NIVEL B - ACTIVIDADES DE LECTO-COMPRENSION B2 These paragraphs are taken from the book Helen Keller: Crusader for the Blind and Deaf Helen Keller was born in 1880. From the age of a year and a half, she could not hear. She could not see, and she did not speak. She lived in a dark and lonely world until Annie Sullivan came to teach her. Annie spelled letters and words in Helen s hand and made Helen realize she could talk to people. One morning Helen woke early. She could not see the daylight, but she smelled bacon and eggs cooking. She knew it was time to get up. Her mother hurried Helen through breakfast and dressed her carefully. Helen did not know what was happening. Still she felt excited. Whatever Annie and Helen did, Annie spelled letters into Helen s hand. When they petted the cat, Annie spelled C-A-T. Helen quickly learned to copy the movements of Annie s fingers. Helen is like a clever little monkey, Annie wrote. She has learned the signs to ask for what she wants but she has no idea that she is spelling words. One morning Annie poured cold water over Helen s hand and spelled the word W-A-T-E-R. Suddenly, Helen understood that this was a word and pointed to things around her to know how they were spelled. Helen and Annie were both excited. They ran to the house to find Mrs. Keller. When Helen threw herself in her mother s arms, Annie spelled M-O-T- H-E-R into the hand. Helen understood and there were tears of happiness in Mrs. Keller s eyes. Now Helen had discovered language but there were other things that she needed to learn as well. Adapted from Choice Readings (Michigan 1996) a. Read these statements and put a check ( ) to the correct answers: 1- Helen had bacon and eggs every day for breakfast. 2- There was something unusual about this morning. 3- At first, Helen uses finger spelling only for saying what she wants. 4- Monkeys can copy actions without understanding the real meaning, but humans cannot do that. 5- Helen was anxious to learn how to spell the word water. 6- Helen understood that the finger-spelling of M-O-T-H-E-R was the word for the person, mother. 7- Helen s mother was happy because Helen hugged her. 8- Now Helen would be able to learn other things. 1
B3 Read the text below: SUMMIT TO SAVE THE EARTH: THE WORLD S NEXT TROUBLE SPOT What kind of world will our children have to live in? Will they have air to breathe and food to eat? These were among the basic questions that were addressed at the first world meeting on the environment, attended by more than 100 world leaders and 30,000 other scientists, newspeople, and concerned citizens. These complex problems can no longer be solved by individual countries; nations of the world must act together if we are to develop answers that will give a safe and healthy world to our children. Will world leaders have the vision to make the necessary changes in the laws that protect the environment? The answer is not certain, but there is hope. A number of important problems were examined in the summit conference, all related to quality of life on the planet. As more and more countries become industrialized, air pollution from factories and automobiles worsens, causing an increase in disease and medical costs. Many leaders are concerned about birth rates because the populations of their countries are growing faster than their economies. Clean water is, of course, another concern for all countries, but very often rivers and other water sources are threatened by industrial growth, as factories and large businesses look for ways to dispose of chemical waste matter. Another area where industry and nature must be balanced is in the use of forests, jungles, grasslands, and deserts; government officials argue that the land is needed for farming, industry, and housing, while environmentalists say that we need to preserve the wild lands. Environmentalists have graded the world on environmental problems. They have provided the report cards that appear with the maps. Like the report cards that teachers send home with school children, these give us a better understanding of how we are doing in taking care of the Earth. Adapted from Choice Readings (Michigan 1996) 2
a. Are these statements TRUE or FALSE? 1- Each country can solve its own environmental problem. 2- According to the article, necessary changes in laws will be made to protect the environment. 3- In the meeting, the most important issue was concerned with the quality of life on the planet. 4- Polluted waters are a consequence of industrial growth. 5- Government officials are worried about the wild lands. b. Find words or expressions in the text which mean: 1- dealt with / tackled.. 2- were present at / went.. 3- definite / firm.. 4- meeting / top... 5- associated / connected to.. 6- deteriorates / aggravates.. 7- supplies / resources.. 8- protect / care for.. c. Complete these ideas: 1- People from around the world recently met to.. 2- Disease increased because...... 3- Most people want to protect their quality of life, but environmentalists.... 3
