutes by bus every single day to the zoo to gaze at wild animals. Gina’s story is so incredible she’s even been featured on the national TV news. She’s been filmed hopping onto the bus, which comes like clockwork every day to the stop two blocks down the street from our house. It doesn’t even pass by our house; I can’t imagine how she found the stop. Actually, there are many things I can’t imagine about this scenario, such as how she knows the bus schedule or where the stop for the zoo is. Were never even taken her to the zoo. Why on earth would we? And surely we would have gone by car rather than by bus if we had. It’s anyone’s guess how long she had been doing it before we realised what was going on. She’d scratch at the door in the morning for us to let her out. I would see her trot out of the garden and down the street, but I never thought anything of it. After a while, I began to notice that she’d be gone for several hours, but would always return at 4 pm, hungry. I started to suspect something when it occurred to me that she was leaving the house at exactly the same time every day. I decided to investigate this odd routine. One day I waited until she was just out of sight. I snuck out of the house, careful not to make any noise to disturb her. I left the property from the same place as she did. I spotted her a block down, her tail fluffing up in the air as she looked both ways before crossing to the next block. ‘We teach our kids that, not our cats!’ I thought to myself. At any rate, when she got a bit further ahead, I saw her arrive at the bus stop. I stood very still, not taking my eyes off her for a second. Then the bus came, the doors opened, and she just jumped right in. I couldn’t believe it! Standing there dumbfounded, I realised something that made my eyes widen and my eyebrows rise - there were no passengers waiting at the stop. Why did the bus even stop? So, in my distressed state, my knee-jerk reaction was to, well, run after the bus! I ran like an Olympic sprinter, and luckily there was little traffic at the junctions. I finally caught up with the bus at a red light. I banged on the door, the driver opened it and there was Gina, perched on the dashboard. She saw me and miaowed. ‘My cat! I shrieked. ‘How is this possible?’ The driver said she had been doing it for months, getting off at the zoo, and getting back on later in the day. I grabbed her, took her home and apologised for my frantic behaviour, but the next day she was off again, so I decided to pay a visit to the zoo, to see just exactly what she was getting up to on the next stage of her daily adventure... 7. ‘This’ in the last paragraph refers to...

Read the text and choose the correct answers to the questions below. Today is a special day for Emily and her friends. They are going to the shopping mall for a fun shopping spree. Let's join them and see what they find! Part 1: Shopping for Clothes Emily and her friends head straight to the clothing stores. They try on different outfits and pick their favourite ones. Emily chooses a colourful summer dress, while her friend Lily opts for a trendy pair of jeans. Max prefers a cool graphic t-shirt, and Ben decides on a comfortable hoodie. After their shopping, they feel stylish and ready to continue their adventure. Part 2: Toys and Games Galore Next, the group moves to the toy store. They are amazed by the wide selection of toys and games. Emily picks a puzzle set to challenge her mind, Lily selects a new art kit to unleash her creativity, and Max can't resist the action figures of his favourite superheroes. Ben, a sports enthusiast, chooses a soccer ball to play with at the park. They all leave the toy store with big smiles on their faces. Part 3: Treats at the Candy Shop After all the excitement, it's time for a treat. They head to the candy shop, where they are welcomed by colourful candies, chocolates, and sweets. Emily and Lily pick their favourite candies, while Max and Ben prefer delicious chocolate bars. They buy some treats to enjoy during their day at the mall and share them with their families later.

