INTERMEDIATE REAGINGS

The Planets   The Sun is at the center of the planets. Close to it are the inner planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.   Mercury the planet closest to the Sun, is a cratered rock not much bigger than our Moon.  It is incredibly hot and unable to support any kind of life.  The atmosphere contains sodium and potassium.   Venus is the next planet from the Sun and is about the same size as the Earth.  The atmosphere is made up of mainly carbon dioxide.  The surface temperature can be as high as 480 degrees Celsius.  There is no life of any kind on the planet Venus.   Earth is the only planet that has the conditions to support life.  The surface is neither very cold nor very hot.  Water can exist in all its three forms - as gas, liquid, and solid.  These conditions allow plants and animals to live and reproduce.   Mars, the first planet beyond Earth is smaller than the Earth.  The atmosphere is made up mostly of carbon dioxide.  Water exists on this planet, but only in the form of ice.  The whole planet is a red, lifeless desert.   The outer planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are called the gas giants.  They are much larger than the Earth. The outermost planet, Pluto, is no longer classified as a planet.  It is now called a dwarf Planet.  It is so far away, it is a mystery.

  

Answer the questions below

How many planets are there?

six seven eight

The is at the center of the planets.

The dwarf planet, , is a mystery.

is the planet closest to the Sun.

The planet is about the same size as the Earth.

Water exists on the planet Mars in the form of .

Water exists on the planet in three forms.

Which planet is a red, lifeless desert?

Mars Mercury Venus

Which planets are called the gas giants?

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Martial Arts   The martial arts consist of a series of hand-to-hand unarmed combat tactics.  The most popular are karate, judo, jujitsu, and kung fu.  Many experts believe kung fu does not belong in the category of unarmed self-defense because it can become a killer art in its most violent form.   Chinese jujitsu and its offshoot, judo, are thousands of years old.  They began in China and Japan.  During the Middle Ages in Japan, common people were not allowed to carry weapons.  They devised a self-defense technique that involved a series of holds, trips, strangles, and falls.  By the 1700's, judo and jujitsu were no longer required for self-defense, but these sports survived stressing grace, physical discipline, and spiritual concentration.   Jigaro Kano, a Japanese man, founded the first judo school in 1882.  He introduced the system of "belts," with a white belt for a novice and a black belt for an expert.  This system has been extended to karate as well.  Judo came to America in 1902.   Karate was introduced in an Okinawa school in 1905.  By the year 1922, it had spread to Japan, and eventually was practiced worldwide.  Today, the World Union of Karatedo (Karate) Organization sets the rules governing the use of striking, punching, and kicking on various parts of the body.  Matches last from two to three minutes and points are scored for blows to the neck, face, kidneys, and midsection of an opponent.  The blows are not actually landed: if they were, they could disable or even kill.

Answer the questions below

1.  According to this passage which of the martial arts are thousands of years old?

karate and judo. Chinese jujitsu and judo. jujitsu and kung fu.

2.  During the Middle Ages in Japan, common people were not allowed to carry .

3.  By the 1700's judo and jujitsu became sports stressing grace, physical discipline, and concentration.

4.  The first judo school was founded in 1882 by a man, named Jigaro Kano.

5.  Judo came to in 1902.

6.  Many experts believe does not belong in the category of unarmed self-defense.

7.  Judo and jujitsu began in China and .

8.  While a white belt stands for a novice, a black belt stands for a/an

intermediate. trainer. expert.

