Reading Skills 19 Mr.

Hamdy Hussain
HOW TO TRAIN ELEPHANTS
01033794970

Two main techniques have been used for training elephants, which we may cal
respectively the tough and the gentle. The former method simply consists of setting
an elephant to work and beating him until he does what is expected of him. Apart
from any moral considerations, this is a stupid method of training, for it produces a
resentful animal who at a later stage may well turn into a man-killer. The gentle
method requires more patience in the early stages, but produces a cheerful, good-
tempered elephant who will give many years of loyal service. The first essential in
elephant training is to assign to the animal a single trainer who will be entirely
responsible for the job. Elephants like to have one master just as dogs do, and are
capable of a considerable degree of personal affection. There are even stories of
half-trained elephant calves who have refused to feed and pined to
death when, by some unavoidable circumstance, they have been
deprived of their own trainer. Such extreme cases must probably
be taken with a grain of salt, but they do underline the general
principle that the relationship between elephant and trainer is
the key to successful training.

E X E R C I S E 1: Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:

COLUMN A COLUMN B

a) teach certain tasks or skills

b) separately and in the order mentioned

c) hard; strict; firm

d) feeling angry about someone's behaviour

towards you

e) at a time in the future (phrase)

f) feeling of fondness or love

g) baby cows, elephants, seals, and whales

h) miss someone who has left or died so much

that you eventually die (phrase)

i) take something you want or need away; stop

from having

j) don't take too seriously; don't believe

something is completely true (phrase)

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E X E R C I S E 2: Choose the correct answer according to the passage.

1. When comparing the tough and gentle elephant-training techniques, the writer
considers the latter to be

A) stupid and largely immoral

B) the method which is more successful
C) very time-consuming and lacking in rewards
D) the one more likely to harm the elephant
E) the more enjoyable

2. The most important point when training an elephant is

A) not to change the trainer

B) to give it a dog for company
C) to show it lots of affection
D) not to try to train calves
E) to choose a good-tempered elephant

3. According to the writer, the tough training technique

A) is much faster than the gentle

B) requires a trainer of great physical strength
C) creates cheerful, loyal elephants
D) is not only foolish but also immoral
E) is only effective for a short period

E X E R C I S E 3: Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.

1. I have a great for the elderly couple next-door, who are always so kind
and friendly.
2. The only way I'm going to manage to lose weight is by myself
all the food I like most.
3. The top two most popular overseas holiday destinations for British tourists are Spain and
Greece
4. She felt so about the way she'd been treated at work that she refused
to speak to even her closest friends.
5. If we buy the flight tickets today, we can book the hotel

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 TEENAGE ENTREPRENEURS

Surveys often reveal that more than half of all the teenage entrepreneurs that
have recently emerged in the United States are firstborn children, and many are
from immigrant families. Some are content with modest revenues, others are
primarily after big money - but most are driven simply by the desire to shape their
own destinies. Certainly, all possess qualities such as ingenuity, a good intellect, a
healthy sense of self, inner drive, and a clear-cut purpose. "It's not luck; it's hard
work," says one of them. "If you work hard, you'll be successful - that's what I
always say. You can't rely on anybody but yourself." Perhaps the most engaging
quality of the teenage entrepreneurs is their effervescent optimism. Reared in an era
of unprecedented exposure to news of disaster, terrorism, famine, and the threat of
nuclear mayhem, they nevertheless developed into positive-thinking achievers.
Aware of the obstacles, they are far more interested in the opportunities.

E X E R C I S E 1: Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:

COLUMN A COLUMN B

a) person who organizes and manages a

business enterprise

b) happy; satisfied

c) income

d) looking for; trying to get (phrase)

e) wish; strong feeling of want

f) future; fate

g) cleverness; skill; ability to think of new ideas

h) self-motivation (phrase)

i) obvious; distinct; easy to understand

j) holding your attention; seeming attractive

k) lively; enthusiastic

I) (of children) bring up; raise

m) never done or known before

n) chaos; state of no control

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E X E R C I S E 2: Choose the correct answer according to the passage.

