Name: __________________________

Date: _____________________

THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded every year for a novel written by a writer from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland and it aims to represent the very best in contemporary fiction. The prize was originally called the Booker-McConnell Prize, which was the name of the company that sponsored it, though it was better-known as simply the Booker Prize. In 2002, the Man Group became the sponsor and they chose the new name, keeping Booker. Publishers can submit books for consideration for the prize, but the judges can also ask for books to be submitted they think should be included. Firstly, the Advisory Committee give advice if there have been any changes to the rules for the prize and selects the people who will judge the books. The judging panel changes every year and usually a person is only a judge once. Great efforts are made to ensure that the judging panel is balanced in terms of gender and professions within the industry, so that a writer, a critic, an editor and an academic are chosen along with a well-known person from wider society. However, when the panel of judges has been finalized, they are left to make their own decisions without any further involvement or interference from the prize sponsor. The Man Booker judges include critics, writers and academics to maintain the consistent quality of the prize and its influence is such that the winner will almost certainly see the sales increase considerably , in addition to the 50,000 that comes with the prize. Q1 - The Republic of Ireland is in the Commonwealth. is not in the Commonwealth. can't enter the Man Booker Prize. joined the Booker prize in 2002. Q2 - The Man group was forced to keep the name 'Booker'. decided to include the name 'Booker'. decided to keep the name 'Booker-McConnell'. decided to use only the name 'Booker'. Q3 - Books can be submitted by publishers. by writers. by judges. by the sponsors. Q4 - Who advises on changes to the rules?

The sponsors The judging panel The advisory panel Publishers Q5 - The judging panel doesn't include women. includes only women. is only chosen from representatives of the industry. includes someone from outside the industry. Q6 - The sponsors of the prize are involved in choosing the winner. are involved in choosing the judges. are not involved at all. choose the academic for the panel of judges. Q7 - The consistent quality of the prize is guaranteed by the prize money. is guaranteed by the gender of the judges. is guaranteed by the make-up of the panel of judges. is guaranteed by the increase in sales of the winner.

Name: __________________________

Date: _____________________

THE HARDEST LANGUAGE People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer because there are many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first language the differences are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of how hard a language is to learn is only relevant when learning a second language. A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a native speaker of Chinese, for example, because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while Chinese is very different, so first language can affect learning a second language. The greater the differences between the second language and our first, the harder it will be for most people to learn. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn, possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the pronunciation of Chinese does appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning writing will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet. Some people seem to learn languages readily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well as each learner's motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day to day life. Apparently, British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the language that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which has 35 cases (forms of a nouns according to whether it is subject, object, genitive, etc). This does not mean that Hungarian is the hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic personnel, who are generally used to learning languages, the most difficulty. However, Tabassaran, a Caucasian language has 48 cases, so it might cause more difficulty if British diplomats had to learn it. Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native speakers of related languages may find it easier, while struggling with languages that the British find relatively easy. No language is easy to learn well, though languages which are related to our first language are easier. Learning a completely different writing system is a huge challenge, but that does not necessarily make a language more difficult than another. In the end, it is impossible to say that there is one language that is the most difficult language in the world.

Q1 - The question of how hard a language is to learn is relevant to both first and second language acquisition. True False Q2 - Portuguese is definitely easier than Chinese. True False Q3 - A Japanese speaker may well find the Chinese writing system easier than a speaker of a European language. True False Q4 - The Hungarian alphabet causes problems for British speakers. True False Q5 - Hungarian is the hardest language in the world. True False Q6 - Hungarian has as many cases as Tabassaran. True False Q7 - Many British diplomats learn Tabassaran. True False Q8 - The writer thinks that learning new writing systems is easy. True False

CHILD LABOUR Child workers, some as young as 10, have been found working in a textile 1) __________ in conditions described as close to slavery to produce clothes that appear destined for one the major high street 2) __________. Speaking to a British newspaper, the children described long hours of 3) __________ work and threats and beatings. The company said it was unaware that clothing intended for its 4) __________ had been improperly 5) __________ to a 6) __________ that used child labour. It further announced it had withdrawn the garments involved until it had investigated the alleged 7) __________ of the 8) __________ code it imposed on manufacturers three years ago. The discovery of these children working in appalling conditions in the Shahpur Jat area of Delhi has renewed concerns about the 9) __________by some large retail chains of their 10) __________ production to India, recognised by the United Nations as one of the worlds's hotspots for child labour. According 11) __________ one 12) __________, over 20 per cent of India's economy is 13) __________ on children, which comes to a total of 55 million youngsters under 14 working. 14) __________ in the West should not only be demanding answers from retailers about how their 15) __________ are produced but also should be looking into their consciences at how they spend their money and whether cheap prices in the West are worth the suffering caused to so many children. Q1 facility factory office bureau Q2 warehouse retailer warehouses retailers Q3 inpaid unpaid without pay without payment

