Text 1 The Positive Effects On Children of Owning A Dog
Text 1 The Positive Effects On Children of Owning A Dog
Text 1 The Positive Effects On Children of Owning A Dog
Having a dog helps a child learn how to act responsibly. As a dog owner, the child must take care of the
animal's daily needs. The dog must be fed and exercised every day. A dog is completely dependent on its
owner for all its needs, including the need for good health and a safe environment. Therefore, being
responsible for a dog also means taking care of the dog so that it stays healthy. Furthermore, the owner
must take responsibility for the safety of the dog and the safety of the people it comes into contact with. If
the child forgets any of these duties and responsibilities, or ignores any of the dog's needs, the dog will
suffer. This teaches the child that his responsibility to the dog is more important than his desire to play
with his toys, talk on the phone, or watch TV. This is true not only for the care of a dog, but also for the
care of oneself, another person, or one's job. Learning how to take responsibility for the health and
welfare of a dog leads to learning how to take responsibility for oneself.
Another lesson that a child can learn from having a dog is how to be empathetic. Empathy is the ability to
put oneself in another person's, or in this case another creature's, situation and imagine that person's or
creature's feelings or problems. A dog cannot express itself with speech, so its owner must learn how to
interpret its behaviour. The child must learn to understand what the dog's behaviour means. Is the dog
frightened, aggressive, or sick? The child needs to understand what is going on in the dog's mind.
Understanding a situation from the dog's perspective helps the child understand why the dog is behaving
in a certain way and what the dog needs. The result of learning to read a dog's behaviour is that the child
develops empathy. By learning how to empathize with a dog, the child also learns how to empathize with
other people. This leads to the child becoming a more considerate and caring person.
Being considerate and caring are important characteristics in a good friend. One of the most significant
benefits of owning a dog is the example of true friendship that a dog provides. A dog gives unconditional
love to its owner. A dog will not stop loving its owner because of a little anger, indifference, or neglect.
The dog will wait patiently for its owner to pat its head and say a few kind words. This acceptance of the
negative qualities and appreciation for the positive qualities of its owner provide a wonderful model of
how to be a good friend. A child soon realizes that his dog will always listen to him, will always be ready
to play with him, will always protect him, and will always forgive him. A child who has learned to be
even half as good a friend to others as his dog is to him will have learned one of the most valuable lessons
in life.
These are some of the most important lessons a child will ever learn. The benefits of owning a dog will
last the child's entire lifetime. The understanding and appreciation of responsibility, empathy, and
friendship that a child develops from the experience of having a dog will help him or her grow into a
reliable, caring, and mature adult.
Text 2
Do you believe that a kilogram of carrots could cost $10,000? My carrots cost me that much last year.
Last summer I had to completely renovate my kitchen and it was all because of a bunch of carrots. The
story begins with my picking twelve carrots from my vegetable garden and ends with my getting a new
kitchen.
I have a vegetable garden and every summer I enjoy eating my own vegetables. One day last summer I
picked a dozen carrots. Usually, as soon as I have picked the carrots, I clean the dirt off them by rinsing
them in a bucket of water. I keep a full bucket of water beside the garden just for this purpose. But this
day, as I was getting up from the ground with my twelve carrots, I tripped and fell over the bucket. The
water spilled out of the bucket and went all over my feet. I ran into the house to change my shoes and
socks. When I was finally dry and clean, I realized that I had very little time to make dinner. The carrots
were part of dinner, so I decided to wash the carrots quickly in the kitchen sink. The carrots were covered
in a large amount of dirt from the garden. I put the carrots in the sink, rinsed them with water, and
watched all the dirt wash away down the drain.
The next day, when I was washing dishes, I noticed that the water drained out of the sink much more
slowly than usual. It drained so slowly that I went to the store and bought a bottle of special drain cleaner.
I used the drain cleaner and the water seemed to drain a little faster. However, the following day the drain
worked even more slowly. I spent $100 on different kinds of drain cleaner. None of them worked.
Soon the water did not drain at all. At this point I called a plumber to come and fix my drain. The
plumber tried a lot of different cleaners and equipment, but nothing worked. He tried to go under the
house to check the pipes, but he couldn't reach them. He had to cut a hole in the floor where the drain pipe
was in order to try to find the problem. While he was cutting the small hole, he accidentally cut the hot-
water pipe. Hot water sprayed over the plumber, onto the floor, behind the counters, under the
refrigerator; water went everywhere. Two hours later we finally finished cleaning up all the water. But the
water had caused a lot of damage.
My refrigerator stopped working because the water had affected the electrical wires. I called an
electrician to come and fix the refrigerator. The electrician had to move the refrigerator to work on the
wires. In order to move the refrigerator, she had to balance it on an angle and pull it away from the wall.
