MIXED EXERCISES 3

I. Choose A, B, C or D that best fits each blank in the sentences

1. Many homeless people have been _______ for years with little prospect of finding proper housing.
A. down and out B. down and dirty C. down in the dumps D. down the drain
2. The prince offered to _______ his claim to the throne in favor of his son.
A. pronounce B. denounce C. announce D. renounce
3. Kelly's on a _______ exercise program so she can lose weight before the summer.
A. recurrent B. repetitive C rigorous D. reinforcing
4. The company filed for bankruptcy and immediately began _______ its assets.
A. terminating B. discharging C. dispatching D. liquidating
5. After an official investigation the defendant was _______ and set free.
A. validated B. authenticated C. exonerated D. rehabilitated
6. That country’s diplomatic _______ was the lamest group at the conference.
A. contingent B. battalion C. franchise D. chapter
7. Jack remembers his grandfather as _______ golfer who played three or four times a week.
A. an avid B. a valiant C. a virtuous D. an avaricious
8. The idea is to shift the bad debts of the _______ and the greedy onto the shoulders of middle-class people.
A. avid B. valiant C. virtuous D. avaricious
9. The company has made _______ effort in the last two years to make itself more efficient.
A. an avid B. a valiant C. a virtuous D. an avaricious
10. All _______ service members must complete basic military training which covers tactical and survival skills.
A. subscribed B. registered C. enlisted D. enrolled
11. It will take a team of editors to correct the _______ errors found in the author’s most recent manuscript.
A. minor B. infinite C. innumerable D. measurable
12. Many images on social media these days represent _____ beauty, not real.
A. bona tide B. strained C. staged D. contrived
13. The reporter was accused of sensationalism and _____ the facts.
A. disturbing B. distorting C. distilling D. deceiving
14. Although the business associates _____ to end the dispute, no agreement was reached.
A. preoccupied B. endeavored C. encountered D. confronted
15. The authorities had not _____ the amount of people at the protest march and things got out of control.
A. premeditated B. anticipated C. surveyed D. persevered
16. Three artists _____ to create the mural in the town hall.
A. elaborated B. collaborated C. consolidated D. elucidated
17. Many customers complain when there is a technical problem and they get _____ from the person they were talking
to.
A. cutout B. cut off C. cut in D. cut down
18 The company’s profits _____ when their products became unpopular.
A. dwindled B. swindled C. fiddled D. kindled
19. The politician’s reputation had been damaged by _____ about his gambling.
A. appraisals B. innuendoes C. estimations D. evaluations
20. It’s good for people to _____ ideas before making final decisions.
A. brush off B. blow over C. cast aside D. chew over
21. The American president has the power to _____ new legislation.
A. ban B. veto C. embargo D. boycott
22. Some people maintain that watching TV _____ violence among children.
A. claims B. adapts C. adopts D. fosters
23. James tried to be friendly to his new colleagues but they _____ him.
A. brushed B. shamed C. snubbed D. shrugged
24. Numerous writers have been _____ by society for their political beliefs.
A. thrashed B. ostracized C. marooned D. censored
25. Dan will need to consult an attorney to _____ himself from his legal problems.
A. extort B. expose C. extricate D. extract
26. The college students _____ supported the cause of abolishing tuition fees.
A. consecutively B. respectively C. overwhelmingly D. accordingly
27. The executive head was elected by the general assembly to _____ the meeting.
A. officiate B. govern C. regulate D. chair
28. The new employee contract _____ workers a month's paid vacation per year.
A. warranties B. guarantees C. pledges D. proclaims
29. The ability to stay underwater for hours is an innate _____ of whales.
A. possession B. control C. characteristic D. nature
30. This argument may seem _____ to those not closely involved in the world of finance.
A. obsolete B. ancient C. rapt D. arcane
31. The small low lying island was _____ by rising seas.
A. suppressed B. overshadowed C. overflowed D. submerged
32. The directors wanted to discuss relevant issues at the board meeting and avoid any _____ topics.
A. fallacious B. spurious C. extraneous D. erroneous
33. Users _____ spread viruses via infected email attachments.
A. inaccurately B. inadequately C. imprecisely D. inadvertently
34. Even though the group of friends were quite adept at sailing, they canceled their trip because of _____ weather on
the islands.