Q4 warehouses stores outlet branch Q5 outsource outsourcing outsources outsourced Q6 association sweatshop closed shop retailer Q7 breaches errors mistakes wrongdoings Q8 ethic ethnic ethical ethnical Q9 outsource outsourcing

outsources outsourced Q10 garment raiment garments raiments Q11 by to of from Q12 estimate estimating estimates estimated Q13 depends dependent dependant dependence Q14 Consume Consumption Consumer Consumers Q15

stuff ware goods garment

Name: __________________________ SMART ENERGY

Date: _____________________

The next few decades will see great changes in the way energy is supplied and used. In some major oil producing nations, 'peak oil' has already been reached, and there are increasing fears of global warming. Consequently, many countries are focusing on the switch to a low carbon economy. This transition will lead to major changes in the supply and use of electricity. [A] Firstly, there will be an increase in overall demand, as consumers switch from oil and gas to electricity to power their homes and vehicles. [B] Secondly, there will be an increase in power generation, not only in terms of how much is generated, but also how it is generated, as there is growing electricity generation from renewable sources. [C] To meet these challenges, countries are investing in Smart Grid technology. [D] This system aims to provide the electricity industry with a better understanding of power generation and demand, and to use this information to create a more efficient power network. Smart Grid technology basically involves the application of a computer system to the electricity network. The computer system can be used to collect information about supply and demand and improve engineer's ability to manage the system. With better information about electricity demand, the network will be able to increase the amount of electricity delivered per unit generated, leading to potential reductions in fuel needs and carbon emissions. Moreover, the computer system will assist in reducing operational and maintenance costs. Smart Grid technology offers benefits to the consumer too. They will be able to collect real-time information on their energy use for each appliance. Varying tariffs throughout the day will give customers the incentive to use appliances at times when supply greatly exceeds demand, leading to great reductions in bills. For example, they may use their washing machines at night. Smart meters can also be connected to the internet or telephone system, allowing customers to switch appliances on or off remotely. Furthermore, if houses are fitted with the apparatus to generate their own power, appliances can be set to run directly from the on-site power source, and any excess can be sold to the grid. With these changes comes a range of challenges. The first involves managing the supply and demand. Sources of renewable energy, such as wind, wave and solar, are notoriously unpredictable, and nuclear power, which is also set to increase as nations switch to alternative energy sources, is inflexible. With oil and gas, it is relatively simple to increase the supply of energy to match the increasing demand during peak times of the day or year. With alternative sources, this is far more difficult, and may lead to blackouts or system collapse. Potential

solutions include investigating new and efficient ways to store energy and encouraging consumers to use electricity at off-peak times. A second problem is the fact that many renewable power generation sources are located inremote areas, such as windy uplands and coastal regions, where there is currently a lack of electrical infrastructure. New infrastructures therefore must be built. Thankfully, with improved smart technology, this can be done more efficiently by reducing the reinforcement or construction costs. Although Smart Technology is still in its infancy, pilot schemes to promote and test it are already underway. Consumers are currently testing the new smart meters which can be used in their homes to manage electricity use. There are also a number of demonstrations being planned to show how the smart technology could practically work, and trials are in place to test the new electrical infrastructure. It is likely that technology will be added in 'layers', starting with 'quick win' methods which will provide initial carbon savings, to be followed by more advanced systems at a later date. Cities are prime candidates for investment into smart energy, due to the high population density and high energy use. It is here where Smart Technology is likely to be promoted first, utilising a range of sustainable power sources, transport solutions and an infrastructure for charging electrically powered vehicles. The infrastructure is already changing fast. By the year 2050, changes in the energy supply will have transformed our homes, our roads and our behaviour. 1 According to paragraph 1, what has happened in some oil producing countries? A They are unwilling to sell their oil any more. B They are not producing as much oil as they used to. C The supply of oil is unpredictable. D Global warming is more sever here than in other countries. 2 Where in paragraph 1 can the following sentence be placed? There is also likely more electricity generation centres, as households and communities take up the opportunity to install photovoltaic cells and small scale wind turbines. A B C D 3 Which of the following is NOT a benefit of Smart Grid technology to consumers?

A It can reduce their electricity bills. B It can tell them how much energy each appliance is using. C It can allow them to turn appliances on and off when they are not at home. D It can reduce the amount of energy needed to power appliances. 4 According to paragraph 4, what is the problem with using renewable sources of power? A They do not provide much energy. B They often cause system failure and blackouts. C They do not supply a continuous flow of energy. D They can't be used at off-peak times. 5 In paragraph 5, what can be inferred about cities in the future? A More people will be living in cities in the future than nowadays. B People in cities will be using cars and buses powered by electricity. C All buildings will generate their own electricity. D Smart Grid technology will only be available in cities. 6 The word 'remote' in paragraph 5 could be best replace by: A isolated B crowded C attractive D alone 7 The word 'underway' in paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to: A permanent B complete C beneficial D in progress 8 17 What is the main idea of the final paragraph? (paragraph 6). A To describe who will benefit from Smart Grid technology first. B To outline the advantages of Smart Grid technology. C To summarise the main ideas in the previous paragraphs. D To describe how, where and when Smart Technology will be introduced.

9 In paragraph 6, what can be inferred about the introduction of Smart Grid Technology? A The technologies which produce most benefits will be introduced first. B The cheapest technologies will be introduced first. C The technologies which are most difficult to put into place will be introduced first. D Technologically advanced systems will be introduced first.