As the electrician was balancing it, she tripped over the plumber's tools. She fell down and the
refrigerator tipped over. It crashed into the wall, resulting in a huge hole in the wall.
I called a carpenter to come and fix the wall. In order to repair the hole in the wall, the carpenter had to
tear down half of the entire wall. When the wall was half gone, the electrician found more electrical
problems caused by the water damage. This resulted in the other half of the wall being removed to replace
the damaged wiring. Meanwhile, the plumber was still looking for the source of the drain problem. Since
the kitchen was in a terrible mess anyway, the plumber decided to remove part of the floor to look at the
pipe there. In the middle of the floor, he found the problem: the dirt from the carrots was stuck in the pipe
and nothing could go through or past the clump of dirt.
Now I had a sink that did not drain, a refrigerator that did not work, a wall that was gone, and part of a
floor that was missing. I looked at this disaster and decided that what I really needed was a new kitchen.
Finally, I called a house builder to come and fix my kitchen. Three weeks later I had a new sink, a new
refrigerator, new cupboards on a new wall, new tiles on a new floor, and $10,000 less in my bank. I have
learned my lesson, I never wash carrots in the kitchen sink; I get them, clean and ready to eat, from the
store.
2. Which of the following is not a reason why the carrots were washed in the sink and not in the
bucket.
A. the bucket of water fell over
B. dinner needed to be made soon
C. the carrots were always washed in the kitchen sink
D. the carrots were dirty because they were fresh from the garden
3. Which of the following steps were taken to make the sink drain more quickly? (More than one
answer is correct)
$10,000 was spent to repair the sink
a plumber came to repair the drain
$100 was spent on different kinds of drain cleaners
a new sink and drain pipe were installed
Text 3
There is a famous expression in English: "Stop the world, I want to get off!" This expression refers to a
feeling of panic, or stress, that makes a person want to stop whatever they are doing, try to relax, and
become calm again. 'Stress' means pressure or tension. It is one of the most common causes of health
problems in modern life. Too much stress results in physical, emotional, and mental health problems.
There are numerous physical effects of stress. Stress can affect the heart. It can increase the pulse rate,
make the heart miss beats, and can cause high blood pressure. Stress can affect the respiratory system. It
can lead to asthma. It can cause a person to breathe too fast, resulting in a loss of important carbon
dioxide. Stress can affect the stomach. It can cause stomach aches and problems digesting food. These are
only a few examples of the wide range of illnesses and symptoms resulting from stress.
Emotions are also easily affected by stress. People suffering from stress often feel anxious. They may
have panic attacks. They may feel tired all the time. When people are under stress, they often overreact to
little problems. For example, a normally gentle parent under a lot of stress at work may yell at a child for
dropping a glass of juice. Stress can make people angry, moody, or nervous.
Long-term stress can lead to a variety of serious mental illnesses. Depression, an extreme feeling of
sadness and hopelessness, can be the result of continued and increasing stress. Alcoholism and other
addictions often develop as a result of overuse of alcohol or drugs to try to relieve stress. Eating disorders,
such as anorexia, are sometimes caused by stress and are often made worse by stress. If stress is allowed
to continue, then one's mental health is put at risk.
It is obvious that stress is a serious problem. It attacks the body. It affects the emotions. Untreated, it may
eventually result in mental illness. Stress has a great influence on the health and well-being of our bodies,
our feelings, and our minds. So, reduce stress: stop the world and rest for a while.
1. Which of the following is not a common problem caused by stress?
A. physical problems
B. anecdotal problems
C. mental problems
D. emotional problems
2. According to the essay, which of the following parts of the body does not have physical
problems caused by stress.
A. the arms
B. the stomach
C. the lungs
D. the heart
3. Which of the following show how stress can affect the emotions? (More than one answer is
correct)
it can make people feel nervous
it can cause panic attacks
it can make people feel elated
it can make people feel angry
4. Which of the following can result from long-term stress? (More than one answer is correct)
bliss
depression
alcoholism
whimsy
7. Choose all of the answers that can complete this sentence: Stress can affect the respiratory
system by __________. (More than one answer is correct)
causing stomach problems
causing asthma
a loss of carbon dioxide
causing breathing problems
Jack lay, quiet and unmoving, for thirty minutes while a stranger repeatedly stabbed him with sharp
needles, causing blood to pour steadily out of his leg. Jack was getting a tattoo. His friend Tony had
recently gotten a tattoo, and Jack was so impressed by Tony's bravery and his tattoo that he decided to get
one too. Getting a tattoo because your friends and peers have them is just one of the reasons why a lot of
young people in North America get tattoos. Peer pressure, media influence, and personal expression are
some of the common reasons for wearing tattoos today.
