LISTENING (5 points)

Part 1. Listen to a talk about the Ant IPO delay and decide whether these statements are True (T), False (F)
or Not Given (NG).
1. Shanghai authorities disrupted Ant’s IPO at short notice on the grounds of its fragile business plans.
2. Ant Group’s IPO would have been unprecedented in the fintech industry.
3. Interference from China is the main reason accounting for the questionable status of Hong Kong as a major
financial centre.
4. Winston Ma forecasts that the fintech industry will not cease to enjoy a period of phenomenal growth in the
wilderness.
5. Recent regulations from the Chinese government will shift the role of Ant Group as a fintech company.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 2. Listen to a talk about Neptune and answer the questions. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
taken from the recording for each answer in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. What is the distance between Neptune and the Sun?
______________________________________________________________________
2. What is Neptune’s core made up of besides water ice?
______________________________________________________________________
3. What gives Neptune blue color?
______________________________________________________________________
4. What can strong winds recorded on Neptune do?
______________________________________________________________________
5. What is the name of the spacecraft that has visited Neptune?
______________________________________________________________________

Part 3. Listen to part of an interview with an artist about the subject of art and choose the answer (A, B, C or
D) which fits best according to what you hear. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes
provided.
1. How does Brendan feel about his work?
A. He prefers negative criticism to no reaction at all.
B. His intention is to provoke critics with his art.
C. He believes his art can only be viewed subjectively.
D. His definition of art is at odds with general opinion.
2. According to Brendan, standing on a chair
A. is an example of what art should be.
B. would be art if it was intended to be.
C. is an example of mediocre art.
D. would not be considered art by most people.
3. Brendan says that some successful artists
A. are not very good at drawing.
B. have not been able to create original art.
C. lack the ability to express ideas.
D. use excessively old-fashioned techniques.
4. Brendan doesn't think that
A. throwing paint at a canvas would constitute art.
B. it is difficult to come up with original ideas.
C. critics are open-minded enough.
D. modern art has nowhere left to go.
5. The invention of the camera
A. allowed more people to indulge their passion for taking portraits.
B. enabled photographers to imitate life more closely.
C. meant that artists were no longer restricted to copying from life.
D. changed the way society viewed the role of the artist.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Part 4. Listen to a talk about sleep and supply the blanks with the missing information. Write NO MORE
THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording for each answer in the space provided.
SLEEP AND MENTAL HEALTH
1. The culprit behind our ______________________ relationship to sleep originates from our ancient
understanding of the subject.
2. Parents of small children have a disposition to be ______________________ in routine negotiations.
3. Every reversal becomes a drama, every disappointment turns into a catastrophe and every excitement shifts
into ______________________.
4. An innovatively ______________________ approach to bedtimes when growing up can be considered an
expression of independence and individuality.
5. There are various ways of expressing our perceptions about lives, ranging from positive narratives to appalling
tales of complete ignorance and ______________________.
6. When exhaustion sets in, we tend to think in a ______________________ way.
7. When we lie in bed, we think that we bear a resemblance to a ______________________, for instance, a
rabbit or a squirrel.
8. Given the harsh grown-up life, we need to be free to ______________________ this.
9. It is inferred from curled squirrel position that mental problems cannot be universally handled by
______________________.
10. It is not until we have treated ourselves with a ______________________ or a long night’s sleep that we
understand the reasons to live.

LEXICO - GRAMMAR (3 points)

Part 1. Choose the best option to complete the following sentences.
1. Sandra astounded all the spectators by winning the match ______ down.
A. heads B. hands C. hearts D. feet
2. When his manager went on a business trip, Mark stepped into the ______ and chaired the meeting.
A. hole B. breach C. pool D. crack
3. It is public knowledge that new magazines often use free gifts or other _____ to get people to buy them.
A. gimmicks B. snares C. plots D. scams
4. We should never have quarreled like that. Let’s bury the ______and forget all about it.
A. axe B. argument C. hatchet D. subject
5. It is often difficult for a householder to ______ squatters and regain possession of his or her property.
A. eliminate B. withdraw C. evict D. vacate
6. I'm not a serious investor, but I like to ______ in the stock market.
A. splash B. splatter C. paddle D. dabble
