Cat CDZ

Match the sentences to their purposes

Read the text and choose the right answer. Robots: friend or foe? What is the future of artificial intelligence (AI)? Will it be possible for robots to be autonomous? If so, when will that happen and will it be a good thing? We asked four experts what they think. A I would say that we are quite a long way off developing the computing power or the algorithms for fully autonomous AI, though I do think it will happen within the next thirty or forty years. We will probably remain in control of technology and it will help us solve many of the world’s problems. However, no one really knows what will happen if machines become more intelligent than humans. They may help us, ignore us or destroy us. I tend to believe AI will have a positive influence on our future lives, but whether that is true will be partly up to us. B I have to admit that the potential consequences of creating something that can match or surpass human intelligence frighten me. Even now, scientists are teaching computers how to learn on their own. At some point in the near future, their intelligence may well take off and develop at an ever-increasing speed. Human beings evolve biologically very slowly and we would be quickly superseded. In the short term, there is the danger that robots will take over millions of human jobs, creating a large underclass of unemployed people. This could mean large-scale poverty and social unrest. In the long term, machines might decide the world would be better without humans. C Personally, I think it’s fascinating to consider how we’ll speed up our evolution as a species by augmenting our bodies. Imagine if you could implant a computer inside our brain! Soon we’ll be able to do just that and enhance our mathematical ability, audiovisual perception and our memory, and this idea is only going to become more and more commonplace. AI is also popping up in the world around us. Recent developments include self-driving cars and drones carrying life-saving equipment to people at sea. Granted, there have been a few teething problems: one woman who was asleep on the floor had her hair eaten by her robot vacuum cleaner and there have been fatal accidents with self-driving cars. But progress always comes at a cost, and for me the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. D I’m a member of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. Forget the movie image of a terrifying Terminator stamping on human skulls and think of what’s happening right now: military machines like drones, gun turrets and sentry robots are already being used to kill with very little human input. The next step will be autonomous ‘murderbots’, following orders but ultimately deciding who to kill on their own. It seems clear to me that this would be completely unethical and dangerous for humanity. We need to be very cautious indeed about what we ask machines to do. Which expert gives their opinion about what will happen with the same level of certainty as D?

Read the text and choose the right answer. Robots: friend or foe? What is the future of artificial intelligence (AI)? Will it be possible for robots to be autonomous? If so, when will that happen and will it be a good thing? We asked four experts what they think. A I would say that we are quite a long way off developing the computing power or the algorithms for fully autonomous AI, though I do think it will happen within the next thirty or forty years. We will probably remain in control of technology and it will help us solve many of the world’s problems. However, no one really knows what will happen if machines become more intelligent than humans. They may help us, ignore us or destroy us. I tend to believe AI will have a positive influence on our future lives, but whether that is true will be partly up to us. B I have to admit that the potential consequences of creating something that can match or surpass human intelligence frighten me. Even now, scientists are teaching computers how to learn on their own. At some point in the near future, their intelligence may well take off and develop at an ever-increasing speed. Human beings evolve biologically very slowly and we would be quickly superseded. In the short term, there is the danger that robots will take over millions of human jobs, creating a large underclass of unemployed people. This could mean large-scale poverty and social unrest. In the long term, machines might decide the world would be better without humans. C Personally, I think it’s fascinating to consider how we’ll speed up our evolution as a species by augmenting our bodies. Imagine if you could implant a computer inside our brain! Soon we’ll be able to do just that and enhance our mathematical ability, audiovisual perception and our memory, and this idea is only going to become more and more commonplace. AI is also popping up in the world around us. Recent developments include self-driving cars and drones carrying life-saving equipment to people at sea. Granted, there have been a few teething problems: one woman who was asleep on the floor had her hair eaten by her robot vacuum cleaner and there have been fatal accidents with self-driving cars. But progress always comes at a cost, and for me the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. D I’m a member of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. Forget the movie image of a terrifying Terminator stamping on human skulls and think of what’s happening right now: military machines like drones, gun turrets and sentry robots are already being used to kill with very little human input. The next step will be autonomous ‘murderbots’, following orders but ultimately deciding who to kill on their own. It seems clear to me that this would be completely unethical and dangerous for humanity. We need to be very cautious indeed about what we ask machines to do. Which expert has a different view from the others regarding the timescale of AI becoming more autonomous?