Read the text and choose the correct options. Coffee decaffeination processes Every day it seems that medical researchers come out with a new study about coffee, how it is extremely unhealthy for you and/or full of amazing benefits. The focus of most of these studies is more particularly about the effects of caffeine on human health. As caffeine, coffee’s most potent element, is a stimulant, it can produce both positive and negative effects. It can wake you up in the morning, but it can also lead to sleeplessness, a racing heartbeat, and anxiety. It is therefore no surprise that many people have decided to cut caffeine out of their diets. As for me, I have grown to like the taste of coffee, but to me the main purpose of drinking it is to get an extra jolt of energy. That is why I will admit to a certain prejudice against decaf, perhaps prompted by bad experiences with weak and tasteless brew, because it is true that the actual process of removing caffeine from coffee can degrade the taste beyond repair. Early decaffeination attempts involved soaking the green beans in water and then using various solvents to separate the caffeine in the resulting water solution. The beans were then re-introduced to the caffeine-free solution in order to absorb some of the flavour they had lost. Solvents used included benzene, chloroform, and trichloroethylene, all of which were later found to have toxic effects. In the 1970s, dichloromethane came into use to replace the earlier solvents before it too was deemed possibly carcinogenic. In response to these concerns about solvents, some coffee companies began to run the water solution through charcoal filters as a means of removing the caffeine. The so-called Swiss Water Process, developed in Switzerland in the 1930s, goes one step further. After a batch of coffee beans has been steeped in hot water, that water is filtered, and then is used to soak the next batch of beans to be processed. In this way, the beans lose caffeine as they soak, but lose less of their flavour. Yet another method that aims to safely remove caffeine from coffee beans involves a fascinating compound procedure. The solvent used in this method is neither water nor one of the earlier toxic solvents. Instead, caffeine in the coffee beans is dissolved by means of carbon dioxide. In order to accomplish this, the carbon dioxide must become a supercritical fluid, created when it is compressed and heated to the point that it has the same density in liquid and gaseous forms. As this supercritical CO2 is passed through the beans, it can penetrate them because of its gaseous properties, and yet is able to dissolve the caffeine they contain because of its liquid properties. In 2004, Brazilian scientists identified a new strain of coffee beans with a naturally low level of caffeine. They found three coffee plants from Ethiopia that contain almost no caffeine, as they seem lack an enzyme necessary to caffeine production. If these plants can be crossed with commercial strains of coffee plants, we may one day see more coffee on the market that is naturally low in caffeine. With these advances, and the current methods of decaffeination, decaf junkies are sure to be able to get their fix of coffee that not only tastes great, but won’t keep them up half the night. As for me, I do want to stay up half the night, so I’ll stick to my full-strength brew.

Read the text. Then choose the correct options. Gulliver's Travel My master, finding how profitable I was likely to be, decided to carry me to the most important cities of the kingdom. Having therefore provided himself with all things necessary for a long journey, and settled his affairs at home, he took leave of his wife, and on 17th August, about two months after my arrival, we set out for the metropolis, situated near the middle of that empire, and about three thousand miles distance from our house. My master made his daughter, Glumdalclitch, ride behind him. She kept me on her lap, in a box tied about her waist. The girl had lined it on all sides with the softest cloth she could get, well quilted underneath, furnished it with her baby's bed, provided me with linen and other necessaries, and made everything as convenient as she could. We had no other company but a boy of the house, who rode after us with the luggage. My master's plan was to show me in all the towns on the way and to step out of the road for fifty or a hundred miles, to any village, or person of quality's house, where he might expect custom. We made easy journeys, of not above seven or eight miles a day; for Glumdalclitch, not wanting to exhaust me, complained she was tired with the trotting of the horse. She often took me out of my box, at my own desire, to give me air, and show me the country, but always held me by a leading string. We passed over five or six rivers, much broader and deeper than the Nile or the Ganges: and there was hardly a stream so small as the Thames at London Bridge. We were ten weeks into our journey, and I was shown in eighteen large towns, besides many villages, and private families. On the 26th day of October, we arrived at the metropolis, called in their language LORBRULGRUD, or Pride of the Universe. My master took a lodging in the principal street of the city, not far from the Royal Palace, and put out bills in the usual form, containing an exact description of my person and parts. He hired a large room between three and four hundred feet wide. He provided a table sixty feet in diameter, upon which I was to act my part. I was shown ten times a day, to the wonder and satisfaction of all people. I could now speak the language tolerably well, and perfectly understood every word, that was spoken to me. Besides, I had learnt their alphabet and could make an attempt to explain a sentence here and there; for Glumdalclitch had been my instructor while we were at home, and leisure hours during our journey. She carried a little book in her pocket, not much larger than a Sanson's Atlas; it was a common treatise for the use of young girls, giving a short account of their religion: out of this she taught me my letters, and interpreted the words.

