1) Psychologists have found that being determined to improve oneself and having a positive attitude can lead to greater happiness. Research shows that genetics play a large role in determining happiness, but character can be changed and influences what makes us happy.
2) The key to happiness seems to be being content with what you have and not focusing on external factors like competing with others. Having financial security and being a team player are also important for happiness.
3) Psychologists believe we can train ourselves to be happier by recognizing negative feelings and maintaining a mainly positive outlook on life. Our fixed "happiness point" is influenced by genetics but individual events only cause temporary changes in happiness levels.
1) Psychologists have found that being determined to improve oneself and having a positive attitude can lead to greater happiness. Research shows that genetics play a large role in determining happiness, but character can be changed and influences what makes us happy.
2) The key to happiness seems to be being content with what you have and not focusing on external factors like competing with others. Having financial security and being a team player are also important for happiness.
3) Psychologists believe we can train ourselves to be happier by recognizing negative feelings and maintaining a mainly positive outlook on life. Our fixed "happiness point" is influenced by genetics but individual events only cause temporary changes in happiness levels.
1) Psychologists have found that being determined to improve oneself and having a positive attitude can lead to greater happiness. Research shows that genetics play a large role in determining happiness, but character can be changed and influences what makes us happy.
2) The key to happiness seems to be being content with what you have and not focusing on external factors like competing with others. Having financial security and being a team player are also important for happiness.
3) Psychologists believe we can train ourselves to be happier by recognizing negative feelings and maintaining a mainly positive outlook on life. Our fixed "happiness point" is influenced by genetics but individual events only cause temporary changes in happiness levels.
1) Psychologists have found that being determined to improve oneself and having a positive attitude can lead to greater happiness. Research shows that genetics play a large role in determining happiness, but character can be changed and influences what makes us happy.
2) The key to happiness seems to be being content with what you have and not focusing on external factors like competing with others. Having financial security and being a team player are also important for happiness.
3) Psychologists believe we can train ourselves to be happier by recognizing negative feelings and maintaining a mainly positive outlook on life. Our fixed "happiness point" is influenced by genetics but individual events only cause temporary changes in happiness levels.
TASK 1 Fill in the gaps with the correct forms of words provided in brackets. Write them in capitals. (6 points)
1) Their dog barks a lot but it won't hurt you. It's completely ________________ (HARM) . 2) The crisis is ________________ (AVOID).There's nothing we can do to prevent it. 3) The ________________(SIGNIFY) of the expedition convinced him to invest his money in it. 4) The Sultan spent over fifty million dollars making the capital city's main hotel the most ________________ (LUXURY) in the country. 5) They don't want to accept the banknote in any shop, explaining that it's a ________________ (FORGE). 6) He does weight-training to build up his physical ____________________ (STRONG).
TASK 2 Choose one correct answer A, B, C or D. (6 points)
1. Marina was offered a great job in New York but she _________ it ___ because she didn't want to leave Boston. a) broke ... up b) told … off c) turned ... down d) worked … out 2. You've shaken hands with Bono, I don't believe you! You're ____________ my leg! a) pushing b) pulling c) holding d) pressing 3. Be careful! There are a lot of exceptions _____________ this spelling rule. a) of b) from c) to d) in 4. There’s no ____________ that the global climate is changing but how much of that change is due to hu- man activity is debatable. a) refusing b) denying c) ignoring d) rejecting 5. To succeed in the world of journalism, you have to be up-to-date with ___________affairs. a) modern b) current c) present d) contemporary 6. After hours of heated debates the two companies have finally ____________ an agreement. a) achieved b) established c) accomplished d) reached
KEY: 1) c 2)b 3) c 4) b 5) b 6) d TASK 3 Fill in the gaps using one word each time. (6 points)
TRAFFIC PROBLEMS There is a lot of discussion today about 1________ or not motor traffic should be restricted in cities. The main reason 2________ this is that a lot of people think that traffic is a major source of air and noise pollu- tion, as well as numerous accidents. Those 3________ believe cars should be limited also state that motorways are an eyesore in the countryside and disturb wildlife habitats. Furthermore, the speed of traffic in modern city centres 4________ hardly changed since 100 years ago as it moves so slowly now. In order to improve the situ- ation, governments should ban traffic in cities, but at the same time they need to provide better public transport systems. However, the people who disagree with traffic being restricted say that 5________ motor vehicles had not been invented, it would be more difficult to travel around. Moreover, petrol today is much ‘greener’ 6________ it used to be, thus cutting down on pollution.
