PART 1. GAPPED TEXT. You are going to read a magazine article about the
history of plastic bags and their effects on the environment. Six paragraphs
have been removed from the article. Choose from the paragraphs A – G the one
which fits each gap (1 – 6). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need
to use. (6 points).
Ban the bag?
Once upon a
time, if you went to the market, you would have to take a basket with you to
bring your groceries back home. That basket would probably have been made from
reed, willow or raffia, and you’d almost certainly use it until it finally fell
apart, years after it had been made. If you went out shopping for clothes or
shoes, you would probably bring back your new purchases wrapped in paper or
cloth, in a cardboard box or even in a cloth bag. And if you were very rich,
you would have had everything delivered to your house.
Things changed in the middle of the nineteenth century with the invention of
the paper bag, which was later developed with handles to make it easier to
carry. And once supermarket shopping took off after World War II, the paper bag
became ubiquitous, especially in the United States once people began to drive
to the shops.
1._________
Then, in the 1960s, Sten Gustaf Thulin, a Swedish engineer working for a
plastics company in his native country, invented the plastic bag as we know it
today. It seemed like a brilliant solution: plastic bags were much cheaper to
produce, used almost four times less energy and 20 times less water to
manufacture, were stronger, could be reused, and out-performed paper bags in
every way. Except in one crucial respect: they are almost indestructible. Long
after they’ve lost their usefulness, they persist in the environment, doing the
terrible damage we can see in our world today.
2. ________
They ruin the countryside, blowing all over fields and forests, then, once
ripped to shreds by wind and rain, they end up in waterways, or block drainage
pipes and increase the danger of floods. They destroy wildlife not only on land
but in our oceans too. Turtles, for example, mistake the bags for their
favourite food; jellyfish. In India, cows eat them by mistake while scavenging
for food in rubbish tips. Once ingested, the bags can end up blocking breathing
passages and the stomach, eventually causing death. Thousands of animals die
because of plastic bags every year and some species are even being brought to
the brink of extinction.
3. ________
Instead of a ban, other countries, including the UK, have introduced a fee for
plastic bags. So when you go to the supermarket in the UK, for example, and
you’ve forgotten to take a bag with you, you have to buy a thin plastic bag for
5p, or a ‘bag for life’, which is a thicker, more durable plastic bag, for 10p
or 15p. This dramatically reduced the use of plastic bags by up to 85 per cent
in the UK in its first year.
4. _______
The problem with oxo-biodegradable plastic bags is that although they do
biodegrade, thanks to the addition of small concentrations of additives such as
metal salts, they need to be left out in the open, exposed to heat or light, in
order to decompose. If they are buried under landfill, they will stay as they
are. The results have not been as promising as hoped. Studies of one particular
brand have shown that cold weather and rain virtually stop the process, making
it less useful in the UK, where winters are long and rainfall is high.
5. ________
Envigreen’s
carrier bags look exactly like plastic bags, but there the difference ends.
They are made from various natural ingredients including tapioca, potatoes,
corn, vegetable oil and bananas. What they don’t include is any of the
ingredients that make plastics, like polyethylene or other petrochemical
derivatives. The resulting bags are easily destroyed – you can burn them
safely, you can dissolve them in boiling water and you can even eat them with
no ill effects. This means that they will not harm an animal if it accidentally
eats one.
The bags are available in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, and Envigreen will start selling
them in India in the near future. It is also receiving orders from
international companies around the world. Ashwath’s dream is to create a global
brand and to begin to address the massive problem of plastic waste in India,
where 15,000 tonnes of plastic are generated daily and only 9,000 tonnes
collected. The rest is polluting cities, countryside, rivers and oceans.
6. _______
Nevertheless, it would be rash to tar all plastics with the same brush. We
mustn’t forget that plastics have improved our lives immeasurably with products
such as disposable syringes, protective gloves and artificial limbs, to name
just a few. Equally, the use of plastics instead of metals has had many
advantages: plastic doesn’t corrode, it is lighter than metal, which can
translate into energy savings when it comes to transportation, and it is
cheaper too. It is clear that we can’t do without plastic, but we can and must
do without plastic bags.
Missing paragraphs:
A Fortunately, the problem is being addressed as governments and the
public become more aware of just how damaging the plastic bag can be. Many
countries have followed the example of Bangladesh, which was the first country
in the world to ban thinner plastic bags, which had been found to aggravate
flooding by blocking drainage systems, thus causing untold devastation.
B There is no doubt that plastic in all its forms is extremely
challenging when it comes to its disposal. Plastic bags in particular, which
are so easily substituted with other types of bags, should become a shameful
memory, and one which our grandchildren will find hard to understand.
