READING COMPREHENSION Firefighters Fire is to blame for countless lives and billions of dollars each and every year.

Firefighters help protect people and their property from injury and damage. Firefighters put their life on the line every time they respond to a call. While on duty, firefighters must be ready to respond in a matter of minutes to just about any disaster that may occur. At every fire scene, a superior fire officer takes command and dictates the jobs of all the personnel at the scene. Some personnel man hose lines to hydrants. Others manually operate the pumps to send water to the hoses. Teams of firefighters also operate ladders used to reach distances high in the air. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS: 1. How many dollars are spent each year to repair the damage of fire? a. thousands c. millions 2. Which is not true about firefighters? a. they are brave c. they never put their life danger 3. How long does a firefighter have to prepare for a fire? a. minutes c. days b. hours d. weeks b. they put their life danger often d. they are highly trained b. hundred-thousands d. billions

4. Which of the following is not operated by a firefighter at the scene of a fire? a. hoses c. pumps b. cars d. ladders

5. Write three words that describe a Firefighter: 1. _______________________________ 2. _______________________________ 3. _______________________________

Science News

Do you want to keep up with the latest research and discoveries in science? There are many good websites that you can visit to make that easy. One great site is called Science News for Kids. This site reports science news covering a wide range of subjects. The articles are written with the interests and educational experience of younger readers in mind, but adults will find this site suitable for them as well. 1. The author believes that adults _______ a. won't understand a site for kids. b. will find Science News for Kids useful. c. don't like science as much as kids.

Another wonderful site, one that I check out every day, is called Science Daily. The site is constantly updated with news, often about exciting findings that change how we look at the world and the universe. Whether it's newly unearthed discoveries about creatures that have been extinct for millions of years or the latest advances in cures for human diseases, you'll find it at Science Daily. 2. What does daily mean? a. never at night b. only for scientists c. every day 3. What does unearthed mean in the paragraph? a. dug up b. from another planet c. shot into space These sites post stories as they become news and also archive all the past articles. That way you can enter a search term and find articles on just about anything related to science that they've ever published. 4. What does archive (AR-kive) mean? a. a nest in a boat b read carefully c. keep in a safe place

My Mansion . . . Welcome to my mansion. Let me show you around. Oh, please leave your shoes by that marble door. Of course, my shoe servant will clean or polish them for you and have them ready when you leave. . . . First, lets take the escalator down to the basement. The first door on our left leads to the bowling alley. It uses a computer system to keep score for you. . . . Next, on the right, youll notice the entrance to the indoor tennis courts. The blue surfaced court is a hard court, the green is carpeted, and the red one is clay. . . . A basketball court? Thats on the third floor. Ill show that to you later. . . . This room over here, thats thirty tons of sand on the floor. No, its not a big sandbox. You dont expect my cat to use a regular litter box, do you? . . . At the end of the hall, let me open the door for you, youll see the indoor swimming pool. It looks like a small lake. Cool, or what? . . . Well, thats about it for this level, except for the arcade room, but that isnt quite finished yet. When its done, there will be over 200 machines. Here, lets just take this elevator to the first floor. . . . As we come out of the elevator, we can see the main kitchen. Naturally, its staffed twenty-four hours a day. See that man over there? Hes one of my hamburger chefs. No home should be without at least one hamburger chef. That woman over to the right, the one with the tomato sauce on her nose, shes the head pizza chef. I paid her big bucks to come here from Pizza Hut. . . . Why dont we walk down to the far end of this hallway? Ill show you the television room. Yes, I know this looks more like a theater, but that screen is only 120 inches wide. The satellite and cable remote controls are built right into the arm rests of these reclining chairs. . . . Hey, Ive got to show you the computer room next. Then we can stop in the exercise room and........ . . . Oh, Mrs. Plant, sorry, I guess I was daydreaming. My math? Its not done yet. Ive got my name, my first name anyway, on the paper. My writing piece? Uh, is it OK if I write about the mansion Im going to have someday?

1. Where does the narrators mansion exist? 2. Where is the narrator? 3. Who is the narrator talking to? 4. What would your dream house be like? (5 LINES)

LISTENINGS
AFFIRMATIVE They lived in Paris Romeo loved Juliet NEGATIVE INTERROGATIVE

You didnt help me Did we use the PC? She didnt watch the film They played tennis Is there a caf in Elm Street? There are 3 shops near here There isnt a DVD player in your house Are there any adults in the party? Sam arrives on time Do you go to the cinema on Fridays?

