Test 18

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

STAYING HEALTHY DURING FLU SEASON

1 Although flu viruses circulate every fall and winter making people sick, this season is different. A new strain of influenza called H1N1 is now infecting people all over the globe and will make this flu season more dangerous.

2 Usually, the flu makes only certain groups of people severely ill. These include the very young, the very old, and people who are already sick. Healthy people may get sick and miss a few days of school or work, but they do not normally need to go to hospital to get better. The H1N1 flu strain of this year is new and very different from the flu strains that circulate yearly. The very young, the very old, and those who have chronic diseases are still at risk for severe illness and death caused by H1N1 infection. However, some children and adults who were otherwise healthy have become very ill from H1N1 and needed hospitalisation to get better.Despite the best available medical care, some of these otherwise healthy people infected with H1N1 have died. So far, the number of deaths from H1N1 has been relatively small, but more deaths are expected.

3 The best way to protect yourself and your family is to stay healthy and avoid becoming infected with the H1N1 virus. By getting the H1N1 flu shot, and by practising good hygiene and social distancing, you greatly increase the chance that this season will be no worse than other flu seasons for you and your family.

4 The H1N1 flu shot is a very important part of not getting ill and stopping the spread of the virus. The shot is free and it will prevent H1N1 infection. The flu shot is also safe. It will not give you the flu or any other illness. Any risk from getting the flu shot is far smaller than the risk of severe illness or death from getting H1N1. The H1N1 flu vaccination is recommended for almost everyone. Only babies under 6 months of age should not get the flu shot. It is very important for pregnant women and people who have chronic conditions, including children, to get the H1N1 flu shot.

5 Washing your hands as often as possible. Get your children and other family members to do the same. If soap and water are not immediately available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. Covering your mouth with your sleeve when you cough or sneeze. If you use a tissue, dispose of it immediately and wash your hands.

Washing surfaces in your house, especially the ones you touch often, such as doorknobs, fridge doors, and light switches. Reducing close or direct contact with someone who may have H1N1. Staying away from ill people. Not shaking hands or kissing when greeting people.. You should stay home as much as possible if you are sick, and do not let people into your house.

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

GROWING UP UNHAPPY?

In recent years evidence has been collected which suggests that the proportion of British children and teenagers who are unhappy is higher than in many other developed countries. For example, a recently published report set out to measure well-being among young people in nineteen European countries, plus the United States and Canada, and found that the United Kingdom came bottom.

The report was based on official statistics and surveys in which young people answered questions on a wide range of subjects. With regard to material well-being» it concluded that when comparing developed countries, there is no clear relationship between GDP (gross domestic product) per head and happiness, but that economic inequality within those countries is linked with unhappiness. The United Kingdom is a relatively unequal country with a relatively high proportion of children and teenagers living in households with less than half the national average income, and this seems to have a negative effect on how they feel about themselves.

Young British people also seem to have less healthy family and peer relationships. The report found that relatively few British fifteen-year-olds sit down with their parents to regularly share the main meal of the day an event seen by the researchers as an indicator of family togetherness. More worrying was the fact that fewer than half of British eleven-, thirteen- and fifteen-year olds said they generally found their peers "kind and helpful" (compared with more than 70% in most of the countries near the top of the well-being table) and that almost 40% said they had been bullied by other young people in the previous two months. As for "risk behaviours", the report suggested that in Britain a higher proportion of fifteen-year-olds have been drunk on alcohol, smoked cigarettes and taken illegal drugs than in most other developed countries.

More recently, another study has produced similar findings, concluding that young people's lives in Britain have become more difficult than in the past and that more of them are "anxious and troubled". This report blames factors such as family breakdown, too much competition in education, income inequality, and even the construction of houses and other buildings in open spaces where children used to play. Its authors also argued that what lies behind most of these things, directly or indirectly, is an individualistic society in which adults are too concerned with their own objectives and insufficiently concerned with looking after others, including children.

6 How many countries are featured in the first report?                [Twenty-one., Twenty-three., Twenty, Nineteen]

7 The first report showed that young people in the richest developed countries __________                                          [were much happier than their peers, were as happy as their peers, were less happy than their peers, were a great deal happier than their pe] in other developed countries.

8 Fewer than half of British children found their companions_______                      [friendly and honest., handy and friendly., willing to help, good and loyal.]

9 The second report concluded that the lives of young people in Britain used to be_______                   [much poorer., more interesting., more difficult, easier]

10 The second report suggests British society is too___________                [distinguishing, egocentric, unique, typical]

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

THE FASTEST CARS IN THE WORLD

11 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

Bugatti is again among the leaders! The limited model Veyron Super Sport has set a new speed record for serial supercars. Engine power is increased to 1200 horses. Substantially changed car roof aerodynamics has resulted in better body streamlining. However, to protect the tires, speed is electronically limited to 415 km/h.

12 SSC Ultimate Aero TT

After seven years of designing, the legendary producer of supercars Shelby Super Cars (SSC) presented a car which has no equal! The car is officially called the fastest production car in the world. The best American supercar!

13 Hennessey Venom 1000 Twin Turbo

The standard model Viper SRT-10 was equipped with Venom 1000 Twin Turbo Engine Upgrade, which made it the fastest and most powerful low-volume car in the world. The huge 8-litre V10 was completely redesigned and equipped with dual turbochargers, a dual intercooler and an upgraded exhaust.

14 Bugatti Veyron 16.4

The greatest supercar of all time, named after a French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 on a Bugatti racing car. Two hundred cars were built from 2005 to 2008. They had different versions: Veyron 16.4, Pur Sang, Hermes Edition, Sang Noir, Targa, Vincero, and Bleu Centenaire.

