READING

Word Check: The fol lowing words appear

in the text. Make sure you know what they
mean.
flatmate blind sq ueaky cope

PREDICTING CONTENT

Before reading a text, look at the pictures a n d

the title. Th i s wi l l h e l p you predict the content of
the text.

2. Look at the title and the picture. What do you

think the text is about?
3. Read the text and check whether your
prediction was correct.
4.

1.

2.
3.
4.

5.

6.

Are the following statements true or false?

Find evidence in the text to support your
answers.
The m a n fo llowing the writer was a stra nger.
PA was fi rst d iag nosed i n the 1 990s.
People ca n get PA from the i r parents.
Some PA sufferers don 't go out much.
The writer p refers to keep her condition a secret.
Scientists have not discovered a cure for PA.

5. Choose the best answer according to the text.

1 . In this text, the writer wants m a i n ly to . . .
a . tell readers the story of her l ife
b. i nform readers about PA
c . give details about the latest research on PA
d . help readers d iag nose whether they have PA
2 . When the writer real ised she had PA, she was . . . .
a . g lad that she was not alone
b. upset that there was someth i n g wrong
with her
c . a n g ry that no one h ad ever told her
d . ha ppy that h e r condition was not
more serious
6. Answer the questions in your own words.
1 . How did the writer know that she had PA?
2. What cl ues do PA sufferers use to recogn ise
people?
3. Why might a busi ness meeti ng be difficult for
the writer?
4. What i m p ression do PA sufferers m ake on
others?
5. Why do PA sufferers someti mes pretend they

haven't got their glasses?

7. Find words or phrases in the text that mean:

1 . afraid (paragraph 1 )
2 . i n addition to (paragraph 2)
3. defin itely (paragraph 3)
4. m ake it possi ble for (paragraph 4)
5. types, kinds (paragraph 6)

Have you ever been in a situation where

you didn't recognise someone or couldn't

remember their name? How did you feel?
What did you do?

U n it 1

t.

Face I' 11 Always Forget

A few years ago, a m an began cal l ing m e fro m the oth e r s i d e of the street. I i gnored h i m,
but he ran afte r m e , s h o u ting, " H e y ! " F r i g htened, I sh outed bac k, "Wh at ' s the p ro b l e m?"
W h en he re p l i e d , h is A m e r ican accent re m i nd e d me: h e was my fl at m ate and I had been
l iv ing with h i m fo r th ree years.
5

This inc i d ent, al ong with several othe rs, m ad e me rea l ise that I am face-b l ind . I have a
cond ition cal l e d p roso pagnos i a, o r PA. I ' m not rea l l y b l ind . When I ' m l o o k ing at a face, I can
d esc r i be it pe rfectly. it's just that when I l o o k away, I don't re m e m be r the d e ta i l s .
P A was fi rst d ocum ented in the 1940s and was b e l i eved t o be caused b y b rain injury o r a
stro k e . H oweve r, in the 1990s, re po rts we re pub l is h e d of p a rents and ch i l d ren w h o we re

10 suffe ring fro m the d i sord e r, but h ad no injury. T h i s c l e a r l y s h owed that s o m e p e o p l e a re

b o rn with the p r o b l e m , and t h at it can be h e re d itary. Neu ro l o g i sts have now p roved that i t
i s caused b y a d e fect in a sing l e gene .
When I te l l my friends about my cond ition, they say, "But you just recognised m e !" "Yes," I
answe r, "because you sti l l h ave l ong o rang e h a i r, a squeaky vo i ce and a ring th roug h your

15 eyeb row." it's these clues t h at a l l ow p roso pagnostics to functi on in soci ety. But what i f

you're at a business m eeting whe re a l l t h e m en a re wearing suits and have s h o rt h a i r?

In s h o rt, l ife i sn ' t easy fo r PA suffe re rs . We ' re seen as sno b b i s h and
strange because we don't say h e l l o to p e o p l e we ' re sup posed to
know. S o m e h ow, "So r ry, I d i dn ' t recognise you" see m s a p o o r

2 0 e xcuse fo r l o o k i ng stra i g h t t h roug h s o m e one - espec i a l l y when

(!

that s o m e one i s your boyfri end !

So h ow d o we cope? We l l, we use a l l so rts of strate g i es . So m e of
us just d on't soc i a l ise m uc h . Oth e r options include s m i l ing at
eve ryone just in case they are an acq u a intance, o r p retend ing

25 we h aven't got our g l asses.

All in all, it's a re l i ef to know t h at m y p ro b l e m h as a name

and t h at l ots of oth e r people share i t - in fact, it's b e l ieved
t h at one pe rson in 50 suffe rs fro m PA. it's also eas i e r to
te l l p e o p l e about it than to let t h e m t h in k I ' m c razy. And

30 now t h at they ' ve found out it's caused by a g ene, w h o

knows - o n e d ay t h e re m ay e v e n be a cure .

False friends

realise (line 5) means

darse cuenta

pretending (line 24) means

not

fingiendo

realizar

not pretendiendo

READING

4. Choose the best answer according to the text.

1 . Word Check: The following words appear

in the text. Make sure you know what they

mean.
g loomy blinked startled g rasped

MAKING INFERENCES

M a ki n g i nferen ces h e l ps you u n derstand t hi ngs

that a ren't actua l ly written i n the text. We can
deduce t h i ngs from certai n i nformation i n the
text, for example, the way people rea ct or the
thin gs they say.
2. The following sentences appear in the text.

What can you i nfer from them? Choose the

correct answer below.
Ausable did not look like any secret agent
Fowler had read about. He was past middle age
and very, very fat.

