Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading. Show all posts

seeing red

(reading: pt 2)

RIO DE JANEIRO — The chants at the game between Spain and Chile began slowly, first from one side of Estádio do Maracanã, then from the other. 1.

“E-lim-i-na-do! E-lim-i-na-do!” — eliminated — said those fans, who were leaping so wildly in their red shirts that they made the stands look like a supersize swath of roiling scarlet cloth. But those fans were not wearing the red jerseys of Spain, the defending World Cup champion and two-time European champion. They were wearing the red shirts of Chile, which eliminated Spain from this tournament in the first round, after Spain had played two games. 2. read on
choose from A-H, there is one extra.
A.But when you think about it, was it simply because they didn’t have any great soccer left in them?
B.Besides, a younger generation is waiting.
C.They were led out by the police.
D.It was a beautiful day for it with the sun shining brightly above.
E.By the time the final minutes had ticked off the clock Wednesday, tens of thousands had joined in
F.Maybe Spain saw it coming; maybe it didn’t.
G.No past World Cup defending champion had been knocked out of the tournament so quickly.
H.It all happened so fast

Watching Chile’s 2-0 victory unfold was like seeing a prizefighter hit in the face again and again, then seeing him fall to the canvas and struggle to rise as the referee counts to 10. There’s a sense of pity in seeing a legend fall so unexpectedly, and appear so helpless.

3. First came the Spaniards losing to the Netherlands, 5-1, on Friday in their opening game. Then came Wednesday’s match, in which a death knell clanged for most of the game’s 90-plus minutes. No one expected the Spanish to show up in Brazil looking so tired and slow. Compared with the Chileans, they looked as if they were in slow motion. 4.

Seven of Spain’s 23 players competed in the all-Spanish Champions League final a few weeks ago. Ten played in the semis. In the longer view, the team has been playing and playing since winning the 2008 European championship, and several of this World Cup team’s key players — including Casillas, Xabi Alonso, Andrés Iniesta, Cesc Fàbregas and Xavi Hernández — were on that squad. Xavi, the key figure in their midfield is 34; Casillas is 33; Xabi Alonso is 32. After so many miles on their legs and so much pressure to stay on top, their bodies might have had enough of it. No one ever said it’s easy to be the best. 5.

Afterward, Casillas said he couldn’t explain what happened and apologized to the team’s fans for disappointing them.
“They should know that we gave all we had,” he said. He added, “This squad didn’t deserve to go out like this.”

6. But for every amazing athlete and every great team, there comes an end. Sometimes, it comes slowly, the way it did for Michael Jordan when he couldn’t dazzle us with his spectacular play as much as before. And sometimes, it comes fast, like one day waking up to a pair of creaky knees that refuse to do anyone’s bidding.

Only one thing is certain: Even the best can’t avoid the end.

The Chilean fans were so riled up before the game that nearly 100 of them stormed one gate of the stadium, broke fences and sprinted into the news media center, knocking over a temporary wall in the chaos. They were led out by the police. Spain’s team went out much more quietly.

After a few final tries to control the ball, they tripped over themselves and realized their efforts were pointless. 7.. Spain’s grand squad, which had been a marvel in the sport for so many years, walked off the field in silence.

by juliet macur nytimes

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keys to success

(reading; pt 2)

Online courses have become the Next Big Thing for higher education, particularly in the United States, where millions of students have signed up for courses from some of the most upmarket universities.