A. impartial B. inclement C. instrumental D. intemperate
35. Motorists were criticised for being _____ to pedestrians.
A forceful B inconsiderate C self-conscious D fraudulent
36. Stress is a /an _____ part of dieting.
A imminent B audacious C inherent D instinctive
37. Inflation is _____ and industry in decline.
A stricken B intimidating C confounded D rampant
38. If the case succeeds, it is _____ that other trials will follow.
A crucial B inevitable C straightforward D immersed
39. Many cinema-goers were _____ by the film's violent and tragic end.
A vulnerable B fabricated C stunned D credible
40. Debra is a very _____ young business-woman who is involved in a lot of activities.
A idyllic B enterprising C naïve D arrogant
41. Other party-goers rescued the injured man from his _____.
A rival B mogul C counterpart D assailant
42. It's up to the teacher to provide a variety of types of _____ in the classroom.
A surplus B chore C input D choir
43. The authorities have arrested several people suspected of _____. .
A succession B espionage C meditation D heritage
44. I can remember the _____ of not knowing what I would get on Christmas morning.
A thrill B spectacle C drawback D decline
45. Venezuela is the ideal starting point to explore the _____ and natural beauty of South America.
A grandeur B delight C extravagant D momentum
46. We do not try to _____ the economy on the basis of short-term predictions.
A presume B disregard C recharge D fine-tune
47. These demands are helping to _____ fears of civil war.
A stoke up B flash up C distract D foretell
48. Businessmen are frantically trying to _____ the bad habits learned under six decades of a protected economy.
A retrieve B persevere C permeate D shake off
49. He _____ away on a ferry and landed in North.
A stowed B swaggered C thrived D sauntered
50. Jane is determined to _____ her claim as an actress.
A stroll B obtain C stake D tuck
51. She had _____ the idea of a series of novels, each of which would reveal some aspect of Chinese life.
A conceived B emerged C scattered D poached
52. Rebels say they have _____ heavy casualties on government forces.
A dumped B defied C unleashed D inflicted
53. Avoid _____ exercise in the evening.
A strenuous B vague C timid D obstinate
54. I thought him _____ and arrogant.
A stunning B conceited C exquisite D enchanted
55. They posthumously honoured him with a _____ exhibition in 1987.
A haphazard B poignant C retrospective D voracious
56. The German government's support of the US is not entirely _____ of German public opinion.
A incandescent B elemental C churning D reflective

57. When he tested an early vaccine on himself, some described the act as _____.
A opaque B conceptual C foolhardy D bereft
58. We were all _____ by the images of the war.
A sustainable B accustomed C transfixed D disciplined
59. Sugar is _____ in the diet.
A reverent B ubiquitous C affluent D clumsy
60. That might merely have been _____ gossip.
A appalled B self-defeating C variable D malicious
61. The selection process is based on _____ tests of competence and experience.
A erudite B lush C rigorous D crumbling
62. This was a _____ reaction, given the bitter hostility between the two countries.
A predictable B comprehensive C scrupulous D quintessential
63. There has been a series of _____ murders in the capital.
A cerebral B gruesome C dissident D sedate
64. The danger is we'll get so _____ on the technology that we will substitute hardware for people.
A groomed B disaffected C fixated D expeditious
65. She was small and fragile and looked _____ in an army uniform.
A incongruous B wispy C soaking D ashen
66. I went out for a meal last night and drank _____ amounts of red wine.
A copious B slicked C delectable D compelling
67. She is _____ about what to do for her daughter.
A iridescent B sprightly C tinged D perplexed
68. More recently she has been _____ for the TV dramas 'Prime Suspect' and 'Civvies'.
A inspirational B acclaimed C reflective D soothing
69. If you're interested in a subject, use the Internet to _____ deeper.
A drain B sag C polish D delve
70. Harriet nervously _____ with the pen in her hand.
A absorbed B craned C shivered D fiddled
71. If the Europeans did not reduce subsidies, a trade war would _____.
A ensue B endow C glide D unravel
72. There are two main problems which _____ people with hearing impairments.
A sneak B afflict C twist D attribute
73. Fire may have _____ the cargo tanks and set the oil ablaze.
A inflicted B cited C breached D implemented
74. The meat they'd managed to procure _____ their hunger.
A raved B elevated C yawned D assuaged
75. Some of the dialogue has been changed to make it more _____ to an American audience.
A. preposterous B. palatable C. strident D. bland
II. Choose A, B, C or D that best fits each blank in the passage
NOTHING BUT STYLE
Style is now more important than substance or at least more important than skills; that is the message of a report (1) ___
last month in Britain that questions the (2) ___ employees project and how it compares to the one a would-be employer
wants to promote. It is now more important to employers that their employees (3) ___ the lifestyle being sold by the
restaurant, cafe or shop in which they work, than have technical skills The idea that workers personify a company has
long been an (4) ___ part of management- level jobs, but this concept has (5) ___ to jobs such as shop assistants and
waiters. Employers now rely more on appearance and accent than on qualifications. So is getting a job all a (6) ___ of
style? At many coffee houses and restaurant chains, the answer would seem to be yes.
1. A taken out B caught out C worked out D brought out
2. A impression B image C picture D notion
3. A reflect B expose C feature D flaunt
4. A exceptional B accepted C expressed D observed
5. A soaked down B dripped down C filtered down D leaked down
6. A business B subject C concern D matter
FARADAY AND LIGHTHOUSES
Faraday was (1) ___ adviser to Trinity House in 1836, a job he held for almost 30 years. By the 1830s, he had already
made the greatest (2) ___ of his career including the principle of the electric motor, the transformer and the dynamo,
work that (3) ___ the way for the development of technologies based on electricity. The research he did for Trinity House
was far less exciting. Over the years, he experimented with different oils, looking for one that would burn brighter and
more (4) ___. He checked out new designs of lamps and made improvements to the optics Lighthouse keepers had a lot
of problems with water. One which constantly arose was the amount of condensation that ran down the windows of the
room at the top of the tower that (5) ___ the oil lamps. Condensation reduced the intensity of the light beam and in cold
weather the water froze, (6) ___ the light still more.
1. A applied B positioned C appointed D allotted
2. A breakthroughs B breakdowns C breakouts D breakaways
3. A set B established C made D paved
4. A efficiently B competently C capably D effectually
5. A encased B housed C sheltered D accommodated
6. A fading B lessening C dimming D shading
HOW OCEANS MAY HAVE FORMED
Astronomers may have taken a step towards understanding the origins of Earth's oceans - thanks to a (1) ___ comet. All
the evidence suggests that when the Earth was formed it was too hot to (2) ___ water. So, astronomers (3) ___ that the
oceans came from comets bombarding Earth shortly after its formation. However, (4) ___ show that these icy celestial
objects contained too much heavy water (one hydrogen atom in the water molecule contains an additional neutron) to be
(5) ___ for Earth's oceans. Further progress was not made until comet Linear fell to pieces during late July, 2000 and
released more than three billion kilograms of water into space. Chemical analyses suggest this comet probably contained
the right elements for Earth's oceans. Astronomers are now searching for more comets like Linear to (6) ___ their ideas.
