READING COMPREHENSION (Entertainment)

TASK 1
Read the article. For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

La Mercè Festival

by Adrian Jacobs

Last September, I attended the La Mercè festival in the city of Barcelona, Spain, with my family. I’d never been to the city before and was looking forward to spending a few days there. After checking in to our hotel, we wandered into the centre for our first look around the city I’d heard so much about. With the festival already in full swing, the footpaths were crowded, making it challenging to move with any speed around the sights. It was nothing I hadn’t been warned about and we were in no rush. I could barely take my eyes off the beautiful old buildings as we walked along. All that fascinating history: I imagined all the stories the buildings would be able to tell if they had a voice. Traffic buzzed round us, filling the air with sounds of beeping horns, adding to the atmosphere.

The first event we attended was the building of ‘human towers’. Different teams competed to create the tallest tower of people by standing on each others’ shoulders. Then the youngest member of each group climbed up the outside to the very top. I gazed in awe at the height of the towers. They made it look easy but what an incredible amount of practice and teamwork the activity must need. Now and then, a tower would collapse to the gasps of the onlookers. The teams had clearly prepared for this eventuality, though, and caught each other easily. We stood and watched for ages, transfixed.

Next was the parade of the ‘giants’, where huge brightly painted figures were carried through the streets representing different neighbourhoods of the city. Kings and queens dressed in historical costumes hovered over the crowds, spinning and dancing in pairs to the tunes played on ancient instruments by bands of musicians. Children stared in wonder, their faces lighting up when they spotted a favourite character – that was a magical thing. I soon abandoned any attempt at filming the procession; it was far better just to store the images away in my memory instead.

That evening we saw what, for me, was the highlight of our whole trip: the ‘fire run’. Another parade, but this one was a procession of huge five-breathing beasts – again, brightly painted – which were carried along the road, showering the spectators with sparks from fireworks attached to them. Spectators are advised to cover up as protection, but there’s no real danger. Even so, I decided to stand well back away from it! It was an incredible sight and must have been great fun to participate in. The fire lit up the spectators in the darkness and I recognised my own feelings of happiness on their faces. I snapped away with my camera, but when I looked at my pictures the next day, I’d just recorded a blur of movement.

Over the next couple of days we saw everything from a kite flying competition at the beach to an aerobatic show, sampled local specialities in seaside cafés and sang and (line 52) danced in the city’s numerous squares. All too soon it was the last night of the festival. Together with thousands of other people, we stood ready to watch the final event: the closing of the festival with a magnificent fireworks display. It was as fantastic as all the other events had been and I knew that even if I never came back again, I’d go home having made the most of the celebrations I’d so longed to see, and having gained an insight into another culture.

1 How did Adrian feel when he saw the city of Barcelona for the first time?

TASK 1
Read the article. For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

La Mercè Festival

by Adrian Jacobs

Last September, I attended the La Mercè festival in the city of Barcelona, Spain, with my family. I’d never been to the city before and was looking forward to spending a few days there. After checking in to our hotel, we wandered into the centre for our first look around the city I’d heard so much about. With the festival already in full swing, the footpaths were crowded, making it challenging to move with any speed around the sights. It was nothing I hadn’t been warned about and we were in no rush. I could barely take my eyes off the beautiful old buildings as we walked along. All that fascinating history: I imagined all the stories the buildings would be able to tell if they had a voice. Traffic buzzed round us, filling the air with sounds of beeping horns, adding to the atmosphere.

The first event we attended was the building of ‘human towers’. Different teams competed to create the tallest tower of people by standing on each others’ shoulders. Then the youngest member of each group climbed up the outside to the very top. I gazed in awe at the height of the towers. They made it look easy but what an incredible amount of practice and teamwork the activity must need. Now and then, a tower would collapse to the gasps of the onlookers. The teams had clearly prepared for this eventuality, though, and caught each other easily. We stood and watched for ages, transfixed.

Next was the parade of the ‘giants’, where huge brightly painted figures were carried through the streets representing different neighbourhoods of the city. Kings and queens dressed in historical costumes hovered over the crowds, spinning and dancing in pairs to the tunes played on ancient instruments by bands of musicians. Children stared in wonder, their faces lighting up when they spotted a favourite character – that was a magical thing. I soon abandoned any attempt at filming the procession; it was far better just to store the images away in my memory instead.

That evening we saw what, for me, was the highlight of our whole trip: the ‘fire run’. Another parade, but this one was a procession of huge five-breathing beasts – again, brightly painted – which were carried along the road, showering the spectators with sparks from fireworks attached to them. Spectators are advised to cover up as protection, but there’s no real danger. Even so, I decided to stand well back away from it! It was an incredible sight and must have been great fun to participate in. The fire lit up the spectators in the darkness and I recognised my own feelings of happiness on their faces. I snapped away with my camera, but when I looked at my pictures the next day, I’d just recorded a blur of movement.

Over the next couple of days we saw everything from a kite flying competition at the beach to an aerobatic show, sampled local specialities in seaside cafés and sang and (line 52) danced in the city’s numerous squares. All too soon it was the last night of the festival. Together with thousands of other people, we stood ready to watch the final event: the closing of the festival with a magnificent fireworks display. It was as fantastic as all the other events had been and I knew that even if I never came back again, I’d go home having made the most of the celebrations I’d so longed to see, and having gained an insight into another culture.

2.What does Adrian say about the ‘human towers’ event in the second paragraph?

TASK 1
Read the article. For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

La Mercè Festival

by Adrian Jacobs

Last September, I attended the La Mercè festival in the city of Barcelona, Spain, with my family. I’d never been to the city before and was looking forward to spending a few days there. After checking in to our hotel, we wandered into the centre for our first look around the city I’d heard so much about. With the festival already in full swing, the footpaths were crowded, making it challenging to move with any speed around the sights. It was nothing I hadn’t been warned about and we were in no rush. I could barely take my eyes off the beautiful old buildings as we walked along. All that fascinating history: I imagined all the stories the buildings would be able to tell if they had a voice. Traffic buzzed round us, filling the air with sounds of beeping horns, adding to the atmosphere.

The first event we attended was the building of ‘human towers’. Different teams competed to create the tallest tower of people by standing on each others’ shoulders. Then the youngest member of each group climbed up the outside to the very top. I gazed in awe at the height of the towers. They made it look easy but what an incredible amount of practice and teamwork the activity must need. Now and then, a tower would collapse to the gasps of the onlookers. The teams had clearly prepared for this eventuality, though, and caught each other easily. We stood and watched for ages, transfixed.

Next was the parade of the ‘giants’, where huge brightly painted figures were carried through the streets representing different neighbourhoods of the city. Kings and queens dressed in historical costumes hovered over the crowds, spinning and dancing in pairs to the tunes played on ancient instruments by bands of musicians. Children stared in wonder, their faces lighting up when they spotted a favourite character – that was a magical thing. I soon abandoned any attempt at filming the procession; it was far better just to store the images away in my memory instead.

That evening we saw what, for me, was the highlight of our whole trip: the ‘fire run’. Another parade, but this one was a procession of huge five-breathing beasts – again, brightly painted – which were carried along the road, showering the spectators with sparks from fireworks attached to them. Spectators are advised to cover up as protection, but there’s no real danger. Even so, I decided to stand well back away from it! It was an incredible sight and must have been great fun to participate in. The fire lit up the spectators in the darkness and I recognised my own feelings of happiness on their faces. I snapped away with my camera, but when I looked at my pictures the next day, I’d just recorded a blur of movement.

Over the next couple of days we saw everything from a kite flying competition at the beach to an aerobatic show, sampled local specialities in seaside cafés and sang and (line 52) danced in the city’s numerous squares. All too soon it was the last night of the festival. Together with thousands of other people, we stood ready to watch the final event: the closing of the festival with a magnificent fireworks display. It was as fantastic as all the other events had been and I knew that even if I never came back again, I’d go home having made the most of the celebrations I’d so longed to see, and having gained an insight into another culture.

