Cae Test 2 Reading

Time allowed 01:15

Reading • Part 1 You are going to read three extracts which are all concerned in some way with the weather. For questions 1–6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

Polar weather Every morning on a polar expedition it’s the same: minus 48°C, but the wind chill drags it down to minus 70°C. We check each other’s faces for the whiteness that indicates the beginning of frostbite, your reward for a moment’s inattention. Bizarrely, people on polar expeditions don’t wear that many clothes, just a normal thermal layer and an inexpensive jacket that wouldn’t be out of place on a walk in the English countryside. In a sense, we can’t afford to. Trekking across ice and pulling a heavy sledge works the body hard. If you sweat into your clothes, they can freeze, leading to hypothermia. So, we keep ourselves on the right side of chilly. However, the cold isn’t bad weather; it’s just weather and a constant we prepare for. It’s on warmer days, when the threat of frostbite or hypothermia has receded and the weather closes in, that it gets really dangerous. This is when storms blow up and you can find yourself in the middle of a white-out. There is no up or down; a lump of ice could be one metre or one hundred metres away. There is no way to tell. Gradient is only determined by the ache in your legs. Sometimes a white-out can descend in seconds. A few years ago, a white-out left me straining to find a path between chasms in a crevasse field, as ice caked the sides of my face. Each step could have been my last. Terrifying as it sounds, it is the challenge of this weather, the worst the planet has to offer, that draws us to these places. 1 What does the writer advise about people on polar expeditions? A They should focus on trying to conserve their energy. B They may get injured through too much physical exertion. C They need to monitor the costs of the trip. D They are in danger from getting too warm. 2 The writer says that the main danger of polar storms is that people A are unable to see where they are going. B find that the cold becomes unbearable. C can’t move in the strong winds. D are tempted to take unnecessary risks.

Storm Tours

This coming spring, Storm Tours will lead five tours into Tornado Alley, US, in search of nature’s most extreme and spectacular weather. Tornado Alley, where more tornadoes occur than anywhere else on earth, stretches from Texas northward to the Dakotas. The Storm Tours team comprises Storm Tours President Mark Jennings, well known for his high-quality motion picture storm footage; Will Plant, a respected climatologist; and Dr Craig Belloc, one of the top tornado scientists in the world. No other storm chase tour company brings this calibre of scientists and storm chasers together to interact with novice enthusiasts. ‘Our mission is to introduce both the science and romance of storm chasing to people wanting a better understanding of our unique pursuit,’ says Mark Jennings. ‘The essence of storm chasing has never been captured accurately by Hollywood. Our discipline is far more multi-dimensional than what they have shown. There are the hours of forecasting we conduct each day, the logistics, the safe practices, and the special characteristics of each storm we intercept. The only way to experience it is to do it at first-hand. While we can’t guarantee that guests will actually witness a tornado, we can guarantee them the opportunity to live the life of a storm chaser for a few days, criss-crossing the beautiful Great Plains on 14-hour, 1,000 kilometre drives, which in itself is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for many.’ Tours will depart from Oklahoma City with fees from $1,950 per person. 3 What is unique about this company’s tours? A Guests learn how complex storm chasing can be. B Guests work closely alongside the very best experts. C Guests see how reality is different from the movies. D Guests carry out research on weather conditions. 4 The advertisement promises that people joining the tour will A film the places that they visit. B experience dangerous situations. C travel long distances. D observe tornadoes at close range.

The weather abroad ‘What will the weather be like?’ people invariably ask me when I’m about to travel abroad, and for half a century I have replied: ‘To hell with the weather.’

The state of the weather is immaterial if your job, like mine, involves trying to gauge the essential character of a country, a city, or even a collection of individuals. Rain or shine, hot or cold, baking in high summer or shivering in blizzard, a place is a place is a place. Those of us who travel professionally don’t often want to laze about on a beach – and if we do, it might well make for better literature if it rained all day. So I honestly have not cared what the weather’s going to be like when I get there. I do see, though, that it is a different matter for the people who live in the places I so heedlessly portray, as it is for me in my own country. I live in Wales, one of the wettest places in Europe, and although I genuinely enjoy a decent mountain downpour, nowadays the long, grey, damp months, when we are all longing for spring, do occasionally make me think of emigration. I shall never really leave my country, of course, but it is undeniable that climate change is making those grey, damp months seem ever longer, blurring the passage of the seasons, messing up the biology. It may well change the character of places and peoples too, in which case we had better all watch out. 5 This text was written by a A tour guide. B psychologist. C painter. D travel writer. 6 What is the writer’s opinion of the weather abroad? A The writer’s professional life is complicated by it. B The writer pays more attention to the weather at home. C The writer prefers it when it’s wet. D The writer is not concerned about changing weather patterns.