Read the text and choose the right answer. Robots: friend or foe? What is the future of artificial intelligence (AI)? Will it be possible for robots to be autonomous? If so, when will that happen and will it be a good thing? We asked four experts what they think. A I would say that we are quite a long way off developing the computing power or the algorithms for fully autonomous AI, though I do think it will happen within the next thirty or forty years. We will probably remain in control of technology and it will help us solve many of the world’s problems. However, no one really knows what will happen if machines become more intelligent than humans. They may help us, ignore us or destroy us. I tend to believe AI will have a positive influence on our future lives, but whether that is true will be partly up to us. B I have to admit that the potential consequences of creating something that can match or surpass human intelligence frighten me. Even now, scientists are teaching computers how to learn on their own. At some point in the near future, their intelligence may well take off and develop at an ever-increasing speed. Human beings evolve biologically very slowly and we would be quickly superseded. In the short term, there is the danger that robots will take over millions of human jobs, creating a large underclass of unemployed people. This could mean large-scale poverty and social unrest. In the long term, machines might decide the world would be better without humans. C Personally, I think it’s fascinating to consider how we’ll speed up our evolution as a species by augmenting our bodies. Imagine if you could implant a computer inside our brain! Soon we’ll be able to do just that and enhance our mathematical ability, audiovisual perception and our memory, and this idea is only going to become more and more commonplace. AI is also popping up in the world around us. Recent developments include self-driving cars and drones carrying life-saving equipment to people at sea. Granted, there have been a few teething problems: one woman who was asleep on the floor had her hair eaten by her robot vacuum cleaner and there have been fatal accidents with self-driving cars. But progress always comes at a cost, and for me the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. D I’m a member of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. Forget the movie image of a terrifying Terminator stamping on human skulls and think of what’s happening right now: military machines like drones, gun turrets and sentry robots are already being used to kill with very little human input. The next step will be autonomous ‘murderbots’, following orders but ultimately deciding who to kill on their own. It seems clear to me that this would be completely unethical and dangerous for humanity. We need to be very cautious indeed about what we ask machines to do. Which expert agrees with B that the negative aspects of AI far outweigh the positive aspects?

Read the text and choose the right answer. Robots: friend or foe? What is the future of artificial intelligence (AI)? Will it be possible for robots to be autonomous? If so, when will that happen and will it be a good thing? We asked four experts what they think. A I would say that we are quite a long way off developing the computing power or the algorithms for fully autonomous AI, though I do think it will happen within the next thirty or forty years. We will probably remain in control of technology and it will help us solve many of the world’s problems. However, no one really knows what will happen if machines become more intelligent than humans. They may help us, ignore us or destroy us. I tend to believe AI will have a positive influence on our future lives, but whether that is true will be partly up to us. B I have to admit that the potential consequences of creating something that can match or surpass human intelligence frighten me. Even now, scientists are teaching computers how to learn on their own. At some point in the near future, their intelligence may well take off and develop at an ever-increasing speed. Human beings evolve biologically very slowly and we would be quickly superseded. In the short term, there is the danger that robots will take over millions of human jobs, creating a large underclass of unemployed people. This could mean large-scale poverty and social unrest. In the long term, machines might decide the world would be better without humans. C Personally, I think it’s fascinating to consider how we’ll speed up our evolution as a species by augmenting our bodies. Imagine if you could implant a computer inside our brain! Soon we’ll be able to do just that and enhance our mathematical ability, audiovisual perception and our memory, and this idea is only going to become more and more commonplace. AI is also popping up in the world around us. Recent developments include self-driving cars and drones carrying life-saving equipment to people at sea. Granted, there have been a few teething problems: one woman who was asleep on the floor had her hair eaten by her robot vacuum cleaner and there have been fatal accidents with self-driving cars. But progress always comes at a cost, and for me the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. D I’m a member of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. Forget the movie image of a terrifying Terminator stamping on human skulls and think of what’s happening right now: military machines like drones, gun turrets and sentry robots are already being used to kill with very little human input. The next step will be autonomous ‘murderbots’, following orders but ultimately deciding who to kill on their own. It seems clear to me that this would be completely unethical and dangerous for humanity. We need to be very cautious indeed about what we ask machines to do. Which expert has a similar view to A about the responsibility humans have for the future of AI?

