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Speaker A
I know many people love Christmas, but my favourite holiday is New Year. For me, it is a very important period when you can give a fresh start to everything in your life. As for me, I always throw away old and unnecessary things on the 31st of December. I know people in many countries do it – the Japanese, for instance, clean their house from top to bottom before New Year comes. It is important to leave the past behind, and getting rid of clutter helps!

Speaker B
As for me, I don’t like New Year much. I think that people are very naïve if they think they can change their lives at a certain midnight. There is no magic about it – just another midnight, that’s it. I find it strange that people make all these New Year resolutions and promise themselves to start going to the gym or eat healthy food or learn Chinese. If you really want to do something, you should just go ahead, why wait for a certain time of the year to do it?

Speaker C
I think there are few holidays and celebrations which have such deep roots as New Year. In some countries the traditions of celebrating New Year are not very old, but most European countries have been celebrating it for a long time indeed. I particularly like the story about how people started decorating fir trees. It’s interesting that they used to be decorated with apples and sweets, but now we have beautiful ornaments made of glass.

Speaker D
I have a pen friend in Russia, and she told me that New Year is the most important celebration in their culture. This is predominantly a family holiday. The whole family gathers together and enjoys good food while catching up on each other’s news. They may play board games or sing songs, or even go for a walk if weather permits. I think it’s a wonderful tradition to spend this night with your nearest and dearest – and being so close to them.

Speaker E
For me, Christmas is a family occasion, whereas New Year is just a time to do crazy things. Last year I went to Lake Baikal and spent New Year with my friends, who are divers. We took a fir tree underwater and put some tinsel on our diving suits. That was amazing! This year I’m going to be in Brazil for New Year. I’m going to dance on a Brazilian beach in a colourful long dress and then throw flower petals into the water. This will be truly unforgettable!

Speaker F
I think it is very important to do everything right when you’re getting ready to celebrate New Year. As for me, I always try to find out exactly what food you need to cook or what colour dress is recommended to wear to celebrate New Year. I think it’s important to clean your house and decorate it and be in a very good mood on the 31st of December! Otherwise, the coming year may not turn out as lucky as you want it to be, and that’s what I’m afraid of.

1. Celebrating New Year has a long history.

2. Good food is the most important thing for New Year.

3. New Year is the best time for new beginnings.

4. There are extravagant ways to celebrate New Year.

5. New Year is a great time to be with your relatives.

6. You don’t need a special time to start something.

7. Properly preparing before New Year is important.

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Adam: Hi, Julie! Long time, no see! How are things?
Julie: Oh, hi, Adam! I’m fine, thank you, and how about you?
Adam: The same. So, our summer holidays have just begun. What are you going
to do this summer? Have you made any plans yet?
Julie: Well, I’m thinking of going to an art school, but I’m not sure. What do you
think?
Adam: An art school? Are you interested in art? I didn’t know that.
Julie: You see, I’ve always dreamed of learning to draw, but I never had enough
time to take up drawing. This summer I’m not going to work and I’ve got a lot of
time on my hands, so I thought it would be a nice opportunity for me to make my
childhood dream come true.
Adam: Go ahead then. What’s stopping you from doing it?
Julie: On one hand, an art school has a lot of experienced teachers who can
explain to me the basics of drawing. On the other hand, an art school can turn out
to be boring and rigid.
Adam: Well, you’ve definitely got a point there, Julie. Art is very personal, in my
opinion. If you don’t like the teachers, or find the atmosphere there too academic,
it can put you off drawing forever, and that’s not what you want.
Julie: Adam, that’s exactly what I mean. I believe art classes should encourage
creativity and self-expression. At the same time, I do need some academic basics,
don’t I?
Adam: I don’t know. You can start with some abstract art. It doesn’t require any
formal education. I’ve seen some fluid art pictures and abstract watercolour
paintings. They are awesome.
Julie: Watercolours are just not my cup of tea. I’d rather start with graphics.
It doesn’t require any expensive materials. In fact, you can start with a drawing pad
and some pens.
Adam: I haven’t thought about it. Watercolour and fluid art materials do cost
a fortune. Well, Julie, I think you should start with some proper classes then.
If I were you, I’d call several art schools to find out if they offer the first class for
free. At least you would see if the school atmosphere is suitable for you.
Julie: That’s a great idea, Adam! Thank you so much for your suggestion!
Adam: If you find such a school, drop me a line and let me know about it. I may
join you for your first class, if you don’t mind. Who knows? Maybe we’ll have an
art exhibition for the two of us one day.
Julie: You are joking, Adam. I don’t know how to draw at all. Okay, let’s go to an
art class together. We can share our impressions afterwards.
Adam: It’s a date then.

