Friend Global 12 Reading PDF

**UNIT 1 RELATIONSHIPS** **Reading:** **POWER OF CONNECTION** "They tried to escape technology, to stay away from that and still have relationships with fellow humans. Very difficult." Arthur Miller  Technology can exert its power on almost every aspect of our lives, and personal relationships a...

**UNIT 1 RELATIONSHIPS** **Reading:** **POWER OF CONNECTION** "They tried to escape technology, to stay away from that and still have relationships with fellow humans. Very difficult." Arthur Miller  Technology can exert its power on almost every aspect of our lives, and personal relationships are no exception. We are now becoming more attached to technological devices and less connected to the people around us or even our loved ones.  We work longer hours on computers, meet fewer friends[, text] more often, and watch more videos than have a true conversation with friends or family members. Technology enhances relationships at home and at work. Social media link us all together, but we [mistake] them for a perfect replacement for relationships. It is time we realised that the power of connections is built from our own efforts. Whether we choose to stay technologically or socially connected, we have to spend a considerable amount of time doing activities together, listening, understanding and sharing feelings. This helps strengthen our mind and body, keeping us away from isolation and loneliness.  It is not difficult to balance between connections through technology and those through real interactions. We can start by nurturing the relationships within our family. We should spend more time visiting our parents and siblings, besides keeping in [touch] with them on social media. We should learn to cherish the moments we spend with them. It is never too late to strengthen the [bonds] with school friends and teachers. Don\'t hesitate to participate in sports clubs or a [hiking] trip where we can build up true friendships. And above all, remember that time commitment counts in relationships, so running short of time for connections is impossible.  **Task 1. Scan the text. What is the purpose of the reading?** a To tell the difference between technological and social bonds b To list all of the advantages of technology to social connections **c To give advice on how to develop relationships in technological era** **Task 2. Read the Reading Strategy. Then find the words below in the text and decide whether each one is a verb, noun, adjective, etc.** - Text -\> verb - Mistake -\> verb - Touch -\> noun - Bonds -\> noun - Hiking -\> noun **Task 3. Look again at the context of the words in exercise 3. Choose the correct definition (a or b) for each one.** 1. Text: A. any form of written material B. **send somebody a written message using a mobile phone** 2. Mistake: A. **not understand or judge somebody/something correctly** B. a word, figure, etc. that is not said or written down correctly 3. Touch A. **contact** B. put your hand onto something 4. bonds A. **strong connections** B. join two things strongly together 5. Hiking A. having something to do with sports B. **the activity of going for long walks in the country for pleasure** **Task 4. Read the text. Choose the correct answers (a-d).** 1\. The text mainly discusses **a. practical ways to nurture connections in the world of technology.** b\. the causes of worsened relationships in the modern world. c\. the values of technological advancements in personal relationships. d\. the role of social media in maintaining relationships. 2\. All of the following are examples of our strong attachment to technology except a\. texting friends. b\. working on computers. **c. listening to others.** d\. watching videos. 3\. We wrongly perceive social media as **a. a wonderful replacement for relationships**. b\. a valuable tool of working life. c\. time-saving means of communication. d\. misguided ways of contact. 4\. The first step to empower connections is a\. joining a sports club. **b. saving more time for family members.** c\. keeping in touch with different people. d\. going hiking with friends. 5\. Time commitment is **a. necessary in balancing connections.** b\. the first requirement for strengthening one\'s mind. c\. impossible in the modern time. d\. essential in maintaining relationships. **Culture** **Tast 1. Read the text. Match the headings (1-3) with the paragraphs (A--C).** **1 The reminder ** **2 Celebration activities ** **3 The values ** A Some holidays are celebrated in honor of family members like mothers or fathers. In Viet Nam, June 28th is a day for the whole family. Although Family Day (or Vietnamese Family Day) is not an official national holiday, it is very popular and widely celebrated throughout the country. Its aim is to honour and spread traditional family values, and provide an opportunity for family members to get together, and also connect with their cultural roots. B Viet Nam, as a nation, prides itself on preserving its core cultural ideals, with a profound emphasis on the enduring values of family loyalty and harmony. In Vietnamese culture, the family is viewed as a unit, and children are expected to demonstrate the utmost respect to their parents. Family Day was established on June 28th, 2001, by the Deputy Prime Minister as a reminder of these values. C Various cultural activities are organised in cities all across Viet Nam. This year\'s celebrations are themed \'Peaceful Family, Happy Society, and include sports, cooking and singing contests. The event will also feature educational seminars on family values and parenting skills, as well as workshops on financial planning and career development. Families can participate in fun games and activities such as scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, and relay races that promote teamwork and bonding. The highlight of the day will be a concert featuring popular local artists, where families can enjoy live music performances and spend quality time together. The Family Day celebration is truly an opportunity for families to connect with each other in a meaningful way. **Key: 1. B, 2. C, 3. A** **Task 2. Read the text again and write True (T) or False (F) to the statements (1-5).** 1 Vietnamese Family Day holds immense popularity and is enthusiastically observed across the nation. 2 The day is a great time for children all over the world to demonstrate their respect to their parents. 3 The most impressive event of the day is a concert given by international artists. 4 Family members can participate in cooking competitions. 5 Families can perform live on stage. **Key: 1. T, 2. F, 3. F, 4. T, 5. F** **Review** Identical twins Identical twins are born when an egg divides into two, resulting in the birth of two children with identical genes. 1 \_\_\_\_\_\_ Some believe, however, that there is also a close connection between twins in the way they think, not just in the way they look. Twins finish each other\'s sentences, and share the same tastes in clothes or music. Some have argued that identical twins have mysterious, even psychic, powers. Although many identical twins claim to know what the other is thinking, there is no evidence to suggest that this is because of special powers.  2 \_\_\_\_\_\_ Most of us have met up with a brother or sister, or close friend, and immediately asked, \'What\'s wrong?\' because we have unconsciously recognised, in their facial expression, that they are upset in some way. Signs we would miss in a stranger\'s behaviour are instantly obvious in the way those close to us act. It is hardly surprising that twins notice the way their brother or sister\'s facial expressions or body language gives away how they feel. Indeed, the closeness of their bond is likely to improve this ability over the years. The media is full of stories in which a twin senses her brother or sister to be in trouble. 3 \_\_\_\_\_\_ Damien Croft developed a bad headache one evening and, concerned, felt the need to phone his brother to check if everything was OK. When there was no reply, he drove to his brother\'s home, only to find him unconscious, having had an epileptic fit and fallen from a ladder while decorating. On the face of it, his sixth sense had saved the day. 4 \_\_\_\_\_\_  Damien knew his brother was decorating, and knew that he was prone to epileptic fits. Subconsciously concerned, he had just imagined the worst-case scenario. 5 \_\_\_\_\_\_ **Task 1. Read the text. Match sentences (A-F) with gaps (1-5). There is one extra sentence.** A. In a recent, widely-reported case, for example, a young man survived a horrific fall thanks to a feeling his twin is supposed to have had. B. We all know such twins are often very similar in appearance. C. The fact that something awful had happened was only a coincidence. D. In contrast, there are many other stories which can be more easily explained. E. In truth, of course, the events might also be explained in more ordinary terms. F. A more believable explanation is that, like any pair of people who have grown up together, they are just good at understanding the thought processes behind what their twin does. **KEY: 1. E, 2.F, 3. A, 4. C, 5. D** **UNIT 2 PROBLEMS** **Reading** **BRIGHTER AND SAFER** A. Dr Melissa Bateson, a psychologist from Newcastle University, secretly conducted an experiment to see if she could change her colleagues\' behaviour when it came to paying for their hot drinks. The teachers were expected to put money in a box in the staff room, but nobody controlled how much money each teacher gave. Dr Bateson put a large picture of some flowers on the wall behind the box for a few weeks and then replaced it with one of a picture of a pair of human eyes. At the end of the experiment, Dr Bateson found that teachers paid almost three times more for their drinks when the picture of the eyes was on the wall. She concluded that we are programmed to respond to eyes, even pictures of eyes, and believed that her posters could help combat crime. B. During the 1960s and \'70s, industrialised countries suffered an incredible crime wave, and violent crimes such as muggings increased at an alarming rate. What is more, it was expected to get worse. Only it didn\'t. Instead, it got much, much better. In the 1990s, crime started to fall dramatically, and today it is down by almost 50% across the industrialised world and continues to fall. Triumphant politicians will assert that their policies have cut crime. Actually, regardless of the country\'s policies, the trend does coincide with the use and subsequent prohibition of tetraethyl lead in petrol, which has been known for years as a cause of aggressive behaviour. Therefore, countries that still use leaded petrol are being urged to stop using it to help improve health and crime prevention. C. After the installation of blue-light street lamps in Buchanan Street, the main shopping centre of Glasgow (Scotland), the local police felt that thieves were committing fewer crimes in Buchanan Street. Statistics proved that the number of recorded crimes had fallen - especially petty crimes such as pickpocketing and bag snatching. Some psychologists claim that blue is a calming colour and reduces people\'s levels of stress and aggression. Whatever the reason, it seems that blue lighting does deter crime and it has created interest abroad. Many neighbourhoods in Japan have adopted the change and seen crime fall at a similar rate as in Glasgow. **Task 1: Read texts (A-C) opposite. Match the texts with the titles (1-5). There are two extra titles.