Reading Practice Top Marks

FEELING INTELLIGENTIn secondary school, Patrick was a hard-working and clever student who left school with top marks. Harold was alsovery clever but his marks were average because he spent more time with his friends than he did on his studies.

Fifteen years later, Patrick couldnt get a promotion at the company where he worked. He had been through a traumaticdivorce and was miserable with the way his life was turning out. Harold, on the other hand, was happily married andquite content. And he happened to be the president of the same company that employed Patrick.

Why do some people succeed in life while others dont? For decades, schools, parents and employers have focused onacademic abilities as the key to future success. But studies have shown that intellectual abilities are only part of thepicture. According to Daniel Goleman, author of the best-selling book Emotional Intelligence, if you arent able tomanage your emotions, then you arent going to get very far, no matter how good you are at maths. In other words, EQis even more important than IQ.What exactly is EQ? People with high EQs are good at relating to other people and sensing the feelings of others, aswell as being aware of their own feelings. In addition, they dont allow their emotions to take over a situation. When aperson with a low EQ gets angry, he or she will react right away, shouting or even becoming violent. But someone witha high EQ will control this impulse, calming down before taking action.The good news is that while IQ is mainly genetic, emotional intelligence can be learned and improved. Goleman would liketo see schools help children learn to manage their emotions as well as teaching them history and physics. He hopes thatwith higher EQs, the world will have less violence, fewer divorces, and more happy and successful people.

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1. This article is mainly about

a. Patricks and Harolds careers.

b. how people deal with their emotions.

c. the importance of emotional intelligence.

2. People with high EQs

a. are less likely to feel angry.

b. can easily control their anger.

c. are more likely to shout than to become violent.

3. According to the article

a. schools dont relate enough to emotionalintelligence.

b. academic abilities are the key to future success.

c. people with academic abilities are not likely tosucceed.

Find words or expressions in the text that mean:

1. intelligent (paragraph 1) ...............................

2. unhappy (paragraph 2) ...............................

3. concentrated (paragraph 3) ...............................

4. control (paragraph 4) ...............................

5. in addition to (paragraph 5) ...............................

Complete the sentences according to the text. Useyour own words.

1. When he was a schoolboy, Harold enjoyed ............

..............................................................................

2. Patrick was unhappy with his life because..............

..............................................................................

3. Without emotional intelligence, it doesnt matter

..............................................................................

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1 Decide whether the sentences below are true (T)or false (F). Find evidence in the text to supportyour answer.

...... 1. Harold was a better student than Patrick.

..........................................................................

...... 2. Harold got a higher status job than Patrick.

..........................................................................

...... 3. People with high EQs act according to theiremotions.

..........................................................................

...... 4. Emotional Intelligence is easier to improve thanintellectual abilities.

..........................................................................

...... 5. Goleman believes that emotional intelligencecan help prevent divorce.

..........................................................................

Write a composition of about 100-120 wordsin your notebook. Choose ONE option.

1. A description: Describe someone you know whohas been very successful in life. Describe theirpersonality, indicating their intellectual andemotional abilities.

2. An opinion essay: Should schools be responsiblefor teaching students how to manage theiremotions?

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EXAM PRACTICE 1

TOP MARKS 1 EXAM PREPARATION B Burlington Books

SPONSORED WEDDINGSWith the average cost of a wedding in Britain at 17,250 and rising, its extremely expensive to get marriednowadays. Many young couples cant pay that much, even with their parents help. Sponsored weddings are onesolution to this problem but not everyone thinks they are in good taste.

In order to arrange a sponsored wedding, you need to approach everyone from the florist to the DJ and ask themto give you their services for free. So why would they agree to this? Well, sponsored weddings have got something tooffer the sponsors as well free advertising. At weddings, with anywhere from 200-500 guests, this is a great businessopportunity.

At sponsored weddings, the sponsors are mentioned in the invitations. They are allowed to leave their business cardson the guests tables, and the wedding couple even promotes them in the wedding toast (Lets raise a glass to oursponsors!) Sales representatives can attend the wedding in order to mix with the guests, chatting and trying to makesome more sales. At some sponsored weddings, free T-shirts with the names of all of the sponsors are handed out tothe guests.