When Fowler fi rst saw Ausable,

he p robably fe lt ..
b. disappoi nted
a . excited

3. Read the short story and complete the

sentences using your own words.
1 . Ausable went to his room beca use . . . .
2. When they entered the room , Fowler and
Ausable were su rprised by . . .
3. Max beca m e nervous when someone . . . .
4. Max c l i m bed through the window
because he thought . .
5 . Max screamed beca use . . . .

1 . Ausable was angry beca use . . . .

a . the manager had given Max a key to his
room
b. the manager had not blocked the balCony
c. Max wa nted the report
d. Max was holding a gun
2 . Ausable sa i d th at he had ca l l ed the pol ice .
a . beca use Max had entered his room
b. beca use Fowler had followed h i m to his
roo m
c. in order to give them the secret report
d. just in case there was trouble
3 . Ausable knew that the knock on the door

was . . . .
a . the pol ice
b. room service
c. an agent delivering the report
d. the hotel manager
4. We can i nfer that in the end, Fowler felt
a. that his f i rst i m pression had been wrong
b. that Ausable was not very p rofessional
c. disappoi nted beca use the evening had not
been exciting
d . worried about what had happened to Max

5. Find words or phrases in the text that mean

the opposite of:
1 led (lines 1-3)
2. practical (li nes 8- 1 0)
3. fat (li nes 23-25)
4. happily ( l i nes 32-34)
5 . slowly (li nes 50-52)
6 . lowered (li nes 54- 56)
.

Do you think Ausable was a good secret

agent? Why or why not?

Fictional spies: Sa m Fisher,

Jason Bo u rn e a n d A ustin Po wers

18

Kt.

.J

U n it 2

The Midnight Visitor

I

Ausable did not look like any secret agent

Fowler had read about. He was past middle age
and very, very fat. Fowler followed him down the
gloomy corridor of the old French hotel where the
secret agent had a small room on the sixth floor.
"You
are disappointed," Ausable said over his
1)
houlder. "You were told that I was a secret agent,
a spy. You wanted to meet me because 1ou are
a young and romantic writer. You had eX'pected
mysterious figures in the night, the crack of guns
and poison in the wine. But instead of having
secret messages slipped into my hand by a dark
eyed beauty, I only got a phone call arranging a
meeting in my room. You've been bored!" The fat
man laughed to himself as he unlocked the door
of his room and let his frustrated guest enter.
"Cheer up, my young friend. Soon you will see
a top secret report 2f1Vtre to this room, a report
rhat may someday affect the course of history.
That is the drama, is it not?" As he was speaking,
:\usable closed the door behind him. Then he
sitched on the light.
Halfway across the room a man was standing
and pointing an automatic pistol at them. He was
slender, not tall, with a face like a fox. Ausable
blinked a few times. "Max," he said, "you startled
me. What are you doing in my room?"
"The report," Max murmured. "The secret
report that is being brought to you tonight. I want
it."
Ausable sat down heavily in an armchair. "I'm
furious with the hotel manager," he said grimly.
"This is the second time in a month that someone
has entered my room from that balcony!"
Fowler's eyes went to the single window of the
room.
"Balcony?" Max asked. "No, I had a key.
What balcony?"

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

I'"'

"It belongs to the next room, but it extends

under my window," explained Ausable angrily.
"The manager promised to block it off, but he
hasn't." Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Ausable smiled with relief. "That is the police.
I told them to check on me to make sure
everything was all right."
Max bit his lip nervously. The knocking was
repeated.
"What will you do now, Max?" Ausable asked.
"If I do not answer the door, they will come in
anyway. And they will not hesitate to shoot."
Max's face was black with anger as he backed
swiftly toward the window and put one leg out
into the night. "Send them away," he warned.
"I will wait on the balcony."
The knocking on the door became louder and
a voice was raised. "Mr Ausable! Mr Ausable!"
Keeping the gun on the two men, Max grasped
the window frame and swung the other leg up and
over. The doorknob turned. As Max dropped onto
the balcony, he screamed once. The door opened
and a waiter stood there with a tray, a bottle and
two glasses.
"Here is the drink you ordered, sir." He set the
tray on the table and left the room.
White faced and shaking, Fowler stammered,
"but ... but ... what about ... the police?"
"There never were any police," Ausable
sighed. "Only room service, whom I was
expecting."
"But what about the man on the balcony ...?"
Fowler began.
"What balcony?" asked Ausable.
Fowler was still breathing hard as Ausable
calmly poured himself a drink.

arranging ( l i n e 1 3) mea n s p/aneando,

programando not arreg/ando
report ( l i n e 1 8) means in forme not reportaje

J
( READING

5.

1 . Word Check: The following words appear

in the text. M a ke sure you know what they

mean.
able-bodied blades overcome
overturn space-age

IDENTIFYING THE MAIN IDEA

Choose the best answer according to the text.

1 . Pistorius and his coach claimed that .
a . Osca r had overcome h uge d isadvantages
b. the C h eeta hs were better than legs
c . it wou l d be too d iffi cult for h i m to compete
at Beij i ng
d . his case wou l d set a precedent

2. Pistorius did not com pete at Beij i ng beca use

a. the IAAF would not a l l ow it
b. he was disabled
c . he did not run fast enough
d . the CAS wou l d not a l low it
3. Accord i n g to the text, Pistori us' case has made

people . . . .
a . want C h eeta hs i nstead o f real legs
b. wonder how much technology should be
used in sport
c. ask whether d isabled and able-bodied
ath letes should com pete together
d . change their m i nds about disabled ath letes

Rea d i n g the first sentence of a paragra p h can

h e l p i d e ntify the m a i n idea. I d e ntifyi ng the m a i n
i dea o f each paragra p h w i l l h e l p you u n d e rsta n d
the text.