** 1 I\'ve got my eye on you! 2 Brighter and safer 3 Driven to crime 4 Feeling blue 5 Politics works! **KEY:** A. I\'ve got my eye on you! B. Driven to crime C. Brighter and safer **Task 2: Read the Reading Strategy. Match texts (A-C) with questions (1-6). Each paragraph may be matched with more than one question.** Which text mentions\... 1 similar falls in crime in different countries? 2 a fall in the crime rate of under 50%? 3 a fall in crime that was the result of a planned experiment? 4 people claiming that they were responsible for less crime? 5 a crime prevention technique that has interested people in another country? 6 a local change that had an effect on the crime rate? **KEY:** 1. **TEXT A** 2. **TEXT B** 3. **TEXT A** 4. **TEXT B** 5. **TEXT C** 6. **TEXT A** **Culture** The World\'s First GPS On a stormy night in 1707, four ships struck rocks off the south coast of England and sank. One thousand, four hundred sailors were drowned. The ships had crashed because they had no way of knowing how far they had travelled in a particular direction; they could not calculate their longitude, which required accurate time measurement. It was the most serious in a series of accidents at sea, and a stunned British government decided to act. In such difficult circumstances, they believed that the best response to the disaster was a competition: the Longitude Prize. The Longitude Prize was no ordinary competition. To win it, someone had to find a way of calculating how far a ship had travelled east or west from its point of departure. Geniuses such as Sir Isaac Newton had failed to find a solution, so to ensure the interest of Britain\'s greatest scientific minds, the government offered a prize of £20,000 - the equivalent of £2.6 million in today\'s money. But to everyone\'s surprise, it wasn\'t a famous academic who solved the problem, but an unknown carpenter. When John Harrison wasn\'t working with wood, he was making clocks. An accurate clock would allow sailors to calculate their position, but at the time it was thought impossible to create a mechanical clock that could work on a ship. The movement of the sea and the changes in temperature destroyed the delicate parts. However, after three frustrated attempts, Harrison\'s fourth sea clock, H4, finally triumphed. Its mechanics were so good that the H14 worked better than most clocks on land. The Longitude Prize and Harrison\'s success generated a lot of interest in the 18th century, but it was soon forgotten. However, in 2013, the British government created a new Longitude Prize, offering £10 million to the person who could solve a great challenge to humanity. An enthralled public then took part in a TV programme where viewers chose one challenge from a list of six for scientists to focus on. The question now is, will someone be able to solve it just as well as Harrison solved the challenge presented to him? **Task 1. Read the text. What solution did the British government suggest for a problem in the 18th century? Was it successful?** KEY: - In the 18th century, the British government suggested the solution of creating an accurate clock to address the problem of calculating longitude at sea. - This solution proved to be successful when John Harrison, a relatively unknown carpenter and clockmaker, invented the marine chronometer, specifically his fourth sea clock known as H4. **Task 2. Read the text again. Answer the questions.** 1 What was the situation that the British government decided to deal with? 2 What surprised people about the winner of the Longitude Prize? 3 Why didn\'t sailors use mechanical clocks to calculate their positions? 4 Why do you think the successful sea clock was called H4? 5 How was the challenge for the new Longitude Prize decided on? **KEY:** 1. The situation that the British government decided to deal with was the problem of accurately determining a ship\'s longitude at sea, which led to maritime disasters due to ships being unable to calculate their position accurately. 2. People were surprised that the winner of the Longitude Prize was not a famous academic or scientist, but rather an unknown carpenter and clockmaker named John Harrison. 3. Because it was believed that the movement of the sea and changes in temperature on ships would damage the delicate parts of the clocks, making them unreliable for accurate timekeeping at sea. 4. Because it was the fourth iteration or model created by John Harrison in his attempts to develop an accurate marine chronometer. The \"H\" might stand for \"Harrison,\" while the \"4\" indicates that it was his fourth attempt. 5. It was decided through a TV program where viewers chose one challenge from a list of six for scientists to focus on. This process engaged the public and allowed them to have a say in determining the focus of the prize. **Review** The Pennine Way is a 469-kilometre walking path which runs from the Peak District in Derbyshire to just inside the Scottish border. Other trails go further, but it is known as the most challenging. Some people see this trail as an opportunity to take a pleasant day\'s hike on a small section of the route, but eighteen-year-old David Lemming saw it as a challenge. \'I\'d come across a great account of hiking the whole trail, written a few years ago, and I was determined to do it myself. I didn\'t feel anxious - I was just excited to get going! Things went perfectly for the first week. David was really enjoying the experience. Since many people use the trail, he was constantly meeting fellow hikers, so he never felt isolated. \'But then it got really stormy, he says, \'so a lot of people gave up. I could go for hours without seeing anyone at all. But as long as I had my mobile, I wasn\'t really worried about anything bad happening! Unfortunately, something bad did happen. During a particularly heavy rain storm, David slipped in the mud and fell about ten metres down the hill. \'I realised I\'d broken my arm immediately. Then I found that my mobile had fallen out of my pocket. And when I tried to get up to look for it, I couldn\'t stand up at all. My leg was injured too.' All he could do was to shout for help. \'I yelled until my throat was sore, he says. \'And nothing happened. But then I saw a head at the top of the hill someone had heard me. A man came down, saw the state I was in and called for help. And really, that was the most amazing part of the whole  experience. At the hospital, even the doctors were impressed at how much of the trail I\'d covered. I felt really proud! **Read the extract from a story. Circle the correct answers (A-D).** 1\. The Pennine Way is A. the longest trail in Britain. B. located mainly in Scotland. C. not popular within experienced walkers. **D. considered a difficult trail to walk.** 2\. Where did David get the idea of hiking the trail? A. From reading about it B. From his parents **C. From hearing an account of it** D. From being challenged by a friend 3 How did David get help after his accident? A. He called for help on his mobile. B. He spoke to a passer-by. **C. He called out until someone heard him.** D. He returned to the trail and found someone. 4 What is the best title for the article? A. A Foolish Adventure B. How a Mobile Saved a Boy\'s Life **C. Near Tragedy, But No Regrets** D. Fear and Tragedy on the Pennine Way **UNIT 3 CUSTOMS AND CULTURE** **Reading** THE KITE RUNNER Ali and Baba grew up together as childhood playmates just like Hassan and I grew up a generation later. Baba was always telling us about their mischiefs he and Ali used to cause. But in none of his stories did Baba ever refer to Ali as his friend. The curious thing was, I never thought of Hassan and me as friends either. 1 \_\_\_\_\_ Never mind that we taught each other to ride a bicycle with no hands, or to build a fully functional homemade camera out of a cardboard box. Never mind that we spent entire winters flying kites, running kites. Never mind that to me, the face of Afghanistan is that of a boy with a thin-boned frame, a shaved head, and low-set ears, a boy with a Chinese doll face perpetually lit by a harelipped smile. Never mind any of those things. 2 \_\_\_\_\_ Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he was a Hazara, I was Sunni and he was Shi\'a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing. We saw our first Western together, Rio Bravo with John Wayne, at the Cinema Park. I remember begging Baba to take us to Iran so we could meet John Wayne. Baba burst out in gales of his deep-throated laughter and then explained to us the concept of voice dubbing. 3 \_\_\_\_\_ John Wayne didn\'t really speak Farsi and he wasn\'t Iranian! He was American, just like the friendly, long-haired men and women we always saw hanging around in Kabul, dressed in their tattered, brightly colored shirts. During the school year, we had a daily routine. By the time I dragged myself out of bed and lumbered to the- bathroom, Hassan had already washed up, prayed the morning namaz with Ali, and prepared my breakfast. While I ate and complained about homework, Hassan made my bed, polished my shoes, ironed my outfit for the day, packed my books and pencils. 