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• Rinda Riztya

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READING 1

Earth Hour A

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t eight-thirty on Saturday, March 29th, in millions of homes, businesses and cities throughout the world, the lights will go out. Brightly lit city centres will plunge into darkness and illuminated national landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Great Pyramids of Giza in Cairo, will black out. This will be Earth Hour, one single hour dedicated to our struggling planet from the eight thousand, seven hundred and sixty-five that we have annually at our disposal. If, like me, you had only the vaguest of notions of what this global event was all about, read on. It may be more significant than you think. Earth Hour is not just one symbolic hour – it’s a global movement and, with the help of social media, it’s gathering pace.

planet. These changes address a whole raft of issues that, broadly, speaking come under the umbrella of ‘environmental sustainability’. ‘Beyond the hour’ initiatives brought about as a result of Earth Hour 2014 included the following:

Organised by the charity, the World Wide Fund for Nature, (WWF), Earth Hour was launched on March 31st, 2007 in Sydney, Australia, where 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses were persuaded to switch off non-essential lights and electrical devices for an hour as a symbolic gesture of their concern over climate change. Since that evening, Earth Hour has gone from strength to strength, evolving into a worldwide event in which over 162 countries and 7,000 cities take part. But as dramatic as the lights-off hour undoubtedly is (on the last Saturday in March every year), this global initiative is no longer simply about the hour, and no longer solely focused on climate change. In 2011, Earth Hour urged people to go ‘beyond the hour’ by committing to permanent changes in behaviour that would have a range of lasting benefits for our

• In Iran, the people of Isfahan fashioned a huge, 2800 square metre Earth Hour logo in the now dried-out mud of the Zayanderud River bed. (The Zayanderud, the largest river in the central plateau of Iran, has ceased flowing in recent years, partly as a result of climatic changes in the region.)

• In Australia, on the day of Earth Hour, a documentary on the plight of the iconic Great Barrier Reef called Lights Out for the Reef was aired on national television. (A deadly combination of climate change and human activity is taking its toll on Australia’s astonishing reefs and they are now in great peril.) • In India, the hour ushered in a year-long project involving 15,000 schools across the country to educate children on the importance of energy efficiency.

• In China, the focus was on ‘Blue sky’ and the pressing need for better air quality. People were asked to submit their ideas for reducing air pollution and smog. • WWF–Russia launched a campaign to raise awareness of critically endangered animals in the region. Clearly, Earth Hour is working. An initiative that was initially conceived as a means of raising environmental awareness is now bringing about tangible benefits for our planet.

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READING 1

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1 Read the newspaper article quickly. What is it about? Choose the correct answer. A a project to raise awareness of climate change B a campaign to raise awareness of environmental issues generally C an hour of one day that is annually given over to celebrating the beauty of our

planet

2 Read the article again and choose the best summary (A–C). A a description of the first Earth Hour and Earth Hour’s subsequent transformation

from an annual event into a concerted movement, followed by a list of initiatives demonstrating people’s concern for the planet B a description of the first Earth Hour, followed by an analysis of the effectiveness

of the campaign as a whole, giving examples of successes and failures C a description of the first Earth Hour and a description of all the activities

performed the world over to demonstrate the various nations’ concern over climate change

3 Are these sentences true or false? 1 The author used to be fairly ignorant about Earth Hour. TRUE / FALSE 2 The author is still not entirely sure what Earth Hour stands for even after

researching it. TRUE/FALSE 3 According to the author, the campaign is gaining momentum. TRUE / FALSE 4 The focus of the global campaign is still mainly on the hour itself. TRUE / FALSE 5 Climate change is the sole cause of the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef.

TRUE / FALSE 6 The activities in the various countries mentioned demonstrate a range of

concerns, from air pollution to animal extinction and energy use. TRUE / FALSE 7 Climate change is partially to blame for the Zayanderud River catastrophe.

TRUE/FALSE 8 The author is broadly sceptical about the usefulness of Earth Hour.

TRUE / FALSE

4 Match these verbs from the article to their definitions (1–6). address

air

commit

conceive

evolve

urge

1 to try hard to persuade someone to do something 2 to make a promise to do something 3 to broadcast a TV or radio programme 4 to gradually change into something 5 to imagine or think of something in a particular way 6 to try to deal with a particular problem

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READING 2

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Maximise your memory! A good memory is a great asset, whatever stage of life we’re at. Whether we’re revising for an exam, attempting to commit to memory a work presentation or simply trying to remember a colleague’s name, we all need to remember information. It makes sense, therefore, to maximise that facility. To make the most of your brain’s capacity to store and retrieve information, follow these six pieces of advice.

