English Language

Text A: The World’s Oldest Swim

Matt (the writer) and his brother Calum go to Turkey to swim across a famous stretch of
water called the Dardanelles Strait. It's a long-distance race with historical importance, tough
sea conditions, and emotional ups and downs.

Matt and Calum already knew the Dardanelles Strait was a busy place for ships. It connects
four different seas and is used for trade between Asia and Europe. When they looked through
the trees and saw huge ships carrying goods, they weren’t surprised.

➡meaning: This place is very active with big ships moving between continents. It's not a
peaceful beach—it’s an important trade route.

Calum reacts by saying “Whoa!” because the place feels very industrial. They realize this
swim is going to be very different from the calm rivers and lakes they swim in back home.

➡ meaning:
This is not going to be an easy, peaceful swim like they are used to. It's a serious and
challenging place.

There are old castle ruins on the shores. The area is famous in myths—like the story of
Leander who swam across to meet his lover. Lord Byron, a famous poet, proved it could be
done in 1810. That’s why it’s called the World’s Oldest Swim.

➡️meaning:
This place has a lot of history, and swimming here feels special and meaningful because of
the legends and past swimmers.

Before the race, swimmers are invited to a meal. They meet Ed, a friendly but nervous Irish
man, who panics when he hears there might be jellyfish. The organizers also give bad news
—strong winds and waves are expected tomorrow. They even tell people not to swim if they
aren’t used to such conditions.

➡ meaning:
There’s danger ahead. The sea might be very rough, and not everyone is ready for that.

The swimmers try to act brave. They think the organizers are just warning the weaker
swimmers—not them.

➡meaning:
People ignore the danger because they really want to swim. They don’t want to believe the
warning is for them.

On race day, swimmers from many countries walk to the ferry. People in buildings watch
them. The ferry is full of people in swimsuits. Everyone is quiet and nervous. Ed is still
missing.
➡ meaning:
The atmosphere is tense. Everyone is anxious about what’s coming.

The sea is even rougher than they expected. The waves are wild, and even the ferry ride is
scary. Matt is afraid because he has never swum in such dangerous conditions.

➡ Simple meaning:
The sea looks dangerous and powerful. Even riding a boat is scary, so swimming will be even
worse.

The day before, when the sea was calm, they learned about two sea currents that flow in
opposite directions. One current pulls along the shore and makes it hard to get to the exit
ramp. Only strong, smart swimmers swim in a straight line. Matt and Calum are told to swim
towards a flagpole first to fight the current, then turn toward the finish.

➡meaning:
To finish the swim properly, they need a smart strategy. It’s not just about swimming hard—
it’s about swimming in the right direction.

As they jump into the water, Ed suddenly appears—he forgot to step on the starter mat
(needed for official timing). He was so excited that he ran ahead without doing it and had to
go back and start again.

➡ meaning:
Ed is excited but makes a mistake. It adds a funny moment to the serious atmosphere.

The weather changes for the better. The sea becomes calm, and the sun comes out. The
swimmers walk into the water, fix their goggles, and cheer. Then they dive in together
through the bubbling green sea.

➡ meaning:
The race begins in a beautiful, exciting way. Everyone feels energized and ready.

Matt sees swimmers all around him. Ed yells “We’re only here once” and swims off. Matt
spots Calum and swims next to him through boats and kayaks.

➡ meaning:
The race is full of people. Matt and Calum stick together and swim among the support boats.

They swim for half an hour. The water rises and falls gently. Sunlight shines down
underwater, and they see jellyfish glowing and fish swimming. Matt and Calum swim
together calmly. Near the end, Matt relaxes, lets his feet float, and they glide into the calm
area near the finish.

➡ meaning:
The swim becomes peaceful and beautiful. Matt enjoys the moment and feels proud and calm
as they reach the end.
Text B: Volunteering to Work with Animals

A conservation expert gives his opinion about volunteering in animal sanctuaries. He says
that many people want to help animals but don't realize they may not actually be making a
big difference.

Thousands of people search for volunteer jobs in conservation. This means a lot of time and
money is spent. It sounds like a success, but the writer says the money could often be used
more wisely.

➡meaning:
Many people want to help and spend lots of money and time. But maybe this effort isn’t
being used in the best way.

The writer gets disappointed when people say they want to volunteer with elephants or
monkeys. A sanctuary manager, Rita Ni, agrees. She says that volunteers often think they are
helping, but they actually aren’t.

➡ meaning:
People have good intentions, but they don’t understand the real needs of conservation work.

Conservation is harsh and difficult. Saving one animal is not as important as saving an
entire species. And saving a species is not as important as protecting their natural home.
Sometimes, success means removing animals that hurt the environment. It’s unpleasant, but
necessary. That’s why no one offers it as a volunteer job.

➡ meaning:
Real conservation isn’t always fun or cute. It’s serious work and often includes hard
decisions.

Many sanctuaries depend on volunteers to make money by letting them play with cute
animals. But these places rarely fix the actual problem—why the animals needed rescue in
the first place.

➡ meaning:
Some places use animals to attract volunteers but don’t really solve long-term problems.

Caring for animals costs a lot. That’s where donations go. Volunteers feel good when they
help, like giving a baby elephant a bath. The writer admits he’d enjoy it too—but he avoids it
because he knows it’s not helpful and traveling far harms the environment.

➡️meaning:
Even the writer wants to do fun animal tasks, but he chooses not to because it's not truly
helpful.
Rita says that to return animals to the wild, people must not touch them much. But that
doesn’t attract young volunteers, who want more hands-on experiences.

➡ meaning:
Less contact with animals is better for them—but volunteers want the opposite, which can
hurt the animals.

Good sanctuaries should answer questions like:

 What is your long-term goal?

Even koalas, which look soft, are wild and can be dangerous.

➡️meaning:
Volunteers should be smart and ask the right questions. Cute doesn’t always mean safe or
good.

The writer blames conservation groups for not educating volunteers properly. Volunteers
often stay for such a short time that they don’t make a real difference.

➡️meaning:
The problem isn’t just the volunteers—it’s the organizations not training them or offering
better options.

At the end, he compares searches:

 Fake tan = 14,800

➡️meaning:
People search more for fashion or travel than conservation. This shows how conservation is
not always a priority.