7. The teacher said 'Well done' and patted me on the head. I can't stand people who treat me so ______.
A. pompously B. maternally C. snobbishly D. patronizingly
8. The investigation was instigated ______the Prime Minister.
A. on the part of B. consequence of C. subsequent to D. at the behest of
9. Teachers have the authority to discipline pupils by ______ of their position as teachers.
A. view B. virtue C. means D. way
10. The consultant called in by the firm brought a ______ of experience to bear on the problem.
A. wealth B. realm C. bank D. hoard
11. The thick fog ______ out any possibility of our plane taking off before morning.
A. ruled B. struck C. stamped D. crossed
12. The new curriculum has been designed to ______ students learning by combining theory with hands-on
practice.
A. endow B. optimize C. sharpen D. estimate
13. When I was younger, I wanted to be an air pilot but I soon went ____ the idea when I realised I hated flying.
A. out B. off C. up D. with
14. People can make themselves walk on nails or through fire. It’s a question of mind over ______.
A. body B. material C. matter D. facts
15. We had a ______ sale to sell off all the stuff we found in the attic
A. parking B. garage C. station D. garden
16. Because of the dominance of retail chain-stores, most shopping centers show the same bland _______ and no
imagination.
A. similarity B. likeness C. equality D. uniformity
17. She wears the most _______ color combinations you could ever imagine.
A. hiding B. hideout C. hidebound D. hideous
18. It would help _______ me, if you could go to the Post Office for me.
A. totally B. absolutely C. enormously D. largely
19. The plastic surgery must have cost the ________, but there’s no denying she looks younger.
A. world B. planet C. universe D. earth
20. A few of the older campers were sent home after a week as they were ________.
A. lenient B. erratic C. unruly D. indulgent
III. READING (60 points)
Part 1: In the passage below, seven paragraphs have been removed. Choose from paragraphs (A-H) the
one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra paragraph you do not need to use. Write your answers in
the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (7 points)
The white and silver buildings of the VLT or Very Large Telescope at the ESO (European Organisation for
Astronomical research in the Southern Hemisphere) stand tall and imposing on top of a mountain shining
brightly under the desert sun. At night they come alive, the outer walls open up and silently slide through 360
degrees, allowing an uninterrupted view of the Southern Hemisphere sky. Inside, a giant eye looks deep into the
stars and beyond, looking for life, mysteries and making sense out of the darkness.
1.
Getting to the place is a journey of discovery in itself. After leaving the Pacific Ocean, you head south and hook
up with the Panamericana Highway and into the desert, the driest on Earth. It's a two-hour drive to the
observatory, but it feels longer as the harsh light, the rocky, dusty desert, the complete absence of any form of
life, except for the giant trucks plying their trade along the highway, is unsettling.
2.
The reason, we are told, is simple. Astronomers need a clear view of the sky at night. Optimal conditions are to
be found in deserts; there are fewer of the negative factors like light pollution that can make the four telescopes
which form VLT work less effectively. Here no lights are allowed after dark, all windows are screened, and even
the main residence where 108 people sleep, leaks no more than 40W when the lights are turned on.
3.
These monsters and their smaller auxiliaries bring to mind the set of Star Wars. But at sunset, they take on
another look. This could be Stonehenge, another magic circle where our forefathers tried to make sense of the
stars. Soon after arriving, we are taken to see the inside of one of the telescopes. They have all been named in the
indigenous Mapuche language following a competition among Chilean schoolchildren.
4.
Once these have been completed, the telescope is handed over to the team who will operate one or more of the
telescopes from a control room. All night long these giants will be moving and pointing to the sky helping the
scientists unravel new problems. Fourteen countries contribute around 160 million euros to their joint
astronomical cause, and Paranal is allocated 20% of that figure. Standing in the shadow of the VLT, one wonders
what all this taxpayers' money buys.
5.
They all answered with the usual 'finding out where we came from, where we are going, are we alone in the
universe...?' And, as the ESO has no commercial use and is a not-for-profit organization, it's easy to imagine
these scientists indulging in their research and being cut off from reality.
6.
One of Paranal's great achievements was the discovery of a planet outside our solar system. It is huge: five times
bigger than Jupiter, and the work being done now is aimed at understanding the physical and chemical
composition of this, and other, giant Earth-like planets. Truly a quest for life in outer space.
7.
'We needed even sharper images to settle the issue of whether any other configuration is possible and we counted
on the ESO VLT to provide those,’ says Reinhard Genzel, director at the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial
Physics. 'Now the era of observational physics has truly begun.'