KEY: 1) whether 2) for 3) who 4) has 5) if 6) than
PART 2
LEXICAL - GRAMMATICAL TRANSFORMATIONS
TASK 4 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence using the word given. DO NOT CHANGE THE WORD GIVEN. (6 points)
1. He waited for her and she arrived over an hour late. (HAD) He ___________________________________________________ over an hour when she arrived. 2. I’ll give you a set of keys because I might not be here when you return. (CASE) I’ll give you a set of keys ___________________________________________________ when you return. 3. We missed the plane because we forgot to take our passports. (TAKE) If we ___________________________________________________ our passports, we wouldn't have missed the plane. 4. I'm sure Paul didn't steal your money. (CAN'T) Paul ________________________________________ your money. 5. It's such a pity you didn't go with us. (WISH) I ___________________________________________________ with us. 6. “I am sorry for causing all that trouble, Dorothy,” said Sarah. (APOLOGISED) Sarah ___________________________________________________ all that trouble.
KEY: 1) had been waiting for her for 2) in case I am not here 3) hadn't forgotten to take / had remembered to take 4) can't have stolen 5) wish you had gone 6) apologised to Dorothy for causing PART 3
LISTENING
TASK 5 You will hear Mike, a leading journalist, being interviewed about his job. Listen and choose the cor- rect answer (A, B or C). (7 points)
1) What did Mike initially plan to study at college?
A English and creative writing B Business C Business journalism 2) What used to be a popular way into journalism? A gaining a college diploma, then joining a newspaper B finding a reporter that would take you on as a trainee C getting a job with a newspaper and learning from experience 3) In his first real job as a crime reporter, Mike remembers that the police A took some persuading before they would allow him to report on even some events. B let him report on any event he wanted to once he had gained their trust. C were so suspicious of reporters that they limited the number of jobs he could join them on. 4) Mike explained that when Prince Charles was at university, reporters A would try and persuade his bodyguards to give them information on what he got up to. B used to constantly follow him in order to get a really good story. C respected his need for privacy and allowed him space to enjoy himself. 5) In Mike’s opinion, if you want to be a good journalist, above all you need to be A the type of person who can communicate with everyone and anyone. B dedicated to the job and able to work in difficult circumstances. C committed to creating a well-written story. 6) When talking about how the job has changed, Mike said that A he now loves the job more than ever. B the work has become less people-orientated. C technology has made the job a whole easier. 7) What advice would Mike give now to anyone thinking of becoming a journalist? A If you want a really well-paid job which is full of excitement, do it! B If you don’t mind working long hours and competing for stories, go for it! C If you enjoy working with others and are happy working whenever you need to, go for it!
KEY: 1) B 2) C 3) A 4) C 5) B 6) B 7) C PART 4
READING TASK 6 Read the article on the next page. Are these statements True (T) or False (F)? Decide. (6 points) T/F 1. Psychologists believe that people who are determined to improve themselves have a greater tendency towards happiness. 2. Research has demonstrated that our genes play a crucial role in determining how happy we are. 3. It is our character which dictates what makes us happy.
4. According to Dr Isaac, if you tend to focus on external aspects, you are more likely to be happy.
5. Being a team player is almost as important as having financial security when it comes to happiness. 6. Psychologists believe that through recognising when we have negative feelings, we can train our- selves to become happier. The secrets of true happiness Lollie Barr reviews some recent research. Everybody knows someone with a happy nature: the cheerful type of person with a positive attitude, who will al- ways say a glass is half full rather than half empty. It’s the person who is not easily put off when things go wrong and who appears to lead a happier life as a result. Such people may be healthier too, since there seems to be a link between happiness and good health. But what is the secret of happiness? And how can we achieve it? Psychologists define this feeling of well-being as ‘when thoughts and feelings about one’s life are mainly positive’. The key seems to be contentment with what you already have, emotionally, materially and professionally. The more people try to keep up with others, for example, the more likely they are to be dissatisfied with life. There will always be someone else with more than you, so trying to compete can often lead to frustration and anxiety. David Lykken, Professor of Psychology at the University of Minnesota, is a leading specialist in happiness. As a result of studying 300 sets of twins, he now believes that happiness is more than 50 percent genetically deter- mined. He also believes that we each have our own fixed ‘happiness point’, a level we always return to, whatever happens to us in life. In other words, no matter how happy or unhappy an individual event may make us, this is just a temporary state. But it is not necessarily the case that we are stuck with the level of happiness we were born with. This is because al - though a person’s temperament is not easily changed, their character can be. The former determines what kinds of thing will make someone happy but not how much pleasure that person obtains from them. The latter develops in response to the experiences a person has during his or her life. This is why Dr Isaac believes we need to study happy people and learn how to be like them. Such people, for example, seem to find satisfaction in activities which are meaningful and give a feeling of personal achievement. They also tend to be interested in things other than themselves. This could be through their day-to-day work, for example, or by caring for others less fortunate, or by having some kind of spiritual focus to their life. Happy individuals also tend to relate to other people and are able to give and receive affection. That’s why being part of a social group, such as a family, a community or a club adds to their overall sense of well-being. They are, therefore, more likely to belong to things like sports teams, choirs and political parties. Researchers at Harvard Uni- versity have found that people involved in such activities were happier than those who were not, and that this had nothing to do with how well-off people were financially. Another factor in happiness appears to be physical activity. Exercise improves a person’s mood and gets rid of tension. But there must be a balance between activity and rest because stress results in unhappiness. To avoid this, it is important to pick a sport or activity you enjoy and which you do when you want to, rather than when you think you should. But mental activity can be just as important. Psychologists believe it’s possible to train yourself to recognise happi- ness and, therefore, feel the benefits of it more often. The key is not taking your feelings for granted but rather learn - ing to celebrate them and noticing times when you are happy. It is claimed that the more you recognise when there’s a decision to be made about how you feel, the better you’ll become at choosing happiness over misery.