A. Julie has wanted to learn to draw for some time already.

B. Julie often works in summer.

C. Adam supports Julie’s intention.

D. Julie thinks it’s not necessary to learn the basics of drawing.

E. Adam dislikes abstract watercolour paintings.

F. Adam is going to accompany Julie to an art school.

G. Julie and Adam have been friends for a long time.

Presenter: Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to our daily programme, Tips from Psychologists. Today in our studio we have Lisa Black, Ph.D., the author of the international bestsellers Parenting, and Under Pressure. Hello, Lisa!

Lisa Black: Good afternoon. It’s great being here, thank you for inviting me here today.

Presenter: In your books, you speak about stress as a positive force. Why?

Lisa Black: Basically, stress is what happens when people operate at the edge of their capacities. Think of weightlifting – you cannot build muscle unless you strain those muscles. Similarly, you cannot get smarter unless you are doing work that is uncomfortably difficult. Numerous research show that almost everyone who takes a new job that is hard feels stressed because of it, but six months later, they are better and smarter than they were six months prior. That means stress can actually do you good.

Presenter: Why do modern people want their children to lead a stress-free life then?

Lisa Black: You see, stress is good and healthy as long as it is neither too little, nor too great. You don’t want a stress-free environment for yourself or your children. You also don’t want to be overwhelmed by stress. There is chronic stress. There is traumatic stress. There are forms of stress that are over a line that is no longer healthy. We’ve lost sight of that line, and we’ve lost sight of the true benefits of stress in terms of promoting growth and durability.

Presenter: Do you have many teenagers who come to you because they suffer from stress and anxiety?

Lisa Black: Well, I definitely have a lot of kids who come in and say that they have anxiety. I tell them that everybody has anxiety. That’s how you cross the street without getting hit by cars. That’s how you get your work done because, eventually, after watching Friends for the hundredth time, you become sufficiently anxious about the work that you have to do, that you turn it off and go do the work. Anxiety is what protects you from yourself and the world around you.

Presenter: What’s a healthy way for parents to respond when their kids are upset?

Lisa Black: When teenagers feel that they are facing a problem, but it is not an actual crisis, there may be some room to play worst-case scenario. If a kid comes home and says, “There will be no one for me to sit with at lunch tomorrow,” the parent can think through with the child, “Let’s say that happens, what would you do?” The key thing in this is the tune, not the lyrics, for the parent. The tone in which they engage this conversation must be one of interest, yet comfort with the reality that their child may arrive at school and have no one to sit with at lunch. That’s where the critical work gets done – turning something that the child has declared unbearable into something that is merely a hassle.

Presenter: How do parents help themselves not to overreact?

Lisa Black: Parents often have an idea that their children should not be uncomfortable, and if the child is uncomfortable, that has to be stopped. As wellmeaning and loving as that is, that is a fundamentally handicapping view of what it means to be human. The most durable human beings can tolerate a pretty high level of discomfort. They don’t like it, but it doesn’t frighten them. If you think about any hard work you’ve accomplished, it’s not fun. We have to reject the idea that it’s a problem for our kids to be uncomfortable. That is driving a lot of what’s not working so well for our kids right now.

Presenter: Thank you very much, Lisa. You’ve given our listeners plenty of useful information to think about.

Lisa Black: Thank you.

What do we learn about Lisa Black at the beginning of the interview?

1) She has two world-famous books. 

2) She has an undergraduate degree in psychology. 