Read the text and choose the right answer. Robots: friend or foe? What is the future of artificial intelligence (AI)? Will it be possible for robots to be autonomous? If so, when will that happen and will it be a good thing? We asked four experts what they think. A I would say that we are quite a long way off developing the computing power or the algorithms for fully autonomous AI, though I do think it will happen within the next thirty or forty years. We will probably remain in control of technology and it will help us solve many of the world’s problems. However, no one really knows what will happen if machines become more intelligent than humans. They may help us, ignore us or destroy us. I tend to believe AI will have a positive influence on our future lives, but whether that is true will be partly up to us. B I have to admit that the potential consequences of creating something that can match or surpass human intelligence frighten me. Even now, scientists are teaching computers how to learn on their own. At some point in the near future, their intelligence may well take off and develop at an ever-increasing speed. Human beings evolve biologically very slowly and we would be quickly superseded. In the short term, there is the danger that robots will take over millions of human jobs, creating a large underclass of unemployed people. This could mean large-scale poverty and social unrest. In the long term, machines might decide the world would be better without humans. C Personally, I think it’s fascinating to consider how we’ll speed up our evolution as a species by augmenting our bodies. Imagine if you could implant a computer inside our brain! Soon we’ll be able to do just that and enhance our mathematical ability, audiovisual perception and our memory, and this idea is only going to become more and more commonplace. AI is also popping up in the world around us. Recent developments include self-driving cars and drones carrying life-saving equipment to people at sea. Granted, there have been a few teething problems: one woman who was asleep on the floor had her hair eaten by her robot vacuum cleaner and there have been fatal accidents with self-driving cars. But progress always comes at a cost, and for me the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. D I’m a member of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. Forget the movie image of a terrifying Terminator stamping on human skulls and think of what’s happening right now: military machines like drones, gun turrets and sentry robots are already being used to kill with very little human input. The next step will be autonomous ‘murderbots’, following orders but ultimately deciding who to kill on their own. It seems clear to me that this would be completely unethical and dangerous for humanity. We need to be very cautious indeed about what we ask machines to do. Which expert seems to disagree with B about how fast humans can change?

Read the text and the question and choose the best answer. The rise of fake news So, what can we do to stop fake news spreading? First, make sure that the websites you read are legitimate, for example by looking carefully at the domain name and the About Us section. Check the sources of any quotes or figures given in the story. Remember that amazing stories about famous people will be covered by the mainstream media if they are true. Only share stories you know are true and let your friends know, tactfully, when they unknowingly share fake news. Together we can turn around the post-truth world! How does the author feel about stopping fake news spreading?