1. A decomposing B disintegrating C dismantling D disentangling
2. A enclose B hold C embody D carry
3. A proposed B recommended C stipulated D specified
4. A examinations B reviews C dissertations D studies
5. A responsible B liable C answerable D accountable
6. A ratify B confirm C certify D resolve
CADET SCHOOL
The Director nodded. ‘Yes. Well, we've (1) ___ our system over a long period of time, and we've found that home visits
just don't fit into the picture until the cadet is thoroughly oriented to our (2) ___ of doing things. We say a year merely as
a general guide. Sometimes it's longer than that. Parents can visit here at (3) ___ times.’ The Director (4) ___ enquiringly
at Mr Holston, who tried to think of some more questions but could not. ‘Actually,’ the Director continued, 'the cadets
seem to prefer it this way, once they get started. What we’re (5) ___, Mr Holston, is to motivate them to achieve success,
which means success in becoming a fully oriented member of this community and you can see how home visits might
cause a little (6) ___ in the process.’
1. A written out B worked out C phased out D brought out
2. A usage B process C way D custom
3. A specific B distinctive C characteristic D distinguishing
4. A leered B gazed C ogled D gaped
5. A standing for B looking for C hunting for D making for
6. A distortion B disorganisation C disruption D distinction
FOLKLORE
Folktales have always been a (1) ___ of the social and cultural life of American Indian and Inuit peoples regardless of
whether they were sedentary agriculturalists or nomadic hunters. As they (2) ___ around a fire at night, the hard-working
Indians could be transported to another world through the talent of a good storyteller. The effect was not only (3) ___
from the novelty of the tale itself but also from the imaginative skill of the narrator, who often added gestures and songs
and occasionally adapted a particular tale to (4) ___ a specific culture. One adaptation frequently used by the storyteller
was the repetition of incidents. The description of an incident would be repeated a (5) ___ number of times. This type of
repetition was very effective in oral communication, for it firmly (6) ___ the incident in the minds of the listeners, much in
the same manner that repetition is used today in radio and television advertising.
1. A section B part C portion D piece
2. A joined B merged C gathered D united
3. A derived B issued C stemmed D ensued
4. A connect B blend C suit D compare
5. A peculiar B certain C typical D positive
6. A planted B allocated C assigned D trapped
GOLD
Almost every culture throughout history has valued gold in its (1) ___ and sought it as a precious material, either to
worship or (2) ___ in. A symbol of power and success, the desire to own it tends to provoke greed and lust. Its very
presence can make or break a nation. The esteem associated with it has (3) ___ mankind to great lengths to obtain it
and the great gold rushes of the 19 th century saw hundreds of thousands die in their attempt to (4) ___ it rich. Despite
declining gold prices and uncertainties in the market, as countries such as Australia and the UK sell off large (5) ___ of
their gold reserves, the desire to find gold is as strong as ever. In the US. panning for gold has become a huge leisure
industry, where once men (6) ___ and slaved for the glitter of gold, families now take their gold pans and picnics for a
day out However, for most, gold is still only the stuff of dreams.
1. A kinds B forms C states D designs
2. A bargain B engage C trade D handle
3. A sent B thrown C forced D driven
4. A hit B discover C strike D make
5. A helpings B fractions C portions D servings
6. A exerted B toiled C strained D ground
BEARS
Bears are famous for waking up with sore heads, at least according to popular (1) ___. Someone who'd disagree with
this (2) ___ is Professor Hank Harlow of the University of Wyoming. He has found that bears wake up raring to go after
their winter sleep. ‘After 130 days of hibernation, a bear can come (3) ___ out of its den and climb a mountain,' he says.
His team is investigating how bears manage to (4) ___ this trick, in the hope of helping humans with muscle-wasting
conditions. There are a number of possible explanations of how bears (5) ___ their strength during hibernation. One
possibility is that bears sacrifice their less essential muscles to keep ‘fight or flight’ muscles up to (6) ___ which is a
useful idea for anyone trying to get back to normal after a plaster cast is removed.
1. A knowledge B belief C judgement D awareness
2. A pledge B fallacy C claim D avowal
3. A away B far C clear D straight
4. A pull off B set off C take off D start off
5. A keep B maintain C hoard D uphold
6. A scratch B level C score D mark
A SPECIAL BREED OF DOG
The Greenland dogs are a (1) ___ version of the Inuit dog, the original working dog of the North. Though not fast, they
are true cargo dogs good at pulling sleds over vast distances in (2) ___ conditions. They are the (3) ___ type of dog for
Arctic exploration, but they became increasingly hard to get, as the expeditions of the Heroic Age (roughly 1850 - 1910)
(4) ___ supplies. The Greenland dog has been described as a wolf in dog's clothing and in fact, purists believe this sled
dog is a descendant of the wolf. Today the dogs are to be found only in designated sled dog regions in Eastern and
North Western Greenland where the (5) ___ of the breed is protected by law. It is (6) ___ to import, or keep dog breeds
other than police dogs in those districts. A measure of the value placed on the dogs can be found in statistics The
population of Greenland is currently 60.000 people (mostly Inuit) and 30,000 sied dogs!
1. A healthy B powerful C potent D resolute
2. A profound B excessive C extreme D unnatural
3. A flawless B ideal C sound D impeccable
4. A depleted B dissipated C consumed D spent
5. A purity B clarity C Innocence D cleanliness
6. A disallowed B proscribed C restricted D prohibited
III. You are going to read an extract from a magazine article. Seven paragraphs have been removed from the
extract. Choose from the paragraphs A - H the one which fits each gap (1 - 7).