9.  How long does a karate match last?

one hour two to three minutes fifteen minutes

10.  Karate was introduced in an Okinawa school in 1905.  By the year 1922, it had spread to Japan, and eventually was practiced

Earthquake!   Maggie had never experienced an earthquake before, only prepared for it.  As long as she could remember, preparing for an earthquake was routine at school.  Her family as well had made plans in the event of a natural disaster.   Living on the west coast of the United States was earthquake country.   However, it was not the same.  Today Maggie was home alone.  Her mind focused on her parents and what could be happening to them.  Maggie knew her mom would be driving home on the busy, congested freeway.  Her mind was preoccupied with preparing supper for Maggie's dad.  Maggie's dad was due to arrive at the airport.  He was coming home from a two week business trip.   Maggie arrived home from school at the regular time.  She was grabbing a snack from the almost bare pantry, when she felt it.  First just a tremor, then the violent shaking.  Maggie quickly scurried under the large, oak table in the dining room.   The sounds of breaking glass and the crashing of numerous items was deafening.  The table remained intact, and Maggie hugged herself in fear.  Her mind focusing on her parents and what apparent danger they might be in.   After what seemed like an eternity the earthquake appeared to be over.  Maggie could hear the sound of water rushing below her in the basement.  The smell of natural gas was present in the air.  Maggie knew where the main water valve was located.   Dad had shown her where it was and how to turn it off.   Slowly and cautiously she came out from under the table.  The once tidy ranch home was now almost unrecognizable.  Walls had toppled over and electric sparks were shooting from the outlets.  As Maggie approached the open basement door she could see the steps were still intact.  Carefully holding the handrail she made her way down into the dark basement.  While still on the steps she felt the water rising and rising.  Placing her feet firmly on the floor Maggie felt a sudden surge of pain as a large ceiling beam hit her head and shoulder.   She fell unconscious onto a pile of storage boxes.....

Answer the questions below

The earthquake began with a small .

Maggie had grown up and lived on the coast.

Her mom was traveling home from work on the .

The heavy, oak table was not damaged and remained .

Maggie detected an odor in the house and knew it was gas.

Her dad was arriving home from a trip.

Maggie had just arrived home from .

Maggie had prepared for an earthquake, but never an earthquake.

Maggie knew the water had to be turned off at the main water located in the basement.

Maggie held the as she found her way down into the basement.

She was knocked by a large ceiling beam.

Maggie knew her mom's mind would be on preparing .

Maggie and her family lived in what type of a home? Ranch or Condominium

source:myschoolhouse

CINEMA. NI2

For each sentence, choose the best word or phrase to complete the gap from the choices below.

1. Do you know what time the film is  ---- ?
2. They have an extra late ----  of the film on Friday and Saturday?
3. Have you seen the new film----   Brad Pitt? It's great!
4. Alfred Hitchcock is one of my favourite ----  . His films are great.
5. I don't like sitting too near the---   in the cinema.
6. I'd like to see that film - I read a great   of it in the paper.
7. This is another ----  film starring Bruce Willis. I just find fights and explosions so boring these days.
8. The Dracula films were----   in Transylvania.
9. The worst thing about the film was the----   - it was so wooden.
10. I've got long legs so I prefer a seat on the---   so I can stretch my legs out.
11. It was an exciting thriller. I was on the edge of my---   .
12. I couldn't see anything because the person in front of me had his head in the---   .

Your answers

1.

A

screening

B

seeing

C

going

D

showing

2.

A

playing

B

performance

C

version

D

edition

3.

A

acting

B

showing

C

starring

D

containing

4.

A

directors

B

producers

C

makers

D

editors

5.

A

view

B

stage

C

screen

D

curtain

6.

A

preview

B

criticism

C

account

D

review

7.

A

drama

B

event

C

violence

D

action

8.

A

placed

B

fixed

C

set

D

located

9.

A

acting

B

playing

C

starring

D

action

10.

A

aisle

B

corners

C

side

D

edge

11.

A

chair

B

armchair

C

seat

D

place

12.

A

view

B

way

C

sight

D

place

LISTENING ABOUT CINEMA

What movie genres do you dislike?.
What movie genres do you like?
Watching movies at home or at the cinema?

VOCABULARY

Answers:

dbcacddcaacb

THE MEDIA. NI2

 

LISTENING ABOUT THE MEDIA

THE MEDIA

NEWSPAPERS

MAGAZINES

TELEVISION

For each sentence, choose the best word or phrase to complete the gap from the choices below.

