Exam essentials proficiwncy practice test 5

PAPER Writing PAPER Use of English Part Part Part For questions 1-18, read the three texts below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap PAPER listening PAPER Speaking Where was he? Sally (1) the living room anxiously, unable to keep still How would he take the news? Would he be angry? She doubted it, but then nor would he be over the (2) He might be pleased at first, then worry about how they were going to cope How wouldthey cope? She (3) her hands in desperation Why did it have to happen now, just when he was about to (4) on his PhD? She was supposed to work and support them both while he studied Two years later and it would have been wonderful! But now? The key turned in the lock and she (5) round, her heart thumping 'Hi, love: he said, as he came through the door Then he saw her face and stopped dead in his (6) 'What's wrong?' There was nothing for it but to tell him 'We're going to have a baby: she said simply A A A A A stalked meadow wrapped endeavour swirled A steps B B B B B paced hill shook embark rolled B tracks C C C C C C wandered top wrung depart coiled D D D D D marched moon clasped undertake place D feet spun To those of you who are pragmatic and have your feet firmly (7) on the ground, the Chinese art of feng shui may sound like just another bohemian (8) to be scoffed at In fact, if you (9) with the philosophy, you will see that feng shui really does provide practical solutions to the problem of clutter in your life by encouraging you to reconsider your relationship with your surroundings You are probably reluctant to part with mementos, yet this unwillingness (10) creates a connection with the past that prevents you from moving on, and your· home atmosphere becomes (11) By teaching you to clear away clutter and create a fresh atmosphere in your home, feng shui brings a sense of harmony to your environment and so enhances your personal life That (12) , you may then discover that you are less sceptical of the philosophy behind it A attached A fad 10 11 12 A A A A discard subconsciously torpid said B B B B B B rooted phase dispel unwittingly immobile done C C C C C C placed habit D planted D whim despatch unerringly stale won D D D D dispense indefinitely inactive finished To many people, the ability to draw seems inexplicable, an innate talent reserved only for the chosen few For this reason artists are usually revered, sometimes undeservedly so That is not to (13) their admirable ability, but they themselves little to dispel the mystery surrounding the skill of drawing For skill it is: one which can be taught and learnt when you go (14) it in the right way If you ask an artist how she draws so well, she is (15) to say, 'Well, I just look at something and draw what I see.' This naturally does nothing to help the uninitiated and the mystery is (16) Yet on reflection, the artist's words define the process of drawing precisely, (17) simplistically For the secret of drawing lies in the artist's ability to see - not so much what she sees, but how she sees it It is the art teacher's job, then, to teach students how to change their way of looking at things, and the student in turn must learn to adjust her (18) of things 13 14 15 16 17 18 A A A A A A degrade around prone B belittle B about B predisposed perpetuated even though conception B continued B nevertheless B revelation C C C C C C defame over loathe extended albeit perception D D D D D D besmear through liable disseminated all the same vision PAPER Writing PAPER Use of English You are going to read four extracts which are all concerned in some way with robots For questions 19-26, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text PAPER Listening PAPER Speaking Fancy creating your very own Ronaldinho? Well, before long, you may be able to just that Simply sign up for RoboCup RoboCup is the nickname for an international scientific project called the Robot World Cup Initiative Inspired by the idea of using football as a means of promoting science and technological development, the project organisers have set an ultimate goal of building a robotic football team that will be able to beat the human World Cup winners by the year 2050 Teams are becoming increasingly competitive in their endeavours to create humanoid footballers, and the annual RoboCup World Championships play host to robotic designs at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence technology RoboCup Junior, an offshoot of the project designed for schools, has also witnessed some innovative designs from budding young scientists around the globe The question is: ·can RoboCup's goal realistically be achieved by 2050? The organisers admit it's a tall order, but argue that it is nevertheless feasible After all, there was only a matter of fifty years between the first flight by aeroplane and the first moon landing So it would be folly to dismiss out of hand the possibility of a world class robot football team beating the human champions by 2050 For now, though, my money remains firmly on the real Ronaldinho 19 The RoboCup project was launched A to advertise the use of artificial intelligence technology in football B to help children create a robotic football team by the year 2050 C to promote products created using robotics and artificial intelligence D to provide incentives for progress in artificial intelligence and robotics 20 How does the writer appear to feel abut the ultimate RoboCup challenge? A B C D amused but dismissive enthusiastic and optimistic interested but sceptical scornful and disbelieving Home Help Maid to Measure • Having problems organising your day? • Need someone to wake you up in the morning without bending your ear? • Ever feel you would benefit from having your PA available on a 24-hour basis? Problem solved! Meet Wendy, the no-fuss, no-nonsense personal assistantof your dreams, Friendlyand reliable, she will remind you of the day's appointments or inform you of the latest news or weather forecast discreetly and without lumbering you with the usual emotional baggage, Thisis because this little lady isa robot, The latest in state-of-the-art robotic design by Won Industries,Wendy can be programmed to suit your needs, Her inbuilt link to the Internet enables her to record phone messages and incoming e-mails, while an alarm system is programmed to contact emergency services in case of an accident or fire in the home, Speech recognition software permits her to recognise up to six people, and she can respond to programmed spoken requests quickly and effectively, And of course, after the initial outlay, maintenance relatively low, costs are So, what are you waiting for? Call your local Won representative today to learn more, You won't regret it! 21 Which feature of the robot does the advertisement A its loquacity B its succinctness C its austerity D its reticence 22 Who does the