part of a country
k) a slight change made to something
I) importance; power; controlling influence
m) noticeable; important
n) the power to attract the eye
{phrase)
o) lead to; be the cause of
(phrase)
p) the art of producing beautiful handwriting using
a brush or a special pen
q) not less than; having equal value
186 • ELS
E XE R CI S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. According to the passage, Chinese literature
A)
contains literary forms that no other countries have
B) is the largest in the world in terms of the number of works it contains
C) has been produced using the same script for over three millenia
D) appeals to the eye rather than to the mind
E) can claim the oldest literary work, which was written about 3,000 years ago
2. The main reason why written Chinese has changed so little over the years is that
A)
the Chinese start learning to write at an early age
B) writing is a highly-prized art in China
C) China has always been a large country in area
D) the Chinese all have much the same ideas
E) it bears no relationship to the spoken word
3. It's clear from the passage that calligraphy
A)
is as important and valued in China as painting
B) emerged in China in the 16th century
C) is the written form of the Chinese language
D) is considered easier by the Chinese than painting
E) contains 1,000 different characters in the Chinese language
E XE R CI S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
There have been many changes to the company this year. The most
improvement has been the opening of a day-care centre on the company premises.
2. Since its
about 500,000 to 2 million years ago, the human being has
become the most destructive species on Earth.
3. When Windows 95 was first introduced, there were several problems with it, but it has since
undergone a number of
and it is now a very effective program.
4.
I have always admired the writer H.E. Bates, but I have never managed to find out what the
initials in his name
5. Kim attends Spanish classes on three
days a week, but she feels it
would be more useful if the classes were spread out over the week.
ELS • 187
j
JACQUELINE BOUVIER KENNEDY ONASSIS
The mystique of the Kennedy family in United States politics was due in great
part to the glamorous and attractive wife of President John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline
Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. They were the first presidential couple born in the 20th
century. She brought grace, style, and a flair for beauty to the White House, quickly
becoming a celebrity in her own right. She was better-educated than most of her
predecessors, having studied at Vassar, Smith, George Washington University, and
the University of Paris. She-was working for the Washington Times-Herald when
John Kennedy met her in 1952. She and John Kennedy married on September 12,
1953. They had two children. As the President's wife, she was a very accomplished
hostess and a patron of the arts. After President Kennedy's assassination in
November 1963, Mrs. Kennedy moved to New York City. In 1968, she married the
Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who died in 1975. In 1978 she began
working as an editor for Doubleday and Company publishers in New York. She and
her children were rarely out of the media spotlight until her death in 1994.
E X E R C IS E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
a sense of mystery and attraction which
surrounds certain people or things
b) to a large extent because of someone or
something
(idiomatic phrase)
c) excitingly attractive in a sophisticated way
d) a quality which suggests effortless charm and
beauty
e) a natural talent to appreciate something or
create something, perhaps in a unique style
f) a famous person
g) through one's personal qualities rather than
through the help of someone else
(idiomatic
phrase)
h) former holder of a position with respect to a
later holder
i) successful; skilled
j) a woman who (receives and) entertains guests
k) a person who supports artists, writers or
musicians by buying their work or giving them
money
I) the murder of an important person for political
reasons
m) a wealthy and powerful person, usually in
business
n) the constant attention of newspapers,
television, radio, etc.
(phrase)
188 • ELS
EX E R C I S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. John F. Kennedy
A)
met his wife-to-be while she was completing her education
B) was killed in New York City for political reasons
C) married someone who had been working for the media
D) was considerably less famous than his glamorous wife
E) was the first American President of the twentieth century
2. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
A)
was the only first lady until then who had graduated from two universities
B) was living in New York when she and Kennedy first met
C) was publishing an obscure newspaper before she met and married Kennedy
D) had received a better education than the majority of the previous presidential wives
E) was a great supporter of the arts when Kennedy met her
3. it is clear from the passage that Jacqueline
A)
died because of too much attention from the media
B) became an artist herself after Aristotle Onassis's death
C) didn't work for a paying employer during her lifetime
D) became less popular after John Kennedy's death
E) remained married to Kennedy for about a decade
EX E R CI S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
The office staff found it difficult to accept the new manager because they had all loved his
, who had retired.
2. The failure of the business was
to the owner's lack of ambition.
Because he didn't have the motivation, he never really did enough work and that's largely
why it didn't succeed.
3. The
of the American President Abraham Lincoln took place in a
theatre. He was shot while he was watching a play.
4. One of the Spice Girls used to live in my mother's street before she became a/an
; however, since she's become famous, she's moved to a more
expensive area.
5. Sally isn't interested in marrying a wealthy man, but she would like to become rich
and therefore, intends to have a successful career.
ELS • 1 8 9
EXACTLY THE RIGHT WORD
Writing was not easy for the French novelist Gustave Flaubert. Because of his
concern for form and precise detail, he often struggled for days searching for
"exactly the right word". He took five years to write
Madame Bovary,
his best-known
work. Flaubert's goal was to write faultless prose. In
Madame Bovary,
which tells of
Emma Bovary's revolt against her middle-class environment, Flaubert reveals his
own great contempt for the bourgeoisie. This group, he felt, was opposed to art and
hated everything that it could not put to use. When
Madame Bovary
first appeared -
in 1856, as a magazine serial - Flaubert was brought to trial for publishing a morally
offensive work. He was acquitted in 1857, and in the same year, the novel came out
in book form. During his later years, Flaubert spent the winter in Paris, where he
held literary gatherings. Flaubert never married, and died on May 8th, 1880.
EX E R C I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
(one's) interest in and care about something
b) the plan or design of a work of art
c) a small, specific point of something
d) make great efforts to achieve something
difficult
e) aim; the thing that one is trying to do
f) perfect
g) ordinary written language as distinct from
poetry
h) rebellion; strong reaction against something
i) physical and social conditions in which people
live and which influence their lives
j) show; make something known to people
k) total lack of respect for someone or something
I) the middle class
m) unsupportive of; be against
n) a story appearing in parts that are published
regularly
o) (be) taken to a court of law to be tried and
judged
(phrase)
p) having a bad effect on people's minds because
of ideas which are considered to be wrong or
unacceptable to society
(phrase)
q) (be) found not guilty of a crime in a court of law
r) a meeting or coming together of a group of
people
190 • ELS
E XE R C I S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. Flaubert took five years to write
Madame Bovary
because
A)
he was lazy and didn't often work
B) he was an exact and careful writer
C) he wanted it to be his best novel
D) his handwriting was very poor
E) he made a lot of mistakes at first
2. Flaubert's trial
A)
was written about in a series of magazines in 1856
B) came about because his book wasn't well-written
C) caused Flaubert to lose popularity in society
D) took place because his writing offended some people
E) became the subject of the following novel he wrote
3. As mentioned in the passage, in the novel
Madame Bovary,
A)
Flaubert's personal feelings about the middle class are reflected
B) the character of Emma Bovary is based on a real person
C) Flaubert wrote about a working class woman who led a revolt
D) the plot was the attitude of the bourgeoisie towards works of art
E) Flaubert's scorn for his central character, Emma Bovary, is apparent
E XE R CI S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
Many British people are
to the introduction of a single European
currency - they'd much rather keep the British pound than change to the European euro.
2.
My friend Dan is a professional magician and he can do some wonderful tricks. I've often
asked him to show me how he does them, but he always replies that a magician must never
his secrets.
3. The little boy had to
to open the gate - he wasn't quite tall enough, so
it was very difficult for him.
4. Although Dawn had had respect for her manager, when she discovered that he'd been
stealing from the company pension fund, she felt nothing but
for him.
5.