The desire to be part of a group, to be accepted by one's friends or peers, can have a great influence on
what a person does. Sometimes, wearing a tattoo can be a sign that you belong to a certain group. Gangs
often use special clothes and tattoos to identify their particular group. For example, in one gang all the
members may wear green army jackets and have large 'Xs' tattooed on their arms. It is not only gangs that
have this type of special 'uniform'. Young people often belong to a certain group of friends. Some of these
groups wear only brand-name clothes. Some wear only black clothes. Others wear tattoos. When a
person's friends are all doing something, such as getting a tattoo, that person is more likely to do the same
thing, and get a tattoo too.
The media is another big influence behind the popularity of tattoos in North America. A wide variety of
media images show tattoos. Tattoos can be seen on people appearing in commercials selling expensive
cars. Famous sports heroes with tattoos are shown in magazines. Fashion models are often seen in
magazines and on TV wearing designer clothes that show their bodies tattooed with detailed and colourful
patterns. These media images link tattoos to ideas of wealth, success, and status. As a result, many people
decide to get a tattoo for its fashion and status value.
It is not always the influence of other people or the media that results in a person getting a tattoo. Many
people decide to wear tattoos in order to express their artistic nature, their beliefs, or their feelings -- in
other words, to show their individuality. A musician in a rock band may get a tattoo of a guitar on the
arm. Some environmentalists may tattoo pictures of endangered animals on their shoulders. Lovers may
tattoo each others' names over their hearts. A tattoo can be a public sign to show what is important in a
person's life.
As you can see, there are many reasons why young North Americans get tattoos. A tattoo can be part of a
group's uniform. It can be a sign of fashion. It can be an expression of individuality. The decision to get a
tattoo is most often a result of the influence of friends or media or the desire to express oneself. For Jack,
it was a mixture of all three.
1. According to the essay, what are the three most common reasons why a person gets a tattoo?
(More than one answer is correct)
pressure from their peers
it is healthy
influence from the media
a way of personal expression
2. According to the essay, which of the following are common ways that people show they
belong to a certain group? (More than one answer is correct)
wearing a tattoo
wearing special clothes
wearing a special uniform
wearing a special kind of socks
3. According to the essay, which of the following are ways that the media uses tattoos in
advertising? (More than one answer is correct)
to sell cars
by using fashion models
by using sports stars
by using endangered species
4. According to the essay, media images are linked to _____________. (More than one answer is
correct)
wealth
status
success
debt
5. According to the essay, which of the following are possible artistic reasons for getting tattoos?
(More than one answer is correct)
to show membership in a band
to show a lover's name
to show pictures of animals that may become extinct
to show which language you speak
6. Jack was stabbed for thirty minutes with a needle because _____________.
A. he was getting a tattoo
B. he was getting acupuncture
C. he is was getting his ears pierced
D. he was getting a nose ring
According to the essay, Jack thinks people who get tattoos are ____________.
A. brave
B. cowardly
C. old fashioned
D. nitwits
"Mummy! Mummy!" shouted little Murna racing from the front door through to the kitchen. "There's
a parcel. The postman's brought a parcel!"
Her mother, Savni, looked at her in surprise. She had no idea who could have sent them a parcel.
Maybe it was a mistake. She hurried to the door to find out. Sure enough, the postman was there, holding
a parcel about the size of a small brick.
It was true. In the top right-hand corner of the brown paper parcel were three strange-looking stamps,
showing a man's head. The package was addressed to Savni, in big, clear black letters.
"Well, I suppose it must be from Great-Aunt Pasni," said Savni to herself, as the postman went on his
way down the street, whistling. "Although it must be twenty years since we heard anything from her. I
thought she would have been dead by now."
Savni's husband Jornas and her son Arinas were just coming in from the garden, where Murna had run
to tell them about the parcel. "Well, open it then!" said Arinas impatiently. "Let's see what's inside!"
Setting the parcel down in the middle of the table, Savni carefully began to tear open the paper.
Inside, there was a large silver container with a hinged lid, which was taped shut. There was also a letter.
"What is it? What is it?" demanded Murna impatiently. "Is it a present?"
"I have no idea," said Savni in confusion. "I think it must be from Great-Aunt Pasni. She went to
America almost thirty years ago now. But we haven't heard from her in twenty years. Perhaps the letter
will tell us." She opened the folded page cautiously, then looked up in dismay. "Well, this is no help!" she
said in annoyance. "It's written in English! How does she expect us to read English? We're poor people,
we have no education. Maybe Pasni has forgotten her native language, after thirty years in America."
"Well, open the pot, anyway," said Jornas. "Let's see what's inside."
Cautiously, Savni pulled the tape from the neck of the silver pot, and opened the lid. Four heads
touched over the top of the container, as their owners stared down inside.
"Strange," said Arinas. "All I see is powder." The pot was about one-third full of a kind of light-grey
powder.
"We don't know, darling," said Savni, stroking her daughter's hair. "What do you think?" Murna
stared again into the pot.