advertisement A B C D emphasise? seem to be targeting? business executives who lead busy social lives professional people who live alone and need help anyone who can afford the luxury of such a product career women with pressing family commitments Home Help Maid to Measure • Having problems organising your day? • Need someone to wake you up in the morning without bending your ear? • Ever feel you would benefit from having your PA available on a 24-hour basis? Problem solved! Meet Wendy, the no-fuss, no-nonsense personal assistantof your dreams, Friendlyand reliable, she will remind you of the day's appointments or inform you of the latest news or weather forecast discreetly and without lumbering you with the usual emotional baggage, Thisis because this little lady is a robot, The latest in state-of-the-art robotic design by Won Industries,Wendy can be programmed to suit your needs, Her Inbuilt link to the Internet enables her to record phone messages and incoming e-mails, while an alarm system is programmed to contact emergency services in case of an accident or fire In the home, Speech recognition software permits her to recognise up to six people, and she can respond to programmed spoken requests quickly and effectively, And of course, after the initial outlay, maintenance relatively low, costs are So, what are you waiting for? Call your local Won representative today to learn more, You won't regret it! 21 Which feature of the robot does the advertisement A its loquacity B its succinctness C its austerity o its reticence 22 Who does the advertisement emphasise? seem to be targeting? A business executives who lead busy social lives B professional people who live alone and need help C anyone who can afford the luxury of such a product o career women with pressing family commitments Introducing Robo-Doc In an endeavour to ease the pressure on senior doctors and surgeons, who are often required to divide their time between two or three hospitals, scientists have developed a medical robot that will be able to cover ward rounds The Remote Presence Robot (RP6) allows a patient immediate access to a surgeon or consultant anywhere in the world The specialist, controlling the robot with a remote control joystick, is able to examine a patient via a screen on the robot's 'face', view X-rays, records and test results, and give advice to other medical staff, even though he or she cannot be physically present In Britain, the RP6 robots are being trialled at St Mary's Hospital, London Heading the project is Professor Sir Ara Darzi, Head of the Division of Surgery, Anaesthetics and Intensive Care at Imperial College London and a practising surgeon at St Mary's In a news release announcing the start of the trials earlier this year, he stated: 'This is a revolutionary concept which opens new avenues for telemedicine research and integrates technology with healthcare at a grass roots level, increasing the interface between patients, clinicians and teaching staff.' The trial also includes a study to assess how patients respond to the robot and to evaluate the potential for further developments 23 Why is the robot scheme beneficial to both doctors and patients? A It enables specialists to examine patients physically and provide a diagnosis from a distance B It saves specialists time and provides patients with instant support C It enables staff to treat patients effectively from a distance D Patients are able to seek the advice of any medical expert day or night anywhere in the world 24 What does Professor Darzi mean when he says that the scheme 'integrates technology with healthcare at a grass roots level'? A Technology can playa direct role in the practical treatment of all patients B Medicine combined with technology can offer effective healthcare C Technology provides medical experts treating patients with a bedside manner D Healthcare experts can make use of technology to help them form diagnoses He was lying face down in the dark, a heavy object pinning him to the floor Breathing was difficult and movement was impossible What had happened? An explosion? An earthquake? Had the house collapsed? Jenny! Was she alright? He had to get out had to find her Pain seared through his chest and everything went black A low, whirring sound reached his ear and he stirred Had he left the mixer on? No, that was absurd! Even ifhe had, it wouldn't be working now His mind must be playing tricks on him He wondered how long he had been lying there At that moment, a dull red glow lit up in front of his face and he found himself staring into what looked like a miniature camera stuck on the end of a probe It was surreal; he had to be dreaming! The camera paused for a minute as if registering his presence, then backed away, and the whirring sound gradually receded, silence falling around him like a blanket He felt nauseous again Wait! Was that another sound? The weight above him shifted and he cried out in pain 'Here's someone, Stan! In here!' yelled a voice above him 'The robot actually did it! Get over here Now!' He'd been found! He was safe! But what was that about a robot? 25 The man thought he must be dreaming because A of the incongruity of what he could see B he imagined he could see a camera e o of the fact that he was hallucinating he was bewildered by the light 26 We can infer from the text that A the man is married to Jenny B the man is the first survivor to be found by the robot e o Jenny had been cooking when disaster struck Stan is the robot's operator You are going to read an extract from a novel Seven paragraphs have been PAPER3 Use of English removed from the extract Choose from the paragraphs A-H the one which fits each gap (27-33) There is one extra paragraph which you not need to use PAPER4 Listening PAPER Speaking School Tie The bus journey seemed interminably long It was a warm day for March and the atmosphere inside the bus was stifling My crisp new uniform felt like a straitjacket, the infuriating scarlet tie round my neck threatening to choke me Ties! We have to wear a tie to school, in this day and age? An outrage, an abomination! My aesthetic senses were affronted [E]~ _ 'Let's see you it, then, mother! I mean women wear them all the time, don't they? So it's natural that their daughters should wear them to schoo!!' Sarcasm remained my strongest weapon against my patient, care-worn mother Frustrated, I tore the offensive object from my neck and threw it unceremoniously on the floor 'Just another yoke around our necks to force us to submit to their authority!' ~ 'Come on, dear It's not so bad It's only a uniform, and you'll look so smart.' My mother always tried to avert potential head-on collisions between my father and me 'I'm not wearing it! And I'm not going to that crummy school! Why did we have to move? Why couldn't dad have stayed where he was?' I ranted on, relentless, fighting back angry tears, lamenting