C Despite this threat to the environment, by the 1980s, shops and
supermarkets all over the world were using plastic instead of paper bags. The
general public had little idea of the damage that was being done by this
seemingly harmless and useful little bag. We now know plastic bags can cause
devastation on a previously unimagined scale; not only by creating litter
everywhere, but by endangering wildlife as well.
D The oxo-biodegradable plastic bag is being used widely in many
countries around the world. However, the capacity of the bags to biodegrade
depends on too many conditions to make it a practical choice. They won’t
biodegrade in wet or cold weather, or if buried under a pile of rubbish. As a
result, they are not seen as a truly practical solution to the problem.
E Now, however, there has been a development which has the potential to
finally solve the problem for good.
It is the brainchild of 24-year-old Bengalurean Ashwath Hegde, whose company,
Envigreen, has started manufacturing carrier bags that are 100 per cent
biodegradable: they are just as strong as ordinary plastic bags, but completely
harmless to the environment.
F However, there were considerable environmental costs in the production
of paper bags, not least the mass felling of trees and the amount of energy and
water needed to produce the bags. They were easily broken and few people were
likely to recycle them.
G Another proposed solution, with mixed results, has
been the introduction of the oxo-biodegradable plastic bag, which,it is
claimed, biodegrades much faster than ordinary plastic bags, which can take
decades, if not hundreds of years, to degrade completely.
PART 2. OPEN
CLOZE. For questions 1 – 12, read the text below and think of the word which
best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. (12 points)
Left Behind
When I left home to go to university last year, I knew
my mum (1)________ find it hard, but I never thought it would be my brother
(2)________would end up missing me most. In (3)________we should have realised
just how difficult it would be for him to be like an only child all of a
sudden. My sister had left the (4)________year, but it never occurred to us that
my brother would be so upset (5)________my leaving. It wasn’t just the fact
that I wasn’t there to hang (6)________with him, play video games and watch the
football, it was also the fact that (7)________been used to noise, music and
chatter, it was now so quiet when he got home from school. The house felt cold
and empty and the silence was conspicuous now that my sister and I were no
longer there to make a racket. And (8)________with my parents being at work
full-time now, he felt as if there was no longer a family there at all. Added
to that, when my mum and dad got home in the evenings, my brother complained of
all parental focus (9)________now on him alone. He had my parents’ undivided
attention, which meant they were suddenly (10)________stricter and more
involved in his school work and in his social life. Family dynamics had
certainly changed. It finally dawned (11)________us that he was actually
feeling quite low. Luckily, however, my brother began to find having the house
to (12)________quite liberating, not least when he got a girlfriend and me and
my sister weren’t there to tease him about it!
PART 3. MULTIPLE CHOICE CLOZE. For questions 1 – 12,
read the text and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. (12
points)
What makes an outstanding school?
You may think that’s easy to answer: surely a good school is one which (1)
_____________ good exam results. After all, it is these results which will(2)
_____________ students to get into good universities. However, schools are
about much more than exams. They are about education for all, from the most
academic to the least. A good school has three(3) _____________ ingredients:
good(4) _____________ from the head, dedicated teachers with high (5)
_____________ for all students, and students who want to be there and are
willing to(6) _____________ rules and respect one another. It isn’t easy to(7)
_____________ around a failing school, but research has shown that a strong
and(8) _____________ leader is often the key to success. A good head or
principal of a school will (9) _____________ teachers and students alike, will
not tolerate bullying or bad behaviour and will (10) _____________ the respect
of all. He or she will make sure teachers are encouraged and assisted in their
work, and that they receive the training they need to do their job (11)
_____________; once this is in place, teachers are happier and more fulfilled
and students (12) _____________ the benefits. Some will go on to get brilliant
academic results, others may not do so well in their exams, but provided they
have reached their potential and they have passed with acceptable grades, the
school will not have failed them.
1 A conveys B
delivers
C brings D gives
2 A
allow
B
accept
C
admit
D enable
3 A critical B acute
C crucial
D burning
4 A leadership B control
C running D
executive
5 A expectations B ideals
C opportunities D potentials
6 A
accept
B understand C
grasp
D follow
7 A go B
turn
C direct
D transform
8 A inspirational B
moving C promising
D uplifting
9 A
drive
B provoke C
motivate D
arouse
10 A control B order
C command
D direct
11 A actually B
effectively C accurately
D convincingly
12 A
earn
B brush up on C realise
D reap
PART 4. KEY
WORD TRANSFORMATIONS. For questions 1 – 5, complete the second sentence so that
it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not
change the word given. You must use between three and eight words, including
the word given. (5 points)
1. He said he wasn’t very good at tennis, but he beat the whole team!
CLAIMED
He ______________________________________________ be very good at tennis, but
he beat the whole team!
