Reading & Listening B2 | B2+ Imelda Maguire-Karayel QuickMedia App für Audios und Lösungen
way2go! Kompetenztraining Reading & Listening B2 Schulbuchnummer: 215548 Mit Bescheid des Bundesministeriums für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung vom 6. Oktober 2023, GZ BMBWF-2022-0.740.370, gemäß § 14 Absatz 2 und 5 des Schulunterrichtsgesetzes, BGBl. Nr. 472/86, und gemäß den derzeit geltenden Lehrplänen als für den Unterrichtsgebrauch für die 7. und 8. Klasse an allgemein bildenden höheren Schulen – Oberstufe im Unterrichtsgegenstand Englisch (erste lebende Fremdsprache) geeignet erklärt (Lehrplan 2018). Dieses Werk wurde auf der Grundlage eines zielorientierten Lehrplans verfasst. Konkretisierung, Gewichtung und Umsetzung der Inhalte erfolgen durch die Lehrerinnen und Lehrer. Liebe Schülerin, lieber Schüler, Sie bekommen dieses Schulbuch von der Republik Österreich für Ihre Ausbildung. Bücher helfen nicht nur beim Lernen, sondern sind auch Freunde fürs Leben. Kopierverbot Wir weisen darauf hin, dass das Kopieren zum Schulgebrauch aus diesem Buch verboten ist – § 42 Abs. 6 Urheberrechtsgesetz: „Die Befugnis zur Vervielfältigung zum eigenen Schulgebrauch gilt nicht für Werke, die ihrer Beschaffenheit und Bezeichnung nach zum Schul- oder Unterrichtsgebrauch bestimmt sind .“ 1. Auflage (Druck 0001) © Österreichischer Bundesverlag Schulbuch GmbH & Co. KG, Wien 2023 www.oebv.at Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Jede Art der Vervielfältigung, auch auszugsweise, gesetzlich verboten. Schulbuchvergütung/Bildrechte: © Bildrecht GmbH/Wien Redaktion: Mag. Anahita Abrahamian, Wien Herstellung: Raphael Hamann, MSc, Wien Umschlaggestaltung: Mag. Adam Silye, Wien Layout: Mag. Adam Silye, Wien Satz: Mag. Adam Silye, Wien Druck: Ferdinand Berger & Söhne Ges.m.b.H, Horn ISBN 978-3-209-12214-8 (way2go! Reading & Listening B2) 1. Den QR-Code scannen und die App aufs Smartphone oder Tablet laden 2. Buchumschlag scannen oder das Schulbuch in der App-Medienliste auswählen 3. Eine mit gekennzeichnete Buchseite scannen oder ein Audio aus der Medienliste wählen und abspielen QuickMedia App Android iOS Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
www.oebv.at Imelda Maguire-Karayel Reading & Listening B2 | B2+ Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
2 READING 4–27 | LISTENING 28–45 Communication and relationships Reading: Identifying attitude, opinion and feeling | Identifying where answers are located | Working with vocabulary | Multiple matching: You can choose your friends – but not your family ........................... 4 Listening: Vocabulary | Distractors in multiple choice tasks | Multiple choice: The usefulness of communication skills.................................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Living spaces and domestic environments Reading: Vocabulary | Getting the overall meaning of the stem and options | Multiple choice: Good neighbours – are you one? ............................................................................................................................ 8 Listening: Identifying cue words | Vocabulary | Four-word answers: The houses of the next 20 to 30 years ........... 31 Transport and tourism Reading: Vocabulary: Synonyms and paraphrases | Structure | Multiple matching: To drive or not to self-drive? ............................................................................................................................. 12 Listening: Understanding cue words and paraphrase | Identifying unnecessary information | Vocabulary | Four-word sentence completion: Travelling the world from your armchair .............................................. 34 School and education Reading: Understanding details | Vocabulary | True/False/Justification: Does STEM education really live up to its reputation? ................................................................................................................................................................ 16 Listening: Vocabulary | Identifying negative ideas | Identifying word spots as distractors | Speaker matching: Life-changing decisions ...................................................................................................................................... 37 Rules, laws and regulations Reading: Vocabulary | Structure | Multiple matching: Big Brother society in the UK .......................................................... 20 Listening: Vocabulary | Ways of showing time frame | Ruling out distractors | Matching sentence halves: Gun ownership laws ............................................................................................................................ 40 Arts and culture Reading: Vocabulary | Four-word sentence completion: The Downton Abbey Effect .......................................................... 24 Listening: Identifying cues and answers | Vocabulary | Four-word answers: The life and works of Tracey Emin ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 43 Contents B2 | 7. Klasse Die Audio-Dateien und die Lösungen können auch mit Hilfe der QuickMedia App auf Ihrem Smartphone abgerufen werden. Der Code unter dem Lautsprecher-Symbol führt zu den Audio-Dateien im Internet. Geben Sie den Code einfach in das Suchfeld auf www.oebv.at ein. Diese Linie kennzeichnet Aufgaben, die Sie mit den Formaten der standardisierten Reifeprüfung vertraut machen. 73t56p 15 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