4 \_\_\_\_\_ (Adapted from The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini) **Task 1: Read the text again. What is it about?** 1\. Afghan cinema **2. Growing up in Afghanistan** 3\. The different social classes in Afghanistan **Task 2: Read the Reading Strategy. Match the missing sentences (A-E) with the gaps (1-4). There is one extra sentence.** A. Hassan and I were stunned. Dazed. B. I\'d hear him singing to himself in the foyer as he ironed, singing old Hazara songs in his nasal voice. C. Not in the usual sense, anyhow. D. We had been close friends since childhood. E. Because history isn\'t easy to overcome. **KEY:** (1): C. Not in the usual sense, anyhow. (2): E. Because history isn\'t easy to overcome. (3): A. Hassan and I were stunned. Dazed. (4): B. I\'d hear him singing to himself in the foyer as he ironed, singing old Hazara songs in his nasal voice. **Task 3: 5 Match (1-5) with (A-E) to make sentences about the extract.** 1 The narrator and Hassan had a childhood that 2 The narrator doesn\'t think that he and Hassan 3 Certain cultural and social factors couldn\'t change the fact that the boys 4 Baba laughed a lot because the boys 5 In the last paragraph, we discover the narrator and Hassan A had spent their childhood together. B had a typical friendship. C had different daily experiences. D were confused about an actor\'s nationality. E was similar to Ali and Baba\'s. **KEY: 1. A, 2. B, 3. C, 4. D, 5. E** **Task 4: Find five underlined compound adjectives in the text. Then complete the sentences with them.** 1 Although she was tall, she was slim and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and didn\'t weigh much. 2 Try this \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ jam. It\'s much better than the ones you buy in shops. 3 Suddenly, we heard the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ roar of a lion calling out to its mate. 4 The stranger had \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ eyes that were close together, giving him a menacing look. 5 After six months of travelling, the men were all \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ and bearded. **KEY:** **1. thin-boned** **2. homemade** **3. deep-throated** **4. low-set** **5. long-haired** **Culture** 1. Cải Lương, a form of traditional Vietnamese theatre, emerged around the 1910s and gained popularity among the communities in the south, especially in the Mekong Delta region. In the early years, Cải Lương performances were held in makeshift theatres or open-air spaces, and the plays were often performed by itinerant troupes. Just like a Western circus, they travelled together from place to place, with their families. The children grew up under the influence of parents, aunts and uncles and became actors and actresses when they were kids. 2. Cải Lương uses a combination of music, singing, acting, and dance to depict a wide range of themes and stories. These include historical events, folklore, legends, and contemporary social issues. The performances are characterised by vibrant costumes, bold makeup, and expressive gestures. With its diverse repertoire, Cai Luong offers a reflection on Vietnamese culture, history, values, and societal concerns. 3. The distinctive music in Cải Lương is created by the combination of a variety of instruments. They include the dan tranh, a 16-stringed zither with movable bridges, the đàn nguyệt, a two-stringed moon-shaped lute, the dàn cò, a two-stringed fiddle, and a bamboo flute. These instruments produce a melodic and unique sound that complements the storytelling and singing in Cải Lương. 4. Cải Lương owes its development to numerous talented individuals who have contributed their skills and creativity over the years. Prominent figures like Bay Nam, Phùng Há and Út Trà Ôn, together with others, played crucial roles in shaping and popularising Cải Lương. Through their dedication and artistry, they elevated Cải Lương to become a cherished cultural tradition in Viet Nam. Their contributions continue to inspire generations of performers and ensure the preservation of this rich theatrical heritage. 5. At present, Cải Lương faces concerns about its future due to the declining interest among younger generations and the influence of modern entertainment. However, efforts to raise awareness, engage new audiences, and adapt to new tastes may safeguard the sustainability of Cải Lương in the years to come. **Task 1: You are going to read an article about Cải Lương, a traditional Vietnamese theatrical art form. Match the headings (A-G) with paragraphs (1-5). There are two extra headings.** A The Development of Cải Lương B The pioneers C The early days D A Vibrant Fusion of Arts E The Future of Cải Lương F Viet Nam\'s rich heritage G The instrumental ensemble **Key:** 1\. The early days 2\. A Vibrant Fusion of Arts 3\. The instrumental ensemble 4\. The pioneers 5\. The Future of Cải Lương **Task 2: Read the text again. Choose the correct answers (a--c).** 1 Cải Lương a\. has gained popularity among young audiences. **b. offers a depiction of Vietnamese history and culture.** c\. is influenced by other Western art forms. 2\. The children of Cải Lương performers **a. started acting at a very young age.** b\. did not want to pursue their parents\' career. c\. enjoyed modern entertainment. 3\. Cải Lương owes its development to a\. the audience in southern Viet Nam. b\. the preservation of this rich heritage. **c. the contributions of eminent figures over the years.** 4\. There is growing concern that a\. Cải Lương will lose its identity. **b. younger generations will lose interest in Cải Lương**. c\. young Cải Lương performers will not be talented. **Review** Mardi Gras: a party to remember Mardi Gras. Two little words that describe a centuries-old celebration which originated in Medieval Europe. It is the name given to the final day of the Carnival season, the day that traditionally precedes forty days of fasting in some religions. The words mean \'Fat Tuesday, referring not only to the day on which the celebration is always held, but also to the custom of eating up all the forbidden food before the fast. Today, it is the city of New Orleans in Louisiana, USA, that holds one of the most famous Mardi Gras celebrations in the world. Mardi Gras was introduced to North America in March 1699 by a French Canadian explorer called Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. Arriving on the eve of the festival at an area 90 kilometres south of what is now New Orleans, he organised the following day celebration on a plot of land he named Pointe du Mardi Gras. The custom soon caught on, and by the time New Orleans had been established by Bienville in 1718, Americans were celebrating their own version of Mardi Gras. What makes the New Orleans event so special is its dazzling parades. Marching bands escort artistic carnival floats through streets lined with spectators wearing masks. These masks afforded the wearer a disguise which allowed him or her to mix with people of different classes. As for the carnival floats, each one belongs to an organisation known as a \'krewe. The tradition of the \'krewe\' began in 1856 when six young men from the nearby town of Mobile formed the \'Mistek Krewe of Comus. Not only does this group hold the distinction of being the first krewe, but it is also credited with parading the first float. The second Mardi Gras krewe, the Twelfth Night Revelers was founded in 1870, and initiated another popular tradition, the Mardi Gras \'throws. These are small presents which are tossed to the crowd by the costumed float-riders. Mardi Gras was made official in New Orleans in 1875 when Governor Warmoth signed the Mardi Gras Act making Fat Tuesday a public holiday in Louisiana. **Task 1: Read the text and choose the best answers (A-D).** 1\. The first Mardi Gras was celebrated in North America when Bienville A. crossed the Canadian border. B. founded New Orleans. C. reached Pointe du Mardi Gras. **D. landed on the coast of Louisiana.** 2\. Festival-goers started wearing masks at Mardi Gras because A. they were an obligatory part of the costume. B. they were made legal for the day. C. they were handed out by the float-riders. **D. they hid a person\'s true identity**. 3\. 1856 is the year in which **A. the first krewe was formed in New Orleans.** B. floats began to take part in the parades. C. a committee was voted to organise the festival. D. the town of Mobile held its first Mardi Gras. 4\. The Twelfth Night Revelers was the first krewe to A. pay for a float. B. dress up in colourful outfits. C. hand out money during a parade. **D. provide gifts for spectators.** 5\. Before 1875, **A. schools and offices were open during Mardi Gras.