Missing paragraphs
A But talking further revealed a simple truth: that having pretty much discovered all there is to know
about our world on the Earth, astronomy looks at the vast Terra Incognita which surrounds us. These
scientists see themselves very much as a mixture of Renaissance men and women: all questing for
further knowledge.
B Every evening an engineer is assigned to one of these telescopes and his or her job is to get it ready so
that it can then be taken over at night by a three-person team. The engineer runs through a series of
tests in preparation for the work which will be done later that night.
C The central unit inside weighs 450 tonnes and houses the main 8.5 m mirror. A second, smaller mirror
is made from beryllium, a rare metal. The external walls can all slide open to allow the telescope to
point in any direction as it rotates soundlessly on its base.
D As we drive further into the desert, the road starts to rise gradually, with hills and steep valleys all
around us. The environment is harsh in the extreme and it's hard to imagine that a community of
European scientists have chosen this place to establish a world-leading laboratory.
E It is a question that many in Paranal find a little difficult to answer. Maybe because scientists, due to
the nature of their research and also, maybe, their mindsets, tend to focus on very specific areas of
competence and therefore are not required to have a broader 'strategic' view.
F The other big consideration in the desert is the absence of cloud cover and, higher up, the lack of
atmospheric dust and all the other interference caused by humans or nature which contributes to
partially hiding the secrets of the universe. 'Twinkle, twinkle little star' is just what astronomers do not
want to hear, as this means there is debris between the eye, the telescopes and the stars.
G We are in Paranal, in Chile's Atacama Desert, where at 2,600 m above sea level, Europe has its most
advanced astronomical observatory. It's a leading site, a joint undertaking by fourteen European
countries focused on developing the most advanced scientific tools for observing the universe and
enhancing the knowledge base for industry, education and culture.
H Astronomers have also used the data from VLT for another purpose - to attempt to find out how old
the universe is. It seems that the oldest star is 13.2 billion years old, which means the universe must be
even older. They also use VLT to look into galaxies beyond ours, and where they continue to find
evidence of supermassive black holes, where all kinds of violent activity occur.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Part 2. Complete the following passage by filling each blank with ONE suitable word. Write your answers
in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. (15 points)
Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic back in March
2020, the virus has claimed more than 2.5 million lives globally with upwards of 113 million cases being (1) by
laboratory tests (March 2021).
The pandemic has impacted almost every corner of life, causing global economies to stall, changing the way
we work and interact (2) our loved ones, and stretching healthcare (3) to the limit. Governments around the
world have been forced to implement harsh restrictions (4) human activity to curb the spread of the virus.
COVID-19 vaccination is now offering a way to transition out of this phase of the pandemic. Without them,
many scientists believe that natural herd (5) would not have been sufficient to restore society to its normal (6)
quo and that it would have resulted in extreme fatality. This is something that has been echoed by many health
(7) including the WHO. In a scenario (8) access to vaccines, strict behavioral measures may have had to remain
for the foreseeable future.
Fortunately, the beginning of 2021 saw numerous vaccines given emergency (9) and begin their roll out in
countries across the world. As of March 2021, just shy of 300 million vaccine doses had been administered
worldwide. The figures give (10) of a return to ‘normal’. However, global COVID-19 vaccination faces several
challenges which may impact its success.
Your answers
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Part 3. Read the passage below and answers the questions (10 points)
The presence or absence of water has a direct bearing on the possibility of life on other planets. In the
nineteenth century, it was commonly accepted that life, perhaps even intelligent life, was widespread in the solar
system, and Mars was an obvious target in the search for life. New photographic technology offered a way for
astronomers to learn more about the red planet. In 1888, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli produced
images that showed a network of long, thin, dark lines crossing the surface of Mars. He called these features
canali in Italian, which became “canals” or “channels” in English. The strange appearance of the canals
suggested to some scientists that they had been formed artificially rather than naturally. The mystery deepened
when Schiaparelli observed that many of the canals in the photographs were actually double.
Other photographic images of Mars revealed its seasonally changing polar ice caps and features that
appeared to be ancient islands located in what was now a dry streambed. When the islands were first discovered,
some scientists speculated that a thick water-laden atmosphere capable of generating heavy rains and had once
existed on Mars. However, others remained unconvinced of the presence of water. Then, in 1963, a team of
astronomers obtained a good photographic plate of the near-infrared spectrum of Mars. The photograph showed
that, faintly but definitely, water vapor lines could be seen. This photograph established that there really was
water on Mars, though the amount was very small. Today, the presence of water vapor in the Martian atmosphere
is generally accepted, as is the belief that the atmosphere was once much denser than it is now, with a much
greater abundance of water vapor.
The surface of Mars is dry today, but it does contain significant amounts of ice and signs that liquid water
once flowed over the planet. All of the locations where evidence of water has been found are ancient, probably
formed every early in Martian history. Data transmitted from spacecraft on Mars in 2004 have revealed that
water was once common across a vast region of the planet, possibly as shallow lakes or seas that dried out and
then filled up again. There are signs that the wind blew debris around during dry stages. These seas and lakes
extended across hundreds of thousands of square miles, creating habitable conditions during long stretches of
time billions of years ago.
Evidence of water includes the presence of various minerals known as evaporates, deposits left behind
when liquid water turns to vapor. Small areas of mineral deposits have been found in Valles Marineris, a huge
hole on Mars that is larger than the Grand Canyon on Earth. The minerals there contain water, so they had to be
formed in the presence of water. Geologic research has also turned up clay and gypsum deposits that were
formed by water in the soil. Rocks that clearly formed in water extend throughout 300 meters of layered
materials in several locations across the Martian plains. The layers were built up over time, which means water
was present, at least temporarily, for extended periods on ancient Mars.
Besides the ice packs at Mars’s poles, astronomers have discovered a frozen sea near its equator. This
frozen sea is the size of the North Sea on Earth and appears similar to the ice packs on Antarctica. Scientists have
also detected evidence of lava flows 20 million years ago as well as signs that some volcanoes may still be
active. Several recently formed volcanic cones near Mars’s North Pole indicate that the planet’s core may
interact with the surface, meaning there was both warmth and moisture in the recent past – circumstances that
might have supported life.
Liquid water is the key ingredient for life as we know it. Of all the other planets in the solar system, Mars
is most like Earth. In 20111 a team of researchers used computer modeling to compare data on temperature and
pressure conditions on Earth with those on Mars to estimate how much of Mars could support Earth- like
organisms. Their results showed that three percent of Mars could sustain life, although most of these regions are
underground. Below the planet’s surface, conditions are right for water to exist as a liquid. Additional evidence
of water on the planet’s surface came in 2012, when a robot landed on Mars and transmitted hig-resolution
images showing a streambed with coarse gravel that had likely been deposited by flowing water. All of this
evidence of water does not necessarily mean life ever emerged there; however, it does suggest that Mars meets
all the requirements that are needed for life to exist.

