Use

of English part 6 exercise 14

Throughout history, powerful rulers have felt the need to express their power, and satisfy their
egos, by building ever higher structures.

(1)

The Mayans in Gautemala built high buildings, as did the Koreans, the Iraqis, the Sri Lankans, and
of course the Chinese.

Then, around the 1880's, the Americans got in on the act, with the invention of the skyscraper.

(2)

Developers routinely seek to push the envelope on height, in order to gain more rentable space,
and make the structure more economically viable.

Exactly what are we proving to ourselves by designing and building higher and higher buildings?

(3)

The consensus is that any building over one kilometer tall will require two or three buildings at
the base, with connections between, or among them, at higher elevations, in order to provide
stability and bracing.

To put this height into perspective, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the current tallest building at 818
meters.

(4)

This is expected to reach one kilometer, when completed in 2018.

Tall buildings require sophisticated methods of getting people up and down.

(5)

The more robust bracing and structural systems required for such buildings also cost money. At
some point the cost of the infrastructure means the project is no longer cost effective.

So, to answer the question as to why they do it. There may be several explanations. The owners
want to be known for owning something famous. The builders want to be known for having built
something famous.

(6)

But the object of the exercise is the same as it has always been - satisfying someones's ego.

• A Also, is there a height limit on cost-effectiveness?

• B It will be eclipsed by the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah.
• C If they can both make money at the same time, that is a benefit.
• D Sophisticated methods of transport cost money.
• E Some people don't have a head for heights.
• F The Egyptians are famous for their pyramids, but there are many others.
• G The motivation might have been different, but ego was still involved.
 Use of English part 6 exercise 15

Earthquakes cause total devastation when they strike, and nearly every part of the planet has
some degree of risk, although there are certain areas that are more prone than others.
Bangladesh, India and Myanmar are vulnerable to a mega-thrust earthquake - a powerful 9.0
magnitude quake, according to research published in Nature Geoscience.
(1)

Although property damage is terrible, what is really of concern is the loss of life.
(2)

Possibly the behaviour patterns of the older generation are more difficult to change, but that
argument cannot be used for the young.
Throughout Asia, schools have started teaching their students how to react in the event of an
earthquake.
(3)

Upon hearing a second bell, they walk out of the classroom, covering their heads with books and
bags. These simple drills, practised regularly, may save countless lives, should a real event occur.
In the past, when tremors occurred during school hours, students panicked and ran straight out
of the classroom.
(4)

In an attempt to avoid large-scale casualties during earthquakes, a set of procedures has been
devised on how to deal with disaster in primary and secondary schools.
Schools are particularly vulnerable because they concentrate children in a small area.
(5)

This is because the loss of young lives directly impacts the future of such communities. In 2005,
an earthquake in Kashmir killed 19,000 children, mostly due to widespread collapse of school
buildings. Three years later, two earthquakes hit Sichuan, China, killing more than 5,000
students, as thousands of classrooms collapsed.
The director of one school commented that he plans to hold regular drill training.

(6)
The students could use these lessons in case of a real situation, and with some luck, they may just
save a few lives. Now that is a lesson worth learning.




• A As soon as the school bell rings, students drop to their knees and take cover under a
bench.
• B This was the worst thing they could do, and many were killed by falling masonery.
• C The consequences of loss of life in schools are also more severe.
• D Children playing in the playground are also affected.
• E Nepal witnessed a devastating quake which effectively destroyed most of its treasured
buildings.
• F He felt they had to become more organised and repeat these drills once every three
months.
• G This, in many cases, could be reduced by adequate education.




 Use of English part 6 exercise 16


In his new book, Shackles From the Deep, journalist and scuba diver Michael Cottman explores
the history of the slave trade by focusing on the journey of a single ship: the Henrietta Marie.
(1)

We had a chance to speak with Cottman before he began his book tour this month, and asked him
what prompted him to undertake this project.
He talked about his journey in writing the book, the importance of developing a passion, and the
unprecedented partnership that made the discovery possible.
(2)

This was a British slave ship which sank in the Florida Straits in 1700.
Like many colonial slave ships, the Henrietta Marie took part in the Triangle Trade. This entailed
transporting slaves from West Africa to the Americas, raw materials from the Americas to Great
Britain, and finally supplies and manufactured goods to British outposts in Africa.
(3)

The crew perished, and though there were no slaves on board, the shackles and chains that had
held them sank to the ocean floor.
As Cottman researched the Henrietta Marie by reading historic records, he became overwhelmed
with the fact that Africans were characterized as cargo or beasts, and never as humans.
(4)

Cottman was driven by his passion to understand the history of his ancestors. He hopes the
emotional aspect of his journey sends a message to young people about how important it is to
develop a passion.
Cottman explained that his work piecing together the history of the Henrietta Marie was also
driven by a need for closure.
(5)

Through careful research, Cottman discovered the name of the British ironmonger responsible
for crafting the shackles discovered with the wreck of the Henrietta Marie.
Excavating the wreck of the Henrietta Marie led to the recovery of over 22,000 artifacts. As
Cottman notes, the Henrietta Marie is believed to be the world's largest source of tangible
objects representing the early years of the African slave trade.
(6)

These were used to barter for African people who would be traded into slavery, and an
encrusted cauldron used for cooking.



