Task 2. Read the text and choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D)

Cooking in the Classroom? Elementary!

The workplace of professional chef Catherine Pressler is a former storage room at Hunters Woods Elementary School. Outside Room 106, a sign proclaims, “Chef Pressler, Food FUNdamentals.” This is where students come to take part in a cooking-based course which began several years ago when Pressler was looking for a way to be active in her children’s school. Her kids aren’t in elementary school anymore, but Pressler has stayed. Named Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Volunteer of the Year, she is the creator of a highly detailed and organised series of classes for kindergarten through sixth grade that adds to themes from daily course work.

How is cooking connected with math, science or history? Just look: Kindergartners whip up a recipe inspired by a popular children’s tale, “Stone Soup’; as they handle the ingredients, they learn about geometric shapes, sorting, identification of fruits and vegetables, and the five senses. Lessons become more complex for the older kids. Fourth-graders prepare a grand menu from Colonial Virginia to review the state’s history, culture and natural resources. Hunters Woods Principal Stephen Hockett says, “Everything she does is amazing. To have children use their thinking skills and make connections to the real world is incredible. When kids are having a good time is when they learn the most.” Pressler spends up to 60 hours a week preparing lessons, buying supplies and teaching. She volunteers her time; the supply budget comes from student fees, the PTA and sometimes her own pocket.

The program has grown so large that Pressler is looking for grants and other sources of income.

You have to see Pressler in action to truly understand the scope of her program, and her dedication to the kids. On a spring afternoon in Room 106, third-grade students arrive to find gleaming stainless-steel pasta machines and other carefully organized supplies waiting on clean tabletops. Pressler isn’t two minutes into the lesson before she gives the first hints that the program is about a lot more than cooking.

Pressler manages to talk without stopping, but without losing her young audience. Their eyes follow her as she springs around the room discussing history and geography, pulling down a world map here and pointing to an architectural poster there. Pulling out packages of pasta, she wows the kids with the variety of ingredients used to make different kinds of it, including soy, buckwheat, rice, corn and rye. Soon the class is shrieking with delight as they run dough through pasta machines and measure it for the longest-noodle contest.

Pressler is a role model with a diverse background. “I went to school in architecture and interior design. I’d always loved science, so then I went to graduate school in textile chemistry. Then I said, “I’m going to chef school now, as a hobby.” And I found that’s where my heart was. I worked as a pastry chef for a number of years and really loved that.” She missed interacting with more people, however.

Pressler says she dreams of expanding the program to reach more students at other schools or taking her program to television. Her recipe for success is to integrate learning with life, instill enthusiasm for learning in the children, and inspire them to achieve their heart’s desire.

6. Which of the following is TRUE of Catherine Pressler, according to PARAGRAGH 1?

A. She captures students’ attention.
B. She holds competitions in class.
C. She applies an interdisciplinary approach.
D. She conducts her lessons outdoors.

10. What are Pressler’s plans for the future?

A. to open her own bakery
B. to continue her education
C. to widen her audience
D. to develop her own recipes

Task 3. Read the texts below. Match choices (A – H) to 11 – 16. There are two choices you don’t need to use.

Famous Castles

11________________ 

Tintagel Castle

After a period as a Roman settlement and military outpost, Tintagel, Great Britain, became a trading settlement of Cornwall during the 5th and 6th centuries. The castle itself was constructed in the 13th century. Its remains are still breathtaking: steep stone steps and thick walls which encircle the great hall. There are many myths and unanswered questions surrounding Tintagel. It is even associated with the romance of Tristan and Isolde. The visitors of the local museum may see a display on the history of the site, including a series of finds from the medieval period excavations.

12________________ 

Arundel Castle

Arundel Castle, Great Britain, is a restored medieval castle. Since the 11th century, the castle has been in the family of the Duke of Norfolk, and is still the principal seat of the family. Although the present Duke and Duchess still live in a section of the castle, the rest is open to the public. Arundel has been renovated and refurbished many times over the last seven centuries and its spectacular gardens and beautiful exterior have served as a shooting area for several movies. The modern castle may also be used for Corporate Events and Conferences.