3.When Adrian saw the parade of giants in the third paragraph, he particularly liked

TASK 1
Read the article. For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

La Mercè Festival

by Adrian Jacobs

Last September, I attended the La Mercè festival in the city of Barcelona, Spain, with my family. I’d never been to the city before and was looking forward to spending a few days there. After checking in to our hotel, we wandered into the centre for our first look around the city I’d heard so much about. With the festival already in full swing, the footpaths were crowded, making it challenging to move with any speed around the sights. It was nothing I hadn’t been warned about and we were in no rush. I could barely take my eyes off the beautiful old buildings as we walked along. All that fascinating history: I imagined all the stories the buildings would be able to tell if they had a voice. Traffic buzzed round us, filling the air with sounds of beeping horns, adding to the atmosphere.

The first event we attended was the building of ‘human towers’. Different teams competed to create the tallest tower of people by standing on each others’ shoulders. Then the youngest member of each group climbed up the outside to the very top. I gazed in awe at the height of the towers. They made it look easy but what an incredible amount of practice and teamwork the activity must need. Now and then, a tower would collapse to the gasps of the onlookers. The teams had clearly prepared for this eventuality, though, and caught each other easily. We stood and watched for ages, transfixed.

Next was the parade of the ‘giants’, where huge brightly painted figures were carried through the streets representing different neighbourhoods of the city. Kings and queens dressed in historical costumes hovered over the crowds, spinning and dancing in pairs to the tunes played on ancient instruments by bands of musicians. Children stared in wonder, their faces lighting up when they spotted a favourite character – that was a magical thing. I soon abandoned any attempt at filming the procession; it was far better just to store the images away in my memory instead.

That evening we saw what, for me, was the highlight of our whole trip: the ‘fire run’. Another parade, but this one was a procession of huge five-breathing beasts – again, brightly painted – which were carried along the road, showering the spectators with sparks from fireworks attached to them. Spectators are advised to cover up as protection, but there’s no real danger. Even so, I decided to stand well back away from it! It was an incredible sight and must have been great fun to participate in. The fire lit up the spectators in the darkness and I recognised my own feelings of happiness on their faces. I snapped away with my camera, but when I looked at my pictures the next day, I’d just recorded a blur of movement.

Over the next couple of days we saw everything from a kite flying competition at the beach to an aerobatic show, sampled local specialities in seaside cafés and sang and (line 52) danced in the city’s numerous squares. All too soon it was the last night of the festival. Together with thousands of other people, we stood ready to watch the final event: the closing of the festival with a magnificent fireworks display. It was as fantastic as all the other events had been and I knew that even if I never came back again, I’d go home having made the most of the celebrations I’d so longed to see, and having gained an insight into another culture.

4.During the ‘fire run’ in the fourth paragraph, Adrian

TASK 1
Read the article. For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

La Mercè Festival

by Adrian Jacobs

Last September, I attended the La Mercè festival in the city of Barcelona, Spain, with my family. I’d never been to the city before and was looking forward to spending a few days there. After checking in to our hotel, we wandered into the centre for our first look around the city I’d heard so much about. With the festival already in full swing, the footpaths were crowded, making it challenging to move with any speed around the sights. It was nothing I hadn’t been warned about and we were in no rush. I could barely take my eyes off the beautiful old buildings as we walked along. All that fascinating history: I imagined all the stories the buildings would be able to tell if they had a voice. Traffic buzzed round us, filling the air with sounds of beeping horns, adding to the atmosphere.

The first event we attended was the building of ‘human towers’. Different teams competed to create the tallest tower of people by standing on each others’ shoulders. Then the youngest member of each group climbed up the outside to the very top. I gazed in awe at the height of the towers. They made it look easy but what an incredible amount of practice and teamwork the activity must need. Now and then, a tower would collapse to the gasps of the onlookers. The teams had clearly prepared for this eventuality, though, and caught each other easily. We stood and watched for ages, transfixed.

Next was the parade of the ‘giants’, where huge brightly painted figures were carried through the streets representing different neighbourhoods of the city. Kings and queens dressed in historical costumes hovered over the crowds, spinning and dancing in pairs to the tunes played on ancient instruments by bands of musicians. Children stared in wonder, their faces lighting up when they spotted a favourite character – that was a magical thing. I soon abandoned any attempt at filming the procession; it was far better just to store the images away in my memory instead.

That evening we saw what, for me, was the highlight of our whole trip: the ‘fire run’. Another parade, but this one was a procession of huge five-breathing beasts – again, brightly painted – which were carried along the road, showering the spectators with sparks from fireworks attached to them. Spectators are advised to cover up as protection, but there’s no real danger. Even so, I decided to stand well back away from it! It was an incredible sight and must have been great fun to participate in. The fire lit up the spectators in the darkness and I recognised my own feelings of happiness on their faces. I snapped away with my camera, but when I looked at my pictures the next day, I’d just recorded a blur of movement.

Over the next couple of days we saw everything from a kite flying competition at the beach to an aerobatic show, sampled local specialities in seaside cafés and sang and (line 52) danced in the city’s numerous squares. All too soon it was the last night of the festival. Together with thousands of other people, we stood ready to watch the final event: the closing of the festival with a magnificent fireworks display. It was as fantastic as all the other events had been and I knew that even if I never came back again, I’d go home having made the most of the celebrations I’d so longed to see, and having gained an insight into another culture.

5.What does sampled in line 52 mean?

TASK 1
Read the article. For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

La Mercè Festival

by Adrian Jacobs

Last September, I attended the La Mercè festival in the city of Barcelona, Spain, with my family. I’d never been to the city before and was looking forward to spending a few days there. After checking in to our hotel, we wandered into the centre for our first look around the city I’d heard so much about. With the festival already in full swing, the footpaths were crowded, making it challenging to move with any speed around the sights. It was nothing I hadn’t been warned about and we were in no rush. I could barely take my eyes off the beautiful old buildings as we walked along. All that fascinating history: I imagined all the stories the buildings would be able to tell if they had a voice. Traffic buzzed round us, filling the air with sounds of beeping horns, adding to the atmosphere.

The first event we attended was the building of ‘human towers’. Different teams competed to create the tallest tower of people by standing on each others’ shoulders. Then the youngest member of each group climbed up the outside to the very top. I gazed in awe at the height of the towers. They made it look easy but what an incredible amount of practice and teamwork the activity must need. Now and then, a tower would collapse to the gasps of the onlookers. The teams had clearly prepared for this eventuality, though, and caught each other easily. We stood and watched for ages, transfixed.

Next was the parade of the ‘giants’, where huge brightly painted figures were carried through the streets representing different neighbourhoods of the city. Kings and queens dressed in historical costumes hovered over the crowds, spinning and dancing in pairs to the tunes played on ancient instruments by bands of musicians. Children stared in wonder, their faces lighting up when they spotted a favourite character – that was a magical thing. I soon abandoned any attempt at filming the procession; it was far better just to store the images away in my memory instead.

That evening we saw what, for me, was the highlight of our whole trip: the ‘fire run’. Another parade, but this one was a procession of huge five-breathing beasts – again, brightly painted – which were carried along the road, showering the spectators with sparks from fireworks attached to them. Spectators are advised to cover up as protection, but there’s no real danger. Even so, I decided to stand well back away from it! It was an incredible sight and must have been great fun to participate in. The fire lit up the spectators in the darkness and I recognised my own feelings of happiness on their faces. I snapped away with my camera, but when I looked at my pictures the next day, I’d just recorded a blur of movement.

Over the next couple of days we saw everything from a kite flying competition at the beach to an aerobatic show, sampled local specialities in seaside cafés and sang and (line 52) danced in the city’s numerous squares. All too soon it was the last night of the festival. Together with thousands of other people, we stood ready to watch the final event: the closing of the festival with a magnificent fireworks display. It was as fantastic as all the other events had been and I knew that even if I never came back again, I’d go home having made the most of the celebrations I’d so longed to see, and having gained an insight into another culture.

6.How did Adrian feel at the end of the festival?