1 Sleep well!

4 Chill out!

Make sure you are getting enough sleep! When we go without sleep, we do our brains a great disservice. It has long been known that sleep plays a critical role in learning and memory. Recent research has shed light on the reasons for this. In sleep, our brains are actively making neural connections, going over what we have done during the day. These neural connections aid learning and memory. In addition, it has recently been discovered that in sleep, our brains ‘wash away’ the toxins that have accumulated in the day as a result of intense brain activity. Again, it is thought that this leads to better all-round brain function. To optimise your memory, make sure you are getting your full eight hours!

Stress may be ruining your memory. It is a fact that long-term stress kills brain cells and it also takes its toll on the hippocampus (the area of the brain involved in the creation of new memories and the retrieval of old ones). A degree of stress is inevitable – whether at home or at work. It’s how we manage our stress levels that counts. Develop strategies to combat the effects of chronic stress. Some people find that exercise works for them while others swear by meditation.

5 Repeat

Physical exercise of the continuous, aerobic variety increases the supply of oxygen to your brain and this has beneficial effects on brain function and specifically memory. (Exercise has the added benefit of helping you to sleep.) Walking, jogging, swimming – they all help, so try to build them into your week.

Repetition is the technique that most of us rely on and it works. Your brain stands a much better chance of absorbing a piece of information if it is repeatedly exposed to it. However, successive repetition is not so effective and this is what most of us instinctively do when we are memorising facts. To maximise the effectiveness of this established technique, space out the repetitions. Allow intervals between exposure to the information in hand. You will find the facts go in much more effectively.

3 Focus!

6 Work that brain!

Multitasking is the enemy of memory. When you give your attention to several things at once, you give yourself insufficient time to take in any single piece of information. Don’t deny your brain the time to absorb and retain information! When you are trying to commit a piece of information to memory, take time to focus on that information, and that information alone. Do not allow yourself to be distracted by other tasks.

All the many actions that you regularly do on a daily basis have caused your brain to develop millions of neural connections. These connections mean that you can swiftly deal with familiar information and perform learnt tasks without expending mental energy. Of course, this is a very good thing. However, if you only process familiar information and only perform learnt tasks, your brain will cease to forge new neural connections and will stagnate. Challenge your brain by striking out and trying new things – learn a musical instrument, for example, a language or a new sport. The more new tasks you throw at your brain, the better it will be at processing and storing information.

2 Take a run!

Skills Boost C1 READING 2 © Richmond 2014 Photocopiable

READING 2 1 Read the webpage quickly. What is it about? Choose the correct answer.

A memorising facts for work B making the most of your memory generally C memorising facts when studying

3 Complete the sentences about the text with the words in the box.

beneficial detrimental unavoidable

A was recently established. B was established a while ago. C is still not understood. 2 We now know that poisonous substances build up in the

brain as a result of A processes taking place in the brain. B stress. C multitasking. 3 The brain is supplied with higher levels of oxygen when

we

dormant

minimal

multiple

1 Our bodies may be asleep, but our brains are far from

.

2 Choose the correct ending (A–C) to complete the sentences. 1 The link between sleep and learning/memory

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2 The good news is that challenging the brain to do

new things has a functions.

effect on the way that it

3 The process of memorising a piece of information usually

requires

exposures to that information.

4 Unfortunately, insufficient sleep can have a

effect on brain function. 5 Established neural connections in the brain allow

us to perform actions that we have done before with mental effort. 6 Although stress is

for most of us, we can

learn how to deal with it.

A sleep. B relax. C exercise. 4 You fail to allow the brain time to memorise things when

you A do more than one thing at a time. B sleep too little. C suffer chronic stress. 5 The hippocampus is the area of the brain that allows us to A deal with stress. B generate memories. C generate and recover memories. 6 The author remarks that stress A must be avoided. B cannot be avoided. C is beneficial. 7 According to the author, repetition as a strategy for

memorising things works best when we repeat things A with breaks in between. B without breaks. C while meditating. 8 Learning new skills is beneficial because it makes the

brain A use established neural connections. B form new neural connections. C retrieve old neural connections.

Skills Boost C1 READING 2 © Richmond 2014 Photocopiable

READING 3

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Five days on a sub Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live and work hundreds of metres beneath the ocean for months at a time? My assignment last week was to find out by spending five days on board the submarine HMS Dauntless. Here’s how I got on …

Mon 21st Jun I’ve been on the boat, (always ‘boat’, apparently, never ‘ship’) all of two hours and am, I confess, somewhat appalled at the prospect of the week ahead. Of course, I wasn’t expecting the submarine to be anything like spacious, but I’m shocked at how cramped it is. It’s hard to convey just how confined this space is. Imagine corridors so narrow that you have to turn sideways to let a member of crew pass, and rooms so oppressively low that you can’t even stand up properly. (I’m forever knocking into or catching a sleeve on bits of machinery.) The whole place is stiflingly hot and airless, and you can’t escape the smell of oil and metal wherever you go. Mildly claustrophobic at the best of times, I’m not sure I’m cut out for this assignment. This may be the longest five days of my life.