Reading • Part 2 You are going to read an extract from a magazine article. Six paragraphs have been removed from the article. Choose from the paragraphs A–G the one which fits each gap (7–12). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use. Type the appropriate letter (A–G) in the box.

Wildlife photographer James Owen talks to one of the world’s great wildlife photographers.

You’re Frans Lanting, the world’s leading wildlife photographer, so naturally you want to get pictures of something that has never been seen before, say the annual gathering of hundreds of rare parrots deep in the Amazon rainforest. You haul a canoe, supplies, camera gear and a large steel structure over the Andes mountains. Then you paddle up the Tambopata River in the Manu National Park, Peru, before erecting the steel tower, which you climb to get to where the birds live in the tree canopy. That’s thirty metres up, and you have a fear of heights. 7 And to make matters worse, things are no easier on the jungle floor. Fungus grows on your equipment, aggressive ants eat through your tent, and silica gel, which you use to dehumidify your cameras, gets so wet that you need to cook it over a fire to dry it out. Then unfriendly-looking, armed local people turn up demanding food. How do you cope? 8 ‘But,’ he goes on, flashing a shy smile, ‘the biggest risks are having to trust the people you work with. Someone comes to pick you up in a small, single-engine plane in the middle of nowhere. The plane doesn’t look too good and you have your doubts about the pilot. But what can you do? Ask to see his licence? No. You just go.’ 9 On one such journey, he went straight from one job in tropical Madagascar to another in the remote Atlantic islands of South Georgia and suddenly went down with malaria. Only the nearby presence of a British Army medical base averted a potentially lethal situation. 10 More remarkable still is the impression that Lanting’s images, many of which are closeups, are, in fact, attempts to portray animals as individuals, as distinct in their characters as you and I. As he puts it, ‘Not all lions are the same. As individuals, as mates, as members of a society, they’re all very different.’ 11 ‘I went on holiday to America and took along my mother’s little snapshot camera,’ he recalls. ‘I was terribly disappointed. It’s hard to squeeze much into a snapshot frame.’ Bored by sitting in an office reading reports, he taught himself photography and in the early 1980s moved to the US and a new life. 12 But how can it compete with television and the Internet? ‘Well, they’re obviously important,’ he acknowledges. ‘But I think that a well-executed photograph that has

visual appeal and content still has the ability to affect people in a way that a fluid medium such as television can’t do. Only a single image can define a situation.’ A It is that can-do attitude that has made the Dutch-born Lanting his generation’s greatest photographer of the natural world. Certainly he is the one most in demand by international wildlife magazines and for shooting advertisements for the likes of Kodak. His travels have taken him from the South Pacific to the north of Scotland, and from Central Africa to Antarctica, sometimes in the same week.

B Local people are important to Lanting’s work (‘they’re one of my favourite animals’), and he never takes on a project without involving them, wherever he may be. ‘They’re indispensable to understanding the local perspective,’ he says. It is such sympathy that distinguishes his photographs from our holiday snapshots.

C The man himself is as distinct, wary and intelligent as any of the animals he has photographed. He seems so obviously an outdoors type that it comes as a surprise to find that he trained as a town planner. Amazingly, he did not pick up a camera until he was in his early twenties.

D You spend twelve hours a day up there, for the next month, in a space the size of an office desk. You try to remain motionless in your tiny shelter to avoid scaring the birds. It is intensely humid, and bees drink sweat from your skin, making it difficult to focus a lens without being stung. Eight wooden planks under your feet are the only thing between you and a fatal fall.

E ‘I never envisaged that I could make a career out of it,’ he says, ‘but we’ve witnessed a tremendous increase in concern for the natural world. Photography plays a significant role in shaping those perceptions.’

F The risks, however, are worth it. Lanting’s photos include serpentine jungle rivers, chameleons caught asleep, a seed falling to earth and almost the world’s last woolly rhinoceros. His photographs are unlike any others: astonishingly lush, vibrant, almost lyrical images. His work make us feel that we are sharing some great natural secret.

G ‘Oh, they’re OK,’ Frans says in his calm way. ‘You give them what you can of course. No, what’s really scary is sitting on the platform as a thunderstorm approaches and you realize you’re on a steel structure higher than the trees around you. You’re a lightning rod. That’s not nice.’

Reading • Part 3 You are going to read a newspaper article. For questions 13–19, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text

The Art Of Translation Literary critic and former translator Martin Johnson talks about the problems faced by translators.