TASK 2

Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (7-12). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Working as a TV news producer

Rob Cole has produced TV news for decades now, working on anything from international celebrities to global conflicts. He shares the benefit of his considerable experience in the industry

Rob’s time behind the cameras has coincided with huge changes in the way news is reported – from a time when everyone bought local newspapers, through the birth of 24-hour rolling news, and now the Internet. But what is the work like on a day-to-day basis?

Rob’s always worked in foreign news, so his focus is obviously on news from around the world. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of that. Rob comes in early, having checked his phone, social media, and listened to as many news programmes as he could. (7)………… Running the foreign section is like a never-ending contest – constantly trying to get his journalists’ news presented ahead of the TV station’s other sections.

Once you have a story it’s then a matter of making sure that wherever the journalist is, the report comes into the building – through satellite, Internet or other routes – and it is ready to run on air on time. (8)………… There’s nothing like getting a note from the producer at another network congratulating on a job well done. The low points, on the other hand, are much less pleasant: ‘I’ve had colleagues badly injured.’

So how can you become a news producer? Says Rob: ‘We get loads of applications. (9)………… Don’t be put off; people in this business admire people who don’t give up easily, for obvious reasons.’

You need to be keen to learn and, of course, take a real interest in current affairs. ‘You have to be obsessed with news, constantly following it. Even if you’re a creative producer, doing graphics, you still have to care about what’s going on in the world. Also, some people think about going into the media just because it sounds exciting. That would be a mistake; you have to really want to do the job. Luck’s involved too, of course. (10)…………’.

In some ways, Rob’s job should remain fairly constant for the next few years. ‘They will always need someone to make decisions and take responsibility for newsgathering. However, what will change is the way in which news is delivered. When I started in TV, the crew used to consist of a reporter, producer, a camera operator, a sound person, and sometimes even a separate lighting person. (11)………… Now there’s just the reporter and a multitasking camera operator who also edits and supplies the written material – if you’re lucky!’

‘Before long there will be a crew of just one, shooting all their own material on a smartphone, then editing and voicing that material, before sending it to head office, where it ends up going straight on air. (12)………… Actually, this has already started to happen. The technology will just get quicker and quicker and smaller and smaller.’

TASK 2

Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (7-12). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Working as a TV news producer

Rob Cole has produced TV news for decades now, working on anything from international celebrities to global conflicts. He shares the benefit of his considerable experience in the industry

Rob’s time behind the cameras has coincided with huge changes in the way news is reported – from a time when everyone bought local newspapers, through the birth of 24-hour rolling news, and now the Internet. But what is the work like on a day-to-day basis?

Rob’s always worked in foreign news, so his focus is obviously on news from around the world. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of that. Rob comes in early, having checked his phone, social media, and listened to as many news programmes as he could. (7)………… Running the foreign section is like a never-ending contest – constantly trying to get his journalists’ news presented ahead of the TV station’s other sections.

Once you have a story it’s then a matter of making sure that wherever the journalist is, the report comes into the building – through satellite, Internet or other routes – and it is ready to run on air on time. (8)………… There’s nothing like getting a note from the producer at another network congratulating on a job well done. The low points, on the other hand, are much less pleasant: ‘I’ve had colleagues badly injured.’

So how can you become a news producer? Says Rob: ‘We get loads of applications. (9)………… Don’t be put off; people in this business admire people who don’t give up easily, for obvious reasons.’

You need to be keen to learn and, of course, take a real interest in current affairs. ‘You have to be obsessed with news, constantly following it. Even if you’re a creative producer, doing graphics, you still have to care about what’s going on in the world. Also, some people think about going into the media just because it sounds exciting. That would be a mistake; you have to really want to do the job. Luck’s involved too, of course. (10)…………’.

In some ways, Rob’s job should remain fairly constant for the next few years. ‘They will always need someone to make decisions and take responsibility for newsgathering. However, what will change is the way in which news is delivered. When I started in TV, the crew used to consist of a reporter, producer, a camera operator, a sound person, and sometimes even a separate lighting person. (11)………… Now there’s just the reporter and a multitasking camera operator who also edits and supplies the written material – if you’re lucky!’

‘Before long there will be a crew of just one, shooting all their own material on a smartphone, then editing and voicing that material, before sending it to head office, where it ends up going straight on air. (12)………… Actually, this has already started to happen. The technology will just get quicker and quicker and smaller and smaller.’

TASK 2

Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (7-12). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Working as a TV news producer

Rob Cole has produced TV news for decades now, working on anything from international celebrities to global conflicts. He shares the benefit of his considerable experience in the industry

Rob’s time behind the cameras has coincided with huge changes in the way news is reported – from a time when everyone bought local newspapers, through the birth of 24-hour rolling news, and now the Internet. But what is the work like on a day-to-day basis?

Rob’s always worked in foreign news, so his focus is obviously on news from around the world. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of that. Rob comes in early, having checked his phone, social media, and listened to as many news programmes as he could. (7)………… Running the foreign section is like a never-ending contest – constantly trying to get his journalists’ news presented ahead of the TV station’s other sections.

Once you have a story it’s then a matter of making sure that wherever the journalist is, the report comes into the building – through satellite, Internet or other routes – and it is ready to run on air on time. (8)………… There’s nothing like getting a note from the producer at another network congratulating on a job well done. The low points, on the other hand, are much less pleasant: ‘I’ve had colleagues badly injured.’

So how can you become a news producer? Says Rob: ‘We get loads of applications. (9)………… Don’t be put off; people in this business admire people who don’t give up easily, for obvious reasons.’

You need to be keen to learn and, of course, take a real interest in current affairs. ‘You have to be obsessed with news, constantly following it. Even if you’re a creative producer, doing graphics, you still have to care about what’s going on in the world. Also, some people think about going into the media just because it sounds exciting. That would be a mistake; you have to really want to do the job. Luck’s involved too, of course. (10)…………’.

In some ways, Rob’s job should remain fairly constant for the next few years. ‘They will always need someone to make decisions and take responsibility for newsgathering. However, what will change is the way in which news is delivered. When I started in TV, the crew used to consist of a reporter, producer, a camera operator, a sound person, and sometimes even a separate lighting person. (11)………… Now there’s just the reporter and a multitasking camera operator who also edits and supplies the written material – if you’re lucky!’

‘Before long there will be a crew of just one, shooting all their own material on a smartphone, then editing and voicing that material, before sending it to head office, where it ends up going straight on air. (12)………… Actually, this has already started to happen. The technology will just get quicker and quicker and smaller and smaller.’

TASK 2

Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (7-12). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Working as a TV news producer

Rob Cole has produced TV news for decades now, working on anything from international celebrities to global conflicts. He shares the benefit of his considerable experience in the industry

Rob’s time behind the cameras has coincided with huge changes in the way news is reported – from a time when everyone bought local newspapers, through the birth of 24-hour rolling news, and now the Internet. But what is the work like on a day-to-day basis?

Rob’s always worked in foreign news, so his focus is obviously on news from around the world. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of that. Rob comes in early, having checked his phone, social media, and listened to as many news programmes as he could. (7)………… Running the foreign section is like a never-ending contest – constantly trying to get his journalists’ news presented ahead of the TV station’s other sections.

Once you have a story it’s then a matter of making sure that wherever the journalist is, the report comes into the building – through satellite, Internet or other routes – and it is ready to run on air on time. (8)………… There’s nothing like getting a note from the producer at another network congratulating on a job well done. The low points, on the other hand, are much less pleasant: ‘I’ve had colleagues badly injured.’

So how can you become a news producer? Says Rob: ‘We get loads of applications. (9)………… Don’t be put off; people in this business admire people who don’t give up easily, for obvious reasons.’

You need to be keen to learn and, of course, take a real interest in current affairs. ‘You have to be obsessed with news, constantly following it. Even if you’re a creative producer, doing graphics, you still have to care about what’s going on in the world. Also, some people think about going into the media just because it sounds exciting. That would be a mistake; you have to really want to do the job. Luck’s involved too, of course. (10)…………’.