Read the text and put each sentence into the correct group. Nature’s joke? - the strange and wonderful Platypus The platypus is a strange little creature found only in Australia. When Ihe first platypus was sent to Europe in the 19th century, the scientists who examined it just could not believe their eyes. They believed the platypus was a joke, because of its extremely strange appearance. They thought some fun-loving Australian had put the feet and nose of a duck onto the body of a rat, just to play a trick on them! But platypuses are real, and there is no other creature like them on Earth. Platypuses have a nose Iike a duck, webbed feet Iike a duck, soft brown fur on their body and a long, flat tail Iike a beaver. As if that weren't strange enough, even though they are mammals (which means they feed their babies milk), platypuses don't give birth to Iive babies but instead lay eggs just like birds! No wonder scientists couldn't decide for a very Iong time if platypuses were birds, reptiles or mammals. But the platypus has even more wonderful characteristics. Platypuses find their food in rivers by using electric fields. And, if they are in danger, male platypuses have sharp hooks on their feet that produce poison strong enough to kill a dog. It's no surprise then, that this special, shy little animal is one of Australia's most famous creatures. A picture of the platypus appears on the Australian 20 cent coin. Australians are very proud of their unique platypus.

Read the text and put each sentence into the correct group. Mobile phones When Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, it was a revolution in communication. For the first time, people could talk to each other over great distances almost as clearly as if they were in the same room. Nowadays, though, we increasingly use Bell’s invention for emails, faxes, and the internet rather than talking. Over the last two decades, a new means of spoken communication have emerged: the mobile phone. The modern mobile phone is a more complex version of the two-way radio. Traditional two-way radio was a very limited means of communication. In the 1940s, researchers decided to use a number of radio masts to pick up signals from two-way radios. When a caller moved too far away from one mast, the next mast would pick up the signal. Scientists called each mast’s reception area a separate “cell”; this is why, in many countries, mobile phones are called “cell phones”. The first real mobile telephone call was made in 1973 by Dr Martin Cooper, the scientist who invented the modern mobile handset. He tested his invention by calling a rival scientist to announce his success. Within a decade, mobile phones became available to the public. The streets of modern cities were full of young professionals who carried the expensive handsets as status symbols. But in the mid-90s, something happened. Cheaper handsets and cheaper calling rates meant that, almost overnight, it seemed that everyone had a mobile phone. And the giant plastic bricks of the 80s had been replaced with smooth little objects that fitted nicely into pockets and bags. Meeting times became approximate, subject to change at any moment under the new order of communication: the Short Message Service (SMS) or text message. Going to be late? Send a text message! It takes much less effort than arriving on time, and it’s much less awkward than explaining your lateness face-to-face. It’s the perfect communication method for the busy modern lifestyle. Like email before it, the text message has altered the way we write in English, bringing more abbreviations and a more lax approach to language construction. Traditional rules of grammar and spelling are much less important when you’re sitting on the bus, hurriedly typing “Will В 15 min late — C U @ the bar. Sorry!:-)”. Mobile phones are now a vital part of daily life for people. Over the last few years mobiles have become more and more advanced, with built-in cameras, global positioning devices and internet access. The “third generation” of mobile phones are powerful microcomputers with broadband internet access, which allow us to watch TV, download internet files at high speed and send instant video clips to friends. Alexander Graham Bell would be amazed if he could see how far the science of telephony has progressed in less than 150 years. If he were around today, he might say: “That’s gr8! But I’m v busy right now. Will call U 2nite”.