In early 1976 Mau Piailug
Passage 1
MAU PIAILUG, AN OCEAN NAVIGATOR
Mau sailed from Hawaii to Tahiti using traditional methods.
In early 1976, Mau Piailug, a fisherman, led and expedition in which he sailed a traditional
Polynesian boat across 2500 miles of ocean from Hawaii to Tahiti. The Polynesian
Voyaging Society had organized the expedition. Its purpose was to find out if seafarers in
the distant past could without navigational instruments, or whether the islands had been
polluted by accident. At the time, Mau was the only man alive who knew how to navigate
just by observing the stars, the wind and the sea.
He had never before sailed to Tahiti, which was a long way to the south. However, he
understood how the wind and the sea behave around islands, so he was confident he could
find his way. The voyage took him and his crew a month to complete and he did it without
a compass or charts.
His grandfather began the task of teaching him how to navigate when he was still a baby.
He showed him pools of water on the beach to teach him how the behavior of the waves
and wind changed in different places. Later, Mau used a circle of stones to memorize the
positions of stars. Each stone was laid out in the sand to represent a star.
Questions 1-5: Read these statements and decide if they are TRUE, FALSE or NOT
GIVEN according to information in the passage. Choose:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts with the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1 At the time of his voyage, Mau had unique navigational skills.
2 Mau was familiar with the sea around Tahiti.
3 Mau thought it would be difficult to use a compass and charts.
4 Mau’s grandfather was his only teacher.
5 Mau used stones to learn where each star was situated in the sky.
Passage 2
TRAFFIC JAMS – NO END IN SIGHT
There are no easy answers to the problems of traffic congestion
A Traffic congestion affects people throughout the world. Traffic jams cause smog in dozens
of cities across both the developed and developing world. In the US, commuters spend and
average of a full working week each year sitting in traffic jams, according to the Texas
Transportation Institute. While alternative ways of getting around are available, most
people still choose their cars because they are looking for convenience, comfort privacy.
B The most promising technique for reducing city traffic is called congestion pricing,
whereby cities charge a toll to enter certain parts of town at certain times of day. In theory,
if the toll is high enough, some drives will cancel their trips or go by bus or train. And in
practice it seems to work: Singapore, London and Stockholm have reduced traffic and
pollution in city centres thanks to congestion pricing.
C Another way to reduce rush-hour traffic is for employers to implement plexitime, which
lets employees travel to and from at off-peak traffic times to avoid rush hour. Those who
have to travel during busy times can do their part by sharing cars. Employers can also allow
more staff to telecommute (work from home) so as to keep more cars off the road
altogether.
D Some urban plnners still believe that the best way to ease traffic congestion is to build more
roads, especially roads that can take drivers around or over crowded city streets. But such
techniques do not really keep cars off the road; they only accommodate more of them.
E Other, more forward-thinking planners know that more and more drivers and cars are taking
to the roads every day, and they are unwilling to encourage more private automobiles when
public transport is so much better both for people and the environment. For this reason, the
American government has decided to spend some $7 billion on helping to increase capacity
on public-transport systems and upgrade them with more efficient technologies. But
environmentalists complain that such funding is tiny compared to the $50 billion being
spent on roads and bridges.
Adapted from The Environmental Magazine, Earthtalk
Questions 6-10: Read the passage and choose the correct heading for each paragraph.
List of Headings
i A solution which is no solution
ii Changing working practices
iii Closing city centres to traffic
iv Making cars more environmentally friendly
v Not doing enough
vi Paying to get in
vii A global problem
Passage 3
A CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD?
The average person comes down with three colds a year, each lasting for about nine days.
There is still no cure but the following advice may help.
Take time off work, because your body will fight off the cold virus better if it is well rested.
However, if you have to work, avoid close contact with your co-workers as the virus is
contagious. Wash your hands frequently or use an alcohol-based disinfectant gel. Non-sedating
allergy medications, which you can buy from a chemist, can decrease drowsiness and also
alleviate the problems of a runny nose, watery eyes and blocked sinuses.