In some ways, Rob’s job should remain fairly constant for the next few years. ‘They will always need someone to make decisions and take responsibility for newsgathering. However, what will change is the way in which news is delivered. When I started in TV, the crew used to consist of a reporter, producer, a camera operator, a sound person, and sometimes even a separate lighting person. (11)………… Now there’s just the reporter and a multitasking camera operator who also edits and supplies the written material – if you’re lucky!’

‘Before long there will be a crew of just one, shooting all their own material on a smartphone, then editing and voicing that material, before sending it to head office, where it ends up going straight on air. (12)………… Actually, this has already started to happen. The technology will just get quicker and quicker and smaller and smaller.’

TASK 2

Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (7-12). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Working as a TV news producer

Rob Cole has produced TV news for decades now, working on anything from international celebrities to global conflicts. He shares the benefit of his considerable experience in the industry

Rob’s time behind the cameras has coincided with huge changes in the way news is reported – from a time when everyone bought local newspapers, through the birth of 24-hour rolling news, and now the Internet. But what is the work like on a day-to-day basis?

Rob’s always worked in foreign news, so his focus is obviously on news from around the world. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of that. Rob comes in early, having checked his phone, social media, and listened to as many news programmes as he could. (7)………… Running the foreign section is like a never-ending contest – constantly trying to get his journalists’ news presented ahead of the TV station’s other sections.

Once you have a story it’s then a matter of making sure that wherever the journalist is, the report comes into the building – through satellite, Internet or other routes – and it is ready to run on air on time. (8)………… There’s nothing like getting a note from the producer at another network congratulating on a job well done. The low points, on the other hand, are much less pleasant: ‘I’ve had colleagues badly injured.’

So how can you become a news producer? Says Rob: ‘We get loads of applications. (9)………… Don’t be put off; people in this business admire people who don’t give up easily, for obvious reasons.’

You need to be keen to learn and, of course, take a real interest in current affairs. ‘You have to be obsessed with news, constantly following it. Even if you’re a creative producer, doing graphics, you still have to care about what’s going on in the world. Also, some people think about going into the media just because it sounds exciting. That would be a mistake; you have to really want to do the job. Luck’s involved too, of course. (10)…………’.

In some ways, Rob’s job should remain fairly constant for the next few years. ‘They will always need someone to make decisions and take responsibility for newsgathering. However, what will change is the way in which news is delivered. When I started in TV, the crew used to consist of a reporter, producer, a camera operator, a sound person, and sometimes even a separate lighting person. (11)………… Now there’s just the reporter and a multitasking camera operator who also edits and supplies the written material – if you’re lucky!’

‘Before long there will be a crew of just one, shooting all their own material on a smartphone, then editing and voicing that material, before sending it to head office, where it ends up going straight on air. (12)………… Actually, this has already started to happen. The technology will just get quicker and quicker and smaller and smaller.’

TASK 2

Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (7-12). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Working as a TV news producer

Rob Cole has produced TV news for decades now, working on anything from international celebrities to global conflicts. He shares the benefit of his considerable experience in the industry

Rob’s time behind the cameras has coincided with huge changes in the way news is reported – from a time when everyone bought local newspapers, through the birth of 24-hour rolling news, and now the Internet. But what is the work like on a day-to-day basis?

Rob’s always worked in foreign news, so his focus is obviously on news from around the world. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of that. Rob comes in early, having checked his phone, social media, and listened to as many news programmes as he could. (7)………… Running the foreign section is like a never-ending contest – constantly trying to get his journalists’ news presented ahead of the TV station’s other sections.

Once you have a story it’s then a matter of making sure that wherever the journalist is, the report comes into the building – through satellite, Internet or other routes – and it is ready to run on air on time. (8)………… There’s nothing like getting a note from the producer at another network congratulating on a job well done. The low points, on the other hand, are much less pleasant: ‘I’ve had colleagues badly injured.’

So how can you become a news producer? Says Rob: ‘We get loads of applications. (9)………… Don’t be put off; people in this business admire people who don’t give up easily, for obvious reasons.’

You need to be keen to learn and, of course, take a real interest in current affairs. ‘You have to be obsessed with news, constantly following it. Even if you’re a creative producer, doing graphics, you still have to care about what’s going on in the world. Also, some people think about going into the media just because it sounds exciting. That would be a mistake; you have to really want to do the job. Luck’s involved too, of course. (10)…………’.

In some ways, Rob’s job should remain fairly constant for the next few years. ‘They will always need someone to make decisions and take responsibility for newsgathering. However, what will change is the way in which news is delivered. When I started in TV, the crew used to consist of a reporter, producer, a camera operator, a sound person, and sometimes even a separate lighting person. (11)………… Now there’s just the reporter and a multitasking camera operator who also edits and supplies the written material – if you’re lucky!’

‘Before long there will be a crew of just one, shooting all their own material on a smartphone, then editing and voicing that material, before sending it to head office, where it ends up going straight on air. (12)………… Actually, this has already started to happen. The technology will just get quicker and quicker and smaller and smaller.’

TASK 3

Read the reviews. For questions 13-22, choose from the reviewers (A-D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

TV documentaries

A Dan Parker reviews Polar bear

I saw Polar bear with my whole family and I was impressed by how it managed to get across some quite complicated information in a way that even my sister, who’s a few years younger than me, could understand. I didn’t feel talked down to, either, like I sometimes do: some documentaries provide only the most basic facts about an issue and you’re often left with lots of unanswered questions. Polar bear approached the subject of global warming in a fascinating way. A polar bear was tracked for a year and we saw its habitat through its own eyes, observing how it tried to adapt to new challenges and seeing first-hand the impact on its life that melting ice is having. I felt more determined than ever to get involved in raising awareness about these issues, and I signed up to a local environmental group for young people straightaway.

B Nelly Jones reviews Practice makes perfect

I love playing basketball but I never seem to get any better, no matter how hard I’m working. Maybe that should be no matter how hard I think I’m working. That was the point of Practice makes perfect. It documented a percussionist called Rob, who wanted to get a place in an orchestra but just wasn’t making it, even though he’d been to a ton of auditions and was an amazing player. An expert observed him practising one day and noticed that Rob was playing rhythms he was so familiar with that he wasn’t really thinking about them. He was advised to do something called ‘purposeful practice’ – concentrating on what he was doing and trying to do it better. It was a real eye-opener for me and I understood why I hadn’t improved my game for ages. Oh, and after spending time with the expert, Rob got his dream job! That was the coolest bit.

C Lucas Martin reviews Dinosaurs

I’ve never really been into dinosaurs and I wasn’t in the least interested in watching another documentary about them. My family wanted to see it so I just thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose’. I was instantly hooked! The special effects were incredible as they often are in those kinds of programme, but I started thinking about how much the film-markers actually knew, and how much was simply guesswork on their part. How did they know what colour dinosaurs were? Is that really how the creatures moved? These are all things that to my knowledge are too late to discover. I thought I’d learnt everything there was to know about the different kinds of dinosaur but when the presenter mentioned that there’d been hundreds of kinds I was pretty shocked. How come I hadn’t known that? Perhaps I hadn’t paid enough attention at school. I definitely should have.

D Hayley Vickers reviews Making changes

The minute I saw this programme advertised, I knew I had to watch it. I’m really into making films about issues which affect young people, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills or present stuff in an attention-grabbing kind of way. The subject matter of Making changes was already appealing (it was about the power of advertising and how it can be used for the greater good), but it also focused on new media and I thought I could pick up a few tips about getting messages across so that young people like me can get their ideas heard in an adult world. The programme was interesting, but although I did learn one or two things about improving my filming, I felt the content was a bit repetitive. It was still worth watching, though.

Which reviewer

13. managed to gain some of the knowledge they had hoped/expected to?