13________________

Ussé Castle

Ussé Castle, France, is a pretty castle situated close to the River Loire. It іs said that Ussé was the inspiration for the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. The castle is lived in, and much of it is not open to the public, but there is still plenty to enjoy, including the 15^th century kitchen, an impressive dining room, and some richly decorated bedrooms. For the past two decades, the castle has been filled with wax figures dressed in costumes from the 18th century up to now. The exhibition is changed each year to show the development of people’s outfit.

14________________

Eltz Castle

Eltz Castle, Germany, is set in the hills in the middle of the forest surrounded on three sides by the river. It seems to have just grown out of the rock itself. Thanks to its beneficial position, it is among a few castles in Germany that have never been taken by enemies or destroyed. Remarkably, it is owned by the same noble family who built it over eight centuries ago in the 12th century, 33 generations ago.

15________________

Leeds Castle

Leeds Castle, Great Britain, is what many people imagine when they think of an English castle. During its 900-year history, Leeds Castle has been the private property of six of England’s medieval Queens and a palace used by Henry VIII. Lady Baillie, the last private owner, inherited the place in the early 1900s. In the 1930s Lady Baillie entertained high society from London coming to the castle for weekends. Today the interior offers visitors a glimpse of its rich past with a fine collection of art, porcelain and furniture.

16________________

Urquhart Castle

Urquhart Castle, Scotland, was one of the largest strongholds of medieval Scotland. Though now in ruins, abandoned in the late 17th century, it remains an impressive structure, overlooking Loch Ness. The castle is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland, and run by Historic Scotland Fund, which undertook a major construction program to create a visitor centre at the site, and to improve parking facilities. The visitor centre includes a display on the history of the site, a cinema, a restaurant and a shop. Urquhart Castle also hosts marriage ceremonies throughout the year.

Which castle _________________?

A. is attractive to people interested in the history of dress
B. displays a collection of jewellery
C. is used for holding weddings
D. was protected by its location
E. was used as a venue for social events
F. was available as a film location
G. inspired a famous artist with its scenery
H. was a site of archaeological digging

Task 4. Read the text below. Choose from A-H the one which best fits each space. There are two choices you don’t need to choose.

World’s Most Expensive Book Goes Up for Sale

A rare copy of John James Audubon’s Birds of America, (17) _______ , has been announced to go on sale at Sotheby’s. Only 119 complete copies of the 19th-century book are known to exist, and 108 are owned by museums and libraries.

A separate edition of the wildlife book was sold for a record-breaking price of £5.7million a decade ago. The copy going under the hammer in December comes from the collection of Lord Hesketh. It contains 1,000 life-sized illustrations of almost 500 breeds. It took wildlife artist John James Audubon 12 years (18) ______ . He did so by travelling across America, shooting the birds. He would then hang them on bits of wire to paint them. The artist then went to Britain to print the volumes and targeted the rich to buy copies.

Lord Hesketh’s collection also includes a rare copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio, which Sotheby’s said is (19) ______ . Of the 750 that were probably printed, only 219 are known to exist today. The copy, (20) ______ , іs offered for sale. It has a valuation of up to £1.5 million, and only has three pages missing. It is one of only three textually complete copies to exist in private hands in a comparably early binding.

Letters written from Elizabeth I relating to Mary Queen of Scots are also going under the hammer at the sale, (21) ______ . David Goldthorpe, a senior specialist in Sotheby’s books and manuscripts department in London, said: “To have all these items in one sale is remarkable; it’s certainly never happened in my time, 15 years, and (22) _______ .

