reading practice 01

grew up in a relatively rich area of Atlanta PASSAGE 02 The hospital is always trying to cut its carbon footprint, and to do this, we want to encourage staff, visitors and patients to us

READING PRACTICE

PASSAGE 01

Martin Luther King Jr., is well known for his work in civil rights and for his many famous speeches, among them is his moving “I Have A Dream” speech But fewer people know much about King’s childhood M.L., as he was called, was born in 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia, at the home of his maternal grandfather M.L.’s grandfather, the Reverend A.D Williams, purchased their home on Auburn Avenue in 1909, twenty years before M.L was born The Reverend Williams,

an eloquent speaker, played an important role in the community since so many people’s lives

centered around the church He allowed his church and his home to be used as a meeting place for a number of organizations dedicated to the education and social advancement of blacks M.L grew

up in this atmosphere, with his home being used as a community gathering place, and was no

doubt influenced by it

M.L.’s childhood was not especially eventful His father was a minister and his mother was a

musician He was the second of three children, and he attended all-black schools in a black neighborhood The neighborhood was not poor, however Auburn Avenue was the main artery through a prosperous neighborhood that had come to symbolize achievement for Atlanta’s black

people It was an area of banks, insurance companies, builders, jewelers, tailors, doctors, lawyers,

and other black-owner black-operated businesses and services Even in the face of Atlanta’s

segregation, the district thrived Dr King never forgot the community spirit he had known as a

child, nor did he forget the racial prejudice that was a seemingly insurmountable barrier that kept black Atlantans from mingling with whites

1 What is this passage mainly about?

A the prejudice that existed in Atlanta B Martin Luther King’s childhood C M.L.’s grandfather

D The neighborhood King grew up in

2 The word “eloquent” in line 6 means most nearly

6 According to the author, blacks in King’s neighborhood were involved in all the following businesses and services EXCEPT

A community spirit C his mother B black lawyers D his speeches

9 The word “thrived” in line 17 refers to which of the following?

A achieved C flourished B surrendered D held 10 According to the author, M.L

A had a difficult childhood B was a good musician as a child

C loved to listen to his grandfather speak D grew up in a relatively rich area of Atlanta

PASSAGE 02

The hospital is always trying to cut its carbon footprint, and to do this, we want to encourage staff, visitors and patients to use environmentally-friendly forms of transport to and from the hospital Therefore, we are making the following changes, which will come into effect from 1st April:

Car Park A will stay as a staff car park, but, to encourage car sharing, it will only be available to cars containing 3 passengers or more This rule will be in place between 7am and 6pm A car park attendant will monitor users Note that cars do not have to leave the car park with three passengers The parking fee will remain at the current price of £1 an hour up to a maximum of £5 per day If you are interested in car sharing and wish to find members of staff who live in your area or along your route, please click on the link on the human resources page of the hospital website Car Park C, previously a staff-only car-park, will now be open to visitors at the increased cost of £2/hour up to 5 hours, and £1 an hour after that These new rates will also apply to staff/visitor Car Park E Car Park B will only be open to blue card holders Only senior and emergency staff are eligible for this card

Car park D will no longer be in use, as it will make way for an improved bus park The current bus service (Service 56D) from the city centre will be replaced by two services The service will be available to staff, patients and visitors alike

Service 57A will run from: Hebdon Town centre, Hebden Station, Critchley Park and Ride, Grafton Street Train Station, Portchester City Centre (Bus Stop D on Mill Yard) to the hospital The service will run 24 hours a day every 20 minutes between 7am and 7pm and once an hour during the night

Service 62A will run from Oldgrave Town Centre, Kings Wood Park and Ride and Polegate Park and Ride to the hospital every 15 minutes between 7.30 am and 7.00 pm and once every 30 minutes thereafter The buses will have a flat rate of £1 per journey Staff will be able to buy a bus pass valid for 20 trips for just £15 These can be purchased on the bus

Staff can also purchase a Go! pass from the human resources website The Go! pass costs £45 and entitles users to park at any of the city’s park and ride services for just £2 a day It is valid for one year

