TOEIC reading skill p2

PRACTICAL ENGLISHREADING PRACTICE: TEXT READING: A smart criminal Hotel criminal in jail Dorchester, the Savoy, the Four Seasons, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.. PRACTICAL ENGLISHREADI

a person who has broken a law

a place where criminals are kept to punish themthe organization of people who try to stop crime and catch criminals

to kill someone intentionally; the act of killing someone intentionally

to enter a place through a window or door by force to steal something

to find and get hold of someone who has broken a law

to take something that isn't yours without asking or paying for it

to take money or something from a person or bank by force

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READING PRACTICE: TEXT

READING: A smart criminal

Hotel criminal in jail

Dorchester, the Savoy, the Four Seasons, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel

Guzman-Betancourt, who speaks many languages and was always well-dressed, charming, and polite, did not break into the hotels, but pretended to be a hotel guest Telling hotel staff that he had lost his room keys and forgotten the number

to the safe box, he was able to get into hotel rooms and safe boxes to steal guests' money, cards, clothes, watches, jewelry, and other goods He used at least 10

different names

Worldwide, it is thought he has stolen up to £500,000 He was also wanted by the police in the U.S., South and Central America, Canada, France, Russia, Thailand, and Japan

the place in an airport where your passport is checked

an official mark or piece of paper in your passport that you need

to enter a countrythe place in an airport where you first show your plane ticket

the suitcases and bags that you take with you when you travelthe tired feeling that you get after a long flight

you are inside a plane

the place in an airport where your luggage can be checked for illegal goods

later than scheduled because of bad weather, technical problems, etc

to come down from the air to the ground in a plane

a trip in a plane

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READING: Air travel overseas

READING PRACTICE: TEXT

High Flyer Business Class

British Airlines' "High Flyer Business Class" (HFBC) is a new service that helps you work while you travel

Two weeks ago, I flew from New York to Milan to try the new HFBC They picked up

my luggage from my office 3 hours before the flight At the airport, I went through a special check-in desk half an hour before the flight, not 2 hours like a normal flight

On board, I had a personal assistant who could fax, phone, or email for me Each seat had a computer with full Internet access Two large televisions showed business news in 8 languages I enjoyed my flight, and with their help finished all my work before we landed When I arrived in Milan there was a special fast passport control desk I went through customs and my bags were in a taxi before me!

In HFBC's first six months, it has had no delays and all flights have arrived on time

My nine-hour flight was excellent and with 12 flights every day to Milan, New York, London, and other important business destinations, HFBC is perfect for the

busy traveler

to rejectinformed or up-to-date about something

to publish a message in an online form, so that other people can see or read it

having confidence or trust in something or someonegoing backwards

of events Many blogs are political In addition to a main content area, most blogs include an archive of past content, a way for readers to post responses, and links to other websites.

Blogs are a cultural phenomenon because they provide a convenient and

inexpensive way for ordinary people to publish their own content Anyone with an Internet connection can start their own publication that may be read by people all over the world Because bloggers often comment on politics, business, and other world events, they are even sometimes recognized as journalists

Blogging has advantages and disadvantages As mentioned, it is a simple, effective way to reach many people It also allows the writer to engage in a two-way interaction with readers and to become more knowledgeable about the subject of the blog However, it means writing a lot and often Readers expect the blogger to post entries a few times a week It will take a lot of time and probably won't make the blogger much, if any, money

cost-PRACTICAL ENGLISH

VOCABULARY

READING: Body language

shake your head

nod your head

you do this when you find something funny, but you do not make a noise with your mouth

to open your mouth and make a noise that shows you find something funny

to make a noise with your fingers on a hard surface

to use one of your hands to greet someone

to move your head and body down when you greet someone formally

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READING PRACTICE: TEXT

READING: Body language

Speaking without talking

There are many different languages in the world, but what language are you using when you nod your head to say 'yes?' Not Turkish, because it means 'no!' You are

'speaking' body language.