2. They said Mary had broken the vase in the living room.
ACCUSED
They _____________________________________ the vase in the living room.
3. ‘You’ll be reimbursed soon,’ said Anthony to his colleagues.
ASSURED
Anthony ______________________________________________ soon.
4. We delivered the gifts to children who were refugees of war.
WHOM
The__________________________________________ were refugees of war.
5. You shouldn't mention I have refused an invitation to visit the Queen in
Buckingham Palace under any circumstances.
CIRCUMSTANCES
Under ____________________________________________ down an invitation to visit
the Queen in Buckingham Palace.
PART 5. WORD
FORMATION CLOZE. For questions 1-10, read the text below. Use the word given in
capitals to form a word that fits in the space. There is an example at the
beginning (0) (10 points)
Ancient park under threat
Pontefract Heritage Group is so concerned with the level of (0)
vandalism (VANDAL) at their ancient park that it has written
to Council Leader Peter Box asking him to tackle the (1) ________________ (INCREASE)
worrying problem. In one of the most recent incidents, eight birch, ash and
maple trees were sawn down. Pontefract’s bowling’s club is planning to create
an (2) _________________ (EXCLUDE) zone by fencing off the greens to
prevent further (3) ________________ (EXTEND) damage to them. These
attacks come hot on the heels of damage inflicted on Pontefract Castle by gangs
of youths who have ripped masonry (4) ___________________ (DISCRIMINATE)
from the ruins. Michael Holdsworth, Chairman of the Heritage group, yesterday
commented:
"(5) __________________ (NOTICE) damage has occurred over several
years in the gardens and action taken to stop the culprits entering at night
has so far been (6) __________________ (EFFECT). And it’s not just the
bad (7) __________________ (BEHAVE) of teenagers which is wreaking havoc
with the gardens. Adults (8)_____________ (USE) them too in the daytime
by parking on the grass and flower-beds."
Earlier this year, English Heritage gave the gardens Grade II status as a site
of historical interest in a national register of parks and gardens. The
gardens date back to the thirteenth century, when the land formed part of the
monastery gardens of Pontefract’s Dominican Friary. Earning a place in the
register means that the local council is required to make provision for the
protection of the gardens. (9) _____________________ (UNDERSTAND), this
means that more (10) __________________ (INVEST) is now needed to tackle
the problems facing the gardens and provide much-needed facilities.
PART 6. MULTIPLE
CHOICE READING COMPREHENSION. You are going to read an extract from Emma, a
novel by Jane Austen. For questions 1 – 10, choose the answer(a, b, c or d)
which you think fits best according to the text. (10 points)
Emma
Twenty-year-old Emma Woodhouse lives with her father at Hartfield, a large
house in the English village of Highbury. Her mother died many years ago, her
sister is married and living in London, and her governess of 16 years has just
got married to Mr Weston and gone to live in her own house. Emma and her father
are well-to-do and sociable and have a circle of close friends (a first and a
second set) who often come to visit.
After these came a second set; among the most come-at-able (1) of whom were Mrs
and Miss Bates and Mrs Goddard, three ladies almost always at the service of an
invitation from Hartfield, and who were fetched and carried home so often that
Mr Woodhouse thought it no hardship for either James or the horses. Had it
taken place only once a year, it would have been a grievance.
Mrs Bates, the widow of a former vicar of Highbury, was a very old lady, almost
past every thing but tea and quadrille (2). She lived with her single daughter
in a very small way, and was considered with all the regard and respect which a
harmless old lady, under such untoward circumstances, can excite. Her daughter
enjoyed a most uncommon degree of popularity for a woman neither young,
handsome, rich, nor married. Miss Bates stood in the very worst predicament in
the world for having much of the public favour; and she had no intellectual
superiority to make atonement to herself, or frighten those who might hate her,
into outward respect. She had never boasted either beauty or cleverness. Her
youth had passed without distinction, and her middle of life was devoted to the
care of a failing mother, and the endeavour to make a small income go as far as
possible. And yet she was a happy woman, and a woman whom no one named without
good-will. It was her own universal good-will and contented temper which worked
such wonders. She loved every body, was interested in every body's happiness,
quick-sighted to every body's merits; thought herself a most fortunate
creature, and surrounded with blessings in such an excellent mother and so many
good neighbours and friends, and a home that wanted for nothing. The simplicity
and cheerfulness of her nature, her contented and grateful spirit, were a
recommendation to every body and a mine of felicity to herself. She was a great
talker upon little matters, which exactly suited Mr Woodhouse, full of trivial
communications and harmless gossip.