3 Consumer society and the (global) economy Reading: Vocabulary: Phrasal verbs | Understanding inference | True/False/Justification: How emotions influence what we buy ............................................................................................... 46 Listening: Vocabulary | Listening for detail | Matching sentence halves: A world without cash.................................... 66 Working life Reading: Vocabulary: Collocations | Predicting content | Dealing with unknown vocabulary | Multiple matching: A new way of working ........................................................................................................................................ 50 Listening: Vocabulary: Collocations | Identifying and understanding idiomatic language | Speaker matching: Reflecting on my job interview ........................................................................................................................ 69 Politics and public institutions Reading: Identifying paraphrase | Identifying where answers are located | Vocabulary Matching statements to texts: The voice of youth! ........................................................................................................................ 54 Listening: Vocabulary | Identifying what is needed in the gap | Four-word sentence completion: Nelson Mandela – a transformational leader ............................................................... 72 Nature and the environment Reading: Vocabulary | Four-word sentence completion: Planning to volunteer at an elephant sanctuary? ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 58 Listening: Vocabulary | Identifying agreement/disagreement between speakers | Multiple choice: Wasted efforts .............................................................................................................................................................. 75 Science and technology Reading: Vocabulary | Structure | Multiple matching: The future of energy ........................................................................... 62 Listening: Vocabulary | Practising your listening skills | Four-word answers: Climate change – time to get real! ........................................................................................................................................................ 78 B2+ | 8. Klasse READING 46–65 | LISTENING 66–80 Ihr Weg zu den Audio-Dateien, Lösungen und Transcripts: mit der QuickMedia App direkt am Smartphone, oder auf www.oebv.at mit dem Code 73t56p (für B2) bzw. 74i7r8 (für B2+) abrufen Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
4 Communication and relationships | When you read certain types of texts, it’s important to understand what the writer’s attitude, opinion and feelings are, and there are many ways of expressing these. The writer may not express their attitude, opinion or feelings in a single short phrase – they may do this across several sentences in the text. Being able to process information across sentences is an important reading skill. Identifying attitude, opinion and feeling Read Maya’s diary entry and underline any language that shows opinion, attitude or feeling. Underline the keywords. 1 So it’s finally happened! Mum and Dad getting are divorced! They told me and Jake this evening while we were having dinner. Even though I’d anticipated it, it’s still kind of a shock now that they’ve told us. I know the divorce rate’s never been higher, but I can’t believe my family’s actually going to be one of those statistics. We won’t be the classic nuclear family anymore. The thought of that makes me miserable, but I’ll just have to get used to it, just like all other kids of divorced parents. Me and my brother don’t want to have to choose sides between my parents – as far as I can see, they’re both at fault – and it’d be best if we make that clear to them. I’ve always had a close bond with Dad and I really hope it’ll stay like that after he moves out. He says we can go and stay with him whenever we like once he moves into his new apartment. That’ll be awesome because he’ll let us eat whatever we want when we’re there. Dad’s quite relaxed about stuff like that, which suits me just fine! What a day. Hopefully no more bad news tomorrow. Or any day this week. Or ever again! Match the opinion verbs on the left with their meanings on the right. 