15 Koenigsegg CCXR Edition

Koenigsegg CCXR is the only environment-friendly supercar on the planet. Swedish designers made the car according to eco-standards and it runs on bioethanol (E85 Bioethanol). Being environmentally friendly does not mean being slow and boring. Unfortunately, the presence of a 1,000 horsepower engine and being «green» at the same time is not cheap.

16 9ff Porsche GT9-R

The project is based on Porsche 997. GT9-R is now the fastest supercar in the world! It is available with three power options from 750 hp to incredible 1120 hp. The cars are designed not only for the straight-line sprints, but for piloting at the complex routes, such as the Nurburgring.

This car_______________

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

GENERATION «Y» AND CHANGE

Generation Y (why) members (aged 13-27) are bright, insightful, fascinating, challenging and inquisitive young adults who are ready to change the world. The question is, are we ready?

They look at the world much differently (17)____________And why shouldn't they?Generation Y rival the Baby Boomer population in size. Born after the civil rights, woman's rights and gay rights movements, they view diversity (18)_______ Their world has always included high-speed computers, the Internet, cell phones, text messaging and instant communications. Rapid change is the by-product of their instant communications world.

Generation Y's world revolves around instant everything. They rely less (19)______________ and more on cell phones, instant messaging and the Internet. They don't wait for answers. If they have a question or an idea, they can immediately share it with their friends or do research on the Internet. In their world the answers to most of life's questions are (20)____________.

Change will be rapid, constant and revolutionary. We can't stop it. At best, we can slow it down a little. But, change will be coming from all directions and at speeds we have never seen before. Generation Y accepts high-speed change as obvious and the status quo (21)____________________. They don't want to change things simply for the sake of change, however, they will investigate, challenge and reinvent virtually everything.

If rapid change is inevitable then how can we prepare for it? By changing our attitude toward it and insuring that the changes (22) _____________________.Today's change is tomorrow's norm. Generation Y will dramatically affect our world for the next forty years. Today's young people want mentors but they want a two-way relationship. Parents, teachers, leaders and managers still hold the keys. They are their bridge from the status quo to the future.

Tuli Kupferberg said, «When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge». Hang on, these next few years will be fast, unpredictable and very exciting!

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

The famous Rockefeller Centre in Midtown Manhattan is an Art Deco NYC landmark. Spanning 22 acres and featuring 19 commercial buildings in New York, Rockefeller Centre is one of the most popular attractions in NYC. A beautiful New York destination (23)_________________           [throuhout, every, all, each]year long, the Rockefeller Centre is home to (24) ____________          [extended, lengthy, singular, numerous]NY events, including the (25)___________          [lighting, bolt, firing, lamping]of the famous . Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree, which is broadcast (26)________________           [past, broad, live, imaginary] on TV around the world each year.

Built in 1939, Rockefeller Centre was the (27) ________             [reality, perspective, vision, optics]of a famous NY businessman and philanthropist, John D. Rockefeller. This iconic NYC landmark has been featured in dozens of films and TV shows over the (28)___________            [present, periodical, lasting, past]century, and is home to the legendary NBC Studios and Rockefeller Saturday Night Live. With its serene statues and beautiful art nouveau (29) ________________          [canvas, painters, murals, panorama]Centre is also a popular destination for art enthusiasts in NYC. With so much history and culture surrounding it, the Rockefeller Centre in Midtown Manhattan is a must-see NYC attraction for first-time (30)_____________             [pedestrians, passers-by, visitors, collectors]in New York City.

Rockefeller Centre is the (31)__________________          [sighting, location, position, site]of some of the most popular events in NYC. From the famous lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree to the national shows (32) __________            [rewarded, recorded, registered, reminded] daily at 30 Rock, there is almost always a NYC event taking place at Rockefeller Centre NY.

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

9/11 MEMORIAL

The 9/11 Memorial will open on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on 11 September 2011 in a ceremony for (33)__________________________          [victims', victim's, victims, victim]families. It will open to the general public (34) ________________________       [at, about, on, in]12 September 2011. The 9/11 Memorial Museum will open in 2012.

The 9/11 Memorial will feature the names of the 2,982 victims of the 11 September 2001 and 26 February 1993 terrorist attacks on bronze panels (35)________________        [liner, lined, lines, lining]two pools with waterfalls cascading down the sides. The plaza surrounding the pools (36)___________________                 [would be filled, will be filled, will be filling, will fill] with oak trees and a callery tree, known as the Survivor Tree, because it (37)____________           [survived, survives, survive, surviving]the 9/11 attacks.

The atrium entrance to the 9/11 Memorial Museum will house two tridents from the steel facade of WTC 1 (the North Tower) which will be visible to visitors at the memorial-even before the Museum itself opens.

THE HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

When the California Department of Transportation (38)_______________              [were offered, offering, offered, was offered]to buy an almond ranch and adjacent grazing land in the Sacramento Valley as mitigation for a highway construction project, the landowners, Loafer Creek LLC, did some fast research about the Endangered Species Act and vernal pools (also known as seasonal wetlands). It turned out that the property has value in (39)___________________            [mitigated, mitigate, mitigation, mitigating] for development elsewhere.

About 90 miles north of Sacramento, the 2,400 acres are particularly valuable because of a stream that (40) ____________             [runs, running, ran, was running]through them as well as vernal pools that are home to the threatened vernal pool fairy shrimp, endangered vernal pool tadpole shrimp, and endangered Butte County meadowfoam, a plant.

Loafer Creek LLC (41)______________              [has planned, had planned, have planned, would plan] to develop the property, but decided to preserve it after conducting meticulous biological inventories. Working with the Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies, the company established the Dove Ridge Conservation Bank. The bank's property (42) ________                 [is preserved, was preserved, to be preserved, is preserving]in perpetuity through an easement, management plan, and endowment.