3) All of her books are bestsellers.

1) sport is necessary for brain work.

2) these processes are not very hard.

3) to develop, one needs to work hard.

1) manageable. 

2) short-term. 

3) chronic.

1) a way to make you work more. 

2) a protective mechanism. 

3) a thing one needs to get rid of.

1) things they say.

2) way they sound.

3) solution to the problem.

1) dread 

2) reject 

3) accept

1. Far from busy cities

2. Both benefits and downsides

3. The least popular

4. Options to choose from

5. For warmer seasons

6. Ways to save

7. Inexpensive but unreliable

8. Do not get confused

A. The first big decision when visiting England is whether to travel by private car or use the extensive public transport system. Having your own car means you can make the best use of time and reach remote places, but rental and fuel costs can be expensive, and there are always traffic delays to put up with. Public transport, which includes a reliable system of trains and coaches (buses), is often the better choice for getting around in the United Kingdom. Aside from London, England’s city centres with multiple pedestrian streets are very walkable, too.

B. For long-distance travel around England, trains are generally faster and more comfortable than buses but are usually much more expensive. The English like to moan about their trains, but around 85 % run on time, and major stations are well-equipped – with super helpful staff and a range of food outlets. If you leave booking your ticket to the last minute, fares can be disproportionally high, so it is always worth booking as far in advance as you can. Sometimes buying two single tickets can be cheaper than buying a return.

C. Long-distance buses are known as coaches in the UK, and services run between most major towns and cities. If you are on a tight budget, coaches are nearly always the cheapest way to get around England, although they are also the slowest and sometimes late. If you book early or travel at off-peak periods, coach tickets can be very cheap. If you are going to the airport, then take a faster train or taxi for peace of mind that you will make it in time for your flight. The two major coach companies are National Express and Megabus. 

D. Travelling by car or motorcycle around England means you have more independence and flexibility, and you can reach more remote parts of the country. Minuses for drivers include regular traffic jams, the high price of fuel, the cost of insurance, and parking fees in cities and tourist towns. Compared with many countries, car-hire is expensive in England. If you have time, by using a mix of train, bus, taxi, walking and occasionally hiring a bike, you can get almost anywhere in England without having to drive

E. Hiring a bike – for an afternoon, a day, or a week or longer – is a great way to really explore a small region or see England’s great outdoors. Some cities have bike-share schemes, while others have longer-term bike-rental shops. England also has a growing network of long-distance cycling routes that may inspire you to explore more of the country by bicycle. Only a handful of cities have an adequate system of dedicated bike lanes, so it is best to enjoy cycling in more rural and off-the beaten-track locations, particularly during the warmer seasons

F. England doesn’t have a big network of domestic flights due to its small size, but there are some long cross-country routes that are awkward, costly and timeconsuming if you travel by train (e.g. the trip from Exeter or Southampton to Newcastle). However, you’ll still pay at least a hundred pounds for one of these flights, and the time saved becomes less beneficial once transit times and the journey to and from the airport are taken into account. Considering the short distances and high carbon cost, many people prefer not to fly.

G. English cities usually have good public-transport systems. These services can be run by a puzzling number of separate companies. There is usually enough information at each stop or station to find the right one. Staff in tourist offices are always happy to help. Local bus services work year-round in cities and towns, except on Christmas Day, and sometimes also Boxing Day. Sundays also see fewer services. CityMapper is a handy app for planning the quickest journey between points, especially if you are combining transport options. 

The Super Soaker story

inspired by a part meant for a refrigerator? It’s true! An accident sparked its creation, but its success took years of hard work.

Lonnie Johnson, A _______________________, has always been interested in how things work. As a kid, he took his toys apart and put them back together, B _______________________.

In 1982, Johnson’s day job was working on spacecraft in California. In the evening, he worked on his own inventions. One of his projects was a refrigerator that cooled with water C _______________________. One evening, he hooked a part he’d made to a bathroom sink so he could test it. It sprayed a strong stream of water across the sink! It made Johnson think D _______________________. 