I don't think that Susan wrote this essay herself. She usually makes quite a lot of mistakes,
hut t h i s nnp» is
ELS • 191
THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIETY
There has been an emphasis, recently, on the possibility that society itself, or
the group culture, may be producing the mental illness, emotional instability and
distortions of personality which apparently are widespread. Various writers have
pointed out that man's basic needs are being extensively thwarted by the demands
of society. According to this view, man no longer may be an individual or develop his
imagination, reason, and creative powers; and he is prevented, because of society's
compartmentalizing, from achieving feelings of relatedness - of loving and being
loved. Because of the competitive demands of civilization, man now strives for
"things" rather than for his own development. He feels himself to be merely a pawn
rather than a contributing member of society. If he rebels, he is subject to
punishment by society; but if, on the other hand, he submits, he may become simply
a stereotyped, pedestrian member of society and thus lose much of his urge toward
creativity and individuality. As an example, the psychologist Erich Fromm suggests
that society produces in its members what he calls "a socially patterned defect."
E X E RC I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
the tendency to behave in an unpredictable or
changeable manner
b) the quality of being twisted out of shape or
caused to work in a different manner than
normal
c) prevent something or someone from
accomplishing a purpose
d) separate into distinct parts or categories
e) try very hard to do, achieve, or possess
something
f) someone who is used or manipulated to further
someone else's own purposes
g) resist or rise against some authority, control, or
tradition
h) give over or yield oneself to the power or
authority of someone else
i) fixed or settled in form; conventional;
characterized in a conventional and
oversimplified way
j) ordinary or unoriginal in a dull and boring way
k) a feeling or impulse that causes someone to
act or do something
I) caused to fit into a certain form, shape, or
system of behavior
m) a fault or imperfection in design that usually
causes inadequacy or failure
192
ELS
EX E RCI S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. According to the passage, it seems that
A)
disorders such as mental illness are not uncommon
B) man is becoming more and more stereotyped
C) there are no longer any contributing members of society
D) the development of the group culture must be emphasized
E) men are neither imaginative nor creative these days
2. It is argued in the passage that
A)
man must be punished if he rebels
B)
you cannot be an individual with imagination and creativity
C) man only needs the basics in today's society
D) the demands of society prevent man's individuality
E) people are very pedestrian these days
3. An individual
A)
with distortions of personality cannot fit into the group culture
B) is constantly competing for his own development
C) who doesn't comply with the rules of society may be punished
D) develops emotional instability if he is not part of a society
E) strives to be a contributing member of society
EX E RC IS E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1. I
rarely eat sweet things, but very occasionally I get the
to go out and
buy an enormous bar of chocolate.
2. The
image of an English person is of someone who is very cold,
reserved, and unemotional, but this is not at all true.
3. What he said to the manager was such a
of the facts that I'm surprised
he was believed.
4.
Because of a
in the ignition the car wouldn't start.
5. The country's economy will never recover while there is so much
in the
government.
ELS • 193
THE HABIT OF CHEERFULNESS
There are scarcely any moments that won't benefit from a humorous remark or
a cheerful lift. Yet still, some people regularly complain about everything, griping at
the taxes and the political opposition and lambasting everyone around them.
Frequently the gripers wind up in the doctor's office. But I know many executives
who carry on under tremendous pressure as affably and kindly as a girl skipping
down the street. They are the people who get along and stay out of the hospitals. It
is particularly important in family life to develop the habit of pleasant conversation.
Do not - for either your own, your children's, or your digestion's sake - make the
family meal a recitation of troubles, anxieties, fears, warnings, and accusations. And
what is more important, don't let the feeling pervade your family that everyone is so
taken for granted that a pleasantry or kind word is unnecessary. The crabbed note
that clangs daily in so many families is a good foundation for many of the neurotic
characteristics of later life.
E X E R C I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
receive good (from)
b) amusing; funny
c) comment; something that is said (often
casually)
d) complain; moan
e) scold violently
f) finish; end up
(phrase)
g) person holding a high level position in a
company
h) very great
i) pleasantly; politely; in a way that makes
someone easy to talk to
j) method of walking by jumping lightly and
quickly from one foot to the other
k) especially
I) in order to help someone; for the good of
someone
m) saying a list of things aloud
n) statement that someone has done wrong or is
to be blamed
o) spread through every part
p) benefit from without showing any appreciation
(phrase)
q) bad-tempered; easily irritated
r) make a loud, deep, ringing noise
s) starting-point from which something is built or
develops; basis
194 • ELS
•
:
]
•
:
:
'
: :
i-:- ••
:
:
::
E XE R CI S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. The writer states by giving an example that, even under great pressure,
A)
many executives show no more sense than a young girl
B) a lot of people refuse to be admitted to hospital
C) the government will not do anything to change taxes
D) there are people who manage to remain pleasant
E) some people are not even interested in the activities of their own families
2. We can infer from the writer's statement that
A)
he himself is
very
cheerful and has an excellent sense of humour
B) families with an unpleasant atmosphere are not uncommon
C) to avoid indigestion it is best to eat one's meals in silence
D) neurotic characteristics are never apparent in the young
E) in a close family relationship, kind words are not necessary
3. The writer states that many people who habitually complain too much
A)
pay more taxes than everyone else
B) are taken for granted by their families
C) eventually make themselves ill
D) are rarely under any pressure
E) are members of opposition parties
E XE RC I S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1,
1.
The opening of the new gallery attracted
interest from both the art
world and the general public.
2. A marriage cannot survive without a
of mutual trust and respect.
3. The discontent among a small group of workers
the entire company
and left an atmosphere of insecurity.
4. Perhaps if you were to send her some flowers occasionally, instead of just
her
, she wouldn't be so irritable.
5. I thought the play was quite
, but no one else in the theatre appeared
to be laughing.
ELS
•
195
BIGGER MAY NOT BE BETTER
You go out for dinner and order spaghetti with your favourite sauce. The pasta
is so plentiful that it's falling off the plate. Yes, your meal is appetizing. But isn't it
more than you bargained for?
In an era when consumers look for great deals, it often seems as though the
bigger things are, the better value for your money. "Supersize it," the slogan from a
fast-food restaurant chain, seems to sum it up. But more isn't always better -
particularly when it comes to weight loss. Sometimes leaving a little food on your
plate is worth much more than the dollar it might cost. Watching your total food
intake, not just limiting unhealthy foods, is the key to good health and permanent
weight loss. Healthy foods are not without any restrictions. Excess calories from any
food, not just fatty or fried ones, can cause weight gain.
In today's "the-more-you-get-the-better" society, package sizes keep
growing. Giant bottles of soda, extra large bags of chips, and king-size
candy bars are all the rage. But as these foods get larger, so
do our waistlines. Bigger packages and food items
W
apparently distort portion control. In fact, research from
the University of Illinois shows that some people tend to
eat more from larger food containers. When movie-goers
were given popcorn containers of two different sizes, the
people given the larger ones ate 44 percent more.
E X E R C I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
a type of food made from a mixture of flour,
eggs, and water that is formed into different
shapes
b) existing in large amounts
c) tasty; savory
d) expect to happen
(phrase)
e) a person who buys goods or uses services
f) summarize; describe briefly
(phrase)
g) pay attention to something in order to see what
happens or what develops
h) the amount of food, drink, or air that you eat,
drink, or breathe
i) continuing or enduring without marked change;
lasting forever
j) something limiting what you can do
k) a larger amount than is necessary or normal
i) massive; huge and bulky
m) very popular and fashionable
(phrase)
n) the measurement around one's waist
o) seeming to be the case
p) change in a negative way
196
U
EL S
EX E RCI S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. According to the passage, it is the trend today
A)
not to worry about one's weight
B) to eat healthy foods only
C) for customers not to be very knowledgeable about prices
D) to regard leaving food on your plate as a waste of money
E) to sell food and drink in large packages
2. From the details in the passage, it is clear that currently
A)
average body size is expanding at the same time as package sizes are getting bigger
B) we are eating healthier food, although we are eating more
C) portions at fast-food restaurants are getting smaller
D) "Supersize it" is a marketing slogan that doesn't actually mean an increase in portion size
E) people eat the same amount regardless of package size
3. We can infer from the passage that overly large portions of healthy food
A)
can nevertheless make us gain weight
B) are just as bad to our health as junk food
C) are essential for our long-term health
D) may put us off our food completely
E) are no longer trendy
E XE RCI S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE
1.
