LISTENING PRACTICE

Here are some links to Listening Exams so you can get some practice done over the weekend.  Which, of course, is exactly the kind of thing you are dreaming of doing :)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

RUE 4 - KEY WORD TRANSFORMATION EXERCISES

Follow the links below to get some fun and awesomely rewarding practice of Part 4 of the Reading and Use of English exam :)

Phrasal Verbs

Formal Structures

Mixture

BIRDLIFE - ANSWERS

31 B

The review says that in Birdlife, Hurst has chosen to repeat Gold's "winning formula", which he goes on to criticise.  A: He mentions the different aspects of gold, without emphasising that it is a wide range. C: He expects Birdlife to repeat the success of Gold, but his criticisms makes it clear that he doesn't feel it deserves that success.  D: He applies his criticisms to both books (that is made clear by 'repeat a winning formula').

32 A

Truman says that Hurst doesn't help readers to interpret information or identify similarities, and that there is "not enough synthesis".  B: He doesn't claim that she misunderstands the significance of any myths, only that she includes too much detail. C: He makes it clear that Hurst doesn't interpret the myth; it is left to readers to do so if they wish.  D: He is not concerned with the number of cultures, but with the amount of detail and lack of analysis.

33 A

This refers to the last part of the third paragraph, about birds and people communicating to the advantage of both parties.  B: There is no suggestion that the honeyguide has been trained to behave in the way it does.  It might be spontaneous behaviour.  C: The reviewer doesn't mention the possibility of greater exploitation of birds.  D: On the contrary, the honeyguide is presented as being useful to human beings, by leading them to honeycombs.

34 D

"[O]n this scale" refers to a large amount.  That is, the length of the journey.  "[R]ecord", too, refers to the tern's journey as being the longest undertaken by any bird.  A, B, and C are all aspects of Artic terns' lives, but the text doesn't contain any measurements connected with them that would make sense of "record" and "scale".

35 C

Truman describes Hurt's wish to revert to the farming methods of the past as "a forlorn hope", which means something that it very unlikely to be achieved.  And "she can hardly expect" also implies that although she wants this to happen, it is very unlikely.  A: The reviewer doesn't dispute Hurt's claim that "their habitat is damaged or even destroyed".  B: There is no suggestion that Hurst misunderstands certain subjects.  It is her opinion regarding the relative importance of birds and agriculture that the review disagrees with.  D: There is no indication that reading Birdlife has made him change his opinion - whatever that was before he read it.

36 B

He finds the book "interesting" and says he "enjoyed" at least part of it, but suggests there are no new insights in it.  The chapter on mythology is largely factual, and he ends by saying the book "has little to say to serious ornithologists".  A: The book doesn't seems to mention anything still to be learn about birds.  The final paragraph suggests it would be a good introduction to the subject for people who know little or nothing about them, which implies it contains only information already familiar to ornithologists.  C: Like Gold, the book deals with a number of facets of the subject, but there is no suggestion that it provides a clear overview, describing Gold as being like "a series of magazine articles", with no attempt at an overview.  D: Although the book has chapters on different aspects of the subject, there is no indication that the reviewer thinks this is unusual.

RUE 7 - ANSWERS

Here are the answers to the RUE 7 reading,  "Macquarie Island":

41 F  42 D  43 C  44 B  45 A  46 G

ESSAY FROM GIL

For those of you who were unable to make it to GIL today, here is the essay question:

You have listened to a radio discussion programme about how to motivate children to do regular exercise.  You have made the notes below:

WAYS OF MOTIVATING CHILDREN TO DO REGULAR EXERCISE:

• parental example
• government funding
• school

Some opinions expressed in the discussion:

"If children don't see their parents do exercise, they don't think it's important."

"If sports facilities were cheaper, more people would use them."

"Sport in schools is too competitive. It should be fun for everyone."

Write an essay for your tutor discussing two of the ways in your notes.  You should explain which way is more effective in motivating children to do regular exercise and provide reasons to support your opinion.

You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed in the discussion, but you should use your own words as far as possible.

GERUND or INFINITIVE - ANSWERS

EXERCISE 1
1) waiting 2) to be 3) working 4) doing 5) to buy 6) to stay 7) to find 8) going/to go
9) smoking 10) to go 11) to take 12) to help 13) persuading/to persuade 14) smoking
15) dancing 16) eating/to eat

EXERCISE 2
1) to meet 2) seeing 3) to be 4) to see 5) eating 6) to understand/understanding
7) trying 8) to be 9) to stay 10) going 11) to be 12) to be 13) to hurt 14) doing 15) telling
16) waiting 17) to put out 18) going 19) to take 20) to stop

RUE 7 - PRACTICE

Click on the link below to do some further RUE 7 practice.  And remember, once completed, it's always a good idea to again read through the complete text just to make sure :)

Scottish Wildcat