A couple from the United States, Christina Vincelli and Jevon Gantner, dreamt of a splendid wedding but they knewthey couldnt afford it. So they worked hard, approaching hundreds of companies and asking for sponsorship. Only afew agreed, but those few were enough to save them lots of money without giving up on the wedding they had alwayswanted. For us it has worked out, and means I can have a wedding that otherwise I wouldnt be able to have, saidVincelli.

Sponsored weddings started in the United States and are now being introduced in Europe. Some people, however, saythe idea is too commercial to catch on in European countries. But with such high prices, some couples may decide itsworth letting somebody else pay even if it turns their wedding into an advert.


1. This article is about a way to:

a. keep wedding guests entertained.

b. organise a wedding for 200-500 guests.

c. avoid paying wedding expenses.

2. Christina and Jevon:

a. did not succeed with most of the companiesthey approached.

b. had to give up on the wedding of their dreams.

c. did not realise how hard they had to work.

3. People in Europe may not want sponsoredweddings because:

a. weddings are not as expensive as they are inthe United States.

b. they want to keep advertising out of theirweddings.

c. they want to pay for their own weddings.

Complete the sentences with the informationgiven in the text.

1. Sponsored weddings are a solution to ..................

..............................................................................

2. Sponsors who provide free wedding servicesreceive ..................................................................

3. At sponsored weddings, sales are often made byallowing ................................................................

4. Christina Vincelli and Jevon Gantner are mentionedin the passage because .........................................

..............................................................................

2

1 Rewrite the following sentences without changingthe original meaning.

1. Not everyone thinks they are in good taste.

Some people .........................................................

..............................................................................

2. Christina and Jevon approached hundreds ofcompanies but only a few agreed to sponsor them.

After Christina and Jevon ......................................

..............................................................................

Find words or expressions in the text that meanthe same as:

1. getting higher (paragraph 1) ...............................

2. without paying (paragraph 2) ...............................

3. given to everyone (paragraph 3) ...............................

4. succeeded (paragraph 4) ...............................

5. become popular (paragraph 5) ...............................

Write a composition of about 100-120 words inyour notebook. Choose ONE option.

1. An opinion essay: Is it appropriate for privateevents or family celebrations to be sponsored?

2. A description: Describe an impressive wedding,festival or celebration that you attended.

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EXAM PRACTICE 2


THE CANNES FILM FESTIVALIts May again, and thousands of people from the world of film have arrived in Cannes, a sunny, beautiful city on theFrench Riviera. Theyve come for the Cannes Film Festival two weeks of glamorous premieres, competitions andall-night celebrity parties. For the business people, its a time for million-dollar deals and film promotions. For thestars, its a time to see and be seen by the thousands of photographers, reporters and fans who have come to Cannes aswell.

The Cannes Film Festival, which began in 1947, is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. The mainfocus is on the Official Competition, where the famous Palme dOr award is given. But new and unknown talentsfrom all over the world can also show their work, which is often of high quality. These films have given the festivalits reputation for promoting artistic and unique creations as well as multi-million-dollar Hollywood films.

Of course, the general public isnt allowed to go into the actual screenings. So why do as many as 250,000 touristscome to Cannes during the festival? For them its the shopping, the beach, the atmosphere and the glamour and mostimportantly, its the chance to see their favourite celebrities face-to-face.

Experienced watchers know that seeing a particular star is mainly a matter of being in the right place at the right time.They wait patiently, drinking coffee at pavement cafs and standing for hours at hotel entrances, hoping that NicoleKidman or Johnny Depp will walk by. However, the best place for watching celebrities outside is at the OfficialCompetition. This is where the stars walk down the long red carpet in elegant designer clothes, waving and smilingfor the cameras. The media gets first choice on positions, but ordinary people who get there early enough willprobably get a good spot.

Whoever doesnt succeed in seeing a celebrity can at least go home with a good suntan from Cannes famous beachesand some new clothes from its well-known boutiques. Film stars, sun and sand or fabulous fashion Cannes is theplace to be in May!