1.
As we need to leave soon for the theatre, I have made a quick meal of
with meat sauce.
2. My uncle eats all of the time, as a result he has a very large
3. When the big bully decided to pick a fight with little Randy, who looked so small and weak,
he quickly found that he'd got more than he had
because Randy was
a black belt in judo.
4. Doctors recommend that women should not consume more than the equivalent of fourteen
glasses of wine a week and that men's
should not exceed twenty-one
glasses.
5. There have been ideal growing conditions for strawberries this year, and so they are quite
now.
ELS • 197
TO TEACH OR NOT TO TEACH
Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that children develop - intellectually,
physically, and emotionally - much like plants. He believed, moreover, that children
are innately good, but that all social institutions, including schools, are evil and
distort children into their own image. He doubted, therefore, that there should be
formal schools at all. Whether there were or not, however, he believed that the aim
of education should be the natural development of the learner. Between the ages of
two and twelve, Rousseau envisioned the cultivation of the body and the senses, not
the intellect. When the youngster's intellect begins to develop, between the ages of
twelve and fifteen, he can begin the study of such things as science and geography.
This study, however, should begin not with an organized body of abstract
knowledge, but with the things that interest the child. He must learn not by
memorizing, but by firsthand experience. Only when he is fifteen years of age should
book learning begin. Since Rousseau believed that the child is innately good and
that the aim of education should be his natural development, there would be little for
the teacher to do except stand aside and watch.
E X E R C I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
relating to one's feelings
b) naturally; being born with (a certain quality)
c) very bad; wicked and harmful
d) be uncertain about something
e) based on, or done according to, accepted rules
and customs
f) have an image of something
g) development; raising
h) channels of perceiving the physical world, e.g.
sight and hearing
(plural)
i) the power of thinking
j) learning and remembering something exactly
k) learnt directly from personal participation and
not from other people
(phrase)
I) be uninvolved; keep out of the way
(phrase)
198
ELS
E XE RC I S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. Following Rousseau's opinion, we can say that
A)
children should only be allowed to develop the abilities they are born with
B) evildoers are not born with their bad qualities but learn them through social institutions
C) schools and other educational facilities are the worst social institutions
D) there should definitely be no formal education or schools for children
E) children are born fully developed intellectually, physically, and emotionally
2. Rousseau believed that, once a child reaches the age of about 12, he
A)
may start studying the natural world, which offers him firsthand experience
B) should start reading books, but alone, not with a teacher
C) should be ready to start using his powers of reason for more abstract things
D) is old enough to be sent to a formal school and be taught abstract knowledge
E) will naturally know almost everything he needs to know
3. We can conclude that, according to Rousseau's ideology, a child should be taught by
A)
teachers who have little interest in children's development
B) teachers who have a lot of personal experience and knowledge
C) teachers who will allow him to discover things for himself
D) other children in the same situation, and not by adults at all
E) teachers who specialize in physical education and nothing else
E X E RC I S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
The only way to learn how to ski is through
You can read about it in a
book, but until you actually try it, you won't understand the technique.
2.
Since they can't see, blind people have to rely on their other
,
especially hearing.
3.
I
that Mert wrote this by himself - his English is generally quite weak,
but this is rather well-written.
4.
History is a boring subject if it's just a case of
dates and names, but
it's absolutely fascinating when you start to examine the causes and effects of events.
5. Ruth Lawrence-the little girl who went to Oxford University at the age of 12-obviously had a
powerful
, but it's unlikely that she was emotionally prepared for living
in such an adult environment.
ELS • 199
ROMANTICISM
If one term can be used to describe the forces that have shaped the modern
world, it is Romanticism. Romanticism had a dynamic impact on art, literature,
science, religion, economics, politics, and the individual's understanding of self.
There is no single commonly accepted definition of Romanticism, but it has some
features upon which there is general agreement. First of all, it was a rejection of the
Enlightenment and its emphasis upon human reason. The Enlightenment thinkers
asserted that the world of nature is rationally ordered and that human reason,
therefore, can analyze, understand, and use it. On the basis of this understanding, a
rational society can be constructed. These were ideas that were almost totally
opposed by Romantics. Romanticism did not appear suddenly. If a date were to be
chosen, however, 1774 would be a useful one. It was the year of the publication of
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's
Sorrows of Werther,
a novel about a young man
who is so disappointed in love that he kills himself. This fictional suicide brought on
many real ones as the novel's vogue swept across Europe.
E X E R C I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
someone or something that has a strong
influence
b) make something into a particular form
c) a strong effect that one thing or person has on
another
d) a person or thing referred to in terms of its
complete individuality
e) generally
f) a statement which explains the exact meaning
of something
g) a refusal to accept something
h) special importance given to something
i) the ability to think and form opinions based on
facts
j) state an opinion forcefully
k) (be) arranged
I) (be) made; (be) created
m) unhappiness
n) happening in a story, not in real life
o) the act of killing oneself
,
p) fashionable popularity
q) spread quickly
200 • ELS
EX E RCI S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. Concerning a definition of Romanticism, it is made clear in the passage that
A)
nobody agrees on anything about this movement
B) Romanticism developed in parallel to the Enlightenment
C) nobody has ever attempted to define exactly what it was
D) it's difficult to define the term and there's much disagreement
E) it had many ideas in common with the Enlightenment
2. It may be inferred from the passage that Romantics believed that
A)
human beings were not capable of understanding and controlling nature
B) the Enlightenment produced many important and useful ideas
C) an ordered society was more important than any individual person
D) the human mind could understand and analyze the natural world
E) it was possible for humans to construct an ordered and rational society
3.
The Sorrows of Werther
A) was written in 1774 as a textbook on Romanticism
B) apparently caused many people to kill themselves
C) was little-known when written, but is quite famous today
D) is acknowledged as the book which created Romanticism overnight
E) was the true story of a man who killed himself for love
EX ER CI S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
One of the major problems with organ transplants is not the transplant itself, but the body's
of the new organ - the body has a tendency to rid itself of all foreign
matter.
2.
My first visit to a slaughterhouse had such an enormous
on me that I
immediately quit eating all meat and all animal products, and I am still a vegan to this day.
3.
Canis lupus
known as the wolf, is being found increasingly in
Switzerland, according to recent reports.
4.
People who look after young children have a great responsibility, as they help to
the child's personality and to create the person that the child will
become in later life.
5. The company does most of its business abroad, and therefore, places a great deal of
on its employees being able to speak at least one foreign language.
ELS 201
I
WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?
The Roman writer Seneca once commented: "All things are cause either for
laughter or weeping." The 18th-century French dramatist Pierre-Augustin
Beaumarchais echoed Seneca's words by stating: "I hasten to laugh at everything,
for fear of being obliged to weep." Both Seneca and Beaumarchais understood that
laughing and crying are closely related emotional responses to some kind of outside
stimulus. They knew that in life, as in drama, comedy and tragedy are never far
apart. Both laughing and crying serve to release tension. Laughter, like weeping, is a
reflex action rooted in the central nervous system and its related hormones. It is
expressed in the contraction of certain facial muscles and in altered breathing
patterns. The stimulus that brings forth laughter is called humour. To define laughter
and humour in this way, however, is to leave unanswered two questions: firstly, why
do people laugh; and secondly, just what is funny, or humorous? The questions are
difficult to answer because emotions and the reasons for them are not easily
analyzed.
