HMT English / Reading practice / Topic " Money" 2 / Use of English

Read the texts. Match choices (A-Є) to (1-5). There are three choices you do not need to use.

Which job advert describes …?

Read the text below. Look at the highlighted words in it. Use them to complete the sentences (1-5).

A winning advert?

Companies spend billions of pounds on TV commercials every year. Adverts are often boring, repetitive, and irritating, but nowadays you can simply click a button on social media in order to skip most of the advert if you’re not interested. This innovation certainly improves the experience for impatient viewers, but what does this development mean for businesses?

As a result of these changes, it has become extremely important for advertising companies to create commercials that are enjoyable to watch and that can capture our attention. In other words, a successful advert for the new era becomes a form of entertainment – a creative piece that makes us forget, for a moment, that we are watching someone trying to sell us a product or a service.

Most people would agree that the advert for the Citroën C4 car falls into that category. In this short film, a Citroën C4 is parked in a rooftop car park. Suddenly, the animated car splits open and stands up so that its back doors become legs, its front wheels are arms. With its stereo playing, the car, now a robot, starts dancing just like Justin Timberlake. Which is hardly surprising, since the dance moves were designed by none other than Timberlake’s own choreographer.

The original TV advert soon became so popular that it was considered to be one of the best commercials that year, winning numerous industry awards. In fact, in the month following its release, it helped double the number of visitors to the Citroën website.

The success of the advertising campaign lay in the cinematic quality of its execution. Although it was only designed to promote a product, the superb choreography, the dazzling animation and the cool music all added to its appeal. Fans loved it because it was lively, fun, and original. Not to mention that it was short and fast-moving, which meant viewers could re-watch it many times without feeling bored.

However, many viewers seemed to be confused by the advert. They loved the robot and some even said that they would purchase it without hesitation. This was the first clue that the advert wasn’t entirely successful. Additionally, despite its entertainment value, they could never quite recall the make of the car or the model. And isn’t that what the advert was devised for in the first place?

1. Our company is very interested in product design and            .

2. This new software has turned out to be the best          we have ever made – money well spent.

3. First, we listed our target markets and then we         a set of strategies to attract them.

4. This brand has limited        among young people aged 18 to 25.

5. They use computer-generated imagery to         the imagination of young audiences.

Read the text below. Choose the right answer.

A winning advert?

Companies spend billions of pounds on TV commercials every year. Adverts are often boring, repetitive, and irritating, but nowadays you can simply click a button on social media in order to skip most of the advert if you’re not interested. This innovation certainly improves the experience for impatient viewers, but what does this development mean for businesses?

As a result of these changes, it has become extremely important for advertising companies to create commercials that are enjoyable to watch and that can capture our attention. In other words, a successful advert for the new era becomes a form of entertainment – a creative piece that makes us forget, for a moment, that we are watching someone trying to sell us a product or a service.

Most people would agree that the advert for the Citroën C4 car falls into that category. In this short film, a Citroën C4 is parked in a rooftop car park. Suddenly, the animated car splits open and stands up so that its back doors become legs, its front wheels are arms. With its stereo playing, the car, now a robot, starts dancing just like Justin Timberlake. Which is hardly surprising, since the dance moves were designed by none other than Timberlake’s own choreographer.

The original TV advert soon became so popular that it was considered to be one of the best commercials that year, winning numerous industry awards. In fact, in the month following its release, it helped double the number of visitors to the Citroën website.

The success of the advertising campaign lay in the cinematic quality of its execution. Although it was only designed to promote a product, the superb choreography, the dazzling animation and the cool music all added to its appeal. Fans loved it because it was lively, fun, and original. Not to mention that it was short and fast-moving, which meant viewers could re-watch it many times without feeling bored.

However, many viewers seemed to be confused by the advert. They loved the robot and some even said that they would purchase it without hesitation. This was the first clue that the advert wasn’t entirely successful. Additionally, despite its entertainment value, they could never quite recall the make of the car or the model. And isn’t that what the advert was devised for in the first place?

What is NOT TRUE about adverts according to the text?

Read the text below. Choose the right answer.

A winning advert?

Companies spend billions of pounds on TV commercials every year. Adverts are often boring, repetitive, and irritating, but nowadays you can simply click a button on social media in order to skip most of the advert if you’re not interested. This innovation certainly improves the experience for impatient viewers, but what does this development mean for businesses?

As a result of these changes, it has become extremely important for advertising companies to create commercials that are enjoyable to watch and that can capture our attention. In other words, a successful advert for the new era becomes a form of entertainment – a creative piece that makes us forget, for a moment, that we are watching someone trying to sell us a product or a service.

Most people would agree that the advert for the Citroën C4 car falls into that category. In this short film, a Citroën C4 is parked in a rooftop car park. Suddenly, the animated car splits open and stands up so that its back doors become legs, its front wheels are arms. With its stereo playing, the car, now a robot, starts dancing just like Justin Timberlake. Which is hardly surprising, since the dance moves were designed by none other than Timberlake’s own choreographer.

