Exercise 1
Scanning exercises
Every second, 1 hectare of the world's rainforest is destroyed. That's equivalent to two football fields. An area the size of New York City is lost every day. In a year, that adds up to 31 million hectares -- more than the land area of Poland. This alarming rate of destruction has serious consequences for the environment; scientists estimate, for example, that 137 species of plant, insect or animal become extinct every day due to logging. In British Columbia, where, since 1990, thirteen rainforest valleys have been clearcut, 142 species of salmon have already become extinct, and the habitats of grizzly bears, wolves and many other creatures are threatened. Logging, however, provides jobs, profits, taxes for the government and cheap products of all kinds for consumers, so the government is reluctant to restrict or control it.
Much of Canada's forestry production goes towards making pulp and paper. According to the Canadian Pulp and Paper Association, Canada supplies 34% of the world's wood pulp and 49% of its newsprint paper. If these paper products could be produced in some other way, Canadian forests could be preserved. Recently, a possible alternative way of producing paper has been suggested by agriculturalists and environmentalists: a plant called hemp.
Hemp has been cultivated by many cultures for thousands of years. It produces fibre which can be made into paper, fuel, oils, textiles, food, and rope. For centuries, it was essential to the economies of many countries because it was used to make the ropes and cables used on sailing ships; colonial expansion and the establishment of a world-wide trading network would not have been feasible without hemp. Nowadays, ships' cables are usually made from wire or synthetic fibres, but scientists are now suggesting that the cultivation of hemp should be revived for the production of paper and pulp. According to its proponents, four times as much paper can be produced from land using hemp rather than trees, and many environmentalists believe that the large-scale cultivation of hemp could reduce the pressure on Canada's forests.
However, there is a problem: hemp is illegal in many countries of the world. This plant, so useful for fibre, rope, oil, fuel and textiles, is a species of cannabis, related to the plant from which marijuana is produced. In the late 1930s, a movement to ban the drug marijuana began to gather force, resulting in the eventual banning of the cultivation not only of the plant used to produce the drug, but also of the commercial fibre-producing hemp plant. Although both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp in large quantities on their own land, any American growing the plant today would soon find himself in prison -- despite the fact that marijuana cannot be produced from the hemp plant, since it contains almost no THC (the active ingredient in the drug).
In recent years, two major movements for legalization have been gathering strength. One group of activists believes that ALL cannabis should be legal -- both the hemp plant and the marijuana plant -- and that the use of the drug marijuana should not be an offense. They argue that marijuana is not dangerous or addictive, and that it is used by large numbers of people who are not criminals but productive members of society. They also point out that marijuana is less toxic than alcohol or tobacco. The other legalization movement is concerned only with the hemp plant used to produce fibre; this group wants to make it legal to cultivate the plant and sell the fibre for paper and pulp production. This second group has had a major triumph recently: in 1997, Canada legalized the farming of hemp for fibre. For the first time since 1938, hundreds of farmers are planting this crop, and soon we can expect to see pulp and paper produced from this new source.
Questions
Select the answer you think is correct.
1.
How many species of salmon have become extinct in BC?
27
31
137
142
2.
How much of the world's newsprint paper is supplied by Canada?
31%
49%
34%
19%
3.
What equipment on a ship was made from hemp?
Ropes
waterproof cloth
engine fuel
life rafts
4.
What drug can be obtained from a relative of hemp?
Cocaine
Heroin
Amphetamine
Marijuana
5.
Where was hemp farming recently legalized?
the USA
Canada
Singapore
the Netherlands
Multiple-Choice Questions
Click on the answer you think is correct.
1. How long does it take for 100 hectares of rainforest to be destroyed?
a)less than two minutes
b)about an hour
c)two hours
d)a day
2. Why is pulp and paper production important to Canada?
a)Canada needs to find a way to use all its spare wood.
b)Canada publishes a lot of newspapers and books.
c)Pulp and paper export is a major source of income for Canada.
3. Who is suggesting that pulp and paper could be produced without cutting down trees?
a)the logging industry
b)the government
c)the environmental lobby
4. Why was the plant hemp essential to world-wide trade in the past?
a)Ships' ropes were made from it.
b)Hemp was a very profitable export.
c)Hemp was used as fuel for ships.
d)Hemp was used as food for sailors.
5. Why do agriculturalists think that hemp would be better for paper production than trees?
a)It is cheaper to grow hemp than to cut down trees.
b)More paper can be produced from the same area of land.
c)Hemp produces higher quality paper.
