To open a bank account you should follow these simple steps. Choose an Institution Talk with friends and relatives about where they have their accounts. If you only want to open it in person you can just show up at the branch during business hours.
To open a bank account you should follow these simple steps. Choose an Institution Talk with friends and relatives about where they have their accounts. If you only want to open it in person you can just show up at the branch during business hours.
To open a bank account you should follow these simple steps. Choose an Institution Talk with friends and relatives about where they have their accounts. If you only want to open it in person you can just show up at the branch during business hours.
>> HOW TO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT Lisa has worked in large and small institutions, including large banking outts, brokerage houses, and small credit unions. She has helped countless businesses nd the right products and services for their needs. Currently she works as a consultant. To open a bank account you should follow these simple steps: Step 1: Choose an Institution Talk with friends and relatives about where they have their accounts. Find out what they think and whether they are satised with their own banks. If not, dedicate an afternoon to shop around with a friend. Step 2: Decide the account you want What type of account do you want? A savings account? i.e. an account designed to simply hold money that you do not need immediate access to. When contrasted with checking accounts, bank savings accounts tend to pay a slightly higher rate, whereas a checking account generally does not generate interest, but allows you to write checks. What type of institution do you want? a credit union? i.e. an institution owned by the members or customers. Contrast this with banks where the customers are just customers. Banks answer to protability usually shareholders own a bank. Credit unions are non-prot organizations that strive for service over protability. However, they are not charities. Step 3: Go to the Bank or Website & pick the Product You Want The advantage of opening a bank account online is that you can do it at any hour, anywhere. However, if you only want to open it in person you can just show up at the branch during business hours where you can just chat with a banker who will help you open the best account for your needs. Step 4: Provide Your Information Banks do not open accounts without certain details about you. This is to protect them against risk and comply with a variety of regulations. Youll need to provide simple details like your name and birthday, as well as your Social Security or Passport Number. You will also need to provide a government ID or Drivers License number. Step 5: Agree to Terms Youll have to agree to abide by certain rules and accept responsibility for certain actions. If you open bank accounts online, you complete this step by clicking an I Agree (or similar) button, whereas if you do it in person you should just sign some documents. Congratulations you already have your bank account!!! Final Tips & Warnings Open your accounts at a bank near your home so that its convenient for you to make deposits, use an ATM or talk with bank employees. Consider how many ATMs the bank offers, whether they charge a fee and whether 24-hour customer service is available by phone. Make sure that any bank with which you open your account is FDIC-insured, which means that your money is insured up to $100,000. 118 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Comprensin de lectura << 1. What kind of text is this? A. A legal document B. An information leaet C. An instruction manual D. An annual nancial report 2. What does Lisa do at the moment? She is... A. an accountant B. a stoke broker C. a legal advisor D. a nancial expert 3. What does the highlighted term shop around in this text mean? A. Visit different banks B. Ask your relatives C. Go shopping with friends D. Surf for information on the net 4. According to the reading, in a savings account in many cases the client. A. gets free check writing B. gets some interest benets C. has free access to their money D. receives no interest for their money 5. Credit unions are institutions... A. whose main goal is protability B. which are owned by the clients C. which are not always interested in money D. where the shareholders are the owners 6. What is the main advantage of opening a bank account online? You A. can do it on Sunday B. get personalised service C. may chat with the banker D. are restricted to business hours 7. According to the text, why do some banks need some personal information about you? A. To observe the Law B. To protect themselves from risk 119 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Comprensin de lectura << C. To mail you your account balance D. To know your Social Security number 8. What does the highlighted term abide by in the text mean? A. Violate B. Promote