The original TV advert soon became so popular that it was considered to be one of the best commercials that year, winning numerous industry awards. In fact, in the month following its release, it helped double the number of visitors to the Citroën website.

The success of the advertising campaign lay in the cinematic quality of its execution. Although it was only designed to promote a product, the superb choreography, the dazzling animation and the cool music all added to its appeal. Fans loved it because it was lively, fun, and original. Not to mention that it was short and fast-moving, which meant viewers could re-watch it many times without feeling bored.

However, many viewers seemed to be confused by the advert. They loved the robot and some even said that they would purchase it without hesitation. This was the first clue that the advert wasn’t entirely successful. Additionally, despite its entertainment value, they could never quite recall the make of the car or the model. And isn’t that what the advert was devised for in the first place?

How have adverts changed?

Read the text below. Choose the right answer.

A winning advert?

Companies spend billions of pounds on TV commercials every year. Adverts are often boring, repetitive, and irritating, but nowadays you can simply click a button on social media in order to skip most of the advert if you’re not interested. This innovation certainly improves the experience for impatient viewers, but what does this development mean for businesses?

As a result of these changes, it has become extremely important for advertising companies to create commercials that are enjoyable to watch and that can capture our attention. In other words, a successful advert for the new era becomes a form of entertainment – a creative piece that makes us forget, for a moment, that we are watching someone trying to sell us a product or a service.

Most people would agree that the advert for the Citroën C4 car falls into that category. In this short film, a Citroën C4 is parked in a rooftop car park. Suddenly, the animated car splits open and stands up so that its back doors become legs, its front wheels are arms. With its stereo playing, the car, now a robot, starts dancing just like Justin Timberlake. Which is hardly surprising, since the dance moves were designed by none other than Timberlake’s own choreographer.

The original TV advert soon became so popular that it was considered to be one of the best commercials that year, winning numerous industry awards. In fact, in the month following its release, it helped double the number of visitors to the Citroën website.

The success of the advertising campaign lay in the cinematic quality of its execution. Although it was only designed to promote a product, the superb choreography, the dazzling animation and the cool music all added to its appeal. Fans loved it because it was lively, fun, and original. Not to mention that it was short and fast-moving, which meant viewers could re-watch it many times without feeling bored.

However, many viewers seemed to be confused by the advert. They loved the robot and some even said that they would purchase it without hesitation. This was the first clue that the advert wasn’t entirely successful. Additionally, despite its entertainment value, they could never quite recall the make of the car or the model. And isn’t that what the advert was devised for in the first place?

What do we learn about the Citroën advert?

Read the text below. Choose the right answer.

A winning advert?

Companies spend billions of pounds on TV commercials every year. Adverts are often boring, repetitive, and irritating, but nowadays you can simply click a button on social media in order to skip most of the advert if you’re not interested. This innovation certainly improves the experience for impatient viewers, but what does this development mean for businesses?

As a result of these changes, it has become extremely important for advertising companies to create commercials that are enjoyable to watch and that can capture our attention. In other words, a successful advert for the new era becomes a form of entertainment – a creative piece that makes us forget, for a moment, that we are watching someone trying to sell us a product or a service.

Most people would agree that the advert for the Citroën C4 car falls into that category. In this short film, a Citroën C4 is parked in a rooftop car park. Suddenly, the animated car splits open and stands up so that its back doors become legs, its front wheels are arms. With its stereo playing, the car, now a robot, starts dancing just like Justin Timberlake. Which is hardly surprising, since the dance moves were designed by none other than Timberlake’s own choreographer.

The original TV advert soon became so popular that it was considered to be one of the best commercials that year, winning numerous industry awards. In fact, in the month following its release, it helped double the number of visitors to the Citroën website.

The success of the advertising campaign lay in the cinematic quality of its execution. Although it was only designed to promote a product, the superb choreography, the dazzling animation and the cool music all added to its appeal. Fans loved it because it was lively, fun, and original. Not to mention that it was short and fast-moving, which meant viewers could re-watch it many times without feeling bored.

However, many viewers seemed to be confused by the advert. They loved the robot and some even said that they would purchase it without hesitation. This was the first clue that the advert wasn’t entirely successful. Additionally, despite its entertainment value, they could never quite recall the make of the car or the model. And isn’t that what the advert was devised for in the first place?

What does the word execution in paragraph 5 mean?

A winning advert?

Companies spend billions of pounds on TV commercials every year. Adverts are often boring, repetitive, and irritating, but nowadays you can simply click a button on social media in order to skip most of the advert if you’re not interested. This innovation certainly improves the experience for impatient viewers, but what does this development mean for businesses?

As a result of these changes, it has become extremely important for advertising companies to create commercials that are enjoyable to watch and that can capture our attention. In other words, a successful advert for the new era becomes a form of entertainment – a creative piece that makes us forget, for a moment, that we are watching someone trying to sell us a product or a service.