1. Cannes is famous for showing films ...

a. by the worlds greatest directors.

b. of a high standard.

c. that are expensive to produce.

2. Ordinary people come to Cannes to ...

a. audition for films.

b. watch the competitions.

c. see famous people.

3. The best spots near the red carpet are taken by ...

a. celebrities.

b. the media.

c. tourists.


1. business transactions(paragraph 1) ...............................

2. prize (paragraph 2) ...............................

3. opportunity (paragraph 3) ...............................

4. position (paragraph 4) ...............................

5. bronze skin colour from the sun(paragraph 5) ...............................

2

1 Decide whether the sentences below are true (T)or false (F). Find evidence in the text to supportyour answer.

...... 1. The celebrities at Cannes try to avoid the media.

..........................................................................

...... 2. Some films at the Cannes Film Festival arecreated by people who are not famous.

..........................................................................

...... 3. The Cannes Film Festival is unique because itdoes not show big Hollywood films.

..........................................................................

Complete the sentences according to the text. Useyour own words.

1. The Cannes Film Festival is an opportunity forbusiness people to ................................................

..............................................................................

2. The Festival shows films that come from many

..............................................................................

3. You should arrive early at the Official Competition ifyou .......................................................................


1. An opinion essay: Explain why you would orwouldnt want to become famous.

2. An opinion essay: Who is your favourite celebrity?Explain why.

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EXAM PRACTICE 3


DANGER ESCAPED CLONE!It all began at the Stuttgart Aquarium in Germany, where beautiful, bright green algae were used to decorate thetropical aquarium tanks. These algae, which had been taken from the oceans of Hawaii, were delicate and normallygrew only in warm water. However, the Stuttgart version of the algae were unique.

The marine scientists at the aquarium had genetically altered the decorative plants, making them much stronger thanthe original, and able to grow in cool water temperatures. This soon made them very popular in public aquariumsaround the world, which bought it from the Stuttgart Aquarium. No one knew then that this seemingly harmless clonewould eventually leave the museums for the open sea, bringing death and destruction to ocean life all over the world.

Called the killer algae, the clone contains a poison that is not harmful to humans, but makes it impossible for otherspecies to eat it. With nothing to stop it, it grows uncontrollably, completely destroying native sea grasses and coralreefs. Without these grasses and corals for food, the areas birds and fish then die out.

The first escaped bit of algae clone was found in the ocean near the building of the Oceanographic Museum inMonaco. No one knows how it got out, but from there the plant spread with unbelievable speed. It now covers over40,000 acres off the coasts of France, Spain, Italy and Croatia. Because of the environmental damage it has caused, ithas greatly harmed the fishing, boating, diving and tourism industries of these areas.

Not limited to the Mediterranean Sea, the killer algae have recently been discovered off the coasts of Australia andCalifornia. At present, steps are being taken to eliminate them or at least stop them from spreading, but the process isextremely long and difficult. The killer clone seems to be a sign to humanity to use extreme caution with geneticallyaltered organisms, so that this kind of accident will never happen again.

Answer the following questions.

1. Why were the algae able to grow in cool water?

..............................................................................

2. List the two characteristics that made the algae sopopular.

..............................................................................

3. Why do the algae grow uncontrollably in the opensea?

..............................................................................

4. What economic damage did the algae cause?

..............................................................................

5. According to the writer, what can people learnfrom the clone?

..............................................................................

Decide whether the sentences below are true (T)or false (F). Find evidence in the text to supportyour answers.

...... 1. The original algae were from Germany.

..........................................................................

...... 2. The clone can kill people.

..........................................................................

...... 3. The birds and fish die out because the clonedestroys their food.

..........................................................................

...... 4. The clone is growing in various places aroundthe world.

..........................................................................

2

1 Rewrite the following sentences using the wordsgiven, without changing the original meaning.

1. This soon made them very popular in publicaquariums around the world.

Because of this, they .............................................

2. With nothing to stop it, it grows uncontrollably.

Its growth .............................................................

3. Without these grasses and corals for food, the areasbirds and fish die out.

The areas birds and fish die out because ..............