Tues 22nd Jun With space at a premium, the sleeping arrangements are interesting, to say the least. Most crew members have their own bunk (the narrowest bunk I’ve ever seen – I can scarcely sleep for fear of falling out it just by turning over). I have the top bunk and there’s approximately half a metre of space above me, so sitting up is out of the question. When I do finally get to sleep, I dream I’m buried alive and banging ferociously of the lid of my coffin. (No dream analysis required there.) I should really feel lucky to have my own bunk. Juniors crew members don’t have this privilege. They avail themselves of whatever is free between shifts – a practice known as ‘hot-bunking’. Only when they have ‘earned their dolphins’ (fully qualified, and been awarded the badge), do submariners earn the right to a bed.

Wed 23rd Jun I’m told an occupational hazard in this job is weight gain, though, having eaten four meals on the boat, I must say I find this a little hard to believe. (The sailors all grumble incessantly about the quality of the food.) Much of the food is frozen or tinned, (and you can tell), though bread is baked daily, giving rise to the one pleasant smell in the boat. Smoking, for obvious reasons, is strictly forbidden, though, astonishingly, it was allowed in the past in designated compartments. While exploring the lower deck this morning, I stumbled upon the submariners’ ‘gym’ – a room no bigger than a toilet with two exercise bikes, side by side, in it. If this is the sailors’ only means of exercise, perhaps this is why they put on weight.

Thurs 24th Jun Finally took a shower this morning. Was it, in fact, morning? You lose track of time when you don’t glimpse daylight for days on end. I was going to try and manage without but it is so hot down here … The showers are minuscule – as small as possible in order to maximize space on the boat for essential components – and the water dribbles out. Scarcely worth the effort.

Fri 25th Jun It’s the end of my stint on the boat and I’m absolutely exhausted. Climbing the steps to the next deck is almost more than I can manage – I feel quite faint. Apparently, it’s due to oxygen starvation. Oxygen levels on a submarine are kept low to minimise the risk of fires. An unpleasant sideeffect of this is that, with less oxygen in the blood, wounds take longer to heal. I scraped my hand on a metal bar at the start of the week and it looks worse now than when I actually did it. I long for fresh air. I long to get off this boat.

Skills Boost C1 READING 3 © Richmond 2014 Photocopiable

READING 3 1 Read the article quickly. How does the author find the experience? Choose the correct answer.

A very challenging and quite unpleasant

3 Choose the correct definition (A–C) for these phrases from the text.

1 not be cut out for something

B challenging, but rewarding

A to not be prepared for something

C fascinating, though challenging

B to not be looking forward to something

2 Choose the correct option (A–C) to complete the sentences about the article.

1 The author is shocked by how little space there is even though

C to be the wrong type of person for an activity 2 be at a premium A to be available only in very small amounts

A he does not mind small spaces.

B to be expensive

B he knew there would not be much space.

C to be of excellent quality

C he has been on a submarine before. 2 The author describes himself as someone who

3 be out of the question A to be unlikely

A is fearful of small spaces.

B to be absolutely impossible

B is clumsy.

C to be hard to do

C does not like being at sea. 3 The author concludes Monday’s entry by suggesting that he …

4 avail yourself of something A to steal something

the experience.

B to share something

A is dreading

C to make use of something

B is mildly concerned about C has mixed feelings about 4 The author is clearly … by the sleeping arrangements on board

the submarine. A impressed

5 give rise to something A to cause something to move up B to cause something C to spoil something 6 stumble upon/across something

B horrified

A to find something by chance

C amused

B to fall over something

5 The less qualified sailors

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C to find something after looking carefully

A sleep two to a bed. B use whichever bed is free. C sleep on the floor. 6 The author’s comments about the food on board suggest that he

… the sailors’ opinion of the food. A disagrees with B agrees with C is amused by 7 The author is … by the exercise facilities on board. A unimpressed B impressed C intrigued 8 The author complains about the showers because they are A small. B dark. C small, with too little water. 9 The author feels tired because he A has too little oxygen in his blood. B has to climb too many steps. C is ill. Skills Boost C1 READING 3 © Richmond 2014 Photocopiable

READING 4

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Long-lost sisters Penny Jackson and her sister Jane Harvey were adopted by different families when they were very young, and never saw one another again. Almost fifty years later, Penny’s daughter found Jane, and Penny has sent her a letter. Here is Jane’s reply and Penny’s next letter to her.