E X E R C I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
crying
b) repeat what someone else has meant; repeat
or imitate the words, sentiments, etc. of a
person
c) act quickly
d) (be) made to feel it is necessary to do
something
e) relating to feelings
f) reaction to something
g) something which causes someone or
something to react in a certain way
h) perform a function
i) (be) caused by; originate from
{phrase)
j) the act of becoming smaller or shorter
k) relating to the face
I) changed
m) produce; cause to happen
(phrase)
n) examine closely and in detail in order to
understand
202 ELS
EX E RCI S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. Seneca and Beaumarchais would have agreed that
A)
there is nothing in life that cannot be seen as funny in some way
B) it is necessary to cry if something isn't at all humorous
C) the best way to deal with unpleasant events is to laugh at them
D) everything in life could be seen as either humorous or tragic
E) you should be careful about whether a particular situation requires you to laugh or to cry
2. Laughing and crying are similar in that
A)
each action provides the body with stimulation
B) they both leave people somewhat relaxed
C) they are both the result of excessive hormones
D) many people cannot distinguish the difference between them
E) they are produced by the same stimuli
3. It is difficult to define humour and identify the causes of laughter because
A)
people find it difficult to look at comedy seriously
B) most people are much more concerned with tragedy
C) people get nervous when being studied and so cannot laugh
D) the physical responses to humour are already known
E) there is no easy way to study emotions scientifically
EX E RC I S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
Most things get smaller in cold weather, so engineers must consider the effects of this
when designing buildings and bridges.
2.
I don't actually enjoy buying Christmas presents for my family, but as it is a longstanding
tradition, I'm
to do it if I don't want to hurt their feelings.
3.
Isaac has few ideas of his own and simply tends to
whatever his older
brother says.
4.
If you're planning to go anywhere during the upcoming holiday, I recommend that you
to book your tickets now. If you wait, all the planes may be full up.
5. Delia went to Budapest on holiday and when she returned, her appearance was so
that I hardly recognized her. It seems that she went there for cosmetic
surgery.
ELS
rj
203
BOUNCING BALLS AND BEATING HEARTS
Over 200 years ago, the British chemist Joseph Priestley received an intriguing
bouncy ball from an American friend. It was made of a material he had not seen
before. Priestley noticed that it could rub away pencil marks, and so he named the
material rubber. Not only has the name stuck, but since then rubber has become so
important to modern society that it is hard to imagine life without it. The flexibility,
elasticity, and durability of natural and synthetic rubbers have made them the choice
materials for products that cushion shocks, soften blows, dampen vibrations,
transmit power, and perform in many other ways. Tires, automotive components,
electrical insulation, conveyor belts, theatre seats, building materials, footwear,
elastic bands, tennis balls, surgical gloves, artificial hearts, and refrigerator linings -
these are only a sampling of the huge and growing list of products that are
completely or partly made of rubber.
EX E R C I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a) causing great interest
b) able to spring back after striking a surface
c) erase; remove
(phrase)
d) become or remain fixed
e) the quality of being able to be bent
f) the quality of being able to be stretched
g) the quality of being able to last a long time
h) absorb and lessen the impact
i) a hard hit, given using the fist or a weapon
-.
j) make something feel less strong
k) one of the parts which make up something
I) any material that covers or fills something in
order to prevent energy from escaping
m) a device which uses a continuous band of
moving rubber to transport items
(phrase)
n) relating to medical purposes
o) the inside covering of something
20 4
ELS
EX E R CI S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. Priestly called the new material rubber,
A)
as was instructed by his American friend
B) because it was soft and could easily be rubbed
C) since he had shaped the ball by rubbing it on a hard surface
D) having been inspired by one of its functions
E) as it could rub surfaces without wearing them out
2. If rubber had not been discovered
A)
people would have to use synthetic substitutes instead
B) there would not be any shoes, chairs, or gloves
C) people would be even less imaginative than they are now
D) life today would be considerably different from what it is
E) there's a good chance that human life would have ended
3. The passage makes it clear that, at present, there are many types of products made
from rubber,
A)
though it seems that many are being replaced by plastics
B) and it seems quite likely that there will be more in the future
C) despite the fact that the material tends to wear out quickly
D) but people tend to stay away from the material and use natural substitutes instead
E) yet they are only available in technologically advanced countries
EX ERC IS E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
Bungee jumpers trust their lives to the
of a product known as a
bungee - they know it will be able to stretch enough to absorb the shock of their fall, but at
the same time, will not break from the strain.
2.
Levi jeans are known for their
as well as their comfort, so people are
willing to pay more for them because they know the jeans will last a long time.
3. In cold climates, most people put a layer of
inside their walls - this not
only keeps the house warmer by preventing the heat from escaping, but it also reduces
heating bills.
4. The more she read about the way that Anne Frank's family managed to live hidden from the
Nazis for so long, the more
their story seemed.
5.
I bought a special pot with a Teflon
- the inside is coated with the
material, which allows me to cook without worrying about food sticking to the pot.
ELS • 205
HENRY FORD: HUMANITARIAN AND BUSINESSMAN?
Other American industrialists and factory managers were stunned when
automobile manufacturer Henry Ford announced in 1914 that he would pay his
assembly line workers $5.00 a day and reduce the working day from nine to eight
hours. The average daily wage in American industry at the time was $2.34. He
became world famous almost overnight. Opponents derided Ford as a socialist,
while supporters called him a great humanitarian. Actually, Ford had simply come to
understand that mass production required a society composed of many consumers,
not just a few wealthy people amid a multitude of poor. He was making cars for the
middle class and knew that sales depended on the existence of a middle class able
to afford them, preferably including his own workers. This notion went against the
grain of most American businessmen, who believed that low wages, coupled with the
highest possible prices, were necessary to make a profit.
E X E R CI S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
(be) shocked
b) a production process in a factory where each
worker does one task before the product is
moved on to the next worker
(phrase)
c) in a very short period of time
d) mock someone because you consider him
foolish
e) a person who does things for the general good
of people or society
f) only; merely
g) the system of making large numbers of the
same item
(phrase)
h) a person who buys a product
i) among
j) a very large number
k) idea
I) be in conflict with normal behaviour
(phrase)
m) together with
(phrase)
20 6 • ELS
E XE RC I S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. We can infer from the passage that Henry Ford revolutionized American industry by
A)
producing automobiles everyone could afford
B) preaching socialist values to his own employees
C) setting new standards in wages and working hours
D) making people work in factories from 8 to 9 hours each day
E) supporting consumers although he himself was a manufacturer
2. The principal motivation behind Ford's pay scheme was
A)
to attract skillful workers from other companies
B) to make other wealthy business owners help the poor
C) to redistribute wealth by giving more money to the poor
D) to eliminate the need for charitable organizations
E) to create a larger market for mass-produced goods
3. The passage informs us that, before Henry Ford's innovations, American businessmen
A)
depended heavily on the middle class both as employees and as customers
B) refused to pay workers more than $2.34 for each nine-hour shift of work
C) were well-known for their generosity and concern for poor people
D) believed in making profit margins high by keeping wages low
E) didn't devote much effort to the concept of producing high quality goods
E X E RC I S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
Jeff is practising his guitar vigorously for hours every day, but he has no intention of
becoming a professional musician; he
loves to play it.
2. When Columbus suggested that it was possible to sail to India by going west, instead of east,
many people
him for his idea.
3.
In the 1960s, many people decided to
and live in a manner in conflict
with the rest of society - they were known as hippies and were often harrassed by the police.
4.