1. The word ‘target’ in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ______.

A. watery planet B. symbol of strength C. missing link D. object of interest
2. According to the passage, what has been a major focus of research about Mars?
 A. How Mars compares to other planets in the solar system
B. Who built the network of canals on the surface of Mars
C. Whether signs of water indicate that life has existed on Mars
D. How soon astronauts from Earth will be able to go to Mars
3. Astronomers of the 19th and 20th centuries studied Mars mainly through ______.
A. ancient writings B. photographic images
C. Martian soil samples D. data sent by spacecraft
4. It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that Schiaparelli’s observation of canals on Mars led to ______.
A. direct proof that life has existed on Mars
B. the rejection of Schiaparelli’s ideas by other scientists
C. the search for canals on other planets in the solar system
D. new questions about intelligent life on Mars
5. What discovery led some scientists to think that the Martian atmosphere had produced heavy rains in the
past?
A. A network of canals on the surface
B. Ancient islands in a dry streambed
C. Water vapor lines on a photographic plate
D. Volcanic cones near the planet’s North Pole
6. Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph 2?
A. Most scientists believe there is water vapor in the Martian atmosphere, which is now less dense than it
was in the past.
B. The amount of water vapor in the Martian atmosphere has changed many times in the past, and
scientists generally accept this.
C. The atmosphere of Mars used to contain only water vapor, but now scientists know that several other
gases are also present.
D. Scientists used to believe that Mars had no atmosphere, but now most think it has a very dense
atmosphere of water vapor.
7. Layers of rock in several places on the Martian plains are evidence that ______.
A. Mars was formed at the same time as Earth
B. both wind and water erosion occurred there
C. water was present there for a long time
D. liquid water is no longer present on Mars
8. All of the following indicate the presence of water on Mars EXCEPT ______.
A. images of polar ice caps B. a 1963 photograph
C. clay and gypsum deposits D. evidence of lava flows
9. Write the correct letter [A], [B], [C] or [D] that indicates where the following sentence could be added to
the passage?
Astronomers already knew that Mars had some kind of atmosphere because of the occasional presence
of bright features that looked like clouds.
The presence or absence of water has a direct bearing on the possibility of life on other planets. [A] In the
nineteenth century, it was commonly accepted that life, perhaps even intelligent life, was widespread in the
solar system, and Mars was an obvious target in the search for life. [B] New photographic technology offered
a way for astronomers to learn more about the red planet. In 1888, Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli
produced images that showed a network of long, thin, dark lines crossing the surface of Mars. [C] He called
these features canali in Italian, which became “canals” or “channels” in English. The strange appearance of
the canals suggested to some scientists that they had been formed artificially rather than naturally. [D] The
mystery deepened when Schiaparelli observed that many of the canals in the photographs were actually
double.
10. An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary
by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage.
Scientists have long searched for evidence of water on Mars
A. Early photographs of Mars showed what appeared to be canals, polar ice caps, and ancient islands.
B. Dry streambed, lakes, and seas suggest that Mars does not have enough water to support life.
C. There is water vapor in the Martian atmosphere and evidence that liquid water once flowed on the
surface.
D. Mars contains many types of evaporates, minerals left behind when liquid water becomes vapor.
E. Geologic research, photography and computer modeling provide evidence of water – and possibly life
– on Mars.
F. Because Mars is so similar to Earth, scientists believe that humans will be able to live on Mars in the
future.
CBN
Part 2: Read the following passage and choose the best answer to each question. (10 points)
I have been asked what I think about the idea of ‘Investing in People’. The best answer I can give is that I
think that what it tries to achieve - basically making the link between business improvement and focusing
on the needs of the people who work for an organisation - is great. My problem is with organisations who
subscribe to it as a way to help them 'get better', when they don't bother to understand where they went
wrong in the first place. They need to ask what explicit and implicit policies and procedures they have in
place that prevent their people from being able
to do the right thing for the right reasons.
I am sure that there are managers out there who don't know any better, and assume that to manage they
simply need to put pressure on their people to perform. [A] But people don't demonstrate high
performance because they are told to. [B] They do it because they see the need to do it, and make the
choice to do so. They do it because they are connected to the business goals and they see how their
contributions can help achieve them. [C] But simply putting ticks in boxes is no good if it doesn't reflect
reality. [D]
I know of a company that was so concerned that its people were doing the 'right thing' that it put in place
a series of metrics to measure their effectiveness. So far, so good. But one of the objectives - making
successful sales calls - manifested itself in the metric 'Number of potential customers seen in one day'.
The sales people obviously focused their efforts on going from one customer's office to another, and not
on closing deals. Instead of the employees becoming more effective,they focused on getting the boxes
ticked. Good intent; poor thinking.
Another company wanted to improve the speed with which it was able to introduce new products.
Competition was beating it to the market place, and consequently the company was losing market share.
Senior management sent out the message to reduce the time spent in getting products into customers'
hands, with the explanation that they couldn't afford delays. This was a relatively easy task,especially
since the time spent testing the products was cut in half to accomplish the time reduction. The result was
new products were introduced in less time than those of the competition - but soon rejected by customers
for poor quality. Good intent; reckless implementation.
A third company I know is trying hard to help employees see that they have some control over their
future. The company instituted a programme with a title like 'Creating our own future' or something like
that. A good idea; get the people involved in the future of the company. But instead of the employees
becoming motivated to contribute, they saw it as a hollow exercise on the part of senior management
who, in the past, had paid little attention to anything other than getting the job done so they could report
great earnings. Yes, the programme was a big 'tick the box' effort, but that was all it was in the minds of
the people that it was designed for.
A final example is of a company that brought in one of these 'Investing in People' programmes to change
the way the company was run. Assessors were running around like crazy, helping managers examine how
they managed. They told managers how they could manage better. And when the programme was over,
the company was able to say they had done it- it had invested in its people and life was now good. But
after all, the assessors were gone, and they again had targets to hit.
All these examples are representative of senior management who see the need to improve things in their
organisation, but don't see how to do it. For a start, a programme targeted at improving things is only as
good as management's ability to motivate their people. And when the employees simply see the
programme as a box-ticking exercise, then it's hopeless.
1. The writer thinks that putting the concept of 'Investing in People' into practice _______.
A. frequently results in confusion among the people it is supposed to help
B. involves more effort than some organizations are prepared to make
C. may create problems where previously there had not been any problems
D. is something that some organizations should attempt to do
2. What is the writer's attitude when using the phrase 'get better' in the first paragraph?
A. ironic B.humorous C. indignant D.practical
3. The writer's main point in the second paragraph is that the performance of employees _______.
A. may be very good even if management is poor
B. cannot be accurately measured by any box-ticking exercise
C. is related to their knowledge of the organization as a whole
D. is not as unpredictable as some managers believe it to be
4. Which of the following square brackets [A], [B], [C] or [D] best indicates where in the second
paragraph the sentence “Such managers may tell themselves they can put a 'tick' in the 'we care
about people' box.” can be inserted?
A. [A] B. [B] C. [C] D. [D]
5. What point does the writer make about the first company he describes?
A. It was not really interested in measuring the effectiveness of employees.
B. The targets that it set for staff were unrealistic.
C. It failed to understand the real needs of its employees.
D. The data that it collected did not measure what it was supposed to measure.
6. What point does the writer make about the second company he describes?
A. It made what should have been an easy task into a complicated one.
B. It failed to foresee the consequences of an instruction.
C. It misunderstood why a new approach was required.
D. It refused to take into account the views of employees.
7. What does the writer say about the programme introduced by the third company he mentions?
A. Employees did not believe that it had been introduced for their benefit.
B. Employees felt that it was in fact a way of making their jobs even harder.
C. The reason given for introducing it was not the real reason why it was introduced.
D. It was an inappropriate kind of programme for this particular organization.
8. The writer says that the programme in his final example.
A. was too demanding for managers to maintain long-term
B. was treated as a self-contained exercise by managers
C. involved some strange ideas on how managers could improve
D. caused managers to believe that their previous methods had been better
9. What does the writer mean by using the phrase 'they again had targets to hit'?
A. Setting targets and achieving them are a common thing in the mentioned company.
B. Despite the programme, the company did not deviate from conventional business practices.
 C. The company were made up of goal-oriented managers and staff members.
D. Managers in the company were quite oblivious to change and innovation.-
10. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Box ticking requires a coordination of efforts.
B. Box ticking is being misinterpreted by businesses.
C. Box ticking will need further revision along the way.
D. Box ticking has become obsolete for businesses.
HV