Read the play and choose the right option. It's noon on Saturday. Jay Thomas and his sister are in the mall. Their dad will be back in two hours to pick them up. The brother and sister are going to buy a special Mother's Day gift for their mom. Jay and Nadia begin their shopping adventure at Smith's, the largest department store in the mall. Nadia (to Jay): Let's start in the jewelry department. As Jay and Nadia look at a pair of gold earrings, they hear some soft voices coming from the jewelry case. Earrings: Hey, kids! Buy us! Jay (puzzled): W-Who ... What said that? Earrings: We did! Jay: Talking earrings? No way! Earrings: Way! You know your mom will like us. Nadia (looking at the price tag): Forget it, Jay! They are too expensive. Let's go. Jay and Nadia go on to the perfume section. Perfume bottle: Yoo-hoo! Over here! Buy me, darlings! Jay: Huh? Talking perfume? Perfume bottle: Of course, my dear! And I am so nice! Nadia(to Jay): Everyone buys perfume for Mother's Day. I want something different. When they are at the scarves section, Jay and Nadia hear another voice. Scarf: Dears, you simply must buy me! Jay: More talking things here? Scarf: My beautiful colours can dress up any outfit! Nadia: Mom doesn't wear scarves. Let's try another store. As Jay and Nadia go on walking, the display in the window of the card shop catches Jay's eye. Jay: Hey, Nadia, check this out. This card is almost as big as I am! Card (loudly): Show your mom how much you care - in a BIG way! Buy me! Surprised, Jay and Nadia jump back and hurry away. Nadia: This is crazy! Why are all these things talking to us? I need a break. Let's go to the food court and get some pizza and soft drinks. Jay (to Nadia): We spent here more than an hour and we couldn't find a gift for Mom! Suddenly, a voice whispers from Nadia's soft drink cup ... Soft drink cup: Who says you must buy a Mother's Day gift for your mom? Listen up! Your Mom works hard all day at the hospital. Then she comes home and works hard to take care of your family. What she needs most is rest! Why don't you give your mom a day off? Nadia: What a great idea! We'll ask Dad to help us. Jay and Nadia quickly finish their food and go to meet their dad. Mr. Thomas is surprised when he doesn't see any packages. Mr. Thomas: Hi, kids. What happened? Didn't you find a gift for Mom? Jay: Dad, we have a present, but it isn't something we can put in a box. Jay and Nadia explain their idea to their dad. Mr. Thomas smiles. He likes the idea. Mr. Thomas: That's great! How did you think of that gift? Nadia: Uh . . . It just came to us while we were having a pizza. Mr. Thomas: Well, I know Mom will like it. We'll go to the supermarket on the way home and buy some of her favourite foods. It's morning on Mother's Day Mr. Thomas, Jay and Nadia get up early to make breakfast. Mr. Thomas carries a tray of food upstairs. Jay and Nadiaknock on the bedroom door. Mrs. Thomas (stretching and yawning): Come in! Jay, Nadia and Mr. Thomas (together): Happy Mother's Day! Mrs. Thomas (sitting up): Breakfast in bed! How lovely! Everything looks delicious. Jay gives his mom a piece of paper with a red ribbon around it. Mrs. Thomas: What's this, Jay? Jay: Read it, Mom. Mrs. Thomas (smiling): "Hear ye, hear ye, members of the Thomas family! Today is Mother's Day! We will honour our mother by giving her a day of rest and relaxation. Her wish is our command!" Wow! What a wonderful gift! This is so nice of you! Mrs. Thomas spent the whole day doing what she liked reading, relaxing and watching her favourite movies. Jay and Nadia helped their dad around the house and made a tasty dinner. After the meal, Mrs. Thomas hugged everyone. Mrs. Thomas: This has been the best day ever. Thank you all, so much! It's Monday morning. The alarm clock rings. Mrs. Thomas gets up and knocks on the doors to Jay and Nadia's rooms. Mrs. Thomas: Jay, Nadia, wake up! It's time for school! (Sighing, to herself.) If only every day could be Mother's Day ...

