BASIC READING MATCHING NAME 4

How I became a tennis coach

Petra

I grew up in Germany, but when I was 17, I moved to Spain so I could go to a tennis centre there. It was hard to be without my family and friends, especially when I hurt myself or got ill. However, my tennis improved a lot. After three years, I left the centre and began my career. I started playing in big competitions around the world. I did OK, but wasn't earning enough money, so I quickly decided to become a tennis coach instead. I now teach children who are just starting the game, which is fun.

Bea

When I was 14, my dad sent me to a tennis centre near my home in Italy. He thought I might become a top player like him, but I saw how much time he spent going from one country to another during his career, and I've never wanted that for myself. My favourite things at the tennis centre were spending time at the pool or having barbecues with friends in the evenings. I'm now a coach, and teach young tennis stars at summer camps in Italy.

Sara

When I went to live in Spain so I could go to a famous tennis centre there, my dad came with me, and my mum stayed at home in Scotland. My tennis really improved during my two years there, but when I broke my foot it became clear that a career as a tennis player wasn't going to be possible. I went home for a year and then returned to the centre to do a coaching course. I now teach the best young players in Scotland.

Match the names to the correct questions / statements

1. Who didn't enjoy tennis as much as other activities at the tennis centre?

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2. Who had to change her plans for the future after an accident?

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3. Who says she missed people from home while she was at the tennis centre?

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4. Who went back to the tennis center to learn to become a coach?

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5. Who doesn't like the idea of travelling a lot for her job?

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6. Who moved to a different country with a member of her family?

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7. Who teaches tennis to young people who haven't played before?

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Correct Answers:

BASIC READING MATCHING NAME 3

Sandy Bay

Three great campsites to try this summer

This campsite is on an excellent beach, and has its own surfing school with special prices for campers. You can also learn to windsurf and sail there. The sea is safe for swimming, so it's a great place for families. The large swimming pool is great in summer, and has a wide area of grass around it. Its small supermarket has long opening hours. It doesn't matter what size tent you bring, as the campsite is large and you won't be too near your neighbours!

High Wood

There are lots of activities you can do at High Wood campsite, from fishing to cycling, and they'll lend you any of the equipment you need. It's not as large as some campsites, but it's clean and modern. It has a fantastic pool with a roof window which can open and close. There's also a special area where you can watch films or dance under the stars to local bands. For food shopping, try the shop in the nearby village.

Black Lake

The wonderful thing about Black Lake campsite is waking up in the morning and seeing the beautiful mountains all around you. You don't have to bring your own tent - there are some already there you can pay to use. There's lots to do - you can swim in the lake or walk in the forest. And don't forget to bring your mountain bike with you! If you want to cook for yourself, the shop in the next village has a good variety of food.

Match the names to the correct questions / statements

1. Which campsite has an indoor swimming pool?

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2. Which campsite offers water sports classes?

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3. Which campsite has great views?

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4. Which campsite has a shop where people can buy food?

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5. Which campsite offers evening activities?

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6. Which campsite has lots of space for your tent?

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7. Which campsite has bikes you can borrow?

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Correct Answers:

BASIC READING MATCHING NAME 2

My last holiday

A. Max

I went on holiday with my friends. The flight was fine, but it took two hours by bus to reach the hotel

– I didn’t enjoy that! The hotel was noisy and the staff weren’t friendly, but it didn’t matter because we

spent all our time on the beach, a short walk away. We tried lots of new dishes in the restaurants in the

town. It was hard to sleep with such high temperatures, but we had a fantastic time, and the best thing

was, we spent almost nothing once we arrived!

B. Felipe

The drive to our hotel from the airport was along lovely country roads. The hotel my wife and I stayed in

was quite expensive. The people who worked there were wonderful, but I wasn’t so sure about the hotel

restaurant – the desserts were fine, but the main courses weren’t very good. It was cloudy and rainy

most days, but we went to walk in the countryside, not to lie on a beach.

C. James

My family and I drove across the USA last year. We stayed in lots of different hotels. I don’t know how

much we spent because my parents paid. There was a lot of driving, but my dad enjoyed that. The

weather was fantastic, and I couldn’t believe the differences in what people ate from place to place. It

was good to be with the family, because there was always someone to talk to, or to do things with.

Match the names to the correct questions / statements

1. Who was surprised about the variety of food on holiday?

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2. Who thought that part of their journey was too long?

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3. Who liked travelling with a group of people?

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4. Who was happy with the cost of their holiday?

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5. Who thought the hotel staff were good?

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6. Who was unhappy with some of the food they ate?

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7. Who says that the weather was a problem at times?

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Correct Answers:

BASIC READING MATCHING NAME 1

My love of nature

A. Sarah

When I was a child at school, I collected books about nature. My classmates and friends all spent their

free time playing computer games, so to them I was a bit strange. I loved learning about animals from

other countries, but as I got older I found out that my own country has interesting nature too, and that’s

what I like studying now. I do lots of drawings of nature, and I put them on my blog.