• A The ship had just completed a journey to Jamaica to deliver slaves when it was hit by a
hurricane on its return voyage to London.
• B The success of this partnership is what Cottman considers his biggest take-away.
• C Some of the recovered items include glass beads.
• D By integrating the story of one slave ship with his own journey of discovery, Cottman
humanizes the slave trade for young readers.
• E Learning this was emotionally very difficult for him.
• F He desperately wanted to gain an understanding of what motivated the everyday
people involved in carrying out the slave trade.
• G Cottman's journey started with his own desire to learn more about the Henrietta Marie.

 Use of English part 6 exercise 17


There are few people who know Hong Kong's culinary scene better than Silvana Leung. The
operations manager and lead guide for Hong Kong Foodie, Leung gives tours of the bustling city
that allow visitors to get a taste of its unique cuisine.
(1)

This gives an idea of what Hong Kong's culinary culture is like.
The Chinese province of Guangdong neighbours Hong Kong, itself a Special Administrative
Region on China's southern coast.
(2)

Traditional Cantonese cuisine is a lot of stir-fried dishes and steamed dishes.
(3)

A lot of what defines these regional cuisines has to do with the weather and how people live in
this area. In northern China, they eat a lot of noodles and dumplings, whereas in the southern
part of China, they eat a lot of rice. Also, in colder places like northern China and even inland
China, it is known for spicy food.
Dim sum is one Cantonese specialty that has spread around the world.
(4)

Dim sum in Hong Kong is definitely different. It is way better than anywhere else you can find
dim sum.
One aspect that distinguishes Hong Kong cuisine from other Chinese food is its British influences.
(5)

Leung says that in most of China, a typical breakfast consists of rice, noodles, or congee, which is
a rice porridge. In Hong Kong, however, baked goods are popular. She attributes this at least in
part to a lingering British influence.
It also has to do with the lifestyle of the Hong Kong people. Everyone is so hurried every day to
go to work or rush somewhere, so they need something that is convenient to eat in the morning.
(6)

Another city staple is Hong Kong-style milk tea, which is sweetened with evaporated or
condensed milk. They took the English breakfast tea, and turned it into Hong Kong-style milk tea,
which is much stronger than English breakfast tea. Hong Kong residents also enjoy an afternoon
tea, another remnant of the city's days as a British colony.



Sentences
• A Elsewhere in China, other foods are popular.
• B That's why people can pass by these bakeries, grab a bun and then go back to work and
have their breakfast.
• C Her mission is to help visitors to go to local restaurants and be able to order food for
themselves after taking the tour.
• D If you go to these fast-food places, they will have afternoon tea sets.
• E Very popular in Hong Kong, dim sum is a wide assortment of small portions and usually
includes steamed or fried dumplings.
• F It was formerly known as Canton, and Hong Kong enjoys Cantonese culture.
• G Hong Kong was under British rule from 1841 to 1997.


 Use of English part 6 exercise 18


On a summer day, local fishermen whip their fishing lines off Municipal Wharf No. 2 in Monterey,
California, while tourists wander along the wooden pier trying to spot frolicking sea otters in
Monterey Bay.
(1)

Aquaculture is the cultivation of aquatic animals and plants in controlled environments. It's
essentially water-based farming. The Monterey Abalone Company raises abalone, a mollusk
cultivated both for its iridescent shell and edible flesh.
(2)

The cavernous work area is just about a meter above the glowing green water of the harbor.
Fay points out cages filled with abalone that dangle beneath the wharf.
(3)

Barnacles and sea anemones can also be seen clinging to the adjacent pilings.
The Monterey Abalone Company was founded in 1992 by Joe Cavanaugh and Art Seavey to
satisfy a growing market for California red abalone.
(4)

Cavanagh is now retired, and Fay became a partner in 1997.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, overharvesting and disease led to a decrease in the population
of California red abalone.
(5)

Individuals can collect up to 24 wild abalones a season though they are only allowed to have
three abalones in their possession at any one time. Today, abalone farms can help satisfy the
public's appetite for the tasty marine organisms without endangering their population.
(6)

One advantage of the Monterey Abalone Company's farm is that its location on the pier makes it
very accessible.
Fay says his abalone farm is a sustainable operation that has little effect on the natural
environment. They are growing an indigenous species to the area, and using a natural, renewable
resource to feed them.





