Reading

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

Communicating with your child

Nothing builds your child's self-esteem more than when you truly listen and respond to your youngster's thoughts and feelings. At the same time, good communication between you and your child in the early years sets the stage for good communication between you and your teenager later on.

While parenting communication should never become studied and self-conscious, consider the following:

1.   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

Your child knows what is going on inside. Do not disregard your youngster's true feelings with such statements as, «Why are you so disappointed? We'll go another time», or, «Be brave and stop crying». Instead, acknowledge your child's feelings, though they may be painful. This communicates acceptance and understanding.

2.   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

What your child leaves out of a conversation is often more important than what is included. Pay attention to your child's body language gestures, tone of voice, facial expression. Read between the lines to grasp the true meaning of your child's statements. Simple, nonjudgmental remarks like, «You look upset», or, «You sound unhappy», will let your child know that you understand and are willing to listen. Remember that your non-verbal messages are powerful, too. Your attitudes and feelings are communicated quite accurately to your child through your expressions as well as your words.

3.   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

Accepting your child's full range of feelings does not imply sanctioning a full range of behaviours. Help your child understand that feelings themselves are not bad or good whereas behaviours can be acceptable or unacceptable. For example, point out to your child that it is all right to feel angry at a brother or sister but not all right to hut him or her in any way.

4.   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

By communicating in terms of «», your child is more likely to understand and thus accept your message. «b» messages describe the upsetting or pleasing behaviour and the effect it has on you. For instance, «'m upset over the noisy stereo because I have a headache. Please turn it down and close the door». A counterstatement such as, «Why do you always have to make such a racket? Can't you see I have a headache!» often serves to embarrass or belittle your child and consequently causes defensiveness.

5.   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

Comment as soon after an event or observation as possible. Do not overload your child by talking too much. Use specific examples whenever possible. Help your child solve a problem by asking «What have you tried? What are the possibilities? » rather than resolving it yourself.

A Listen to your child without interrupting.

B Use «I» statements frequently.

C Assist your child in distinguishing between thoughts and actions.

D Accept your child's full range of emotions.

E Hear what your child is not saying.

F Help your child clarify feelings, ideas, and opinions.

G Provide appropriate feedback.

H Encourage communication through creative expression.

Read the text below. For questions (6-10) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

What is crying?

Humans are the only animals that cry emotional tears. Other animals will cry when they're in pain or when they have something in their eye but only humans weep.

When we are babies, we usually cry to be picked up, fed or changed. It is a way of signalling for help. But as we get older, individual and cultural experiences lead us to cry for emotional reasons,such as happiness, sadness or anger.

There are three kinds of tears: basal, reflex and emotional tears. Basal tears are made up of mucus, water and fat. They are always in our eyes to help keep our vision clear. They protected the eye's surface.

Reflex tears are composed mostly of water and come from the eye's main gland, the lacrimal gland. They are released as a reflex to something, for example irritation from peeling onions or heavy smoke.

Emotional tears also flow from the lacrimal gland and are involuntary, just like basal and reflex tears.Most people think emotional tears occur to release tension, but current physiological research suggests that crying occurs after an emotional crisis, and after the body is already returning to its normal state. Crying is not a response to crisis; it is post-crisis. It is part of the restoration.

A study by the British Psychological Society in 2005 examined the differences in the way men and women cry. Men are more likely to cry as a result of positive feelings, while women are more likely to cry after conflict with other people, or as a result of feeling inadequate.

The study showed that women experience more complex emotions while crying, including fear anger, powerlessness and frustration. In response to these feelings, men preferred repressed panic or choked rage to crying.

The study revealed that men are five times more likely than women to cry with happiness - usually a direct result of their love of football. One in ten men said the last time they wept it was with joy - nine out of ten of them prompted by football matches.

The biggest single cause of tears was grief or relationship breakdown. Men are also more likely to cry because they feel touched. The study also found that women cried, or admitted to crying. more frequently than men.

Another recent study looked at how people view crying. A man who is crying is often seen as sensitive and overwhelmed, whereas a woman who is crying is often seen as unstable and emotional.

6. The people`s lacrimal gland produces tears in case of ______________   [A, B, C, D]

A experiencing anger and happiness.

B feeling happiness and undergoing pain.

C going though pain, feeling happy and while clearing the eye.

D clearing the eye and suffering pain.

7. What are tears composed of?   [A, B, C, D]

A Slime, fluid and fat.

B Muck and liquid.

C Water and fat

D Fat, mucus ans slime

8. All kinds of teats are __________   [A, B, C, D]

A compulsory

B intentional

C instinctive

D inferior

9. Crying is the reaction of the body to the _____________   [A, B, C, D]

A critical situation

B received impulse

C recovering process

D released tension

10. The scientific research proved that women _________________   [A, B, C, D]

A cry as often as men

B cry more often that men

C don`t cry very often

D cry as rarely as men

Read the text below. Match choices (A-H) to (11-16). There are two choices you do not need to use.

