2. Read the text below.

For questions 1 -10, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

Kids take to new technology like flies to honey. Among many older folks, it's conventional wisdom that if you've been flummoxed by your computer, video recorder or other high tech gadget, the quickest and cheapest way to solve the problem is to call in a twelve year old to fix it. Lots of kids today grow up with a keyboard in one hand and a joystick in the other. There are plenty of benefits to introducing kids to tech devices early. Using the devices becomes second nature to them, so the learning curve is less steep. Playing video games helps to develop hand-eye coordination. They learn multi-tasking skills from juggling several computer programs at once. Surfing the Web can expose them to a vast array of knowledge that wasn't available to those of us who grew up without the availability of commercial Internet services, even in some of our best libraries. And kids can have a rich social life and meet a much more diverse group of people to which they might never be exposed in their own hometowns. They can also stay in touch with family members and friends, both local and those who live at a distance, much more easily. Unfortunately, there are potential harmful effects, in addition to the positive ones. Many parents worry that violent video games may desensitize children to violent behavior in real life, and that the Web will lead them to pornography or hate groups as well as information for completing their schoolwork. The people your kids meet online can be good influences - or they could be pedophiles posing as other children to lure unsuspecting youngsters into their traps. Some experts fear that even in the innocuous communications with people they know, kids may be exposing themselves to hidden ill effects. For example, one type of communication that's very popular with teenagers is real-time chat. This includes Web-based chat, use of IRC (Internet Relay Chat) programs, Instant Messaging services such as those offered by MSN, AOL and Yahoo, as well as SMS messaging via cell phones. In order to type their messages more quickly, kids often use a type of phonetic shorthand instead of grammatically correct, properly spelled sentences. For example: "R U going 2?" is much faster and easier to type than "Are you going, too?" This becomes an especially attractive option when using a small keyboard like those on cell phones. But is this making kids illiterate? Educators, parents and others are divided on that question. Some folks argue that language is always evolving, and newer and more efficient spellings are a good thing. After all, a glance at a page of Olde - English will show you that we don't use the same spellings now that our ancestors used. Other, more pessimistic folks say IM isn't so much making kids illiterate as reflecting the growing illiteracy of younger generations. Some researchers have concluded that teens are able to slip easily between the abbreviations and conventional spelling, but some teachers say they're seeing the messaging lexicon show up in kids' school work. Does Shakespeare lose something in translation to "2 b R not 2 b"? Some experts say the problem is not the lingo itself, but the fact that kids are unable to differentiate between when it is and isn't appropriate. Like slang and other informal language, what's okay for chatting with peers is not acceptable when writing an essay -or applying for a job. (www. usatoday. com)
1. Children A. start using technology at an early age. B. can fix any technology related problem. C. are prone to accidents. D. have an appeal for technology. 2. It is thought that A. kids learn faster than adults. B. early introduction to technology is beneficial for kids. C. kids are exposed to high levels of radiation. D. playing computer games has become second nature to kids. 3. Access to technology

A. makes children lazy and anti-social. B. enables children to communicate more easily. C. atrophies children's social skills. D. is harmful to young children. 4. Parents are concerned that A. children spend too much time in front of the computer. B. children will become 'immune' to violence. C. children will display a violent behavior. D. children will act violently in real life. 5. Teenagers A. are keen on writing emails. B. communicate with parents through text messages. C. prefer instant communication. D. have no communication skills. 6. To write messages faster children A. take up shorthand writing classes. B. devise secret codes. C. use shortened words. D. don't punctuate their sentences. 7. Educators and parents A. are worried about the children's spelling mistakes. B. believe technology makes children illiterate. C. don't have an unanimous opinion on the issue. D. team up to teach children to read better. 8. Nowadays, we A. employ the same spelling as our predecessors. B. are more literate than our predecessors. C. use different spellings than our predecessors, D. have to fight against illiteracy. 9. Research has shown that A. teenagers are unable to write correctly. B. teenagers can switch between shorthand and conventional spelling. C. teenagers have trouble reading Shakespeare. D. teenagers don't know when to use the messaging lexicon. 10. Children A. don't adapt their language to the linguistic context. B. chat too much with their peers. C. don't write good essays anymore. D. are unable to learn the messaging lexicon.