..............................................................................

4. The process is extremely long and difficult.

It is an ...................................................................

Find words or expressions in the text that meanthe opposite of:

1. common (paragraph 1) ...............................

2. immediately (paragraph 2) ...............................

3. stayed in one place (paragraph 4) ...............................

4. less than (paragraph 4) ...............................

5. carelessness (paragraph 5) ...............................


1. An opinion essay: Should animals be cloned forscientific research?

2. A formal letter: Write a letter to your local councilin which you complain about environmental problemsin your town.

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EXAM PRACTICE 4


DOCUMENTING SURVIVALTwo daring young mountain climbers, Simon Yates and Joe Simpson, decided to be the first to climb the 6,344-metreSiula Grande mountain in the Peruvian Andes. They reached the top successfully but after they began climbing down,Simpson fell and broke his leg. Yates was determined not to leave Simpson behind. Using a rope which bound themtogether, Yates lowered Simpson and followed closely behind.

The weather was terrible but they were making progress. Then suddenly, Yates mistakenly lowered Simpson off a 30-metre-high ice cliff, where he hung at the end of the rope. His partners weight was slowly pulling Yates off the cliff.When he had no more strength to hold on, Yates had to decide should he allow himself to be pulled to his death? Orshould he cut the rope, sending Simpson to his death but giving himself the chance to live?

Yates decided to cut the rope. Heartbroken, he slowly returned to the base camp, sure that his partner had died. Butamazingly, Simpson survived, arriving at the camp three days after Yates.

When director Kevin MacDonald decided to document this adventure in the film Touching the Void, he wanted hisviewers to feel they were actually living the drama. He had Yates and Simpson speak about their experiences. Inbetween these narratives, actors who were themselves mountain climbers acted out the events.

What is unusual about the film is that it actually takes place in the mountains of the European Alps rather than in thestudio, where so many action films are photographed. The storms are real storms so the actors had no need to pretendthey were cold. This mix of narrative and action makes Touching the Void one of the best documentaries of all time.

As for the end of the story, Simpson completely forgave Yates and said he would have done the same thing. However,Yates was criticised by other climbers, since cutting the rope is taboo in mountain climbing. Both men got over thetraumatic experience and continued to climb mountains, although they never climbed together again.


1. After Simpson was hurt, Yates decided to ...

a. go and look for help.

b. take him back to camp.

c. stay and wait for help.

2. Yates decided to cut the rope because he ...

a. was afraid that he would be killed.

b. was afraid that Simpson would be killed.

c. thought that Simpson was dead.

3. The film is realistic because ...

a. Yates and Simpson acted out the scenes.

b. it was filmed at the original scene.

c. it was filmed in high mountains.

4. After the incident, Simpson ...

a. understood Yates actions.

b. continued to be Yates climbing partner.

c. criticised Yates.


1. Simpson and Yates succeeded in ...........................

2. Action films are often ...........................................

3. Touching the Void is an excellent documentarybecause ................................................................

4. In mountain climbing, it is forbidden to ................

..............................................................................

2


1. Yates had to decide.

Yates had to make ................................................

2. The actors had no need to pretend they were cold.

It was not necessary ..............................................

3. Yates was criticised by other climbers.

Other climbers ......................................................


1. connected (paragraph 1) ...............................

2. certain (paragraph 3) ...............................

3. dramatised (paragraph 4) ...............................

4. happens (paragraph 5) ...............................

5. combination (paragraph 5) ...............................

6. recovered from (paragraph 6) ...............................


1. A narrative: Describe what happened on themountain from the point of view of either Yates orSimpson.

2. An opinion essay: Why do you think people enjoydangerous sports?

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EXAM PRACTICE 5


LAILA ALI: WINNING THE FIGHTIf you saw beautiful Laila Ali walking down the street, you might think she was a fashion model. But look again shes 1.78 metres of solid muscle. Laila Ali is a champion boxer. She is also the daughter of Muhammad Ali, thelegendary former boxing champion.

