Vocabulary and Grammar
For questions 1–6, read the text below
and think of the word that best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.
DECIDING
ON MY FUTURE
When I left school, I really had no idea of what I
wanted to do next and found myself with a lot of (1) __________ on
my hands. I knew I wanted to do something useful that would enable me to help
others, but had been warned by my father not to make any snap (2) __________ or decisions. He advised me to think long and hard, try a few jobs
and talk to people in different areas as well as seek careers advice. The first
job I got was working in a hospital as an orderly but after only a matter of
months I felt (3) __________ in a rut and wanted out. It was, I
realised, unsatisfying and really just a (4)
__________ to an end. That simply
wouldn’t do. However, when working at the hospital I did gain an insight into
other work that people did there and, after attending an open day at the local
nursing college, I realised that I had (5)
__________ my choices down at last.
Several years have passed and I’m now, I believe, the happiest staff nurse
you’ll ever find. I love the personal interaction this job gives me and just
thrive (6) __________ the atmosphere of a busy hospital. I’m
so glad I listened to my dad!
2 For questions 1–10, read the sentences
below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
AIR POLLUTION, HEALTH AND
TRANSPORT
Far more people are suffering from asthma than have
been previously documented. Pollution originating from exhaust (1) _____ , factory emissions and even
smoking are reportedly leading to (2) _____
air quality which in turn is (3) _____
asthma symptoms. With more and more cars on the roads, we cannot deny (4) _____ more exposed to ever greater
levels of air pollution. As a consequence, human respiratory health is being
negatively impacted, with many of those living in residential areas close to
busy roads becoming more (5) _____ asthma.
As more and more of us are taking to the roads, the key focus perhaps should be
the promotion of cleaner fuels and vehicles that produce lower (6) _____ . However, the only way
motorists will contemplate using either of them is if they are considered (7) _____ an affordable and therefore viable
option. Simultaneously, motorists should be discouraged from making unnecessary
journeys. If greater (8) _____ were
offered for car-sharing with colleagues or using park-and-ride schemes, more
people (9) _____ to use these
schemes. Although in all fairness, it would not do any harm for public
transport systems to be re-examined, as relying on them can be somewhat tough going
and, in some parts of the country, the service provided is simply (10) _____ for people’s needs, which is
why more people drive.
1 A
gases B smoke C fumes D smog
2 A
downturning B degrading C failing D deteriorating
3 A
provoking B triggering C generating D activating
4 A
to being B to be C being D for to be
5 A
inclined to B disposed towards C
accustomed to D prone to
6 A
emissions B releases C excretions D exhalations
7 A
to be B be C being D to being
8 A
motives B pressures C incitements D incentives
9 A
can be inclined B are inclined C will be
inclined D would be inclined
10 A scarce B incomplete C inadequate D lacking
3 For questions 1–6, 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 six words,
including the word given.
1 The club lost many of its most ardent
fans when it was relegated last season.
THIN
Loyal supporters have ___________________________
the team’s relegation last season.
2 Rather than dispose of the food that was
left over, we decided to donate it to a local charity.
THROWN
All the surplus food was given to a
local charity so that ___________________________ .
3 There was hardly a soul anywhere along
the beach, which was strange considering it was peak season.
VIRTUALLY
We were most surprised to find that
the beach ___________________________ though it was peak season.
4 He accidentally mentioned our
engagement even though I’d asked him not to yet.
BRING
Although I asked him ___________________________
subject of our engagement yet, he let it slip.
5 If I had given a clearer explanation,
she wouldn’t have misunderstood me.
STICK
I knew I hadn’t explained myself
clearly enough when she got the ___________________________ .
6 Try as I might, I could not work out
what the question was asking me to do.
TAIL
After hours of effort, I was still
unable ___________________________ the question that was being asked.
Listening
4 Listen to a wildlife lover, Simon
Dickson, talking about the problems facing bees. For questions 1–8, read and
complete the sentences below using words you hear. Use one to three words or a
number to complete each gap.
The
problem with bees
Scientists in Europe
first realised there was a problem with the bee population around (1) ____________________ .
Since their decline became a global issue, the role
bees have in pollinating the (2) ____________________
we rely on for our survival has been highlighted.
To what extent are our modern (3) ____________________ to blame?
Not only are bees struggling to find food but there is
also less (4) ____________________ of
plant life available for them.
Bees are far better at fighting off disease when they
have a rich and varied diet as this enables their (5) ____________________ to become stronger.
Ironically, bees are more likely to enjoy a healthy
diet if they live in (6) ____________________
.
Research suggests that pesticides are impacting bees’
ability to remember how to return to (7) ____________________
.
A final point is that (8) ____________________ is also thought to impede a bee’s capacity
to locate flowers, which are essential to both their and our survival.
Reading
5 Read the article ‘How green is your
pet?’ and for questions 1–10, decide whether the statements are True (T) or False (F).
1 High-end pet foods are gaining popularity. _____
2 A New Scientist
article has caused controversy by asserting that pets are bad for the
environment. _____
3 It is claimed that a medium-sized dog has double the
ecological footprint of a big car. _____
4 While
dogs have a considerable impact on our environment, cats are surprisingly as
resource-hungry. _____
5 One
idea proposed in the new book is for cat owners to create food for them using
natural sources. _____
6 Opting for pet foods containing chicken or fish is a far
more environmentally friendly option. _____
7 According
to conservationists, animal by-products would go to waste if they weren’t used
in pet food. _____
8 Although
pets do have a high environmental impact, this is to a large extent offset by
the benefits they bring to their owners. _____
9 It
is only through enforcing controls on reproduction and territories that
wildlife can be protected from feline hunters. _____
10 The
new book aims to encourage people to move out of their comfort zone when it
comes to discussing
lifestyle choices and the impact they have on the environment. _____
lifestyle choices and the impact they have on the environment. _____
HOW GREEN
IS YOUR PET?