the injustice of the situation forced upon me ~ With the benefit of hindsight, of course, I realise that she was undoubtedly the person who suffered most from that move It had been thrust upon her just as much as on us children, and had rocked her world too She had been happy with her life, her circle of friends, her daily routine Suddenly, she too found herself in an alien environment, keenly aware not only of her own problems in readjusting, but of those of her offspring as well ~ That I was the focus of some speculation was understandable A new girl starting in the middle of the school year was bound to arouse interest It boded change - of both a demographic nature in the classroom and a geographical one, for where would I sit? And beyond that, a readjustment in the social dynamics of the group, a potential reshuffle m hierarchy QTI~ Sinking lower in my seat, I silently cursed my father's appalling timing in being relocated, thus bringing upon his daughter anguish and embarrassment for the second time in six months Was the youngest member ofthe family suffering the same humiliation? I doubted it Sporting an equally crisp new uniform, with an equally constrictive tie, but seemingly unaware of it, my sibling had casually strolled off to school that morning as if it were no big deal QI]~ 'Hello.' A voice close to my ear broke through my jumbled thoughts and returned me abruptly to the present It seemed that one of the girls could contain her curiosity no longer 'What's your name?' I struggled against an urge to be sick, forcing down the lump in my throat, and eyed her suspiciously Staring at me was an open, fun-loving face, with eyes that sparkled with mischief It showed potential At least she was making an effort I had to give her that [EJ _ The content of that first conversation escapes me now All that remains is the feeling of relief I enjoyed as the knot of fear and embarrassment that had been churning in my stomach gradually dissipated, and even my tie seemed to loosen its stranglehold on my throat I began to breathe normally again and the prospect of entering a new phase in my life no longer seemed so dark and terrifYing A The egocentricity of youth often prevents us from perceiving the pain of others So concerned are we with our own feelings, we believe that no one can be suffering with the same intensity as ourselves In the emotional turmoil caused by the upheaval of moving house and changing school, of having my world turned upside down, I failed to even consider, let alone comprehend, the pressures upon my parents Rather, I callously blamed them for the situation, and as usual, mother bore the brunt of my rage B My mother thought I was overreacting, as always 'Ever the drama-drawers!' she would say, exasperatedly 'Everything is of major importance when it concerns you Think of your father for once! It's not easy for him, either Don't be so difficult!' C The root of my present discomfort lay in the fact that my new classmates were being about as subtle as a couple of sledgehammers, standing up in their seats and peering over at me, then falling back and giggling at some not very private joke concerning my appearance D 'What kind of establishment are you sending me to this time?' I had berated my mother It had taken me an age to learn how to the tie up, standing in front of the mirror, with my father ostensibly showing me how He soon despaired of my miserable efforts, however, patience not being one of his strong points E Sitting there sweltering on that bus, however, the tie now neatly in place - my father had seen to that - understanding and compassion were beyond me as I cursed my misfortune in being forced to change school again I stared mournfully out of the window and desperately tried to ignore the sniggering and whispering from the seat behind mine F While the other girls tittered inanely in the background, we made our first connection So imprisoned did I feel in my isolation, exiled on the island of that lonely seat, the space next to me taunting me with its emptiness, that this gesture, this reaching out felt like a lifeline pulling me back to civilisation G Peter generally went through life with an air of polite aloofness Unperturbed by emotional attachments, seemingly untroubled by fear, insecurity or self-doubt - all of which clouded my own troubled, adolescent mind - he drifted into new environments and new experiences cushioned by an inherent sense of self-assurance How I envied him! H I was full of such proclamations at that age, much to my parents' consternation I wore them out with grand statements on independence and free thinking 'Frank and outspoken' were comments frequently made by the teachers at my previous school, euphemisms, no doubt, for 'pig-headed and contrary' My comment on the present state of affairs caused my father's face to go a dangerous shade of red You are going to read an article about music For questions 34-40, choose the answer lA, B, C or 0) which you think fits best according to the text PAPER Use of English PAPER Listening PAPER Speaking I maginea locked room in which a person sits alone staring into space.There is nothing to look at Most of the world is stripped away.Except for sounds But these sounds resemble nothing heard before They lack all similarity to experience and any reference to surroundings Now imagine that those sounds - heard for the first time - are the sounds of a Beethoven symphony What would that disembodied ear and mind make of them? How much would be understood? In recent decades such a situation would have been considered artificial, abstract and irrelevant What kind of musical understanding can grow out of this kind of isolation, lacking the expectations provided by the knowledge of a style and lacking some sense of historical and political context? To understand music, we have been taught, that room has to be unlocked, the windows open and the world fully engaged But now the emphasis may be changing The appeal of a more abstract way of thinking about music may be growing There is a search for timeless laws and principles; it may be that something can be learned from the listener in the locked room A new field, for example, sometimes called biomusicology, is preoccupied with how music affects the brain What regions of the brain respond to changes in harmony or melody? Is there a single region that makes sense of music? Is there a difference between the way neurons react to frequency differences in speech (intonation) and frequency differences in pitch (melody)? In such research the contingencies of culture and history are often stripped away.The foundations of musical perception are sought, as are the biological laws that make music a human universal This change in emphasis may also be contributing to a renewed interest in the relationship bet:\veen music and mathematics For all of music's deep connections to human