Laila hadnt always planned to follow in her fathers footsteps. With a college degree in business management, sheowned and operated a popular cosmetics salon in California. Then she saw womens boxing on TV for the first time,and she knew it was for her. She began training despite receiving no encouragement from her father, who had alwaysbeen an opponent of womens boxing.

Her first professional fight was in 1999, when she easily defeated her opponent. Laila went on to win every match shefought. She now holds the title of Middleweight Champion, and is considered the best female fighter in the world.

How much of Lailas success is due to her father? First of all, shes got boxing in her genes. Commentators note thatshe has got her fathers solid build, quick feet and natural self-confidence. It could be said that she also had anadvantage from the start because of her famous name and indeed, as soon as she began her career she appeared onmagazine covers and television, and quickly got commercial sponsorship.

At the start, cynics accused her of exploiting her fathers name. They predicted that she would win a few fightsagainst women with less training, take the money and quit the sport. But they were wrong because she turned out tobe the most talented woman on the scene, beating the best opponents and returning to the ring despite a serious injury. Although she claims to feel no special responsibility as an ambassador for womens boxing, attention to the sport hasgrown since she entered the ring. Says Laila, What I have to work at is getting my respect as a fighter and not just afemale fighter. I want to be a good fighter.

Answer the following questions.

1. How did Lailas father feel about her becoming aboxer?

..............................................................................

2. In what ways is Laila similar to her father?

..............................................................................

3. What did Lailas critics say about her?

..............................................................................

4. How has Lailas career helped the sport of womensboxing?

..............................................................................


1. Laila was inspired to become a boxer

a. because it was her fathers profession.

b. from an early age.

c. when she saw a womens boxing match.

2. Being Muhammad Alis daughter meant that Laila

a. received extra money for the matches shefought.

b. got immediate attention from the media.

c. had always been a celebrity.

3. The people who criticised Laila said that

a. she would never be a serious boxer.

b. she was not talented at boxing.

c. women should not be allowed to box.

2

1 Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)?Find evidence in the text to support your answers.

...... 1. Laila had a successful career before she became aboxer.

..........................................................................

...... 2. Lailas opponents didnt have much training.

..........................................................................

...... 3. Lailas injury didnt prevent her from boxing.

..........................................................................

Choose the best meaning for each word or phrase.

1. former (paragraph 1)

a. international c. past

b. fabulous

2. build (paragraph 4)

a. body structure c. temperament

b. fighting technique

3. exploiting (paragraph 5)

a. using for a bad purpose

b. complaining about


1. A for and against essay: The advantages anddisadvantages of being the son or daughter of afamous person.

2. An opinion essay: What is your ideal sport? Explainwhy.

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c. forgetting theimportance of

EXAM PRACTICE 6


SHOP TILL YOU DROP?Rosemary Heinon of the USA was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing $4 million from Starbucks Coffee, herplace of work. She used the money to pay for 32 cars, two motorcycles, three grand pianos, 12,000 items of clothingand 600 Barbie dolls, among other items. Amazingly, she never touched the majority of these things.So why did she buy them? Rosemary is a victim of compulsive shopping, a disorder which is now seen as similar toalcoholism and drug addiction. Compulsive shopping is often the result of depression. The victim believes that theonly way to feel better is to spend money even on things he or she doesnt need. The pleasure is in buying, not inpossessing.

Most compulsive shoppers seem to shop in order to reduce tension, loneliness or emotional emptiness. They reportfeelings of great happiness while in the shops, where they get plenty of attention from the shop assistants. They mayhave gone into the shop to buy only one item, but they lose control and buy everything they see. After its over, theirjoy turns into terrible feelings of guilt and fear of discovery. If their family begins to complain, they will often hidethe things they buy.

Rosemary may be an extreme example, but compulsive shopping is a serious problem that is becoming increasinglycommon in todays consumer culture. It can ruin peoples lives, causing them to lose their homes and break up theirmarriages. Compulsive shoppers usually owe many thousands of pounds because they havent really got the moneyfor the things they have bought they simply use their credit cards. Ninety per cent of compulsive shoppers arewomen, perhaps because women are traditionally the shoppers in Western society.