TASK 3

Read the reviews. For questions 13-22, choose from the reviewers (A-D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

TV documentaries

A Dan Parker reviews Polar bear

I saw Polar bear with my whole family and I was impressed by how it managed to get across some quite complicated information in a way that even my sister, who’s a few years younger than me, could understand. I didn’t feel talked down to, either, like I sometimes do: some documentaries provide only the most basic facts about an issue and you’re often left with lots of unanswered questions. Polar bear approached the subject of global warming in a fascinating way. A polar bear was tracked for a year and we saw its habitat through its own eyes, observing how it tried to adapt to new challenges and seeing first-hand the impact on its life that melting ice is having. I felt more determined than ever to get involved in raising awareness about these issues, and I signed up to a local environmental group for young people straightaway.

B Nelly Jones reviews Practice makes perfect

I love playing basketball but I never seem to get any better, no matter how hard I’m working. Maybe that should be no matter how hard I think I’m working. That was the point of Practice makes perfect. It documented a percussionist called Rob, who wanted to get a place in an orchestra but just wasn’t making it, even though he’d been to a ton of auditions and was an amazing player. An expert observed him practising one day and noticed that Rob was playing rhythms he was so familiar with that he wasn’t really thinking about them. He was advised to do something called ‘purposeful practice’ – concentrating on what he was doing and trying to do it better. It was a real eye-opener for me and I understood why I hadn’t improved my game for ages. Oh, and after spending time with the expert, Rob got his dream job! That was the coolest bit.

C Lucas Martin reviews Dinosaurs

I’ve never really been into dinosaurs and I wasn’t in the least interested in watching another documentary about them. My family wanted to see it so I just thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose’. I was instantly hooked! The special effects were incredible as they often are in those kinds of programme, but I started thinking about how much the film-markers actually knew, and how much was simply guesswork on their part. How did they know what colour dinosaurs were? Is that really how the creatures moved? These are all things that to my knowledge are too late to discover. I thought I’d learnt everything there was to know about the different kinds of dinosaur but when the presenter mentioned that there’d been hundreds of kinds I was pretty shocked. How come I hadn’t known that? Perhaps I hadn’t paid enough attention at school. I definitely should have.

D Hayley Vickers reviews Making changes

The minute I saw this programme advertised, I knew I had to watch it. I’m really into making films about issues which affect young people, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills or present stuff in an attention-grabbing kind of way. The subject matter of Making changes was already appealing (it was about the power of advertising and how it can be used for the greater good), but it also focused on new media and I thought I could pick up a few tips about getting messages across so that young people like me can get their ideas heard in an adult world. The programme was interesting, but although I did learn one or two things about improving my filming, I felt the content was a bit repetitive. It was still worth watching, though.

Which reviewer

14. was pleased with the outcome of someone’s efforts shown in the programme?

TASK 3

Read the reviews. For questions 13-22, choose from the reviewers (A-D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

TV documentaries

A Dan Parker reviews Polar bear

I saw Polar bear with my whole family and I was impressed by how it managed to get across some quite complicated information in a way that even my sister, who’s a few years younger than me, could understand. I didn’t feel talked down to, either, like I sometimes do: some documentaries provide only the most basic facts about an issue and you’re often left with lots of unanswered questions. Polar bear approached the subject of global warming in a fascinating way. A polar bear was tracked for a year and we saw its habitat through its own eyes, observing how it tried to adapt to new challenges and seeing first-hand the impact on its life that melting ice is having. I felt more determined than ever to get involved in raising awareness about these issues, and I signed up to a local environmental group for young people straightaway.

B Nelly Jones reviews Practice makes perfect

I love playing basketball but I never seem to get any better, no matter how hard I’m working. Maybe that should be no matter how hard I think I’m working. That was the point of Practice makes perfect. It documented a percussionist called Rob, who wanted to get a place in an orchestra but just wasn’t making it, even though he’d been to a ton of auditions and was an amazing player. An expert observed him practising one day and noticed that Rob was playing rhythms he was so familiar with that he wasn’t really thinking about them. He was advised to do something called ‘purposeful practice’ – concentrating on what he was doing and trying to do it better. It was a real eye-opener for me and I understood why I hadn’t improved my game for ages. Oh, and after spending time with the expert, Rob got his dream job! That was the coolest bit.

C Lucas Martin reviews Dinosaurs

I’ve never really been into dinosaurs and I wasn’t in the least interested in watching another documentary about them. My family wanted to see it so I just thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose’. I was instantly hooked! The special effects were incredible as they often are in those kinds of programme, but I started thinking about how much the film-markers actually knew, and how much was simply guesswork on their part. How did they know what colour dinosaurs were? Is that really how the creatures moved? These are all things that to my knowledge are too late to discover. I thought I’d learnt everything there was to know about the different kinds of dinosaur but when the presenter mentioned that there’d been hundreds of kinds I was pretty shocked. How come I hadn’t known that? Perhaps I hadn’t paid enough attention at school. I definitely should have.

D Hayley Vickers reviews Making changes

The minute I saw this programme advertised, I knew I had to watch it. I’m really into making films about issues which affect young people, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills or present stuff in an attention-grabbing kind of way. The subject matter of Making changes was already appealing (it was about the power of advertising and how it can be used for the greater good), but it also focused on new media and I thought I could pick up a few tips about getting messages across so that young people like me can get their ideas heard in an adult world. The programme was interesting, but although I did learn one or two things about improving my filming, I felt the content was a bit repetitive. It was still worth watching, though.

Which reviewer

15. says they were inspired to take action after watching the programme?

TASK 3

Read the reviews. For questions 13-22, choose from the reviewers (A-D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

TV documentaries

A Dan Parker reviews Polar bear

I saw Polar bear with my whole family and I was impressed by how it managed to get across some quite complicated information in a way that even my sister, who’s a few years younger than me, could understand. I didn’t feel talked down to, either, like I sometimes do: some documentaries provide only the most basic facts about an issue and you’re often left with lots of unanswered questions. Polar bear approached the subject of global warming in a fascinating way. A polar bear was tracked for a year and we saw its habitat through its own eyes, observing how it tried to adapt to new challenges and seeing first-hand the impact on its life that melting ice is having. I felt more determined than ever to get involved in raising awareness about these issues, and I signed up to a local environmental group for young people straightaway.

B Nelly Jones reviews Practice makes perfect

I love playing basketball but I never seem to get any better, no matter how hard I’m working. Maybe that should be no matter how hard I think I’m working. That was the point of Practice makes perfect. It documented a percussionist called Rob, who wanted to get a place in an orchestra but just wasn’t making it, even though he’d been to a ton of auditions and was an amazing player. An expert observed him practising one day and noticed that Rob was playing rhythms he was so familiar with that he wasn’t really thinking about them. He was advised to do something called ‘purposeful practice’ – concentrating on what he was doing and trying to do it better. It was a real eye-opener for me and I understood why I hadn’t improved my game for ages. Oh, and after spending time with the expert, Rob got his dream job! That was the coolest bit.

C Lucas Martin reviews Dinosaurs

I’ve never really been into dinosaurs and I wasn’t in the least interested in watching another documentary about them. My family wanted to see it so I just thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose’. I was instantly hooked! The special effects were incredible as they often are in those kinds of programme, but I started thinking about how much the film-markers actually knew, and how much was simply guesswork on their part. How did they know what colour dinosaurs were? Is that really how the creatures moved? These are all things that to my knowledge are too late to discover. I thought I’d learnt everything there was to know about the different kinds of dinosaur but when the presenter mentioned that there’d been hundreds of kinds I was pretty shocked. How come I hadn’t known that? Perhaps I hadn’t paid enough attention at school. I definitely should have.

D Hayley Vickers reviews Making changes

The minute I saw this programme advertised, I knew I had to watch it. I’m really into making films about issues which affect young people, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills or present stuff in an attention-grabbing kind of way. The subject matter of Making changes was already appealing (it was about the power of advertising and how it can be used for the greater good), but it also focused on new media and I thought I could pick up a few tips about getting messages across so that young people like me can get their ideas heard in an adult world. The programme was interesting, but although I did learn one or two things about improving my filming, I felt the content was a bit repetitive. It was still worth watching, though.