** B. tourists were not welcome at the celebrations. C. krewes didn\'t have to pay for their own floats. D. Mardi Gras was financed by the governor. **UNIT 4 HOLIDAYS AND TOURISM** **Reading** Travelling online If you haven\'t got time to go travelling, you can still enjoy it by following a traveller\'s experiences on their blog. Here are three of the most interesting and unusual globetrotters online! Α At the age of seventeen, Alex Chacón set off from his home in El Paso, Texas and went for a motorbike ride. Alex\'s thirty-day tour of the USA took in California, Washington and Florida and gave Alex an aim in life: to travel the world on his motorbike. Although Alex usually travels alone, he has shared his experiences on his blog. While travelling, Alex videos himself doing all sorts of activities against breathtaking backgrounds of remote jungles, deserts and mountains. On one trip, he filmed himself by moving in a 360° circle so that all the famous landmarks would be included. During Alex\'s motorcycle expeditions, he regularly stops to take part in volunteering projects at orphanages that he comes across on his route. Furthermore, he uses his blog to raise donations for orphans. Alex is now planning to cross Africa, Europe and Asia. It seems that by the 5 time he\'s thirty, Alex will have ridden his bike across most of the planet! B Dutch actress Manon Ossevoort has dreamed of travelling from Europe across Africa to the South Pole for years, and she chose a slow form of transport: a tractor. Manon only averaged 5 km/h as she drove, but that allowed her to get to know the hospitable people in villages where she stopped over for the night. She would explain why she was going to the South Pole and ask people to follow her blog and write down their own dreams. She promised to build a snowman when she arrived at her destination and leave all their dreams inside it. The idea was popular and Manon received thousands of dreams on pieces of paper and in emails. Finally, on 9 December 2014, Manon\'s dream came true, and she pulled up in a big red tractor at the South Pole. She then built a snowman and left a time capsule inside it with all the dreams she had collected. Manon explained on her blog that when the time capsule is opened in eighty years\' time, future generations will be able to read something about our lives and our hopes for the future. C Have you ever travelled with no luggage? That was the question Rolf Potts aimed to answer on the \'no-baggage challenge\'. However, the task wasn\'t simply a question of going off for a week to soak up the sun on a beach. Rolf had to travel 50,000 km by plane and get around eleven countries in 42 days with just the things he could carry in his pockets. Would he be able to do it? Rolf was certainly well qualified enough to try. He was an experienced traveller who wrote a blog about budget travel. Now he planned to update it with regular reports about travelling extremely light. His first \'no-baggage challenge\' entry listed the items he took with him: a toothbrush and toothpaste, a small bottle of soap, a mobile phone and charger, deodorant, sunglasses, a passport, cash and a credit card. His second entry explained that he had got into the habit of washing his clothes before going to bed during his trips. By the third entry, he was really enjoying luggage-free travel. Potts said that he would never pack any \'just in case\' items again, because the imagined situations that they were packed for would never happen. **Task 1: Read the texts quickly. Match titles (1-4) with texts (A-C). There is one extra title.** 1 The art of travelling light 2 Non-stop traveller 3 On the road to nowhere 4 Follow your dreams **KEY:** 1. **C 2.A 4. B** **Task 2: Look at the texts again. What was the purpose of each trip?** **Key:** Text A: His journey aimed to explore different cultures, landscapes, and to raise awareness for charitable causes. Text B: Her journey was driven by the goal of inspiring others to follow their dreams and leaving a legacy for future generations. Text C: The trip served as an exploration of minimalist travel and updating his blog with reports about the experience. **Task 3: Match texts (A-C) with questions (1-5). Each text may be matched with more than one question.** Which text mentions\... 1 the traveller using his/her blog to ask people to do things? 2 the things that the traveller took with him/her on the journey? 3 the traveller asking people both online and that he/ she met to take part in something? 4 the traveller helping people to collect money for a good cause? 5 the speed at which the traveller went? **KEY:** 1. Đoạn A và B 2. Đoạn C 3. Đoạn B 4. Đoạn A 5. Đoạn A và B **Task 4: Read the texts again. Answer the questions in your own words if possible.** 1 In what three ways does Alex Chacón use his blog? 2 If Alex\'s plans succeed, how many years will he have been travelling? 3 What were the advantages of travelling by tractor for Manon Ossevoort? 4 How will future generations learn about our hopes for the future thanks to Manon? 5 Why did Rolf Potts seem to be the right person to try the no-baggage challenge? 6 What never, ever happens according to Rolf? **KEY:** 1\. Alex Chacón uses his blog to share his travel experiences, raise donations for orphans, and promote volunteering projects at orphanages. 2\. If Alex\'s plans succeed, he will have been traveling for around thirteen years by the time he turns thirty. 3\. It included the slow pace, which allowed her to interact with people in villages along the way and collect dreams for a time capsule. Additionally, it provided her with an opportunity to inspire others to follow their dreams and leave a legacy at the South Pole. 4\. Because she built a snowman at the South Pole and left a time capsule inside it containing thousands of dreams collected from people she met during her journey. When the time capsule is opened in eighty years, it will provide insights into the dreams and aspirations of people from our time. 5\. Because he was an experienced traveler who regularly updated his blog with reports about budget travel. Additionally, he had the necessary skills and mindset to undertake such an unconventional journey. 6\. The imagined situations for which people pack \"just in case\" items never, ever happen. This implies that travelers often carry unnecessary items based on hypothetical scenarios that rarely materialize. **Task 5: Match the highlighted phrasal verbs in the text with the definitions. Write the base forms**. Phrasal verbs 1 to stop a vehicle \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ 2 to leave a place to do something. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ 3 to move from place to place \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ 4 to begin a journey. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ 5 to find something by chance. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ 6 to include \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ 7 to stay somewhere for a short time during a journey \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ **KEY:** 1\. Pull up 2\. go off 3\. get around 4\. set off 5\. come across 6\. take in 7\. stop over **Culture** Anybody who is hoping to have new experiences when they visit Australia or New Zealand should meet the original inhabitants of 1 \_\_\_\_\_ two countries, the Aborigines and the Maoris. However, 2 \_\_\_\_\_ both cultures have experienced similar problems caused by the arrival of Europeans to their lands, the Aborigines and the Maoris are very different. The Aborigines The Aborigines have one of the oldest surviving cultures in the world. It is more 3 \_\_\_\_\_ 60,000 years old, and during this period of time, they have formed hundreds of tribes that have developed different customs and around seven hundred different languages. In 1971, a flag 4 \_\_\_\_\_ designed to represent all the Aborigine tribes and help unite them. The Aborigines hold a lot of ceremonies to celebrate different events, but one of the most important to nearly 5 \_\_\_\_\_ of the tribes is the \'walkabout\'. It might seem like an adventure to people from other cultures, but the walkabout involves boys aged thirteen sleeping rough for as long as six months in the Australian desert. They spend the whole time alone and 6 \_\_\_\_\_ to hunt for food to survive. Once the walkabout period has finished, they are welcomed back by their village, which celebrates the arrival of a new man in the community. The Maoris The Maoris arrived in New Zealand from East Polynesia in the second half of the 12th century. The Maoris all speak the 7 \_\_\_\_\_ language and share the same customs, and this has helped them to have a strong presence in modern New Zealand. Maori is one of the country\'s two official languages. Maoris believe that all natural things and living things are connected, and modern Maoris are very concerned 8 \_\_\_\_\_ the protection of the environment. One important aspect of Maori culture is Ta moko- tattooing. Both men and women can have tattoos 9 \_\_\_\_\_ their bodies or their faces. The tattoos represent the family or tribe that they belong 10 \_\_\_\_\_. The designs are very intricate and are now inspiring a lot of the designs of tattoo artists around the world. **Task 1: Complete the text. Write one word in each gap.** **KEY:** 1\. these 2. while 3. than 4. was 5. all 6. learning 7\. same 8. about 9. on 10. to **Task 2: Read the text again. Write A for Aborigines or M for Maoris.** Which people\... 1 involve both females and males in a ritual? 2 are interested in ecology? 3 tried to symbolically unite their different groups? 4 might have problems understanding each other? 5 visually display their association with certain people? 6 expect teenagers to be able to look after themselves? **KEY:** 1. **M 2. M 3. A 4.A 5.A 6.A** **Task 3: Answer the questions in your own words.** 1 Why do you think the creation of a flag was useful for the Aborigines? 2 Why is walkabout\' so important? 3 Why are Maoris so interested in looking after the environment? 4 How would you be able to know what tribe a Maori adult belongs to? **KEY:** 1\. The creation of a flag was useful for the Aborigines because it symbolically united their different tribes and helped foster a sense of unity and identity among them. 2\. Walkabout\' is important because it serves as a rite of passage for Aborigine boys, where they learn survival skills, connect with their land, and transition into manhood. 3\. Maoris are interested in looking after the environment because they believe in the interconnectedness of all natural and living things, and they recognize the importance of preserving the environment for future generations. 