My friend Lucy has the strange
that she is the least-liked person in her
family. I don't know where she got this idea from, but she's convinced it's true.
5. When her telephone bill arrived, Helen was
-she had expected it to be
around £25, but it was, in fact, closer to £200.
ELS 207
THE WANDERING MINSTREL
The tales told by minstrels during the Middle Ages are called romances. At that
time, the nobles of Europe lived in desolate castles. There were few books to read,
and travel was difficult. In such a life, visitors were eagerly welcomed, and most
welcome of all was the minstrel. The family would gather around the fireplace of the
great hall to hear the minstrel chant his thrilling tales. Through the minstrels' songs
ran the theme of chivalry. Chivalry taught knights to defend the church, to make war
against infidels, to be courteous and to keep their word. Around these ideals, and
around the stories of history and legend that exemplified them, the minstrel built his
ballads. They were called romances because the minstrels used one of the
Romance languages. The theme of all these early romances is a quest or search.
The knight in the story may be seeking the Holy Grail, a lost mistress or mother or
father, forgiveness for a sin, or simply adventure for its own sake.
EX ER C I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a) a musician who used to travel around the
country playing and singing songs
b) a person who belongs to a high social class
and has a title
c) lonely; far away from anything else
d) keenly; enthusiastically
e) come together
f) sing or speak rhythmically
g) very exciting
h) a code of good behaviour in the Middle Ages
i) a person with a different religion from the
speaker's own or with no religion
j) polite and respectful towards others
k) do what one has promised to do
(phrase)
I) be or give a typical example of something
m) a simple song or poem which tells a story
n) the state of being no longer angry with one for
doing something wrong
o) an offence against God or against a religious
law
p) not for any other reason or purpose
(phrase)
208 • ELS
EX E RCI S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. One of the reasons why minstrels were popular in the Middle Ages was that
A)
the majority of the people were very romantic
B) very few people had the ability to read
C) the minstrels were generally of noble birth
D) people had little entertainment in their lives
E) people preferred listening to music to reading books
2. We may infer from the passage that in the Middle Ages, knights were supposed to be
A)
honourable, honest, and well-mannered
B) warlike, savage, and barbaric
C) fluent in all the Romance languages
D) extremely hospitable to strangers
E) forgiving towards other people
3. We learn from the passage that the ballads which the minstrels sang
A)
were usually romantic love songs
B) were intended to teach people history
C) were about a hero with a mission
D) were based on real personalities
E) were written long before the Middle Ages
EX E R CI S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
Our trip to Eurodisney was a great success - th e kids found it so
that
they hardly slept the whole weekend and it took several weeks for the excitement to wear off.
2.
Politicians make all sorts of promises before they are elected, but not many of them
once they are in office.
3.
Nancy often knits in the evenings while she is watching television. It's not that she likes
having a lot of jumpers and scarves, but she just enjoys knitting
4.
I won't go to that restaurant again because the waiters are so rude. I don't mind when the
service is slow, but I do think that the staff should at least be
5. The murderer turned to religion while he was in jail, and spent most of his time asking God
for
for his crime.
ELS • 209
CREATIVE WRITING
The term creative writing means imaginative writing, or writing as an art. The
primary concern of creative writing is not with factual information, or with the more
routine forms of communication. It does, however, use many of the same skills. A
novel, for example, may contain much sociological, political or psychological
information. Scholars may study it for such information, just as Sigmund Freud
studied literature for accounts of dreams and emotional states. No true novel,
however, is written to communicate facts. Like other forms of creative writing, it
attempts to produce in its reader the pleasure of an aesthetic experience. It tries to
uncover form and meaning in the turmoil of love, hate, violence, tedium, habit, and
the brutal facts which people must deal with from day to day. The novelist and short-
story writer John Cheever, when asked why he wrote, said, "To try to make sense
out of my life." Whether it takes the form of poem, short story, novel, play, personal
essay, or even biography or history, creative writing is certain to involve some search
for meaning, a measure of wonder and discovery, and a degree of personal
involvement in the result.
E X E R C I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
a word or expression
b) regular and usual
c) description
d) event or thing known to have happened or
existed
e) the feeling of happiness or satisfaction resulting
from an experience that you enjoy
f) related to a sense of beauty
g) a state of confusion, excitement, and anxiety
h) the use of physical force to hurt or harm
someone; very great force of feeling or action
i) boredom
j) rough and cruel
k) a feeling of strangeness, surprise, and
admiration
I) the state of being connected with someone or
something
210 ELS
EX E R C I S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. One can understand from the passage that creative writing
A)
is the most common form of communication
B) contains little factually correct information
C) requires less skill than other forms of writing
D) may provide information useful in research
E) may be found in certain reference books
2. The author tells us that novels
A)
try to hide the worst aspects of life
B) attempt to interpret life through art
C) can make people feel very depressed
D) are only read by artistically-minded people
E) let us experience the extraordinary things in life
3. One point that John Cheever's quote illustrates is that
A)
creative writing can be very informative
B) he is not really a terribly creative writer
C) biography is generally better than fiction
D) it's difficult to find meaning in creative writing
E) creative writing involves the writer personally
E X E R C I S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
I didn't enjoy the film because there was too much
in it. I don't enjoy
watching people getting hurt and killed.
2.
Mary didn't have any health problems - she just went to see her doctor for a/an
medical checkup, so she was quite alarmed when he said he wanted
to run further tests on her.
3.
I'm writing a report on the robbery for the local paper. As you were in the shop when the
robbers came in, I wonder if you could give me a/an
of what
happened.
4.
The greatest
I can think of is lying outside in a hammock on a warm
summer's evening, reading a good book.
5. Florence resigned from her job at the accountancy firm the other day. The salary was good
and the work wasn't difficult, but she couldn't stand the
of it any
more - she had to do the same things every day.
ELS • 211
THE FIRST RENAISSANCE MAN
The term Renaissance man was coined to describe the genius of Leonardo da
Vinci. He was a man of so many accomplishments in so many areas of human
endeavour that his like has rarely been seen in human history. Casual patrons of the
arts know him as the painter of "La Gioconda" - more commonly called the "Mona
Lisa" - and of the exquisite "Last Supper", which is painted on the wall of the dining
hall in a monastery in Milan. These paintings alone would have assured him
enduring fame as an artist, but they should not obscure the fact that he was also a
sculptor, an architect, and a man of science who did serious investigations into the
natural and physical sciences, mathematics, mechanics, and engineering. More than
300 years before flying machines were perfected, Leonardo had devised plans for
prototypes of an airplane and a helicopter. His extensive studies of human anatomy
were portrayed in anatomical drawings, which were among the most significant
achievements of Renaissance science. His remarkable illustrations of the human
body elevated drawing into a means of scientific investigation and exposition, and
provided the basic principles for modern scientific illustration.
E X E RC I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
a man with many abilities in diverse fields
(phrase)
b) achievement
c) things people try to do
(phrase)
d) an equal
e) informal; non-professional; untrained
f) one who supports artistic activity
(phrase)
g) extremely beautiful, delicate, or sensitive
h) guarantee [verb]
i) make unclear; hide
j) an artist who makes statues
k) an early model, usually experimental, of
something
I) (be) demonstrated; (be) depicted
m) a drawing or picture for giving an example or
explanation of something
n) increase someone or something in status or
importance
o) a detailed explanation of something
212 • ELS
E X E R C I S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. Da Vinci's achievements in the arts
A)
made it unnecessary for him to work in science
B) prevented people from taking his medical achievements seriously
C) demonstrate only one of his many and varied talents
D) helped him finance his revolutionary work in aeronautics
E) were of a higher quality than his work in the field of physics
2. In the field of aeronautics, da Vinci
A)
was the first man to construct a working airplane or helicopter
B) built the first working models of machines used for human flight
C) developed a couple of flying machines, but they were far from perfect
D) designed flying machines centuries before anyone actually built them
E) used his artistic talents to make some of the most beautiful planes ever
3. Da Vinci's work on human anatomy
A)
allowed for great advancement in the field of medicine
B) provided illustrations still used by doctors in the 20th century
C) were important because they were done during the Renaissance
D) came from his desire to paint people with greater accuracy
E) increased the importance of drawing in the scientific process
EX E R C I S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
Modern developments have
many charming views in this once
spectacular and picturesque town.