He made the plastic parts for his water blaster in his basement, put it together, and asked his seven-year-old daughter to test it. As he watched her water fight with the other kids, he realised she was able to drench them E _______________________. 

Johnson wanted to make and sell the water blaster himself, F _______________________. He didn’t have that much extra money, so he decided to find a toy company as a partner. He tried and failed for the next 7 years. Since then, the Super Soaker became one of the best-selling toys of all time and has brought a lot of fun to kids everywhere. 

1. before her friends even got close with their squirt guns 

2. called the Power Blaster, came out in 1990 and ever since 

3. which led his friends to nickname Lonnie “The Professor” 

4. but it would cost $200,000 to make 1,000 of them 

5. instead of the environmentally harmful chemical used then 

6. the man behind the invention of the Super Soaker 

7. that a high-powered water blaster might be a lot of fun 

Should children be allowed to retake tests?

My daughter texted me from school, upset that she’d failed a physics test she thought she’d been prepared for. She was worried it would bring down her overall grade at the end of the first marking period. A half-hour later, she texted to say all was good. Her teacher allowed her to make corrections – she got all the problems right this time, and her grade was no longer under threat.

On the one hand, I was pleased that she’d taken the initiative to fix what she viewed as a problem. On the other hand, I wasn’t sure how I felt about this infinite redo approach.

When I heard that my daughter was allowed to go back and correct her mistakes, my mind instantly went to all the professionals in the real world – surgeons, firefighters, death-row case trial lawyers, pilots, paramedics, cops and more – who really, really needed to get their jobs right the first time. With some jobs, “later” isn’t an option. Heck, in the realm of less life-and-death professions, I spent years working as a live TV show producer. There were no second takes there, either.

As with all education research, both pros and cons have been tallied and reported. Some of the pros include the assertion that letting kids retake tests reduces cheating, makes them responsible for their own grades and helps them better evaluate their own learning.

Cons have been listed as: low motivation; students procrastinating until they’ve fallen too far behind, leading to stress; and teachers needing to teach separate lessons to different class members during the same period. 

Then I turned to my focus group of one: my husband, a middle school math and physics teacher who has, for years, allowed his students to redo their homework and in-class work as many times as they wish in order to get to 100 % mastery.

I asked him why he believes his technique to be beneficial. He stressed that, “Homework and in-class work is formative assessment, which is the key here. Homework and in-class work is practice. Doing the work correctly over and over again is the only way to improve. Tests are summative assessments. They measure performance after practice. I allow redos only on homework and in-class work. I don’t allow resitting tests, because tests measure what they’ve learned after all that practice. If you are a performing artist, it’s the performance that matters. For athletes, it’s the game. Homework versus tests is the same thing.”

That brings us back to those surgeons, firefighters, death-row case trial lawyers, pilots, paramedics, cops and more who, in real life, I would really like to get their tasks right the first time.

Their jobs can be considered the ultimate in summative assessment. But that assessment didn’t come on the first day of training. It came after many, many years of formative assessments in the form of arguing mock trials, practicing approaches on flight simulators, and conducting rescue drills – not to mention taking paperand-pencil tests as well.

So much education policy debate these days seems to be driven by a zerosum game mindset. If we do things one way, we shouldn’t be doing them another. As the late Stephen Sondheim wrote, “Is it always ‘or’? Is it never ‘and’?” 

Just as students benefit from a cross-section of classmates, they should also benefit from a cross-section of opinions on how best to teach. It would better prepare them for living and working with a variety of people for the rest of their lives, and help them figure out how they learn best, so they can adapt accordingly. 

That said, I would still prefer that my daughter got her physics equations right the first time.

1) relief.;

2) disappointment.

3) anger.

4) mixed.

1) If you failed for the first time, nobody gave you the second chance.

2) There was only one attempt to do the job.

3) There was very little time to make a decision.

4) Only the best ones were hired

1) If students are not allowed to retake tests, they become more responsible.

2) A negative side of retakes is extra difficulty for teachers.;

3) Allowing students to retake tests is mostly useful for middle-school learners.

4) Educators see more pros than cons in allowing students to retake tests.