THE NEW CONSUMERS
Have you ever considered your ten-year-old child a consumer? As parents, you may not have done, but a growing
number of business entrepreneurs are targeting 9- to 12-year-olds, and are doing very nicely, thank you! We have
acknowledged that teenagers have been the targets of advertisements for fast food outlets, clothes, food and drink for
many years, but preteens? Isn't that going too far? Doesn't it smack of immorality?
1.
Today's children aren't just connected via modem, they possess mobile phones and pagers to boots. Other generations
absorbed product information through TV and magazines, but these children live in a technological world which is, in
many ways, more complex than ever before; they have access to information from sources that were unimaginable fifty
years ago. They have grown up in a world of information and knowledge that is unmatched by previous eras.
2.
Another consequence of the trend towards two-parent incomes is the increasing tendency for parents to take their kids
wherever they want to go, thus giving preteens more indirect purchasing power. And where do the kids want to go? Fast
food outlets. Take a walk along the high street and see the number of families eating in such establishments, which give
away 'free' toys with meals. The toys may be of dubious value, but they appeal to the chains' target group.
3.
Children of this generation are referred to as the ‘Millennials’ (bom between 1982-2002) or ‘Generation Y’, and are more
likely to have friends from different ethnic or racial groups. They are also growing up in an era of community. They have
more activities to occupy their time, doing group project work in school, are involved in extra-curricular activities together
after school (so that their school day fits into their parents' work schedule) and in the evening, they text friends and use
the Internet. In contrast, their parents grew up in an era more concerned with individuality.
4.
On the whole, advertisers have been slow to recognise the potential market for the elderly, as longevity and the
increased wealth of today's retirees had not been foreseen by many industries. Insurance companies were amongst the
first to tap this market, with ever-increasing success.
5.
It must have taken a lot of courage for businesses to target the 9 to 12 year old market. They now understand the critical
powers of the group and do not underestimate their intelligence by being patronising. They don't try to sell make-up to
young girls, for example, on the grounds that they're not in the business of making their customers grow up too quickly,
but may well display nail varnish.
6.
Of course, such ideas have their origins in children's radio programmes, which began in the 1950s and proved very
popular. In the 1960s, children's comics had Birthday Corners and would print a child's photograph during the week of
their birthday, even on occasion offering a small prize for each one published. Children always get a thrill out of receiving
presents or public recognition.
7.
There is usually outrage when TV stations run a glut of advertisements for toys at children’s viewing times during tlie run-
up to Christmas, but it seems that this type of direct marketing to 9- to 12-year-olds is becoming accepted. Is this
because the marketing is more direct and unashamed, or are the marketing people right in their belief that our children
are more sophisticated than previous generations, and that this makes them fair game?
A. Of course, parents still control the purse-strings of preteenagers, but these parents, known as the generation of 'Baby
Boomers', are those who deferred child-bearing until later than was the norm. They spend less time on housework and
food preparation, so have more time to spend with their cherished children.
B. Once such marketing proved effective, other manufacturers began to experiment with mail-order catalogues for this
group. As an inducement to their young consumers, some came up with the winning idea of a Birthday Club, which
sends birthday cards and small value gift vouchers to customers. Given that this age group doesn't usually receive mail,
they have hit upon a winning idea.
C. Not so, say the marketing people. These preteens are a lot more sophisticated than those of previous generations. No
one implyingthat they have lost that innocence associated with childhood, but they are influenced by the world around
them and have become streetwise at an earlier age in several respects.
D. Such marketing seems quite tame compared with today’s, but it was still rooted in consumerism. The radio
programmes wanted to compete with other stations and the comics aimed to increase their circulation.
E. Because there is more ethnic diversity in the modern world, youngsters are becoming accustomed to different foods,
and are more adventurous in their tastes than before. Not only do they see their friends eating different food and share it
with them, But “there is also an unprecedented variety of convenience foods on the market.
F. Another factor which influences these children is that they increasingly come from two-income families, so parents feel
the need to be in close communication with their children. Because of the increase in the number of working mothers,
more children have been given greater responsibility. This does not mean that they are neglected, but they are, of
necessity, bigger consumers-of high-tech equipment than their parents were.
G. However, children of today, despite their busy schedule, are still driven by fun, as were previous generations. What is
different now is that they can be more speedily gratified. Grandparents have long been indulgent towards their
grandchildren, and now, as well as buying products which target children, also prepare them for the future by taking out
insurance policies or setting up trust funds, so that they will be ensured a comfortable life whilst at university or college.
H. One reason for the lack of foresight is that advertisers follow the theory that whichever age group contains the largest
numbers drives the culture and, historically, this has never been the elderly. The only other group comparable in
numbers to preteenagers is their parents, the Baby Boomers, but they have lost their appeal as a target group for
advertisers.
A PILL FOR EVERYTHING?
The world of psychiatry is questioning conventional wisdom regarding mental health and society's reaction to people who
suffer from mental health problems. It is not, as you might expect, about the stigma attached to those with impaired
mental health, but about definitions, and the treatment of those who seek psychiatric help.
1.
Diseases and illnesses are treated by giving the patient medication, but how can the same treatment be meted out to
those suffering from anxiety, depression and conflict? The mind is not the brain-and-mental functions are not reducible to
brain functions. Likewise, mental diseases are not brain diseases; indeed, mental diseases are not diseases at all. In the
strictest terms, we cannot speak of the mind as becoming diseased.
2.
Regardless of these difficulties, if pundits are to be believed, one in five American children have a 'diagnosable mental
illness', whilst more cautious government officials estimate that 9-13% of American children suffer 'serious emotional
disturbance with substantial function impairment.' The number of people in the USA being treated for clinical depression
rose from 1.7-million in 1987 to 6.3 million a decade later. This number continues to rise.
3.
