Test 5

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

Don’t let your empty wallet stop you from taking the trip of a lifetime. Just remember: with the right attitude, the best things in life - even traveling - can come pretty cheap.

1 _______________

Budget airlines are virtually a religion in Europe, where few people pay full price for airline tickets. In fact, some airlines, especially those in the United Kingdom, offer international fares for little more than the taxes. You'll be blown away by some of the sales on offer, check out some websites that offer happy hour rates for one hour a day.romaht What advocates say: A $30 ticket to get across Europe? It makes the train seem expensive. What Granny would say: Sounds good. Do they offer a discount for seniors?

2 _________________________________

Once you've arrived at your destination, consider approaching a manager and negotiating a deal to exchange some work for your room- if they're short of staff, you can barter your labour for a free place to stay. An alternative is to apply for a job before you even leave home, especially if you've had experience in the hospitality industry. A number of websites list such jobs. Other sites offer listings on a country-by-country basis. Some places may be apprehensive about hiring someone from abroad; depending on the place, some may require you to hold a working visa before your arrival.

What advocates say: As long as no money is exchanged, trading your labour for room and board is a good way to get around the visa issue of working in other countries. What Granny would say: It's like slave labour! You should report them if they make you work too hard.

3 __________________________

Most travel companies will offer a discount- or a free travel to people who organize a tour for several people. They commonly refer to them as group leaders. No, this does not mean that you are responsible for guiding your group of friends around Rome, but rather that you organize who will be going, where they will be going, and when. This one is a no brainer for teachers and professors (ever wondered why your teacher in high school was happy to accompany 20 teenagers on a trip to Paris?). But it can work for other people, too. Check ayout adventuresincorporated.com or adventures abroad.com for examples, or enquire with any any organization of interest to you.

Advocates would say: Great idea! Not only will you get to travel for free, but you can go with your friends. What Granny would say: You can start by organizing my trip to Florida this winter.

4 ________________________________

If you are the sort of person who would welcome the challenge of climbing to Everest Base Camp to raise money for a charity, this one could be for you. One of the newest trends in travel has seen companies springing up that will help you organize the challenge of your choice - or Conjoin an existing expedition - all in the name of charity. You do the climb (or other adventure), and raise the sponsors, they take care of the rest. Advocates say: Where's my ice axe? What Granny would say: Why go so far when you can do charity work at the nursing home across the street?

5 _______________________________

OK, this may sound like a long shot, but if you're short on cash and long on time you'll be absolutely amazed at how many travel competitions are there for the winning. Travel writing or photography may win you cash or a trip. Airlines, cruise lines, resorts, tourism boards and adventure travel companies all offer up prize trips ever so often. If you're not picky about where you go, a little time and energy invested might get you out of here sooner than you think.

Advocates say: I won something once.

What Granny would say: Want to take me to bingo on Tuesday?

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

THE INVENTION OF CHOCOLATE

Scientists have discovered that chocolate was invented at least 3,100 years ago in Central America and not as the sweet treat people now crave, but as a celebratory beer-like beverage and status symbol.

Researchers identified residue of a chemical compound that comes exclusively from the cacao plant- the source of chocolate - in pottery vessels dating from about 1100 BC in Puerto Escondido, Honduras.

This pushed back by at least 500 years the earliest documented use of cacao, an important luxury commodity in Mesoamerica before European invaders arrived and now the basis of the modern chocolate industry.

Cacao seeds were used to make ceremonial beverages consumed by élites of the Aztecs and other civilizations, while also being used as a form of currency.

The Spanish conquistadors who shattered the Aztec empire in the 16th century were smitten with a chocolate beverage made from cacao seeds served in the palace of the emperor.

However, this was not the form in which cacao had its beginnings.

"The earliest cacao beverages consumed at Puerto Escondido were likely produced by fermenting the sweet pulp surrounding the seeds", the scientists wrote in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

One of the researchers, anthropologist John Henderson of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, said cacao beverages were being concocted far earlier than previously believed - and it was a beer-like drink that started the chocolate craze.