1. According to the passage, teenage entrepreneurs were able to succeed

A) despite growing up in a troubled age

B) because they had emigrated to the United States
C) because they work much harder than anyone else
D) as they were the first children born into their families
E) due to their desire to become very rich

2. The motivation most commonly found in teenage entrepreneurs is

A) that, as immigrants, they are eager to succeed in the States

B) the need to support their younger brothers and sisters
C) that they want to determine their own futures
D) the opportunity to become extremely wealthy
E) the wish to be successful despite unfavourable conditions

3. While a moderate income can be pleasing for some entrepreneurs

A) more of them are concerned with helping their families

B) many are only interested in what they can achieve
C) most get their satisfaction from the hard work
D) others want to make a fortune
E) very few are prepared to settle for little

E X E R C I S E 3: Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.

1. The plan seemed very to begin with, but on further investigation it was
found to be quite complicated.
2. The action the manager took was quite and took everyone by surprise.
3. I would be with a small, pretty flat; I don't want anything too grand.
4. He doesn't believe in He thinks you have to live according to a plan.
5. She has a lot of and has managed to succeed despite many
difficulties.

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 CHINESE NEW YEAR

The most important holiday in China is the Lunar New Year. Since it is based on
the lunar calendar, it comes about a month later than the Western New Year. The
Chinese New Year season traditionally lasts about a month; however, so that
working life will not be interrupted for too long, the period has now been reduced to a
week or less. There are some parallels with the Western New Year: houses are
cleaned thoroughly, for instance, and families all get together for the festivities. All
debts must be paid off so that the new year can start with a fresh beginning. Feasts
are enjoyed with family and friends, and there are lively dragon and lion dances in
the streets. Everywhere there is the sound of firecracker explosions. Children
receive gifts of little red envelopes with money inside them. Many superstitions are
related to the celebration of the Chinese New Year. No sweeping should be done in
case the family's good fortune is swept out of the door with the trash. One should be
especially careful not to break any dishes, for such an accident is believed to bring
about serious problems between members of the family throughout the coming year.

E X E R C I S E 1: Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:

COLUMN A COLUMN B

a) concerning the moon

b) system of dividing time into years, months, and

days

c) large, special meal

d) large imaginary animal in legends (usually a

winged reptile)

e) small explosive device which makes a noise

and is used for entertainment purposes

f) belief in cause and effects with no scientific

links

g) cleaning the floor with a brush or broom

h) rubbish

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E X E R C I S E 2: Choose the correct answer according to the passage.

1. The aim in shortening the Chinese New Year season was

A) to bring it closer to the Western New Year traditions

B) to lower the cost of celebration
C) to reduce the number of feasts held
D) to prevent the streets from becoming too congested with dragon and lion dances
E) to minimize disruption of work

2. The Chinese and Western New Years

A) share certain similarities

B) are both celebrated in January
C) have absolutely nothing in common
D) both last for about a month
E) are both based on the lunar calendar

3. At Chinese New Year

A) children are the most important people

B) debts are traditionally cancelled
C) the Chinese observe a lot of superstitions
D) nobody eats from dishes
E) disagreements in the family are settled

E X E R C I S E 3: Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.

1. If you do the I'll clean the windows.

2. According to English if a black cat crosses your path, you'll have good
luck, while in the United States, the same event signals bad luck.
3. It takes the moon twenty-nine-and-a-half days to go round the earth, so this is known as a
month.
4. There is so much on the beach that it is too dirty to sit on.
5. Although different religions and peoples around the world have their own methods for
counting years, the used internationally is the one introduced by Pope
Gregory XIII in the 16th century.

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 LEVI STRAUSS

In 1850, during the Gold Rush, a twenty-year-old immigrant from Bavaria named
Levi Strauss stepped off the boat in San Francisco. He had with him a special cloth
called Serge de Nimes, which would later be called denim in America. Levi Strauss
hoped to sell the denim as material to make tents and covers for wagons, to the men
who were going to the goldfields to look for gold. "You should have brought pants to
sell. In the goldfields we need strong pants that don't wear out," one young miner
advised Strauss. So Levi Strauss took some of his denim to the nearest tailor and
had him make the miner a pair of pants. The miner was so pleased with his pants
that he told other miners about the wonderful new Levi's pants or Levis, and soon
Levi Strauss had to open a shop to manufacture enough trousers for the miners. The
miners wanted trousers that were comfortable to ride in, that were low-cut so they
could bend over easily to pick up the gold from under their feet, and which had big
useful pockets. One miner complained that the gold in his pockets kept tearing them.
So Levi put metal corners in the pockets to make them stronger. Very soon, miners
and cowboys from all over came to get fitted up with Levi's pants. Today, more than
a hundred years later, Levi's pants walk the world as Levi's blue jeans.