Part 4:
How satisfying to pull a chain again. Something went out of British plumbing with the arrival of the integrated
cistern, but everything that went out of British plumbing with the Victorians has been reinstated in the stateliest
form in the bathroom of our suite at the Pool House Hotel. If only for that achievement alone, it deserves its AA
accolade, awarded last Thursday, of Scottish Hotel of the Year.
1.
In Wester Ross, the old parish of Gairloch - a glorious body of country clasped between the long sea arms of
Loch Torridon and Loch Broom - has all the classic components of the West Highland landscape. It has the
mighty Torridon range, the oldest rock in Britain; the moor-and-mountain wilderness of Letterewe and the
island-studded mirror of Loch Maree - an inland loch more beautiful than any other, including Loch Lomond. It
also has a lonely coast, sandy bays, leafy glens, Hebridean vistas and numerous whitewashed villages.
2.
The Pool House building on the loch's foreshore, where the River Ewe enters the lake after a short but vigorous
journey from Loch Maree, doesn't look like a traditional Highland lodge. But scrape away the white paint and
roughcast and you will expose pink Torridonian sandstone - the preferred building blocks of local lairds for three
centuries.
3.
Osgood Mackenzie, who caused thin, acid layers of peat on a windswept headland to bloom with the trees,
shrubs and flowers of the temperate world from Chile to Tasmania, lived for a time in Pool House while he
worked obsessively on his horticultural masterpiece. Meanwhile, his English wife whiled away the hours by
carving a chain of Tudor roses in the banisters of the central staircase.
4.
When the present owners, the Harrison family, made the decision to replace their 13 bedrooms with four themed
suites it was Liz Miles who became the creative force. Liz tracked down the extravagant wallpapers - putto
friezes, Michelangelo ceilings, celestial maps - and sourced most of the antique fittings and furniture.
5.
With some reluctance my husband and I jump ship - forcing ourselves out of the sumptuous fantasy of
Campania, with its 130-year-old cast iron and brass four-poster, to confront the reality of the weather. As
enthusiasts for the elemental challenge of the West Highland seaboard, we have a busy programme: a rugged
walk, a wildlife cruise and, as the softest option locally available, a visit to Inverewe Garden.
6.
The headland couldn't be more exposed, but the squalls of rain beating in from the Atlantic sail over our heads en
route to the mountains. We flush grouse and snipe from the heather on our three-hour walk and glimpse red deer.
By the time we reach the great sea stacks of Stack Dubh and Stac Buidhe, there are shafts of sunshine striking the
wings of gannets, fulmars and shags.
7.
We don't. But we do see grey seals, harbour porpoises, great skuas and - quite a spot for a trainee birdwatcher
like me - a huddle of rare, black-throated divers. Warblers and other songbirds attend our visit to Inverewe
Garden, now owned and maintained by the National Trust for Scotland and not, perhaps, at their best on the cusp
between summer and autumn. But they are still remarkable.
Missing paragraph:
A. The Mackenzie country was dominant in this part of country. Pool House's golden age was Victorian, when
the Highlands became a sporting playground for the gentry. There was salmon to pull from the River Ewe, deer
to stalk and grouse to pot, but for a time the lodge was home to one of the less predatory Mackenzies: a man who
liked to let things grow rather than cut them down.
B. There was only one willow tree on the promontory where Osgood Mackenzie began his project in 1862. Now
there is a prodigious stand of Scots pine and other native woodland, planted to supply the windbreak for his
exotic trees and shrubs. The contrast is beautiful.
C. Some visitors say they would be willing to pay merely to tour the rooms. Many are especially fascinated with
Diadem, which is modelled on the style of a first-class cabin on the Titanic. Margaret Harrison's grandfather was
a cousin of Captain Smith, the liner's master; but Peter Harrison, who takes a keen interest in military history, has
named all the suites after warships as a tribute to Pool House's function during the Second World War, when it
was the Navy's headquarters for co-ordinating the North Atlantic and Murmansk convoys.
D. Not all the cottages in these old crofting townships are second homes or self-catering units. The scattered
"capital" of the parish, Gairloch, is something of a boom community, with energetic young locals raising new
houses on scenic building plots. At nearby Poolewe, which has the botanical curiosity and tourist honeypot of
Inverewe Garden, an old shooting lodge is turning back the clock to find a future.
E. We usually do our own route finding but we want to investigate Rua Reidh Lighthouse, where Fran Cree and
Chris Barrett run residential walking and activity holidays on one of the most remote headlands of the mainland.
Just getting there is an adventure; and the airy nature of the clifftop paths, with their views to the Outer Hebrides
and dizzy drops into empty beaches, makes us glad of the expert presence of Chris, who is a member of the local
mountain rescue team. "We get called out about a dozen times a year," she tells us.
F. Seldom has washing been such a treat. As I wallow beneath the cascading canopy of the Shanks Independent
Spray Bath (built in Glasgow in 1875 on a scale comparable to the boiler of a Clyde steamship), I feel a certain
kinship with the grey seal idling in the water outside. From the bathroom window I can see the glassy surface of
Loch Ewe - and much of its wildlife.
G. Our tally of wildlife soars on the sturdy Starquest, which skipper Ian Birks steers to the wide mouth of Loch
Gairloch and the first tugging of the Atlantic. It's the whale-watching season - the Minch is part of the minke's
larder - and it's part of Ian's purpose to monitor their movements for the Sea Watch Foundation. "But I never
advertise these trips as whale-watching cruises, otherwise people expect to see whales."
H. The carvings are still there, one of the few remnants of the 19th century to survive. How can this be?
From the outside Pool House may look like a made-over inn with 1960s add-ons; step inside and you
enter into the rich, decorative and occasionally camp interior of a Victorian country house. Yet almost all
 its finest features, from huge, wood-panelled bathrooms to marble and polished steel fireplaces, have
been retrieved from architectural salvage yards and put in place over the past three years.
LAMSON

Part 3:
The Hammond Organ
It’s September 1995 and I’m on my way home to Austin, Texas from Bankok. Breaking the journey in Los
Angeles, I spot an ad for an organ in the classifieds. It’s a 1954 Hammond B2. I can’t resist this little gem, so I
buy it-sight unseen- and arrange to have it collected, crated and trucked to Texas.