1.. "We're looking at whether we can do online examinations, so the student doesn't have to come in to a hall, they just need to be sitting in front of their computer at a particular time when the exam is released to their computer," says Prof Taylor, chair of the Open University's academic conduct group. read on

Choose from A-H, there is one extra.
A Prof Taylor says he would expect such technology to be in place within the next five years
B However, taking exams at school is without doubt a traditonal part of school-life
C An important attraction of online courses is that students can study where and when they want
D Students really like the instant feedback of online testing
E The idea of people bringing notes up their sleeves remains a problem
F There is research suggesting it really works
G For instance, there are disputes among this global student body over British or American spelling
H And there isn't any technology that can judge whether an essay has really connected with a question

"There are various ways you can identify a person," says Prof Taylor. "One system we looked at meant that you had to type in a particular phrase - and the rate and the particular way you type is effectively a signature of the individual," says Martin Bean Open University vice chancellor. These are not distant-horizon ideas. 2. . He also says that there is no reason to think more people would necessarily cheat online. "Let's face it, in a large examination hall, each individual student isn't going to be closely watched. 3. ."

EdX, an online university project set up earlier this year by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, wants to make more use of the exam hall rather than less. 4. , says edX's first president, Anant Agarwal. And interactive, multimedia online lectures make the old-style lectures look less effective. But this volume of testing depends on automated marking - and will mean a limit on the range of subjects and type of questions that can be examined.

Coursera's co-founder Daphne Koller says trying to find a way to assess so many students is "part of the learning process". She says automatic marking can generate a score or a grade, but students want human feedback. 5. .

Coursera has been experimenting with peer assessment, where students grade each others' work, following guidelines set by the teacher. This allows for the marking capacity to grow with the class size - but it also depends on the reliability of fellow students. These online courses are also being discussed online - and blogs from students refer to disagreements over marking. 6. .

This brings the debate back to an old fashioned and low-tech form of preventing cheating. The "honour code" - or should that be "honor code" - is an ethical approach, based on a promise to maintain academic honesty. 7. . Institutions with such a code have a lower level of cheating.

Martin Bean, vice chancellor of the Open University, said: "There is no doubt that this is the 'web moment' for higher education and a battle is shaping up for growing student numbers on global courses online, with some able to grow large numbers of students very quickly. However this is a battle which will be about brands and the market ability of the providers but also, crucially, about quality of teaching and credibility."
bbc
article on what is a mooc?

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lost and found

(Reading; pt 2)
photo: bbcSaroo was only five years old when he got lost. He was travelling with his older brother, working as a sweeper on India's trains. "It was late at night. We got off the train, and I was so tired that I just took a seat at a train station, and I ended up falling asleep."

1.. "I thought my brother would come back and wake me up but when I awoke he was nowhere to be seen. I saw a train in front of me and thought he must be on that train. So I decided to get on it and hoped that I would meet my brother." Saroo did not meet his brother on the train. Instead, he fell asleep and had a shock when he woke up 14 hours later. Though he did not realise it at first, he had arrived in Calcutta, India's third biggest city and notorious for its slums. read on

choose from A-H, there is one extra.
A Incredibly, he soon discovered what he was looking for.
B But the facial structure was still there.
C Saroo settled down well.
D He had always been easy going.
E All he had to go on were his vivid memories
F That nap would determine the rest of his life.
G But it was not what he had hoped for.
H You could not trust anyone.

Soon he was sleeping rough. "It was a very scary place to be." He became a beggar, one of the many children begging on the streets of the city. "I had to be quite careful. 2.." But in the end, he did get off the streets.

He was taken in by an orphanage, which put him up for adoption. He was adopted by the Brierleys, a couple from Tasmania. "I accepted that I was lost and that I could not find my way back home, so I thought it was great that I was going to Australia." 3. .

But as he got older the desire to find his birth family became increasingly strong. The problem was that as an illiterate five-year-old he had not known the name of the town he had come from. 4. . So he began using Google Earth to search for where he might have been born.

Eventually Saroo hit on a more effective strategy. "I multiplied the time I was on the train, about 14 hours, with the speed of Indian trains and I came up with a rough distance, about 1,200km."
He drew a circle on a map with its centre in Calcutta, with its radius about the distance he thought he had travelled. 5. . Khandwa. "When I found it, I zoomed down and bang, it just came up. I navigated it all the way from the waterfall where I used to play."