Sentences
• A In 1997, a state moratorium on abalone collecting south of San Francisco went into
effect.
• B That natural, renewable resource is kelp, a kind of large seaweed.
• C Bee-like swarms of juvenile rockfish congregate around the cages.
• D There are currently 10 abalone farms on the California coast.
• E Most don't realize that under the wharf, just below their feet, is a thriving aquaculture
operation.
• F This is a large, edible species that is a coveted menu item for seafood restaurants.
• G Trevor Fay, the company's co-owner, climbs down a ladder from inside his operation's
storefront to a wooden gangway under the pier.


 Use of English part 6 exercise 19



Before the Greeks and Romans, the Phoenicians ruled the Mediterranean. The core of Phoenician
territory was the city-state of Tyre, in modern-day Lebanon. Phoenician civilization lasted from
approximately 1550 to 300 BCE, when the Persians, and later the Greeks, conquered Tyre.
The Phoenicians are primarily remembered as adept sailors and cunning merchants.
(1)

This extended from the Fertile Crescent in the east, through the islands of the Mediterranean Sea,
and as far west as the Iberian Peninsula and the Atlantic Ocean.
The Phoenicians did not have a central government.
(2)

Their settlements and trading partners lined the coast of the Mediterranean, touching three
continents.
Despite their prominent place in history, researchers know little about the Phoenicians beyond
what other civilizations have documented.
(3)

This gives us a very stereotyped picture.
In Homer's Odyssey, for example, Phoenicians are portrayed as both skilled seafarers and clever.
(4)

One of the primary sources of information available about Phoenician culture comes from
Herodotus. His stories support the simplistic view of Phoenicians as cunning seafarers.
In one story, Herodotus says the Phoenicians were sailing in the Atlantic Ocean toward the
British Isles, where they traded for tin.
(5)

The Phoenicians decided to sail very close to shallow water and strand themselves to prevent
the Greeks from learning about their activities.
In recent years, archaeologists have tried to fill in some of the gaps in our knowledge about the
Phoenicians. Underwater archaeology plays a particularly important role in learning about this
maritime culture.
(6)

Deborah Cvikel is an underwater archaeologist at the Leon Recanti Institute for Maritime Studies
at the University of Haifa in Israel. She specializes in nautical archaeology, the study of ancient
ship construction. Her work often involves the excavation of shipwrecks in areas where the
Phoenicians traveled.

Sentences
• A As they were sailing, they saw a Greek ship following them.
• B The surviving evidence is all about Phoenicians as traders.
• C The oldest shipwreck she has studied is a Byzantine site found in Dor Lagoon on the
coast of Israel.
• D They used their strategic position at the crossroads of eastern and western cultures to
build a trading empire.
• E But despite many efforts, finding archaeological evidence that's been buried in the
Mediterranean for 3,000 years has proved challenging.
• F They were also considered potentially deceitful traders at the same time.
• G Similar to the Greeks, their civilization consisted of a number of independent city-
states.
 Use of English part 6 exercise 20


The Silk Road was an ancient, storied network of roads, trading posts, and oases that linked Asia
and the Mediterranean basin.
(1)

Today, the region continues to be a crossroads for concepts of ancient and modern, East and
West, geography and history.
Afghanistan is a land of rugged mountains, but its intimidating topography was actually
beneficial to ancient traders.
(2)

Because what happened is you look at the mountains, and you see these valleys that go up into
the mountains. Those are superhighways.
You go up from the deserts, and you can go up through the mountains. It's easy.
(3)

Afghanistan sat at a strategic juncture between the empires of Asia, eastern Africa, and southern
Europe.
Traders and travellers on the Silk Road could interact with the cultures of China, India, Persia,
Arabia, eastern Africa, the Maghreb, and the eastern Mediterranean.
(4)

Afghanistan's central location on the Silk Road helped develop the region's impressive wealth.
It was kind of mythical in the past, because it was very wealthy.
(5)

This was because the region is really great for herding. And they had mineral wealth.
The wealth and cosmopolitan culture of Afghanistan's trading outposts made them popular sites
on the Silk Road. Settlements including Tepe Fullol, Ai Khanoum, Bamiyan, and Bagram were
bustling stops for traders. It wasn't only trade goods, however, that moved across Afghanistan.
(6)

Trade, religion, communication, and political thought all interacted on the Silk Road. Buddhism,
for instance, started in India and spread to Afghanistan before migrating to China. Bamiyan, in
central Afghanistan, was a Buddhist center with towering statues that dominated local cliffs
before they were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.



Sentences
• A You don't really have to know too much about navigation.
• B Powerful ideas spread through the region.
• C The modern nation of Afghanistan was a major thoroughfare of the Silk Road.
• D The same elements that made Afghanistan so attractive to ancient traders also made it
a target for conquest.
• E Those mountains and those rivers are the best things to facilitate trade.
• F They not only had a lot of agriculture, they had a lot of animal wealth.
• G It is almost equidistant between the China Sea and the Mediterranean.