C. Conform to D. Accommodate to 9. According to the text, why is it important to open a bank account not far from your home? In order to have... A. your money insured B. cash dispensers nearby C. free 24h customer service D. access to several ATM machines 10. What is the main purpose of the reading? A. To assess the readers on investments B. To warn the readers of possible problems C. To show the readers how simple this process is D. To give the readers detailed nancial information 120 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Comprensin de lectura << >> UNHEALTHY EATING Pupils should be kept in school grounds during lunch breaks to stop them eating unhealthy take-away food, the Schools Secretary Ed Brown has said. Mr Brown says there is little point in banning junk food inside school, if pupils then eat it outside school. This will not be a compulsory requirement, but Mr Brown says he will back heads trying to impose a policy of not allowing pupils out during the day. He also wants councils to limit the number of take-aways near schools. Mr Brown is set to address the Healthy Eating in Schools Conference in London - where he will claim that the corner has been turned on improving the quality of school meals. Since the Jamie Oliver-inspired campaign to improve school food, there has been a series of initiatives, costing 650m, designed to raise the nutritional content and appeal of school meals. But Mr Brown will tell the conference that attention needs to be paid to what children are eating outside school. There is no point in banning junk food and raising the quality of lunches in schools, if teenagers can simply go to eat unhealthy food from neighbouring take-aways, says Mr Brown. As such, he says he supports stay-on site policies, in which pupils are not allowed to leave school premises during the day - stopping them from eating in local fast-food shops. This will help to tackle an ingrained culture of unhealthy eating, he says. Mr Brown also backs local authority efforts to limit access to fast food - such as imposing a ban on take-aways within 400 metres of secondary school gates. A survey of secondary school pupil eating habits published this summer found that 80% of pupils bought food from local shops. The research by the Nutrition Policy Unit of London Metropolitan University found that two in ve pupils never used the school canteen. An important factor in eating habits was the speed and convenience of getting food from local take-aways, rather than queuing and overcrowding in school canteens, found researchers. Rather than the quality or cost of school food being the determining factors, it was often the lack of comfort in the school canteen that inuenced pupils. The study found that local shops were more entrepreneurial about meeting this demand - offering cut-price child-size portions and getting in extra staff so that children could be served quickly. However, this meant that children were ignoring healthy food in school and buying food and drink with high levels of fat and sugar. A survey from the NHS Information Centre earlier this year found that one in three 11-year-olds is overweight or obese. Adapted from BBC News 1. Ed Brown claims that A. students should only eat their home made lunch B. students dont have to stay in the canteen for lunch C. students should stay in the school premises at lunch time 2. Mr Brown A. will back schools to impose the ban B. will not allow pupils to eat fast food C. will support headmasters unless it is compulsory Ed Brown wants healthy eating to extend beyond the school gates 121 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Comprensin de lectura << 3. The Schools Secretary thinks that healthy eating habits A. have not changed in the least B. have started to change for the better C. are difcult to be reach nowadays 4. The Jamie Oliver campaign goal was A. to make school food better B. to make students like school meals C. to increase the nutrients of school meals 5. Stay-on site policies A. will prevent students from eating fast food B. will not make students stay in premises all day C. will deal with the supercial culture of healthy eating 6. Local authorities A. will be supported when taking preventive steps B. will ban take-aways in areas of 44 metres C. will be banned from doing anything against take-aways 7. The London Metropolitan University found A. most pupils would rather queue in school canteens B. long queues would put pupils off using school canteens C. twenty per cent of the pupils never used the school canteen 8. The research also showed that pupils at lunch time A. wanted to be comfortable B. wanted good quality food C. did not want to pay too much 9. According to the text, local shops A. satised pupils demands very quickly B. offered neither low prices nor small quantities C. employed too many shop assistants to serve pupils 10. The text wants to point out that A. access to junk food should be restricted B. nearby take-aways allowance wont impose