There will also be an improved lock-up shed for bicycles and motorcycles in the former car park D Hospital staff may wish to take advantage of the voucher giving 50% off all cycles and cycle accessories bought from Perkin’s Wheels, which is downloadable from the Human Resources website Note that you will have to show your staff ID card at the store when making purchases There will be a fix-it session once a fortnight in car park D on Fridays at 2pm- 5pm At this time, bicycle mechanics from Perkins Wheels will give advice on bicycle upkeep and make minor bicycle repairs free of charge We hope you will take advantages of these schemes

1 Under the rules, staff can only park in car park A at noon if A they hold a blue card

B there are three people in the car C they stay for a maximum of 5 hours

D they stay for a maximum of 6 hours

2 The cost to park in Car Park A for 4 hours will be _

3 Staff should _ to find people to share a car with them A go online

B visit the human resources department C speak to their departmental manager D all are correct

4 After April 1st, Car Park C will be for _ A staff only

B visitors only C staff and visitors D neither staff nor visitors

5 The cost to park in Car Park C for 8 hours will be _

8 A member of staff who does not have a blue card can park in _ A car parks A, C & E C car parks A, C & D B car parks C, D & E D not given in the text

9 What forms of transport will be able to use Car Park D after April 1st? A buses and cars

B buses, bicycles and motorbikes C buses, cars, bicycles and motorbikes D all are not correct

10 Which is NOT true about Perkin’s Wheels? A It sells bicycles and motorbikes B It will sell goods to staff at half price

C It will fix staff member’s bikes for no charge D It doesn’t sell bicycles

PASSAGE 03

Lighthouses are towers with strong lights that help mariners plot their position, inform

them that land is near, and warn them of dangerous rocks and reefs They are placed at prominent

points on the coast and on islands, reefs, and sandbars

Every lighthouse has a distinctive pattern of light known as its characteristic There are five basic characteristics: fixed, flashing, occulting, group flashing, and group occulting A fixed signal is a steady beam A flashing signal has periods of darkness longer than periods of light, while an occulting signal’s periods of light are longer A group-flashing light gives off two or more flashes at regular intervals, and a group-occulting signal consists of a fixed light with two or more periods of darkness at regular intervals Some lighthouses use lights of different colors as well, and today, most lighthouses are also equipped with radio beacons The three types of apparatus used to produce the signals are the catoptric, in which metal is used to reflect the light; the dioptric, in which glass is used; and the catadioptric, in which both glass and metal are used

In the daytime, lighthouses can usually be identified by their structure alone The most

typical structure is a tower tapering at the top However, some structures such as the Bastion Lighthouse on the Saint Lawrence River are shaped like pyramids Others such as the Race Rock

Light look like wooden houses sitting on high platforms Still others, such as the American Shoal Lighthouse off the Florida Coast, are skeletal towers of steel Where lighthouses might be confused in daylight, they can be distinguished by day-marker patterns These are designs of checks and stripes painted in vivid colors on lighthouse walls

In the past, the job of lighthouse keeper was lonely and difficult, if somewhat romantic Lighthouse keepers put in hours of tedious work maintaining the lights Today, lighthouses are almost entirely automated with humans supplying only occasional maintenance Because of improvements in navigational technology, the importance of lighthouses has diminished There are only about 340 functioning lighthouses in existence in the United States today, compared to about 1,500 in 1900 Plus, there are only about 1,400 functioning lighthouses outside the United

States Some decommissioned lighthouses have been preserved as historical monuments 1 The word “they” in paragraph 1 refers to

A lighthouses B mariners C rocks D reefs

2 According to the passage, lighthouses serve the following functions EXCEPT _ A To help sailors determine their location

B To provide information about weather conditions C To indicate that land is just a short distance away D To give a signal about possible dangers

3 According to the information given in paragraph 2, what is considered a unique feature of a lighthouse?

A Its light signal

B Its architectural design C Its use of colors D Its radio beacon

4 According to the passage, what type of signal has long periods of light that are regularly broken by two or more periods of darkness?