4\. You can know what tribe a Maori adult belongs to by observing their Ta moko, or tattoos, which visually represent their family or tribe. **Review** The rise of Airbnb In 2007, design graduates, Joe Gebbie and Brian Chesky, were struggling to pay the rent for their San Francisco apartment. Hearing that there was a conference coming to town and there were no hotel rooms available, they created the website airbedandbreakfast.com where they advertised three airbeds in their home at \$80 each a night, breakfast included. Only six days later, they had three guests sleeping on their floor. They knew immediately that this was the start of something big. Being budding entrepreneurs, the pair decided to take their idea further. They enlisted Gebbie\'s former flatmate, Nathan Blecharczyk, a computer science graduate, to develop their website. Their idea was to target conferences and festivals across the USA, getting local people to list their rooms and travellers to book them. The new website was completed just in time for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, at which Barack Obama was due to speak in front of 80,000 people. Within a week, they had 800 listings, an achievement which dealt in part with the shortage of hotel rooms, but did not solve their financial problems, as the site was not making any money. The team decided that they would have to handle payment for the bookings. They began to charge three per cent to the host and between six and twelve per cent to the traveller, depending on the price of the booking. Meanwhile, investors had started showing interest in the company. By April 2009, when larger investments began to arrive, they moved the company out of their flat into a new state-of-the-art office and hired more staff. Since then Airbnb has gone from strength to strength. The company now has over 1.5 million listings in 34,000 cities in 190 countries, and is rumoured to be worth around \$20 billion. **Read the text. Choose the best answers (A--D).** 1 Gebbie and Chesky decided to rent out floor space because A they wanted to attract people to a conference in their area. B they needed money to redecorate the living room. C there weren\'t any hotels near their local conference centre. **D there was a temporary need for accommodation in the city.** 2 The new website designed by Nathan Blecharczyk enabled Gebbie and Chesky to A accommodate most of the guests at a Denver convention. B make a huge profit as soon as it was launched. **C rent out properties nationally.** D put travellers in touch with hosts abroad. 3 When booking a room with Airbnb, A it is only the guest who pays. **B both the guest and the host have to pay.** C the guest pays a fixed percentage of the price. D the guest and the host share the cost equally. 4 Until April 2009, Gebbie and Chesky were running the business from A a brand new building. B a friend\'s house. **C their own home.** D a flat on Wall Street. **UNIT 5 CAREERS** **Reading** JOINING THE WORKFORCE A The world of work has been undergoing dramatic changes. Step by step, robots are taking over manual jobs that used to be done by semi-skilled workers. Al assistants in the forms of holograms have been on trial at Changi Airport and Boston Airport. Their performance as perfectly efficient check-in staff has amazed users. Certain restaurants in South Korea have introduced tablets for self-order and have even made use of maid robots in place of waiters and 10 waitresses. Getting a secure job or a career can\'t have been more challenging. B On leaving school, 18-year-olds are faced with one of the toughest decisions of their life: career choice. Which to pursue requires sensible decision basing on their in-depth self-understanding. Guidance from school counsellors and parents together with insights into their potentials from character tests will empower them to make informed decisions. It is also worth noticing that, in this ever-advancing world, school-leavers need to be well-prepared for changes and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. C However bewildering career choice may be, it is no more than the beginning of a person\'s career. To further it, they have no alternative but to become better day by day. In essence, career development is a continual and lifelong process in which they need to specify their goals, boost their own confidence, improve communication skills, and expand personal networking. Actually, university graduation simply celebrates the completion of adults\' mainstream education, signifying their non-stop self-improvement. D Of all the qualities, a person\'s flexibility will work in this full-of-changes world. Flexibility manifests itself in professional agility, problem-solving skills, change management and innovative thinking. As long as they are not set in their way of thinking, they can easily get a task done. E AI has been replacing certain blue-collar workers, but it can never establish a role in a field that has 40 something to do with emotional intelligence (EQ). Automated learning machines can repeatedly lecture a subject, but they can never become an inspiring story for students. Robots in hospitals can accurately perform operations, but at no time can they comfort the lonely and suffering patients like a gentle nurse. F Technology has taken mankind to a world of constant change. School-leavers are expected to improve themselves and own the right skills to meet the social demands. **Task 1: Read the text and answer the questions**. In which paragraph (A-F) does the writer\... 1 provide an example of a source of advice for those selecting a career? 2 give explanations for the need of a certain characteristic? 3 give an example of the jobs that won\'t be done properly by a robot? **KEY:** 1. **ĐOẠN B** 2. **ĐOẠN D** 3. **ĐOẠN E** **Task 2: Read the text. For questions (2-5), circle the correct options (a-d).** 1 It is harder for manual workers to find jobs because a the modern world prefers automatic holograms. **b they do not work as effectively as robots.** c robots for the airports are now available. d customers to restaurants are served by robots. 2 The key to a good choice of career is a talking with one\'s parents. b taking calculated risks. **c knowing oneself thoroughly.** d consulting an expert. 3 In terms of career development, the writer emphasises the need to a register for a continual course. b achieve a goal. c graduate from university. d **better one\'s interpersonal skills.** 4 Flexibility a gets people into a professional conflict. **b helps a person grow professionally.** c wonderfully changes the world. d prevents people from acquiring new techniques. 5 In the writer\'s opinions, AI a is not a frightening threat to young adults\' career. b is more efficient than humans in almost any field of work. c is going to free humans from the need to go to work **d is less sophisticated than humans in hospitals and schools.** **Task 3: Read the text again. Are the sentences true or false? Write T or F. Correct the false sentences.** 1 Every restaurant in South Korea has robots to serve customers. 2 Character tests can predict your future success in a career. 3 There are now jobs that people in the past heard nothing of. 4 Robots can partly replace a teacher. 5 Robots have both strengths and weaknesses. **KEY: 1. F 2. T 3.F 4. T 5.T** **Culture** RADA A Becoming a truly great actor requires talent, hard work and hours of study. In Britain, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) 1 \_\_\_\_\_ trained and produced many of the country\'s most famous actors since it was established in 1904, but just how does RADA turn passionate young hopefuls into respected professionals? B One of the methods RADA teaches is the Stanislavski acting technique. The technique was devised 2 \_\_\_\_\_ the famous Russian actor Konstantin Stanislavski in 1911, after he had been performing in theatres 3 \_\_\_\_\_ over thirty years. It requires actors to really live the role that they are playing. The actors not 4 \_\_\_\_\_ have to learn the lines that they have to say, but also recreate everything about reate everything about the character\'s life. C But if modern audiences would be surprised to discover that students learn an acting technique that is over a century old, they might 5 \_\_\_\_\_ astonished to discover that they also study a form of theatre that has been around for over two millennia: Greek tragedy. The Greeks used to study playwriting and acting and produced some important theoretical works on the subject. Their ideas are still considered very relevant today and anybody 6 \_\_\_\_\_ wants to obtain a degree from RADA has to study them. D RADA students also spend many hours training their voices and learning 7 \_\_\_\_\_ use their bodies to communicate in the same way that a musician learns how to play an instrument. A RADA student\'s objective is to use their creativity to transform written words into a three-dimensional character. Evidently, becoming an actor is 8 \_\_\_\_\_ serious business and definitely not for people who are only interested in fame. **Task 1: Read the text. What three things does it mention that a RADA student learns?** **Key: Three things that a RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) student learns:** \- The Stanislavski acting technique. \- Greek tragedy. \- Training their voices and learning to use their bodies to communicate effectively. **Task 2: Complete the text about RADA. Write one word in each gap.** **KEY:** **1. has 2.by 3. for 4. only 5. be 6.who 7. to 8. A** **Review** A secret job in the retail trade A I am in a supermarket, doing my best to look like any other shopper browsing the shelves. My mission on this trip is to buy something I fancy from the bakery, which means I\'ll have to interact with the person at the counter. I\'m hoping to pass off the handwritten notes I\'m carrying as a shopping list, because no one must know why I am here. I have to keep my identity secret because I am a mystery shopper. B My job involves visiting five to ten different stores a day and scoring them on, among other things, their appearance and cleanliness. With the €20 I am given to spend at each store, I purchase the obligatory item that enables me to assess the service I receive at the checkout. Adding the value of my purchase to the €225 I make in a typical day of eight hours of visits and two hours filing reports, I earn more than enough to live on. C However, assignments paying as well as mine are becoming few and far between due to the soaring demand in my line of work. Retailers increasingly need to maintain standards so as to offer consumers a quality shopping experience and keep them from turning to the internet. However, to date, there are more than half a million mystery shoppers registered in the UK, making competition for jobs very fierce. Today it isn\'t only other shoppers I hide my identity from; even my friends and family don\'t know who I work for. **Task 1: Read the text. Match paragraphs (A-C) with questions (1-6). Each paragraph matches two questions.