2. Read the first sentence of each paragraph in

1.

2.

3.

4.
5.

the text. In which paragraph do you think you

will find the following information?
Pistorius' ea rly l ife 2
The reason for the IAAF's decision Y
Pistorius' reaction to the IAAF's decision S
An i ntrod uction to Oscar Pistorius 1J
The final verdict b

3. Read the text and check your answers to

Exercise 2.
4.

6.

1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

Find words in the text that mean:

achievement (paragraph 1)
best, foremost (paragraph 3) -..._
non-professional (paragraph 3)
g reater than normal (pa rag raph 5)
i m p rove (paragraph 6)

In your opinion, should Oscar Pistorius be

al lowed to com pete at the next Olympics?

Why or why not?

Answer the questions.

1 . What is u n usual a bout Osca r Pistori us?

2. Why did Pistorius bel ieve he should be al lowed
to compete in the Olympics?
3. What did the IAAF decide?

4. Why did they make this decision?

5. Accord in g to Pistorius and his coach, what
m a kes h i m su ccessfu l ?
6 . Why i s the word ironically used i n l i ne 33?

30

l'

W E B EXTRA

F ind out a bout some strange spo rts a t :

uu u. burlillgfollbooks. es/l'iell'JlOillfS I

O S CA R P I STD R I U S

t.

Oscar Pistorius can run faster than almost anyone on eart h , which is
q uite an amazing accomplishment when you consider the fact that he
has no legs. A double amputee and a world-class sprinter, he has forced
the athletics world to deal with some difficult questions.
5

Pistorius was born in South Africa in 1 986. At the age of 1 1 months,

both his legs were amputated below the knee because of a birth defect.
Despite this devastating disability, he became an athlete at a young age,
competing with able-bodied boys in rugby, water polo, wrestling and
tennis. In 2004, he took up running and has never looked back.

10

Pistorius won a gold medal at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens,

but he wanted to compete in the Olympic Games in Beijing in
2008 . After all , his times were as good as those of many top,
able-bodied runners. However, the I nternational Amateur Athletic
Association, the IMF, ruled against his request.

15

The reason for the IMF's decision was Pistorius' high-tech

prosthetics, called Cheetahs - a pair of J -shaped blades
especially designed for running. According to the IMF, the
Cheetahs make Pistorius taller and lengthen his stride, giving

20

him an unfair advantage. They also feared that Pistorius'

case would set a precedent , opening the way for all sorts
of robotic enhancements in sport. They even raised the
question of whether, in the future, athletes might seek an
advantage by replacing healthy limbs with artificial ones.

25

Pistorius and his coach appealed the decision , pointing out

the d isadvantages created by the Cheetahs. They also reminded the
world of the obvious - that only through superhuman determination
and willpower had Pistorius overcome such difficult circumstances.
"I train harder than other guys, eat better, sleep better and wake up

30

thinking about athletics , " said Pistorius. "I think that's probably why
I ' m a bit of an exception. "
The decision of the IMF was overturned by the Court of
Arbitration for Sport, the CAS, making Pistorius eligible to compete
at Beijing . I ronically, he failed to meet the requ i red qualifying time

35

for the 400-metre sprint , so he could not join the South African
Olympic team . However, Pistorius is still determined to compete
against able-bodied athletes. Meanwhile, his story has raised
many issues concerning technology in sport. Today's athletes use
everything from space-age swimsuits to oxygen tents in order to

40

enhance their performance. As science advances, what will be

allowed and what will not?

False friends

according to (line 1 7) means segun not acordando a

determined ( l i n e 3 5) means decidido not determinado

U n it 3

 READING
1.

Word Check: The following words appear

in the text. Make sure you know what
they mean.
m a rvel i rreg ula rly-sha ped state-of-the-a rt

SCANNING FOR SPECIFIC

INFORMATION
Sca n n i n g m e a n s looki n g t h ro u g h the text q u i ckly,
to fi n d specific i n formation. Pay a ttention to t h e
type o f i nfo rmation y o u a re looki n g for ( n a m es,
p l a ces, d ates, p ri ces). Look i n g for n u m bers,
sym bols a n d capital letters w i l l h e l p yo u .

2. Scan the text quickly to look for the following

1 .

2.

3.
4.
5.

i nformation:
the s u m me r tem perature i n Dubai 4 <. b(
the n a m e of D u b a i 's u n derwate r hotel
the n u mber of islands in The Wo rld
the name of the island that B rad Pitt has bought
the size of the Dubai M a l l

3. Read the text and answer the fol lowing

questions.
1 . How will the new projects help D u bai's
economy?
2. What cou l d other a rch itects do if they k new
the height of B u rj D u ba i ?
3 . What is unusual about t h e rooms a t Hyd ropolis?
4. How do you know The World will be an
excl usive a rea?
5. What is i n novative a bout the plan ned
68-storey tower?
Th e World

4. Are the fol lowing statements true or false?

Find evidence in the text to support your
answers.
1 . M ost people don't rea l ise that Dubai is r u n n i ng
out of oil. F
2 . B u i l d i ngs are being b u i lt very q u i ckly i n D u bai --p=:3 . Staying at Hydropol i s will be i nexpensive. t"
4. No one will l ive on Pa l m Islands. f:
5 . Dubailand will be the sa me size as Disney T
World.
5. Choose the best answer according to the text.
1 . The artificial island grou ps a re . . . .
a . al l shaped l i ke palm trees
b. additions to natu ra l islands
c. each made u p of 300 islands
made of natural materials
2. Which of the following records is D u bai NOT
brea k i n g ?
a . t h e ta l lest buildi n g
Qi the deepest bu i l di ng
c . the la rgest a rtificial islands
d . the la rgest shopping centre

@)

6. Find words or phrases i n the text

that mean:
r
1 . money earned or received A,M
(paragra p h 1 )
2 . animals that l ive i n the sea 'l.:t. '
(paragraph 3)
3. extra (paragraph 4)
4. rotate (para g raph 5) t
5 . a mbitious, i m p ressive (paragraph 5)

)-

jftu

\:'

Which sites in your area were

specifically built to attract tourists?

