Why you should read fiction

At school, the (1)…………… majority of what we learn is factual. In history lessons we

memorise names and dates; in science we have to cope (2)…………… chemical
formulas and complex equations; in maths it’s all numbers and signs. It’s only in
language lessons where we may (3)…………… fiction. Some people would argue
that there’s (4)…………… point in reading something which is ‘made up’. If this is
the (5)……………, why do language teachers encourage their students to look at
anything (6)…………… from dictionaries and reference materials?
It is because they are (7)…………… of the benefits that reading brings. It isn’t simply
because reading fiction helps us (8)…………… reality for a while and switch off from
our everyday routines. Reading fiction also teaches us to see the world through other
people’s eyes. It (9)…………… us to understand the feelings of others, making us
more empathetic. Fiction, in other words, helps us be better friends.
1 A vast B wide C far D high
2 A for B on C by D with
3 A come up B come across C come about D come over
4 A little B slight C minimal D hardly
5 A issue B matter C case D point
6 A except B apart C other D beside
7 A aware B wise C familiar D sensitive
8 A depart B miss C escape D break
9 A lets B authorises C makes D enables

A very unusual house

As part of an architectural project in 2010 in which people constructed egg-shaped,
movable homes, Dai Haifei who was a (1)…………… graduate, decided to build his
own portable house in Beijing. (2)…………… for his house to be environmentally-
friendly, Haifei (3)…………… use of sustainable materials, including a bamboo frame
and a grass-seeded covering. The tiny house also used a solar panel for its
energy (4)…………… to a handful of electrical gadgets, and it had wood chips for
insulation.
Just two metres tall at its highest point, there was only enough space for a bed, water
tank, and table. For three months Haifei (5)…………… in the ‘egg house’, which had
no bathroom or kitchen to cook in. (6)……………, he ate out and showered at the
local pool where he paid for an annual membership.
Although Haifei only (7)…………… his egg house for a short period of time, he
enjoyed the experience. He (8)…………… that rather than it being a serious project,
he had ‘just wanted to play,’ demonstrating his positive attitude (9)…………… life!
1 A recent B current C latest D present
2 A keen B glad C hopeful D interested
3 A took B made C got D did
4 A stock B bank C store D supply
5 A occupied B lived C remained D stayed
6 A Beyond B Furthermore C Otherwise D Besides
7 A settled B lived C visited D occupied
8 A challenged B argued C presented D defended
9 A towards B over C by D around
 Chickens are smarter than you think

Ask people whether they think chickens are intelligent and most of them will answer
a (1)…………… ‘no’. This is because we (2)…………… to think of mammals, such as
cats, dogs or horses, as being smarter than birds. We also believe that birds like
chickens do not feel emotions in the same way other animals do.
Research has (3)……………, however, that this is not necessarily the (4)…………… .
Chickens do observe each other’s (5)……………, which means they can not only
learn from each other but are able to notice how other chickens are feeling too. The
research proves that chickens have minds: they have memory, thinking ability and
emotions, and are (6)…………… of others and their surroundings. Chickens also (7)
…………… that they have complex social structures, often thought to be a unique (8)
…………… of mammals. Chickens, then, are just as sensitive as we are, and it is
important for us to recognise this in our (9)…………… of them.
1 A definite B specific C fixed D particular
2 A regard B consider C tend D assess
3 A indicated B expressed C advised D displayed
4 A matter B point C case D fact
5 A action B behaviour C manner D practice
6 A familiar B wise C clear D aware
7 A declare B confirm C demonstrate D expose
8 A characteristic B nature C style D personality
9 A management B approach C dealings D treatment

England National Girls’ Football Week

by Amy King, 16
As most people are probably (1)……………, there is little doubt that football is
England’s most popular sport. However, most people don’t realise that the number of
boys and men playing the game is currently in (2)…………… . But I’m proud to say
that the same is not (3)…………… of the girls’ and women’s game – in fact, far from
it. In April 2015, Girls’ Football Week (4)…………… no less than 22,000 girl players.
Over 200 schools across England took part in the (5)…………… .
At the following Girls’ Football Week in October 2016, the focus was more about (6)
…………… participation in women’s football across the country’s colleges and
universities. Again, the event seems to have been a (7)…………… success. At the
last (8)……………, nearly three million girls and women were registered as football
players, which is fantastic to hear. But what is the best news of all? My school has
just (9)…………… plans to set up a girls’ football team next term. I will definitely be
signing up!
1 A knowledgeable B aware C familiar D awake
2 A fall B decline C decrease D reduction
3 A real B right C actual D true
4 A attracted B pulled C engaged D brought
5 A experience B act C event D development
6 A stretching B adding C increasing D enhancing
7 A great B good C high D strong
8 A statistic B number C quantity D count
9 A said B announced C told D advised