** In which paragraph does the author mention\... 1 an extra received on top of the wages? 2 something that might give away the identity of the worker? 3 a trend which has changed employment prospects? 4 typical consumer behaviour? 5 the difficulty of finding a job in the field? 6 a good reason for doing the job? **KEY: 1.B 2.A 3.C 4.A 5.C 6.B** **UNIT 6 HEALTH** **Reading** FOOD ADDICTION A Few people would disagree that one of the world\'s most popular dishes is pizza. Twenty-two-year-old Zack certainly wouldn\'t. He would eat a variety of pizza-based items, including homemade pizza, precooked microwave pizza, and even pizza leftovers from the night before. He was consuming 800kg of pizza a year. As a child, Zack had eaten a wide variety of food. But he became addicted to pizza when he started secondary school. American school meals have often been criticised for the large amount of fast food present on the menu, and pizza is the star dish. Zack even spent all his pocket money on  slices of pizza. Naturally, Zack\'s family worried about his high-calorie, low-vitamin diet. So did Zack. In an attempt to break his addiction, Zack agreed to appear on a TV programme called Freaky Eaters. 1 \_\_\_\_ It wasn\'t easy. He had to eat a fish dish, while his brother sat in front of him enjoying\... a pizza! However, Zack met the challenge and has never eaten pizza again. B Seventeen-year-old Stacy Irvine\'s friends visit her and discover that she has been rewarded thousands of free toys from fast food restaurants as a regular customer. Stacy\'s mother often gave her two-year-old girl a portion of fried chicken in a McDonald\'s restaurant. Since then, Stacy has refused to eat anything else except for pieces of fried chicken, and as a result, her diet has created serious health. She has been warned that if she doesn\'t change her diet, she will die. Stacy once collapsed due to lack of vitamins and nutrients and needed to be hospitalised. 2 \_\_\_\_ She insisted that Stacy adopt a healthier lifestyle. However, worryingly, Stacy\'s mother said that while Stacy was beginning to understand the seriousness of her situation, she couldn\'t eat anything else but chicken nuggets. C Twenty-year-old Hanna Little was keen on chips. The only thing that Hanna consumed for fifteen years was one plate of chips after another. 3 \_\_\_\_ And it did because not only did Hanna develop health problems, but she also had to leave her job after collapsing at work. At five, Hanna became addicted to chips and refused to eat fruits and vegetables despite her mother\'s efforts. Hanna says that she was terrified of tasting the flavour of different types of food and she would feel anxious just at the idea of doing it. 4 \_\_\_\_ Furthermore, Hanna was soon seen as \'odd\' by her friends\' parents. It wasn\'t until the age of sixteen that Hanna realised she had Selective Eating Disorder (SED). Despite this new knowledge, no solution was found. It wasn\'t until she lost her job before she started eating normally. Hanna sought therapy from psychologist Felix Economakis, who used hypnosis, a treatment that none of the doctors that she had seen before had mentioned, to get her to eat fruit after one one-hour session, and since then she has been willing to eat anything\.... including chips! **Task 1: Read the three texts about food addiction. What were the consequences of the three people\'s addictions?** **KEY: Three people\'s addictions all lead to health problems:** \- Zack had his high-calorie, low-vitamin diet \- Stacy once collapsed due to lack of vitamins and nutrients \- Hanna: developed health problems **Task 2: Read the Reading Strategy. Match the sentences (A-E) with the gaps (1-4). There is one extra sentence.** A Not surprisingly, a diet that contained few nutrients and an excess of fat and carbohydrates could only have negative consequences. B Its aim was to encourage food addicts to beat their addictions with the help of a psychologist and nutritionist. C One of the first steps was to get rid of her collection of free gifts. D Parties, picnics and barbecues with friends and family used to be a nightmare. E The doctor who treated her said she had never seen such an extreme case of food addiction. **KEY:** **1.B 2.E 3.A 4.D** **Task 3: Are the sentences true or false? Write T or F. Correct the false sentences.** 1 Zack ate well until he was a teenager. 2 Zack ate his last pizza on Freaky Eaters. 3 Stacy became addicted after a member of her family introduced her to a certain type of food. 4 Stacy has recovered from her health problems. 5 Hanna\'s condition affected her work and social life. 6 Hanna was cured by an unusual treatment. **KEY: 1.T 2.F 3. T 4. F 5. T 6.T** **Task 4: Complete the sentences with highlighted words from the texts in the correct form.** 1 What \_\_\_\_\_\_ of ice cream would you like? Strawberry or vanilla? 2 It\'s a simple \_\_\_\_\_\_ to prepare, consisting mainly of rice and vegetables. 3 I\'m trying to reduce the \_\_\_\_\_\_ of food I eat. I want to eat the same food, but in smaller quantities. 4 I\'ll just have one \_\_\_\_\_\_ of bread, please. 5 Most Japanese people eat a  \_\_\_\_\_\_ of rice, fish and vegetables. 6 We can eat the \_\_\_\_\_\_ from tonight\'s dinner for tomorrow\'s lunch. 7 The restaurant serves smaller \_\_\_\_\_\_ for children. 8 We can\'t order yet because we haven\'t seen the \_\_\_\_\_\_. **KEY:** 1. **flavour 2. dish 3. amount 4. slice** **Culture** MAKING LONDON HEALTHIER As the capital of the nation where the Industrial Revolution began, London has suffered badly from the effects of pollution. Recent efforts to make the city cleaner, however, are turning it into one of the world\'s least polluted major cities. A. A RIVER FILLED WITH LIFE For years, the River Thames was a health hazard because of pollution, and in 1957 it was declared biologically dead. Half a century later, the Thames has won international prizes for rivers that have been restored. There are now hundreds of different types of animal and bird feeding on its banks, over 125 different species of fish swimming beneath its surface, and even seals and dolphins have swum up the river from the coast to visit the centre of the city. B. THE GREAT SMOG Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, Londoners had become used to suffering from coughs and chest infections caused by smog, which is a combination of smoke and fog. However, when the smog of December 1952 caused four thousand deaths in one week, the government finally realised that something had to be done. A series of \'clean-air\' laws were passed to avoid a repeat of the tragedy, and since then the quality of London\'s air has improved greatly, although there is still plenty of work to do. C. PAYING TO DRIVE At the beginning of the new millennium, because of the number of vehicles, traffic in London was moving at the same speed that it had moved at a hundred years before, when people travelled in horse-drawn carriages: just 16 km/h. To improve journey times and the quality of London\'s air, a daily charge of £5 was introduced in 2003 for all vehicles being driven in the city. Not only did the number of cars on the roads immediately drop by 15%, but also the number of people cycling increased by 49%, so people benefitted from cleaner air and more exercise. In the last decade, the number of vehicles in central London has fallen by a further 30% and plans to reduce the number of parking spaces for cars will probably cause it to drop again. **Task 1: Match questions (1-6) with paragraphs (A-C). You can match each paragraph with more than one question.** Which paragraph talks about\... 1 future plans? 2 something coming back to life? 3 people dying? 4 an attempt to stop something from happening again? 5 charging people so that everyone\'s lives would be improved? 6 something that has received awards? **KEY:** 1. ĐOẠN C 2. ĐOẠN A 3. ĐOẠN B 4. ĐOẠN B 5. ĐOẠN C 6. ĐOẠN A **Review** The fitness trends A Reformer Pilates is a much more intense form of Pilates. It involves doing the same sort of pushing and stretching exercises, but on equipment resembling a rowing machine. It isn\'t the kind of thing you\'d have at home, so you have to go to a special Pilates centre to try it. If you do, bear in mind that you won\'t be able to walk up or down stairs for a few days afterwards. At first, it looks quite easy, but towards the end of the session, your thighs will be crying out for mercy. B Jumping up and down on a trampoline is a lot of fun, but it can make a great workout too. You\'d be surprised by how exhausted you are after only a few minutes bouncing. Not only is it better for the heart than running, but it also increases co-ordination and helps reduce stress levels. Trampolining is taking off in a big way, and some new centres have as many as 150 trampolines. You can either have a go at \'freejumping\' - without an instructor or pay someone to teach you how to do it properly. C If you\'re usually quite active, but you\'re feeling down in the dumps, then you might like to try Dynamic Running Therapy - going out for a run with a therapist. The sessions are quite pricey as the therapists are professionals and they charge a bit more than the going rate. It\'s easier to do both activities when you\'re running and talking at the same time: you run further because you don\'t notice your sore feet, and you talk more freely than you would in the therapist\'s office. **Task 1: Read the text and questions (1-6) below. Match the correct question with each part of the text (A-C). You can match each part with more than one question.** In which paragraph does the author mention an activity which\... 1 has become extremely popular recently? 2 requires you to do two things at once? 3 has made an existing form of exercise more extreme? 4 gives the wrong impression to the observer? 