Dear Penny it meant to me to get I can hardly begin to tell you what stopped shaking your letter yesterday. I don’t think I’ve to calm down enough to since, and it’s taken me until today reply to you! t stress that I am utterly Firstly, and most importantly, I mus you were worried delighted! You said in your letter that e years, but I don’t feel about disrupting my life after all thes daughter for all the like that at all! I’m so grateful to your n. I’ve known that I was work she’s done in tracking me dow I did know that I had a adopted since I was about ten, and you, I always came to a sibling, but whenever I tried to find dead end. e was something I’ve always had the feeling that ther most of my life important missing, and I’ve spent . I don’t think it’s ther ano searching for it in one way or from a large and any coincidence that I married a man y, has been incredibly close family, and my husband, Ton spending a large amount supportive. He even agreed to me ator to try to find you. I of our savings on a private investig e of it, but he always told was devastated when nothing cam was right! me not to give up hope. It seems he My adoptive parents I never met our biological mother. a, though I suspect trali told me she had emigrated to Aus me from potential they may have said that to protect information about her? I disappointment. Do you have any ’s still alive. suppose it may be possible that she will be able to meet Any way, I won’t go on, as I hope we each other, especially up soon. We’ll have so much to tell larities in our lives – I since there seem to be so many simi her too! can’t believe that you’re an art teac we can arrange So, please write back soon, so that meeting. I can’t wait! Your loving sister

a

Dear Jane Thank you so much for your prompt reply! As soon as I saw the handwriting on the envelope, I knew it was from you. I’ve never ripped open a letter so fast! I’m over the moon to hear that you feel that way, and it’s really good to know that you were searching too – I often used to imagine that you were, and the idea was strangely reassuring. I completely understand how heartbreaking it is when it fails. I’ve had so many attempts over the years, and followed up so many leads, only for the trail to go cold. In fact, I’d almost given up until my daughter Emma started researching online and heard about this agency in Liverpool. It was when we used them that we had our breakthrough , and the rest, as they say, is history! Emma and I did manage to find some information about our mother too. Actually, your parents were telling the truth – she did go to Australia. She married a butcher, but she never had any more children. (I wouldn’t have minded having an excuse for a trip Down Under!) She passed away about five years ago. I’ve put my phone number at the bottom of this letter. If you feel ready, then do give me a call any time. Then we can decide when and where to meet. I don’t want to rush you into anything, but if it were up to me, it would be tomorrow! Yours, with great happiness, Penny

Jane

Skills Boost C1 READING 4 © Richmond 2014 Photocopiable

READING 4 1 Read the letters quickly and choose the correct option (A–C) to complete the sentences. 1 Penny and Jane

3 Choose the best explanation (A–C) for these phrases from the letters.

1 When Jane says ‘I can hardly begin to tell you’, she is

A have been in contact all their lives.

A emphasising the strength of her emotions.

B have made contact after many years.

B telling Penny that she does not have much to say.

C lost contact after they grew up.

C saying that she is not sure how she feels.

2 They are very … about being in touch again.

2 When Penny says she ‘came to a dead end’, she meant that

A nervous

A she did not have the strength to do it.

B surprised

B she reached a point where she could not make any more

C excited

2 Read the letters again. Are these sentences true or false?

1 Jane feels very emotional about the letter she

received from Penny. TRUE / FALSE 2 Penny knew that Jane would be pleased to get the

letter. TRUE / FALSE 3 Jane paid someone to look for Penny.

TRUE / FALSE 4 Jane wasn’t sure if her adoptive parents had told

her the truth about her mother. TRUE / FALSE 5 Jane took a long time to answer Penny’s first letter.

TRUE / FALSE 6 Penny feels very sad to know that Jane was

looking for her too. TRUE / FALSE 7 Penny’s daughter went online and found out

where Jane lived. TRUE / FALSE 8 Penny would have liked to have found some other

half-brothers and sisters. TRUE / FALSE

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progress. C her search was stopped by someone in authority. 3 When Penny says ‘I don’t think it’s any coincidence’ that she

married her husband, she means that A there was a good reason for it. B she was forced to do it. C it was very lucky that she met him. 4 When Jane says she ‘followed up so many leads’, she means that A she sent letters to a lot of people. B she hired several investigators. C she tried to make progress from evidence that she found. 5 When Jane says ‘the rest, as they say, is history’ she means that A the things she was talking about are in the past now. B everyone knows what happened next. C there is bound to be a happy outcome. 6 When Jane says ‘if it were up to me, it would be tomorrow’, she A is suggesting that they meet the next day. B is telling Jane that she is sorry she can’t meet the next day. C wants to show that she is keen to meet as soon as possible.