1. This film is boring. Perhaps there's something better on the other ----  .
2. My favourite----   is on tonight - it's a really great comedy.
3. We watched a brilliant wildlife----   about crocodiles.
4. The news is on the othe channel right now. Please----   over so we can watch it.
5. I don't like it when they have----   during a film.
6. ----  are one of the most important items in children's television.
7. The prizes that you can win on----   are getting bigger and better all the time.
8. The match is being----   live this afternoon at three o'clock p.m.
9. People like TV----   earn millions nowadays.
10. Dallas and Dynasty were very famous US -----  during the seventies.
11. I don't want to watch this any more. Please pass me the -----  .
12. Late at night, not many of the programmes on TV are new. Most of them are----   .

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1.

A

station

B

channel

C

line

D

broadcast

2.

A

section

B

broadcast

C

emission

D

programme

3.

A

docudrama

B

documentary

C

soap

D

history

4.

A

zap

B

view

C

turn

D

change

5.

A

intervals

B

commercial breaks

C

advertisings

D

intermissions

6.

A

Cartoons

B

Strips

C

Animatics

D

Drawings

7.

A

action shows

B

questionnaires

C

game shows

D

phone-ins

8.

A

broadcast

B

taken

C

seen

D

viewed

9.

A

casters

B

presenters

C

presentatators

D

examiners

10.

A

epics

B

characters

C

films

D

soaps

11.

A

machine

B

remote

C

computer

D

bleeper

12.

A

encores

B

old versions

C

repeats

D

dubbed

Answers:
BDBCBACABCBC

INTERMEDIATE

Scientists have discovered that people who are (1) ____ optimistic about the future may have “faulty” brains. Their study, in the journal Nature Neuroscience, concluded that the reason many people always see light at the end of the (2) ____ may be because of an inability to (3) ____ deal with risk. They even say this over-optimism could have been a cause of the 2008 global financial crisis, with bankers failing to accept or see the (4) ____ of their investments. Report author Dr Tali Sharot of London’s University College analyzed brain scans (5) ____ measure the activity taking place in patients who were asked to think about their future. He found that negative predictions were ignored in the (6) ____ of optimists.

In the study, Dr Sharot gave volunteers 80 different negative situations (7) ____ from unpleasant to disastrous. These included getting divorced, (8) ____ your car stolen and developing cancer. Many of the volunteers underestimated the chances of these situations happening to them. Dr Sharot said: "The more optimistic we are, the less (9) ____ we are to be influenced by negative information about the future." He added: “Smoking kills messages don't work as people think their (10) ____ of cancer are low. The divorce rate is 50%, but people don't think it's the same for them." He also said: “Seeing the glass as half full (11) ____ than half empty can be a positive thing. It can lower stress and anxiety and be good for our health and well-(12) ____.”


answers:
1d  2b 3a 4c 5c 6b 7a 8d 9b 10d 11c 12 a

MORE READING B1-INTERMEDIO2

READINGS

INTERMEDIO II

READING

1   Read the article and tick (ü) A, B, or C.

For centuries, sleep was a complete mystery. In the last few years, however, scientists have been able to use new technology to investigate electrical and muscular states of the body during sleep. These investigations have shed new light on the six recurring stages of sleep, which were first described in the early 20th century. It is fair to say that we now have a much better understanding of what actually happens to us when we are sleeping, though it is far from a totally clear picture.

The first stage of sleeping is called, somewhat confusingly, ‘waking’. By this, sleep scientists mean a short period of wakefulness, just a matter of minutes, when the body is relaxed and prepares for sleep. Tense muscles relax, eye movement slows down, and the body slips gently towards drowsiness.

Once feeling drowsy, the sleeper has moved into a period known to the scientists as ‘stage 1 sleep’, a period which lasts no more than ten minutes. A way of describing this stage is to say that the sleeper is on the very edge of sleep, with their eyes closed and their bodies still. However, it wouldn’t be difficult to rouse a person at this stage. And once awake, a person may feel as if he or she has not slept.