Scientists in England believe that not tidying your bed after you wake up may be healthier for you. Their research suggests that the dust mites that live in our mattresses do not like messy and unmade beds. This could be good news for people with asthma. The research team, from Kingston University, said the tiny bugs could only survive in sheets and mattresses that were slightly damp they live off the moisture and sweat from our bodies. If a bed is unmade, air circulates between the sheets and dries them out. Dry sheets means the creatures will die from dehydration a lack of water. The researchers said that the average bed contained around 1.5 million mites. They are less than a millimetre long and they feed on the flakes of skin that fall from your body. Lead researcher Dr Stephen Pretlove said his research could cut amount of money spent on treating illnesses that are caused by mites. We breathe in the waste produced by bed bugs or get bitten by them. These can lead to asthma and other health problems. The British health service currently spends over $1 billion a year treating illnesses caused by mites. Dr Pretlove believes his research could change the way our houses are designed. Our findings could help building designers create healthy homes and healthcare workers point out environments most at risk from mites, he said. Allergy expert Professor Andrew Wardlaw agreed, saying: It would be good if ways were found to modify the home so that mite [numbers] were reduced.

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F). a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. Bed bugs hate beds that are not made after someone sleeps in them. Bed bugs need very dry conditions to survive. Around one and a half million bed bugs live in our bed. Bed bugs eat our sheets and mattresses. Not making our beds could reduce money spent on health problems. Health services spend $1 billion a year treating mites. New research into bed making could change future house design. An allergy specialist thought the research findings were all wrong. T/F T/F T/F T/F T/F T/F T/F T/F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article. 1. suggests a. insects

2 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

messy bugs slightly circulates cut lead to currently findings modify

b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j.

cause moves around indicates change presently a little bit conclusions untidy reduce

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.) 1. 2 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. tidying your bed dust mites that live in messy mattresses that were a lack the amount of money spent get bitten treating illnesses environments most at modify the a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. and unmade beds risk from mites slightly damp of water by them caused by mites after you wake up home our mattresses on treating illnesses

Full stop = . Comma = , Semi-colon = ; Inverted commas = " " Exclamation mark = ! Question mark = ? Brackets = ( ) Hyphen = -

1. Students - Whats the name of the student? - Where is she from?

- Whats her brothers job? - Where does she live in Japan?

2. Introductions - Whats his name? - Wheres he from? - Whats his job? - How many childred does he have? - Where was he born?

"Oh" = zero = 0

double = x 2

plus = + minus = -

3. Numbers - My number is - Her number is.. - Their number is - ..[Link].. - .minusis - .[Link]..is..plus..is

4. Names and numbers - George Bush .. Extension . -Tony Blair Extension -John Smith .. -Mary Jones . -Susan White .

There are some students in my house. There's one very nice student. Her name is Yoko. She's Japanese. Yoko has a brother in Japan. Her brother is an English teacher. She's from Yokohama. Where's that?

Hello, my name's Tim. I'm from Australia. I'm an English language teacher. I'm married with two children. I was born in England. Where are you from? Are you from Europe?

My number is 492 6381. Her number is 01 576 7940. Their number is 2246699. Four plus six is ten. Ten minus two is eight. Seven and two is nine, minus three is six, plus one is seven. "Oh" = zero = 0 double = x 2 plus = + minus = -

George Bush 01 1 749632 Extension 42 Tony Blair 44 1 992277 Extension 68 John Smith 01 279 4644 Mary Jones 079 555 907 Susan White 9643 4848

GAP FILL: Put the words into the gaps in the text. Scientists in England believe that not ____________ your bed after you wake up may be healthier for you. Their research suggests that the dust mites that live in our mattresses do not like ____________ and unmade beds. This could be good ____________ for people with asthma. The research team, from Kingston University, said the ____________ bugs could only survive in sheets and mattresses that were ____________ damp they live off the moisture and sweat from our bodies. If a bed is unmade, air circulates between the sheets and ____________ them out. Dry sheets means the creatures will die from dehydration a ____________ of water. The researchers said that the average bed contained around 1.5 million mites. They are less than

dries tiny messy lack tidying slightly skin

a millimetre long and they feed on the flakes of ____________ that fall from your body.

news

Lead researcher Dr Stephen Pretlove said his research could cut the ____________ of money spent on treating illnesses that are caused by mites. We breathe in the ____________ produced by bed bugs or get bitten by them. These can ____________ to asthma and other health problems. The British health service currently ____________ over $1 billion a year treating illnesses caused by mites. Dr Pretlove believes his research could change the ____________ our houses are designed. Our findings could help building designers create healthy homes and healthcare workers ____________ out environments most at risk from mites, he said. Allergy ____________ Professor Andrew Wardlaw agreed, saying: It would be good if ways were found to modify the home so that mite [numbers] were ____________.

spends lead reduced amount expert waste point way