Mrs Goddard was the mistress of a School -- not of a seminary, or an
establishment, or any thing which professed, in long sentences of refined
nonsense, to combine liberal acquirements with elegant morality upon new
principles and new systems -- and where young ladies for enormous pay might be
screwed out of health and into vanity -- but a real, honest, old-fashioned
Boarding-school, where a reasonable quantity of accomplishments were sold at a
reasonable price, and where girls might be sent to be out of the way and
scramble themselves into a little education, without any danger of coming back
prodigies. Mrs Goddard's school was in high repute -- and very deservedly; for
Highbury was reckoned a particularly healthy spot: she had an ample house and
garden, gave the children plenty of wholesome food, let them run about a great
deal in the summer, and in winter dressed their chilblains (3) with her own
hands. It was no wonder that a train of twenty young couple now walked after
her to church. She was a plain, motherly kind of woman, who had worked hard in
her youth, and now thought herself entitled to the occasional holiday of a
tea-visit; and having formerly owed much to Mr Woodhouse's kindness, felt his
particular claim on her to leave her neat parlour, hung round with fancy-work
whenever she could, and win or lose a few sixpences by his fireside.These were
the ladies whom Emma found herself very frequently able to collect; and happy was
she, for her father's sake, in the power; though, as far as she was herself
concerned, it was no remedy for the absence of Mrs Weston. She was delighted to
see her father look comfortable, and very much pleased with herself for
contriving things so well; but the quiet prosings (4) of three such women made
her feel that every evening so spent, was indeed one of the long evenings she
had fearfully anticipated.
As she sat
one morning, looking forward to exactly such a close of the present day, a note
was brought from Mrs Goddard, requesting, in most respectful terms, to be
allowed to bring Miss Smith with her; a most welcome request: for Miss Smith
was a girl of seventeen whom Emma knew very well by sight and had long felt an
interest in, on account of her beauty. A very gracious invitation was returned,
and the evening no longer dreaded by the fair mistress of the mansion.
Harriet
Smith was the natural daughter (5) of somebody. Somebody had placed her,
several years back, at Mrs Goddard's school, and somebody had lately raised her
from the condition of scholar to that of parlour-boarder (6).
This was all
that was generally known of her history. She had no visible friends but what
had been acquired at Highbury, and was now just returned from a long visit in the
country to some young ladies who had been at school there with her. She was a
very pretty girl, and her beauty happened to be of a sort which Emma
particularly admired. She was short, plump and fair, with a fine bloom, blue
eyes, light hair, regular features, and a look of great sweetness; and before
the end of the evening, Emma was as much pleased with her manners as her
person, and quite determined to continue the acquaintance.
She was not
struck by any thing remarkably clever in Miss Smith's conversation, but she
found her altogether very engaging -- not inconveniently shy, not unwilling to
talk -- and yet so far from pushing, showing so proper and becoming a
deference, seeming so pleasantly grateful for being admitted to Hartfield, and
so artlessly impressed by the appearance of every thing in so superior a style
to what she had been used to, that she must have good sense and deserve
encouragement. Encouragement should be given. Those soft blue eyes and all
those natural graces should not be wasted on the inferior society of Highbury
and its connections. The acquaintance she had already formed were unworthy of
her. The friends from whom she had just parted, though very good sort of
people, must be doing her harm. They were a family of the name of Martin, whom
Emma well knew by character, as renting a large farm of Mr Knightley, and
residing in the parish of Donwell -- very creditably she believed -- she knew
Mr Knightley thought highly of them -- but they must be coarse and unpolished,
and very unfit to be the intimates of a girl who wanted only a little more
knowledge and elegance to be quite perfect.
Notes:
1 living closest by, easily reached
2 a card game
3 inflammation on hands and feet caused by cold weather
4 not very interesting conversation
5 illegitimate child
6 a boarding school pupil with more
privileges than other pupils, like a paying guest
Questions:
1 Mrs and Miss Bates and Mrs Goddard were frequent visitors to Emma’s house
because...
a they were easy-going and kind to Mr Woodhouse, Emma’s father.
b they lived nearby and so it was easy for them to be collected and taken back
home.
c they were great conversationalists and were almost always available.
d between them they were amiable, altruistic and empathetic.
2 What can we deduce about Mrs and Miss Bates’ lifestyle from reading the
text?
a They have more than they need and live a very comfortable life.
b They didn’t inherit much when Mr Bates died and have to be thrifty as a
result.
c Because Miss Bates is penny-pinching, they can just about make ends meet.
d Due to Miss Bates’s popularity, she and her mother are often asked out for
meals and other entertainment.