How to Reduce Christmas Waste (мусор, отходы) Did you know that every hour the UK throws away (выбрасывать) enough waste to fill a theatre? So think about how much more we throw away at Christmas! Read and see what little things you can do to help reduce (уменьшать, сокращать) waste at Christmas. A. If we put all the wrapping (обёрточная бумага) we throw away in a line it would reach (достигать) the Moon - that's a lot of paper! But it's very easy to recycle (перерабатывать); use recycling banks at most supermarkets. Why not try giving presents in gift bags? That way you can reuse (использовать повторно) them again next year and save on paper! Don't throw away Christmas cards! You can try cutting them up and making new cards or gift tags out of them. You'll be ready for next Christmas and save a few pennies! A. If you have a real Christmas tree it's a great thing to recycle. There are lots of companies that will collect it for you. After recycling, people can use it as compost to help next year's trees or to cover pathways (покрыть дорожки). How about getting a living Christmas tree with roots (корни)? That way it will keep on growing year after year and you can even plant it in your garden. B. We throw out over 7 million tons of food every year. So why not help out in the kitchen and get creative when cooking a Christmas turkey. If you've got a compost bin in your garden you can throw in all those veg peelings (овощные очистки, кожуру). Birds love Christmas leftovers (остатки, объедки) too, any scraps (кусочки) of fruit cake and mince pies will go down a treat. It will give them energy and help them through the cold winter months. C. If you get any presents that don't fit or have old things that you won't need anymore don't throw them away. There are lots of charities (благотворительные организации) out there who will pass on gifts to people in need.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. I really enjoyed the play. I wish we ... (go) to the theatre more often.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. If only I ... (can) drive a car and we can go travelling.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. I wish they ... (come) on holiday with us last year.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. The Browns live in the city, but they wish they ... (live) in the suburbs.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. She wishes she ... (listen) to her mom yesterday.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. I wish you ... (not/talk) so loudly. It's not polite.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. If only I ... (study) harder when I was at school.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. If only I ... (have) a big car! I would be able to fit all I need there.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. She wishes she ... (work) less. She doesn't have time for her hobby.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. Mike didn’t go to college after school. He can't get a job now. He wishes he ... (go) to college.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. I wish you ... (say) something earlier.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. If only I ... (know) someone to whom I could have gone for advice when I was 18.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. I wish I ... (can) speak Spanish.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. If only John ... (have) enough money to start his business.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. If only we ... (know) what to do!

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. The rain is getting heavier. I wish I ... (have) my umbrella with me.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. If only Peter ... (have) enough money, he could travel abroad.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. It's chilly. I wish I ... (bring) a sweater.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. I cut my finger yesterday. If only I ... (be) more careful using the knife.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. If only it ... (not/ rain) so much in England last week.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. I feel sick. I wish I ... (not/ eat) so much.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. She wishes she ... (listen) to her mom yesterday.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. If only we ... (know) what to do!

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. I wish they ... (come) on holiday with us last year.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. I wish you ... (say) something earlier.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. I wish I ... (can) speak Spanish.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. If only I ... (study) harder when I was at school.

Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense. If only I ... (have) a big car! I would be able to fit all I need there.

What does the writer say about the main character's surname?

Прочитайте текст. Для каждого вопроса после текста выберите верный вариант ответа из предложенного списка. This is an extract adapted from a book about an American teenage boy. It feels as honest as the day is crummy that I begin this tale of total desperation and woe with me, my sister, Georgia, and Leonardo the Silent sitting like rotting sardines in the Hills Village Middle School. If you’ve ever been a middle schooler, you understand already. If you’re not in middle school yet, you’ll understand soon enough. But let’s face it: Understanding me—I mean, really understanding me and my nutty life—isn’t so easy. That’s why it’s so hard for me to find people I can trust. The truth is, I don’t know who I can trust. So mostly I don’t trust anybody. Except my mom, Jules. (Most of the time, anyway.) Getting back to the story, though, I do trust one other person. That would actually be Leonardo. Here are some other people I don’t trust as far as I can throw a truckload of pianos. There’s Ms. Ruthless Donatello, but you can just call her the Dragon Lady. She teaches English and also handles my favorite subject in sixth grade—after-school detention. Also Georgia, my supernosy, super-obnoxious, super-brat sister, whose only good quality is that she looks like Jules might have looked when she was in fourth grade. That was my first day at school. As soon as I got to the class, I went straight for the back row and sat as far from the teacher’s desk as possible. There was just one problem with that plan, and his name was Miller. It’s impossible to stay off this kid’s bad side, because it’s the only one he’s got. But I didn’t know any of that yet. “Sitting in the back, huh?” he said. “Yeah,” I told him. “Are you one of those troublemakers or something?” he said. I just shrugged. “I don’t know. Not really.” “’Cause this is where all the juvies sit,” he said, and took a step closer. “In fact, you’re in my seat.” “I don’t see your name on it,” I told him. “Let’s try that again,” he said. “This is my seat. Understand?” I understood, all right. But then, when I went to sit down again, Miller called over. “Uh-uh,” he said. “That one’s mine too.” Can you see where this is going? By the time our teacher, Mr. Rourke, rolled in, I was just standing there wondering what it might be like to spend the next nine months without sitting down. Rourke looked over the top of his glasses at me. “Excuse me, Mr.Khatch . . . Khatch-a . . . Khatch-a-dor—” “Khatchadorian,” I told him. “Gesundheit!” someone shouted, and the entire class started laughing. “Quiet!” Mr. Rourke said as he checked his attendance book for my name. “And how are you today, Rafe?” he said, smiling like there were cookies on the way. “Fine, thanks,” I answered. “Do you find our seating uncomfortable?” he asked me. “Not exactly,” I said, because I couldn’t really go into details. “Then sit down!” Since nobody else was stupid enough to sit right in front of Miller, that was the only seat left in the room.