healthy eating C. school canteens should only provide pupils with healthy food 122 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Comprensin oral << >> LIVERPOOL INTERVIEW 1. The rst speaker thinks that Liverpool A could be a tourist centre in the North of England B is a tourist centre in the North of England C occupies a good position in the world at last 2. The rst speaker is... A. going to open a hotel B. thinking about opening a hotel C. joking when she talks about opening a hotel 3. The rst speaker says that... A. prices are going mad B. the cost of houses has increased C. things are cheaper in Liverpool than in the Midlands 4. The second speaker says that they... A. already had quite a few festivals around the city B. had a festival in the summer C. had some celebrations around the docks 5. The second speaker says that... A. there was already a film industry in Liverpool B. the government has given them some money to create a film industry C. the government has given them 6 million pounds to build up an industry 6. The second speaker... A. thinks that Hollywood film companies are going to move to the city B. works as an actor in the film business C. thinks a lot of films will be shot in Liverpool 7. The third speaker... A. works for the organization B. works in the Town Hall C. has been working for three years 123 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Comprensin oral << 8. The third speaker... A. knew for sure that Liverpool was going to be named capital of culture B. thinks that Newcastle had a much better bid C. is a bit surprised that Liverpool got the nomination in the end 9. The third speaker says that... A. there will be some complaints about the construction in the streets B. they want to change the city trams and buses C. there has already been some building work done in the streets 10. The third speaker says that before the nomination... A. there was a buzz about the place B. the city was a bit down C. the old Mersey spirit had completely died >> THE NEWS Listen to the following pieces of news and choose the correct option for the questions below. First piece of news 1. According to the speaker, which percentage is the normal for a tip in Britain? A. 8 B. 15 C. 50 D. Any 2. The manager of the Italian restaurant was angry with Humberto because A. he didnt leave any tip B. he left less than normal C. he left eighteen per cent D. he refused to pay 3. The couple of cooks went down the street because A. they were angry with Humberto B. there were some criminals there C. the manager told them to D. there were some people eating out 124 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Comprensin oral << Second piece of news 4. Why is the woman in jail? A. She had an alligator at home B. She injured her boyfriend C. She had an argument with her boyfriend D. She was swinging an alligator 5. What did her boyfriend refused to do? A. To get home B. To get some more drinks from the fridge C. To get out and buy more drinks D. To get into a ght 6. Who is Jimmy? A. The womans boyfriend B. The womans pet C. The boyfriends pet D. A man in the bathroom 7. According to the speaker, what did they do during the argument? A. The man got angry B. They looked for Jimmy C. They threw things at each other D. They tried to escape Third piece of news 8. What is the Israeli doing? A. Imitating art B. Watching a TV series C. Litigating against a pet shop D. Selling a python 9. Mr. Schlom surprised because A. The shop owner didnt make a sound B. The TV didnt make a sound C. The animal didnt make a sound D. The animal didnt have legs 10. Mr. Schlom went to the vet because A. he wanted to demand 2,000 dollars B. he didnt believe the pet shop owner C. the animal was adjusting D. the animal had eaten rubbish 125 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Expresin e interaccin escrita << >> HOLIDAY INN HOTEL COMPANY The press secretary for the Holiday Inn hotel company has asked you to take part in their website to give publicity to the latest hotel that is going to be opened next week in their town. The purpose of your work is to create a detailed description of the hotel, place and surroundings. Dont forget to include: Location and setting Description: lounges, rooms, furniture, ttings, appliances Leisure facilities Food and room service Accommodation rate Reservation and payment system Contact: mail address, website, email address, phone number, fax number.
>> PROBLEM IN YOUR TOWN Write a note to a local newspaper where you tell them about a problem in your town (180-200 word). Include the following topics: - Describe the problem - Give some details about it - Make some proposals to solve the situation - Mention some advantages for the town if the problem is solved 126 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Expresin e interaccin oral << >> MODELO 1 INTERACCIN (3 minutos) En esta parte un miembro del tribunal generar un dilogo con la persona aspirante basndose en las siguientes preguntas.