24

Ever since I heard Green Onions by Booker T and the MG’s on the radio, the sound of a Hammond organ has
moved me. Although ta the time I didn’t know exactly what Booker T. was playing, I knew I wanted to make
that noise. I didn’t even know how to play an organ, but the way it swirled and swam and it your ears off, I knew
somehow I had to have one. So I did my research in the music shops, and found out that the coolest-sounding
organs were all Hammonds, bu that the L100, while it still had that special sound, was lighter and cheaper than
the other models. Not that any of them were cheap, which didn’t mch matter, because I had no money.

25

But when I called them up, they were very helpful. There was no drawback. The only thing I could not do was
move it, once they’d set it up. That wasn’t going to be a problem. The problem would be explaining the arrival of
this beautiful monster to Mum and Dad. But I wasn’t thinking that far ahead. I wasn’t really thinking at all, apart
from wondering-when could it be delivered? “Tomorrow”, “Okey”. And that was it. The next morning at about
10am there was a knock at the door and two men in white coats were standing on the doorstep. After I’d signed
papers and promised not to move it, we pushed the dining table and chairs back against the wall.

26

It was all polished and shiny and made our dinning room suite look quite tatty. They showed me how to start it
up and we shooked hands. It couldn’t have been simpler. “ See you in two weeks then.” “Yes, Okey, bye” slamd.
“Aarrgh!” I screamed and ran upstairs to get the record player from the bedroom, set it up on top of the bookcase,
plonked Green Onions on the turntable and cranked it up! Yes, yes, yes, nothing could stop me now. I had lost
my mind and I’d never find it again.

27

The next thing to master was the Leslie cabinet. This was where the sound came out. The Leslie is a combined
amplifier and speaker cabinet, but it has two speakers which point up and down. The sound travels through
revolving rotors, which throws the music out in waves. It’s what makes the sound of every Hammond bit and
swim in your ears. You can regulate the speed it rotates and it’s very powerful.

28

When Dad came whistling his way up the path after work, I went to the door to head him off. “Hello Dad”. “
What’s up?” “ Nothing much . Well, I’ve got something to tell you’. “yes” “Er, Dad, you’ll never guess what
I’ve got” “ What have you got?” “ A Hammond organ”.

29

He was down the hall and peering round the door suspiciously before I could stop him. “Blimey” he said. “Well,
I am blowed. Where’s the dining room table gone?” he was in the doorway, trying to squeeze past the monster
organ and the Leslie. “It’s great, isn’t it?” “ Well, it is big… how are we going to eat with this thing in here, and
why didn’t you ask me or your mum?” “Sorry, but it’ll only be here for a couple of weeks, listen to this,” I
played the first part of Green Onions on it. “Not bad, eh?” “I dunno” he was thinking. “ Here, don’t day a word,
let me break it to your mum.”

30

I bought it on the “never, never”. Dad co-signed the hire purchase forms for me because I was under age.
------------------------------
The missing paragraphs
A. This meant that there was now enough room. Very carefully, they wheeled in a brand new Hammond organ
and matching bench with the Playing Guide and connecting cables tucked inside the lid, and a band new Leslie
147 speaker cabinet, which filled up the entire room. My face must have been a picture. This was great!
B. I found all that out by fiddling around with it for hours that day until I got some results. Basically, I just taught
myself. The wonderful thing about the Hammond is it sounds good without too much effort. It’s not like the
bagpipes or the violin, where even after a lot of work it can still sound bad.
C. However, I never had any ambition as a kid to play the piano, let alone the organ. It was all my mum’s fault.
She’d had a dream of playing the piano since she was a kid, but growing up in the little town of Montrath in the
centre of Ireland, as one of 11 kids, there was hardly money for shoes let alone piano lessons. And as she hadn’t
been able to afford them when she was young, I was going to get them whether I wanted them or not.
D. “What’s a Hammond organ?” “It’s free. I’ve got it for two weeks, then they’ll come and take it away and no
charge whatsoever”. “Where is it then?” “ It’s in the back room, it’s fantastic and it’s not costing a penny.”
E. Then, thumbing through the back pages of the Melody Maker, I noticed an ad for Boosey and Hawkes, in
Regent Street, who were offering to let me: “Try a Hammond Organ in your own home on two weeks’ free
approval”. “Yeah, right,” I thought. “Pull the other one” I tried to figure out what the catch could be, because I
couldn’t believe they’d let me get my sweaty hands on a genuine Hammond without money changing hands or at
least making a promise to buy.
F. Somehow I knew that meant it was going to be all right. The men in white coats came to take it away two
weeks later and my new mahogany Hammond organ and matching Leslie cabinet arrived the following week.
G. Sometimes, a smell can trigger a memory so strong and true it unravels years in an instant, like the smell of oil
paint, which takes me straight back to my art school days. So, as they unbolt the container, even before I get to
see how beautiful the instrument is, the combination of furniture polish and Hammond oil wafts up my nose and
I get a flashback to 1964, when I caught that odd mixture for the first time.
H. Now I had to figure out how to play the beast and get the same as that. Carefully listening to sustained notes
on the record, I pushed and pulled the drawer bars in and out until I got the same sound. Then if I played the part
right, the sound would change- just like the record.
LAOCAI