Read the text. Fill in the gaps with the correct phrases.

Translate into English. Use the full form of the verbs. Если бы только я учился усерднее, когда учился в школе.

Read the text and mark the statements True (T), False (F), Not Stated (NS). What a weird kid Kelly is! I mean, she's my best friend, and l really like her, but she's very strange. It worries me sometimes. At school, the kids laugh at her. A lot of it is her own fault but part of it isn’t. Mostly, the problem is that she is too smart, and l know she can't do anything about it. But there are other things that she could do something about, but she won't — like the way she dresses. Take what she was wearing that day. Rubber rain boots — the kind my grandma calls galoshes. People wear rubber rain boots outdoors. Kelly hadn't taken them off when she'd come up to my room. She had on a white sweatshirt with green letters on the back that said Namath No. 12. The shirt looked as if it was one hundred years old. And she never wears jeans like everybody else. Instead, she wears long woollen skirts. Her glasses are perfectly round. Everybody at school says she looks just like an owl. The week before, Angie, one of my friends, had told her she should get new glasses, so she would look normal. Kelly had just looked at Angie and said, "Why?" As if she had no idea what Angie was talking about. It's not only her clothes and her glasses, though. It's something else, but it's hard to explain. I'm not even sure l know what it is. My mother says she's "innocent". I think she means that Kelly is like a six-year-old, instead being of twice that age. Anyway, Kelly's still my best friend, but sometimes l want her to be more like the other kids. I watched her for a minute. I had to do something. What? I turned around. "Kelly! I'm bored. Let's do something." "What?" "I don't know. Think of something. Why do l always have to come up with the ideas?" "Because that's the way it is in a friendship", Kelly answered seriously. "One is the leader, and the other is the follower. If two people are both leaders, or they are both followers, they probably wouldn't be friends". She smiled at me. I smiled back. "And you know what else?" Kelly said. "I've been thinking about you and Angie. There have to be some things alike about people for a friendship to work, but differences are important, too. That's why you and Angie are friends this year. You are different". "We are not different! We are a lot alike. That's why we are friends!"

Read the text and mark the statements True (T), False (F) or Not Stated (NS). Giulia, from Manchester I really like London. It’s a great city! You can do anything you want and there are a lot of shops. I love shopping! When I go there, I always go to Buckingham Palace. I hope I can see Prince Harry or Prince William. I also think the guards are very funny with their hats. I like to go there by train or by car because you can see how green our country is: full of big fields and grassy hills. If you take the plane, you cannot see all this! Max, from Lytham My favourite place is Blackpool. I really like that town. It’s close to my city. Even if it’s not a very big city, it’s really nice. There are so many people coming here, especially in summer. Before getting married, couples often go to Blackpool for parties. There is also Blackpool Tower. I like it because it looks like a small Eiffel Tower. When I’m not at school, I play the guitar and in Blackpool there are a lot of opportunities for musicians like me! Finally, I like walking on the beach as well. Many times, you can see donkeys. These animals are so funny! Alice, from London This might surprise you but my favourite place is my room! This is the only place where I can stay alone. I can chat on my computer with my friends and I can write in my diary. I like writing what I think and what I do. I write every day! I have my private life! My room is not very big but it’s very colourful and I chose the decoration. My bed is very comfortable and from my window I can see one of the main streets of London. I like watch­ing people walking in the street, what they do, how they are dressed. I try to imagine their lives. It’s fun! John, from Chester I like England but I prefer India! I go there every year with my family. We take the plane from London to Mumbai. Sometimes we stop in Delhi because it’s very near to Taj Mahal, in Agra. I don’t really enjoy taking the plane because I am always scared it’s going to crash. I know it happens very rarely, but I’m afraid of it anyway. So, my favourite place in India is Mumbai. I like to watch cricket there! I also love Indian movies.