ENTERTAINMENT What is the most popular drama/comedy/game show in your country, and what is the story-line (drama) or format (game show)? Do you like watching cartoons? What did you watch on TV yesterday? What is one of your favourite TV shows? Do you listen to classical music? Why or why not? Have you ever been to Disneyland? Have you ever been to the theatre? Have you ever given a party? How far in advance do you begin planning a holiday? How often do you go to parties? How often do you read comic books? What are some things you can do without spending a cent? What do you do for fun? 127 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Expresin e interaccin oral << DISCURSO (3 minutos) El Tribunal entregar la lmina a la persona aspirante y le pedir que describa o interprete la imagen. El Tribunal podr hacer algunas preguntas para desbloquearla en el caso de que se quede callada. Describe these photographs and compare them. Make sure you talk about the following: Types of jobs Workplaces Salaries/ wages Working conditions 128 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Expresin e interaccin oral << >> MODELO 2 INTERACCIN (3 minutos) En esta parte un miembro del tribunal generar un dilogo con la persona aspirante basndose en las siguientes preguntas. CELEBRITIES Have you ever seen a celebrity in person? What did you do? Which celebrity would you like to meet? What would you do if you could spend a day with this person? Do you think famous people have the right to have a private life? Do you think its moral to sell your private life to the media? Do you approve of people who become famous as a consequence of appearing again and again in the media and not because of having an artistic career? What do you think of the papparazzi? Why do you think there is such a high demand for gossip magazines and gossip TV programs? What are the pros and cons of being a celebrity? What do you think of fans and fan-clubs? Did you have any heroes when you were a teenager? Why do you think adolescents need to have heroes? Do you think being a celebrity automatically means the person is intelligent? 129 >> NIVEL INTERMEDIO : Expresin e interaccin oral << DISCURSO (3 minutos) El Tribunal entregar la lmina a la persona aspirante y le pedir que describa o interprete la imagen. El Tribunal podr hacer algunas preguntas para desbloquearla en el caso de que se quede callada. Look at these photographs and compare them. Make sure you talk about the following: Type of places Activities Type of tourists who go to these places Weather conditions 130 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Comprensin de lectura << >> COMPUTER GAMES Thomas Sutcliffe: Why dont we take computer games more seriously? The ndings of a recent Pew Report which established that 97 per cent of all teenagers play video games are unlikely to rock the world. Yes, the gures were fairly striking more reminiscent of Soviet elections than the demographic pie-slices were used to in the free world. Somewhere out there, if the statistical analysis got it right, theres a stubborn 1 per cent of teenage boys between 12 and 17 who dont play video games. But the 99 per cent who arent living in Amish villages or on end-time communes all do. And 94 per cent of girls play them as well, suggesting that received opinion about video gaming as a predominately male activity is considerably wide of the mark. All the same, the results went with the grain of expectation. Teenagers play video games. What the Pew researchers were interested in wasnt the crude statistics of participation as such. They were simply a by-product of a bigger question about how video gaming was related to teenagers civic and political engagement. And again, the ndings arent likely to generate banner headlines. Unsurprisingly they found that teenagers who played socially, with other people in the room, were more likely to raise money for charity or stay informed about current events or take an active interest in politics than the lonely singletons whose only contact with other humans was to frag them in online battles. So far, so obvious. What did strike me, though given the almost universal enlistment in an activity that only 20 years ago was the preserve of home-programmers and hobbyists was the mismatch between the scale of teenagers involvement in video games and the relative invisibility of this creative eld in what you might call the traditional media. From time to time a new game release, such as Will Wrights recently released Spor, will edge its way on to the news pages and most newspapers carry some form of capsule reviews . But usually theyre tucked away in the back alleys of the publication, while lm and music and television continue to dominate the big boulevards. Mainstream television does virtually nothing. Arts programmes remain almost exclusively dedicated to cultural forms which are also-rans for many teenagers. There are two reasons why this should be so. The rst would be that video gamers get this stuff elsewhere from magazines such as Edge or Wired, and from online gaming sites, where no one needs to