A. “the most important book in all of English Literature”
B. which takes place on 7 December
C. billed as the world’s most expensive book
D. the famous American naturalist and artist
E. which dates back to 1623
F. portrayed even the largest birds
G. to complete his study
H. people who’ve been here longer can’t recall it

Task 5. Read the text. For questions (23-32) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Tea and Ceylon are synonymous in many (23) _____ . Sri Lanka (Ceylon) is a land which has inherited a rich history of tea and continues to grow the best tea in the world, with its different climatic (24) _____ , producing variations in taste, quality, character and appearance. Ceylon tea is a brand of its own carrying out the (25) _____ flavours of all regions in Sri Lanka. The various soil conditions and different elevations in each region give its teas the diverse characteristics. And no two teas are the same even when grown in the same region. Tea may (26) _____ in flavour, colour and the aroma which embodies the sense of place.

As the world takes an organic (27) _____ to life, tea has become a beverage preferred by many. The health benefits in tea are numerous, the most outstanding one being its antioxidants. Scientific (28) _____ has confirmed that regular tea drinkers are protected from many chronic diseases, the main being heart diseases due to its powerful antioxidants. Ceylon tea is (29) _____ in antioxidants, since it is packed right where it’s grown and (30) _____ within days to protect the freshness of the tea.

Ceylon tea is an element of the art of drinking tea. Each range of tea (31) _____ its own story related to the rich Sri Lankan heritage.

Each product means unique tea drinking (32) _____ , which transports its tea drinkers to another time and place. It is the taste of Ceylon’s finest tea at its best, creating luxury in everyday life.

23. A. means B. ways C. directions  D. routes
24. A. effects  B. positions  C. states  D. conditions
25. A. accurate  B. possible  C. probable  D. definite
26. A. exchange  B. differ  C. adapt  D. rotate
27. A. approach  B. style  C. manner  D. system
28. A. attention  B. research  C. thinking  D. progress
29. A. wealthy  B. rich  C. great D. valuable
30. A. directed  B. shipped C. moved D. referred
31. A. imagines  B. plays C. belongs D. reflects
32. A. ability  B. view C. experience D. evidence

Task 6. Read the text. For questions (33-42) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

Mary Kingsley

Mary Kingsley didn’t travel during the first 30 years of her life. (33) _____ , when her father died, leaving her an inheritance, she (34) _____ to set off for West Africa, that was still largely unmapped in (35) _____ . Kingsley travelled alone, (36) _____ was almost unheard of for a female at the time. During her travels, she lived with local people and learned their skills and customs.

Kingsley became quite well known after returning to England. She spent a lot of time criticizing missionaries for trying to change the native (37) _____ traditions.

33. A. However B. Although C. Moreover  D. Besides
34. A. has decided  B. had decided  C. decided  D. decides
35. A. 1890s  B. 1890th  C. the 1890s  D. the 1890^th
36. A. whether  B. which  C. when  D. how
37. A. Africans’s  B. African’s  C. Africans  D. Africans’

Typhoons Trick Japan’s Cherry Trees into Blooming Months Early

Japan’s famed cherry blossoms, sakura, are reported to be blooming several months ahead of schedule. The Weathernews website said it (38) _____ more than 350 reports of premature blossoms.

Experts said the flowers’ surprise appearance (39) _____ to extreme weather events in Japan in recent weeks, including two particularly powerful typhoons: the violent storms had stripped many trees of their leaves. One purpose of the leaves is (40)  _____ hormones that prevent buds from flowering ahead of time. Hiroyuki Wada, a tree doctor at the Flower Association of Japan said that the unusually warm weather that followed the typhoons (41) _____ have “tricked” the trees’ buds into flowering as well. “This has happened before, but I don’t remember (42) _____ anything on this scale,” said Wada.

38. A. receives B. was received C. had received  D. has received
39. A. linked  B. had linked  C. was linking  D. was linked
40. A. release  B. to release  C. to be releasing  D. to have released
41. A. would  B. need  C. ought  D. might
42. A. seeing  B. to see  C. to be seen  D. being seen