5 tires you out after a very short time? 6 can be particularly painful? **KEY:** 1. ĐOẠN B 2. ĐOẠN C 3. ĐOẠN A 4. ĐOẠN A 5. ĐOẠN B 6. ĐOẠN A **UNIT 7 MEDIA** **Reading** STARS OF THE vlogosphere A Helicopters circled the sky above Piccadilly Circus as the police officers below struggled to control the thousands of fans on the streets outside the bookstore. Who were the thousands of fans waiting for? That latest pop sensation? No, a \'vlogger\' - a video blogger. B What makes vloggers so popular? Successful vloggers share some common characteristics. They are outgoing, quick-witted and spontaneous in front of 10 their webcams. There is also a lot of **interaction** with the audience and **feedback** on their videos. This means vloggers can adapt the **content** of their videos to keep their viewers happy. It is material that is made by young people for young people without any intrusion from media corporations. What is more, thanks to the **accessibility** of modern technology, the vlogs can be watched anywhere at any time. All these ingredients have created a two-way relationship between vloggers and their subscribers, based on shared interests and trust that cannot be found between the **providers** and users of other media. C However, it appears that those shared interests and that trust might become negatively affected by money. Some of the big-name vloggers can earn 25 up to £20,000 for displaying an advertisement on their **channel**. They also earn a lot for mentioning or reviewing a product in a vlog. About 1,000 vloggers around the world earn at least £100,000 a year from their YouTube income. And profits are sometimes 30 earned at the expense of honesty. D So, will vlogs go the way of many TV programmes and films? Not according to the vloggers, who emphasise their creative independence over making money. However, Zoella, one of the few vloggers in the public eye in Britain, caused a scandal after publishing a book and claiming that it had always been her dream to write a novel. Shortly later, she had to admit that she had not written it alone and her name was justbeing used to sell it. Many experts saw it as a sign that vlogging had lost its innocence and that large media corporations were taking control. **Task 1: Read the text and answer the questions.** In which paragraph (A-D) does the writer\... 1 give reasons for the popularity of vlogs? 2 provide an example that demonstrates how popular vloggers have become? 3 give an example of someone being dishonest? **KEY:** 1. B 2. A 3.D **Task 2: Read the text. For questions (2-4), circle the correct options (a-d).** 1 There was a large police presence at a bookstore because a fans of a famous writer were waiting to see him. **b someone very famous was causing excitement.** c the person who was coming was a pop sensation. d thousands of people wanted to buy a book. 2\. One of the common characteristics of vlogs is that follower can **a create relationships with other vlog followers.** b share their interest in vlogs created by media corporations. c change the content of the vlogs they like. d make their opinions on vloggers\' work known. 3 Vloggers earn large sums of money by a improving the quality of modern technology. **b talking about a product.** c influencing YouTube authorities. d criticising products advertised by other vloggers. 4 The incident with Zoella\'s book a lost her a lot of fans. **b suggested that the world of vlogging is changing.** c showed that she can write as well as a novelist. d demonstrated that dreams can come true. **Task 3: Read the text again. Are the sentences true or false? Write T or F. Correct the false sentences.** 1 A vlogger could attract thousands of fans. 2 Most successful vloggers do not appreciate interaction with their audience. 3 Vloggers and their viewers are from the same age group. 4 The relationship between vloggers and viewers could be damaged by money. 5 Zoella\'s fans thought she was under the control of the media corporations. **KEY:** 1.T 2. F 3. T 4. T 5.F **Task 4: Match the highlighted nouns in the text with definitions (1-6).** Digital media 1 organisations that supply someone with what they want 2 the ability to reach or use something 3 the homepage for user\'s videos on YouTube 4 the ideas in a book, film, etc. 5 criticism, opinions, etc. that someone receives about their work 6 communication between two or more people **KEY:** 1. providers 2. accessibility 3. channel 4. content 5. feedback 6. interaction **Culture** A Pierre de Fermat was born on August 17 in 1601 in Beaumont-de-Lomagne, France. He was a famous French mathematician who is often called the founder of the modern theory of numbers. Fermat was one of the two leading mathematicians of the first half of the 17th century (the other was René Descart). 1\_\_\_\_\_ He was also regarded as the inventor of differential calculus, and a co-founder of the theory of probability. B What strikes as a surprise is that Fermat never considered doing research in Mathematics his job. Although Fermat studied law when he was at college, he developed strong love for foreign languages, literature and mathematics. He read a lot of documents and taught himself in many fields. As early as 1629 Fermat began a lot of research on mathematical theories including algebra and geometry. 2\_\_\_\_\_ He served in the local parliament at Toulouse, becoming councillor in 1634. In 1638 he was named to the Criminal Court. Despite his busy work at the court, Fermat never stopped learning and doing mathematics. In 1679, he published Introduction to Loci in which he presented that the study of loci, or sets of points with certain characteristics, could be facilitated by the application of algebra to geometry through a coordinate system. C The most interesting story about Fermat should be his last theorem, which is also known as Fermat\'s great theorem. It is a statement that there are no natural numbers x, y, z such that x + y = z\", in which n is a natural number greater than 2. In 1636, Fermat, the distinguished mathematician, wrote in his copy of the Arithmetica that he had discovered a truly proof of this theorem, but the margin of the book was too small for him to write it down. 3\_\_\_\_\_ No one could prove or disprove Fermat\'s last theorem. Not until 1993 could the English mathematician Andrew Wiles devise a proof of this theorem. 4\_\_\_\_\_ Andrew Wiles had been interested in Fermat\'s last theorem since the age of ten. His years of searching for an answer finally became successful. **Task 1: Read the text and match the paragraphs (A--C) with headings (1-3).** 1\. A challenge 2\. Well-known mathematician 3\. Different interests **KEY:** 1.C 2.A 3.B **Task 2: Four sentences (A-D) have been removed from the text. Put them back in the blanks (1-4).** A He then presented the proof in the journal Annals of Mathematics in 1995. B Fermat discovered the fundamental principle of analytic geometry. C In 1631 Fermat received the degree in law from the University of Orléans. D For centuries, so many mathematicians all over the world were puzzled by this statement. **KEY:** **1.B 2.C 3.D 4.A** **Task 3: Check if the following information from the text is True or False. Write T or F.** 1 Fermat was the only founder of theory of probability 2 Besides law, Fermat was interested in different fields. 3 Introduction to Loci published in 1679 was related to Fermat\'s work at the Criminal Court. 4 Fermat had never stated that he could provide a proof of his last theorem. 5 It took Andrew Wiles nearly ten years to search for the proof of Fermat\'s last theorem. **KEY:** **1.F 2.T 3.F 4.F 5.F** **Review** Dying for a selfie Most of us have taken a selfie at one time or another, be it a photo of ourselves in a beautiful place, during a performance by our favourite band, or on a memorable night out with friends. Even monarchs, prime ministers and presidents have been seen in the news grinning inanely at the screen of a smartphone. 1 \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ In several cases, this action has had disastrous consequences. Take, for example, the Spaniard who was killed by a bull while he was taking a selfie during the annual bull run in a village near his hometown. 2 \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Incidents such as these led to the death toll from selfie-related incidents reaching double figures for the first time in 2015, overtaking the number of victims of shark attacks. Most of the cases involve people taking selfies while posing with animals, or falling from high places. Despite the risks, social media is full of pictures featuring near misses that could have been fatal under other circumstances. Under the caption \'Most dangerous selfie ever\', a woman posing at a stadium can be seen narrowly avoiding being hit in the head by a baseball approaching her. 3 \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ What is even more worrying, however, is that the woman herself dares others to better the shot, seemingly overlooking the fact that by doing so, she is endangering the lives of her \'friends\' as well. In response to the increasing threat posed by the selfie, the authorities have started to take action. National parks, such as the Waterton Canyon in Denver, Colorado, have closed their gates to visitors who have been getting too close to the bears to get them in the photo. 4 \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ But if instructions like these are really necessary, then perhaps it is about time we asked ourselves which is more important, a \'like\' or a life? **Task 1: Read the text. Four sentences have been removed. Match missing sentences (A-E) with gaps (1-4). There is one extra sentence.