2.2. Grammar and Vocabulary

For questions 1-7, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. (7 marks)     

The speed of technological change is phenomenal now and, unless you want to (1)

3.1.1 Reading

Read the article about deep sea exploration. Five sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences (A-G) the one which fits each gap (1-5). There are two extra sentences which you do not need to use. (10 marks)

A  Amazingly, before Cameron’s expedition, more was known about the surface of Mars than was known about the deep sea.

B  In fact, he even created a documentary called Deepsea Challenge 3D so others could witness the experience.

C  Once it was discovered that there may be life there, the next barrier was its inaccessibility.

D  He described it as a vast and desolate place, and also recorded seeing some previously unknown creatures.

E  It had taken almost seven years to design and build the Challenger and they had to find many ways to solve problems of pressure and temperature.

F  Not only does it extend so massively, it’s also pitch black and the pressure is over 1000 times that of the surface.

G  Moreover, films such as those created by Cameron may hold some truth to what lies below.

Adventure below the seas 

Relatively little is known about the deep seas on our planet. In fact, the ocean takes up about 70% of the planet, and around 95% of this remains unexplored. This is for many reasons. Firstly, it was commonly believed that the deep seas were lifeless and uninteresting and therefore not worth exploring. 1 

Despite its inhospitable nature, the trench was once explored in 1960 by two men, Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh. However, since then, because of the difficulty of the water pressure, the remote location and great depth of the trench, nobody had returned. That was until James Cameron came along. You might know him as the director of films like The Terminator or Titanic, but aside from this he is also one of the bravest adventurers of the deep sea. In fact, on March 26^th 2012 Cameron reached the deepest part of the Mariana Trench. He was the third person to ever explore these depths, and the first person to do it alone.

Cameron has always loved science and exploration. The desire to experience the unknown was the inspiration for his journey to the bottom of the seas. 

3 

It wasn’t just his youthful aim that made this ambition a reality. He also wanted to advance the world’s understanding of the oceans. 

4 

The journey took him over nine hours in total. The first two hours were spent on the descent to the sea floor. Here, Cameron had to withstand huge temperature differences. Being in the Deepsea Challenger on the surface was as hot as in a sauna, but the deeper he went, the colder the temperature became. He then spent three hours collecting samples and exploring the sea bed. And what did he see there? 5 

3.1.2 Reading

Read the article about young people who have participated in a youth leadership project. For questions 1-10, choose from the opinions of the participants (A-D).  (10 marks)

A Spending two weeks of my summer holidays at a youth leadership academy wasn't high on my wish list of activities at the end of the term; I felt too old for that! That said, right from the very first day, the program exceeded all expectations! The time flew by and I was sad to leave. Without a doubt, the best thing was meeting people from all over the country, exchanging ideas and learning new ways of doing things. Constantly working as a team meant that it was difficult at times and there were more than a few arguments between different members of the group. It showed us that we have to get on with each other and make the best of each other's skills; after all, we can't just walk out of a job after an argument! Before taking part in the programme, I'd felt reasonably confident about starting work after I graduate, but now I realise just how far I have to go before I am really ready for the workplace. So, this term I'm going to join the events committee at school to help out with the student-led events that take place throughout the year. 

B Towards the end of the last term I'd been feeling the pressure of university applications and was concerned that I hadn't been as involved in extra-curricular activities as I should have been. Nowadays, it's not enough to have an outstanding academic record. A lot of universities want you to demonstrate other skills as well, not to mention the fact that these are required for the world of work, too. I was looking forward to the youth academy programme when I signed up for it, but after a couple of days I was already wishing that hadn't done it. The tasks that we were given were supposed to equip us with real-life skills, but they were all intentionally prepared to appeal to people in my age group. Unfortunately, this just had the opposite effect as it felt like the organisers were trying too hard to please us, at the same time being completely out of touch with people my age. Everyone in my group was on the same wavelength as me; we wanted to work seriously and be challenged by something that we might encounter in the future. To be perfectly honest, I came away feeling disappointed and cheated. 

C I only signed up for the youth leadership academy programme because my parents thought it would be beneficial as something that I could add to my CV, especially because my cousin, who's two years older than me, did it once and it helped her to get her first job. They didn't push me into it, but they strongly recommended it! The programme itself was nothing special; the highlights were getting the chance to improve my coding skills, which I had wanted to do for a while, and the mountaineering team challenge was great fun. Apart from that, the biggest impact that the experience had on me was the people that I met. Each participant gets a mentor who is someone that took part in the programme the year before; coincidentally, my mentor had been mentored by my cousin! We got on really well right from the start and, since the program finished, we've kept in touch. In fact, the three of us have been messaging each other non-stop about a youth academy app, to help young people develop the kinds of skills that the programme practises, but without all the costly price! 

D Attending a youth leadership summer programme is something everyone does at my college; there are two major universities in our city so there's always a little bit of rivalry amongst students as to which one is the best, according to the one you choose to go to. After looking forward to the programme all year, I was thrilled that it didn't disappoint — in fact, I'd probably say that it was much more than I had expected! It was very full-on as the schedule was packed; every day we were there for eight hours, with at least three different sessions per day. The first few days were less flexible as we did a variety of experiential-based lessons to develop different leadership skills, such as interpersonal communication and ethics. Then towards the end of the week we moved onto a group action project, which I preferred because it meant that we could be in the driving seat! At the end of the week, we presented our projects during a day-long event that was sponsored by various companies. 

Which person: 

1. has kept in contact with the other participants?

2. found the experience frustrating?

3. enjoyed being given some control?

4. mentions developing skills directly related to working life?

5. felt the need to make some plans after the leadership academy?

6. feels that the activities were inappropriate for the age group?

7. gives specific details about the course's program?

8. says that the other participants shared with him a very serious approach to the summer course?

9. makes a comparison between the program and everyday life?

10. is unenthusiastic about the course content?

1) What does Marion say she has been reading this week? 

A A scientific book by an American author.

B A fiction story about memory loss.

C Various titles that study how memory works.

2) What does Marion say about Lonni Sue Johnson's career before the accident? 

A She worked in the music industry.

B She was a commercial pilot.

C She had success as an artist.

3) What information does Marion explain? 

A Both where and when Lonni Sue first showed symptoms of the disease.

B How Lonni Sue's family responded when they saw she was ill.

C The reasons why Lonni Sue caught such a serious infection. 

4) What does Marion say about viral encephalitis? 

A It's a disease that affects a specific part of the brain.

B A large number of patients with this disease have memory problems.

C It's a rare disease with small chances of recovery.

5) Which of these memories was the hardest for Lonni Sue to recover? 

A Remembering how to play a musical instrument.

B Being able to recall her close relatives.

C Knowing what her job had been before the infection.

6) According to Marion, Lonni Sue couldn't remember:

A how her father had died.

B who her father was.

C whether her father was alive.

7) What memories has Lonni Sue completely lost? 

A Memories of things that had happened. 

B Memories of all the people she had known.

C Memories of how to do particular things. 

8) Marion says that Lonni Sue's inability to form new memories:

A may be the most surprising aspect of her condition.

B occurs less often than other aspects of her condition.

C is what her friends struggle to deal with most.

9) To Marion, which of the following is most important when it comes to memory? 

A Without it we can't really make plans or decisions.

B Without it we lose a sense of our identity.

C Without it we'll forget our loved ones.

10) The presenter also wants Marion to talk about: 

A new discoveries in medicine that resulted from Lonnie Sue’s case study.

B an investigation into our parents and their influence on our memory.

C the conditions for Lonnie Sue’s recovery.