Which reviewer

16. believes that certain facts about a subject will never be revealed?

TASK 3

Read the reviews. For questions 13-22, choose from the reviewers (A-D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

TV documentaries

A Dan Parker reviews Polar bear

I saw Polar bear with my whole family and I was impressed by how it managed to get across some quite complicated information in a way that even my sister, who’s a few years younger than me, could understand. I didn’t feel talked down to, either, like I sometimes do: some documentaries provide only the most basic facts about an issue and you’re often left with lots of unanswered questions. Polar bear approached the subject of global warming in a fascinating way. A polar bear was tracked for a year and we saw its habitat through its own eyes, observing how it tried to adapt to new challenges and seeing first-hand the impact on its life that melting ice is having. I felt more determined than ever to get involved in raising awareness about these issues, and I signed up to a local environmental group for young people straightaway.

B Nelly Jones reviews Practice makes perfect

I love playing basketball but I never seem to get any better, no matter how hard I’m working. Maybe that should be no matter how hard I think I’m working. That was the point of Practice makes perfect. It documented a percussionist called Rob, who wanted to get a place in an orchestra but just wasn’t making it, even though he’d been to a ton of auditions and was an amazing player. An expert observed him practising one day and noticed that Rob was playing rhythms he was so familiar with that he wasn’t really thinking about them. He was advised to do something called ‘purposeful practice’ – concentrating on what he was doing and trying to do it better. It was a real eye-opener for me and I understood why I hadn’t improved my game for ages. Oh, and after spending time with the expert, Rob got his dream job! That was the coolest bit.

C Lucas Martin reviews Dinosaurs

I’ve never really been into dinosaurs and I wasn’t in the least interested in watching another documentary about them. My family wanted to see it so I just thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose’. I was instantly hooked! The special effects were incredible as they often are in those kinds of programme, but I started thinking about how much the film-markers actually knew, and how much was simply guesswork on their part. How did they know what colour dinosaurs were? Is that really how the creatures moved? These are all things that to my knowledge are too late to discover. I thought I’d learnt everything there was to know about the different kinds of dinosaur but when the presenter mentioned that there’d been hundreds of kinds I was pretty shocked. How come I hadn’t known that? Perhaps I hadn’t paid enough attention at school. I definitely should have.

D Hayley Vickers reviews Making changes

The minute I saw this programme advertised, I knew I had to watch it. I’m really into making films about issues which affect young people, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills or present stuff in an attention-grabbing kind of way. The subject matter of Making changes was already appealing (it was about the power of advertising and how it can be used for the greater good), but it also focused on new media and I thought I could pick up a few tips about getting messages across so that young people like me can get their ideas heard in an adult world. The programme was interesting, but although I did learn one or two things about improving my filming, I felt the content was a bit repetitive. It was still worth watching, though.

Which reviewer

17. realised something they had been doing wrong before seeing the programme?

TASK 3

Read the reviews. For questions 13-22, choose from the reviewers (A-D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

TV documentaries

A Dan Parker reviews Polar bear

I saw Polar bear with my whole family and I was impressed by how it managed to get across some quite complicated information in a way that even my sister, who’s a few years younger than me, could understand. I didn’t feel talked down to, either, like I sometimes do: some documentaries provide only the most basic facts about an issue and you’re often left with lots of unanswered questions. Polar bear approached the subject of global warming in a fascinating way. A polar bear was tracked for a year and we saw its habitat through its own eyes, observing how it tried to adapt to new challenges and seeing first-hand the impact on its life that melting ice is having. I felt more determined than ever to get involved in raising awareness about these issues, and I signed up to a local environmental group for young people straightaway.

B Nelly Jones reviews Practice makes perfect

I love playing basketball but I never seem to get any better, no matter how hard I’m working. Maybe that should be no matter how hard I think I’m working. That was the point of Practice makes perfect. It documented a percussionist called Rob, who wanted to get a place in an orchestra but just wasn’t making it, even though he’d been to a ton of auditions and was an amazing player. An expert observed him practising one day and noticed that Rob was playing rhythms he was so familiar with that he wasn’t really thinking about them. He was advised to do something called ‘purposeful practice’ – concentrating on what he was doing and trying to do it better. It was a real eye-opener for me and I understood why I hadn’t improved my game for ages. Oh, and after spending time with the expert, Rob got his dream job! That was the coolest bit.

C Lucas Martin reviews Dinosaurs

I’ve never really been into dinosaurs and I wasn’t in the least interested in watching another documentary about them. My family wanted to see it so I just thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose’. I was instantly hooked! The special effects were incredible as they often are in those kinds of programme, but I started thinking about how much the film-markers actually knew, and how much was simply guesswork on their part. How did they know what colour dinosaurs were? Is that really how the creatures moved? These are all things that to my knowledge are too late to discover. I thought I’d learnt everything there was to know about the different kinds of dinosaur but when the presenter mentioned that there’d been hundreds of kinds I was pretty shocked. How come I hadn’t known that? Perhaps I hadn’t paid enough attention at school. I definitely should have.

D Hayley Vickers reviews Making changes

The minute I saw this programme advertised, I knew I had to watch it. I’m really into making films about issues which affect young people, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills or present stuff in an attention-grabbing kind of way. The subject matter of Making changes was already appealing (it was about the power of advertising and how it can be used for the greater good), but it also focused on new media and I thought I could pick up a few tips about getting messages across so that young people like me can get their ideas heard in an adult world. The programme was interesting, but although I did learn one or two things about improving my filming, I felt the content was a bit repetitive. It was still worth watching, though.

Which reviewer

18.says they admired the way a programme presented its special effects?

TASK 3

Read the reviews. For questions 13-22, choose from the reviewers (A-D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

TV documentaries

A Dan Parker reviews Polar bear

I saw Polar bear with my whole family and I was impressed by how it managed to get across some quite complicated information in a way that even my sister, who’s a few years younger than me, could understand. I didn’t feel talked down to, either, like I sometimes do: some documentaries provide only the most basic facts about an issue and you’re often left with lots of unanswered questions. Polar bear approached the subject of global warming in a fascinating way. A polar bear was tracked for a year and we saw its habitat through its own eyes, observing how it tried to adapt to new challenges and seeing first-hand the impact on its life that melting ice is having. I felt more determined than ever to get involved in raising awareness about these issues, and I signed up to a local environmental group for young people straightaway.

B Nelly Jones reviews Practice makes perfect

I love playing basketball but I never seem to get any better, no matter how hard I’m working. Maybe that should be no matter how hard I think I’m working. That was the point of Practice makes perfect. It documented a percussionist called Rob, who wanted to get a place in an orchestra but just wasn’t making it, even though he’d been to a ton of auditions and was an amazing player. An expert observed him practising one day and noticed that Rob was playing rhythms he was so familiar with that he wasn’t really thinking about them. He was advised to do something called ‘purposeful practice’ – concentrating on what he was doing and trying to do it better. It was a real eye-opener for me and I understood why I hadn’t improved my game for ages. Oh, and after spending time with the expert, Rob got his dream job! That was the coolest bit.

C Lucas Martin reviews Dinosaurs

I’ve never really been into dinosaurs and I wasn’t in the least interested in watching another documentary about them. My family wanted to see it so I just thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose’. I was instantly hooked! The special effects were incredible as they often are in those kinds of programme, but I started thinking about how much the film-markers actually knew, and how much was simply guesswork on their part. How did they know what colour dinosaurs were? Is that really how the creatures moved? These are all things that to my knowledge are too late to discover. I thought I’d learnt everything there was to know about the different kinds of dinosaur but when the presenter mentioned that there’d been hundreds of kinds I was pretty shocked. How come I hadn’t known that? Perhaps I hadn’t paid enough attention at school. I definitely should have.