Unsurprisingly, in the infamous school shootings, those who fired on their fellow pupils were found to have been
undergoing treatment, taking mood-altering drugs at the time of their murder sprees. It is hard to say whether the drugs
contributed to the violence or whether the violence was committed in spite of the treatment.
4.
Granted, other treatment options are available. Psychosurgery is a possibility in extreme cases, talk therapies have often
proved effective, and electric shock treatment has made a somewhat worrying return. But there's no doubt that many of
the powerful new psychiatric drugs do appear to alleviate depression, mood swings and a variety of other conditions.
5.
Today, we continue to try to find a way to make everyone 'normal'. Governments, foundations, professional guilds and
global pharmaceutical companies are convincing us that normal human emotions can be 'cured' and so should be
treated as diseases. Isn't this simply a variation on the zombie-making approach? We continue to try to make everyone
equally but artificially happy.
6.
If we believe that normal emotional responses which are not pleasant should be eradicated, we are denying ourselves
opportunities for growth, learning and improving both the human and personal conditions. These are the long-term
benefits of pain and hardship, and we need not seek to eliminate them.
7.
Of course, some serious mental disturbances have a biological cause and can be controlled by using medication. What
is dangerous in today's society is our somewhat surprising eagerness to label a natural urge or function anti, having
labelled it, add it to the growing list of syndromes which are 'recognised' by the medical establishment as mental
illnesses. The number of abnormal mental conditions, as defined by a professional body, has mushroomed from 112 in
1952 to 375 at the beginning of this millennium. These include 'oppositional defiant disorder' (rebellion against authority),
'caffeine use disorder (drinking too much coffee) and 'feeding disorder of infancy or early child-hood' (fussy eating).
Because those with a mental 'illness' can claim diminished responsibility, we hear of people who claim 'the voices in my
head made me do it' and professional women who state that mental illness (albeit a temporary' aberration) caused them
to shoplift designer label products. Surely it is time to stand back and reassess our thinking and beliefs about what
defines a mental disorder.

A. Equally, there are problems in defining the word diagnosis, which the dictionary defines as: 'the identification of a
disease by means of its symptoms; a formal determining description.' In the case of bodily illness, the clinical diagnosis is
a hypothesis which can be confirmed or disproved through an autopsy. However, it is not possible to die of a mental
'illness' or to find evidence of it in organs, tissues, cells or body fluids during an autopsy, so how can we ever hope to be
sure about a diagnosis?
B. Such incidents raise the question of cause and effect: which came first, the chicken or the egg? Can a chemical in the
brain cause a mental condition? Might the mood-altering drugs used to 'cure' the 'disease' cause the release of
chemicals in the brain triggering a real mental disorder which could last a lifetime and have damaging physical effects?
C. This, according to the health establishment and the media, proves that psychiatry has become a bona fide science,
which has shaken off-its early -roots in guesswork, shamanism and Inquisitorial cruelty.
D. Some magazine accounts of 'clinical depression' begin, 'My husband died, my son had an accident which left him
paralysed...and then my doctor prescribed a new wonder drug.' Or, 'Jim's wife left him, he lost his job and he was
diagnosed with depression.' These situations are genuinely misery-inducing and crushing, but they can only be defined
as illnesses if we believe that anyone in the midst of such tragedies can be happy.
E. Pharmaceutical companies have a vested interest in fostering our belief that drugs can help us to feel better, but it's
time we realised that if we are numb, complacent, compliant zombies then we are not independent, thinking and critical.
They like it better when we are dependent on them and content with our lot. They want us to be happy in the same way
that Huxley's Soma-fed, tranquillised, corporate citizens of ‘Brave New World’ were happy; mere clones, without critical
faculties.
F. However, we can gain valuable insight into the implications of drug use if we look back to previous types of 'treatment'.
Once, surgeons removed 'the stone of madness' from the heads of lunatics. In more recent times, frontal lobotomies and
electroconvulsive therapy (electric shock treatments) became the answers. Even after it was obvious that lobotomy
'cured' people by turning them into zombies, it remained a worldwide tool for controlling unmanageable children and
political opponents.
G. The question of identifying and labelling is a serious one as, ultimately, it affects treatment. Is someone suffering from
a mental health problem suffering from a mental disorder or a mental illness (where 'disease' and 'illness' are
interchangeable)? The dictionary definition of 'disease' is: 'a condition of the body, or some part or organ of the body, in
which its functions are disturbed or deranged; a morbid physical condition'. Given this definition, shouldn't the term
'mental illness' be replaced by 'mental disorder'?
H. Such figures mean that psychiatric drugs which have been widely promoted have brought many more sufferers into
the medical fold. However, these drugs, touted as 'miracle cures', do little more than dull the senses and inhibit normal
brain function. At worst they can cause crippling conditions like Parkinson's disease, 'helping' victims by giving them real
diseases which put them in wheelchairs. Less powerful drugs can cause emotional disorders as bad as those they treat:
jangled nerves, hallucinations, lethargy, depression, memory loss and paranoia.

JOURNEY TO THE SUBCONTINENT

I recently spent a month in India. I travelled with a childhood friend of Indian origin, and her father, who had grown up in
India. When the call came one afternoon, announcing their intention of returning to India after 30 years and inviting me to
join them, I didn’t hesitate for a second; I'd been waiting half my life for this opportunity.
1.
Having spent a good part of my teenage years in the bosoms of the Indian families of my two best friends, I had an
image of that ancient land which differed greatly from theirs. To me, India was not a tragic place, but an exotic, magical,
mysterious one, rife with quirky and vengeful gods, beautiful princess-like women, and pleasingly unfamiliar traditions.
2.
The initial shock quickly wore off and it soon became clear that the reality of India conformed to neither of my pre-trip
images of it, but was rather a rich, startling, challenging blend of the two. It did not disappoint, but it is a land of great
extremes.