Robert
and Brenda Vale – the authors of a provocative new book, Time to eat the dog? The real guide to sustainable living – have
bad news for animal lovers.
At Europe’s largest pet show, Pet Index, onlookers gather around as
Henrietta Morrison places a spoonful of dog food in her mouth. She has a point
to prove; her company sells the most expensive pet food on the UK market, with
the promise that the contents are ‘proper food’. The UK pet food industry has
been the recipient of unkind remarks and rumours as to the true origin of its
ingredients for decades but the market continues to be dominated by products
containing delights such as ‘animal derivatives’. However, despite the economic
recession, there is now a significant move towards using only ‘premium’
products.
Now the industry faces another source of criticism as
a new book triggers a debate about the environmental impact of owning a
well-fed pet. The New Scientist
magazine, in a recent editorial, largely agreed with the book’s findings that
some pets, due to the food they eat, have a surprisingly high ‘ecological
footprint’, which is a way of quantifying human demand on the planet’s
ecosystems using a measure called ‘global hectares’. According to the authors
of the book, ‘it takes 0.84 hectares of land to keep a medium-sized dog fed,
which is twice that needed to run a large car. An even more shocking comparison
is that in 2004, the average citizen of Vietnam had an ecological footprint
of 0.76 hectares. Dogs are not the only environmental sinners: the
eco-footprint of a cat equates to about 0.15 hectares, almost the equivalent of
a small car. In a world where scarce resources are already hogged by the rich, can
people really justify keeping pets that require more than some people?’
The authors of the book say they were ‘genuinely
surprised’ when calculating the environmental impact of pets. And some of the
ideas they put forward to alleviate this are likely to shock some pet owners.
For example, the book suggests catching pests such as rats and processing them
into a ‘natural’ cat food, getting a pet that serves a dual purpose, such as
keeping chickens and eating the eggs or keeping a pair of rabbits and eating their
offspring. When feeding a pet, however, the advice is to ‘think feathers and
long ears’. In other words, favour pet foods made from rabbit and chicken meat,
which is less damaging to the environment than red meat and fish.
As you might expect, the Pet Food Manufacturers’
Association puts up a spirited defence, arguing that the vast majority of meat
and fish used in pet foods is of adequate quality for human consumption but
surplus to requirements. ‘If we didn’t recycle animal by-products to sell, they
might otherwise be disposed of via landfill, which is not very green,’ says the
chief executive. In addition, he points out that pets should not be viewed just
with regard to their ‘carbon pawprint’. ‘Our environment is greatly enriched by
the part they play in our lives. Pets in the home instil responsibility,
encourage social awareness and have positive health benefits.’
That people greatly benefit from pets isn’t really
disputed. But of course, it’s not just the food they eat that’s the problem.
Conservationists have long been saying that cats, as opportunistic predators,
are having a detrimental effect on small mammals. One UK university report
points out that in the USA, animal welfare groups recommend keeping only
‘indoor cats’, while some Australian states are contemplating ‘feline-free
zones’ as well as compulsory neutering to cut down on the cat population. It
concludes that, realistically, education rather than legislation is the answer
for the UK,
urging people to take measures such as putting bells on cats’ collars and
keeping them in during their natural hunting time, which is between dusk and
dawn.
The authors of the book do not – as some of their
critics seem to assume – advocate a mass killing of all the world’s pets. ‘All we are arguing in the book is
that we should be making sensible, informed choices. So it’s not going to be
that much of a problem if you have a big dog but take the bus everywhere, don’t
fly, live in a small home and have a small family. We can’t go blind into this
debate. If we are to examine the way we live,’ the authors argue, ‘nothing
should be off limits, no matter how uncomfortable it is to discuss. We have to
recognise that we live in a world of finite resources where pets are an
extravagance rather than a right.’
Writing
6 Complete the article on mobile phones
with words or phrases from the box. There are more words and phrases than you
need.
another as
soon as despite even for
example in fact secondly since
that being said this to begin with whatever when which is why
that being said this to begin with whatever when which is why
The
downside of mobiles
In modern society, mobiles have opened up the lines of
communication to a whole new level, allowing us to be contactable night and
day. (1) ____________________ being
a useful piece of technology, there are also downsides to their use.
(2)
____________________ , although mobiles allow people to be in more regular
contact and allow us to make emergency calls when no public phone is at hand,
being contactable at all times can be a major disadvantage. Some employers, (3) ____________________ , now consider
it completely acceptable to call employees at any time they wish to, (4) ____________________ on holiday. Unfortunately,
whether or not you are expected to have your company phone with you at all
times will really depend on your boss and the ethos of the company you work for.
(5) ____________________ in effect
could mean you are always on call and cannot really enjoy your free time.
(6)
____________________ downside is that the myriad additional functions available
on mobiles, for example games, internet access and texting, has increased our reliance
on their use. (7) ____________________ ,
some people are so addicted to using their mobiles as they walk down the street
that they are often oblivious to their surroundings, (8) ____________________ more people are having accidents. There is
also an increasing tendency for some mobile users to have little consideration
for those in their presence. ‘Phubbing’, (9) ____________________
someone ignores the person or people they have gone out with and spends their
time using their mobile phone instead, is sadly becoming more common.
(10)
____________________ , whilst there are negative points to the use of mobile
phones, I believe these are outweighed by their benefits, which is perhaps why
they have become indispensable to so many millions of people worldwide.