PRACTICE 2

Order the sentences (B – G) below to make a story.
Write your answers on the Answer sheet (Questions 6 – 11).

The first sentence of the story (A) is given for you on the Answer sheet as an example.

A. It is possible to take unforgettable pictures by following these simple instructions. (Example)
B. After it’s free of dirt, set the camera to the highest picture quality possible.
C. Look at what you’ve taken and take another picture if necessary.
D. To get these great photos you have to make sure the camera is clean.
E. Then frame the shot, keep your hands still and press the button firmly.
F. Now you can think about what or who you want to photograph as well as the location.
G. You should also avoid limited light, bright spaces and mirrors, to ensure the highest quality.

Correct order:
A, (6) , (7) , (8) , (9) , (10) , (11) .

PRACTICE 3

Four people were interviewed for Teen Magazine about their ideal friend. Read the texts and answer questions 12 – 18 on the next page.<

My ideal friend

Hanna (female, 16 years old)
‘It’s not important that we have the same hobbies and interests – after all, I think a friend is someone who should help you try new activities. I think it’s more important to have similar personalities, so you laugh at the same things and feel the same way. My best friend from school cries when I cry – and then makes me laugh afterwards!’

Jin Woo (male, 17 years old)
‘I want a friend who always supports me, even if I make a mistake or do something stupid. I want a friend who will never let me down, and I think it’s the most important thing in the world, to always be there for someone else. That, and having a really cool gaming computer – I really love to play games.’

Kyung Eun (female, 13 years old)
‘I want someone who’s the complete opposite of me – I’m quite shy and I don’t often go out to meet people, so I’d love to make friends with someone who’s a bit more outgoing. It would be fun to hang out together, to make friends and try new activities. I’d really like to get outdoors more, you know, play more games, so that would be good too.’

Jae Won (17 years old)
‘I think it’s got to be somebody who can help me with my homework – I’m failing a lot of subjects at the moment and I really need some help. I need someone to take the time to check my answers and tell me where I’m going wrong, and who won’t call me stupid after. Maybe I should just pay for a tutor, but I don’t have a lot of money.’

Four people were interviewed for Teen Magazine about their ideal friend. Read the texts and answer questions 12 – 18. Choose one answer (A, B, C or D) and mark it on your answer sheet.

My ideal friend

Who:

PRACTICE 4

Read the text below. Match the headings A – H to the paragraphs 19 – 25. Write your answers (A – H) on the answer sheet. There is one more heading than you need. The answer to paragraph 0 is given on the answer sheet as an example (J).

Loving sports

0. We have all heard about the many benefits of sports, but sometimes it’s difficult to get ourselves moving. Apart from the compulsory classes we have to take at school, and an occasional soccer match with our friends on Saturdays, we as teenagers seldom have enough discipline to play sports. Perhaps if we were really aware that the benefits are not just physical, we would work out more. What are some of those benefits? (Example)

19. Let’s start with the obvious one: sports help our bodies function better. Many adults suffer from serious health problems, such as coronary diseases and hypertension, which could have been avoided if they had practised some sport regularly from childhood. Young people who regularly take exercise develop healthier bones and good motor skills. Working out helps them maintain optimum levels of sugar and cholesterol. Sitting in front of the TV eating ‘carbohydrate rich’ foods, such as pizzas or spaghetti, and drinking sugary beverages will do exactly the opposite. And the worst part is that when we become adults, we’ll pay for the choices we make today.

20. However, playing sports from childhood can benefit you in other ways. Did you know that some sports can help you develop team work, individual skills and positive attitudes? Take, for example, basketball players. Of course, they need to develop individual technical skills, but they also need to put their team first and know when to pass the ball or run to the other side of the court. They need to maintain a positive attitude when they lose and realise even the best basketball players can’t score every time they shoot.

21. Another valuable aspect of playing sports is the opportunity it provides to become a team captain. As well as setting a good example to the other players, you’ll need to bridge the gap between the team manager (or coach) and players. You can benefit hugely, in terms of character building, from this kind of early responsibility in life. Inevitably, with responsibility comes a certain amount of pressure. You need to be prepared to deal with that so you can develop enough resolve to deal with any difficult personalities or situations.

22. Sports also teach teenagers how to play by the rules in a way almost nothing else will. Let’s admit it: we don’t like following rules. We have rules at home and rules at school, and sometimes we wish we could do whatever we want to, however society is based on rules too and the sooner we learn to play by them, the safer we’ll be. Playing sports demonstrates this to us very clearly: misdemeanours are punished and model behaviour is applauded. Like it or not, this will turn us into better students and better citizens.

23. Research has shown that sports also help us improve at school too. Why is that? First, sports teach discipline, and in the end, discipline is what you need to perform well in your studies. Sports also teach us skills like memory and repetition, which have an important role in academic success. In addition, sports show us how to set goals and achieve them little by little, an approach that can be transferred to our classrooms. Furthermore, sports players may feel less fatigue, have more mental energy, and be less pessimistic when facing difficult challenges.

24. Another great advantage of sports is that they can help boost self-esteem. When you work hard to get something and you see it is paying off, you feel confident and happy. In addition, you know that if you were able to achieve a sporting goal, accomplishing something in another area of your life will become easier. You get better at overcoming drawbacks and problems. When you have good self-esteem, you are better equipped to take care of others and understand them, becoming more even-tempered and co-operative.

25. You might be thinking: ‘Everything sounds great, but I still hate sports’. That’s normal because practising sports requires a lot of effort and it’s more difficult than doing more sedentary activities. What you need to do is to find a sport that suits your temperament. If you like teams, try something like basketball, volleyball, cricket or rugby. If you prefer something more individual, try aerobics or swimming. You can also go for a different activity – go to the gymnasium or try dancing and choreography. Above all, have fun and enjoy the benefits.

Headings

A. Developing your personality
B. Learning to do what you’re told
C. Variety to get you out of your seat
D. Feel more positive and be better at school
E. An example to follow
F. Exercise as illness prevention
G. Feeling good about yourself helps
H. Improving a range of abilities
J. A sight not seen in 500 years (Example)

ANSWERS

0. J (Example)
(19)
(20)
(21)
(22)
(23)
(24)
(25)