Are they popular?

U n it 4

One usually thinks of Dubai, one of the seven Arab Emirates, as being rich in oil. Its
rulers, however, know better. Their oil is running out fast, and to create an alternative
sotirce of income, they want Dubai to become the business and tourist capital of the
Middle East. On the bare, dry desert sand of Dubai City, where temperatures are often

t.

over 45C in the summer, spectacular architectural projects are breaking every record
in the book. And it's happening at a speed and scale never known before.
First and foremost, the breathtaking Burj Dubai skyscraper will tower over this city and every other city. It's going to be the world's tallest building, though no one
knows exactly how tall. Its planners are keeping its final height a secret because of
competition from other buildings under construction. They want to be sure that by
the time it's finished, no other building will have surpassed it.
While this building reaches for the sky, another project is reaching deep under
the ocean. Hydropolis, the world's first luxury underwater hotel, is a surrealistic
fantasyland 20 metres below the surface of the Persian Gulf. Shaped like a giant
.s

j ellyfish, its 220 opulent suites will have plexiglass walls so that guests will be able
to marvel at the colourful marine life all around them.
A larger proj ect is the artificial island groups off Dubai's shores. Built from sand
and stone dug up from the bottom of the sea, they'll be the largest man-made
islands ever constructed. Palm Islands, three island groups shaped like giant palm

trees, will contain theme parks, hotels and luxury housing for over a million
people. The other group of islands represents a map of the world. Each of The
World's 300 islands is shaped like an individual country, and is for sale starting at
$ 1 5 million. So if you've got some spare cash, you can j oin the list of celebrities
which includes Pamela Anderson, who'll be living on "Greece'; and Brad Pitt and

"' Angelina Jolie, who have bought "Ethiopia':

One of the most architecturally innovative future projects is a 68-storey tower
in which each irregularly-shaped storey will turn separately round a central
axis, completing 360 every 90 minutes. This means the entire building will
always be changing shape. Another record-breaker is the grandiose, 1 ,200-shop,
30

1 2-million-square-foot Dubai Mall, the biggest shopping centre on the planet.

One of the grandest proj ects of all is Dubailand, a huge leisure and entertainment
complex twice the size of today's biggest, Disney World. Its highlights will include
a multitude of theme parks, state-of-the-art sports stadiums, resorts and malls.

Js

This is just a small part of what's happening in Dubai's building boom. Clearly,
this city will soon be packed with sensational maj or attractions, making it one
of the world's architectural wonderlands.

False friends

luxury (line 1 3) mea n s lujo not lujuria

larger ( l i n e 1 7) mea n s mayor, m6s grande not m6s largo
resorts (line 33) means complejos turfsticos not resortes
major ( l i n e 3 5) means de gran relevancia not mayor

READING

5.
1.

------==;

1 . Word Check: The following words appear

in the text. Make sure you know what they
mean.
rental agency long-term cuddles furry fad
GUESSING THE MEANING
OF WORDS
W h e n you don't know t h e m ea n i ng of a word, try
to g u ess. Fi rst, try to i d entify the p art of speech
from its p lace i n the se nten ce a n d its e n d i n g .
T h e n , l o o k for c l u es to i t s m ea n i n g b y rea d i n g t h e
o t h e r words i n the sentence.

2.

3.

4.

2. Read the text. Look at the words in colour.

5.

What part of speech is each word? Try and

guess the meaning of each word.

3. Choose the best answer according to the text.

Justify your choice with a sentence from
the text.
1 . The pu rpose of Flexpetz is to . . . . .
a . teach people to ta ke responsi b i l ity for dogs
b . encourage people to own dogs
c . a l low people to have a dog tempora rily
d . d issuade people fro m own in g dogs
2. Flexpetz customers . . . . .
a . must rent the same dog each time
b . feel that the service is too expensive
c. a re mostly people who have got money
d. pay each time they take a dog
3. Marlena Cervantes . . . . .
a . feels it is wrong to rent dogs
b . says she rescues some dogs from death
c. is a n a n imal rights activist
d. puts dogs in a n i ma l shelte rs between rentals
4. Flexpetz . . . . .
a . operates o n ly in the Un ited States
b. is an i nternational busi ness
c. is approved of by a n i ma l experts
d. has several owners

Choose the best meaning for each word

or phrase according to the text.
leave (line 1 )
a . go out
b. abandon
c . forget
d. i n clude
pi ck u p (line 5)
a. l ift
b. buy
c . take
d. return
are short of ( l i ne 8)
a. have too m uch
b. don't have enough
c. have a l ittle
d . don't have any
claims (line 9)
a. demands
b. req u i res
c . requests
d . declares
long for ( l i n e 1 4)
a . want
b. wait
c . take a lot of time
d . thi nk about

Some states in the USA have recently passed

4. Complete the sentences according to the

information in the text.
1 . Sa m Wi l l iams compares renti n g a dog to . . . .
2 . Keith C o l l i ns writes that passing a dog around wi l l . . . .
3 . Keith thinks that instead of renting dogs, people
4. Tracy Joh nson has a lways wanted . . . .
5 . Ken and Liz wa nt to g ive . . . .
6 . Jackpot is a Labrador that . . . .

laws that ban the renting of animals. Do you

think it should be illegal to rent animals?
Why or why not?