B. Pilar

I love birds and animals because of all the visits to forests and lakes we made when I was at school. It’s

a shame that things have changed now. Children these days don’t learn enough about nature, so lots

of them are afraid of insects, for example. I have a great job because of my love of nature. I’m a nature

photographer. It’s brilliant, except for the early mornings!

C. Lia

A few years ago I read a blog with beautiful photos of animals, birds and plants, which made me start

really looking at what lives around us. It was just a hobby at first, but now it’s my job as I visit schools

and give talks about nature. I love it. The only problem is if I am asked to draw a picture. I enjoy it, but

I’m terrible at drawing! I’m going to take some lessons to try to get better.

Match the names to the correct questions / statements

1. Who became interested in nature from seeing someone else’s blog?

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2. Who says there is something about her job that she doesn’t like?

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3. Whose friends thought that her hobby was unusual?

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4. Who became interested in nature because of school trips?

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5. Who says that the type of nature she is interested in has changed?

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6. Who wants to improve her pictures of nature?

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7. Who thinks that young people should learn more about nature at school?

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Correct Answers:

BASIC READING COMPLETION10

Cloudy with a Chance of Sun

Which country generates the most solar power? If you are like most people, you are thinking of somewhere sunny, maybe a vacation spot, such as Italy. You probably didn’t guess Germany. But if you did, you’d be right. Germany is the source of half the world’s supply of solar power. Germany gets a similar amount of sunshine to the state of Alaska, but solar power is still an option there. It is in Portland, Oregon, too, which is located in one of America’s cloudiest regions. That’s because solar power actually works best when it’s not too hot outside. Too much heat can damage the electronics in the panels; therefore, cloudy locations have the potential for solar power. In addition, solar power is dependent upon how much sun you get over a year, not just on a particular day. Once people understand this concept, they might consider solar power an option where they live.

The government of Germany did. In fact, that is a major reason that Germany derives over 4 percent of its yearly electricity from solar power. If that doesn’t sound like a lot, consider that 22 gigawatts of solar power an hour supplied nearly 50 percent of the electricity the country consumed on a recent Saturday in the middle of the day. A law in Germany requires power companies to buy the alternative energy that people create. The government provides financial assistance for this. In addition, people who install solar panels are paid for the energy that they don’t consume. This law has greatly affected the country’s energy sources. While both solar and wind power are covered by the law, more people are installing solar devices. That is because the average homeowner can install solar panels but not a wind farm. Germany isn’t the sunniest of climates, but it is producing a lot of solar energy.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER in each gap

1. Many people think of as a country that produce the most solar power.

2. Germany generates about of the world's supply of solar power.

3. Germany and Alaska have nearly the same the quantity of .

4. People can receive the most solar power when the weather is not .

5. If there is too much sunshine, it can harm the in the panels.

6. Solar power depends on the amount of sunlight people receive , not just on one day.

7. A law in Germany request power companies buy the from people.

8. There is some from the government to support those power companies.

9. The government's law is supporting two kinds of alternative energy: .

10. Germany does not have the weather, but it produce a great amount of solar power.

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BASIC READING COMPLETION 9

Improving Corn

In the summer of 2012, little rain fell across the region in the United States known as the “corn belt.” Corn from this region is used in products sold all over the world. Corn, though, doesn’t grow in fields without water. As a result, there was a shortage of corn. Because corn is a key ingredient in many grocery store items, the shortage of corn made food prices around the world go up. No one seemed prepared for the effects this extreme weather brought. 

However, some companies have been working on a solution. They’ve been researching how to alter corn so it can grow in these dry conditions. And these companies have benefited farmers in the past. For example, they engineered corn so that it can survive the pests and other bugs that eat it. In contrast to those changes, making corn survive with little water is much more complicated. For instance, if the dry conditions are at the beginning, middle, or end of a growing season, the corn is affected differently. Responding to all these conditions is difficult. 

One strategy scientists have used is making the pores on the surface of corn leaves smaller. This is important because these pores regulate the water in the plant. This alteration would make it so that corn can survive while absorbing very little water. Although companies don’t expect to achieve the same results that good weather would produce, they do hope to improve the corn crop in times of extreme dryness. In fact, companies have tested the newly altered corn. In one case, the engineered corn produced 7 percent more crop than the corn that hadn’t been altered. This is a small improvement, but with food prices on the rise, a small improvement is better than none.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER in each gap

1. "Corn belt" is a time when ther is not much in the region.