In western countries, it is the custom to shake your head for 'no' — but in Sri Lanka, you are saying 'yes!' We all know you use your mouth to talk, but you also smile and laugh to show happiness In most countries, it is very rude to spit Laughing is usually fine, but in Japan women sometimes cover their teeth

It can be very difficult to understand body language You can be very rude without realizing it In many East Asian countries, it is rude to blow your nose Eating is

another area where habits differ! You should not eat with your mouth open in many western countries, or use your left hand in Arab countries Both are very rude

Luckily, some things are the same everywhere Thumbs up means 'okay' almost everywhere in the world Many people tap their fingers if they are bored, and cry if they are unhappy or very happy

Maybe that's why email is so popular It's not only quick to communicate around the world, but you don't need to remember the right body language!

the number and variety of plants and animals

to cover with water, often in a natural disaster such as a hurricane

or a tsunamipractices (often agricultural) that change forests into non-forest land

the death or disappearance of a species of animal or plantfuels from dead plants and animals that lived millions of years ago

a huge mass of ice slowly moving over land

a warm structure made of glass for growing plantsrain, snow, or other forms of water falling from the sky

a group of plants or animals that can reproduce themselves

to put in danger

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READING PRACTICE: TEXT

READING: Climate change

Climate is the average weather in a region over an extended period of time Climate change occurs when the average weather in a region changes over time Most

scientists believe that we are undergoing a period of climate change known as global warming This means that the average temperature of the Earth is gradually getting warmer, about 1 degree over the past 100 years

Many factors can contribute to global warming, including the high use of fossil fuels Fossil fuels refer to energy sources based on plant or animal remains, including coal, oil, and natural gas With the Industrial Revolution and the rise of manufacturing, people began to increase their use of fossil fuels Modern transportation also uses fossil fuels The burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere These gases create a greenhouse effect by trapping heat close to the Earth

Another way that people contribute to global warming is by deforestation When we clear forests to make way for more farms to feed the world's growing population, we affect the climate Forests remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere Reducing forests also affects precipitation, often resulting in a drier climate Long-term effects

of our current climate change include not only hotter, drier weather, but also melting glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic, raising ocean levels, and possibly flooding coast areas Climate change threatens biodiversity as plants and animals are unable to survive in a different climate

to say formally that someone is guilty in a court of lawthe adjective that is the opposite of 'legal'

a minor crime — parking in a no parking place for example

to show that someone is guilty or innocent of a crimethe punishment the judge gives you when you are proved guilty

an expression that means 'illegal'

money you pay as a punishment — breaking the speed limit for example

to send someone to prison, for example, for breaking the law

READING PRACTICE: TEXT

Cell phone theft rising

It's no secret that there has recently been a big rise in cell phone theft in the U.K In fact, in the year 2000, 700,000 phones were stolen And since 1995, there has been

a rise of 190% in cell phone theft If you have ever wondered exactly what happens, this is what the thieves do: they take the existing card out of the phone and then put the special card in When the new card is in the phone, the thief can then make as many free calls as he likes

Most people think that we now need a change in technology, and many companies have been trying to find ways to stop phone theft The American company Xlinix has designed an electronic chip that goes inside cell phones This means that companies (for example, Vodafone) can stop thieves from making calls on the stolen phones Xlinix is now talking to Nokia and Ericsson So maybe in the future these thefts will decline — and teenagers will find something else to steal!

to wear special clothes for an event

to invite a lot of people to eat, drink and/or have a good time —

at home or another place

to ask someone to come — to your party for example

to have a good time

to move your body to music

to walk in the street in a long line for a special event — in a festival for example

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READING PRACTICE: TEXT

READING: Famous world festivals

I'm sure you know about Carnival in Rio, but this one is a little different The most common carnival music here in Recife is called 'Frevo,' which is very different to Samba and Lambada I know how much you love music The jazz CD you sent me is great There's lots of music at Carnival with trumpets and drums and fireworks all night

The Carnival is for about a week, but people throw parties for a month Everybody dresses up and there are different costumes for each day of the Carnival!

I think this is the best Carnival in Brazil because the party is in the streets and the people follow the bands around the streets on foot — dancing, drinking, and having fun I really hope you can come You need a vacation!