Soon he made his way to Khandwa, the town he had discovered online. He found his way around the town with his childhood memories. Eventually he found his own home in the neighbourhood of Ganesh Talai. 6. . "When I got to the door I saw a lock on it. It look old and battered, as if no-one had lived there for quite a long time." Saroo had a photograph of himself as a child and he still remembered the names of his family. A neighbour said that his family had moved. Saroo was taken to meet his mother who was nearby. At first he did not recognise her.

"The last time I saw her she was 34 years old and a pretty lady, I had forgotten that age would get the better of her. 7. . I recognised her and said, "Yes, you are my mother."

bbc



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on the run

(Reading; pt 2) options below text
The legendary story of Cliff Young.
Every year, Australia hosts a 543.7-mile (875km) endurance racing from Sydney to Melbourne. 1.. The race takes five days to complete and is normally only attempted by world-class athletes who train specially for the event. These athletes are typically less than 30 years old and backed by large companies such as Nike. read on

Choose from A-H, there is one extra.
A. The thing is, Cliff Young didn't know that!
B. Cliff kept running.
C. It wasn´t uncommon for people to just give up.
D. It is considered among the world's most grueling ultra-marathons.
E. The press and other athletes became curious and questioned Cliff.
F. Furthermore, during the Sydney to Melbourne race, modern competitors do not sleep.
G. Many even feared for the old farmer's safety.
H. In the following year, Cliff entered the same race and took 7th place.

In 1983, a man named Cliff Young showed up at the start of this race. Cliff was 61 years old and wore overalls and work boots. To everyone's shock, Cliff wasn't a spectator. He picked up his race number and joined the other runners.
2. . They told him, "You're crazy, there's no way you can finish this race." To which he replied, "Yes I can. See, I grew up on a farm where we couldn't afford horses or tractors, and the whole time I was growing up, whenever the storms would roll in, I'd have to go out and round up the sheep. We had 2,000 sheep on 2,000 acres. Sometimes I would have to run those sheep for two or three days. It took a long time, but I'd always catch them. I believe I can run this race."

When the race started, the pros quickly left Cliff behind. The crowds and television audience were entertained because Cliff didn't even run properly; he appeared to shuffle. 3..
All of the professional athletes knew that it took about 5 days to finish the race. In order to compete, one had to run about 18 hours a day and sleep the remaining 6 hours. 4.. When the morning of the second day came, everyone was in for another surprise. Not only was Cliff still in the race, he had continued jogging all night. Eventually Cliff was asked about his tactics for the rest of the race. To everyone's disbelief, he claimed he would run straight through to the finish without sleeping.

5.. Each night he came a little closer to the leading pack. By the final night, he had surpassed all of the young, world-class athletes. He was the first competitor to cross the finish line and he set a new course record.
When Cliff was awarded the winning prize of $10,000, he said he didn't know there was a prize and insisted that he did not enter for the money. He ended up giving all of his winnings to several other runners, an act that endeared him to all of Australia.

6.. Not even a displaced hip during the race stopped him. Cliff came to prominence again in 1997, aged 76, when he attempted to raise money for homeless children by running around Australia's border. He completed 6,520 kilometers of the 16,000-kilometer run before he had to pull out because his only crew member became ill. Cliff Young passed away in 2003 at age 81.

Today, the "Young-shuffle" has been adopted by ultra-marathon runners because it is considered more energy-efficient. At least three champions of the Sydney to Melbourne race have used the shuffle to win the race. 7.. Winning the race requires runners to go all night as well as all day, just like Cliff Young.
elitefeet.com