D Hayley Vickers reviews Making changes

The minute I saw this programme advertised, I knew I had to watch it. I’m really into making films about issues which affect young people, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills or present stuff in an attention-grabbing kind of way. The subject matter of Making changes was already appealing (it was about the power of advertising and how it can be used for the greater good), but it also focused on new media and I thought I could pick up a few tips about getting messages across so that young people like me can get their ideas heard in an adult world. The programme was interesting, but although I did learn one or two things about improving my filming, I felt the content was a bit repetitive. It was still worth watching, though.

Which reviewer

19. was initially unwilling to watch the programme?

TASK 3

Read the reviews. For questions 13-22, choose from the reviewers (A-D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

TV documentaries

A Dan Parker reviews Polar bear

I saw Polar bear with my whole family and I was impressed by how it managed to get across some quite complicated information in a way that even my sister, who’s a few years younger than me, could understand. I didn’t feel talked down to, either, like I sometimes do: some documentaries provide only the most basic facts about an issue and you’re often left with lots of unanswered questions. Polar bear approached the subject of global warming in a fascinating way. A polar bear was tracked for a year and we saw its habitat through its own eyes, observing how it tried to adapt to new challenges and seeing first-hand the impact on its life that melting ice is having. I felt more determined than ever to get involved in raising awareness about these issues, and I signed up to a local environmental group for young people straightaway.

B Nelly Jones reviews Practice makes perfect

I love playing basketball but I never seem to get any better, no matter how hard I’m working. Maybe that should be no matter how hard I think I’m working. That was the point of Practice makes perfect. It documented a percussionist called Rob, who wanted to get a place in an orchestra but just wasn’t making it, even though he’d been to a ton of auditions and was an amazing player. An expert observed him practising one day and noticed that Rob was playing rhythms he was so familiar with that he wasn’t really thinking about them. He was advised to do something called ‘purposeful practice’ – concentrating on what he was doing and trying to do it better. It was a real eye-opener for me and I understood why I hadn’t improved my game for ages. Oh, and after spending time with the expert, Rob got his dream job! That was the coolest bit.

C Lucas Martin reviews Dinosaurs

I’ve never really been into dinosaurs and I wasn’t in the least interested in watching another documentary about them. My family wanted to see it so I just thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose’. I was instantly hooked! The special effects were incredible as they often are in those kinds of programme, but I started thinking about how much the film-markers actually knew, and how much was simply guesswork on their part. How did they know what colour dinosaurs were? Is that really how the creatures moved? These are all things that to my knowledge are too late to discover. I thought I’d learnt everything there was to know about the different kinds of dinosaur but when the presenter mentioned that there’d been hundreds of kinds I was pretty shocked. How come I hadn’t known that? Perhaps I hadn’t paid enough attention at school. I definitely should have.

D Hayley Vickers reviews Making changes

The minute I saw this programme advertised, I knew I had to watch it. I’m really into making films about issues which affect young people, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills or present stuff in an attention-grabbing kind of way. The subject matter of Making changes was already appealing (it was about the power of advertising and how it can be used for the greater good), but it also focused on new media and I thought I could pick up a few tips about getting messages across so that young people like me can get their ideas heard in an adult world. The programme was interesting, but although I did learn one or two things about improving my filming, I felt the content was a bit repetitive. It was still worth watching, though.

Which reviewer

20. was disappointed with one aspect of the programme they saw?

TASK 3

Read the reviews. For questions 13-22, choose from the reviewers (A-D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

TV documentaries

A Dan Parker reviews Polar bear

I saw Polar bear with my whole family and I was impressed by how it managed to get across some quite complicated information in a way that even my sister, who’s a few years younger than me, could understand. I didn’t feel talked down to, either, like I sometimes do: some documentaries provide only the most basic facts about an issue and you’re often left with lots of unanswered questions. Polar bear approached the subject of global warming in a fascinating way. A polar bear was tracked for a year and we saw its habitat through its own eyes, observing how it tried to adapt to new challenges and seeing first-hand the impact on its life that melting ice is having. I felt more determined than ever to get involved in raising awareness about these issues, and I signed up to a local environmental group for young people straightaway.

B Nelly Jones reviews Practice makes perfect

I love playing basketball but I never seem to get any better, no matter how hard I’m working. Maybe that should be no matter how hard I think I’m working. That was the point of Practice makes perfect. It documented a percussionist called Rob, who wanted to get a place in an orchestra but just wasn’t making it, even though he’d been to a ton of auditions and was an amazing player. An expert observed him practising one day and noticed that Rob was playing rhythms he was so familiar with that he wasn’t really thinking about them. He was advised to do something called ‘purposeful practice’ – concentrating on what he was doing and trying to do it better. It was a real eye-opener for me and I understood why I hadn’t improved my game for ages. Oh, and after spending time with the expert, Rob got his dream job! That was the coolest bit.

C Lucas Martin reviews Dinosaurs

I’ve never really been into dinosaurs and I wasn’t in the least interested in watching another documentary about them. My family wanted to see it so I just thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose’. I was instantly hooked! The special effects were incredible as they often are in those kinds of programme, but I started thinking about how much the film-markers actually knew, and how much was simply guesswork on their part. How did they know what colour dinosaurs were? Is that really how the creatures moved? These are all things that to my knowledge are too late to discover. I thought I’d learnt everything there was to know about the different kinds of dinosaur but when the presenter mentioned that there’d been hundreds of kinds I was pretty shocked. How come I hadn’t known that? Perhaps I hadn’t paid enough attention at school. I definitely should have.

D Hayley Vickers reviews Making changes

The minute I saw this programme advertised, I knew I had to watch it. I’m really into making films about issues which affect young people, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills or present stuff in an attention-grabbing kind of way. The subject matter of Making changes was already appealing (it was about the power of advertising and how it can be used for the greater good), but it also focused on new media and I thought I could pick up a few tips about getting messages across so that young people like me can get their ideas heard in an adult world. The programme was interesting, but although I did learn one or two things about improving my filming, I felt the content was a bit repetitive. It was still worth watching, though.

Which reviewer

21. corrects something they have said earlier in their review?

TASK 3

Read the reviews. For questions 13-22, choose from the reviewers (A-D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

TV documentaries

A Dan Parker reviews Polar bear

I saw Polar bear with my whole family and I was impressed by how it managed to get across some quite complicated information in a way that even my sister, who’s a few years younger than me, could understand. I didn’t feel talked down to, either, like I sometimes do: some documentaries provide only the most basic facts about an issue and you’re often left with lots of unanswered questions. Polar bear approached the subject of global warming in a fascinating way. A polar bear was tracked for a year and we saw its habitat through its own eyes, observing how it tried to adapt to new challenges and seeing first-hand the impact on its life that melting ice is having. I felt more determined than ever to get involved in raising awareness about these issues, and I signed up to a local environmental group for young people straightaway.

B Nelly Jones reviews Practice makes perfect

I love playing basketball but I never seem to get any better, no matter how hard I’m working. Maybe that should be no matter how hard I think I’m working. That was the point of Practice makes perfect. It documented a percussionist called Rob, who wanted to get a place in an orchestra but just wasn’t making it, even though he’d been to a ton of auditions and was an amazing player. An expert observed him practising one day and noticed that Rob was playing rhythms he was so familiar with that he wasn’t really thinking about them. He was advised to do something called ‘purposeful practice’ – concentrating on what he was doing and trying to do it better. It was a real eye-opener for me and I understood why I hadn’t improved my game for ages. Oh, and after spending time with the expert, Rob got his dream job! That was the coolest bit.

C Lucas Martin reviews Dinosaurs

I’ve never really been into dinosaurs and I wasn’t in the least interested in watching another documentary about them. My family wanted to see it so I just thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing to lose’. I was instantly hooked! The special effects were incredible as they often are in those kinds of programme, but I started thinking about how much the film-markers actually knew, and how much was simply guesswork on their part. How did they know what colour dinosaurs were? Is that really how the creatures moved? These are all things that to my knowledge are too late to discover. I thought I’d learnt everything there was to know about the different kinds of dinosaur but when the presenter mentioned that there’d been hundreds of kinds I was pretty shocked. How come I hadn’t known that? Perhaps I hadn’t paid enough attention at school. I definitely should have.