U nit 5
.!J.;J +J

eth 's

nimal Watc
M.i;lli91JW

Dogs f @ r Rent

Do you love dogs? Are you a person whose busy lifestyle doesn't leave room for a pet? There's a
solution for you: Flexpetz, the dog rental agency. Now you can enjoy having a dog without the long
term, day-to-day responsibilities that come with it
How does it work? Customers, who pay a monthly fee, choose a dog on the I nternet Then they
pick it u p from the Flexpetz office for a day or a weekend, and take it home for long romps by the
seaside and cosy evening cuddles on the sofa. The next week they pick up the same dog or choose
another one. lt's not cheap by any means, but this is a service wh1ch is meant for hard-working
urban professionals who are short of t1me, not money.
ant' Is bu owner Marlena Cervantes claims that

Vets and animal experts object to the 1dea of do

10 many of the dogs come from overcrowded anin a. shelters

killed. She says that they are well cared for be

here U 'lwanted ammals are eventually

als, and that customers sometimes even

adopt them .
Flexpetz has offices 1n Los Angeles, New York City a

and Cervantes plans to open more

offices around the worl d . lt seems that no matter how hectic

1 1 unconditional affection of a furry friend .

r l ives may be, we still long for the

C O M M E NTS
For me, Flexpetz is a dream
come true.

rent anything from a car to a

but it would be irresponsible for

designer handbag for a few

20

We live in crazy times. We can

hours. But a dog is not a fad

35

miss having a dog ,

me to keep one because

work

long hours and travel a lot. I ' m

or a fashion accessory.

mad about Olivia, the poodle

Sam Williams,

that I rent every weekend.

San Franciso

Would she be better off in an

4o

animal shelter?

Dogs are dependent

Tracy Johnson,

on mean ingful , lifelong

Los Angeles

don't think so!

relationships with their human

25

owners. A dog will become

the experience of a dog, but

is passed from one home to

we're too busy to cope with

another.

suggest that these

dog- lovers try volunteering at

3o

We want our children to have

confused and unhappy if it

the local animal shelter, where

owning one . The kids can 't

45

wait for the weekends, when

we rent Jackpot, a beautifu l ,

there are plenty of dogs that

black Labrador. Flexpetz i s a

need walks and attention.

great idea!

Keith Collins,

Ken and liz Matthews,

Animal behaviourist, London

New York City

False friends

claims (line 9) means afirma not c/ama

eventually ( l i ne 1 0) means fina!mente not

eventualmente

.
v

READING
1 . Word Check: The following words appear

in the text. Make sure you know what they

mean.
twister plains rai n-soaked hai lstones
funnel-shaped
UNDERSTANDING CONNECTORS
Con n ectors can h e l p you u nd e rsta n d t h e
con n ecti o n between ideas i n a text. They often
sh ow contrast, ad d i ti o n, cause and resu l t.

2 . Find the following connectors in the text.

look at the i nformation they connect. Decide

whether they show contrast, addition, cause
or result.
1 . due to (line 9)
3 . despite (line 1 2 )
2 . moreover (line 1 2)
4. so (line 2 5)
3. Read the text. Are the following statements
true or fa lse? Find evidence in the text to
support your answers.
1 . Women ra rely become tornado chasers.
2. Willenberg and Metz have scientific knowledge
about tornadoes.
3. Tornado chasers try to get i nside tornadoes.
4. Willenberg and M etz a re n ever frightened.
5 . Tornadoes a re a mong the strongest types
of storms.
6. i t s not n ecessary to evacuate people d u ri ng
a tornado.

4. Choose the best answer according to the text.

1 . Tornado chasi ng is often frustrating beca use . . . .
a . it is hard to get the proper equi pment
b. chasers don't kn ow the time and location of
the tornadoes
c. finding a tornado i nvolves a lot of trave l l i ng
d. it is dangerous to get very close to a tornado
2. Tornadoes . . . .
a . can destroy enti re cities
b. a re easier to pred i ct than hu rricanes
c . have winds a l most as fast as h u rricanes
d. often come unexpected ly
Amateurs
who want to chase tornadoes . . . .
3.
a . can do it a l one if they a re carefu l
b. a re usually from E u rope
c. should do it with a tou r company
d. can be very sure of seei ng a tornado
5. Find words or phrases in the text that mean:
1 . a set or g roup of two (paragraph 1 )
2 . instead of (paragraph 2)
3. hit (paragraph 3)
4. most modern (paragraph 3)
5 . stra nge, mysterious (paragraph 5 )
6. see (paragraph 6)

Do you think tornado chasing is worth the

risk? Why or why not?

'

To rnado A lley is
the a rea i n the
Un ited Sta tes
wh ere tornadoes
a re most frequent.

COLD DRY AIR

:;/1\
-

-Qkl;lhon)a

WIRM DRY

AIR

U n it 6

et the Twister Sisters. Meteorologists Peggy Willenberg and Melanie Metz are
:"long the most skilled tornado chasers in the United States. They're not really sisters,
- they' re the closest of friends, and they enj oy chasing tornadoes as a pair.
- mado chasers are people who do the opposite of what most people do - rather than
-nning away from these deadly, destructive storms, they actually seek them out, travelling
- usands of kilometres to get as close as they can. To do this, they drive back and forth
. ro s "Tornado Alley, " the huge plains of the central United States. Almost all tornado
_ -: ers are men, which makes Willenberg and Metz very unusual.
- mado chasing can be extremely dangerous. Due to their background in meteorology, Willenberg
_,d Metz are able to avoid getting caught inside a tornado, but they are constantly at risk. At any
me. they might be struck by lightning, slip on rain-soaked highways or get hit by giant hailstones.
!oreover, it can be frustrating. Like other chasers. the pair use the latest equipment, but despite this
-: y are often unable to predict exactly where or when they" ll find a twister. They have often driven
.ross entire states, only to realise that they should have chosen the opposite direction.
_

OY do they do it? Both women have been fascinated by torms since childhood. They
uld have become ordinary weather forecasters, but the combination of a desire for thrills
:1d scientific curiosity makes them unable to resist chasing storms. "Tornadoes are powerful,
) ond our control. There is an element of fear, but also of excitement and beauty,"
y Metz.