E X E R C I S E 1: Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:

COLUMN A COLUMN B

a) person who comes to settle in another country

b) leave a vehicle, e.g. a plane, etc. (phrasal verb)
c) become useless; exhausted (phrasal verb)
d) person who digs out metals or minerals from
underground
e) make or process (a raw material) into a
finished product (especially using a large-scale
industrial operation)
f) (of trousers) made to fit around the hips rather
than the waist
g) incline the body; lean over
h) be equipped or supplied with (phrase)

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E X E R C I S E 2: Choose the correct answer according to the passage.

1. It's clear that Levi Strauss's original purpose for taking denim to America was

A) to provide jeans for the miners

B) forgotten when he got off the boat
C) to make himself equipment for going to the goldfields
D) to sell to the tailors
E) not for making trousers

2. The first pair of Levi Strauss "jeans"

A) were admired by many other people

B) didn't fit the needs of the miners
C) were made as a response to a request
D) were no different from today's models
E) were made in Bavaria

3. Levi Strauss's trousers first became popular

A) because they were so fashionable

B) due to the customers talking about them
C) as a result of their being affordable
D) after they had been sold for a century
E) when they had gold put into the corners

E X E R C I S E 3: Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.

1. The was trapped underground for several hours after the explosion.
2. That man is too fat to be wearing trousers. They really don't suit him
all.
3. There is a lot of bureaucracy involved in trying to get a job if you are a/an

4. The new soldiers are going to the stores to their uniforms and guns.
5. I've only had these shoes for a month and they've already

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 ASTROLOGY

All around the world, it seems to be true that people prefer mysterious

explanations to simple explanations. If someone is killed in a car crash, for example,

many people say it was caused by fate, rather than by poor driving or bad road

conditions. In many countries, a profitable business has developed around the

subject of astrology. Astrologers want us to believe that our characters are formed
as soon as we are born, according to the particular zodiac sign we are born under.

Many people prefer to believe this than to read the

scientific explanations of the development of human

character and personality put forward by

psychologists and doctors. Hence, in many popular
magazines and women's journals, we find a column
such as "You and Your Stars". And in some
countries, you can even ask an astrology "expert"

questions about your future.

E X E R C I S E 1: Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:

COLUMN A COLUMN B

a) appearing to have no cause or explanation;

impossible to understand
b) the future as decided by a power which cannot
be controlled
c) not adequate in quality; bad
d) bringing in more money than is being spent
e) each of the twelve symbols named after groups
of stars which are believed to influence our
lives (two words)
f) propose for consideration; state (phrasal verb)
g) for this reason
h) a feature article that appears regularly in a
publication, such as a newspaper

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E X E R C I S E 2: Choose the correct answer according to the passage.

1. According to the passage, people worldwide

A) have to drive on poor road conditions

B) tend to be more receptive to mysterious explanations
C) consult astrologers before making any plans
D) have similar characteristics according to their sign of the zodiac
E) cannot control their lives because they are already set by outside influences

2. The subject of astrology

A) can only be understood by experts

B) holds explanations we cannot find in our normal lives
C) is based on the work of scientists and psychologists
D) is used by many doctors when looking for diagnoses
E) brings in a lot of money for people in several countries

3. According to astrologers

A) psychologists have no validity when explaining the development of personality

B) it doesn't matter whether you are a good or bad driver because you can't control fate
C) women are more likely to follow their horoscopes than men
D) the zodiac sign under which a person is born determines his or her character from birth
E) a business can be extremely profitable if it is set up with their advice

E X E R C I S E 3: Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.

1. The company, with an annual turnover of several million dollars, is one of the most
in the country.
2. Police are still trying to explain the disappearance of the paintings.
3. She says she can guess anybody's just by talking to them for five
minutes, and she was right about mine.
4. The company's business has expanded greatly; , they are going to be
hiring several new staff members.
5. He believes it was that we met again in such an unlikely place, but I
think it was just coincidence.

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