3. Read the text below. For questions 1-10, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text. Write your answers on your exam sheet. They seemed to be an endangered species, relics of an era of delicacy and refinement doomed to extinction in the modern world. But now the "geisha", the traditional female entertainers of Japan, have found new job opportunities through the internet. Geisha houses in the ancient capital Kyoto are flourishing once more after going online to recruit a new generation of apprentices. Geisha numbers have been in decline since before the Second World War, and recently it has become more andmore difficult to recruit the maiko, or apprentice geisha, who spend at least five years studying the arts of music, dance and witty conversation. In the mid-19th century, the "flower and willow world" of Kyoto's riverside teahouses was home to about 1,000 maiko and geiko, as fully qualified geisha are known in the local dialect. A hundred years later, the number had decreased to 500, including 200 maiko. Two years ago there were only 58 apprentices left. In desperation, several of the geisha houses established websites in an attempt to recruit newcomers. Now there are 80 maiko in training and teahouses are turning applicants away. In the old days, the geisha houses were a means for poor families to ensure a livelihood for daughters whom they could no longer support or marry off. Later, maiko were recruited locally by word of mouth. Nowadays girls hear about it through the internet from all over Japan. The website of the Ichi Geisha House includes photographs of young maiko in their white make-up and a web log by an 18-year-old named Mame, describing her daily life. Despite the allure of their white make-up and exquisite kimono, the life of a trainee geisha is far from glamorous. Recruited at the age of 15, they must live in the okiya, or geisha house, sharing rooms with fellow maiko, and sleeping on futon mattresses and tatami mats a hardship to modern teenagers used to western-style beds in their own rooms. They rise early and spend the morning mastering the traditional accomplishments of the geisha dance, singing, the playing of the stringed shamisen and the bamboo shakuhachi flute, and the art of make-up and the kimono. Basic English conversation is also required for foreign guests who are sometimes brought to parties. In the afternoons they visit the teahouses where the parties are held, networking with the owners. Accompanied by an older geisha "sister", they attend parties from 6 pm until midnight. But as well as online recruiting, the rise in maiko numbers is connected with a revived interest among young Japanese in traditional customs. On summer evenings, the streets of Japan's cities are filled with women and men dressed in yukata, lightweight cotton kimonos. Japanese food and native drinks such as sake and shochu spirit are competing once again with foreign food, beer and whisky. "It's cool to be Japanese again, and this is part of the trend. A lot of girls these days don't want to work for boring companies. If you're a maiko, people pay a lot of money to see you and talk to you; you get to meet movie stars, and wherever you go people are taking your picture. It's a pretty good life," said Peter Macintosh, a Canadian who organizes geisha evenings for foreign visitors to Kyoto. (adapted from The Times)

1. The geisha A. are relics of a distant past. B. are revered by the Japanese. C. are beautiful female dancers. D. are part of the Japanese traditional culture. 2. Geisha houses in Kyoto A. hire geisha through the internet. B. have all gone bankrupt because of the financial crisis. C. employ geisha through employment agencies. D. have been shut down by the government. 3. Maiko A. are fully-qualified geisha. B. study the arts of dance and painting. C. train before becoming geisha. D. are easy to recruit.

4. In the 20th century A. the number of geisha went down. B. there were only 200 geisha left. C. many geisha retrained as maiko. D. the geisha set up their own blogs. 5. Geisha houses A. paid no taxes to the local authorities. B. found wealthy husbands for young women from poor families. C. supported poor women and children. D. offered a good alternative for young women from needy families. 6. The apprentice geisha are recruited A. by word of mouth. B. through internet websites. C. only by recommendation. D. after a thorough examination. 7. The life of a maiko A. is full of glamour. B. is not as easy as it seems. C. is very rewarding. D. is a life of luxury.
8. Trainee geisha A. sleep until midday. B. don't attend parties. C. take up special courses. D. don't learn any foreign languages. 9. The increase in the maiko number is due to A. a period of economic prosperity. B. a comeback to Japanese customs. C. a fad among Japanese teenagers. D. efficient government educational policy. 10. According to Peter Macintosh A. being Japanese is in fashion once more. B. girls want to work for fashion companies. C. maiko don't talk to strangers. D. organizing geisha evenings is profitable.