2.
It was quite convenient that the instructions for the bookcase contained
as well as words - I couldn't read them as I don't know any Japanese,
but by using the pictures, I had no problem putting it together.
3. Before 1991, many people had never even heard of Kuwait, but the fact that a large war was
fought over it
its status among world nations and now everyone knows
of its existence.
4. My brother has
me a job as a secretary in his accounting firm, but I'm
not certain that I want to work in such a tedious job.
5. Hitler was a very charismatic figure who used his ability to control people to cause untold
destruction. Hopefully his
will never be seen again, as the world can't
handle another person like him.
ELS 213
WITHOUT A TRACE
When a catastrophe strikes a ship at sea and she goes to the bottom, there is
usually some clue to her fate - a bit of debris or perhaps a floating life jacket. Five
years after her sinking, a life jacket from the
Lusitania
was found, for example,
floating along a wharf in Philadelphia - thousands of miles from where the ship went
down in 1915. But in the case of the British freighter
Waratah,
and that of the US
Navy collier
Cyclops,
no clues have ever been brought forward. The 16,800-ton
Waratah,
only a year old, was last sighted off the coast of South Africa in 1909. The
ship had been described by some as top-heavy and may have flipped over in heavy
seas; with her vanished 211 people. Equally mystifying is the disappearance of the
Cyclops,
a 19,000-ton ship with 309 people aboard, about seven months before the
end of World War I. She was last heard from in March 1918 while en route to
Baltimore from the West Indies. Since no logical explanation has ever been offered
for her disappearance, the US Navy file on the
Cyclops
has never been closed.
EX E R C I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
a sudden event that causes great damage
b) happen suddenly to something
c) something that helps to find the answer to a
problem
d) the end of something; what happened to
something
e) scattered fragments of something that has
been destroyed
f) a place where ships can be tied up to load or
unload
g) a ship for carrying goods
h) a ship for carrying coal
i) (be) shown or made public
(phrasal verb)
j) having too much weight on the top and not
enough on the bottom
k) turn so that the bottom is on top
(phrasal verb)
I) disappear
m) on the way somewhere
(phrase)
n) sensible; reasonable
21 4
ELS
E X E R C I S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. We learn from the passage that when a ship sinks
A)
it often creates a small-scale environmental disaster
B) there are usually no signs of it until several years later
C) the passengers are sometimes not rescued for several years
D) there is generally some evidence about what happened to it
E) most of its contents float on the sea for many years
2. The
Waratah
and the
Cyclops
are interesting in that
A)
despite being from different countries, they caused each other to disappear
B) nobody knows anything about what happened to them, though they were big ships
C) though the
Waratah
was a passenger ship, the
Cyclops,
which wasn't, lost more people
D) the people who know what happened to them are unwilling to tell anyone
E) they both disappeared at exactly the same place, though on different dates
3. Since what happened to the
Cyclops
is unknown
A)
we must assume that it was sunk by an enemy vessel during the war
B) it's quite obvious that the crew weren't wearing their life jackets
C) the investigation into its disappearance has never been formally ended
D) it would be wrong to assume that the 211 men on board are dead
E) the best explanation would be that it was a poorly-designed ship
E X E R CI S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
After the explosion the
of destroyed buildings was found all over the
city.
2.
The most difficult part of making an omelette is when it's time to
it
so that the other side can be cooked - doing this without ruining it takes a lot of skill.
3. The legendary baseballer Babe Ruth had a very strange physique - he was quite
, as his massive arms were much bigger than his spindly legs.
4. Things such as pens, calculators, and note pads just seem to
in this
office if you don't keep an eye on them - I don't know if they're being "borrowed" by other
employees, or thrown away by the janitor.
5. Pan American flight 103 was
to New York from Germany when the
explosion occurred, killing a total of 270 people.
ELS • 215
MIGUEL GIL MORENO (1968-2000)
Even the most war-hardened journalists must have felt a cold shiver of shock
on the day that Miguel Gil Moreno was shot dead by rebels from Sierra Leone.
Miguel was killed close to where he had recently shot his last pictures, which were
images of
a
massacre of UN troops. The death of Miguel, who was just 32 years old,
deprived television news of the cameraman who shot some of the most compelling
and powerful images of war. Miguel did not start out as a photographer or journalist,
but as a lawyer. After graduating from Barcelona Central University Law School, he
practised law at a city firm before studying Human Rights at the Centre for Human
Rights in Barcelona. Miguel believed wholeheartedly in the right and obligation to
bear witness and to report. He soon gained himself a reputation for unequalled
brilliance in photographing human suffering during conflicts. He worked in dangerous
places such as Kosovo, the Congo and Sierra Leone. In 1998, he won the Rory
Peck Award for his Kosovo coverage. How many people will be brave enough, like
him, to go where the perpetrators of war would rather no one went? How many will
carry on the work of bringing the ugly and brutal truth into our comfortable lives?
E X E RC I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
quick slight vibrating movement
b) sudden and disturbing impression or violent
emotion
c) a person who takes arms against the
established government
d) murdering a very large number of people at the
same time in a violent and cruel way
e) soldiers
f) attracting strong interest
g) having great influence
h) carry out; do
i) supporting something enthusiastically and
completely
j) one's duty
k) state facts which establish truth
(phrase)
I) without comparison
m) misery; unhappiness; great physical, mental, o
emotional pain
n) struggle; fight
o) someone who has committed a harmful or
immoral act
p) savagely cruel
216 • ELS
EX E R C IS E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. It's mentioned in the passage that Miguel last photographed
A)
the ceremony of the Rory Peck Award
B) casualties of the Kosovan crisis
C) law graduates from Barcelona Central University
D) some war-hardened journalists
E) a mass killing of United Nations soldiers
2. The passage states that as a result of Miguel's death, television news
A)
hired bodyguards for all their journalists
B) only hired war-hardened journalists
C) no longer covered the war in Sierra Leone
D) did not send journalists into war zones
E) lost one of its brilliant cameramen
3. Before becoming a journalist and cameraman, Miguel
A)
worked as a lawyer
B) was a UN soldier
C) won the Rory Peck Award
D) escaped a massacre of UN troops
E) fought in the Kosovan War
EX E R C I S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column b in EXERCISE 1.
1.
A/An
of the Inca Emperor, Atahualpa, and South American Indians
took place when the Emperor refused to accept the Spanish King as ruler of Peru. The
Spanish commander, Francisco Pizarro, and his men shot over 2,000 unarmed Indians.
2. Most people believe that, as citizens of a nation, we all have certain
,
such as to pay our taxes and vote in elections.
3.
Indonesia's rule of the Island of East Timor was even more
than
Portugal's had been. Murder, beatings, and torture were common.
4.
Emmeline Pankhurst believed
in women's rights, and in 1903 she
founded the "Women's Social and Political Union".
5.
Mr. Campbell died of a heart attack, which had been brought on by the
of his wife's sudden death.