:..arge tornadoes are, indeed, one of the most powerful natural phenomena on the
anet. Their narrow paths leave an eerie sort of devastation, such as ripping apart one
ide of a street while the other remains intact. Nearly 60 people a year are killed in
ese funnel-shaped storms, which have winds twice the speed of the strongest
urricane. Worst of all, unlike hurricanes, they are nearly impossible to predict:
orecasters are able to warn people only minutes before a tornado strikes, so
-e idents have little time to evacuate. The data gathered by storm chasers
- uld help solve this puzzle .

. 1any amateur thrill-seekers are joining the storm-chasing game, even

ming from Europe to see tornadoes up close. Those who want to chase
torms should not underestimate the dangers of trying it alone. The only
afe way is to join a tornado chasing tour, run by a company such as the
Twister Sisters' Storm Tours. They take tourists for a week of chasing,
.1nd the lucky ones will witness nature at its most spectacular - a
'ornado forming right in front of their eyes.

actually

ordinary

(line 5) means realmente, de hecho not actualmente

( l i n e 1 6) means normal, corrien te not ordinaria, vulgar

67

 READING
-

,.

4. Answer the questions.

1 . I n what ways is an Anta rctic cru ise d i fferent

from a I uxu ry cru ise 7

1 . Word Check: The following words appear

in the text. Make sure you know what they

mean.
frozen on board sea ls c l a i ms perils

2 . W h a t a re t h ree ways i n wh i ch Antarctica is

u n ique/

3. What negative effect co u l d tou rism h ave in

Antarctica ?

4 . W h y do some people want t o l i mit the n u mber

of tou rists i n Antarctica?
5 . What positive effect cou l d tou rism h ave on
Antarctica ?

A p ro n o u n o r possessive determ i ne r refers to

a t h i n g , p erson o r i d e a that has a l ready been

mentioned, often in the fi rst p art of th e sentence
o r in the previous sentence.

---_j

2. Read the text and decide who or what the

following words refer to:
1 . its ( l i n e 3)
2. this (line 8)
3. they ( l i n e 1 7)
4. them ( l i n e 23)
5 . t h e i r (line 24)

6. it (l i ne 2 6)

3. Choose the best answer according to the text.

1 . The writer feels it is surprising that . . . .
a . so m a ny people wa nt to go to Anta rctica
b. it is so expe nsive to go to Antarctica
c . it is possible to go to Antarcti ca
d . it is i m possible to go to Anta rctica

2 . The cruise ship sa n k in 2007 d u e to . . . .

a.
b.
c.
d.

a storm at sea
an accident
the i n experience of the capta i n
a leaking ta n k

There a re 1 6 resea rch stations in

A n ta rctica.

5.

Complete the sentences using your own

words.

1 . Tens of thousands of people . . .

2 . Before 1 820, n o one . . . .
..___
3 . Accord i n g to the 1 9 59 treaty, n o nation w i l l ever
c l a i m that . . . .

4 . To u rists t o Anta rctica m a y be risking their l ives

beca use of . . . .
5 . I n the 2007 i n ci dent, n o tou ri sts . . . .
6 . A disaster was avoided beca use the ta n k

. .

6. Find adjectives in the text that mean the

opposite of:
1 . nea rby (pa rag ra p h .1 )
2 . s m a l l (paragra p h 2 )
3 . forbid den (paragrap 4)

4 . ca l m est (para g ra p h 5)

5. hot (paragra p h 5) 1

Do you thi n k that it's a good idea to promote

tourism to Antarctica? Why or why not?

Pengu i ns can s w i m at speeds i n

excess of 2 0 km/h.

M/5 Exp lorer s inks in A n ta rctica,

2 3 rd No vember, 2 007.

U n it 7

Th e F i n a l F ro nt i e r
Anta rctica - frozen, remote and i m possible to get to. O r is it? U nbel i eva b l e as it seems, if you've got
a n adventurous spi rit and enough money, you can actu a l ly visit this conti nent at the bottom of the
world. In fact, its po p ul a rity as a tou rist desti nation is g rowing, with the n u mber of yearly visitors
now i n the tens of thousands.
All you have to do is sign up for one of the Anta rctica cruises a n d pay a nyt h i n g from about $8,000 for
ten days to $3 5,000 for a month. But don't expect a l uxu ry trip with d iscos a n d casi nos. The pu rpose
is to learn a l l you can about this am azing place, so as soon as you get on board, you r g u ides w i l l
beg i n t o teach you about Antarctica's ecol ogy and w i l d l ife. T h i s w i l l prepare you fo r the unforgetta ble
sig hts you ' l l be seeing - spectacul ar l a ndsca pes, giant icebergs, sea ls and peng u i ns.
10

15

I ce-covered Anta rctica, the coldest place on Earth, is p u re natu re. it has no perma nent residents, and
there a re no shops, hotels, b i l l boards or cafes. There a re a l so no native people, so the first time h u ma n
be i n gs ever l a id eyes on the u n i n ha bited conti nent wa s when it wa s d iscovered i n 1 820. it doesn't
belong to any cou ntry, but it belongs to a l l of us. In 1 9 59, an i nternationa l a g reement was signed,
saying no country wou ld make any territori a l claims there, and dedicating the entire conti nent to
pea cefu l scientific research.