4. Read the text below. For questions 1-10, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text. People who mistreat animals will face fines of up to 20,000 and year-long prison sentences under welfare laws to be announced next week. RSPCA inspectors will be given powers to enter premises without a warrant, even by using force, to rescue animals believed to be suffering or at risk of harm. The legislation will also offer protection to creatures such as insects, slugs, worms, caterpillars and butterflies if scientific evidence proves that they suffer pain and distress. The penalties double the current maximum six-month sentence and substantially increase the 5,000 maximum fine. The hard line will be set out in a draft Bill to be published next week by Ben Bradshaw, the minister in charge of animal welfare. It will be scrutinised by a parliamentary committee and then go before both Houses of Parliament. Anyone owning a pet, farm or exotic animal will have a statutory "duty of care" towards it and could face having it taken away and being banned from looking after another. Unborn animals will receive the same protection. RSPCA inspectors will also gain the right to enter without a warrant any lorry, ferry, plane or hovercraft carrying animals. This has been included after concern about livestock on long journeys. But the right will not apply to private homes, where inspectors will need a magistrate's warrant or to be accompanied by the police Local authorities will be given discretion to insist on registration of people who make money from animals, such as dog-walkers or pet- sitters, who care for animals when owners are away. But a formal licensing scheme has been ruled out as too bureaucratic. Animal welfare campaigners, however, will be angered that the draft bill, which updates the Protection of Animals Act 1911, contains no reference to circus animals and fails to ban the docking of dogs' tails. Whitehall sources insist, however, that ministers plan secondary legislation to deal with these issues later. As The Times revealed this year, Mr Bradshaw does not believe in a total ban on docking and wants to reach agreement on which breeds of working dog would be exempted before introducing a ban.

He said at the time: "I am looking for a way to get the balance right. It seems odd to me that we allow human circumcision and we should not be over-draconian in terms of animal welfare law. I want sensible, but useful and meaningful, reform." The RSPCA said last night that it would continue to campaign for a ban on tail docking except when a vet orders it for therapeutic reasons. The charity is also unhappy about circus animals and hopes that this will be looked at again. The society said that it would be absolutely delighted if a duty of care were set out in law. "It would be the single most important piece of welfare legislation affecting captive and domestic animals since 1911," a spokeswoman said. Other measures in the bill include a ban on anyone under 16 owning a pet and on goldfish or other animals being given as prizes at fairgrounds or in competitions. The crackdown follows years of pressure from the RSPCA and organisations such as the Kennel Club. (The Times) 1. People who treat animals badly A. will not be prosecuted. B. can be fined or jailed. C. might be sentenced to 5 years of prison. D. are exempted from doing community service. 2. RSPCA inspectors A. will be given badges and guns. B. will be trained by police experts. C. will be prohibited from using force. D. will be able to search buildings without permission. 3. A draft bill A. will pass through both houses of Parliament. B. will be examined by a panel of international experts. C. will be proofread by Ben Bradshaw.

D. will be published in two week's time. 4. The owner of a pet A. could be prohibited from looking after other people's pets. B. is not obliged to take care of it. C. could lose the right of property over it. D. will sign a contract with RSPCA. 5. RSPCA inspectors A. will have the right to check any vehicles. B. are concerned about livestock on long journeys. C. can enter private homes without a warrant. D. will be accompanied by vets. 6. Local authorities A. will issue formal licenses for dog-walkers. B. can ask dog-walkers to register themselves. C. will take care of animals while owners are away. D. will discretely supervise pet-sitters.
7. Animal welfare companies A. will be content with the draft bill. B. have contributed to the draft bill. C. will be dissatisfied with the draft bill. D. will update the draft bill. 8. Mr. Bradshaw A. disapproves of banning the docking of dog tails completely. B. supports banning the docking of dog tails completely. C. is a representative of dog breeders. D. will update the draft bill. 9. The bill A. allows people under 16 to buy a pet. B. encourages people under 16 to have a pet. C. forbids people under 16 to possess a pet. D. urges people under 16 to adopt a pet. 10. RSPCA and other organizations A. have critised the draft bill. B. have lobbied for the introduction of the bill. C. have shown contentment with the treatment of circus animals. D. have proposed changes to the bill.