The Taj Mahal in India

11   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

Every year, thousands of tourists board an express train or hire a car in New Delhi and journey to Agra on a pilgrimage to the Taj Mahal. To the Western World, the image of the curved white domes of the Taj Mahal, displayed endlessly on travel brochures, is synonymous with India. However, the postcard picture does not adequately convey the legend and romance that shroud the world’s most well-preserved and architecturally beautiful tomb.

12   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

The story behind the Taj Mahal has its roots in the Mughal Dynasty, a line of Muslim emperors who reigned in India from 1526 to 1858.

In 1612, one of the world’s greatest love stories began when Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess, married Shah Jehan, known as Prince Khurram before he ascended to the throne in 1628 to become the 5th Mughal emperor. The queen’s real name was Arjumand Banu. In the tradition of the Mughals, important women of the royal family were given another name when they married. Although Mumtaz was Shah Jehan’s second wife, she was considered his ultimate love match. By all accounts, Mumtaz and the emperor were soul mates. Mumtaz accompanied her husband throughout his travels and military expeditions, and was his most trusted political adviser. Unfortunately, as with any legendary love story, tragedy lurked in their future. In 1630, Mumtaz died while giving birth to her 14th child.

13   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

The death of Mumtaz reportedly affected the emperor so deeply that his black hair and beard turned snow white in just a few months. The emperor was overcome with grief, and vowed to keep his beloved wife’s memory alive forever. He decided to build her a monument of eternal love. Because Mumtaz had endeared herself to the people with her kindness, the emperor’s subjects were inspired to help build the spectacular monument.

14   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

After twenty-two years and the combined effort of over twenty thousand workmen and master craftsmen, the monument was finally completed in 1648, at a cost of 32 million rupees. (That’s just over 1 million Canadian dollars—a lot of money in the 17th century!) It was built with material from all over India and central Asia and required 1000 elephants to transport the material to the site.

The Taj Mahal, built entirely of white marble, uses an architectural design known as interlocking arabesque. Each element of the structure can stand on its own and integrate with the main structure. The central dome, called the Taj, is 58 feet in diameter and 213 feet high. The marble walls inside the dome are covered with intricate mosaic patterns and precious stones. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid tomb of the queen. The only asymmetrical object in the Taj Mahal is the casket of the emperor.

15   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

Four domed chambers surround the Taj. The main archways are chiseled with passages from the Holy Quran. The mausoleum is part of a vast complex with a main gateway, garden, mosque, guesthouse and several other palatial buildings. A large garden is divided at the center by four reflecting pools. Like the Taj, the garden elements follow the Arabesque concept, standing on their own and constituting the whole.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Taj Mahal is the magical quality of its changing colours. The Yamuna River behind the Taj reflects light onto the white marble. Depending on the hour of the day or the season, the colours of the Taj are different. The best time to view its stunning beauty is at dawn or sunset.

16   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

There are many contemporary (and some might say, unromantic) historians who contend that the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum far too great to commemorate the memory of one woman, even if she was the favourite wife of an emperor. These historians believe that the Taj Mahal symbolizes the tyranny of a powerful ruler exploiting his subjects and flaunting his magnificence to the world.

Whether the Taj Mahal symbolizes eternal love, an emperor’s power, or a little of both, Shah Jehan deserves credit for turning the death of his wife into a symbol of lasting beauty. He bequeathed India and the world its most beautiful mausoleum. As English poet, Sir Edwin Arnold wrote, the Taj Mahal is “not a piece of architecture, as other buildings are, but the proud passions of an emperor’s love wrought in living stones.”

This passage you will read if your task is to find out more about ___________

A the origin of the architectural site.

B the structure of the architectural complex.

C the erection of the monumental building .

D the place of tourist pilgrimage.

E the different views on the Taj Mahal`s origin.

F the reason for building the monument.

G the process of renovating the archways and passages

H the complicated construction process.

Read the text below. choose from (A-H) the one which the best fits each space ( 17-22). There are two choices you do not need to use.

Good Bookkeeping Saves You Money

The most important thing any businessman can do is to keep accurate records. Every entrepreneur is great at the job or service they perform and will work day and night perfecting their skills, however they tend to put record keeping at the bottom of their to-do list! If the bad habit of poor record keeping does not cause their business to eventually fail, (17)________________________   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

QuickBooks is a computer program that every start-up company should have. It is easy to use and has the ability to not only help you keep your records straight but can be the perfect tool for forecasting the growth of your company. and recognizing business trends (18) ________________   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]

If you do not have an accounting background it is important that you either study the user guide of this program, hire an accountant to set it up for you, or have your business coach set it up. If your business coach does not know how to set this easy program up for you, (19) _________________   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H] and get a different business coach.