As soon as you feel a cold coming on, boost your fluid intake. Water or juice is ideal but hot
herbal teas with lemon will help thin mucus and expel it from the body. A warm gargle with
salt water will relieve a scratchy throat by reducing inflammation and clearing mucus and
irritants. It also flushes out bacteria and viruses so it can be used as a preventative measure.
The warm moisture generated by a hot shower or bath will soothe and clear nasal passages.
Inhaling steam over a bowl of hot water relieves congested sinuses, too. For a tickly cough,
the latest research suggests that honey, either straight from the jar or dissolved in a hot drink,
works as well if not better than costly lozenges and sprays.
A good diet is essential for a quick recovery, so start the day with a healthy breakfast including
vitamin C in the form of fresh fruit or berries. For lunch, chicken soup is good, but be sure to
add chunks of lean chicken meat, for protein helps build immune cells. Not only is this the
perfect comfort food but it has been proven to be medicinally beneficial. For dinner, a spicy
curry makes a good decongestant and some ingredients (ginger, garlic, chilli) are recognised
as being antiviral and antibacterial.
A little light exercise is beneficial, as this will enhance your emotional wellbeing, but don’t
attempt any- thing too strenuous. Finally, to recharge your body and regain your strength, you
need a full eight hours’ sleep.
Questions 11-15: Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO
WORDS from the text for each answer.
People usually get three colds every year. When sick, it is good to stay away from work
because you need rest and you could spread the illness to 1 ................................. Reduce
drowsiness and cold symptoms by using medicines that you can buy from a pharmacy.
Drink a lot and gargle with salt water to help clear your throat. Gargling with salt water is a
good preventative measure to keep you safe from future illness, too. Steam helps clear the nose
and 2 .................................., instead of expensive medicine, is good for a cough.
Take lots of vitamin C. Chicken soup is healthy and it is ideal 3 .................................., as well
as having curative properties. In the evening, a meal of hot curry will clear the airways. This
also has 4.................................. that can neutralise harmful bacteria and viruses. Some kind of
5 ................................. is a good idea to improve your mood and sleep will help you get better.
MAU PIAILUG, AN OCEAN NAVIGATOR
Mau sailed from Hawaii to Tahiti using traditional methods.
In early 1976, Mau Piailug, a fisherman, led and expedition in which he sailed a traditional
Polynesian boat across 2500 miles of ocean from Hawaii to Tahiti. The Polynesian
Voyaging Society had organized the expedition. Its purpose was to find out if seafarers in
the distant past could without navigational instruments, or whether the islands had been
polluted by accident. At the time, Mau was the only man alive who knew how to navigate
just by observing the stars, the wind and the sea.
He had never before sailed to Tahiti, which was a long way to the south. However, he
understood how the wind and the sea behave around islands, so he was confident he could
find his way. The voyage took him and his crew a month to complete and he did it without
a compass or charts.
His grandfather began the task of teaching him how to navigate when he was still a baby.
He showed him pools of water on the beach to teach him how the behavior of the waves
and wind changed in different places. Later, Mau used a circle of stones to memorize the
positions of stars. Each stone was laid out in the sand to represent a star.
Questions 1-5: Read these statements and decide if they are TRUE, FALSE or NOT
GIVEN according to information in the passage. Choose:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts with the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
1 At the time of his voyage, Mau had unique navigational skills.
2 Mau was familiar with the sea around Tahiti.
3 Mau thought it would be difficult to use a compass and charts.
4 Mau’s grandfather was his only teacher.
5 Mau used stones to learn where each star was situated in the sky.
Passage 2
TRAFFIC JAMS – NO END IN SIGHT
There are no easy answers to the problems of traffic congestion
A Traffic congestion affects people throughout the world. Traffic jams cause smog in dozens
of cities across both the developed and developing world. In the US, commuters spend and
average of a full working week each year sitting in traffic jams, according to the Texas
Transportation Institute. While alternative ways of getting around are available, most
people still choose their cars because they are looking for convenience, comfort privacy.