5. Read the text below. For questions 1-10, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text The term "genetic modification" provokes widespread fears about the corporate control of agriculture, and of the unknown. However, results from 25 years of EU-funded research show that there is "no scientific evidence associating GM plants with higher risks for the environment or for food and feed safety than conventional plants and organisms". This of course does not prove GM methods are 100% safe, but makes clear there is no evidence to the contrary. This Saturday, anti-GM campaigners plan to offload potatoes outside the John Innes Centre (JIC) in Norfolk - one of the country's leading crop research institutes - for a "photo shoot". They claim that our research trial of blight-resistant GM potatoes on a plot at JIC, one of only two ongoing GM research trials in the UK, is a "dangerous experiment". The trial involves research on genes from wild potatoes. We have been able to isolate genes from wild species that make them resistant to UK races of the late blight athogen, Phytophthora infestens, which causes 3.5bn in annual losses worldwide. The blight resistant variety being trialed, that reduces the amount of pesticide the crop needs - and is rejected by the protesters - could not have been produced without GM. We had hoped to create an opportunity to discuss this with the campaigners, as well as other issues they raise in their publicity material. With support from JIC, we invited them to take part in a proper debate. Disappointingly, they declined. We recognise their right to peaceful protest but have been frustrated that we cannot talk to the organisers, except via exchange of emails. Meanwhile, the benefits of GM technology are becoming clearer to all. Insect resistant GM cotton and maize has reduced insecticide applications and lowered mycotoxin levels in the maize we eat. Genetic engineering in microbial research has produced new antibiotics and other natural products. JIC's purple tomatoes contain elevated levels of health-promoting anthocyanins. Food insecurity and climate change highlight the challenges of sustainably feeding a growing world population. Further research using GM methods opens new possibilities for raising and stabilising yields, improving resistance to pests and diseases and withstanding abiotic stresses such as drought and cold. But in Europe, while taxpayers' money is still paying to develop useful GM crop traits, taxpayers are not benefitting from their deployment. In contrast, Canada, China, the US and South America are blazing ahead with GM and India is not far behind. The latest figures from the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications report 15 million farmers planting GM crops on around 150 m hectares in 2010. Many promising GM traits exist, often discovered by academics, but the commercial risks are too great, the costs too high and the rewards too low for the European private sector to invest in taking them forward. The argument has to be made that the benefits of the technology far outweigh any hypothetical hazards. We need to think about the cost of not adopting GM as well as the risks, and we must not spurn the great opportunities created by embracing it. (www.guardian.co.uk) 1. The term "genetic modification" A. scares people off. B. causes confusion. C. is an umbrella term. D. has multiple meanings. 2. Research shows that A. GM plants pose greater risks than conventional plants. B. GM plants are not as tasty as conventional plants. C. GM plants are not more dangerous than conventional plants D. GM plants harm the environment more than conventional plants 3. Anti-GM campaigners argue that A. GM methods are 100% safe. B. GM research trials are dangerous. C. GM research should be banned. D. GM methods are not scientific.

4. The blight resistant potatoes being trialed A. are not suitable for human consumption. B. could have been produced without GM. C. diminishes the use of pesticides. D. are approved of by anti-GM campaigners. 5. Anti-GM campaigners A. were invited to participate in an experiment. B. have accepted the invitation to a debate. C. refuse to talk to the organizers face-to-face. D. are disappointed by the JIC's initiatives. 6. GM technology A. reduces the risk of disease. B. enhances productivity. C. has obvious advantages. D. promotes healthy eating. 7. Food insecurity and climate change A. are caused by GM technology. B. are two alarming problems. C. open new possibilities for feeding the world population. D. make it difficult to feed the world population. 8. European taxpayers A. disagree with the development of GM technology. B. blame GM technology for the rising prices of food. C. do not take advantage of the Benefits of GM technology. D. do not want to pay for the development of GM technology. 9. European companies A. are reluctant to invest in GM crops. B. make good profit out of GM crops. C. are the driving force behind GM. D. invest a lot of money in GM crops. 10. The writer believes A. we should not adopt GM. B. we should not ban GM. C. we should not embrace GM. D. we should not overlook GM's benefits.