explain what respawning or rst person shooter actually means. And, since they get it there, they arent that fussed that it doesnt exist elsewhere. Unlike jazz enthusiasts persistently besieging Radio 3 for a better deal for their favoured art form gamers dont need to nag. The other explanation would be that the traditional media still doesnt get it. That, despite all the articles about the scale of the industry and its threat to older forms of diversion (and older forms of ction) it isnt something that needs taking seriously. Or, possibly, that it isnt something that can be taken seriously, in the sense that a lm or a pop record can. For the moment that still isnt an entirely foolish response, but given those gures in the Pew report it surely cant last. There was a time, after all, when no serious newspaper would have included considered reviews of the kinematograph or the latest pop single. Now they could hardly call themselves serious without them. Tuesday, 23 September 2008 The Independent on Sunday 1. How will people probably feel about the ndings of the Pew report? A. Struck by the gures B. Nostalgic of Soviet elections C. Hardly surprised at the results 131 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Comprensin de lectura << 2. What were the results of the report like? A. Strikingly unlikely B. Statistically signicant C. Demographically unpredictable 3. Who play video games? A. 99% of teenagers in the world B. More than 94% people between 12 and 17 C. 1% of young people living on end-time communes 4. What does wide of the mark mean? A. Not correct B. Quite accurate C. Out of the question 5. What was the aim of the Pew researchers? A. To be in the headlines B. To relate teenagers to politics C. To assess the implications of video gaming 6. What did the writer nd surprising? A. That new video game releases are reviewed in most newspapers B. That video games are pushed into the background in most publications C. That 20 years ago only home programmers and hobbyists were into video games 7. What type of cultural forms come last in their ranks for many teenagers? A. Short reviews B. Films and music C. TV Arts programmes 8. What dont video gamers mind? A. Reading magazines like Edge or Wire B. Explaining what respawning or rst person shooter mean C. Hearing about video games in other media than the traditional ones 9. What makes video gamers different from jazz lovers? A. They dont complain B. They form groups C. They are younger 10. What does the traditional media think about video games? A. That they are a favoured art form B. That they arent worth their attention C. That they threaten other forms of diversion 132 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Comprensin de lectura << >> STATE OF THE UNION Are there songs that represent the different and separate national musical identities of Britain? We asked English musicians to name the songs that they feel dene Englishness Kate Jackson of The Long Blondes The Next Life by Suede Englishness is all about the celebration of our little eccentricities. The Kinks knew this and were the benchmark for all to follow. But the rst band that, as a teenage girl, I found noticeably different, noticeably English, were Suede. Suedes rst album made me want to get on a National Express coach at 6am with a rucksack and my Walkman and live in a south London tower block squat with my unsuccessful photographer boyfriend. It doesnt conjure a quaint vision of England with cricket pitches and Sunday dinners; it glamorises the underbelly of life in the UK. The lyrics may seem a bit contrived now, but at the time it felt like a very English response to what was coming from the other side of the Atlantic. Album Suede Released 1993 Genre Brit pop Label Nude Sarah Cracknell of Saint Etienne Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush I cant imagine this song going down well anywhere apart from England. Her stance is very quaint and English: the way she sings, her accent, the drama of it all. She had the audacity to put out a single that was going to stretch peoples imaginations. Im old enough to have heard it when it came out, and seeing her on T.V, on Top of the Pops, will be forever etched on my mind: it was a watercooler moment before they had watercoolers. Everyone talked about it at school the next day. In its style and atmosphere, it feels a bit late in the day, like its from the hippy era. Its a bit of escapism from 1978 England. But its a typically English thing to be so out there and taken on board by the general public. Ive never met her, but funnily enough shes just moved down the road from me. Maybe Ill see her in the farm shop. Shes a genuine eccentric. # 1 UK singles Chart Album The kick inside Released 1978 Genre Art Rock Label EMI James Rushent of Does it Offend You, Yeah? God Save the Queen by The Sex Pistols This is a song by English people for English people. Its a dangerous song and thats what England has always been good at - dangerous bands making dangerous music. English bands have ideas and manifestos, while American bands are more professional and play the game. The