6. When was hemp production banned in Canada?
a)1930
b)1960
c)1996
d)1938
7. Why was hemp banned?
a)It is related to the marijuana plant.
b)It can be used to produce marijuana.
c)It was no longer a useful crop.
d)It was destructive to the land.
8. What chemical ingredient of cannabis plants is a powerful drug?
a)Fibre
b)Marijuana
c)THC
9. True or false: Some activists believe that both marijuana and hemp should be legal.
a)True
b)False
10. True or false: Canada has just legalized marijuana.
a)True
b)False
Multiple-Choice Questions
Click on the answer you think is correct.
1. "Every second, 1 hectare of the world's rainforest is destroyed. That's equivalent to two football fields."What does "equivalent to" mean?
a)more than
b)less than
c)the same as
2. "In British Columbia, where, since 1990, thirteen rainforest valleys have been clearcut, 142 species of salmon have already become extinct."What does "clearcut" mean?
a)a few trees have been cut down
b)many trees have been cut down
c)all the trees have been cut down
3. "Logging, however, provides jobs, profits, taxes for the government and cheap products of all kinds for consumers, so the government is reluctant to restrict or control it."What does "reluctant" mean?
a)doesn't want to
b)is not allowed to
c)would like to
4. "According to its proponents, four times as much paper can be produced from land using hemp rather than trees."What does "proponents" mean?
a)people who are against something
b)people who support something
c)people in charge of something
5. "In the late 1930s, a movement to ban the drug marijuana began to gather force."What does "gather force" mean?
a)Appear
b)get stronger
c)get weaker
6. "One group of activists believes that ALL cannabis should be legal."What does "activists" mean?
a)people trying to change something
b)people against the government
c)people who smoke marijuana
Skimming Exercise
Questions
Select the answer you think is correct.
The main idea of paragraph one is:
Scientists are worried about New York City
Logging is destroying the rainforests
Governments make money from logging
Salmon are an endangered species
The main idea of paragraph two is:
Canadian forests are especially under threat
Hemp is a kind of plant
Canada is a major supplier of paper and pulp
Canada produces a lot of hemp
The main idea of paragraph three is:
Paper could be made from hemp instead of trees
Hemp is useful for fuel
Hemp has been cultivated throughout history
Hemp is essential for building large ships
The main idea of paragraph four is:
Hemp is used to produce drugs
Many famous people used to grow hemp
It is illegal to grow hemp
Hemp is useful for producing many things
The main idea of paragraph five is:
Hemp should be illegal because it is dangerous
Recently, many people have been working to legalize hemp
Hemp was made illegal in 1938
Marijuana is not a dangerous drug
Frimsborough County Library
Questions
1: This text is about:
library resources
opening hours
fines and other fees
membership conditions
2: Information is given about borrowing CDs.
false
true
3: Which category of video isn't listed?
educational
exercise
film
travel
4: A telephone number is provided.
true
false
5: This text tells you where to get more information about how many items you can borrow from the library.
Yes, it gives you a phone number where you can get more information.
Yes, it says that this information is available online.
Yes, it tells you about the enquiry desk in the library.
No, this information isn't included.
6: What types of fictional books are listed?
romantic, horror, science-fiction and adventure
historical novels
sporting adventures
Spanish fiction
7: Members can also borrow CD Roms.
true
false
The text doesn't say.
8: Which month is 'library month'?
November
August
September
April
9: What is the name of the library?
Frimsborough Town Library
Frimsborough County Library
Frimsborough Village Library
Framborough District Library
10: What type of text is this text?
informative text
descriptive text
persuasive
instructive
London congestion charging
The charge was introduced on Monday 17 February 2003 to encourage people to leave their cars behind and use public transport when travelling in central London. It was introduced due to the high pollution levels and traffic congestion.
The Inner Ring Road forms the congestion zone boundary and includes roads such as Marylebone Road, Euston Road, Park Lane and Edgware Road. Drivers can travel along these roads without incurring the charge. Maps of this zone are published in the national press and are available from a range of outlets as well as online.
Commuters have to pay £5 for each day they wish to travel through or within the charge zone between the hours of 7.00am and 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Commuters have a choice about how they pay the £5. They can pay online, via the Internet, phoning, texting on their mobile phones and over the counter at petrol stations and convenience stores.
Commuters also have a choice about how often they pay. They can pay daily, weekly, monthly or annually.
Not everyone has to pay the £5. Those exempt include residents, emergency services, registered-disabled drivers, taxis and those using alternative energy vehicles. These people/organisations have to apply for exemption, which can be done online.