Most people would agree that the advert for the Citroën C4 car falls into that category. In this short film, a Citroën C4 is parked in a rooftop car park. Suddenly, the animated car splits open and stands up so that its back doors become legs, its front wheels are arms. With its stereo playing, the car, now a robot, starts dancing just like Justin Timberlake. Which is hardly surprising, since the dance moves were designed by none other than Timberlake’s own choreographer.

The original TV advert soon became so popular that it was considered to be one of the best commercials that year, winning numerous industry awards. In fact, in the month following its release, it helped double the number of visitors to the Citroën website.

The success of the advertising campaign lay in the cinematic quality of its execution. Although it was only designed to promote a product, the superb choreography, the dazzling animation and the cool music all added to its appeal. Fans loved it because it was lively, fun, and original. Not to mention that it was short and fast-moving, which meant viewers could re-watch it many times without feeling bored.

However, many viewers seemed to be confused by the advert. They loved the robot and some even said that they would purchase it without hesitation. This was the first clue that the advert wasn’t entirely successful. Additionally, despite its entertainment value, they could never quite recall the make of the car or the model. And isn’t that what the advert was devised for in the first place?

What was the problem with the advert?

Use of English. Lexical multiple-choice cloze.

Read the text. Choose the correct answer.

Street view of Harrods department store in London. Photo Credit: © Chan Richie via 123RF.

The History of Harrods

In 1849, Charles Henry Harrod opened the Knightsbridge store in London. Beginning in a small room, it sold tea and groceries. The business 1           [stretched, widened, extended, expanded] steadily, and by 1880 it was a successful department store, offering everything 2         [from, past, through, with] medicines and perfumes to clothing and food. The store attracted wealthy customers who were looking for exclusive goods under a(n) 3        [only, single, one, solo] roof. The building was completely destroyed in a fire in 1883. However, little did anyone realize what would 4         [retake, remove, replace, rebuild] it! The new architect-designed store was like a palace, with Art Nouveau windows and Baroque domes.

Harrods became a public company in 1889, and during the 1890s it had established new 5             [departments, units, sections, areas], including one that sold exotic pets. During World War II, the store was transformed into a factory, which made uniforms and parachutes. In 1985, it returned to 6            [individual, special, personal, private] ownership when Mohamed Al Fayed and his brother Ali bought Harrods for $615 million and 7         [changed, made, took, brought] over its management. The management team introduced a dress code in 1989, which banned swimwear and many 8       [other, of, such, same] items of beachwear considered too revealing. However, these days Harrods is famous for its first-class 9          [labour, service, effort, activity] and high-quality products. From modest 10            [ways, starters, creations, beginnings] as a greengrocer’s, Harrods now covers over 90,000 square metres, and sells goods across seven floors. It is the largest store in Europe and has its own postcode!

Use of English. Lexical multiple-choice cloze.

Read the text. Choose the correct answer.

https://bnn-news.com/million-dollar-homepage-gradually-banner-museum-111678

A young entrepreneur

Twenty-one-year-old Alex Tew of Great Britain needed money to be able to go to university, but he didn’t know how to get it. However, he was 1             [established, decided, determined, settled] he would succeed. He sat down one day with a notepad and wrote on a page: ‘How can I 2         [make, create, produce, form] a lot of money? In two and a half weeks he had raised a(n) 3             [principal, essencial, significant, important] amount. He had more than enough for his 4         [demands, wishes, needs, wants], with quite a bit of cash to spare. How did he manage this? As a freelance web-designer, Alex was keenly 5           [familiar, aware, sensitive, informed] of the power of the Internet. He also possessed the skills to use it 6              [deliberately, fortunately, obediently, effectively]. Alex came up with an idea that was both easily understood and cheap to 7          [set up, set out, set off, set down]. He also chose a name that would 8       [grab, carry, pull, take] people’s attention: The Million Dollar Homepage.

He started selling advertising space on the Internet, but with a difference. Adverts on the Internet are 9           [regularly, naturally, averagely, normally] either banner adverts, text links or video ads. 10       [Why, Where, What, How] Alex did was to divide his homepage into squares of 100 pixels and sell them at a price of one dollars per pixel. And as a result, he made more than $500,000 in just four months.

Use of English. Grammatical multiple-choice cloze.

Read the text. Choose the correct answer.

https://lovepik.com/images/online-shopping.html

New shopping trends

Little did we know twenty years ago that online shopping would become so popular. Every day more and more people 1            [have used, do use, are using, should use] the Internet to order everything from tables to cars, food to flights. 2      [The, Such, That, A] main advantage of Internet shopping is convenience. People can shop online from the comfort of their homes, saving the time and trouble of going to the shops.

As online stores are open around the clock, consumers can visit them 3          [whatever, whoever, wherever, when] they want.

Consumers can browse products 4           [are made, been made, have made, made] all around the world, and locate hard-to-find items such as out-of-print books.

What is more, items are usually cheaper on the web because warehouse and staff 5         [costly, costs, costing, cost] are lower.

In short, the comfort and convenience online shopping offers makes it the future of retail.