A Group occulting C Occulting B Flashing D Group flashing

5 The word “identified” in paragraph 3 can be best replaced by _

A found C recognized B located D described

6 The author mentions specific names of lighthouses in paragraph 3 to _ A give examples of the most famous lighthouses in the world

B provide information on what materials are used in lighthouses C distinguish with lighthouses that cannot be easily seen in daylight D illustrate that lighthouses come in different shapes and designs 7 What can be inferred from the passage about contemporary lighthouses?

A They are fully automated thanks to the latest technology in navigation B They do not need as much maintenance as lighthouses in the past C They provide a romantic setting and thus are often used in movies D They receive funding from governments and become historical icons

8 The word “decommissioned” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _

A old-fashioned B badly damaged C no longer in service D extremely important

9 Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

A A comparison of old and modern lighthouses and their importance B An overview of lighthouses and their distinctive features

C The significance of lighthouses for the marine industry D The best remaining lighthouses currently functioning

PASSAGE 04

She knew the street backwards, of course How many times had she been dragged up it as a child by the wrist, whining and sniveling, always wishing she were somewhere else? Now she had no desire to be anywhere but here This bustling traffic, these fuming buses, these chipped

paving stones and boarded-up shop fronts, they were hers Here, she would grow from defiant

teenager to independent woman When she was an old woman, she would gaze out over the lawns and say ‘Ah, Knox Road, that’s where I really came into my own’

Number 126 was only a short walk from the bus stop, and she heaved her multiple bags onto her shoulders and trudged off, trying to maintain the elation as the straps dug into the flesh of her neck and fingers Number 126 was set back slightly from the main road, with a concrete path and weed-patch at the front The window frames were rotten and the paint chipped Holly tried not to min It was what was inside that counted, after all The coming- together of six individuals from diverse backgrounds, discussing politics, culture and art late into the night, sharing ideas, recipes, milk, shower gel and lovers — that would be what she’d look back on of course, not the paintwork In the absence of either a bell or knocker, she rapped firmly on the door

There was no reply Holly peered through gap in curtains in the downstairs window, but there was nothing but gloom within She could hear a faint thudding of a bass beat, but was not sure which house it belonged to She rapped more firmly, and was searching for a pebble to throw to the upstairs window when the door opened shirtless, overweight twenty-something, with bleary eyes and greasy hair stood in the doorway wearing boxer shorts and mismatched socks

“I’ve come for the upstairs room, I’m the new tenant,” said Holly brightly The man grunted slightly and moved aside He gestured up the dim, uncarpeted stairway and began to shuffle along the dark hallway to the rear of the house “Top floor, is that right? I guess I just follow my nose!” Holly gave a high laugh, and received another grunt in reply Then the man was gone

Not to worry, he must be the quiet moody type, thought Holly, too caught up in his own profound thoughts for inane chit-chat One day she would penetrate his hard outer shell and realize the free spirit inside Anyway, now for the stairs The four flights of stairs would be worth it, she’d decided when she picked out the flat, even if it did mean her going downstairs to get to the bathroom, because the room faced the front, and she could watch the world scurry by as she sipped

her morning coffee Kicking one bag in front and dragging the others behind, she finally made it up the four flights and flung open the door to her new room, her new haven, her new adult life

Peeling beige wallpaper, a lumpy mattress on a chipboard bedframe, a bare light bulb, a flat-pack wardrobe inexpertly put together All this, Holly could just about put up with, but when she saw the view from her window – a dull patch of grey sky, invariable whatever the angle, she finally had to admit to herself that her adult life was not getting off to a great start

1 What can be inferred from the text?

A This is Holly’s first time living away from home B Holly visited the house before deciding to move in C Holly is new to this part of the town

D Holly already knows someone who lives in this house 2 Where is Knox Road?

A in a town center C in a village

B in a suburb D on a housing estate 3 Which word best describes 126 Knox Road?

A austere C quaint B run-down D pristine 4 What can be inferred about the character of Holly?

A She is a daydreamer C She is prejudiced B She is ambitious D She is reckless 5 Which one is NOT true of 126 Knox Road?

A There isn’t a front garden

B The window frames need painting C There isn’t a doorbell or a door knocker D The downstairs curtains are drawn