listen to sporting stories inc Cliff Young´s: Sporting Witness

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californian girls

(Reading; pt 2)
Nancy King took up synchronised swimming when she was 77. She had worked all her adult life, raised four children and on retiring didn't suffer an identity loss or sudden crash in ambition. She volunteered to teach knitting and crochet classes for a charity for the blind.
One day she went to the pool to meet the Aquadettes. "I knew how to swim. 1.
read on
Choose from A-H, there is one extra.
A There are always mean people. I don't care."
B The Aquadettes aren't all best friends, but they are a close and supportive network for each other, at what can be a difficult transitional life stage.
C What can you do with all these wrinkles?" She smiles. "I'm 76 – but as far as I'm concerned I could be 56."
D When her 23-year-old grandson came to see the show one year, "he couldn't believe what old Grandma was up to".
E Instead, husbands are permitted to help backstage, with lighting or filming, and are referred to within Laguna Woods as the Aquadudes.
F In fact, the biggest controversy in the team is the mandatory all-black swimming costumes, which hide nothing.
G She does the best she can. She will never be the most synchronised.
H Then they asked me to do a somersault. I said, 'I haven't done a somersault probably since I was six.'

How'd it work out?
"It worked out fine, believe it or not! So I thought maybe I could do the rest. I loved it, I was like a two-year-old."
Men aren't allowed to join, although they frequently ask. But, says King, you can't put them in long gloves and they'd complain about headdresses; really they are no fun to design costumes for. 2.

The costume changes are the hardest thing, going from a wet suit to a dry one, and the swimmers wear tights under their suits to aid the process. No one who joins has any training in the sport and the team tries, as far as possible, to operate a no-yelling policy when someone messes up. "We have one who gets into a little difficulty," says King. "But we don't holler at her. 3. But she loves it.

Little Mermaid-like, there is a stark and moving contrast between the freedom of movement team members have in the water as opposed to on land. The show this year was the first time Bouer used her walker to get to the poolside. Before, she would go in on someone's arm. "I do remember one man saying in intermission, 'I wonder why they let that handicapped person in?' 4. If I do well, then I'm happy. If I can't do it, then it's one more thing I can't do."

The Aquadettes have featured in adverts and on breakfast TV in the US, and Bouer has attracted some attention for her use of medical marijuana, which helps her with the side-effects of MS. "I just carry a tiny pipe in the car. A couple of cigarettes. I grew my own plants. But I use it only for nausea."
5. "Then I thought, 'Who cares?'"
"The ladies are all sizes," says Andrews Link. "But they're very confident."
"It doesn't seem to matter anymore," says King.

"I was completely blase," says Bouer. "I took for granted my physical skills, but I've never been a beauty. I never thought about it. I've never really learned to do make-up. 6.

A team member might stop swimming, but no one really retires. You become an Aquadette emeritus and do the costumes or cheerlead. Without the team, says King, she'd be a couch potato and spend far too much time in front of a computer. 7.

the guardian

video

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broadening your horizons

(Reading; pt 2)
Ever wanted to combine travelling with making a difference?

Through volunteering abroad you could do both. Wherever your skills and experience lie and whatever your interests, there is likely to be a project suited to you. Volunteering can be anything from animal and environmental projects to helping rebuild communities that have been destroyed by an earthquake. 1. . Through volunteering in another country you can also broaden your horizons, learn about a different culture and make new friends.

setting off on the right foot

Organisations like the British Council, Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) and charities with international units can help you make a decision about volunteering.

The British Council offers programmes ranging from group exchanges to individual voluntary service. 2. . The VSO is an international development charity, which tries to match people's skills and professional background to the need for volunteers across the world. 3. . If there is a charity or voluntary organisation you would like to help, make contact to find if it needs any volunteers.

The first volunteering project you find is not necessarily going to be ideally suited to you. So keep looking until you discover something you would feel comfortable doing. 4. . Check what safety measures are in place, and what would happen if you had to return to the UK earlier than expected. You may find the project is not right for you - but keep looking.

If you are in paid employment, find out how taking a career break or secondment to volunteer abroad would affect you at work. This includes your work contract, health cover, pension and National Insurance contributions, as well as your continued service.
Some employers will have a policy to encourage their staff to take part in volunteering or see a community project they are sponsoring abroad. Others may consider counting your volunteering period as extended leave without pay or as a secondment. 5.