20

Environ mental ists a re co ncerned a bout the effects of tou rism on the a rea, si nce a ny h u m a n a ctivity
ca uses changes i n the ecological bala nce. They say that the damage cou l d be m i n i m ised if there were
ru les to l i m it the nu mber of tou rists a l lowed to visit each yea r. However, some tourism may a ctua l ly
promote conservation. If people witness Anta rctica's breathta king beau ty, perhaps th ey' l l become
aware of the i m porta nce of protecting it.

25

30

However, the environment is not the o n ly concern - there a re peri ls fo r h u mans as we l l . The seas
a round the conti nent a re the roug h est on Earth, and it ta kes a seasoned shi p's ca pta i n to get th rough
them while negotiating the treacherous ice. In Nove mber 2007, 1 54 u n l ucky tou rists sat sh ivering for
hou rs i n l ifeboats on the icy water, watch i n g as their cru ise sh i p sa n k after crashing i n to an iceberg.
Fortu nately for them, the weather was calm, so there were no deaths or i nj u ries before they were
fina lly rescu ed. J ust as l ucki ly, there was no o i l leak from the shi p's ta n k. If the ta n k had leaked, i t
wou ld have ca used a n envi ronmenta l disaster.
To be on the safe side, if you decide to travel to Anta rctica, choose a com pa ny that has lots of
expe rience. Enjoy you r adventure and keep in m i nd you a re a ctu a l ly visiting one of Earth's fi n a l
frontiers.

READING
1 . Word Check: The following words appear
in the text. Make sure you know what they
mean.

watchful evolved speed cameras

AUTHOR'S PURPOSE
An a ut h o r w rites fo r d ifferent reasons, fo r
e xa m p l e : to i nfo rm ( news a rticl es, reports). to
e n te rta i n ( n a rratives). to p ers u a d e (op i n io n essays
a n d e d i tori a l s) a n d to d escribe (descri ptions of
even ts, p l a ces or people).

2. Read the text. What is the author's purpose?

a. to persuade people to behave more honestly

b. to tell an amusing story about an experiment
<0 to give i nformation about an experiment and its
implications
d. to describe the details of the way an experiment
was done
3. Complete the sentences.

In order to pa v for their drinks, people

-1..
in the office O.rM I -F fhQA. (!11... l e
2. People paid for their drinks less often when . . . .
3 . According to Melissa Bateson, people will help
us if . . . .
4. The writer feels that people wi ) l be
"\\ - ....
more honest . . . Wi-A d.J.. pJ"utN"U.... p::JYW'"'.)

4. Choose the best answer according to

the text.

Accord ing to Melissa Bateson, people reacted to

the poster of eyes because . . . .
a. it was very realistic
they were afraid of being caught
c. they wanted to be seen as good people
d. they realised that it's wrong to be dishonest
2 . The experiment was important because . . . .
it showed how people's behaviour can be
influenced
b. the office now had enough money for drinks
c. it showed how people behaved i n the time
of the cavemen
d. it got attention in the world's media
3. The Newcastle police posters . . . .
rSJ have had an effect on crime figures
b. warn drivers there are speed cameras
c. have been used in other areas as well
d. were put up as a result of the university's
research
1.

5. Find words or phrases in the text

that mean:

thing (paragraph 2) A
2 . almost (paragraph 3) """'-
3 . guarantee (paragraph 4) r""
4. react (paragraph 5 ) t-tJ)j,..J.tteJ.
5 . occur (paragraph 7 )
1.

1.

Do you think that the police in your area

should try using posters l i ke the Newcastle

police? Why or why not?

Th e a verage person i n
London i s photograp h ed
app roxim a tely 3 0 0
times a day o n CCTV.

Find out more about honesty boxes at:

www.burli 11gtollbooks. es/l'ieupoints I

U n it 8

is the best policy, but as we a l l

know, w e are sometimes n o t a s honest as we

But why do we have this reaction when we

know the eyes aren't real? Bateson says,

should be. According to the results of a recent

40 " Eyes and faces send a strong biolog ical signal

study at Newcastle U n iversity, Eng land , even a

that we have evolved to respond to." In other

5 picture of someone watching us is enough to

make us change our ways.

words, our brains are programmed to respond

to eyes and faces - even in a picture.

The experiment was conducted at an office

The

experiment

got

worldwide

media

where staff paid for their own tea and coffee

4 5 attention . People were excited by the possi bil ity

by putting money i nto a tin. Anyone in this

that the same principle could be appl ied to

o situation , of course, would be tempted to take

other situations as well - on the roads, for

a free dri n k because no one would know who

i nstance. Today, road signs warni n g drivers

had paid and who had n 't. The researchers

of speed cameras often show a picture of a

placed a poster above the m ugs, showing the

50 camera. But now we know that we're much

price of each item. Over a ten-week period,

5 they alternated the posters weekly, switching

between an i mage of flowers and various

i m ages of watchful eyes.

more l i kely to react if we see a picture of eyes

or a face.
This

idea

has

actually

been

applied

Workers

55 combat crime. In rough areas where crimes

had paid nearly three times more for their

tend to take place, they have put up posters

The

results

were

astounding.

20 dri n ks during the weeks when the posters

had photographs of eyes. The conclusion?

People behave better when they think they're
being watched .