"What we're seeing in this early village is a very early stage in which serving cacao at fancy occasions is one of the strategies that upwardly mobile families are using to establish themselves, to accumulate social prestige. I think this is part of the process by which you eventually get stratified societies», Henderson said.

"The cacao brew consumed at the village of perhaps 200 to 300 people may have evolved into the chocolate beverage known from later in Mesoamerican history not by design but as an accidental byproduct of some brewing", Henderson said.

The chocolate enjoyed by later Mesoamerican civilizations like the Maya and the Aztecs was made from ground cacao seeds with added seasonings, producing a spicy, frothy drink.

The Spanish brought cacao back to Europe in the 16th century and many chocolate innovations have occurred in the ensuing centuries.

The scientists used chemical analysis of residues extracted from pottery vessels from the Honduran site to determine that cacao had been used.

The style of the 10 small, elegant serving vessels suggests the cacao brew was served at important ceremonies perhaps to celebrate weddings and births, the scientists said.

Henderson said the first use of cacao may be earlier still by perhaps a couple of centuries. He said the e scientists intend to test earlier pottery from the region for chemical proof.

6) Chocolate was invented______________             [before, after, at the time, when]the Europeans arrived in Central America.

7) Cacao seeds were not used as____________         [money, corn, a treat, a drink].

8) Cacao was consumed______________                      [on special occasions, by common people, daily, only by emperors].

9) The word shattered used in the text means _______           [upset, broke, shocked, destroyed].

10) The Maya and the Aztecs produced chocolate as_____________________                               [a honey beer, a sweet treat, a liquid with lots of bubbles, a seasonal food].

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

11 The unveiling of The Serpentine's summer pavilion is one of the most eagerly awaited events in London's cultural calendar. Chilean architect Smijan Radi has been commissioned to design this year's pavilion - the fourteenth of this kind - after catching the eye of director Julia Peyton Jones at Venice Architecture Biennale 2011. What to expect? A striking, shell-like structure boasting a contemporary café.

12 The world-famous bookshop is making literature-lovers' dreams come true with a series of unique tours. The first trips, starting in July, will include excursions to Shakespeare's Stradford-upon -Avon and Greta Missenden, Roald Dahl's village in the Chiltern Hills. If you're looking for a far-flung adventure, then the Jaipur Literature Festival tour in 2015-a 12-day trip led by the award-winning novelist Marcel Theroux is a holiday for you.

13 fternoon tea has had an all-American makeover, courtesy of Missouri-born baker April Brinkoetter. Now living in London, April has turned teatime on its head with her own online bakery of mouth-watering, hand-me-down recipes from the Brinkoetter family: Great Grandma Dorothy (Nanny), Grandma Georgia, and Mother Fonda. A stand-alone store is in the pipeline, but for now you can order her peanut butter cookie cup, Oreo truffle and key lime pie creations from her beautiful website.

14 Thought first-class was as good as it gets. Think again. Eithad Airways have launched a three room private cabin to provide passengers with a five-star hotel experience on board their new fleet of A380 aircrafts. Legroom won't be a problem in this 125-square-foot suite in the sky, which features a double bedroom, living room, and an ensuite shower room (certainly a move on from the covetable exit row seat).

15 The summer arts calendar is filled with must-see exhibitions, but this is the most anticipated. The world's largest open-entry exhibition, it is now in its 246th year, and is a unique opportunity to view and buy over 1,000 pieces of art by high-profile emerging artists. Highlights include the black-and-white room curetted by Cornelia Parker and James Turrel's hypnotic «Sensing Thought light installation.

16 "Summer afternoons", said Henry James. "To me, those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language". And we quite agree. But balmy evenings can quickly turn to chill, so make sure you always have a chic cover-up to hand for those unexpected changes of temperature. Mr James would approve, we think.

What are the things that inspire those who visit Great Britain in summer?