Make sure you have the vaccinations you need for the country and check any travel safety advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. You will need a valid passport to cover the entire period you will be overseas. It is also worth finding out the contact details and location of the British Consul in the country where you will be working. The organisation you will be working through may have travel and health insurance to cover you while you are abroad. 6. .

7. . Make sure they know where to find you in case of an emergency. This will help you find out about any changes in the country that may affect your safety or health. If you are concerned about the situation in a country, keep in contact with the British consul in the area. Wherever you choose to volunteer, enjoy the experience as it can be fun as well as rewarding.
directgov.uk		Choose from A-H, there is one extra.

A. Talk to the organisers of the volunteer programme about any concerns you may have.

B. While you are away, try and keep regular contact with the charity or organisation you are volunteering through.

C. Giving even a few weeks of your time will bring real benefits to the area and the people that live there.

D. It goes without saying that you should travel light so keep your baggage to the minimum.

E. They are all designed to give young people an international experience.

F. Check what you are covered for and if you need to take out any additional policies.

G. The ages of its volunteers range from 17 to 75.

H. This could be helpful if you are considering volunteering abroad for a long period.



bonus vid

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monkey business

(Reading; pt 2)

What a howler

In my favourite photo of my sister and me as kids, she is holding a cute baby monkey in her arms. Another sits on my shoulder. Fast forward 30 years and once again there is a monkey on my shoulder. This time, I am trying to feed six-month-old orphan Bridget (named after Bridget Jones) her bottle of milk. But Bridget is not interested in the milk. She is more interested in pulling my hair. Tepid milk dribbles down my neck and then, warm urine too. 1

more howling

This May, I "volunteered" for three weeks at the Caraya Project in Cordoba province, Argentina. Carayas, or black howler monkeys, live in family groups in the rainforests of Latin America. The project aims to rescue and rehabilitate ex-pets and zoo specimens, with the ultimate objective of returning the animals to the wild. Seven groups of rehabilitated carayas live free in the woods on the isolated 350-hectare (860-acre) site north-west of Buenos Aires. 2 The remainder live in cages while they are rehabilitated. The site is not their true habitat. The trees here are mainly fast-growing conifers and non-native to Argentina and it is bloody cold too. 3

Hunting for the pet trade and loss of habitat (to make way for soya production) are two of the threats faced in the wild by the caraya. 4 On day five, although I can barely speak Spanish, I am asked to take some visitors to see a rehabilitated group. They watch as the monkeys swing and fly through the trees. It's a fantastic sight and the tourists are very enthusiastic. They are also interested in me – how I managed to end up here on a monkey reserve in the middle of nowhere. 5 My three weeks are spent feeding, cleaning and observing. As a monkey novice, the babies are the least risky for me to handle. Even when they bite, it rarely hurts. The baby orphans are like naughty toddlers. 6 I loved getting close to these amazing creatures. Three weeks fly past and I am sad to leave the wild landscape, the other volunteers, the Argentinians who patiently tolerate my attempts at Spanish, and, of course, the monkeys. 7   Spanish is an advantage but the only requirements are to be physically able and available for at least three weeks.

A charge (I paid €450) is made for accommodation (it's basic), food (yours and the monkeys) and goes towards funding the purchase of a new home in the rainforest near Paraguay. It is pricey but these monkeys are the business.
The Guardian

use 7 of these sentences

A These issues are discussed on educational tours given to tourists who visit the project.
B Demanding, but great fun.
C It may not sound like it but I am having one of the best experiences of my life.
D The project welcomes volunteers from all over the world.
E Reminds me of Scotland.
F The project does its best to protect itself.
G They spend their days foraging, sunbathing and playing
H One man asks if I'm studying monkeys or the Argentinans

answers

1-C; 2-G; 3-E; 4-A; 5-H; 6-B; 7-D; Unused letter-F

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