D Hayley Vickers reviews Making changes

The minute I saw this programme advertised, I knew I had to watch it. I’m really into making films about issues which affect young people, and I’m always looking for ways to improve my skills or present stuff in an attention-grabbing kind of way. The subject matter of Making changes was already appealing (it was about the power of advertising and how it can be used for the greater good), but it also focused on new media and I thought I could pick up a few tips about getting messages across so that young people like me can get their ideas heard in an adult world. The programme was interesting, but although I did learn one or two things about improving my filming, I felt the content was a bit repetitive. It was still worth watching, though.

Which reviewer

22. says they regret not having taken more notice of a subject when they had the chance?

TASK 4

For questions 23-31, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

Why you should read fiction

At school, the (23)…………… majority of what we learn is factual. In history lessons we memorise names and dates; in science we have to cope (24)…………… chemical formulas and complex equations; in maths it’s all numbers and signs. It’s only in language lessons where we may (25)…………… fiction. Some people would argue that there’s (26)…………… point in reading something which is ‘made up’. If this is the (27)……………, why do language teachers encourage their students to look at anything (28)…………… from dictionaries and reference materials?

It is because they are (29)…………… of the benefits that reading brings. It isn’t simply because reading fiction helps us (30)…………… reality for a while and switch off from our everyday routines. Reading fiction also teaches us to see the world through other people’s eyes. It (31)…………… us to understand the feelings of others, making us more empathetic. Fiction, in other words, helps us be better friends.

TASK 4

For questions 23-31, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

Why you should read fiction

At school, the (23)…………… majority of what we learn is factual. In history lessons we memorise names and dates; in science we have to cope (24)…………… chemical formulas and complex equations; in maths it’s all numbers and signs. It’s only in language lessons where we may (25)…………… fiction. Some people would argue that there’s (26)…………… point in reading something which is ‘made up’. If this is the (27)……………, why do language teachers encourage their students to look at anything (28)…………… from dictionaries and reference materials?

It is because they are (29)…………… of the benefits that reading brings. It isn’t simply because reading fiction helps us (30)…………… reality for a while and switch off from our everyday routines. Reading fiction also teaches us to see the world through other people’s eyes. It (31)…………… us to understand the feelings of others, making us more empathetic. Fiction, in other words, helps us be better friends.

TASK 4

For questions 23-31, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

Why you should read fiction

At school, the (23)…………… majority of what we learn is factual. In history lessons we memorise names and dates; in science we have to cope (24)…………… chemical formulas and complex equations; in maths it’s all numbers and signs. It’s only in language lessons where we may (25)…………… fiction. Some people would argue that there’s (26)…………… point in reading something which is ‘made up’. If this is the (27)……………, why do language teachers encourage their students to look at anything (28)…………… from dictionaries and reference materials?

It is because they are (29)…………… of the benefits that reading brings. It isn’t simply because reading fiction helps us (30)…………… reality for a while and switch off from our everyday routines. Reading fiction also teaches us to see the world through other people’s eyes. It (31)…………… us to understand the feelings of others, making us more empathetic. Fiction, in other words, helps us be better friends.

TASK 4

For questions 23-31, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

Why you should read fiction

At school, the (23)…………… majority of what we learn is factual. In history lessons we memorise names and dates; in science we have to cope (24)…………… chemical formulas and complex equations; in maths it’s all numbers and signs. It’s only in language lessons where we may (25)…………… fiction. Some people would argue that there’s (26)…………… point in reading something which is ‘made up’. If this is the (27)……………, why do language teachers encourage their students to look at anything (28)…………… from dictionaries and reference materials?

It is because they are (29)…………… of the benefits that reading brings. It isn’t simply because reading fiction helps us (30)…………… reality for a while and switch off from our everyday routines. Reading fiction also teaches us to see the world through other people’s eyes. It (31)…………… us to understand the feelings of others, making us more empathetic. Fiction, in other words, helps us be better friends.

TASK 4

For questions 23-31, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

Why you should read fiction

At school, the (23)…………… majority of what we learn is factual. In history lessons we memorise names and dates; in science we have to cope (24)…………… chemical formulas and complex equations; in maths it’s all numbers and signs. It’s only in language lessons where we may (25)…………… fiction. Some people would argue that there’s (26)…………… point in reading something which is ‘made up’. If this is the (27)……………, why do language teachers encourage their students to look at anything (28)…………… from dictionaries and reference materials?

It is because they are (29)…………… of the benefits that reading brings. It isn’t simply because reading fiction helps us (30)…………… reality for a while and switch off from our everyday routines. Reading fiction also teaches us to see the world through other people’s eyes. It (31)…………… us to understand the feelings of others, making us more empathetic. Fiction, in other words, helps us be better friends.

TASK 4

For questions 23-31, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

Why you should read fiction

At school, the (23)…………… majority of what we learn is factual. In history lessons we memorise names and dates; in science we have to cope (24)…………… chemical formulas and complex equations; in maths it’s all numbers and signs. It’s only in language lessons where we may (25)…………… fiction. Some people would argue that there’s (26)…………… point in reading something which is ‘made up’. If this is the (27)……………, why do language teachers encourage their students to look at anything (28)…………… from dictionaries and reference materials?

It is because they are (29)…………… of the benefits that reading brings. It isn’t simply because reading fiction helps us (30)…………… reality for a while and switch off from our everyday routines. Reading fiction also teaches us to see the world through other people’s eyes. It (31)…………… us to understand the feelings of others, making us more empathetic. Fiction, in other words, helps us be better friends.

TASK 4

For questions 23-31, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

Why you should read fiction

At school, the (23)…………… majority of what we learn is factual. In history lessons we memorise names and dates; in science we have to cope (24)…………… chemical formulas and complex equations; in maths it’s all numbers and signs. It’s only in language lessons where we may (25)…………… fiction. Some people would argue that there’s (26)…………… point in reading something which is ‘made up’. If this is the (27)……………, why do language teachers encourage their students to look at anything (28)…………… from dictionaries and reference materials?

It is because they are (29)…………… of the benefits that reading brings. It isn’t simply because reading fiction helps us (30)…………… reality for a while and switch off from our everyday routines. Reading fiction also teaches us to see the world through other people’s eyes. It (31)…………… us to understand the feelings of others, making us more empathetic. Fiction, in other words, helps us be better friends.

TASK 4

For questions 23-31, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

Why you should read fiction

At school, the (23)…………… majority of what we learn is factual. In history lessons we memorise names and dates; in science we have to cope (24)…………… chemical formulas and complex equations; in maths it’s all numbers and signs. It’s only in language lessons where we may (25)…………… fiction. Some people would argue that there’s (26)…………… point in reading something which is ‘made up’. If this is the (27)……………, why do language teachers encourage their students to look at anything (28)…………… from dictionaries and reference materials?

It is because they are (29)…………… of the benefits that reading brings. It isn’t simply because reading fiction helps us (30)…………… reality for a while and switch off from our everyday routines. Reading fiction also teaches us to see the world through other people’s eyes. It (31)…………… us to understand the feelings of others, making us more empathetic. Fiction, in other words, helps us be better friends.

TASK 4

For questions 23-31, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

Why you should read fiction

At school, the (23)…………… majority of what we learn is factual. In history lessons we memorise names and dates; in science we have to cope (24)…………… chemical formulas and complex equations; in maths it’s all numbers and signs. It’s only in language lessons where we may (25)…………… fiction. Some people would argue that there’s (26)…………… point in reading something which is ‘made up’. If this is the (27)……………, why do language teachers encourage their students to look at anything (28)…………… from dictionaries and reference materials?

It is because they are (29)…………… of the benefits that reading brings. It isn’t simply because reading fiction helps us (30)…………… reality for a while and switch off from our everyday routines. Reading fiction also teaches us to see the world through other people’s eyes. It (31)…………… us to understand the feelings of others, making us more empathetic. Fiction, in other words, helps us be better friends.