Examination texts 13-15 (11th form)

№ 13

  I.  1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

THE STRESS OF COMMUTING¹

In today’s modern world, people are constantly looking for ways to avoid stress and improve their lifestyle. Too much stress can lead to a variety of illnesses from headaches to high blood pressure. Simple things, such as driving to and from work on a daily basis, can be such a stressful experience that many people are left feeling totally exhausted. Cars can give normally peaceful people a feeling of power that can make them more aggressive.

Fortunately, there are various means of public transport to choose from within modern towns and cities. Sometimes, all we need to do is to change a few of our long­standing habits in order to discover a much more comfortable way of life. By simply planning journeys, not only can we save time and money, but we can also reduce stress levels dramatically. By using public transport everybody wins. Most towns and cities are well­covered by bus, tram and metro services. While making use of these services, you are also helping against increasing levels of pollution.

Public transport systems have improved considerably in recent years and there is now more focus on environmentally friendly forms. For example, old tram systems have been reintroduced into many European cities, making movement across large areas much faster and ‘cleaner’.

Another way of reducing levels of both stress and pollution is an introduction of an environmentally friendly network of cycle tracks. The aim of building cycle tracks is to motivate people to use their bicycles instead of their cars. So, next time you see your neighbor or colleague waiting at a bus stop as you drive by, don’t feel sorry for him because he will, no doubt, arrive at the office much earlier than you as you will still be fighting to find a parking space.

Or you might consider another way of getting to work. Carpooling² is a relatively new and convenient system when several people arrange to share one private car to get to work. And some companies have already introduced a plan where those who carpool get preferential parking in the company garage.

¹ commuting [kəˈmjʊːtɪŋ] ежедневные поездки на работу в город из пригорода и обратно

² to carpool [ˈkaːpuːl] ездить на одной машине, подвозить по очереди

2.  The network of public transport has improved lately. Read aloud the extract which says about it.

3.  How can we help reduce pollution?

4.  Why is carpooling convenient?

    

№ 14

I.        Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

Video Blogger

In April 2007, a 16­year­old English boy named Charlie McDonnell was studying for his exams. But he was bored, so he turned on his computer and started surfing the web. He soon found a website called YouTube and within minutes he was watching a video of another teenager sitting in his bedroom and talking to his computer about how bored he was. ‘I could do better than that!’ thought Charlie. So, using a cheap computer and a webcam, he made his first video blog and posted it on YouTube under the name Charlieissocoollike.

A few days after the first video Charlie found that he had 150 subscribers. Encouraged by this, he went on to make more videos. A month later Charlie’s audience grew and he started to get hundreds of video messages from his fans. “It was really strange,” says Charlie. “I’d been talking to my computer for a month and suddenly my computer started talking back to me!”

His next big success came a few months later when Oprah Winfrey, the famous American TV host, showed one of Charlie’s comedy videos called How to be English on her programme, which made him popular in the USA too.

Charlie also realised he could use his fame to help people less fortunate than himself. To celebrate his 18th birthday, he raised £5,000 for cancer research. He raised four times as much when he co­presented a live show on the Internet. He stayed awake for 24 hours performing challenges from viewers. All the money went to the children’s charity UNICEF¹.

But what is the secret of his popularity? “I just make videos that I would want to watch,” he says, “and I’m not trying to sell anything. I’m just trying to talk with people and that’s it for me.” His honesty and modesty are perhaps the main reasons why Charlie is so well liked. And of course, he is a talented song writer, camera man, actor and singer.

And if you were wondering how Charlie did in his exams back in 2007...well, he passed with nine A grades and one B! He says that he wants to go on to study at university in the future but decided to try and make a career on YouTube before that.

¹UNICEF [ˈjuːnɪsef] Детский фонд ООН

2.  Charlie says how the idea of making a video crossed his mind. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3.  How did he become popular?

4.  Why do people like Charlie?

№ 15

  I.  1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

MAKE YOUR HOME GREENER

Residential buildings are responsible for consuming 27% of the total amount of energy consumed within Europe and are the biggest source of global warming in the world. This is a fact that has, until recently, been overlooked by lawmakers trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, who have concentrated their efforts on industry and transport. The EU has now passed a new law which intends to cut considerably carbon dioxide emissions¹ from buildings. This means that each of us can now save the planet from the comfort of our own homes.

The first things we can do are simple and easy. We can block up draughts², switch off unnecessary lights and make sure cold and hot water taps are not left running. The next step requires more planning and some expense, but as well as saving energy, we will also save on bills. Many homes have window and roof insulation³ but it is rarely enough. Full insulation can have a dramatic effect on energy consumption. We should use energy efficient light bulbs. These are usually expensive to buy but consume less than half the energy of standard bulbs. These bulbs last much longer than conventional light bulbs reducing the consumption of resources. Also, thermal solar panels are very efficient. They are capable of providing all the hot water you need.

We can install a ‘grey’ water recycling system. At present water used to flush the toilets is of the same drinkable quality that comes out of the taps⁴. This is an unnecessary waste of energy used in water purification. A grey water recycling system cleans water that has been used for washing and sends it through the toilet system reducing the use of clean drinking water.

New buildings have more energy saving features in their design. They can have a wooden structure, extensive insulation, electronic environmental controls, triple glazing⁵, a non­polluting heating system and a turf⁶ roof. However, it is how we deal with our present homes that will determine housing’s contribution to global warming. It’s down to each of us, so get insulating!

¹ carbon dioxide emissions [ˈkaːbən daɪˈɒkˈsaɪd  ɪˈmɪʃnz] выбросы углекислого газа

² а draught [draːft] сквозняк

³ insulation [ˌɪnsjʊˈleɪʃn] изоляция, утепление

⁴ a tap [tæp] кран

⁵ glazing [ˈɡleɪzɪŋ] вставка стекoл

⁶ turf [tзːf] торф

2.  What energy saving features in the design of the building are used nowadays? Read aloud the extract which says about it.

3.  What can we do to cut carbon dioxide emissions from buildings?

4.  What is considered to be an unnecessary waste of energy used in water purification?