1 When translating a work, you often find yourself looking for metaphors and other ways of making the translation more powerful, as if translation can’t quite be entertaining enough in itself. Even four hundred years ago, the men who translated religious texts into the common language of the people relied heavily on metaphor. Translation it is that ‘openeth the window’ and ‘letteth in the light’. Nowadays translation also fulfils what seems, for the translator, to be a basic need, which is concerned not so much with a desire to speak metaphorically or to impart knowledge to readers who would otherwise remain uninformed, but far more with discovering the mysteries of a different world. 2 Some practitioners of the art have talked in terms of ‘transplanting’ – taking something living from one soil and setting it in another. Others have compared it to a musical performance, with the translator as conductor, adding colour and insight to the existing score. But it is still a three-way transaction involving the ghost of the distant author, the disturbing presence of the foreign text, and the phantom of the reader, all three pulling the translator in different directions. 3 The translator Antonia Bond has plumped for a different image: the translator as tightrope walker. She has battled for years against what she calls ‘a catastrophic lack of curiosity’ to make foreign titles accessible to the English without compromising on quality. And when you read her translations, you can sense her cool nerve, her skill and courage during what is sometimes a precarious balancing act that could go wrong at any moment. Bond spins an illusion, the illusion being that the reader is reading the real thing – that is to say, the author’s original work, not some weary imitation of it. She admits that some authors would prefer her to adhere more strictly to their original text, but Antonia achieves the ideal: that the translated work, while still remaining true to the author’s concerns and the spirit of the writing, takes on a life of its own. 4 If literary translation is, then, some sort of miracle, it is one we have been slow to recognize. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was quite normal for translations to be anonymous; and well into the 20th century, work was often unattributed, the name of the translator often being hidden among the preliminary pages, a tiny intimation tucked away alongside the printer and binder. And when it comes to reviews of books in translation, the name of the translator does not automatically appear alongside the author’s. Is this neglect? Or indifference? Translators are often diffident by nature, used to being in the background, but it is high time they demanded our respect. True, in many cases, they have colluded in their own invisibility. Translators, however skilful, know they must never overwhelm or compete with the author and that the author’s whole identity is bound up with the way they place words on the page, but they should also be aware, that without their efforts many would not hear the author’s voice at all. 5 Over the past few months, as part of judging duties for a literary prize, I have read some ninety novels in translation. Encouraging, then, that publishers are no longer steering clear of works in translation. And while publishers do now ensure that every translator is accredited somewhere, the names can still be hard to find. Perhaps they want to maintain Antonia Bond’s illusion that the book comes to us fresh and first-hand. They know that readers prefer works by the original authors, and may not want to be reminded that anyone else is involved. On the whole, the general public doesn’t know what to make of translation. It is slightly mystical, and those who practise it are a little bit suspect . 6 And when reviewers praise a literary translation, they call it ‘smooth’ or ‘unobtrusive’, often criticizing passages within the translation that sound ‘foreign’. It is an odd idea this, judging the translation of a book that started life in another country in another tongue according to its foreignness. ‘The author is well served by his translator’

is another familiar comment, intended to be kind, but actually exasperating for translators when they know that the reviewer is actually unable to look at the work in its original form. ‘Faithful’ is another misleading word. Faithful to what exactly? There is an element of paradox in the work of a translator – sometimes you have to take liberties, precisely in order to be faithful to the original work. Author Jorge Luis Borges criticized his translator, telling him that his job was to translate not what he said, but what he intended to say. 7 For me, looking at a translation is like looking at a tapestry from the wrong side: you can see the basic shapes but they are so filled with threads that you cannot fathom their original qualities. But this does not give us a reason not to read books in translation. For even the wrong side of the tapestry, with all its tangled and dangling threads, though it may be imperfect, is nevertheless worth seeing. 13 The basic need referred to by the writer is the need to A be informed by others B understand other cultures. C exchange experiences with others. D escape from everyday concerns. 14 The writer compares translation to a musical performance to show that a translator A needs to interpret the original work. B should aim to entertain the reader. C must remain faithful to the intention of the author. D can experience difficulty in pleasing different people. 15 What does the writer say about the translator Antonia Bond? A She is critical of some authors. B She writes in a lively style. C She takes risks with her translations. D She follows the structure of the author’s original work. 16 In the writer’s opinion, translators A are not given the credit they deserve.

B have often wanted to remain anonymous. C are sometimes more skilled than the original author. D should not expect acknowledgement for their achievements. 17 What does the writer say about publishers? A They do as much as they can to support translators. B They tend to employ only a few trusted translators. C They are unsure about the merit of books in translation. D They are influenced by the attitude of their readers. 18 The writer believes that reviewers of books in translation A are too critical of translators. B forget that the book is not in the original language. C fail to understand what makes a good translation. D are not in a position to judge the merits of the translation. 19 The writer refers to a tapestry to make the point that a translation A is a work of art in its own right. B cannot convey the original work precisely. C can be more detailed than the original work. D will never be as accomplished as the original work.