3.
But the wonders are equally incredible: ubiquitous outdoor markets overflow with produce the likes of which you've never
seen; sweet, delicate flavours hide in hideous fruits; restaurants abound with an endless variety of delicious savoury
dishes; the scent of herbs and flowers fills the air; women of all shapes and sizes are resplendent in jewel-toned saris;
fabrics of all the colours of the rainbow hang outside shops; scary, grimacing faces adorn coconuts and ward off evil
spirits; enormous temples with intricate decorations are carved out of living rock... the list of the overwhelming goes on
and on.
4.
Of course, this is part of what makes for a great trip the learning which comes from exciting and challenging experiences,
acquiring new information and making observations about what you've seen. But this type of learning forms only one part
of what you discover when you're on a trip. Inevitably, travellers have to process data regarding other matters as well,
such as about one's companions or, worse, oneself.
5.
Her father, however, was an unexpected delight. Evidently a childhood of trips with my own short-tempered father had
given me the impression that travel made fathers cranky and hard to please, which was clearly not the case. My friend's
dad's gentle patience and tolerance soon quashed my apprehensions and greatly enhanced our trip.
6.
And so it was. Just as the driver hadn't seen the great grey beast which towered above us as we'd almost driven off the
road to pass it, so things which had shocked and astounded me early in the trip had no real effect on me by the end of it.
The begging and starving children barely turned my head, the stench of the city streets no longer made me retch, the
sight of skeletal animals didn’t move me to tears any more.
7.
Countless times since my return, I have been asked whether I would ever go back to India and, of course, I would. But I
know that it would be like reading an extraordinary novel; you can read it again, but the exhilaration you experience as
the plot unfolds and the characters evolve and develop can never be repeated in quite the same way.

A. And so off I went, despite the ominous warnings and concerns of those around me, armed with a guidebook, some
Hindi cassettes and several volumes of history and literature under my belt. As I took in the smell of burning rubbish and
the sight of row upon row of sleeping bodies on the pavements on the drive into Bombay from the airport, I wondered
whether I would leave India as enamoured with it as I had been when I arrived.
B. If it sounds like every minute in India is one in which you are tempted, tantalized, stimulated and challenged, it is
because that is the truth. It requires every ounce of energy and attention to receive the sensory stimuli which constantly
bombard you - the honking horns, thronging crowds, careering rickshaws, suffocating smog, reeking gutters. And
although making sense of it all is a round-the-clock proposition, the prospect of blinking and missing one split second of it
is equally daunting, because everything somehow seems like something that can't be missed.
C. But there were still other lessons to be learnt. Once, driving along a narrow, bumpy highway in a rickety old jeep, we
passed a man riding an elephant. I was amazed: was this simply a means of transport in rural India? 'What was that man
doing with the elephant?’ I asked the driver. ‘What elephant?’ was his reply. This brings me to the alarming thing I found
out about myself, or perhaps about human beings, in general: the truth of Dostoevsky's famous adage, 'man is a
scoundrel; he can get used to anything.'
D. My friends and relatives expressed dismay at my decision to go to India, especially as news of political instability and
border skirmishes hit the headlines. Efforts to convince me not to go reached a peak as the list of inoculations needed to
guard against a dazzling array of diseases grew ever longer. My worried parents headed the team of opponents -
unsurprisingly, given their press inspired vision of India as an impoverished nation ravaged by internal conflict.
E. I can't say I found out anything unpalatable or even surprising about my friend. We've been fellow travellers on a
couple of trips and on the road of life for a long time now, and she was just the cautiously game and solid person I've
always known her to be.
F. One of the most insightful travel writers of this century wrote that to see poverty in India is to see merely what's
obvious, and both this and its implications are equally true. There is blinding, indescribable poverty: people live in the
streets, picking food from the piles of rubbish, drinking water from the shallow, muddy rivers. Naked children with
distended stomachs beg relentlessly, disturbingly, while mothers wash shabby clothes outside tin huts, scrubbing them
against the dirt road, hanging them to dry on the overflowing rubbish bins. Diseases long-forgotten in the West cripple
young and old alike, despite desperate door-to-door vaccination schemes.
G. And elephants weren't the only animals we had seen on the streets, either. Cows were everywhere and, though they
seemed peaceful, they could be vicious for no apparent reason; I'd been head-butted by two cows for nothing more than
walking by them. Camels were also common in some parts, though they didn't meander in and out of shopes and lie
down to rest in the middle of the street.
H. I suppose this tendency to become accustomed to the truly appalling is both a stroke of luck for the human race, as
well as being its downfall. In the context of India and the rest of the developing world, it is quite a worrying talent, for
there are rather a lot of upsetting things to get used to, and succeeding in this must be the best way of ensuring that
things there never change. On the other hand, it may be easier that way.
IV. For questions 1-10, choose the paragraphs (A - D). The paragraphs may be chosen more than once.
In which section are the following mentioned?
1. a finding that might appear contrary to expectations
2. the apprehension caused by having to undertake a particular task
3. an ability to get the reader to maintain focus on potentially uninteresting topics
4. the compelling use of contemporary research
5. a sequence of events that is almost comical
6. the far-reaching effects of the author's work
7. an ability to synthesise information from different disciplines
8. correcting a misconception relating to genre
9. a line of reasoning regarded as being a standard for others to follow
10. revealing facts in such a way that readers' heads spin
Mark Pollan offers a deft and persuasive account of the art and science of cooking - Linda Libero
Cooked: A natural history of transformation
A. In the half dozen years since The Omnivore's Dilemma became the benchmark argument for knowing where the stuff
you eat comes from, Michael Pollan has ascended to the top of the locavore food chain. He's now arguably the most
respected, and certainly one of the most visible, proponents of locally grown and sourced food. Alice Waters may have
been doing it longer and Eric Schlosser louder, but Pollan's influence on how we eat and what we think about it has been
widespread and profound enough to reach the ear of our current commander in chief and to spark a spate of serious
activism around farm legislation. Waters coined a verb -' Pollanise' - for what happens to your relationship with food after
reading his work, and the result has meant many people changing the way they eat, or at least trying to.