Schedule a time either daily or weekly where you input all your business information into this program. You can use it to write job estimates, prepare invoices, job costing, prepare payroll checks and (20)______________   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H] There are too many things you can use this program for based on your industry to write in this article.

Cash receipts and mileage expense are the two things that get left out of record keeping more than anything else. You come in from the field or go home at night and the first thing you do is (21) ____________________   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]. Many of those trash items are cash receipts for small purchases or business lunches you had that day. Since they are cash receipts, they are usually small amounts and people tend to think they are not worth fooling with. That line of thinking can break your company Every penny you spend on your business is important. Quite often those expenses need to be passed on to your customers, but poor record keeping keeps you from being reimbursed. When you throw away a reimbursable cash receipt it is equivalent to making a sale to a customer and then handing them cash back and saying «I am going to throw these two dollars away, would you like to have them?»

If you use your personal car in your business, the Internal Revenue Service allows you (22) _________________   [A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H]you drive as an expense. You must keep a record of it, though. If you are sitting in your living room and suddenly realise you need to buy new highlighters to take to the office the next day and go to the closest store and buy them, that is a business expense. If you decide to buy a bottle of shampoo while you are there, it is still a business expense, because you went there for the highlighters. You should keep something in your glove compartment at all times to write these little side trips on. You will need the date, the business purpose and the total mileage used. People ignore this because they think it is petty, but it does add up.

A that you have never noticed before

B make your payroll tax deposits

C it will impede the company from growing

D do yourself a favour

E or the type of company you have

F clean out all the trash you accumulated in your pockets that day

G to deduct 55 cents for every business mile

H you should not miss it

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

Could a "Tiny Home" Be the Home For You?

Maybe you think that your bedroom is too small for all of your clothes, books, and toys. But some people are now choosing to get rid of a lot of their (23)____________             [possessions, riches, effects, goods] and live in houses no bigger than the (24)________________         [regular, average, medium, common] bedroom.

To (25)________          [protect, earn, save, preserve] money, some people are moving into “tiny” houses, some of which are about 100 square feet in (26)_________           [dimension, length, size, measure]. Even though the houses are small, many of them still (27)_______________________          [prossess, involve, combine, include]a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. Some “tiny home” owners (28)_______________       [rise, go, bring, climb]a ladder to get to the bedroom on the second floor of their home.

When business (29)____________             [slowed up, slowed down, slowed in, slowed at]_down for Bill Kastrinos, he and his wife, Sharon, moved into a tiny house. The house cost only $15,000 to build and the Kastrinos’s pay $15 a month for utilities. Their home also has (30)_____________         [wheels, discs, rings, circles]so they can take it with them if they decide to move.

Jay Shafer owns Tumbleweed Tiny House Company. He builds tiny houses, and he lives in one too. His home is 8 feet wide and 12 feet long. Shafer said he built a tiny house because he did not want to (31)______________        [clean, clear, scrub, purify]a lot of rooms and he wanted to conserve energy. He gave away a lot of his things when he moved into his tiny house. He says he doesn’t (32)____________        [avoid, miss, escape, regret]the extra books or the clothes that he never wore.

Shafer knows that tiny houses will not work for everyone. He recently got married and there is not enough room in his house for his wife. That’s why he is building her a tiny house right near his home

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

Turn Down Music To Save Hearing

Do you spend a lot of time listening to songs on a (33)_____________             [portability, porthole, portable, portholes] music player? If you do, you should turn down the sound so you don’t harm your hearing.

Experts are (34)______________          [worrying, worried, worry, worries] that portable music players are (35)__________         [harm, harmed, harmful, harming] the hearing of kids and adults. A recent survey found that most teenagers have one or more signs of hearing loss. Signs of hearing loss (36)_____________               [include, included, includes, have included] : asking people to repeat what they (37)________________        [say, said, saying, says], having to turn up the sound on a television, and having a “ringing” sound in the ears.

Experts think some of the reasons teens are having trouble hearing are that they are spending too much time listening to music on their portable music players and they are playing the music (38)_____________        [enough, too, much, also] loud. Most people don’t realize how loud the volume on music players can be. One expert said the sound can be as (39)__________         [loud, louder, loudest, loudly]as a jet engine!

The small “earbud” earphones that come with many music players might be one of the (40)______________          [causes, cause, causes`, causes`s] of hearing loss. Those earphones fit tightly into the ear and send sound (41)______________           [direct, directed, directly, directing] into the ear canal.

To protect hearing, experts say kids should turn down the volume on their portable music players, use bigger earphones that (42)________________            [covers, covered, will cover, cover] the whole ear, and spend less time using their music players.