Pistols going on TV and saying f*** changed England! You can go on TV now and say f*** and no one cares. Touch wood, well make an impression in our time. Im not saying were full-on punks, but Id like to think we freak a few people out. As long as some people leave our gigs scratching their heads, or pulling faces we are happy and that desire to make a statement and get a reaction, good or bad, is very punk, and very English #2 UK Singles Chart Album Never mind the bollocks Released 1977 Genre Punk Label Virgin 133 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Comprensin de lectura << Dan Gillespie Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks This is more about London than England, but London is all I know of England because thats where I grew up. When I was young, my dad took me to see The Kinks and for the rst time I realised these songs were written by a living human being. Because to me, Waterloo Sunset sat alongside Kumbaya and We Wish You a Merry Christmas or Happy birthday to you, as one of those songs that just existed. They were Muswell Hill boys, and I was from Bounds Green, the suburb next door, so I feel a connection there. Ive always found that sense of suburbanness interesting in their writing. The song romanticises the mundane. The English are so reserved, and theres a kind of shyness that can be quite charming, that beating-around-the-bush way of expressing emotions that makes the songwriting more realistic. You can tell from the song that its the time of Vietnam, drugs, freedom, sex and heightened political awareness. An extraordinary time to be a young person. And awful if you were old. Waterloo Sunset isnt about the hip city; Its tinged with melancholy: It conveys the sense of missing a moment almost as its happening. This is a less a shocking pink and more a black-and-white and grainy version of the London of those days. Its a long way from the city centre to the suburbs The Kinks #2 UK Singles Chart Album Something else by the Kinks Released 1967 Genre Rock and Roll Label Reprise 1. According to the Kate Jackson, The Kinks A. were a new reference for English music B. reacted against English little eccentricities C. were too eccentric to be followed by other bands 2. Suedes rst album A. reects a traditional image of England B. shows the weak points of life in England C. idealizes the unpleasant aspects of England 3. Sarah Cracknell cannot imagine that this song could be well . in any other country but in England. A. known B. received C. understood 4. Wuthering Heights was A. written for runaways from the 70s B. a new version of a song from the hippy era C. completely different from other songs in the 70s 134 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Comprensin de lectura << 5. The statement Its a typical English thing to be so out there and taken on board by the general public means that the English A. normally take on board whatever happens out there B. do not have problems accepting unconventional or new things C. do not normally have problems accepting what comes from outside 6. American bands A. are professional at playing games B. think British bands play dangerous music C. avoid thoughts and declarations of principles 7. James Rushent thinks that A. they are not full-time punks B. England is not really full of punks C. his band is not really a punk band 8. The song Waterloo Sunset is about A. Christmas, birthdays and happy romantic feelings B. the ordinary suburban life seen through an idealistic prism C. a romantic relationship which takes place in suburban London 9. A characteristic that makes English songwriting more realistic is that emotions are... A. dealt with in an evasive and indirect way B. expressed in a straight and direct manner C. connected with reserved, shy and charming people 10. Waterloo Sunset reects on A. the fashionable but melancholic style of the city centre B. the distance in miles between the city centre and the suburbs C. the contrast between the glamorous city centre and the suburbs
135 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Comprensin oral << >> BIRMINGHAM Listen to this recording and then choose the best option in the following questions. Podcast downloaded from Enjoy England. City Guides. 1. Birmingham is an inuential city because it A. offers a lot of amenities B. has an engineering Power Station C. was highly populated in the 18th century 2. Selfridges building is outstanding because it A. contains a bullring B. has straight lines inside C. is covered in aluminium 3. The new shopping area A. is a major tourist attraction B. was built after one in Ibiza C. houses the Symphony Hall 4. The Malmaison Hotel A. is modern and lively B. is cool and inexpensive C. only accommodates rock stars 5. In Mailbox complex you can nd __________________ restaurants A. designer B. a wide variety of C. modern Japanese 6. At the Hotel Du Vin, there is a A. cellar where they sell champagne B. Humidor Room to keep the cigars fresh C. Bistro which welcomes people on the ground oor 7. According to Nicola, the A. shopping offer in Birmingham is superb B. retail