** A Or the Singaporean tourist who died when he fell from cliffs on the coast of Bali. B The alternative to taking unnecessary risks is to use Photoshop to create outrageous pictures. C The Russian Interior Ministry has launched a public education campaign advising selfie-takers against balancing on dangerous surfaces or posing with their pets, among other things. D But today, more and more people are putting their lives at risk in an attempt to get the most shocking picture to share on social media. E Yet the photo has received thousands of \'likes\', and the comments below it suggest that this behaviour is something to be admired. **KEY:** **1.D 2.A 3.E 4.C** **UNIT 8 CHANGE THE WORLD** **Reading** MAKING A DIFFERENCE A Wilson To was beginning his final year at school when he decided to get a school Facebook page started. Nothing unusual about that, you might think, but Wilson\'s motivation for **setting up** the page wasn\'t to discover the latest school gossip. He believed that Facebook could help him take on a problem that was making life difficult for a few schoolmates: bullying. Without mentioning his plans to his friends, Wilson launched \'A-tech compliments\', a Facebook page which invited students to send in **anonymous** compliments about each other, their teachers and their school. At first, Wilson wasn\'t expecting much of a response and he monitored messages closely in case unpleasant comments or racism appeared. However, Wilson needn\'t have worried. \'A-tech compliments\' was an instant success and quickly had five hundred regular followers, all of them being positive. It seems that the students were just waiting for the opportunity to say nice things about each other and their school! Although everybody wanted to know who had **thought up** this great idea, Wilson kept s his identity secret until the end of the school year, when the school intercom asked the creator of the Facebook page to reveal himself. Wilson stepped forward to receive the applause and thanks of the whole school. He was also given one last job to do: train a new administrator so the page could continue after Wilson **stepped down**. Today, the idea has also spread to high schools across the country. B VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY A teacher spotted Rene Silva\'s talent for writing when he was just eleven and encouraged him to set up a community newspaper. Rene accepted the challenge and **took on** publishing Voz da Comunidade (Voice of the Community) and he soon realised that the monthly newspaper could help his neighbourhood. Rene lives on the edge of Rio de Janeiro in a favela, a poor town that used to be controlled by armed drug gangs. Rene\'s newspaper quickly became a **vehicle** for protest about the poor conditions in the favela and gave a voice to local residents who were campaigning to make the community a safer and better place to live. But one Saturday morning, Voz da Comunidade was transformed from a small local newspaper into Brazil\'s most popular source of information. The government had decided to force the drug dealers out of the favela and had sent soldiers onto the streets. Journalists from the **mainstream** media waited outside the favela for news, but Rene and his team of teenage reporters were in the middle of the action. Using their mobile phones to film and take photos, the Voz da Comunidade Twitter account suddenly had thousands more followers than usual and Rene\'s reporting was praised by the mainstream media. More importantly, it started a debate about how the government should help the inhabitants of Brazil\'s hundreds of favelas. Rene and the Voz da Comunidade brought positive change to the community. **Task 1: Read the articles. What do Wilson To and Rene Silva have in common?** **KEY:** Wilson To and Rene Silva both share a commitment to making a positive impact in their communities. They both initiated projects aimed at addressing social issues and improving the lives of others. Wilson To started a Facebook page to combat bullying and promote positivity among students, while Rene Silva established a community newspaper to advocate for better living conditions and safety in his neighborhood. Both individuals demonstrated leadership, initiative, and a desire to create positive change, ultimately making a difference in their respective communities. **Task 2: Match two texts with questions (1-5) below. Each of the texts can match more than one question.** Who\... 1 offered some training to others? 2 was given an idea by someone else? 3 published something? 4 worked in the most dangerous conditions? 5 worked anonymously? **KEY:** 1. ĐOẠN A 2. ĐOẠN B 3. ĐOẠN B 4. ĐOẠN B 5. ĐOẠN A **Task 3: Decide if the statements (1-5) are true (T), false (F), or the information is not given (NG).** 1 Wilson To was worried that his Facebook page would attract the wrong type of comments. 2 Wilson has left the school, but continues with his job as administrator of the school page. 3 Wilson didn\'t let anyone know he was the creator of the page because he was too modest. 4 Rene Silva got the funding for his newspaper from local residents. 5 Rene\'s reporting has had a big impact outside the favela. **KEY:** **1.T 2.F 3. NG 4. NG 5. T** **Task 4: Match the underlined words with the appropriate form of the highlighted words or phrases in the article.** Words or phrases 1 The biggest sponsor of the contest still remained [unknown]. His name could only be guessed. 2 The drama club is a perfect [expression] for Amy\'s talent. 3 Jack always [invents] great ideas for our politics blog. 4 Mark [accepted] too much work and responsibility in the organisation and suffered from stress. 5 The [typical] journalists are expected to have particular skills in coverage and photography. 6 Alice [left] the job so that Andy could take her place. 7 My grandad [established] the business in 1958. **KEY:** **1.** **anonymous 2.vehicle 3. thought up 4. took on 5. Mainstream** **6. stepped down 7. setting up** **Culture** Humanoid robots, eminent characters in science fiction novels and sci-fi films, are becoming a reality. Sophia, as an example, was first activated on Valentine\'s Day in 2016. One month later, she had her premiere in Texas, USA and has made multiple public appearances around the world since then. At one such event, Sophia was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship in October 2017 and even became the first Innovation Champion of the United Nations Development Programme later that year. During Sophia\'s trip to Viet Nam in 2018, she addressed the Industry 4.0 Summit and Expo. Sophia the Robot is the latest humanlike robot created by a Hong Kong-based company whose combined efforts in Al research, engineering and design have given birth to robots. Undoubtedly, Sophia together with other Hanson robots represents the rapid advancement in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. She has been designed to assist humans in healthcare, customer support and education. Sophia\'s physical appearance is inspired by both the famous actress Audrey Hepburn and the creator\'s wife. She has cameras for eyes and microphones for ears, allowing her to see and hear like a human. But what makes her more lifelike than other robots is the patented artificial skin called Frubber, which has the feel and flexibility of human skin. Sophia amazes the world with her ability to communicate naturally. The Sophia Intelligence Collective, which is a combination of AI and human input, and other sophisticated perception techniques enable Sophia to recognise human faces and identify human emotions and gestures. Equipped with machine learning algorithms, Sophia can understand human speech and interact with people. Questions and jokes are pieces of cake to her whereas sarcasm is intelligible. What distinguishes Sophia from other humanlike robots is her social behaviour, i.e. her facial emotions, hand movements and conversation skills, and most importantly, her learning capability. Sophia is programmed to learn from experiences and adapt to new situations. **Task 1: Read the text. Check your answers in exercise 1. What do you find most impressive about Sophia?** **KEY:** What I find most impressive about Sophia is her remarkable ability to communicate naturally and exhibit social behavior. Equipped with advanced perception techniques and machine learning algorithms, Sophia can recognize human faces, identify emotions and gestures, and understand human speech. Her facial expressions, hand movements, and conversation skills make her seem remarkably lifelike. **Task 2: Read the text again. Are the sentences true or false? Write T or F. Correct the false sentences.** 1 Sophia has been introduced at different places around the world. 2 Sophia is the one and only humanlike robot developed by the Hanson Robotics. 3 Sophia shows how much robotics and Al have progressed. 4 Sophia has been designed to give support to humans. 5 Sophia understands whatever a person says. **KEY:** **1.T 2.F 3.T 4.T 5.T** **Review** Medical breakthroughs A After twenty years of research, scientists have finally succeeded in developing a vaccine for dengue, a viral disease found in tropical areas. The illness causes high fever and severe joint pain, and in some cases, it can be fatal. According to the World Health Organisation, each year between 50 and 100 million people develop dengue, which is transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. The commercialised vaccine can protect children in Asia and Latin America against the virus. B Artificial limbs have been around since ancient times, but no prosthetic has been as lifelike as the Bebionic small hand. The appliance not only looks like a hand, but it also works like one. Electrical impulses triggered by the user\'s muscle movements connect to individual motors and powerful microprocessors in each finger, causing it to move. Specifically aimed at women and teenagers, the artificial hand enables the user to perform a range of activities previously unmanageable, such as using cutlery and riding a bike. C Good news for migraine patients - a special device is available. The battery-driven headband sits across the forehead and over the ears and has a self-adhesive electrode, which helps it stay in place. This electrode applies an electric current to the skin and tissue below the headband stimulating the nerves which are said to trigger the headaches. By wearing the headband for the recommended twenty minutes per day, users are said to experience significantly fewer migraines. **Task 1: Read paragraphs (A-C) and questions (1-6). Match the paragraphs with the questions. Each paragraph matches with two questions.** In which paragraph does the author mention a breakthrough which\... 1 relieves a painful condition? 2 has an impact on a life-threatening situation? 3 is used in particular areas of the world? 4 replaces a device already available? 5 needs to be used for a short period daily? 6 helps people do things they couldn\'t do before? **KEY:** **1.C 2.A 3.A 4. B 5.C 6.B**