experience and social life, music is also similar to mathematics in important respects, as ancient philosophical and musical texts insist Harmony and counterpoint, after all, are sonic reflections of ratio and number Musical languages seem to possess their own premises and laws And a coherent and elegantly phrased composition can display the beauty and inevitability of a mathematical proof Mathematicians and musicians have long had reciprocal interests For a time, though, such musical idealism became something of an eccentricity But more recently seminars in music and mathematics have been proliferating at universities Last autumn Oxford University Press published an anthology, 'Music and Mathematics: From Pythagoras to Fractals' What sort of picture of musical understanding is taking shape with this renewed interest? Much of the brain research is teasingly inconclusive Every effort to examine the effects single musical variables - pitch, metre, harmony inadvertently shows just how much more music is than the sum of its parts Despite attempts to identity a particular musical region of the brain, for example, Dr Tramo, director the Institute for Music and Brain Science at Harvar University, has shown that many regions are active when musi is heard: even motor areas of the brain can become actiw though the body might be at rest The relationship bet:\veen music and language is also complex The Russian composer Vissarion Shelabin continue"; to write music for a decade after a stroke in 1953 damaged lis speech and language understanding In one classic study, braindamaged patients could identity instruments and wrong no : but could not recognise melodies Some acoustic phenome:::- say variations in pitch - are interpreted differently \yhe heard in music and in speech A recent paper on the tone-dC'.,.:by researchers who included Aniruddh D Patel at • Neurosciences Institute in San Diego shows that while su :: individuals may have no trouble discriminating intonations ::: speech, they are stymied by sliding musical imitations of th :~ intonations Sonic events may be experienced differently when ( ~ become part of music This is where that locked room becOl~~ so suggestive We have all been in the position of that abs listener, particularly when hearing music of an alien culture -: the first time that can at first seem like little more than rand _ sounds But music has a power unique among forms of h communication: it can teach itself Gradually, over repea:~.: hearings, without the use of a dictionary or any reference' the world outside, music shows how it is to be understood -= listener begins to hear patterns, repeated motifs and chant> : _ metre and realises that sounds have punctuation, that p are being manipulated, transformed and recombined Nothing else is quite like this self-contained, self-teac world Music may be the ultimate self-revealing code; it car: comprehended in a locked room This is one reason ,,"connections with mathematics are so profound Though requires reference to the world, it too proceeds by no similarities and variations in patterns, in contemplatin" ' structure of abstract systems Mathematics is done the music is understood 0: Extract Three root of it all However, whether you believe in them or not, it Woman: Dad's been a bit lost since he retired last October Feels like he's out on a limb Mum says he just gets in the way and that he should go and join a golf club or something It must be pretty tough for him, though I mean, you give up your whole life serving your country and then suddenly, that's it - you're not needed any more is true that the vast majority of ancient temples, castles, churches, stone circles, megaliths and shrines tend to align in straight lines Anyone with a comprehensive tourist map, a pencil and a ruler can verify this For example if we consider a significant site in British folklore - the Tor at Glastonburywe see that it sits at the hub of a large number of ley lines which lead off directly through hundreds of other ancient sites Ley lines have been found connecting the stone circles Man: Yeah, but there's a reason why they're called the golden years Retirement needn't be the end of the world It could be the realisation of life's ambitions Take myoid man He always was a bit of an entreprel;leur, and by the time his first pension cheque came through, he and my mum had already invested in a few acres of land in the south of Spain They'd done their research and so their first year turned up a good vintage Now they're making a small fortune out of the vineyard, and living life to the full Extract Four Interviewer: My special guest today is Julia Jones, who set up her own tour agency with a view to catering for all those single females who need to get out a bit more Julia, what was your motivation for starting Travelling Ladies? Julia: Well I was in a dead-end job working anti-social hours and I knew I had to get out I already had some experience in the tourism industry and I thought the gap in the market was for singles Do you know how difficult it is to get a single room in some places? And the cost of a single supplement often puts it out of reach for most people Interviewer: Why concentrate on women only? Surely there are plenty of single men out there too? Julia: Well, I wanted to stay away from the stigma attached to 'singles holidays' I mean, not everyone who goes on holiday alone is going in the hope of some easy match-making It's a sure recipe for disaster anyway No it struck me that many single women don't have the confidence to go abroad or book holidays for themselves That's traditionally a male domain I just thought I could offer them something special that catered just for them of Scotland and there is even a ley line purported to be running right through Buckingham Palace But ley lines are not confined to the British Isles The Nazca lines, which cross the plains of Peru, are just one other example They also occur in China, Greece, Egypt and anywhere ancient peoples constructed their temples In the past thirty years or so there has been a resurgence of interest in ley lines Their existence was discovered, or should I say rediscovered, by a man called Alfred Watkins in 1921, who, while studying an ordnance survey map in Hertfordshire, noticed that a series of geological features and man-made sites appeared to have a most singular alignment He went on to publish a book propounding the theory that the constructions on ley lines were the navigational markers of ancient trade routes This theory was soon discredited, however, as few considered it plausible that a trader would have been willing to scale a high hill and then clamber down to the valley just to follow the straightest line across the land While most people agree that there appears to be a definite arrangement in the placing of these sites many consider them to be a mere coincidence Our own