3 What, according to the text, is the reason why Miss Bates is so
well-loved?
a She is plain and has few talents, so isn’t a threat to anyone.
b Although having no advantages socially, she is able to entertain her friends
with amusing and witty small talk.
c Her appeal lies in her sunny disposition, her ability to look on the bright
side and her genuine interest in others.
d Her empathy, altruism and ability to bring out the best in others is what led
to her popularity in the village.
4 How is Mrs Goddard’s boarding school described?
a Girls are sent there in order to receive a classical education at vast
expense.
b The girls are pushed so hard they destroy their health and become vain
prodigies.
c The focus of the school is not on education, but on a healthy lifestyle at a
reasonable price.
d For a reasonable fee, girls who have been orphaned or who don’t come from
conventional families are taken in and given an education and a loving home.
5 How does Emma feel about evenings spent in the company of her father and
the three ladies?
a She is proud of herself because she has made sure her father is happy and
entertained, but she herself is somewhat bored.
b Although she likes the ladies, she is not on the same wavelength as they are
and feels belittled by them.
c She doesn’t like to hear so much gossip, which she considers neither
insignificant nor innocent.
d She misses her ex-governess and wishes she could spend time with people her
own age.
6 Emma is delighted that Mrs Goddard has asked to bring Harriet with her
that evening because
a Harriet is closer to her age and they will have more in common.
b Harriet and Emma knew each other well and were already confidants.
c Harriet was a special favourite of Mrs Goddard’s and Emma wanted to get to
know her.
d having seen her many times and found her very pretty, Emma wanted to get to
know Harriet better.
7 What can we infer about Harriet from the passage?
a Although she’s illegitimate and appears to have no family, she seems to have
a pleasant manner and she is popular with Mrs Goddard and the girls at the
boarding school.
b She isn’t properly looked after, doesn’t have good judgement and has acquired
unsuitable friends.
c Although Mrs Goddard must be fond of her, she isn’t being introduced to the
right sort of people.
d She is a clever and ambitious girl and should be encouraged to do well in society.
8 Emma is
very taken with Harriet because
a although shy and retiring, Harriet is so grateful to have been invited to
Hartfield.
b Harriet is not only pretty, but likeable and delighted to meet Emma and be
invited to her house.
c she sees Harriet as a project, wanting to improve her acquaintances and stop
her from getting involved with people who are beneath her.
d of her beauty, intellect and modesty, which are Emma’s ideal in a friend.
9 What can we infer about Emma’s personality from the passage?
a Emma is quite snobbish and feels that a pretty girl like Harriet shouldn’t be
encouraged to mix with anyone of low rank, even if they are decent people.
b Emma doesn’t like people who don’t own their own property and owe money to
creditors.
c Emma is manipulative and wants to make sure that Harriet only spends time
with her.
d Emma is easily bored and often interferes with other people’s wishes and
plans.
10 What are Emma’s plans for Harriet likely to be?
a She’ll make sure Harriet starts studying academically as well as learning all
the right skills which will attract a rich husband.
b She’ll encourage Harriet to stop seeing people who Emma feels are beneath
her, and will help her to become more refined.
c Harriet will be invited to move into Hartfield and become like a sister to
Emma.
d Harriet will be given lessons in deportment and other social skills until she
becomes ‘perfect’.
KEY
PART 1. GAPPED TEXT
1F 2C 3A 4G 5E 6B
PART 2. OPEN CLOZE
1 would
2 who
3 retrospect
4 previous
5 by
6 out
7 having
8 what
9 being
10 much
11 on
12 himself
PART 3. MULTIPLE CHOICE CLOZE.
1B
2D 3C 4A 5A 6D 7B 8A 9C 10C 11B 12D
PART 4. KEY WORD TRANSFORMATIONS.
1. He claimed not to be very good at tennis, but he beat the whole team!
2. They accused Mary of breaking/having broken the vase in the living room.
3. Anthony assured his colleagues that they would be reimbursed soon.
4. The children to whom we delivered the gifts were refugees of war.
5. Under no circumstances should you mention I have turned down an
invitation to visit the Queen in Buckingham Palace.
PART 5. WORD FORMATION CLOZE.
1. increasingly
2. exclusion
3. extensive
4. indiscriminately
5. Noticeable
6. ineffective
7. behaviour
8. misuse
9. Understandably
10. investment
PART 6. MULTIPLE CHOICE READING COMPREHENSION.
1b 2b 3c 4c 5a 6d 7a 8b 9a 10b