"It's the wrong colour for coffee, darling," said Jornas thoughtfully. "But maybe she's on the right
track. It must be some kind of food." Murna, by now, had her nose right down into the pot. Suddenly, she
lifted her head and sneezed loudly.
"That's it!" said Arinas. "It must be pepper! Let me try some." Dipping a finger into the powder, he
licked it. "Yes," he said, "it's pepper all right. Mild, but quite tasty. It's American pepper."
"All right," said Savni, "we'll try it on the stew tonight. We'll have American-style stew!"
That evening, the whole family agreed that the American pepper had added a special extra taste to
their usual evening stew. They were delighted with it. By the end of the week, there was only a
teaspoonful of the grey powder left in the silver container. Then Savni called a halt.
"We're saving the last bit for Sunday. Dr. Haret is coming to dinner, and we'll let him have some as a
special treat. Then it will be finished."
The following Sunday, the whole family put on their best clothes, ready for dinner with Dr. Haret. He
was the local doctor, and he had become a friend of the family many years before, when he had saved
Arinas's life after an accident. Once every couple of months, Savni invited the doctor for dinner, and they
all looked forward to his entertaining stories of his youth at the university in the
capital.
During dinner, Savni explained to the doctor about the mysterious American pepper, the last of which
she had put in the stew they were eating, and the letter they could not read.
"Well, give it to me, give it to me!" said the doctor briskly. "I speak English! I can translate it for
you."
Savni brought the letter, and the family waited, fascinated, as the doctor began to translate.
"Dear Savni: you don't know me, but I am the son of your old Great-Aunt Pasni. She never talked
much to us about the old country, but in her final illness earlier this year, she told us that after her death,
she wanted her ashes to be sent back home to you, so that you could scatter them on the hills of the
country where she was born. My mother died two weeks ago, and her funeral and cremation took place
last week. I am sending her ashes to you in a silver casket. Please do as she asked, and spread them over
the ground near where she was born. Your cousin, George Leary."
Text 6
Floods are second only to fire as the most common of all natural disasters. They occur almost everywhere
in the world, resulting in widespread damage and even death. Consequently, scientists have long tried to
perfect their ability to predict floods. So far, the best that scientists can do is to recognize the potential for
flooding in certain conditions. There are a number of conditions, from deep snow on the ground to human
error, that cause flooding.
When deep snow melts it creates a large amount of water. Although deep snow alone rarely causes floods,
when it occurs together with heavy rain and sudden warmer weather it can lead to serious flooding. If
there is a fast snow melt on top of frozen or very wet ground, flooding is more likely to occur than when
the ground is not frozen. Frozen ground or ground that is very wet and already saturated with water
cannot absorb the additional water created by the melting snow. Melting snow also contributes to high
water levels in rivers and streams. Whenever rivers are already at their full capacity of water, heavy rains
will result in the rivers overflowing and flooding the surrounding land.
Rivers that are covered in ice can also lead to flooding. When ice begins to melt, the surface of the ice
cracks and breaks into large pieces. These pieces of ice move and float down the river. They can form a
dam in the river, causing the water behind the dam to rise and flood the land upstream. If the dam breaks
suddenly, then the large amount of water held behind the dam can flood the areas downstream too.
Broken ice dams are not the only dam problems that can cause flooding. When a large human-made dam
breaks or fails to hold the water collected behind it, the results can be devastating. Dams contain such
huge amounts of water behind them that when sudden breaks occur, the destructive force of the water is
like a great tidal wave. Unleashed dam waters can travel tens of kilometres, cover the ground in metres of
mud and debris, and drown and crush every thing and creature in their path.
Although scientists cannot always predict exactly when floods will occur, they do know a great deal about
when floods are likely, or probably, going to occur. Deep snow, ice-covered rivers, and weak dams are all
strong conditions for potential flooding. Hopefully, this knowledge of why floods happen can help us
reduce the damage they cause.
1. Which of the following words are natural disasters? (More than one answer may be correct).
flood
earthquake
airplane crash
typhoon
2. Which of the following are included as causes for floods in the reading passage?
A. droughts
B. large lakes
C. poorly built roads
D. melting snow
Which of the following best describes how a frozen river can cause a flood.
A. The ice in the river melts too quickly and causes a flood.
B. The ice in the river cracks causing the water to overflow.
C. The ice in the river cracks into pieces that eventually create a dam causing the water to
overflow.
D. The water behind the ice dam collects and when the dam breaks, it causes flooding
upstream.
How far can dam water travel when it is unleashed from a broken dam?
A. less than 10 kilometres
B. tens of kilometres
C. thousands of kilometres
D. tens of thousands of kilometres downstream
Why does saturated ground contribute to flooding problems?
A. the ground cannot absorb more moisture
B. the ground is too hard, so the water runs off
C. the ground forms a kind of dam
D. it remains frozen