ELS • 2 17
THE DANGER OF HEIGHT
Emma Christoffersen was twenty-eight years old when she collapsed moments
after leaving a long flight from Australia. Her death highlighted the statistics
concerning health-related problems during long flights. In fact, more people die from
health-related incidents during flights than from air crashes. Studies show that poor
air quality, low oxygen levels, and cramped seating are triggering heart attacks and
deep vein thrombosis as well as causing contagious diseases among an increasingly
large number of passengers. Long periods of sitting in cramped quarters can cause
blood clots to form, especially in the legs and lower abdomen, which can cause deep
vein thrombosis, from which Emma died. Passengers have also contracted
tuberculosis through recycled air. Despite these problems, the airlines are not
addressing these issues and continue to reduce the space between seats. The
Aviation Health Institute advises that cabins be ventilated every three minutes, but at
present, the average is every ten. To minimize the risk to their health, passengers
are advised to exercise and drink plenty of water during a flight.
E X E R C I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
fall down suddenly, unexpectedly, and for no
clearly apparent reason
b) emphasize
c) facts or data of a numerical type
d) occurrence
e) collide with violently
f) lacking in some quality
g) rank on a scale of values
h) confined; restricted
i) initiate; start
j) spread by direct or indirect contact
k) belly
i) get; acquire (for illnesses or diseases)
m) lessen
n) distance
o) circulate fresh air in a room
p) the arithmetic mean
q) lessen to the lowest amount or degree
21 8
ELS
EX ERC IS E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. According to the passage, air crashes account for
A)
the greatest number of deaths during flights
B) far fewer deaths than are caused by tuberculosis
C) fewer fatalities than from those relating to health problems during flights
D) as many deaths as from heart attacks and deep vein thrombosis combined
E) only a small proportion of all accidental deaths
2. The author states that airlines are currently
A)
trying to provide more space for passengers
B) ignoring the health-related problems during flight
C) doing all they can to make their planes as safe as possible
D) providing passengers with such facilities as exercise or plenty of water during their flight
E) designing the ventilation systems to prevent any further spread of disease
3. The main factors contributing to health-related problems during flight that are
mentioned in the passage are
A)
the confined space in which a passenger has to sit and inadequate ventilation
B) poor safety instructions handed to the passengers by the cabin crew of the aircraft
C) the absence of any supply of liquid refreshment served while on board an aircraft
D) people travelling when they are suffering from health problems and contagious diseases
E) passengers not taking enough exercise before boarding a long flight
EX E R C I S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
When Maggie learnt of her son's death, she
to the floor immediately.
2. According to government
, the official rate of inflation is 25%.
3.
I don't enjoy travelling by coach with that company because the seating conditions are so
4.
I'm afraid Erin can't come to the party today because the doctor thinks her illness might be
, and, so if she came, she might pass it on to the other children.
5. A glue factory has to be well
in order to keep the air quality for the
workers at a reasonable level.
ELS • 219
FROM HASHSHASHIN TO ASSASSIN
The adoption of assassination as a political weapon derives from the Islamic
world of the 11th century. A secret order of Muslims was founded in Persia in about
1090 by a man named Hasan-i-Sabbah. After gaining control of a mountain fortress
near the Caspian Sea, Hasan founded a sect to fight his political enemies by means
of murder. Hasan and his followers were known as Nizaris and belonged to the
Isma'ili branch of Shi'i Islam. For two centuries this secret organization terrorized the
Middle East. Hasan, who gained the nickname "Old Man of the Mountain" from his
fortress hideaway, is said to have given his followers a vision-inducing drug called
hashish, made from Indian hemp. The visions of Islamic paradise brought on by the
drug persuaded his disciples that they would have a glorious afterlife if they followed
Hasan's orders and killed his enemies. The killers were called Hashshashin, the
plural of an Arabic word meaning "one who smokes hashish." This name was
eventually corrupted into its present form, assassin.
E X E RC I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
the taking up and using of something
b) a murder, usually of a politically important or
prominent person
c) trace something's origins from
d) kept from public knowledge
e) a group or class of persons set off from others
by some trait or quality
f) establish
g) get by effort; win
h) power over something
i) a fortified place
j) a subdivision of a larger religious group
k) a way by which something is done or obtained
I) make someone submit by filling them with fear
m) a substitute name, usually descriptive
n) a hiding place or secluded spot
o) having the power to cause hallucinations
p) in the Qur'an, a wonderful garden of delights
promised to the faithful after death
q) a follower of a leader or ideal, especially
religious, political, or philosophical
r) splendid; magnificent
s) life after death
t) finally; after a long period of time
u) made different from the original by errors or
alterations
220 • ELS
EX ER C IS E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. The passage describes how Hasan-i-Sabbah
A)
sold the drug called hashish, which was made from Indian hemp
B) founded the Isma'ili branch of Islam
C) fought against Persian terrorists
D) was eventually killed by one of his enemies
E) established a group of Muslims called Nizaris
2. The group of killers referred to in the passage were originally called by a name meaning
A)
people who use a particular drug
B) the old men of the mountain
C) those headed for paradise
D) great mountain fortress
E) the secret order of Muslims
3. According to the passage, for two hundred years the Nizaris
A)
ran a drug smuggling operation which brought hashish from India
B) led a secret life of silence and prayer as Isma'ili Shi'ites
C) instilled fear in the inhabitants of the Middle East
D) established a political system in the Islamic world
E) built a magnificent fortress beside the Caspian Sea
E XE R C I S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
The word "ghetto" is
from the old Italian word "borghetto", meaning a
settlement outside a walled city.
2.
From 740 to 1050 AD, warriors known as Vikings
coastal inhabitants
from Finland in the North to Constantinople in the South. They made dawn raids, killing
villagers, kidnapping youths, and stealing valuables.
3.
Harriet Tubman escaped slavery in 1849 and helped many other slaves reach freedom. She
was given the
"Moses of her People".
4. The folk hero Robin Hood reportedly lived in a/an
in Sherwood Forest.
His enemy, the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, never discovered where he and his men lived.
5. The
of Mahatma Gandhi by a religious fanatic, who was angry at
Gandhi's attempts to unite Hindus and Muslims, violently ended the life of one of the greatest
leaders of non-violence of all time.
ELS • 221
EX E R C IS E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. We understand from the passage that Michelangelo's frescoes
A)
were produced using the latest technology of the time
B) are hard to appreciate in this technological age
C) were a steppingstone for him to produce better ones
D) will some day lose their quality and value due to corrosion
E) will not be discarded by the creation of similar works
2. The main focus of the passage is that
A)
a work of art retains its value forever while a technological product is subject to replacement
by a better version
B) advancements have always been faster in painting techniques compared to those in music
C) the invention of the transistor has formed the basis of most technological development
D) people prefer the comfort of using a new technological product to spending their money on
works of art, which have no practical value
E) the various techniques of artistic processes which enabled great works of art to be produced
will some day be outmoded
3. It's clear from the passage that
A)
the move in technology is always forward
B) works of art are more important for humanity than technological products
C) some people have a tendency to revert to former periods
D) it's easier to produce imitations of great works of art using technology
E) no one has ever managed to produce better frescoes than Michelangelo
E X E RC IS E 3."
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
The new system for keeping customer records didn't seem to be working, so we
to the old one.
2. Of course, having a degree, she doesn't want to be a flight attendant all her life, but she is
hoping that it will be a/an
to a job in management in tourism.
3. The painting style of L.S. Lowry was very
This highly individual style
seemed simple, but on most of his paintings of Lancashire industrial scenes, there were
dozens of "matchstick" human figures, which were all individual.
4. This isn't a real Rolex watch, but a cheap
that I bought in a market in
Thailand.
5.
Her popularity
on her ability to be hilariously funny.