By stage 2, the sleeper has entered a period of light sleep, perhaps best explained as a time when the muscles of the body hover between being completely relaxed and being responsive. Then, as the heart rate quickly slows down, and the body temperature drops, the body prepares to enter a much deeper phase of sleep. The third and fourth stage of sleep are when the body is completely asleep, its muscles paralysed, its breathing regular.

What happens next is quite unexpected. From the deep sleep of stage 4, the body works backwards through stage 3 sleep to the light sleep of stage 2, but then, instead of waking, it enters the bizarre and magical stage of REM sleep. The body has been asleep for about an hour and a half before reaching this stage.

REM stands for ‘rapid eye movement’. The heart rate speeds up, breathing becomes erratic, and the brain becomes very active. The sleeper is dreaming, something that only happens during the REM stage. Fortunately, however, while the brain is in overdrive, the rest of the body’s muscles are paralysed.

The initial REM stage is over after ten minutes or so. Then, the body starts its sleep cycle all over again, with the next REM stage taking a bit longer. In a typical night’s sleep, there will be five different sleep cycles with the final REM stage lasting as long as an hour.

Naturally, there are many factors which influence our sleep cycle, not least age. Small children get more deep sleep than anybody else, and, as a general rule, the older we get the shorter the time we spend in deep sleep. But, while stage 3 and stage 4 of the sleep cycle shorten with age, the first REM stage lengthens.

So, there you have it. Next time you go to bed and lay your head on the pillow, just imagine what adventures your sleeping self is about to set off on.

Example: For hundreds of years, people had no idea what happened when we slept.

A  True   ü     B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

1   In recent years, scientists have used technological advances to better understand what takes place when we sleep.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say     

2   During the ‘waking’ period a person is fast asleep.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

3   ‘Waking’ is different from ‘stage 1 sleep’ because it lasts much longer.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

4   If you wake up a sleeper during ‘stage 1 sleep’, he / she won’t be able to get back to sleep.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say     

5   Features of ‘stage 2 sleep’ include decreasing body temperature and heart rate.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say     

6   A typical sleep cycle happens in this order: waking ® stage 1 ® stage 2 ® stage 3 ® stage 4 ® REM stage

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say   

   

7   In a typical sleep cycle, a person is asleep for approximately 90 minutes before starting to dream.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say   

   

8   A faster heart beat is a feature of REM sleep.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say    

  

9   As a typical sleeper moves from one sleep cycle to the next, he / she is likely to spend more time dreaming with each sleep cycle.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say   

   

10   Older people generally enter REM sleep quicker and stay there longer.

     A  True          B  False          C  Doesn’t say      

2   Match five of the highlighted words / phrases to the definitions.

Example:    a bit sleepy   drowsy

1   happening over and over again

2   unable to move

3   be in a state that may change at any time

4   the effect of something or somebody

5   irregular

6  added more information
7  first
8   wake up
9   to start being very active
10   several things that cause or influence something

source: NEF I2

answers:
1. ABBCABAAAA
2. recurring, parlysed, hover, influence, erratic, shed new light, initial, rouse, overdrive, factors

  

INTERMEDIATE II.

READING

1   Read the article and tick (ü) A, B, or C.

We’ve all heard amazing stories in which people struggle heroically to survive against all the odds. We wonder what we would have done in similar impossible situations and find it hard to imagine how these people found the strength to stay alive. The truth, though, is that not all survivors are quite so heroic. As these two stories show, the will to survive isn’t always so strong.

The marathon runner

Thrilling yet terrifying, the Marathon des Sables is arguably the world’s toughest foot race. Competitors attempt a six-day 150-mile run across the Sahara desert in temperatures of over 100 degrees. Just imagine getting lost. That, however, is exactly what happened to an Italian policeman called Marco Contadino, a regular competitor,  when he took part in the race in 1996. A sandstorm developed as he was running, which covered the marks of the course he was following with sand. Marco should have stopped and waited for the storm to calm down, but he kept on, desperate to stay in seventh place in the race, only to find that when the wind dropped he could no longer see the course. He reached for his water bottle and found there were only a few drops left in the bottom of it.