1 to inspire 2 to appreciate 3 to appeal 4 to regret 5 to impress 2 a to understand how good something or someone is b to make someone attracted to or interested in something c to feel sorry about a situation d to cause someone to admire or respect you e to make someone feel that they want to do something Identifying where answers are located Read the statements below and decide if the answer is in Maya’s diary entry in exercise 1. 1 She feels sorry that the structure of the family is going to change. Yes / No 2 She blames just one of her parents for the failure of their marriage. Yes / No 3 She has had a particularly good relationship with her father. Yes / No 4 She’s glad that her father isn’t very strict about certain things. Yes / No 3 Key Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
5 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | Communication and relationships Now check if the answer is given in only one sentence or across several sentences. Write the first FOUR words of the sentence/s where the answer is located. 1 2 3 4 4 Working with vocabulary Complete the sentences with a suitable word. The first letter has been given. 1 Jana’s u was far from ordinary. Her father was a rock star, so during her childhood, she travelled round the world with her parents. 2 Same-sex marriages used to be heavily st in society, but thankfully, that’s no longer the case. 3 We organised a party for my grandparent’s 40th wedding anniversary. It was a small affair – just for i family and a few close friends. 4 Neither my boyfriend nor I are very good at apologising after an argument. To be honest, I can say that we both s at doing that! The underlined word in each sentence is wrong. Write the correct word. 1 I hate when my boyfriend dedicates what I say – he’s always trying to correct me! 2 New research concentrates what many people have long believed – that a child doesn’t necessarily need two parents to feel loved and secure. 3 My friends and I always glue together if one of us is going through a tough time. 4 Vinny offered to give his brother company last night as he’d had a row with his partner and didn’t want to be alone. Here are some expressions from the task on the next page. Read the sentences and choose the best meaning for each expression. 1 Max warned his kids that if they didn’t stop bickering, they’d have to stay at home. laughing / arguing 2 The neighbours assumed that the couple were happily married as they often went out together, but they separated six months later. believed / observed 3 The compound the extended family lived in was surrounded by high walls. a collection of houses that are near each other / a large house with a children’s play area 4 Having dinner with my parents was awkward because they’d just had a huge disagreement about something. stubborn / difficult 5 6 7 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
6 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | Communication and relationships Working the reading task: Multiple matching Read the four blogs in which teenagers talk about their families. Choose the correct texts (A–D) for each statement (1–10). You can use a text more than once. Write your answers in the boxes provided. The first one (0) has been done for you. 8 Read the first text and then read the first question. Decide if the answer to the first question is there. If it isn’t, move on to the next question. Repeat this pattern for each text until you have answered all the questions. When you are reading the questions, look for words which show attitude, opinion or feelings and underline them. As you read through the texts, look for synonyms of the words in the questions. If a word is in both the text and the question, that text is probably not the answer. Remember that you may need to read more across more than one sentence in the text to find the answer. Top tips You can choose your friends – but not your family A – Megan Mom and Dad got divorced about five years ago. When they sat me down to tell me they were splitting up, it didn’t come as major shock really because, as far as I was concerned, they’d been on the brink of divorce for years! They used to bicker constantly over the slightest little thing. Anyway, Mom’s now in a same-sex relationship. Her girlfriend’s actually a divorcee as well and has two sons from her marriage. We all moved in together under the same roof last year and so far, so good I guess. Going from being an only child to sharing my living space with a woman and two teenage boys that I’m not biologically related to certainly took a bit of getting used to, but basically we now get along most of the time. They’re crap at tidying up after themselves, so that can be a bit of a drag at times. On the plus side, I’ve now got a huge new extended family. B – Ismail African families are known for having