2. Corn cannot develop when there is no .

3. When there is not enough corn, it causes the to increase all over the world.

4. Many companies are looking for a .

5. They try to create a kind of corn that can live in to create something new.

6. In the past, they created a type of corn that can protect it from being eaten by .

7. One way scientists have tried is to turn the on the leaves' surface smaller.

8. These things the water in the plant.

9. Scientists hope to help corn survive in periods.

10. In one test, the result is only a , but it is better than none.

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BASIC READING COMPLETION 8

When Is Copying Okay?

Copying someone means you like their work. Some see copying as a form of flattery. This may be true, but copying someone’s work can also be illegal and is not allowed in schools. You may have read about this issue in the news. A young author’s best-selling book is found to have whole passages that match someone else’s work. This was the case with Helene Hegemann, a young German artist, whose new book was nominated for a prize. Initially, she was praised. Then it was discovered she had copied text. She’d made very few changes to the original work. The young author defended herself, though. She said that she was part of a new generation and culture. She explained that young people sample music. They mix music and art. They create something new with the pieces. But in Hegemann’s case, a blogger found evidence that it wasn’t just a couple of phrases here and there. It was a whole page of text that was taken from another story that was not as well known. Using someone's words without credit is a type of stealing called plagiarism. Hegemann may have created something new, but she never gave credit to the original author.

So in book publishing and in school, copying is not okay. However, the rules aren’t as strict in other areas. For example, consider food items. Perhaps you’ve seen the addition of rice pudding to restaurant menus as a dessert, or maybe it’s been a different flavor combination that keeps showing up at different ice cream shops. There are no laws that say you can’t copy food items. A Wall Street Journal article on the topic of copying points out that some chefs may be angered that their dishes are being copied and they aren’t being credited. However, Thomas Keller, a famous chef from the restaurant French Laundry, thinks that copying can create better dishes. He thinks that a dish can be made better when someone else tries out new things with it.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER in each gap

1. Some people believe that copying is similar to .

2. However, this action is and banned in schools.

3. Helene Hegemann, whose new book was nominated for a prize, was a .

4. She changed only a few words in comparison to the .

5. She explained that young generation often combined to create something new.

6. The action of copying others' words without permission is known as .

7. In some cases, copying something is not always illegal. An example for that is .

8. Rice pudding can be seen in restaurants as a dessert or at various .

9. Copying without credit makes several angry.

10. Thomas Keller thinks copying could be helpful in producing .

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BASIC READING COMPLETION 7

ISBNs

Have you ever noticed the series of numbers on the back of a book? It’s different from a bar code. This number pattern is called an International Standard Book Number (ISBN). It is used to identify every book. Each ISBN is unique. The number consists of 13 digits, and the different digits have meaning. All 13-digit ISBNs begin with a prefix of numbers. For example, the prefix being used in 2012 is 978. After the prefix are numbers that identify the country of the book publisher. These numbers are followed by numbers which identify the specific publisher within that country. The last set of numbers identifies the title or edition of the book. And every ISBN ends with a single digit that identifies the number as an ISBN. 

  

A book needs to have an ISBN to be found in stores. For example, let’s say you want to read Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms in Spanish. First, you ask the sales clerk for help finding it. The sales clerk then looks up the title and author in the store database. After that she finds the ISBN for the Spanish version of the book. She sees that this store has one copy of the Spanish version left. Finally you follow her to the shelf to get the book, but that’s not all. After you purchase the book, the store records show that there are no more versions of this book in stock. When the ISBN was scanned, it automatically updated the information so the store can keep track of what they need to order. Stores also use the ISBN so they can update the publisher of the book on what books are selling. The ISBN helps customers find books, stores keep track of what is ordered, and publishers know what books are being purchased.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER in each gap

1. ISBN is not like a .

2. There are in each number.

3. The prefix is used in 2012.

4. After the prefix numbers is numbers that refer to the that publishes the book.

5. The third set of ISBN numbers stands for the where the book is made from.

6. The last set of ISBN number tell you the book's .

7. The sales clerk can find the book's information in .

8. As soon as the ISBN was scanned, the book's information is in order to help the store keep track of their stock.

9. The ISBN also provides the with information about how many books are sold.

10. The ISBN helps buyers .

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BASIC READING COMPLETION 6

The Perfect Cup

Many cultures drink coffee. Whether it’s a shot of espresso or a large brimming cup filled with milk and sugar and stirred to a caramel color, people all over the world enjoy the drink. There are many stories about who first discovered coffee. One says it was in the ninth century in Ethiopia. A man was herding his goats when he saw them munching on coffee cherries. He tried some and soon people all over Africa were drinking coffee and trading the beans. Over time, coffee spread to the rest of the world. In fact, by 1750, most of Western Europe had coffee houses. 

For such a popular drink, it’s a complex process to go from bean to coffee. The actual coffee beans, or seeds, come from coffee cherries that grow on the trees. There are two techniques for harvesting. Cherries can either be picked by hand or stripped off the trees by machines. Some growers pick by hand because this ensures that only the ripe ones are picked. When done by machine, all the cherries must be harvested at once, and some may not be ripe. 