Read the text and match the traits of character and a family member. Dear Sam, I want to tell you about my family. My family isn't big. There’re four of us: dad, mom, my brother and me. My dad is a pilot. He can speak French and Spanish. He is very clever. Mom doesn’t work because my brother is only two. She’s kind and caring. My brother is funny. My grandparents are special. They don't live at our place. We visit them every weekend. We’re a happy family. How many members are there in your family? What’re your dad’s and mom’s jobs? How old are your parents? Best wishes, Tom

Read the texts about some teen camps in Canada. Match the camp descriptions (1–5) to the teens’/parents’ feed­backs (A–E). 1. Safari Zoo Camp at Jungle Cat World Wildlife Park is the only residential programme of its kind in the world! Campers work with the zoo staff to care for the animals. Duties include feeding, watering, cleaning and socializing. Our mission is to protect and conserve the natural world by offering public wildlife educa­tion programmes with animals. We help teens to get the neces­sary knowledge, skills and confidence to live in an environmentally responsible way. 2. The Take Action Academy allows teens and youth to discover their leadership potential through interactive team-building ac­tivities, intensive and practical workshops, games, thought-pro­voking discussions and volunteer work in the local community. Please visit our website for additional locations. 3. Since 1966, Hockey Opportunity Camp has combined hockey skill development with a traditional overnight camp experience, located on Eagle Lake. A typical day combines “Best in Class” hockey training with two of our many skill-based activities includ­ing water skiing, mountain biking, sailing, archery, kayaking, etc. HOC is truly “THE ULTIMATE HOCKEY AND SUMMER CAMP EX­PERIENCE”. 4. The Living Arts Centre offers fun, creative and safe pro­grammes for children and teenagers. Campers explore the won­ders of the visual and performing arts with practicing artist-educators in professional studios. An introduction to painting, drawing and sculpting, this very popular programme for beginning artists explores a variety of techniques and mate­rials. Join us for one-of-a-kind art experiences! 5. SING! DANCE! ACT! The experienced and caring staff of our Drama School will introduce your kids to stage performance and guide them towards self-expression. Professional theatre educa­tors expertly guide your child’s creative spirit using character and story development combined with movement and vocal skills: plays, monologues, mime, improvisation, theatre games, musical theatre. Performances every week! Fun for all––a great confidence-and-skill-building experience!

Read the text and mark the statements True, False or Not stated. Ann had a son of ten, called Tom. He did not like studying, but loved watching TV. Ann used to drive to school at half past four in the afternoon, bring Tom back home and give him his tea, but as soon as he got into the house, he always rushed to the TV set and turned it on. “Haven’t you got any homework, Tom?” his mother always asked him as she began to make the tea. “Eh? Oh, yes, I’ve got a little,” he used to answer. “I’ll do it later when there is nothing interesting on TV.” At first Ann allowed Tom to watch TV instead of doing his homework first, but she soon discovered that he never had a little homework - it was always a great deal - and that there was never a time when there was nothing interesting on TV, so after putting off doing his homework for a couple of hours, Jack was too tired to do his homework properly, if at all. Ann then decided to make him do homework first. This was always a battle, and often when Tom obeyed his mother, he did the work quickly and carelessly in order to finish it and get back to his beloved TV. The result was the same - bad work, for which he usually got low marks the next day at school, either because his homework was full of mistakes, or because he did not know the work he was supposed to have prepared the night before. One evening Tom’s science homework was about famous scientists like Thomas Edison, who made important discoveries and inventions in the field of electricity. When he had homework that consisted of learning facts, his mother usually tested him when he finished, to make sure that he had really done the work properly and not left anything out, and this is what she did this time. She didn’t let him stop until she was sure that he knew what was in his book. But this time it was less of a fight than usual to make Tom sit down and do his homework carefully, because it had a strong connection with television. In class the next day, the teacher asked Tom, “What are some of the things that Thomas Edison did for science?” “Well,” Tom answered happily, “first of all, if it weren’t for Edison, we’d all be watching TV by candlelight!”