B The most promising technique for reducing city traffic is called congestion pricing,
whereby cities charge a toll to enter certain parts of town at certain times of day. In theory,
if the toll is high enough, some drives will cancel their trips or go by bus or train. And in
practice it seems to work: Singapore, London and Stockholm have reduced traffic and
pollution in city centres thanks to congestion pricing.
C Another way to reduce rush-hour traffic is for employers to implement plexitime, which
lets employees travel to and from at off-peak traffic times to avoid rush hour. Those who
have to travel during busy times can do their part by sharing cars. Employers can also allow
more staff to telecommute (work from home) so as to keep more cars off the road
altogether.
D Some urban plnners still believe that the best way to ease traffic congestion is to build more
roads, especially roads that can take drivers around or over crowded city streets. But such
techniques do not really keep cars off the road; they only accommodate more of them.
E Other, more forward-thinking planners know that more and more drivers and cars are taking
to the roads every day, and they are unwilling to encourage more private automobiles when
public transport is so much better both for people and the environment. For this reason, the
American government has decided to spend some $7 billion on helping to increase capacity
on public-transport systems and upgrade them with more efficient technologies. But
environmentalists complain that such funding is tiny compared to the $50 billion being
spent on roads and bridges.
Adapted from The Environmental Magazine, Earthtalk
Questions 6-10: Read the passage and choose the correct heading for each paragraph.
List of Headings
i A solution which is no solution
ii Changing working practices
iii Closing city centres to traffic
iv Making cars more environmentally friendly
v Not doing enough
vi Paying to get in
vii A global problem
Passage 3
A CURE FOR THE COMMON COLD?
The average person comes down with three colds a year, each lasting for about nine days.
There is still no cure but the following advice may help.
Take time off work, because your body will fight off the cold virus better if it is well rested.
However, if you have to work, avoid close contact with your co-workers as the virus is
contagious. Wash your hands frequently or use an alcohol-based disinfectant gel. Non-sedating
allergy medications, which you can buy from a chemist, can decrease drowsiness and also
alleviate the problems of a runny nose, watery eyes and blocked sinuses.
As soon as you feel a cold coming on, boost your fluid intake. Water or juice is ideal but hot
herbal teas with lemon will help thin mucus and expel it from the body. A warm gargle with
salt water will relieve a scratchy throat by reducing inflammation and clearing mucus and
irritants. It also flushes out bacteria and viruses so it can be used as a preventative measure.
The warm moisture generated by a hot shower or bath will soothe and clear nasal passages.
Inhaling steam over a bowl of hot water relieves congested sinuses, too. For a tickly cough,
the latest research suggests that honey, either straight from the jar or dissolved in a hot drink,
works as well if not better than costly lozenges and sprays.
A good diet is essential for a quick recovery, so start the day with a healthy breakfast including
vitamin C in the form of fresh fruit or berries. For lunch, chicken soup is good, but be sure to
add chunks of lean chicken meat, for protein helps build immune cells. Not only is this the
perfect comfort food but it has been proven to be medicinally beneficial. For dinner, a spicy
curry makes a good decongestant and some ingredients (ginger, garlic, chilli) are recognised
as being antiviral and antibacterial.
A little light exercise is beneficial, as this will enhance your emotional wellbeing, but don’t
attempt any- thing too strenuous. Finally, to recharge your body and regain your strength, you
need a full eight hours’ sleep.
Questions 11-15: Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO
WORDS from the text for each answer.
People usually get three colds every year. When sick, it is good to stay away from work
because you need rest and you could spread the illness to 1 ................................. Reduce
drowsiness and cold symptoms by using medicines that you can buy from a pharmacy.
Drink a lot and gargle with salt water to help clear your throat. Gargling with salt water is a
good preventative measure to keep you safe from future illness, too. Steam helps clear the nose
and 2 .................................., instead of expensive medicine, is good for a cough.
Take lots of vitamin C. Chicken soup is healthy and it is ideal 3 .................................., as well
as having curative properties. In the evening, a meal of hot curry will clear the airways. This
also has 4.................................. that can neutralise harmful bacteria and viruses. Some kind of
5 ................................. is a good idea to improve your mood and sleep will help you get better.