1) It gives students extra practice.

2) This way, students usually pass their tests better.

3) It prepares them for jobs like surgeons or lawyers well.

4) It helps him measure what they have learnt.

1) Students should be allowed to retake everything.

2) No retakes are allowed.

3) Homework can be retaken, but important tests cannot.

4) Important tests can be retaken, but homework cannot.

1) Opinions.

2) Lives.

3) Students.

4) People.

1) her daughter got a bad grade.

2) her daughter failed her first attempt.

3) her daughter was allowed to retake the test.

4) her daughter does not know physics well.

The legends of ancient Greece tell us about a mythical creature, “part man and part bull”, called the Minotaur. People were afraid of this strange and terrible beast __________________ in a deep, dark Labyrinth on the island of Crete.  LIVE

The Labyrinth __________________ by the ingenious mind of Daedalus.  DESIGN

Daedalus was a brilliant architect and inventor – in fact, he was so brilliant that King Minos of Crete __________________ to let him go back to his home in Athens. Instead, he kept him as prisoner.  NOT WANT

Daedalus lived with his son Icarus in a tower of the palace, and King Minos made him invent weapons of war that would make his army and navy even __________________ than they already were.  POWERFUL

Although Daedalus and Icarus had every comfort that they __________________ ask for, the father longed to return home to Athens. Icarus hardly remembered his city, but he too wanted to leave, because he longed to run and play in the open, rather than be in a tower all day.  CAN

Daedalus looked out over the waves of the sea, and he realised that even if they managed to slip out of the tower and find a little boat, they would not be able to sail far. One of King Minos’s __________________ would spot and catch them very soon.   SEAMAN 

Sketching

Hobbies are a great way to relax and unwind after a busy day at school or at work. One of the most popular hobbies nowadays is sketching. It is __________________ a good hobby for you if you want to start thinking in a different way.  DEFINITE

Sketching develops your __________________.  CREATE

It can be very helpful for your personal __________________.  DEVELOP

Besides, you can apply the skills you learn through sketching in a number ways in your life. To begin with, you may become interested in a career of an __________________.  ILLUSTRATE

Moreover, you will never need a camera when you are on holiday because your drawings will be the best memories about your trip. Finally, while sketching you learn to notice your feelings and emotions and thus improve your __________________ skills.  COMMUNICATE

Going on a hike

Simon and I were in a school football team. Occasionally, the team took field trips to places outside of our neighbourhood on the weekends. Last week, our coach Mr Brown 30 ______ we were going on a hike through a forest in a state park. 

Simon is my best friend, and the two of us had both liked the trips to the museums, plays, and basketball games. We weren’t all that 31 ______ in the outdoors. 32 ______, Mr Brown claimed that we’d really enjoy discovering how amazing nature can be – especially for the big city kids. Simon and I were sure we’d rather be back home playing video games. 

Now we were in a state park, marching through woods as 33 ______as a grizzly bear’s fur. Our group of 12 kids had been hiking for a good 30 minutes when Simon and I grew bored and stepped away from the group to take some pictures. 

I looked around, shouting, “Check out that tree – it’s kinda cool. Doesn’t its shape 34 ______ you of an elephant?” 

“Ha! It does,” Simon replied. “And look at how those rocks are formed over there. You don’t see stuff like that in the city, now do you?” 

For the next few minutes, we got caught up in 35 ______ flowers, leaves, animals, and little caves we hadn’t seen before. The more we opened up to the forest, the more it opened up to us. We were beginning to see the amazing things around us. 

Out here, away from the city, I was starting to get what Mr Brown had 36 ______ us about how wonderful nature could be.

30. 1) promoted 2) presented 3) announced 4) extended

31. 1) interested 2) excited 3) delighted 4) inspired

32. 1) Although 2) Otherwise 3) Moreover 4) However

33. 1) strong 2) heavy 3) thick 4) rich

34. 1) reflect 2) review 3) remember 4) remind

35. 1) offending 2) obtaining 3) objecting 4) observing

36. 1) told 2) spoke 3) talked 4) said