Part 4: Read the text. Seven paragraphs have been removed. Choose from the paragraphs A- H the one
which fits each gap (89-95). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. (0.7 pt)
The Waterphone
Brooks Hubbert clutches the neck of a prickly, circular instrument that somewhat resembles an upside-
down jellyfish, its tendrils represented by stiff bronze rods of various lengths.
89.______
This is a waterphone, and its distinctive music is felt as much as heard - in the hair at the back of the neck
and in the gut. It's the sound of a lurching elevator or a renegade fairground ride about to spin off its axis.
90.______
 Invented and patented in 1969, the waterphone has captivated, confused, and generally creeped out
audiences via film scores, orchestral works, and more than one experimental San Francisco concert over the past
45 years.
91.______
Hubbert is now carrying on Waters’ legacy, building waterphones in his backyard workshop using the
same painstaking process Waters devised. Each waterphone starts with a stainless steel pan, shaped like two pie
tins welded at the brim, which acts as a resonator. Out of this base juts a series of bronze tonal rods and a long,
thick neck with an opening at the top, where the water is poured in. Fill the pan with water, and the rods vibrate
and trill with woozy harmonies when tapped with a mallet or stroked with a bow.
92.______
Just don't turn it upside down, or the water will fall out. It fits into so many different applications because
it has such a wide range of tones. There are all kinds of playing techniques that have yet to even be discovered.
93.______
Waters’ path to invention began in grad school in the mid-1960s at Oakland's California College of Arts
and Crafts, where he first played an instrument he described as a Tibetan water drum - a round bronze tub, filled
with water, that rocked when struck. Later, dabbling in the local hippie scene, he heard the music of a kalimba in
a Haight-Ashbury parade.
94.______
Waters and Charlton, both drawn to experimental music, formed the Gravity Adjusters Expansion Band
in 1969 and began showcasing Waters' sonic inventions around the Bay Area. Other percussionists took notice.
When drummer Shelly Manne flew up from Los Angeles and asked to buy a waterphone, Charlton knew his
bandmate was onto something big. Waters soon drove a vanload of his instruments to L.A., and sold them all in
one week.
95.______
Think of those skin-bristling scenes where a protagonist wanders into a dark house alone - the audio
accompaniment is often a waterphone, which Hubbert discovered while browsing music news on the Web in the
late 1990s.
National geographic
The Paragraphs
A. Waters began welding his own homemade instruments out of tin cans, salad bowls, and hubcaps. He
eventually showed one to his friend, jazz drummer Lee Charlton. At Charlton's studio, the pair poured some
water into the base, and the first waterphone was born.
B. Even as synthesizers rose to ubiquity and electronic samples could be coaxed from computers with a
few deft keystrokes, Waters' acoustic invention never lost its appeal. In times of peak demand, customers lined
up for a spot on a yearlong waiting list, eager to shell out up to $1,700 for one of his handmade creations.
C. The instrument’s melody is often compared to that of the humpback whale - so much so that
conservation groups have used the apparatus to summon cetaceans. The waterphone is classified as a percussion
instrument, but it has a greater range than any of its comrades in that category. There is no part of the gadget that
doesn't make music - one can strike the rods, hit or rub the underside of the base, or finger-drum on the neck.
D. A few years later, Hubbert was playing a gig at a local yacht club, and Waters, not recognizing him,
came up to praise the show. Hubbert took off his sunglasses and reintroduced himself; they had a fond reunion.
Waters started attending Hubbert’s gigs, and Hubbert would stop by Waters’ home studio to chat about the
waterphone craft.
E. That idea might have pleased Waters, a trained painter, kinetic sculptor, bamboo enthusiast, and
lifelong creator who would often walk into a room and begin drumming on any interesting wood or brass objects
he saw, according to his daughter, Rayme Waters.
 F. It might call to mind the soundtracks of 1980s-era horror and ghost movies, and with good reason. The
instrument's low, haunting moans and eerie, high-pitched squeals - like screeching brakes - have become known
as the sound of suspense in films like Poltergeist, The Matrix, Star Trek - The Motion Picture, Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon, and Let the Right One In.
G. Shortly after that, Hollywood came knocking. An acquaintance of Waters' who worked as a sound-
effects artist told him the waterphone had potential, and before long, composers began incorporating the
instrument into film and TV scores. Thrillers were a natural fit.
H. He drags a bow across a few of them, producing a piercing, metallic shriek. Satisfied with this, he tilts
the instrument to one side, and this is where the sound goes wonky as tones bend upward, dip down, and shift
sideways because the six ounces of water in the device’s base echo and resonate.
CNN
CHEWING GUM CULTURE
It's fashionable, classless and Americans chew 12 million sticks of it a day.
Discover how an ancient custom became a big business
Chewing gum contains fewer than 10 calories per stick, but it is classified as a food and must therefore conform to
the standards of the American Food and Drug Administration. Today's gum is largely synthetic with added pine
resins end softeners which help to hold the flavour and improve the texture.
1.
American colonists followed the example of the Amero-Indians of New England and chewed the resin that
formed on spruce trees when the bark was cut. Lumps of spruce for chewing were sold in the eastern United
States in the early 1800s Making it the first commercial chewing gum in the country.
Modern chewing gum has its origins in the late 1860s with the discovery of chicle, milky substance obtained from
the sapodilla tree of the Central American rainforest.
2.
Yet repeated attempts to cultivate sapodilla commercially have failed. As the chewing gum market has grown,
synthetic alternatives have had to be developed.
3.
Most alarming is the unpleasant little chicle fly that likes to lodge its egg in the tapper’s ears and nose. Braving
these hazards, barefooted and with only a rope and an axe, an experienced chiclero will shin a mature tree in
minutes to cut a path in the bark for the white sap to flow down to a bag below.
4.
Yet, punishing though this working environment is, the remaining chicleros fear for their livelihood. Not so long
ago, the United States alone imported 7,000 tonnes of chicle a year from Central America. Last year just 2000
tonnes were tapped in the whole of Mexcio’s Yucatan peninsula. As chewing gum sales have soared, so the
manufacturers have turned to synthetics to reduce costs and meet demands.
5.
Plaque acid, which forms when we eat, causes this. Our saliva, which neutralizes the acid and supplies minerals
such as calcium, phosphate and fluoride, is the body’s natural defence. Gum manufacturers say 20 times of
chewing can increase your salivary flow.
6.
In addition, one hundred and thirty-seven square kilometers of America is devoted entirely to producing the mint
that is used in the two most popular chewing gums in the world