Write soon

Best wishes,

Joao

the study and doing of painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.

the study of the world's features, climate, population, products, etc.the study of the structure and properties of substances

physical exercisethe study of events and people of the pastthe study of music and musicians

READING PRACTICE: TEXT

U.S Children Start Earlier

It is 8:00 a.m and Susan in Seattle, in the U.S., is starting her school day, but her

British cousin Mark, in London, is still having his breakfast

Children in Britain start lessons an hour later than children in the U.S., but Mark stays

at school an hour later than his American cousin, Susan

This is not the only difference between the 2 systems Susan started elementary school when she was 6, while Mark began primary school at 5 Next year, when he

is 12, Mark will go to secondary school Susan is 12 now and has just started junior high school At 15, she will change schools again and go to high school So while Mark and his friends in Britain only go to 2 different schools, his cousin Susan in the U.S has to go to 3

Last year, Susan visited Mark's school in London "I thought it was going to be so different, but it wasn't The classrooms were similar, and there are also required and optional subjects Just like in the U.S., Mark has to take English and Math, but he can study more languages than we do In Seattle, it is always Spanish, but in Britain, kids can learn German, French, or even Japanese! That is a difference from home."

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LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Wh-questions

Which…?

Which country has the biggest population?

You use which to ask about choice.

How long…?

How long do elephants live?

You use how long to ask about length of time.

How often…?

How often is the World Cup soccer competition?

You use how often to ask about frequency.

How far…?

How far is it from Tokyo to Sydney, Australia?

You use how far to ask about distance.

How much…? / How many…?

How much money do you have?

How many states are there in the U.S.?

You use how much/how many to ask about quantity.

When…? / What time…?

When is the festival?

What time does the film start?

You use when to ask a general question about time.

You use what time to ask a question about times of the clock For example, 8:30.

Whose…?

Whose car is that?

GRAMMAR: General knowledge

PRACTICAL ENGLISH

Who…?

Who is the President of the U.S.?

You use who to ask a question about a person.

Note:

All of these question words are asking for information You cannot answer yes or no.

GRAMMAR: General knowledge

a person who does something that is stupid or not wise — investing all your money in one company for examplethe same meaning as 'intelligent' or 'smart'

not intelligent, but not 'stupid,' 'silly,' or 'foolish'

a person who has a very rare and natural abilitythe same meaning as 'intelligent' or 'clever'the same meaning as 'stupid,' but the meaning is less strong than 'stupid'

the adjective from 'fool'

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READING PRACTICE: TEXT

READING: Geniuses of the world

Genius or Idiot?

We often celebrate people for being intelligent or brilliant in certain areas, such as Albert Einstein, the scientific genius But we don't often reward people for being really unintelligent Since the mid-1990s however, a website called the Darwin Awards has told true stories about the silly things people do

For example, there is the story of a nineteen-year-old fool in Ohio in the United States He put his head in front of a train to see how close he could get to the

moving train before it hit him Then there was the story of a stupid criminal from Connecticut He tried to escape from the police by driving into the local prison, which he thought was a shopping mall

Another criminal who wasn't very clever was the Frenchman who robbed two

American Olympic runners at Seville Airport in Spain Larry Wade and Maurice Green, two of the fastest men on Earth, ran after the Frenchman and quickly caught the foolish thief The Frenchman said he was an innocent tourist, but a Spanish television crew had filmed everything and quickly called the police

to keep something or someone safe

to cut or tear something, such as paper or cloth, into little pieces

a false appearancethe act of lying or tricking, usually to steal money or property

an act against the lawprivate, secret

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READING PRACTICE: TEXT

READING: Identity theft

What is identity theft?

Identity theft is a serious crime When someone uses your personal information such

as your date of birth or social security number without your permission and uses it

to commit a crime such as fraud, that is identity theft Identity thieves may use your credit card, open new credit card accounts in your name, and even buy cars and houses in your name Often, the victims of identity theft end up facing enormous debt and poor credit

How can people steal your identity?

Identity thieves use different methods to find out your personal information One way is to go through your trash Important and private information can be found

on credit card bills, bank statements, and pay stubs Another way to get your

information is to file a change of address form with the post office Then your mail can be sent to the thief's address Sometimes, people steal your purse or wallet and find your information that way Thieves may also use false pretenses to get your information from financial institutions

How can you prevent identity theft?

You can take steps to protect yourself against identity thieves Keep your purse and wallet in a safe place Tear up or shred personal financial documents before you throw them away Don't give out confidential information such as your birth date, driver's license number, or other personal identification numbers unless you know who you are talking to Never put personal information online or tell someone over the telephone