Since it is related to depression, which may be caused by chemicals in the brain, psychiatrists are tryinganti-depressant medication as a cure for compulsive shopping. One experiment showed that medication helped,although the addiction came back when it was stopped. Other psychiatrists say that only therapy and professionalsupport can cure this disorder, by helping people see the reasons for their behaviour and giving them the tools to stop it.

Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)?Find evidence in the text to support your answers.

...... 1. Rosemary was sent to prison because she did notpay for the things she had bought.

..........................................................................

...... 2. Compulsive shopping is a unique disorder.

..........................................................................

...... 3. Compulsive shoppers do not remain happy afterthey have finished shopping.

..........................................................................

...... 4. Not all psychiatrists agree that anti-depressantsshould be used to cure compulsive shopping.

..........................................................................

Rewrite the following sentences using the wordsgiven without changing the original meaning.

1. Although compulsive shoppers spend a lot of money,they buy things they dont need.

In spite of .............................................................

..............................................................................

2. Its possible that Rosemary suffers from compulsiveshopping.

Rosemary may .......................................................

..............................................................................

3. The addiction returned when the medication wasstopped.

The addiction returned after the shoppers ...........

..............................................................................

2

1 Complete the sentences with the informationgiven in the text.

1. Compulsive shoppers dont care about owningthings, but just want .............................................

2. Compulsive shoppers dont want their families

..............................................................................

3. The husbands or wives of compulsive shoppers

..............................................................................

4. Psychiatrists want to help compulsive shoppers seewhy ......................................................................


1. condemned (paragraph 1) ...............................

2. enjoyment (paragraph 2) ...............................

3. finished (paragraph 3) ...............................

4. destroy (paragraph 4) ...............................

5. returned (paragraph 5) ...............................


1. A formal letter: Write a formal letter of complaintto a shop where you were dissatisfied with eitherthe service or product.

2. An opinion: Do you think it was fair to sendRosemary Heinon to prison? Explain why or why not.

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EXAM PRACTICE 7


A CITY IN SPACEThe crew of the International Space Station has got a secret. They change their clothes only once a week and theynever wash them. However, they are usually so busy with their jobs that they dont think much about clothes. Theylive 385 kilometres above the Earth in a construction so large that it had to be taken to space in separate parts andassembled there.

The ISS is the largest international scientific research project in history, with 16 countries taking part. It is hoped thatthe research done at the station will be beneficial to mankind in many areas, from curing diseases to helping theenvironment. The astronaut crews go up for six-month stays. They spend their time doing experiments and exercising,which is essential for their health in a zero-gravity environment.

The ISS was supposed to be completed by 2004, but there have been plenty of problems. At $100 billion, its fivetimes more expensive than was planned. Then there was the terrible Columbia shuttle disaster in February, 2003. As aresult of the tragedy, no US space shuttles were launched for two and a half years. Since these shuttles carriedbuilding materials, this meant that construction of the station was stopped. Therefore, rather than having crews ofseven astronauts at a time, as originally planned, the station can only hold two or three.

Getting back to their secret, why dont the astronauts change their clothes more often? Its simple. Laundry cant bewashed at the station, and all soiled clothes are simply thrown away. The few clothes the astronauts take are all theyhave for their six-month stay, which means changing no more than once a week.

The laundry service may not be good, but astronauts love other aspects of living in the station. One of the most thrillingexperiences is seeing Earth from space. Earth is an amazing sight in space You can see all the continents and landmasses and oceans, said one astronaut. Its like learning your geography from the best atlas you could possibly have.


1. The ISS was assembled in space rather than onEarth

a. since it was less expensive that way.

b. because it was easier to do it in space.

c. because of its size.

2. The estimated cost of the ISS was originally

a. more expensive than the final cost.

b. less expensive than the final cost.

c. the same amount.

3. Only two astronauts are on the station because

a. having more would be unsafe.

b. the station is not completed.

c. more than two cannot be transported.

4. The astronauts mention enjoying

a. using their knowledge of geography.

b. doing exercises.

c. the view.


1. The ISS is an example of international cooperationbecause ................................................................

2. The purpose of the ISS is .......................................

3. Building materials werent brought to the ISSbecause ................................................................

4. Since the astronauts cant wash their clothes, theysimply ...................................................................

