SHORT AND SWEET
People complain nowadays that the popularity of media like Twitter has reduced our ability to read for long periods of time and to write properly. 1………. It’s also true that tweets are written by normal people, not professional authors, and that sometimes little attention is paid to correct grammar and spelling in digital messages.
Extra exercises
In true / false / not given tasks, you must look for clear evidence in the text to support a ‘true’ or ‘false’ answer. If there is no information in the text to confirm or contradict the statement, then the answer is ‘not given’
1. Read the Strategy. Then read the text below. Are statements 1-4 true (T), false (F), or not given (NG)?
Anna Pavlova (1881 – 1931) was a famous Russian ballet dancer. She first fell in love with ballet when she was taken to see a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty. She was eight years old at the time. Pavlova studies ballet at the Imperial Ballet School in St Petersburg. Students there had to get up early and have a cold shower.
Still life
The other day, I was walking through the city when a silver statue caught my eyes. It was a statue of a man in a suit looking into the distance. I wondered why so many people were standing there looking at it. Suddenly it turned its head and looked right at me before tapping me on the shoulder with its umbrella. I jumped and laughed.
Extra exercises
In a multiple-choice task, at least one of the incorrect options is usually ‘almost’ correct. If you are undecided between two options, decide which one is the closest to what is said in the text.
2. Now read the extract from a story. Circle the correct answer (A-D)
The Pennine Way is a 469-kilometre walking path which runs from the Peak District in Derbyshire to just inside the Scottish border. Other trails go further, but it is known as the most challenging. This is because of the nature of the landscape, which is hilly, rocky and often very muddy.
Extra exercises
First, try to understand the general idea of each paragraph. This will help you decide where each of the missing sentences should go. Make sure that the sentence you put in the gap fits with the general topic of the paragraph.
2. Now read the text again. Complete the gaps (1-4) in the text with the missing sentences (A-F). There are two extra sentences
Staying in hotels and resorts has been a traditional part of travel since mass tourism began. But nowadays, many tourists want a more intimate experience. 1……… This often means staying in the kinds of places that local people inhabit. In big cities, try staying with the friend of a friend.
1. Complete the definitions of things you can find in the street
2 a piece of furniture on which a number of people can sit: b___________
A BRIGHTER CITY!
The city of Łódź in Poland was another unremarkable industrial city until a few years ago. In 2009, an organisation called the Urban Forms Foundation was set up by a well-known art historian and an actress. Their idea was to bring the tired urban landscape to life again.