ELS • 223
BOGEY AND BACALL
The American actress Lauren Bacall first came into prominence as the husky-
voiced glamour girl who captivated Humphrey Bogart both on and off the screen, but
enduring talent enabled her to build a solid show business career that lasted for
more than 50 years. Bacall made her film debut opposite Bogart in "To Have and
Have Not" (1944). Dubbed "The Look" for hersophisticated mannerisms and sultry
eyes, Bacall was emulated by women across the United States. The real-life
romance of the two stars further generated interest in the film. They married in 1945
and had two children. The popular couple, often referred to as "Bogey and Bacall",
went on to appear together in "The Big Sleep" (1946), "Dark Passage" (1947), and
"Key Largo" (1948). Among Bacall's other early films were "How to Marry a
Millionaire" (1953), "Written on the Wind" (1956), and "Designing Woman" (1957).
Bogart, who was 25 years Bacall's senior, died of cancer in 1957. She married actor
Jason Robards, Jr., in 1961, and they had a son together before divorcing in 1969.
E X E RC I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
being held in high regard by the public;
notability
b) having a voice which sounds deep and rough
c) catch the attention or affection of
d) motion pictures collectively
e) lasting; permanent and durable
f) a superior, natural ability
g) characterized by no pauses or interruptions;
serious, not trivial
h) the theatre, movies, television, etc., considered
as an industry
(phrase)
i) a profession or occupation which one trains for
and follows throughout life
j) an actress's or actor's first appearance before
the public
k) (in film or theatre) in a complementary role
I) named; given a name (especially a nickname)
m) not simple; refined
n) a peculiarity of manner in behaviour, speech,
etc., that has become a habit
o) attractive in a way expressing hidden passion
p) imitate admiringly; act the same as
q) produce; cause to be
r) of the greater age; older
22 4
ELS
E X E R C I S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. According to the passage, American women
A)
thought Lauren Bacall was the most beautiful film star in history
B) preferred Bogart to Jason Robards
C) usually have sultry looks as did Lauren Bacall
D) were jealous of Lauren Bacall's happy marriage
E) wished to be like Lauren Bacall
2. We can conclude from the passage that Lauren Bacall
A)
married Humphrey Bogart although he had two children
B) attained fame through Bogart's influential connections
C) was not as happy in her second marriage as she had been in her first
D) had a brief affair with Bogart while she was married to another man
E) got divorced from her second husband because she couldn't forget Bogart
3. We learn from the passage that the romance of Bogey and Bacall
A)
led to their first film together being referred to as "The Look"
B) heightened curiosity about their first film together
C) was unique in the whole of American film history
D) developed a long time before the film "To Have and Have Not"
E) led to her divorce from actor Jason Robards in 1969
EX E RC I S E 3."
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1.
Considered by many to be the best coach in women's college basketball in the USA, Pat
Summitt caused women's basketball to gain more
in the 1980s.
2. Jazz alto saxophonist Charlie Parker was extremely influential in the 1940s and 1950s, and
hundreds of young saxophone players strove to
his unique style.
3.
I was so
by the lecture that I didn't talk to my friend once in order not
to miss any part of it
4.
Bette Midler had been a successful singer and theatre actress before she made her film
at the age of 34, in a film called "The Rose", which was released in
1979.
5.
His family is against him marrying a woman who is ten years his
ELS • 225
VITAMIN FROM "VITAL AMINE"
The value of certain foods in maintaining health was recognized long before the
first vitamins were actually identified. In the 18th century, for example, it had been
demonstrated that the addition of citrus fruits to the diet would prevent the
development of scurvy. In the 19th century it was shown that substituting unpolished
for polished rice in a rice-based diet would prevent the development of beriberi. In
1906 the British biochemist Frederick Hopkins demonstrated that foods contained
necessary "accessory factors" in addition to proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals,
and water. In 1911 the Polish chemist Casimir Funk discovered that the anti-beriberi
substance in unpolished rice was an amine - a type of nitrogen-containing
compound, so Funk proposed that it should be named vitamine - for "vital amine".
This term soon came to be applied to the accessory factors in general. It was later
discovered that many vitamins do not contain amines at all, yet because of its
widespread use, Funk's term continued to be applied, but the final letter e was
dropped.
E X E R CI S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a)
one particular thing or person that can be
specified; some
b) keep to a certain level
c) name; specify
d) show clearly giving facts and examples
e) something joined to or included in something
else
f) fruits including lemons, limes, citrons, oranges,
and grapefruit
(phrase)
g) take the place of another
h) left rough, not made smooth and shiny
i) something made up of two or more parts
j) suggest
k) essential
I) over a large area
m) omit; leave out
226
• ELS
EX E RCI S E 2:
Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. The passage tells us that before the discovery of vitamins
A)
Frederick Hopkins advised taking proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and minerals
B) polished rice was believed to be particularly healthy
C) citrus fruits were not included in Western diets
D) some specific foods were already recognized as helpful to health
E) scurvy and beriberi were two major causes of death
2. According to the passage, the name vitamin is applied to "accessory factors" although
A)
Casamir Funk didn't find it appropriate
B) minerals are just as important
C) beriberi is caused by eating too much rice
D) some of them are not vital in diet
E) not all of them contain "amines"
3. From the information given in the passage, we can conclude that the lack of a certain
type of nitrogen-containing compound in a diet
A)
may lead to the disease called beriberi
B) is still very common in many parts of the world
C) can be corrected by eating citrus fruits
D) does not normally cause any health problems
E) is common among those whose diet is rice-based
EX E RCI S E 3:
Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1
languages have two categories of nouns, masculine and feminine, and
some, such as German and Latin, even have three, masculine, feminine, and neuter.
2. As the employees in the office got closer, they
the use of "Mr." and
"Ms." and began to address each other by their first names.
3. Carbon unites with many elements to form a great variety of
that are
found in such substances as coal, petroleum, fabrics, plastics, and rubber.
4. Susan lost five kilos by
a low calorie sweetener for sugar in her tea.
5. The doctors have managed to
three substances which are causing
Trevor's asthma.
ELS • 227
DR. DEAN ORNISH'S PROGRAM
In an age when medical science was combating heart disease with costly high-
tech interventions, American physician Dean Ornish was something of a throwback.
His simple, inexpensive program of lifestyle changes - which featured a low-fat,
primarily vegetarian diet, moderate aerobic exercise, and daily stress management -
contrasted sharply with such potentially risky treatments as bypass surgery,
angioplasty, and cholesterol-lowering medication. The holistic regimen that Ornish
recommended appeared not only to halt the progress of atherosclerosis - the
buildup of fatty substances within the arteries - but actually to reverse it. Despite his
reluctance to be labeled a guru, Ornish continued to gain enthusiastic converts
following the publication in 1990 of his best-selling second book,
Dr. Dean Ornish's
Program for Reversing Heart Disease: The Only System Scientifically Proven to
Reverse Heart Disease Without Drugs or Surgery.
Later highlights for Ornish
included the publication of a third book,
Eat More, Weigh Less: Dr. Dean Ornish's
Life Choice Program for Losing Weight Safely While Eating Abundantly,
an invitation
to the White House in 1993; and the announcement in August of the same year that
Mutual of Omaha, an insurance company, would reimburse policyholders for the cost
of participation in the program - the first time a major insurer had agreed to cover an
"alternative" treatment for heart disease.
EX E RC I S E 1:
Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a) to fight; to struggle (against)
b) interfering to change something
c) doctor
d) (for an idea or attitude) like something that
existed in the past
e) not extreme; neither large nor small
f) conflict with; be different from
g) (in medicine) dealing with the body as a whole
unit, as opposed to individual parts
h) a set of rules about food and exercise to stay
healthy
i) stop
j) a gradual increase in the amount of something
k) unwillingness to do something
I) be given a descriptive name made up of a
word, phrase or short description
m) a leader highly regarded by a group, derived
from the name of Indian religious leaders
n) a person who has changed from one way of
thinking or religion to another
o) change something so that it has the opposite
effect to the one it had before
p) a very important, interesting, or outstanding
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