A. Gum made from this resulted in the smoother, more satisfying and more elastic chew, and soon a whole
industry was born based on this product.
B. Meanwhile, the world's gum producers are finding indigenous ways of marketing their products. In
addition to all the claims made for gum - it helps you relax, peps you up and eases tension ( soldiers during
both world wars were regularly supplied with gum) – gum’s greatest claim is that it reduces tooth decay.
C. Research continues on new textures and flavors. Glycerine and other vegetable oil products are now used
to blend the gum base. most new flavors are artificial artificial - but some flavors still need natural
assistance.
D. This was not always the case, though. The ancient Greeks chewed a gum-like resin obtained from the bark
of the mastic tree, a shrub found mainly in Greece and Turkey. Grecian women, especially, favored mastic
gum to clean the teeth and sweeten their breath.
E. Each chiclero must carry the liquid on his back to a forest camp, where it is boiled until sticky and made
into bricks. Life at the camp is no picnic either, with a monotonous and often deficient maize-based diet
washed down by the local alcohol distilled from sugar cane.
F. The chicleros grease their hands and arms to prevent the sticky gum sticking to them. The gum is then
packed into a wooden mould, pressed down firmly, initially and dated ready for collection and export.
G. Today the few remaining chicle gatherers, chicleros, eke out a meagre and dangerous living, trekking for
miles to tap scattered sapodilla in near – 100% humidity. Conditions are appalling: highly poisonous
snakes lurk ready to pounce and insects abound.
NTT-YB
Mobile Misgivings
It's getting hard to be anonymous. To do anything, you have to prove who you are. Want to buy something
or draw some cash? That's a wodge of credit cards to lug around, and a plethora of four-digit PINs to
remember. Even before stepping out of the front door, you've got to find your driving licence or rail pass,
perhaps even your passport.
1.
Inside every digital mobile phone is a SIM card. SIM stands for Subscriber Information Module, and the
chip embedded in the SIM card is what makes the mobile yours. For now, the SIM just identifies you to
the phone system, and maybe holds details of your favourite phone numbers. In future it could identify you
to everyone who needs to know who you are and would enable you to carry out transactions which require
a form of identification.
2.
The Finnish government is looking at using SIM's in place of a national identity card - and eventually a
passport. Under this plan, the SIM wilt become a person's legal proof of identity. And there's no reason
why it couldn't unlock your health records, social security details and other personal information. One
click and a hospital would know exactly who it's dealing with.
3.
People can loge or mislay their phones, and they are a tempting target for thieves, who can easily dispose
of them on the black market. That's bad enough when there's only a large phone bill at stake. When your
phone becomes the key to your identity, secrets and cash, you'll want so make sure it stays safely locked
up, even if only the gadget itself falls into the wrong Lands. "Having something that contains all this
information would be extremely rash," says Roger Needham, managing director of Microsoft's British
research laboratory in Cambridge. "People will simply find it unacceptable."
4.
The beauty of this system is that the identifier would act as one half of what's called a public key
encryption system. The identifier, kept safe inside the phone, acts as a key, known to no one else. To read
a message locked with this private key requires a second, public key, which can be freely distributed.
5.
An increasing number of countries are passing laws to give private keys the same legal force as signatures.
This has unleashed a flood of encryption systems, and the problem now is to get governments and
companies to agree on a standard. "It needs to be simple, secure and transparent," says Mica Nierninen,
head of mobile commerce company More Magic Software, in Helsinki. "We have the maths to show that it
is secure. The only problem now is making it global."
6.
The private key is protected by a PIN, and the card will shut itself off if wrong numbers are keyed in three
times. To switch it back on, the owner must take it to a police station with another form of ID. If a card is
stolen, the police will cancel it permanently. Either way, information on the card stays safe.
7.
Pearson thinks consumers, too, will learn to trust a chip with their identity, not least because it will make
life so much easier. A private key will do away with hard-to-remember log-in codes and passwords for
websites, as well as all those credit cards and PINS. "People already give up their privacy quite happily
just to get access to a website," he says. "As long as they get something out of it."
A. But for these dreams to become reality, there'll have to be a revolution in public attitudes. People will
have to let go of their apprehensions about e-commerce and learn to trust their mobiles; "Cultivating that
trust is a very difficult thing to do and takes it lot of time," says Ian Pearson, resident futurologist at British
Telecom.
B. Your credit history could be accessed by your bank manager with your agreement, which would negate
the need for you to visit the bank. The manager could communicate with you through your mobile phone
and either give you advice over the phone or invite you to the bank for a face-to-face consultation. This
has already been piloted in Britain and has received a positive reception.
C. The solution, according to experts in the field, is to share precious information on secure servers
accessible via a WAP connection on the web. The SIM would only store a personal identifier - a long
string of digits that would unlock the servers and give access to the information they hold. To use the
identifier, the phone's owner would have to punch in a PIN.
D. "Even in its embryonic form, FINEID gives people a secure way to access sensitive information," says
Vatka. "And when you get it in a mobile phone you're not even tied to a terminal," he says. Many believe
that identity theft will be inevitable no matter how careful safeguards are. But since it is already taking
place and this system is more secure, businesses will probably be keen to adopt it.
E. In a few years, this plastic and paper baggage could be history. A single chip hidden in your cellphone
will be all you need - a little treasure that holds your complete identity. But beware! Lose your phone, and
your identity and money go with it. The big question is whether people will be willing to trust so much to
a sliver of silicon.
F. You might use this set-up to send a request to a bank using its public key to see the details of your
account, which it would decrypt using its private key. The bank would then send you the requested
information encrypted with your public key, which only your private key could decrypt. Thus both
messages would be secure.
G. To pay for a meal, say, you will use the phone to transfer money through the phone network to a
restaurant's computer. There will be no payment slip to sign because your SIM will do it for you.
Likewise, when you board a plane you won't have to wait in line for a boarding pass and seat number.
H. "The Finnish government has taken the initiative with a national standard that companies can use free
of charge," says Vesa Vatka of the Finnish Population Register Centre in Helsinki. "At the moment this
system - called FINEID - uses a smart card and a card reader attached to a computer, but the plan is to
integrate to a SIM," says Vatka.