outlets in Birmingham are fantastic C. restaurants in Birmingham are for the wealthy 136 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Comprensin oral << 8. If you go shopping in Birmingham, you will A. even order your wedding ring B. also enjoy the citys entertainments C. also have an unexpected experience 9. When you leave the Jewellery Quarter A. your pockets will be loaded up B. you must go around Saint Pauls church C. you can easily have a stroll back to the city centre 10. On your way back into the city you can A. get wet toes B. buy cheap gold jewellery C. nd interesting bars and buildings >> GREEN MINUTES Listen to this recording and then choose the best option in the following questions. Listening material from CBS News Podcasts and http://greenairradio.com/ GREENWASHING 1. According to the speaker, companies use greenwashing to A. inform consumers about environmentally friendly products B. deceive consumers about environmentally friendly products C. lead consumers who want to buy environmentally friendly products 2. Which of the following is the most eco-friendly term? A. Organic B. Sustainable C. Environmentally preferred BIG PLASTIC LIES 3. Some effects of BPA (Bisphenol A) on the development of cancer cells can appear after A. a little contact with it B. the growth of hormones C. a long-term contact with it 137 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Comprensin oral << 4. We nd BPA in products such as A. organic plastic and atware B. baby bottles and some food C. the interior cover of some cans 5. Some health supporters concern is that the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) ... A. is scared and therefore has declared BPA harmless B. is being paid to withhold condential information about the effects of BPA C. has been paid 1 billion dollars since the 1930s to keep quiet about the effects of BPA GARBAGE ISLAND 6. In the oating island of Garbage we can nd A. buoys, plastic debris, and styrofoam B. bottles, plastic debris, and some type of foam C. booties, plastic debris, and some type of foam 7. One of the effects of this mass of plastic particles is that A. food and sh are easily mistaken for one another B. it affects generations of both land life and sea life C. it interrupts generations of sh moving towards land OLYMPIC GAMES 8. In order to reduce pollution, the Chinese authorities are A. controlling all the industrial emissions which reduce visibility B. limiting car-access to the city centre and reducing smog C. limiting trafc in Beijing and limiting emissions from factories 9. Ethiopian runner, Haile Gebrselassie, has pulled out of the Games because A. he is concerned about the irreparable effects of pollution in his lungs B. he thinks he might have an asthma crisis and need asthma medication C. because many athletes are already suffering asthma crises and are on medication 10. One of the 4 green air minutes reects on the following issue: A. Tidal ows in the Pacic Ocean are the cause of the concentration of garbage on top of a remote island B. Every consumer should look at the stickers on products and be careful if they read natural, green, earth friendly C. Bispherol A has been known to be toxic for many years but it is still used in the manufacturing of some plastic products 138 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Expresin e interaccin escrita << >> LOCH LEWEN HOTEL You have stayed at Loch Lewen Hotel for four days and you havent fully enjoyed it, because what you actually got did not match the descriptions in the publicity you had previously read on Internet. Decide what went wrong and then write a report on the webpage TripTips giving your personal opinion and recommending it - or not - to other users (200-230 words). Loch Lewen Hotel *** Loch Lewen Hotel is a charming little hotel in the village of Lewen, close to the bus station, within walking distance from the centre and two miles from the lake. Hosted by Geraldine and Michael you will experience true Scottish warmth. You may arrive as a guest but you will leave as a friend. The hotel offers 15 spacious bedrooms, a superb restaurant service with exciting, contemporary cuisine, a childrens indoor soft playground and a lively bar, which shows some light entertainment at weekends. Loch Lewen Hotel room description: *Standard double room *Standard twin room *Triple bedded room *Non smoking rooms available on request only
*Room amenities in all rooms *Trouser press *Bathtub *Remote control TV *Cable TV *Shower stall *Direct dial phone *Hair dryer *Iron and ironing board *Toiletries
TripTips traveller reviews & opinions of hotels, vacations & more Tips for writing a great review DO Describe the service you experienced Tell us how you liked the room Talk about the location & amenities Say what you liked best & least DONT Use profanity, threats, or personal insults Include e-mail addresses or phone numbers Write in ALL CAPS Report someone elses experience 139 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Expresin e interaccin escrita << Title your review If you could say it in one sentence, what would you say?