B. Pollan has always been quick to point out that he is, in fact, a science journalist whenever an interviewer pegs him as
a food writer, and readers of The Omnivore's Dilemma will recall the arduousness, the anxiety and the trepidation with
which he approached the preparation of his 'perfect meal' in the final chapter. (Plus, he burned the top of his cherry
galette.) Even when he's championing his ethical concerns, Pollan is a researcher, a prodigious gatherer of vast reams of
information. Having thoroughly scrutinised every other link in the food chain, he finally turns his skills to the one link
missing from his repertoire and, in the process, learned to cook.
C. Cooked, perhaps his most personal and engaging book, reaffirms why Pollan Is such a phenomenal success at selling
his message, much of which involves explaining subject matter that might otherwise be stultifying and pressing points
that, in lesser hands, would sound unbearably strident. He is a breathtakingly fine writer and a mesmerising storyteller.
Even when he draws material from other sources - works of science, history and anthropology, all generously cited - his
skill at weaving those separate strands into a forceful narrative is singular and has rarely been equaled by any of the
multitude of food critics, celebrity chefs, and nutrition-obsessed crusaders. Pollan's writing conjures an eminently
reasonable, fair-minded persona, the gently inquisitive guide who cares more for the truth than for any particular agenda,
even when he passionately argues for his agenda with every elegant sentence.
D. That he's thoroughly versed in the most recent evidence from evolutionary science makes it pretty difficult to refute his
claims. That his research is seamlessly wedded to his own Intrepid adventures in cooking makes for surprisingly thrilling
reading. In each chapter, Pollan takes the reader on a dizzying tour of the very particular science behind cooking: what
happens, for instance, to an onion when you chop it up - the inherent sweetness of its liquid defensively exploding into a
volatile compound of sulphurous acids on penetration - as well as the magical permutations of taste that evolve from the
slow excretion of flavours as you sweat the humble vegetable into a sauce. He caps that with a personal reflection on
how the boredom of chopping onions becomes an opportunity to contemplate what Pollan elsewhere calls the 'mystery,
doubt, uncertainty' that accompany waiting for the results.
E. Cooking requires, Pollan asserts again and again, a yielding of control, the very thing that manufacturers of ready-
made packaged food attempt to elide with the certainty of efficiency and speed. But, he argues, that efficiency is an
illusion. In a scene that approaches slapstick, the author describes an evening meal that he, his wife and their teenage
son 'prepared' from an assortment of frozen dinners, an experiment designed to test the advantages of yielding the job of
cooking to the corporation, as so many harried consumers are wont to do. Juggling the various times required and the
stubborn limitation of being able to prepare only one microwave entree at a time, Pollan and his family found not only that
'convenience' prohibited sitting down together for a meal, but also that it was far more costly “both in time and expense -
than throwing together a simple repast out of real food. Of course, the latter approach is healthier, too. It may seem
paradoxical, but Pollan uncovers evidence that people who cook are thinner than those who rely on convenience H-
foods for sustenance.
Which person expresses each of these opinions about travel?
1. Travel undertaken through necessity is never pleasurable.
2. Staying with friends is preferable to hotel accommodation.
3. Extensive travel takes its toll on the body.
4. Holidays are pointless if you can't recharge your batteries.
5. Travel is a truly educational exploit.
6. The logistics of travel are rarely enjoyable.
7. Travel makes us appreciate our lot.
8 It must provide respite from the daily grind.
9. It is a means to encounter unusual minority groups.
10. Not showing an interest in other cultures is frowned upon.
A. Samuel
It’s a common misconception that those of us who have jobs which involve clocking up air miles are the lucky ones.
There is nothing worse than spending countless nights in a string of faceless hotels, because no matter what the
standards is, they are still totally devoid of that essential element of homeliness which is present in your own
environment or even when being put up by friends. The night-time accommodation is only one of the aspects of imposed
travel that I abhor. I always travel Business or First the intention being that I lose no unnecessary time catching up on
sleep and the dramatic shifts from day to night have minimal impact on my sleep patterns. But no level of comfort can
compensate for regular sleep! There is no way round the fact that if on a weekly basis you change time zone four times, -
and we're not talking just a couple of hours' time difference - you are going to feel and see the side effects. Bloating, bad
skin, hormonal imbalances, not to mention fatigue. Added to that, the disagreeable reality that office work left behind has
to be dealt with on my return. No, when my holiday comes round, the prospect of an exotic destination holds zero appeal.
I'd rather cycle round the park.
B. Phoebe
I'm definitely a traveller, not a tourist. My ultimate aim when seeking new travel experiences is to expand my
understanding of different cultures. To that end, hotels are out for me. I don't care much for them anyway and on the kind
of budgets that I move around on, they are not really accessible. I tend to find accommodation with local families; that
way I get a better understanding of the real people, their habits, customs and the accepted forms of behaviour for me
and them. It also allows exposure to language in a different way. I might hear unrestricted slang used in a real context.
You'd never find that in a language learning book. Language and culture are my passion and the more 1 travel, the more
I see connections. It's true we are all somehow connected. I would never have realised half of these things from reading
books. I've worked with small indigenous communities on four continents and in ten different countries. Every single
experience has been unique, precious and taught me something new about myself, it's a cliche, but travel really does
broaden the mind.