The world’s smallest frogs

Indian scientists have discovered seven new species of the tiny creatures known (1)
…………… night frogs. Some of these are (2)…………… small that they can easily fit
onto a coin or fingernail. Indeed, the smallest of the new species is just 12 millimetres
long, only a little bigger than the world’s smallest identified frog (3)……………
measures an incredibly tiny 7.7 millimetres.
Many of the previously-identified 28 species of night frog have only been discovered
in the last few years because locating them (4)…………… be very difficult. (5)
…………… is not only because of their size, (6)…………… because they hide away
under leaves and other vegetation. They also make calls which sound (7)……………
insects’ calls and when scientists draw near, they stop calling altogether.
At the moment, the frogs are fairly widespread in certain regions of India, but they will
soon need protecting due (8)…………… an increased human presence near their
habitats. Whole populations of the frogs could quickly become extinct (9)……………
these habitats were to suddenly change.
Answer
What is futsal?
(1)…………… you’re into football, there’s no doubt you’ll like futsal, too. You may
already have heard of this exciting, fast-paced sport, (2)…………… how is it played?
Recognised around the world (3)…………… official football associations, futsal is
similar to football, though it is different in significant ways. (4)…………… than being
played on a large outdoor pitch, futsal is usually played on hard indoor courts, (5)
…………… much smaller goals than football and never more than five players. The
ball is smaller and less bouncy than an ordinary football. Games last just 40 minutes.
There is a half-time break and (6)…………… side can take one ‘time-out’ per half.
This is (7)…………… the clock is stopped for one minute, similar to (8)……………
happens in a basketball match. The game is particularly good for young people, (9)
…………… it encourages them to be creative and develop technique in a small
space, all of which is helpful in eleven-a-side football, which many futsal players go
on to play.

My uncle the skateboarder

I’m 14 now, and like my mates, I really love skateboarding. I’ve been into it (1)
…………… I was 11. So my family have got (2)…………… to me talking about it all
the time! I knew that my dad and his brother also spent a lot of (3)…………… teenage
years riding around on skateboards, so I guess it’s a family thing. My dad had to give
it up when he injured his back in a fall. But (4)…………… surprised me was finding
out recently that my uncle still does it. We met at our annual family reunion and I
couldn’t believe what he was saying, especially as he’s no less (5)…………… 52
years old. He says his skateboard is his favourite (6)…………… of getting to his office
every day. He uses it in (7)…………… to save time, which makes sense, as walking
takes much longer. Plus it must be easily the (8)…………… enjoyable form of
transport. I hope I’m still doing it (9)…………… I’m 52!
A possible solution to a major health problem
by Andrew Kerr, Health Correspondent
New research shows that an unhealthy diet can actually have a damaging effect (1)
…………… the brains and the behaviour of secondary school pupils. Some
teenagers virtually live on junk food, (2)…………… instance burgers and chocolate.
These are often widely available, and can (3)…………… bought on the way to or from
school. For some teenagers, junk food makes up as (4)…………… as 30 percent of
their diet. ‘What’s more, fewer than one in ten teenagers eats the recommended five
daily portions (5)…………… fruit and vegetables. Experts are warning of a nutrition
crisis in (6)…………… teenagers are deprived of essential dairy products and
proteins.
But (7)…………… to new research by Oxford University, giving teenagers a health
supplement pill can really help. The vast majority of teenagers in the UK eat
absolutely (8)…………… fish at all, and the pill contains fish oil that is essential for
the teenage brain. Researchers found that this led to a reduction (9)…………… poor
concentration and improved academic performance.