The London Congestion Charge works by using around 900 cameras at the boundary and within the zone. The cameras read the registration plates and send the information to a computer, which checks whether the owner has paid the charge and, if not, whether the owner has claimed exemption. If drivers have not paid the charge by 10pm that day (and are not exempt) a penalty notice is sent to his/her home address. The longer that the penalty is not paid, the larger the fine. Persistent offenders have their vehicles clamped and removed.
For more information, call 0845 900 1234 or visit Transport for London's congestion charge website at http://www.cclondon.com/.
Questions
1: This article tells you about a charge that has been around since:
January 2003
February 2003
March 2003
April 2003
2: The article doesn't give information about:
people who are exempt from paying the charge
how London's residents were consulted about the charge
the roads that form the boundaries of the zone
the process to check whether drivers have paid the congestion charge
3: Is there more than one way to pay the congestion charge?
yes
No - the method of payment depends on where you live.
No - everyone has to pay online.
Yes - but you cannot change your preferred method of payment once you have chosen.
4: Does the article inform the reader about why the charge was introduced?
yes
no
5: This text is aimed at:
businesses
students
London residents
everyone
6: What type of text is this?
descriptive
informative
instructive
persuasive
7: How does the text suggest that can you find out more about the London Congestion Charge?
Speak to your local MP.
Write a letter to 'Transport for London'.
The text doesn't say.
Call a telephone number or visit a website.
8: Can you find out about the different methods that are being used to check whether drivers have paid the congestion charge?
no
yes
9: Are maps of the congestion zone available to the public?
Yes and this text tells you where you can get them.
Yes, but this text doesn't say where you can get them from.
No, maps aren't available.
The text doesn't say.
10: This text does give information about:
the weather in London.
the days and times the Congestion Charge applies
the number of drivers who evade paying the charge each day
the names of shops where you can get Congestion Charge maps
Questions
1: This suite is about:
50% polyester, 50% cotton.
49% polyester, 51% cotton.
54% polyester, 46% cotton.
46% polyester, 54% cotton.
2: Does the catalogue company offer a home delivery service?
Yes. It costs £100.00.
Yes. Delivery is free.
There is no delivery service offered.
Yes, but the cost of the service is unknown.
3: The large armchair costs £232.99.
true
false
4: How much does the 3 seater sofa cost?
£409.95
£359.95
£232.99
£479.95
5: For what type of use is the Karina range designed / made?
heavy domestic use
general domestic use
light domestic use
commercial use
6: The futon costs more that the armchair.
true
false
7: How high is most of the Karina range?
94cm
95cm
96cm
97cm
8: How much does the smallest piece of furniture cost?
£59.95
£189.95
£79.99
£69.99
9: The metal-action sofa-bed is wider than the 2 seater sofa.
true
false
10: How many pieces of furniture cost more than £350?
1
2
3
4
Bus timetable
Questions
1: At what time does the 08.42 bus from Murrayfield Drive arrive at Trenton Hospital on a Thursday?
08.59
09.02
09.22
11.02
2: At what time does the 10.49 bus from Trenton Parade arrive at Gately Road on a Monday?
11.10
12.10
12.15
11.55
3: If you need to be in the town centre by 11am on a Saturday morning, which bus do you need to catch from Tilfield Park?
07.58
10.04
10.00
11.59
4: If you need to be in the town centre by 10.30am on a Wednesday morning, which bus do you need to catch from Trenton Hospital?
11.02
08.02
08.10
09.02
5: If you want to arrive at The Broadwalk by 15.30 on a Tuesday, which bus do you need to catch from St. Clement's Church?
14.55
13.55
13.59
14.59
6: If you miss the 17.00 bus from Tilfield Park on a Friday, what time is the next bus?
17.03
17.12
18.03
18.07
7: If you miss the 08.10 bus from Gately Road on a Monday, when does the next bus arrive?
08.15
09.15
11.10
08.22
8: If you need to arrive at Trenton Hospital by 17.15 on a Sunday, which bus do you need to catch from Murrayfield Drive?
13.41
15.43
16.43
16.01
9: How long does the 11.42 bus journey take from Murrayfield Drive to Trenton Hospital on a Saturday?
19 minutes
20 minutes
21 minutes
22 minutes
10: If you need to be at Tilfield Park by 09.00 on a Thursday, which bus do you need to catch from Trenton Parade?
07.48
08.42
08.49
08.55