Write your review >> PEOPLE SUCCEED When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success. Do you agree or disagree with the quotation above? Use specic reasons and examples to explain your position (200-230 words). 140 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Expresin e interaccin oral << >> MODELO 1 INTERACCIN (3 minutos) E-MAILING In this part of the test, Im going to ask you some questions to give you the chance to have a conversation. You are not only required to answer the questions, but also to provide reasons for your answers. Lets talk about e-mailing: How important is e-mail to you? 1. Do you prefer writing e-mail or real letters with a pen and paper? 2. How much time do you spend reading and writing e-mails? 3. Do you think e-mails are fun? 4. Do you ever receive spam mail? What do you do with it? 5. Have you ever pressed send and then wish you hadnt? 6. Are you good at replying quickly to e-mails? 7. How many different e-mail accounts do you have / need? 8. Which e-mail provider do you use (Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo..)? Are you happy with the service? 9. Do you think e-mail can be dangerous? 10. When was the last time an e-mail made you very happy or excited about something? 11. Are you worried that governments or criminals can read your mail? 12. Have you ever waited, and waited for an e-mail to arrive? How many times did you check? 13. If you could secretly have access to someone elses e-mail account, who would it be and why? 14. 141 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Expresin e interaccin oral << DISCURSO (3 minutos) Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and its all organised by the Swiss. Hell is where the police are German, the cooks are English, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and its all organised by the Italians NATIONAL STEREOTYPES Photo by sheriffmitchell Photo by Thomas Hawk Photo by Tavallai Photo by Manuel Atienzar P h o t o
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C o o p e r 142 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Expresin e interaccin oral << >> MODELO 2 INTERACCIN (3 minutos) AGE Im going to ask you some questions to give you the chance to have a conversation. You are not only required to answer the questions, but also to provide reasons for your answers. Lets talk about age: Whats your ideal age? 1. What are the joys and problems of your age group? 2. How do you feel about growing older? 3. Would you like to be 100? Or be back in your teens again? 4. Do you think we should try to disguise the ageing process? 5. Is youth overrated nowadays? And old age underrated? 6. Have you heard of the Peter Pan effect? Can you guess what it refers to? 7. Do you nd it easy to communicate with other age groups? 8. Is it better for people to be part of a family or to live independently? Think of different age groups and of the 9. advantages or disadvantages of each. The proportion of people over 65 is increasing in many parts of the world due to declining birth rate and 10. better medicine. How does this compare with the situation in the past? What benets/problems are derived from this? 143 >> NIVEL AVANZADO : Expresin e interaccin oral << DISCURSO (3 minutos) Photo by BLUEORDER Photo by MANASSAS CAKERY Photo by remolacha.net.fotos Photo by Old Shoe Woman Photo by Andres Rueda Todas las fotos han sido descargadas de Flickr con licencia de Creative Commons que permite su utilizacin con nes no comerciales haciendo mencin a los autores HAPPY MOMENTS?