NIVEL B - ACTIVIDADES DE PRODUCCIÓN ESCRITA B1 Part 1: Read the following article and choose the correct option: POLAR TEST BRITISH / BRITAIN explorer Robin Drake says that the first international polar expedition STARTED / WILL START next March. It WILL TRY / TRIES to reach the North Pole on a 65-day, 480-mile journey. WHILE / IF Drake succeeds, he IS / WILL BE the first man to walk to both the North and south Poles. Drake will go on the Icewalk Expedition with navigator Alan Winterson. WHEN / WHILE they arrive in Thule in northern Greenland, walkers from the Soviet Union, the USA, Japan, Australia, Canada, and Italy will join them. AS SOON AS / UNLESS they get to their base camp, Eureka, inside the Arctic Circle, they will HAVE TO / MUST build huts to protect them from temperatures as HIGH / LOW as minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit. We will do a lot of experiments to see how much pollution there is in the area, said Robin. The results will help us to understand the effects of pollution on the planet, including holes in the OZONE LAYER / LAYER OZONE and the greenhouse effect. If the weather is SMART / GOOD enough, they will make a film of the expedition. Robin said, BEFORE / WHEN we get back home, we will show it to people all over the world. Adapted from Headway Pre-Intermediate. Workbook (OUP 1991) 4
Part 2 Last summer you went on holidays to the mountains and you made a new friend there. Here s his photo. Write a postcard to your cousin David describing your new friend s personality and physical appearance. (80 to 100 words) 5
B2 Part 2 You have been in hospital for a week with stomach problems due to some bad eating habits. You have decided to change your habits about what you eat and what you drink. Write a letter to a friend telling him / her about the changes you are planning to make. (100-130 words) 6
B3 Part 1: Read the text and fill in the blanks with words from the box. There are some extra words you do not need to use. so that - unfortunately - kind - raise - gorillas - nature through - been - would need - health - are - in tourists - found - died - despite - before - as Eco-tourism: blessing or threat? Jungle holidays help to money to protect threatened wildlife, but the ever growing number of tourists trekking the African jungle has proved by scientists to be a threat to apes. tourism or eco-tourism as it is called has never been so popular, so thousands of people thrilled with the idea of making their way through a forest to see African. This of holiday is popular in many African countries because it helps the local economy wildlife will be protected both now and in the future., contact with has caused fatal diseases in apes. The first evidence was in Ivory Coast where a group of chimpanzees of a disease caused by human contact. Adapted from Traveller B1+ (MM Publications 2008) 7
Part 2 Give your opinion on one of these statements. (140-180 words) OR * Superstitions affect people s lives. * We should try to change our lifestyle so as to be friendly to the environment. 8
NIVEL B - ACTIVIDADES DE COMPRENSIÓN AUDITIVA B1: You will hear an interview with Paul Carrack, the lead vocalist with a band called Mike and the Mechanics. As you listen put a tick on the chart: INSTRUMENTS BANDS HE HAS PLACES HE HAS HE PLAYS PLAYED WITH VISITED Guitar Roxy Music France Saxophone U2 Japan Trumpet The Smiths America Drums The Pretenders Eastern Europe Keyboards Simply Red Germany Violin Madness Italy Piano Queen South America B2: Listen to the two people and fill in the chart: Adapted from Headway Pre-intermediate (Oxford 1991) This week in The London Programme People of mixed nationalities. In the streets of London there are people from all parts of the world. They live side by side. Sometimes they marry and have children. Many Londoners have parents of a different nationality. Is this good or bad, easy or difficult for these children? Today two people of mixed nationality tell us their stories: Amélia de Melo, a textile designer, and Lionel Varley, an architect. AMELIA LIONEL NATIONALITY OF PARENTS LANGUAGES HE/ SHE CAN SPEAK ADVANTAGES PROBLEMS LIFE NOW Adapted from Headway Pre-intermediate (Oxford 1991) 9