And

according to

Melissa

Bateson , the behavioural biolog ist who ran the

25 experiment, it's not j ust because we're afraid

of getting caught.
This reaction dates back to the days of the

of watchful eyes with the slogan , "We've got

our ey,es on criminals." They' l l be checking
crime figu res to see whether the posters have

60 an effect.

it's a pity that people are n 't honest all the

t i me, whether or not someone's watch i n g . But
if all it takes is a poster to get thm to make the
right choice, then it's-definitely a good idea!

cavemen, when people began to real ise that

by

the Newcastle police in a new technique to

co-operating in groups was a better way to

30 ensure survival than l iving alone. This meant

that people seen as co-operative types enjoyed

good reputations and were l i kely to be treated
wel l . The same is true today. According to
Bateson, when we t h i n k we're being watched

35 we behave better, so people see us as co

operative and behave the same way towards

us when we need help.

Newcastle Police poster

False friends

policy (line 1) means politico not policia

conducted (line 7) means realizado not conducido
crime ( l i n e 55) means delincuencia not crimen
figure ( l i n e 59) means data, cifra not figura

----- --

---

7 . Answer the questions.

READING

1 . In what way has television changed since 1 999?

2. How did the prod u cers make the base seem l i ke

1 . Word Check: The fol lowing words appear

in the text. Make sure you know what they

mean.
spacecraft cockpit hoax

REVIEW OF READING STRATEGIES

2. Look at the title and the pictures. What do

you thi n k the text is about?

Sta r C ity?
3 . How d i d the contestants find out about the
hoax?
4 . Why were the psycholog i ca l tests i m porta nt for

the prog ra m me?

5 . H ow d i d the contestants feel after they were
g iven the prize ?
8. Choose the best answer according to the text.
The writer feels that . . . .
a . the hoax should not have been shown
because it was cruel
b . the prizes g ive n to the contestants were too
generous

3. Read the first sentence of each paragraph.

In which paragraph do you think you'll find
the fol lowing?

c . the contestants should not complain about

the hoax

1 . a description of a n unusual B ritish TV show

2 . a description of the fi nalists' " space wa l k "
3 . the reaction of the contestants to the hoax
4. Scan the text and find the following

information:

d . Keri Hassett was not a good candidate for the

p rogra m m e
9. Find words or phrases in the text that mean:

1 . communicated, social ised (paragraph 1 )

2 . age, time period (paragraph 1 )

1 . the year Big Brother began

2. what Star C ity is and where it's located

3 . the amount of prize money given to the fi nal ists

3 . no longer i n use (paragraph 3)

4. instead of (paragraph 4)
5.

deceived, fooled (paragraph 7)

5. Read the text. Look at the words in colour

and try to guess the meaning of each one.

6. Are the following statements true or false?

Find evidence in the text to support your
answers.

Do you think it's acceptable for TV producers

1 . The partici pa nts i n the fi rst Big Brother were

u naware of the i m porta nce of their progra m m e .

to trick people as they did in

Why or why not?

2 . Twelve contesta nts were chosen t o fly

to outer space.

3. The contestants were taken to a t ra i n i ng

base i n Russia.
4 . The spacecraft did n ot leave the g ro u n d .

5 . C a n d idates thought they were see i n g pla net

Earth t h ro u g h the spacecraft's windows.
6. Prod u cers had expected the hoax to
work perfectly.

Some p a rticip a n ts o n
reality TV shows h a ve become
i n tern a tional celebrities.

Space Cadets?

U n it 9

In 1 999, nine Dutch volunteers took part in the TV reality programme Big Brother. Moving to a
house where they were cut off from the world, they interacted under the gaze of live television
cameras 24 hours a day. Little did they know that the experimental programme they were in
would become an instant hit and begin a new era in television . Back then, sitcoms and soap
operas used to be the main form of TV entertainment, but today viewers are used to the fact
that reality TV takes up most broadcasting time.

10

Of all the reality shows, one of the most remarkable was Britain's Space Cadets. The twelve
candidates selected for this programme were told that they were going to Star City, the
Russian training facility for cosmonauts near Moscow. Four among them would have the
opportunity of a lifetime: to fly to outer space.

15

Rather than Russia, however, the contestants were taken to a disused military base in the
south-east of England. In order to make the short flight seem long, producers told the pilot to
fly in circles over the North Sea for four hours before landing. The base, manned by actors, had
been elaborately disguised as a Russian facility, down to details such as Russian light bulbs,
wall sockets and cigarettes.

20

After two weeks of training, all but four contestants had been kicked off the programme
and it was time for the space flight. The excited winners boarded a spacecraft taken from
a Hollywood film set. Fake noises and vibrations accompanied the "take-off" . In place of
windows, the cockpit had digital screens which projected images of outer space, complete
with beautiful views of planet Earth. lt was the most elaborate hoax in television history.
The high point of the five days in space was to be a spacewalk. The participants left the craft
one by one to step out into space; instead , they stepped into a TV studio set, where they were
greeted by friends and family who told them that they had never really left England .

25

3o

35

40

Even the producers were surprised at how well the hoax had worked .
One reason may have been the psychological tests in the
selection process. These were designed especially to
pinpoint candidates who were very gullible and therefore
likely to believe whatever they were told .
To soften the blow, the finalists were given prizes
of 25,000 each and a trip to the real Star City
in Russia. Despite this, it was hard for them
to get used to the idea that they had been
tricked. When presenters asked twenty-five
year-old Keri Hassett if she was upset, she
admitted that she was heartbroken. She
explained that space travel had always been
her childhood dream . Was the hoax cruel?
Perhaps. But anyone volunteering for a
reality show knows that they may be in for
some surprises. it's all part of the game.

Fa lse friends

instant (l i ne 4) means inmediato not instante

facility (l i ne 9) means instalaci6n not facilidad