Smartphones at school
Some of the schools in my home town are really strict and students are not (1)
…………… (ALLOW) to use their smartphones at school. Mine is different – there’s a
much more (2)…………… (RELAX) policy. In break times, it’s (3)……………
(ACCEPT) to use our smartphones. But in lessons, it’s the individual teacher’s (4)
…………… (DECIDE) whether we can use them or not. For some pieces of work, like
a timed writing task, they’re completely (5)…………… (FORBID) . Of course it’s
our (6)…………… (RESPONSIBLE) to follow the rules, which we do. In some
lessons, the teachers actively encourage us to use our phones when they think it’ll
be (7)…………… (BENEFIT) to us. There are lots of really good ways to use
smartphones in class, and I’m in favour of these. One example is games, where we
choose multiple-choice answers on our phones. I’m really (8)……………
(COMPETE), so love doing those. Although it can be a bit (9)…………… (SOCIAL),
when everyone just uses their phone instead of talking.

tris: the most popular video game ever

There is an almost (1)…………… (LIMITED) number of video games on the market
today and you could be forgiven for being under the (2)…………… (IMPRESS) that
the best ones are those packed with special effects, requiring great techniques.
Nothing could be further from the (3)…………… (TRUE). The favourite game of all
time is also one of the oldest and most basic: Tetris. The player has to fit a (4)
…………… (VARY) of shapes together on the screen. When a whole row is made
without gaps between the blocks, the line vanishes. Should a line remain (5)
…………… (COMPLETE), however, new blocks will build up on top of it. Once the
screen’s full, the game’s over.
Part of the (6)…………… (APPEALING) is that anyone can play Tetris. Scientists
also believe that the game’s (7)…………… (POPULAR) is due to the fact that it
makes our brains work with greater (8)…………… (EFFICIENT). The more we play,
the easier it becomes, so we carry on, (9)…………… (CONTINUE) trying to beat our
last high score.

Peanut butter is good for you!

With ‘peanuts’ and ‘butter’ in its game, peanut butter doesn’t (1)…………… (EXACT)
sound good for us. Common sense tells us that neither food is a particularly
healthy (2)…………… (CHOOSE) given their high fat content. The product’s (3)
…………… (POPULAR), however, has led to research, and it’s good news to learn
that many food science (4)…………… (SPECIAL) say it isn’t as bad for us as we
might have thought.
Peanut butter is (5)…………… (DOUBT) versatile – it can be eaten with everything
from raw vegetable sticks to toast – but the fat it contains is also monounsaturated
(the ‘right’ kind of fat), which is believed to be good for the heart. Peanut butter also
contains a (6)…………… (SUBSTANCE) amount of protein, which contains important
nutrients for growing kids. (7)…………… (ADD), it contains iron, B vitamins and fibre,
all of which are necessary for the (8)…………… (MAINTAIN) of a healthy body. So,
next time you’re told to put the top back on the jar, you’ll be able to offer an (9)
…………… (EXPLAIN) as to why just one more spoonful is good for you!

My 16th birthday
I turned 16 last week. And I have to say that (1)…………… (INITIAL), I didn’t enjoy
my birthday much. I usually get some birthday (2)…………… (GREET) from my
friends on social media. But nobody wished me a happy birthday, which was a bit (3)
…………… (DEPRESS).
After school, I noticed that the friends I usually walk home with had all (4)……………
(APPEAR), so I walked back alone. But then when I got back to my house, there
were lots of (5)…………… (DECORATE) and balloons on the outside. ‘OK,’ I thought,
‘this looks more (6)…………… (PROMISE).’ So I went inside, and there, waiting in
the sitting room, were all of my school friends! Seeing them there was so (7)
…………… (EXPECT)! Together with my parents, they’d arranged this surprise party.
And they’d done it all without my (8)…………… (KNOW)! In fact, it was probably the
most special and (9)…………… (MEMORY) party ever!

The future of food

With the world population rising and (1)…………… (AVAILABLE) of food sources
decreasing, what will we be eating in the future? Food science (2)……………
(SPECIAL) say that by 2050, we will be consuming less meat and more fish. And with
food prices rising, another likely result is that more of us will reach the (3)……………
(CONCLUDE) that becoming vegetarian is a good idea. Then there is the (4)
…………… (POSSIBLE) that we will eat more seaweed and insects, and perhaps
even ‘superfood’ bars, which would be (5)…………… (SAME) to the kinds of things
astronauts eat in space.
Today’s technology could (6)…………… (ABLE) manufacturers to produce what may
become known as ‘functional’ foods. These are foods that are (7)……………
(INDIVIDUAL) designed for different sectors of (8)…………… (SOCIAL) This means
that there will be foods adapted not only for babies, which we already see in
supermarkets, but for teens, women, men and elderly people, too. Because the food
will be (9)…………… (SCIENCE) engineered, we will also be healthier!