research at the Institute has indicated that an alignment of historical sites does not automatically determine the presence of a ley line, although it often points to one being there Instead, we believe that ley lines are a manifestation of the Earth's geomagnetic energy, which crisscrosses the land creating a network of natural power right under our feet There is compelling evidence to suggest that this energy runs in straight lines, much like the meridians - as any acupuncturist will tell you - that cover our bodies The monuments on them merely serve to reveal this network This would imply that either the peoples of ancient civilisations allover the world were aware of ley lines or they were unwittingly drawn to their power In ancient times, ~ ~ PART You will hear a radio talk about ley lines For questions 9-17, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase Interviewer: Today we're pleased to welcome Ruth Browning of the Gaia Institute, where for the past fifteen years they've been examining a phenomenon known as ley lines Ruth, what can you tell us about ley lines? Ruth: Well first of all it has to be said that there is still a lot of controversy surrounding ley lines with many sceptics doubting their existence altogether One definition of ley lines is that they are imaginary lines marking the alignment of ancient places of worship, but we believe there is nothing imaginary about them, that real geophysical power is at the people were far more in tune with nature and the earth than we are today relying more on their body's natural sensitivity and intuitive powers to locate underground water supplies or a sacred site for a temple or shrine There are other theories about ley lines Some believe that the location of ancient sites along specific lines was based on complex astronomical calculations made by the builders of ancient monuments, whose intention was to mirror the alignment of constellations in the sky And, according to some claims, UFO sightings often occur above ley line intensive areas In recent years, proving the existence of ley lines has been a favourite pastime of New Age enthusiasts, which is why scientists tend to take a dim view of the subject However, scientists who have studied ley lines claim that the places where they are said to intersect seem to have a stronger magnetic intensity than other areas, but the data is currently inconclusive, so the jury is still out on the subject ~ ~ PART You will hear part of an interview with an artist For questions 18-22, choose the answer lA, B, C or OJ which fits best according to what you hear )nterviewer: \Nekome "bacK.r-Dr 't'nose 0\ you w'no 'nave on)y just switched on your radio, we're talking today to artist Brendan Rothschild, whose recent exhibition of sculpture has received mixed reviews Brendan, the question most Brendan: Some of it, though it need not be abstract to be modern Throughout history, art has continued to evolve Those with the most vision, and sometimes - but not always those with the most skill, have found a way to move art forward Just look back over the past one hundred years Towards the end of the nineteenth century, artists like Van Gogh had pushed against the boundaries of what was considered acceptable art Poor old Vincent never sold a painting in his lifetime People weren't ready for his vision, but today his paintings sell for millions Other artists like Gauguin, Picasso, Duchamp and Matisse opened avenues for new ideas, new visions, challenging the notion of what art was supposed to be, and movements such as Cubism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Fauvism, Abstract Expressionism were all born as the result of somebody doing something that had never been done before frequently raised has been about whether your work can even be classified as art How does that make you feel? Interviewer: Do you think other factors influenced the way art was developing? Brendan: Well to tell the truth, I try not to let it get to me My art is meant to be provocative, and if some people are provoked then at least it's having the desired effect After all, the perception of art is in the eye of the beholder, and there will always be someone whose definition of art will differ from mine Brendan: Certainly, the invention of the camera had an impact on the role of art No longer was it necessary for artists to imitate life, and the rich lost their excuse to commission renowned artists to show off their wealth with portraits of thoroughbred horses and greyhounds Technology was suddenly capable of doing that and photography was soon available to everyone This gave artists the freedom to experiment with materials, with colour, with perspective to challenge the way we see things and even our notions of what constitutes reality Interviewer: And what is your definition of art, if you don't mind my asking? Brendan: Sure, why not? I believe that art is anything created in the name of art For example, if I stand on this chair and call it art, then it is, because I made it to be art Now whether it is good, bad mediocre or any other adjective you care to attach to it is purely subjective, and everyone's welcome to their opinion Interviewer: Which brings us back to what you were telling us before the break about your own work So where you see your work going in the future? Brendan: Forward, I hope Interviewer: But surely, anybody could stand on a chair and call it art? Brendan: Yes, but they don't, they? That's the point Much of the time, what really succeeds as art is something that hasn't been done before Technical skill rarely comes into it All the skill in the world doesn't necessarily make you an artist Conversely, there are a good number of artists out there that have made a living - even become famous - despite having little or no technical ability They just had an original way of expressing an old idea, or a traditional way of expressing an original one Interviewer: So if I picked up a bucket of paint and threw it at a canvas, that would be deemed art? Brendan: Certainly it would, if that had been your intention It wouldn't be very successful, though, as it's already been done In fact, thinking of something novel and then expressing it successfully is harder than most people think Some say that modern art has reached an impasse, but I think that's narrow thinking Twenty-first century art is just searching for another flash of inspiration Interviewer: Do you believe that abstract art is a reflection of our times? ~ ~ PART You will hear an interview with Mark and Trudy, two zoologists For questions 23-28, decide whether the opinions are expressed by only one of the speakers, or whether the speakers agree Write T for Trudy, M for Mark or for 80th, where they agree Interviewer: The system by which honeybees communicate the location of food sources has fascinated animal behaviourists ever since the 1920s, when eminent