C. Myriam
Destination is of little importance, what matters to me is the setting when I reach it. Coastal, hot, clean, luxurious, those
are the boxes that must be ticked. Aside from that, it really is irrelevant. My requirements are a holiday involving
relaxation, comfort and security. I go away up to three times a year but always on all-inclusive deals which offer good
value for money. The prospect of leaving the resort or complex holds no appeal for me. Do I sound ignorant, uncultured,
chauvinistic even? Not at all, I'm a working mum! My everyday life is a hellfire of fatigue and a relentless treadmill of
activities, when I get my time off, all I want to do is put my feet up and enjoy the cocktails, no visiting, cooking, cleaning,
worrying. The kids love the kids' clubs and I love the sun. When I come to the end of my holidays, I feel rested and ready
to go again. I have friends who holiday independently with their offspring, only to come back and need a week's recovery
period. What's the point of that? Holidays are for unwinding. Try out my tried-and-tested formula before you criticise.
D. Marvin
Honesty seems to have come with age. Were I absolutely truthful with myself, then I would admit Ị that any holiday or trip
is always greatly improved by hindsight, when I look back at photos or read my travel diary or discuss experiences with
old travelling companions, I realise that the memories are better than the actual reality. Travelling is tiresome. Flying is
exhausting. Constantly making whimsical decisions I on what to visit, where to eat, how to choose is irritating because
you feel a constant pressure: Is this the right thing to do? Are we missing something?
Are we being swindled or taken for a ride? All these insecurities of the traveller are swept away when we think back, but
when we're living them, we ask ourselves why we took steps to immerse ourselves in an alien culture, with an alien
language and peculiar customs. Perhaps It's because we want to force ourselves to battle with new experiences and
manage, or maybe it simply serves as a point of reference from which we can safely conclude that home is best and we
are truly lucky. Travel is an essential part of life, if only to see what we are not missing.

Which person do you associate with the following opinions about technology?
1. We unwittingly leave ourselves exposed to predators.
2. Some people would view life without technology as a form of punishment.
3. We should make careful use of it so that we only reap the benefits.
4. It distorts our perception of reality.
5. We use it to avoid confronting real emotions.
6. It is essential for many things we do.
7. It might lead us to experience unpleasant situations.
8. It hinders our personal development
9. It has freed us from certain constraints.
10. It prevents us from forming real life relationships.
 How are we affected by technology?
A. Alan
As an entrepreneur, I don't know where I'd be without technology. In the late nineties, while I was trying to get my
business off the ground, I would spend the best part of the year travelling for work, missing my home and family, often
physically tired and frustrated at feeling obliged to be in two places at the same time. Factor in the financial drain and the
whole thing seemed close to insane. Recent technology, however, has made physical location irrelevant and has
speeded up processes no end. I can have an a.m. video conference with Russia followed by a p.m. one with the US,
saving days of travel and thousands of pounds on travel expenses. I'm also particularly thankful that I have the option of
working from home and not missing my kids' important school functions. Although I seem to be waxing lyrical about
technology, I am not blind to the potential pitfalls. You need to know when to be there. Nothing can replace a firm shake
of the hand or a good dinner to seal that deal. As with everything, moderation is the key to preventing technology from
backfiring on you.
B. Evelyn
Whatever benefits we derive from the use of technology in our daily lives are very dearly paid for, in my opinion. It really
bugs me to see kids binging on social networking sites at the expense of connecting with one another in real space and
time in a meaningful way. It hit me how transfixed by technology mine are the other day at dinner when I realised that I
was the only one not eating in silence with a smartphone attached to one of my upper extremities. On the one hand, I'm
fully aware that it would be rather unrealistic to place bans on the use of technology around the house, as it is so
intertwined with many different aspects of our lives that I would be risking placing my kids at a disadvantage. But on the
other, I strongly believe that teenagers especially need to be weaned off streamed online entertainment and to reconnect
with the real world where no one has 756 friends and no one feels obliged to inform the whole wide world of what they're
up to every five minutes.
C. Charles
It's curious how some of the most intelligent people are duped by mobile technology. All they see in front of them is the
carrot of easy and cheap communication, especially when it's over the Internet. What they fail to see is that by
subscribing to it they waive their right to privacy. Businesses have devised cookies to collect data from the sites we visit
on our smartphones and use them to decide which adverts to feed us next time we go online. Anyone with the right
equipment can tell our exact location at any time of the day, courtesy of the 1MEI number on our phone which can be
traced anywhere in the world. It's one thing to see it happen in our crime series of choice on TV, but another to be on the
receiving end. Personally, 1 am very much aware of the significance of all this. We might, for now, be revelling in the
novelty of technological advancement, but at the same time, we are ushering in a new, more sinister era. For all our
cleverness, we might end up living in the dystopian future so bleakly portrayed in blockbuster Hollywood films. Only in
real life, there won't be any end credits.
D. Alexa
Technology is supposed to be helping us move forward and achieve greater things, not holding us back. Over-
dependence can leave us feeling distressed and unable to function when we don't have access to it, with some people
going so far as to consider losing their Internet connection, for example, tantamount to being shut in solitary confinement.
While it is reasonable to delegate more complicated and time consuming tasks to machines, we cannot allow them to
dominate our lives. 24/7 availability, for example, is not something to boast about but to fear, as we never learn how to
be alone with our thoughts. Our addiction to technology perpetually staves off the dreaded spectre of boredom instead of
letting us use it to fire up our dormant creativity. Technology dictates even the way we manage stressful situations, like
breaking up by text, for example. It's the easy way out; we don't have to deal with the reality or rawness of it. Such
regression in human capabilities, I'm afraid, is bound to affect both our physical and emotional health.