Reading • Part 4 You are going to read advertisements offering ‘gap year’ activities, time away from studies between school and higher education. For questions 20–34, choose from the advertisements (A–F). The advertisements may be chosen more than once. Type the appropriate letter (A–F) in the box

A YEAR OUT A The Opus Drama Centre The Opus Drama Centre offers you the chance to spend a year in the UK having a truly motivating experience before university. We offer you the opportunity to use the skills you have to train and perform with young people here in the UK. In exchange for your commitment, we will provide accommodation and full board at the centre. We also

undertake to cover all expenses involved in getting here. We are unable to offer payment in terms of a salary, though students who show particular flair may be offered paid work later. Once here, you will become part of a diverse, multicultural and highly professional performing arts company. These opportunities would suit gap-year students who are looking for work and life experience, to gain insight into the British way of life and develop their English language skills. B Outreach Gap One of the most popular options during a gap year is to travel abroad to teach English and earn some money while gaining new experiences. Outreach offers this opportunity to anyone with an advanced level of English. We will ask you to sit a short online test to confirm your level of English. Don’t worry if you have never taught before; we provide an intensive short one-month course, which will help to give you the confidence and knowledge to stand in front of a class and teach with ease. In addition to teaching English abroad, there are many other teaching placements available, such as football, rugby, maths and art. These placements are perfect for those who have qualifications in another field of study, or for those who are not necessarily interested in seeking employment as a teacher in the future. C Community Volunteers If you hanker after the fulfilment of teaching or caring for children, or the excitement of learning a new language, running a sports club or organizing a drama group, we’ve got just the project for you. Whatever your interests, we provide a year of training and structured voluntary work experience to boost your CV and make you stand out from the crowd when it comes to job seeking. We also have a huge range of projects to choose from if you want to coach and play sports. Or, if you’re creative and prefer drama, music or dance, we’ve got excellent projects to offer you. And it doesn’t matter what your field of study is, no formal qualifications are required nor is an ability to speak the language of the country you’re visiting. All you need is a spirit of adventure and a sense of humour! D Go Independent Since 1990, we have specialized in unique, small group outdoor adventure travel for students looking for a break from their studies in order to get away from it all. We strive to show you the real world by taking you off the beaten track to the heart of the destination of your choice, and to meet the locals who call it home. If you have a lust for life and a curiosity for culture, we invite you to immerse yourself in our addictive world of adventure travel! Once out there many of our students choose to combine work with travel in order to help to meet the costs of their adventure. For many, a year is just not long enough and that’s why there’s no time limit on the adventure we offer! E The Student Link The Student Link places well-motivated students in industry for a gap year before they embark on their degree. The students are matched with different companies internationally on the basis of their chosen degree subjects, usually engineering, science, computing and business studies. The Student Link has been successfully placing students since 1987 and offers students an invaluable experience. The benefits to students include: • • • •

accommodation and living allowance (travel at students’ own expense) a certificate (Level 3) in management and personal development support and training during the year to ensure that everything runs smoothly enhanced academic qualifications

F Stay Away What better way to immerse yourself in a foreign community during your gap year, than by learning a language abroad? We specialize in language courses in Europe and Latin America offering courses in Spanish, Italian and French. You can study at just one of our centres, or divide your language course between several centres in the country of your choice. We guarantee to find homes for all our students with local families who are checked by our staff for their suitability. Minimum length of course: 8 weeks. Cost: eight-week block for just £1,200 including food, excluding flights. 20 Which advertisement implies that students will be more employable after a gap year with them? 21 Which advertisement suggests that the experience might lead to better results in their future studies?

22 Which advertisement provides training for students in preparation for their gap year? 23 Which advertisement says that students will not be making their trip alone? 24 Which advertisement says that jobs are available to a limited number of students at the end of their gap year? 25 Which advertisement allocates students according to what they will be studying? 26 Which advertisement maintains that students do not need to know the local language? 27 Which advertisement says that students can spend longer than a year with them? 28 Which advertisement offers students free food and accommodation?

29 Which advertisement will provide students with a formal qualification at the end of their placement?

30 Which advertisement says that the company will meet travel costs? 31 Which advertisement finds accommodation for students in the community? 32 Which advertisement pays students for the work they do? 33 Which advertisement says that students can spend their time in more than one location? 34 Which advertisement carries out their own assessment of a student’s suitability?