Austrian zoologist Karl von Frisch began to research the subject In the studio today we have invited Dr Mark Sherlock and Dr Trudy Collins to reveal more about this mysterious activity Mark, what can you tell us about honeybee communication? Mark: What I can tell you is that honeybees communicate using what is probably the most complex symbolic code system in the animal world The discovery that came to be known as the 'honeybee dance language' is considered by many to be one of the greatest in behavioural science Trudy: What many scientists disagree on is whether the system honeybees use can be called a language or whether these insects instinctively perform dances in order to pass on the aromas of flower patches to other bees which are then guided by their olfactory senses to the food source Mark: Karl von Frisch who received a Nobel Prize for his work on insect communication spent a good part of his life trying to prove that the way honeybees communicate is far more than just an arbitrary use of signals It is almost a conscious choice of symbols made by the 'dancer' and correctly interpreted by the other bees It is in other words a language Trudy: Except that the idea of a non-human language conflicts deeply with what most of us consider to be our own unique achievement, as can be seen from the reaction by some scientists to language experiments involving primates or certain aquatic mammals Mark: Nevertheless, Von Frisch discovered that foraging honeybees could communicate the exact location of food sources, impart the quality of the food and convey other critical information that the colony might need Trudy: Yes, what he observed is that on returning to the hive, a forager bee - one that has been out scouting for rich food sources -will perform a dance in a designated area called the dance floor, and other bees - usually called recruitment bees - will then leave the hive to follow the dancer's instructions to the food source Mark: The dances definitely serve a communicative purpose as they are never performed without an audience Von Frisch noted two kinds of dance: circular dances are used to communicate the existence of food that is in the vicinity of the hive, while waggle dances tend to communicate the existence of a food source which could be several miles distant There is a clear correlation between the angle of the dance and the direction of the food source Trudy: What von Frisch also discovered is that the bees position themselves on the vertical combs of the hive at an angle which indicates the position of the sun while the angle between the vertical and the straight run of the waggle dance is equal to the angle of the sun above the horizon The speed of the dance is thought to indicate the distance from the hive to the food source, as dances slow down when food sources are moved further away Mark: The duration of the dance is also thought to be a factor that indicates distance or perhaps the difficulty involved in getting to the source - for example, flying uphill or against the wind, And the desirability of a food source is indicated by the vigour with which the dance is performed - sluggish dances may indicate a source which will not yield a great reward and they will also attract fewer new recruits than more vigorous dances Trudy: There is certainly enough evidence to suggest that bees communicate to each other using more than just olfactory signals But at the end of the day, if someone doesn't want to believe that animals use a symbolic language, nothing is going to convince them Mark: Well, I for one believe that there's certainly a lot more to these little creatures than we tend to give them credit for ~ ~ PART You will hear four different extracts For questions 1-8, choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best according to what you hear There are two questions for each extract Man: Now, consider your dining room chairs for a moment More than any other piece of furniture dining chairs need to withstand the wear and tear of daily life, Think about what you to that chair Firstly, you sit on it - obviously! But think about how you sit down No doubt you deposit yourself on it with force You may also lean back in your chair and casually tip it onto its back legs Imagine the strain this places on the chair's rear joints Apart from this, when you change a light bulb, or get that book down from the top shelf, it's usually the good old dining chair that gets dragged across the room to stand on So different parts of the chair experience a great deal of stress and strain at different times Therefore, designing a chair successfully is a matter of engineering first and foremost, and then aesthetics The creation of strong joints between the seat rails and the legs is vital because these come under tremendous pressure There are various ways in which joint reinforcements can be worked into the design of the chair and this is something we'll be looking at over the next few sessions Extract Two Woman: Customer Services Department, can I help you? Man: I hope so, love Bill Rice from Home Delivery Bit of bother with one of the orders The address on the invoice, I can't find it, see Woman: Er it should be at the top Man: No no, love! I mean I can't find the place Drew Top Drive doesn't seem to exist I've been driving round looking for it for the last hour Someone must have got it wrong on the papers, probably at the loading bay Man: Right you are Hang on a tick 'Ere it is Difficult to see without my glasses 0024 Customer's name, Hicks, A fridge freezer Woman: Just a moment, The address I've got here is 40, Dew Drop Lane Man: There you are What did I tell you? I dunno, These girls in the depot office The paper comes in from the store but they're too busy gossiping to read the address properly before typing it Thanks, love, Best be off I'm running late, Bye, now, Extract Three precisely the location of the ancient citadel Commanding Woman: The truth is we our children a grave injustice by extraordinary skills in engineering and at the same time displaying a deep respect for the landscape, the Incas constructed the city on top of a mountain overlooking the valley of the River Urubamba testing them all the time The purpose of education is not only to teach, but to instil in the child a desire to learn, surely The success of a teacher should be gauged not on what grades her students attain but rather on how many of them enjoy being in her class We need to motivate children instead of highlighting their mistakes and making them hate school by humiliating them in front of their peers Tests serve a useful purpose for the teacher onlv By demonstrating what children not know they allow the teacher to place emphasis on making sure that he or she then learns it No one, child or adult, likes being tested Yet given the chance to show off what we can well, we shine And just as a child longs to see