For three whole days Marco tried to find his way back to the course, with barely any water and no idea what direction he was heading in. He started to visualize the agonising death he would soon have to face. A friend had once told him that dying of thirst was the worst of all possible deaths. Fearing such a long and painful death, he decided to cut his wrists with a knife. But, short of water, his blood was thick and would not flow. In desperation, he headed out into the desert one more time, expecting to die. Five more days passed until, miraculously, a group of Tuareg nomads found him and took him to a village. Marco discovered he was in Algeria, 130 miles away from the race course.

The yachtswoman

As an experienced sailor, Lynn Walker knows nothing is ever certain on the high seas. However, when she took on the job of sailing a luxury yacht from Tahiti to San Diego, she must have believed that it would be one of the less complicated trips she had done. Little did she know that after a week of calm sailing the weather would change dramatically, bringing a tropical depression from Central America to blast the yacht with 50-foot waves. Lynn found herself battling against Hurricane Raymond. It was an unequal battle, and the boat soon turned over.

Lynn was unconscious for a long time. When she did finally come round, she realized that the boat had miraculously righted itself, and that she had been saved by the lifeline connecting her to the boat. She had tied it to herself moments before the boat had first gone under the waves. Tragically, she could see Simon, her boyfriend, lying dead in the water.

There was plenty of food on the boat, and the weather was calm again, but Lynn could only feel an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. She found that she couldn’t eat, and simply sat on the soaking wet deck. It was as if she had given up, and was waiting to die. Then, all of a sudden, a voice in her head told her to survive. She managed to put up a makeshift sail, and consulting the surviving charts on the boat, somehow sailed to Hawaii.

Example: According to the writer, when people hear survival stories __________.

A  they imagine what they would have done         
B  they don’t believe them       

C  they enjoy them more than other stories   ü 

1   What does the writer not say about the Marathon des Sables?

     A  It makes you feel incredibly excited.         
     B  It gives you a real sense of achievement.         

     C  It’s extremely difficult.      

2   When Marco competed in the Marathon des Sables in 1996 __________.

     A  he used a new route         

     B  it wasn’t the first time he had competed         
    C  it was the hottest weather ever      

3   Why couldn’t Marco find his way back to the course?

     A  He had no way of knowing which way to go.         
     B  He was having strange visions from lack of water.         
     C  He was too tired to concentrate on where he was going.      

4   Marco attempted suicide because __________.

     A  he knew someone who had died of thirst         
     B  he thought it’d be better than dying slowly without water         
     C  he thought it was the best thing to do if the pain was too much      

5   Marco was rescued __________.

     A  eight days after he got lost         

     B  not far from where he first got lost         
     C  by people who had been looking for him      

6   When she agreed to sail the yacht from Tahiti, what did Lynn think the job would be?

     A  She knew it would be easy.         

     B  She expected it to be easy.         
    C  She hoped it would be easy.      

7   During the first few days of sailing __________.

     A  Lynn probably regretted accepting the job         

     B  the weather was fine          
     C  Lynn heard that there was bad weather ahead of her      

8   Lynn wasn’t able to sail the yacht in the hurricane because __________.

     A  the storm was too strong         

     B  she wasn’t a good sailor         
     C  the weather changed too quickly      

9   How did Lynn survive?

     A  She’d tied herself to the yacht.         
     B  The boat wasn’t the wrong way up for long.         
     C  She wasn’t unconscious for long.      

10   Lynn didn’t feel like fighting to survive because __________.

     A  there wasn’t enough food         

     B  she thought she was going to die         
     C  she was so depressed      

source: NFE NIII

answers: BBABABBAAC