Skills Boost C1 READING 4 © Richmond 2014 Photocopiable

READING 5

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Mind your step! 1

L

aura Safe (27) was on her way to work one cold, winter’s day. Distracted by texting her boyfriend, she stepped onto what looked out of the corner of her eye like a grey pavement. Imagine her horror when she found herself plunging through a dark layer of ice into a freezing canal!

2

A passer-by had seen her and shouted a warning. It was too late – she had lost her balance by then, but luckily, the man was able to race over and pull her out. As she later explained in a TV interview, she was so embarrassed that she did a typically English thing and assured her rescuer that she was fine, even though she was soaking wet and chilled to the bone!

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To add to her embarrassment, the whole incident was captured on CCTV and quickly became an internet sensation – an especially entertaining example amongst many clips of ‘walking while texting’ accidents that include people tripping over, bumping into lampposts, falling into fountains, and in one case almost colliding with a bear!

4

Everyone knows how dangerous it is to text while driving, and it is illegal in many countries. Although the accidents resulting from walking and texting are usually less serious (and have more comedy value!), staff in hospital emergency departments say that they are becoming much more common.

5

Historically, pedestrian accidents primarily involved children, the elderly or those under the influence of alcohol. However, a rise in accidents amongst other groups has coincided with the increase in smartphone use.

6

It is the 16–25 year old age group who are most at risk because of their high mobile phone use. Although they are highly skilled at using their mobile devices and consider themselves well able to walk and text at the same time, the evidence shows that they are not as good at this form of dual-tasking as they may believe.

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The reason for this may be explained by experiments carried out by researchers at the University of Queensland. They asked volunteers to walk about nine metres, once texting and again without using their phones. The results were quite clear: texting whilst walking causes us to slow down, but more importantly, we tend to deviate from a straight line even if we have no idea that we are doing this, something that can pose a hazard to the people around us as well as to ourselves.

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One problem is that while we are texting, the screen is held in such a position that we can’t really see the ground (more so than if we are simply reading information from the screen). That makes us less aware of our direction and also makes it much more likely that we will trip over. In addition, our whole posture changes when we are texting, and we hold our bodies much more stiffly. Not only does this disturb our sense of balance, and therefore increase the risk of falling, but it also reduces our ability to react quickly if we do trip.

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In other words, even if texting has become second nature to you and you think it’s hardly taking any of your attention, that’s probably not really the case. So, if you really need to text on the move and you don’t want to risk ending up in a canal, it’s best to stop for a moment, or at least take regular glances around you!

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As for Laura Safe, she appeared to enjoy her five minutes of fame, and was only too happy to laugh at her own misfortune, later tweeting: ‘Oh dear. I should really be called Laura UNsafe after the day I’ve had. LOL’.

Skills Boost C1 READING 5 © Richmond 2014 Photocopiable

READING 5 1 Read the article quickly. What is it about? Choose the correct answer (A–C).

A a woman who falls in a canal B how to stay safe if you want to walk and send a text

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3 Find the words or phrases in the article. 1 an adjective which tells you that Laura wasn’t

concentrating (paragraph 1) 2 a phrase which means ‘extremely cold’ (paragraph 2)

C accidents that can happen if you walk and text at the

same time

2 Read the article again. Are these sentences true or false, or is the information not given in the text?

1 Laura fell into the canal because she thought it was a

pavement. TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN 2 A film of her accident was shown during her TV interview.

TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN 3 After her accident, Laura put on dry clothes straight away.

TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN 4 Until recently, 16–25 year-olds were unlikely to have

accidents while walking. TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN 5 People who are good at texting can walk in a straight line

3 a noun which means ‘short extracts’ (paragraph 3) 4 an adverb which means ‘mostly’ (paragraph 5) 5 a verb which means ‘happened at the same time’

(paragraph 5) 6 a verb which means ‘move in a different direction’

(paragraph 7) 7 a noun which means ‘the way we hold our body’

(paragraph 8) 8 a phrase which means ‘start to be automatic’

(paragraph 9)

while they are doing it. TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN 6 It is more dangerous to write text messages than to read

them while walking. TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN 7 When people are holding phones, they cannot reach out

to save themselves if they fall. TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN 8 Laura’s tweet was a warning about texting while walking.

TRUE / FALSE / NOT GIVEN

Skills Boost C1 READING 5 © Richmond 2014 Photocopiable