his mother's face light up with pride at his achievements, so the adult craves the admiration of his friends and colleagues What I'm saying is encouraging a child to develop his mind freely will breed more success than forcing him to learn under threat of low marks Extract Four Interviewer: Without doubt your book about the Vendee Globe single-handed round-the-world yacht race not only makes fascinating reading but also restores readers' faith in human nature Personally I felt humbled by the magnitude of what you achieved and in particular the sacrifice you made You were in with a chance to win one of the most prestigious races in the yachting world, yet you gave it all up to go and rescue a fellow competitor who was in distress I cannot imagine what that decision must have cost you Sailor: It's a funny thing, really I won't pretend it wasn't a wrench giving up my chances in the race but there was never any question of my not going back for Roget I was daunted by the enormity of the task that lay ahead of me, for conditions were appalling, with winds of up to sixty knots and ferocious seas But the code of the sea is unequivocal on this point: if someone is in trouble you go to help I couldn't have lived with myself or faced the people I love if I hadn't gone No prize is more precious than human life What's particularly remarkable about the site is the fact that while the citadel perches on the summit the Incas constructed a complex series of agricultural terraces descending the steep irregular slopes of the mountain If you look at photograph B behind me er you can see that these tiers extended over a terrain of varying altitudes which meant that the farmers had to contend with a variety of changeable climatic conditions How they overcame this problem with such success remains a mystery to this day An interesting factor to observe here is the skilful manner in which they constructed these andenes as they are also called in harmony with the landscape The irrigation channels running between them served a dual purpose in providing each terrace with supporting walls as well as supplying it with water Given the diversity of the terrain and environmental conditions, the fact that these terraces are still intact demonstrates the exceptional quality of the Incas' engineering skills This is further illustrated by the extraordinary design and structure of the urban sector When Hiram Bingham made his momentous discovery of Machu Picchu in 1911, it was purely by chance He had been searching for another legendary lost city of the Incas, Vileabamba What he found instead overwhelmed him Separated from the agricultural sector by a large perimeter wall of stone built in a style characteristic of the Incas the urban area consisted of 172 compounds of different shapes and sizes These were connected by 109 stairways Each enclosure appears to have had a specific function, judging from evidence found during excavation For example, one was for storage, no doubt of the crops that had been harvested Another contained a number of mortars and must have been where corn beer was made Several exquisite buildings stand out as being the most important on the site, and these were the Coricancha, or Temple of the Sun, the Aqllawasi - House of the Virgins, and the Temple of the Three Windows, which were involved in rituals and religious ceremonies Then a specially sculpted stone, the Intihuatana, was used for astronomical observations of an advanced kind The ~ ~ PART You will hear part of a lecture on the lost city of Machu Picchu in Peru For questions 9-17, complete the sentences with a word or short phrase Presenter: Good morning, everyone Today's lecture is about a place that is close to my heart - the historic lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu And here to tell us about it is one of the leading experts in the field, Professor Elizabeth Harrington Professor: Thank you Well, as you can see from the photographs on display behind me, Machu Picchu is indisputably one of the world's most impressive archaeological sites enclosures extended outwards from a large central public square, with two smaller ones a little further out, exemplifying the meticulous design and functional organisation of the city Coupled with this was a deep-rooted desire to blend with the natural surroundings shown by the fact that many sacred rocks and stones were carefully incorporated into the design without being adulterated Built at the end of the fourteenth century and known to have been functioning well into the sixteenth century Machu Picchu stands testimony to the Incas' engineering skills and aesthetic sensitivity Perhaps even more than this, it illustrates the sheer endurance of these people, making their sudden disappearance all the more difficult to explain There is no sign of the Spanish conquerors having ever reached the city and some scholars argue that the city became depopulated before the Spaniards even arrived This offers a possible explanation for the fact that Bingham found no treasures of gold or silver at the site Perhaps the people themselves removed the treasures to a safer location Yet why the people left remains a mystery Were they destroyed by war with a rival tribe? The Incas themselves were known to annihilate a defeated enemy This could have been the fate of the people at Machu Picchu Another possibility is that an epidemic wiped out the inhabitants of Machu Picchu and the city was never re-populated Whatever the explanation, this piece of the puzzle has eluded historians, and as such offers a fascinating challenge to historians of the future ~ ~ PART You will hear part of a radio interview with a member of a language revival action group For questions 18-22, choose the answer (A, B, Cor 0) which fits best according to what you hear Presenter: Good evening This week on Right to Speak, we'll be looking at the revival of some of the British Isles' dying languages, and it gives me great pleasure to welcome the first of tonight's speakers Philip McNair is a teacher of Gaelic and a member of an action group endeavouring to revive Gaelicmedium teaching in Scottish schools Philip, a lot's been happening recently in Scotland with regard to the revival of the Gaelic language Can you tell our listeners a little bit about it? Philip: Certainly, Pamela Well the Scottish Parliament recently passed a bill recognising Gaelic as an official language of Scotland and this constitutes the culmination of a long struggle on the part of many people myself included to cain official support in promoting the teaching of Gaelic in schools Presenter: But you've taken it a step further than that, haven't you? Philip: We have indeed Following the success of the Welsh initiative in using their native language as the teaching medium in schools, we decided to try to the same for Scotland Presenter: And would you say the interest is