2

1 Rewrite the following sentences using the wordsgiven without changing the original meaning.

1. They are so busy with their jobs that they dontthink much about clothes.

They concentrate more on their ............................

..............................................................................

2. The ISS was supposed to be completed by 2004.

They had planned to .............................................

..............................................................................

3. You can see all the continents and land masses.

All the ...................................................................

..............................................................................


1. constructed (paragraph 1) ...............................

2. participating (paragraph 2) ...............................

3. teams (paragraph 2) ...............................

4. dirty (paragraph 4) ...............................

5. exciting (paragraph 5) ...............................


1. A for and against essay: Should billions of dollarsbe spent on space travel?

2. An opinion essay: Would you travel to space ifyou had the opportunity? Why or why not?

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EXAM PRACTICE 8


A CULTURE OF CRIMEThe Mafia brings to mind money, violence and corruption, mysterious codes of loyalty and secrecy, and murders thathave never been solved. Originating in Sicily, Italy, it developed into one of the most powerful forces in 20th-centuryUSA.

The Sicilian Mafia was originally a secret society formed for protection against the foreign rulers that controlled Sicily.Its members did not trust these rulers or any authorities, and decided to take the law into their own hands. By the 19thcentury it had formed its Rule of Silence anyone who gave information to the police would be killed immediately.

Members of the Mafia were among the thousands of Sicilians and Southern Italians who emigrated to the United Statesin the early 1900s. The organisation quickly established itself in all the major cities. One of the most powerful Mafiabosses of that early era was Al Capone, the Chicago-based ruler of a multi-million-dollar empire of crime.

The 1920s was the time of Prohibition in the United States, when all alcoholic drinks were illegal. Capone tookadvantage of this law, making millions by manufacturing and selling alcohol, as well as through extortion, narcotics,prostitution and gambling. He stopped at nothing to get what he wanted, even having seven of his rivals killed in thefamous 1929 St. Valentines Day Massacre.

Capone and other Mafia leaders moved freely by bribing police, judges and politicians to look the other way. The onlypeople that Capone could not bribe was a team called The Untouchables, an elite group of men led by governmentagent Elliot Ness, whose goal was to trap Capone. These men, who were chosen for their devotion and honesty,constantly refused Capones offers of money and presents. Capone was arrested in 1931. In prison he eventually wentinsane, and was released a sick man who could harm no one.

The Mafia has become part of todays culture, the subject of well-known films such as The Godfather andThe Untouchables as well as the popular TV series, The Sopranos. Cruel but clever gangsters like Capone havegenerated great popular interest and unfortunately, even admiration. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that theMafia has been responsible for much suffering and many deaths.

Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)?Find evidence in the text to support your answers.

...... 1. The Mafia is associated with violent crime.

..........................................................................

...... 2. During Prohibition, Americans stopped buyingalcoholic drinks.

..........................................................................

...... 3. Capone did not continue his career after he wasfreed from prison.

..........................................................................

...... 4. The writer admires Mafia gangsters.

..........................................................................

Find words or expressions in the text that matchthe following definitions :

1. causes someone to think of something / someoneelse (paragraph 1) ...............................

2. competitors (paragraph 4) ...............................

3. not to pay attention (paragraph 5) ...............................

4. pay someone illegally to get them to do something(paragraph 5) ...............................

5. a feeling of misery and pain (paragraph 6)...............................

2


1. Its members did not trust the authorities.

The authorities ........................................................

................................................................................

2. The Mafia has been responsible for much suffering.

Because of ..............................................................

................................................................................


1. The Sicilian Mafia began when Sicily .....................

..............................................................................

2. The Mafia spread to the United States when ........

..............................................................................

3. Selling alcoholic drinks was lucrative in the 1920s because ......................................................

4. The Untouchables were unusual because ..............

..............................................................................


1. A review: Write a review of a crime book, film or TVseries. State your opinion, explaining why you liked /didnt like it.

2. A for and against essay: Explain the advantages /disadvantages of reality crime shows.

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EXAM PRACTICE 9


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