Read the text and mark the statements True, False and Not stated. A Wonderful Discovery Sarah had a son of ten, called Jack. He did not like studying, but loved watching TV. Sarah used to drive to school at half past four in the afternoon, bring Jack back home and give him his tea, but as soon as he got into the house, he always rushed to the TV set and turned it on. “Haven’t you got any homework, Jack?” his mother always asked him as she began to make the tea. “Eh? Oh, yes, I’ve got a little,” he used to answer. “I’ll do it later when there is nothing interesting on TV.” At first Sarah allowed Jack to watch TV instead of doing his homework first, but she soon discovered that he never had a little homework - it was always a great deal - and that there was never a time when there was nothing interesting on TV, so after putting off doing his homework for a couple of hours, Jack was too tired to do his homework properly, if at all. Sarah then decided to make him do homework first. This was always a battle, and often when Jack obeyed his mother, he did the work quickly and carelessly in order to finish it and get back to his beloved TV. The result was the same - bad work, for which he usually got low marks the next day at school, either because his homework was full of mistakes, or because he did not know the work he was supposed to have prepared the night before. One evening Jack’s science homework was about famous scientists like Thomas Edison, who made important discoveries and inventions in the field of electricity. When he had homework that consisted of learning facts, his mother usually tested him when he finished, to make sure that he had really done the work properly and not left anything out, and this is what she did this time. She didn’t let him stop until she was sure that he knew what was in his book. But this time it was less of a fight than usual to make Jack sit down and do his homework carefully, because it had a strong connection with television. In class the next day, the teacher asked Jack, “What are some of the things that Thomas Edison did for science?” “Well,” Jack answered happily, “first of all, if it weren’t for Edison, we’d all be watching TV by candlelight!”

You are going to read an article where four students talk about their dream jobs. For questions (1-10), choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once.

Read the text and and decide if following statements are "True", "False" or "Not Stated". The mass media play an important part in our lives. Newspapers, radio and especially TV inform us of what is going on in this world and give us wonderful possibilities for education, entertainment, and communication. They also influence the way we see the world. They can change our views. Of course, not all newspapers, TV programmes, news presenters, radio commentators, or entertainers report events objectively all the time. In other words, they can be clearly biased sometimes. However, there are many serious journalists and TV reporters who try to be as fair and professional as possible. They try to provide us with reliable information. Some people say that journalists are given too much freedom. They often intrude on people’s lives. They follow celebrities and print sensational stories about them which can be untrue or half-true. You have probably heard of the “paparazzi”; they are independent photographers who take pictures of athletes, entertainers, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while going about their life routines. One main source of news for millions of people is television. People like TV news because they can see everything with their own eyes, and that’s a paramount advantage. Seeing, as we know, is believing. Besides, it is much more difficult for politicians to lie in front of the cameras than on the front pages of newspapers. Still, others prefer the radio. It is good to listen to the radio while in the car, or in the open air, or while you are doing something around the house. Newspapers don’t react to events as quickly as TV does, but they usually provide us with extra details, comments, and background information. The internet has recently become another important source of information. Its main advantage is that news appears on the screen as soon as things take place in real life, and you don’t have to wait for news time on TV.

Medium level Match the profiles (1–5) to the texts (A–F). There is one text you do not need to use.

Match the headings to the paragraphs. One heading is EXTRA.