there, among young people, as well as old? Philip: Oh, aye, definitely There's already a fair number of upils who have been educated in Gaelic throughout primary school and who would like to continue their secondary education in the same vein The problem is facilities are as yet sufficient for them to so Presenter: Why is that? Philip: Well, it all boils down to a matter of staff There's a lack of trained secondary school teachers who are able or even willing to use Gaelic as their teaching medium According to figures, in 2003 there were 152 primary school teachers teaching through the medium of Gaelic, while in secondary education, they numbered only 26 So our action group aims to encourage and recruit more teachers at this level There are intensive language courses available for already qualified teachers, which it is hoped will motivate them to build their knowledge of the language up to the level required for secondary teaching We've also set up several part-time teacher training courses and there are currently two distancelearning courses run by Aberdeen University and Lews Castle College on Stornoway In fact, the first group of trainees from Aberdeen graduated with flying colours in June this year, providing Gaelic-medium schools with twenty new primary teachers and five secondary school teachers And numbers are growing Philip: For the moment, yes, but I think the tide's turning We've secured four million pounds from the government spend on training resources, and are dedicating a large portion of that to secondary teacher training and to the provision of classroom resources for Gaelic medium teaching The important thing is, I think, to encourage people as a whole to want to revive the language, at home as well as at school, not only to prevent it from dying out, but in order to develop it as part of their cultural identity once more Linguistically Scottish Gaelic is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages along with Irish and Manx In the case of the latter the last native speaker died on the Isle of Man in 1974, and Manx was then officially declared a dead language This sent shockwaves through many Celtic communities and sparked a renewed interest in reviving Celtic languages It's worth noting that today there are several hundred Manx speakers, and I think this is proof that people care about their cultural identity and want to hold onto it Gaelic represents an important part of our cultural heritage as Celts, whether we are Scottish, Irish, Manx or Welsh, and we have a duty to protect and uphold it We are lucky in Scotland because the forming of the Scottish Parliament enabled the Gaelic revival movement to gain political clout and as a result provided us with the financial means to achieve our aims We now have the necessary funds to make our ideas work This in turn has encouraged an increase in interest among the general public because they no longer see the language as a lost cause Presenter: Philip McNair, thank you And on that note, let me introduce our next guest for this evening, from the Isle of Man Dave: Do you really? Oh, give me a live show any day - and work under one roof Who wants the hassle of carting forty ~ ~ PART You will hear two costume designers, Dave and Karen, discussing their work in theatre and film For questions 23-28, decide whether the opinions are expressed by only one of the speakers, or whether the speakers agree Write K for Karen, D for Dave or for 80th, where they agree Karen: Why, I look exhausted? Actually, I've just finished working on a film that's due out in October and, I can tell you, I'm looking forward to getting some sleep! Dave: I thought you didn't like working in film Didn't you once say that nothing compared with theatre work? Karen: I may have done But you know how it is in our business If you get a break, can you honestly pass it up? It's so difficult to get your foot in the door of the film industry, and let's face it, that's where the real money is Dave: Yeah, but is money what it's all about? I mean, the last time I worked on a film, I got up at the crack of dawn, drove fifty miles to the location of that day's shoot only to find myself hanging around most of the day while they struggled to get one scene right You don't get any of that in the theatre! Karen: Oh, come on! Sometimes you're rushed off your feet on a film set Dave: Mmm, but even then, there's a lot of messing about The money may be attractive, but is it worth it? All that time you spend drinking cups of insipid tea while you're waiting for the rain to stop, or some pretty boy protagonist to get his act together Karen: Umm, that is a downside, I must admit Actors in the theatre tend to be more conscientious about learning their lines and so on, and that certainly makes work flow more smoothly Still, there's something about film I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's somehow, well, more challenging Perhaps because of the extra pressure you're under Not only is it tough for a designer to break into film, but once you're in there's no guarantee that you've made it There's no leeway for mistakes One badly done job and you're finished The word goes round and you don't get a second chance So you've got to be on your toes all the time Ready to jump from scene to scene at the drop of a hat having to make sure you've got the right costumes ready for each shoot rushing off to different locations There's a certain edge to it, and I love that costumes in the pouring rain to some godforsaken outdoor location? But it's not just that Don't you feel that things aren't so intense in the theatre? You can get away with minor glitches, and more importantly your hard work gets' recognised You're a part of the team and everyone supports each other It's not so backstabbing Karen: That depends who you work with! I know what you're saying, though There's nothing so exhilarating as a first night with everyone pulling together to make it all happen, followed by the party afterwards, You can let your hair down Dave: Exactly! There's a kind of camaraderie that you just don't get in film Karen: That's possibly down to the fact that a film crew is much larger, and people aren't all working together at the same time You have to admit, Dave, you meet a more diverse range of people working on a film, and that can be inspiring, 1f you're lucky enough to get on a film with a large budget you may even find yourself working at the cutting edge of the industry with some of the most creative people in the business Dave: So would you say you're finished with the theatre, then? Karen: No, of course not! I'm not belittling the work we in the theatre! Far from it, and I'll go wherever there's work I can't believe you'd say no to film work that came your way, either It would be suicide! D UNIVERSITY of CAMBRIDGE ESOL Examinations • I IIII 11111 Candidate Name Candidate Name Ifnotar(~ II not