KEY:1) F 2) T 3) F 4) T 5) F 6) F PART 5
WRITING
You recently saw this advertisement in the local newspaper:
We need enthusiastic young people to help us organise a series of music festivals.
Write and tell us why you think you would be good for this job and describe any experience you have in organising events of that type.
Write your formal letter. Do not write any postal addresses. Word limit: 200-250. (13 points)
I: My guest today, Mike Morgan, has been a leading journalist on a national newspaper for more than 40 years. Mike, what made you decide to take it up in the first place? M: I kind of drifted into it. I was always good at English and liked writing stories and so on at school, but I was initially quite keen on a career in business and, in fact, I’d accepted a place to study that at college. It was my father who talked me into doing journalism. He just thought I’d be better at it than I would at going into business. I: What training did you get? M: In those days, you were taken on by the newspaper straight from school as a kind of message boy. Rather than doing a diploma in journalism as you would now, you had to pick up the skills you needed actually on the job. You had to follow a senior reporter around and if he went to court, you’d go too and then write up the same story. He would look at it afterwards and give you feedback. It was some time before anything of mine actually appeared in the newspaper. I: What was your first real reporting job? M: I was a crime reporter, which meant I had to spend a lot of time with the police. In those days, you just hung around them to find out what was going on. They were terribly suspicious of us at first, I remember, but we were given an enormous expense account to buy them drinks, which helped! And after a bit, they felt sure enough of me to let me go out on jobs with them. Unfortunately, I wasn’t always allowed to report the things I heard and saw! I: Are there rules about what you can and can’t report, then? M: There are legal issues, obviously, with privacy and national security and so on. But there are also unwritten rules. I remember when Prince Charles was at university, he had four bodyguards looking after him but he sometimes used to try and lose them so he could meet a girlfriend. So he might go to the toilet in a pub or restaurant and then get out through the window. We always knew what he was up to, but we never printed it – all the journalists sympathised with his situation and didn’t want to spoil things for him. It was an unspoken agreement amongst us. I: So, what makes a good journalist? M: Well, obviously you need to be confident and articulate and able to get on with all kinds of people. Being able to write well also helps. However good you are though, this is not as important as having bags of energy and commitment. When a big story breaks, you have to drop everything you’re doing and work all hours if need be, often under tremendous pressure. I: And do you still enjoy it? M: I do, although I won’t be sorry to retire. In my day, it was all going out and meeting people to get stories. Now it’s much more of- fice based. We have to be computer literate and we do a lot of stuff that printers used to do. In the satellite age, everything has to be instantaneous. It’s still just as exciting, but quite honestly it’s not what I set out to do. I: Would you encourage young people to go in for it? M: Let’s face it. Even working on a best-selling tabloid paper, you’re never going to make your fortune but you can earn a decent liv- ing. No two days are the same and it’s great to be one of the first to know what’s going on. In some ways, it’s competitive, like all jobs, but actually, that’s not such a problem as people might think because there’s also a great team spirit when you’re working on a story. So, as long as your family commitments aren’t going to be a problem, given the long and unpredictable hours – which is something that has to be borne in mind – then, yes, I’d say, go for it! I: Mike, thanks for joining us today. M: My pleasure.