The cherries have a thick skin. Inside the skin is a fleshy layer, called pulp. The bean is inside the pulp, but it is covered by two other thin layers that protect it. All these layers must be removed. Removing the layers is called processing the beans. Once beans are processed, they are sorted and put into bags so they can be shipped all over the world. But there’s still an important step before the beans can be brewed for the perfect cup. They must be roasted. This gives them their taste. To preserve their flavor, coffee suppliers recommend brewing the beans within a month.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER in each gap

1. Some people said that the first coffee was discovered in the in Ethiopia.

2. A man saw eating coffee cherries.

3. After that coffee beans were drunk and sold by people in .

4. There were many all over Western Europe in 1750.

5. The beans had to go through a to become coffee.

6. Farmers used to collect the coffee cherries from the trees.

7. Growers picked coffee cherries by hand to make sure all of them are .

8. The layer under the skin of coffee cherries are known as .

9. The coffee beans should be before being made into a nice cup of coffee.

10. The coffee beans should be brewed within a month to keep their .

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BASIC READING COMPLETION 5

It’s Windy up Here

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER in each gap

1. The engineers and architechs used to safely support the weight of buildings.

2. The engineers have been working on the that affects the building from side to side.

3. Wind is able to from anywhere.

4. All skyscrapers are designed in a way that it can .

5. The Burj Khalifa's tallest point can move at a range of .

6. There are some that stretch to the top to protect the building from strong winds.

7. The engineers also used a very heavy weight that works as the in a clock.

8. This weight is heavy.

9. It can help the tower keep its .

10. Other skyscrapers also apply .

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Stand at the dizzying height of Taipei 101’s 1,046 feet and your biggest fear is how high you are. However, that’s not the main concern of the engineers and architects who designed the building. They rely on technology like steel beams to safely support the weight of buildings that now reach over half a mile (0.8 kilometers) into the sky. While anyone standing in the viewing area at the top of a skyscraper is focused on the vertical drop, engineers have been studying the force that pushes the building from side to side. That force is wind. 

The forces of nature, such as wind, gravity, and earth vibrations, all have to be considered when constructing a skyscraper. However, wind is the most difficult to plan for. Wind can push and pull from every direction. In fact, take an elevator ride to the top of any skyscraper on a windy day, and you’ll notice the movement. All skyscrapers sway. They are designed that way. For instance, the newly constructed Burj Khalifa in Dubai moves back and forth by about two meters at its tallest point. Engineers designed this building to fight dangerous winds. Several spires rise to the top of the structure. These stop the wind from whirling in circles and damaging the building. 

Taipei 101 uses different engineering tricks. One is a large weight that acts like the pendulum in a clock. This structure weighs 730 tons. As it slowly moves back and forth, it helps balance the tower as the wind pushes on it. Other skyscrapers use this same technique. It helps keep the structures stable. And that’s not easy to do 1,000 feet off the ground.

BASIC READING COMPLETION 4

Dads Need Time, Too

For many, nothing is as special as bringing home a new baby. Many countries across the world recognize the importance of time with newborns. In fact, 178 countries allow new mothers time away from work to care for their babies. In addition, these countries provide financial assistance. They give mothers pay for the time they are away. However, an international analysis by the Human Rights Watch questions whether families are given sufficient support. There are many factors involved in evaluating support. For example, some countries don’t provide part-time workers with the same assistance. But one of the biggest questions being asked is: What about dad?

Only around 50 countries provide time for new dads. As a result, some countries are reviewing their policies. Even Sweden, which gives dads the most time off of any country, is trying to improve its policy. They recently changed their laws so parents can take a total of 16 months off from work. Dad and mom decide how to divide the time. The maximum time one parent can take is 14 months. Since women traditionally take more time off than men, the government now gives families additional pay if the mother and the father share the time off evenly. And it’s working.

More and more men are taking the time. In fact, as a consequence of Sweden’s law, other countries are giving dads more time. In 2012, Britain changed their laws so that fathers can have up to 26 weeks off. These laws are leading to other changes. Some men are choosing to care for their children full-time. In Britain, the number of men staying home to care for children has tripled in the last 15 years. Dads need time, too. And in some places, they are starting to get it.

Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER in each gap

1. Many people believed that the best thing is having .

2. There are letting mothers stay at home to take care of their babies.

3. Mothers also receive while they are at home with their babies.

4. The international organization Human Rights Watch is researching if families are providing .

5. The governments do not provide the same assistance for .

6. Because of no time off for new dads, some countries are renewing their .

7. Dads in receive the longest time off in the world.

8. New policies allow parents can stay at home with their babies for in total.

9. Parents will receive additional pay if they decide to take time off .

10. In 2012, British dads could stay at home with their babies for the maximum of .

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