strong ties and mine’s no different. What does make my family unusual by Western standards though, is the sheer size of it – I have 18 siblings! This is because in our culture it’s fine for men to have multiple wives. Dad has four wives, and although I’m obviously closer to my biological mum, I get on well with his other wives too. That’s a bonus for me, really. People wrongly assume that having so many halfbrothers and sisters would be a nightmare, but that’s not the case at all. We all live together in a huge compound and although it is madness at times in our household, we stand by each other during difficult times. As a matter of fact, there are surprisingly few arguments. I realise that this kind of family arrangement wouldn’t appeal to everyone, but I see us as being the ultimate blended family! Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
7 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | Communication and relationships C – Sveta I live with my dad. Since the age of two, he’s raised me as a single parent and it’s been pretty tough for him because we don’t have an extended family network around us. As the only breadwinner, he took on more responsibility at work in order to be able to make more money and provide a better life for us. He soon got a promotion, which meant moving away from our hometown. He said it was awkward at first because I was so little and he’s always been very attached to his siblings. Nowadays I get to visit my grandparents, aunties and uncles, and cousins at best twice a year. That’s just the way it is. It’s not necessarily as bad as it sounds though, because we use social media all the time, and have regular video calls. I wish my dad would start dating again – he’s put his life on hold in so many ways to focus on parenting me, and he didn’t want to put our relationship at risk. It’s time now for him to have a relationship! D – Hardeep My family’s the traditional nuclear family – I live with my parents, my sister Gurpreet, and Bertie, the family dog. I’m a couple of years older than Gurpreet and our parents recently told us that she was born with the help of reproductive technology. My sister and I have a really close bond. I suppose you could say I’m her confidant. I guess we’re lucky really because our parents have always emphasised that good communication is crucial in preventing family relationships from breaking down. I have loads of friends who don’t get on with their siblings or their parents, or with parents who are terrible role models. My parents drive me nuts at times because they impose rules for just about everything, but to be fair I’d rather that than come from a dysfunctional family. The answer to some questions is located across several sentences. Which questions? Did you answer every question correctly? If you got a question wrong, check again to see what mistake you made. 9 10 012345678910 C acknowledges their parent has had to make some sacrifices. 0 no longer lives with both parents. 1 2 expected that their parents would separate. 3 has a sibling who trusts them with all their secrets. 4 has support from family members when problems arise. 5 6 initially found the change to their living arrangements challenging. 7 feels grateful for parents who are quite strict. 8 accepts that it’s tricky to see members of their extended family. 9 feels lucky to have a good relationship with the older female members of their family. 10 According to the blog, this teenager … Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
8 Living spaces and domestic environments | Answering multiple choice questions can be difficult. One way to approach this type of question is to read the stem and then the text, and try to answer the question before looking at the options. Watch out for options that are only partially correct, e.g. a distractor that seems to make sense but doesn’t work with a sentence completion stem. Working with vocabulary Read the email. The underlined words are incorrect. Write the correct word on the line. 1 Hi Louie, I‘m utterly fed-up living at home, so I’ve decided to move in. 1 A fellow student called Nico is looking for a new flatmate, so I decided to seize my chance! I’m going to be his new landlord. 2 The house is totally furnished, 3 , the rent’s pretty cheap and I’ll have my own room with an en-suite bathroom. I’ll have to pay half of the utility bills and do my amount 4 of the household chores, but that’s OK because I do that at home anyway. I suppose we can break 5 the food bills. What do you think? Does it sound good? Bradley Hey Bradley, Wow – I’m 1 to hear your news! You haven’t said where the house is though. Will it be far for you to 2 to work? It sounds as if you’ll have plenty of 3 there, which you need obviously if you want to bring your partner back. But I wonder what Nico’ll think when he sees how 4 you are! I’m sure you haven’t changed and you’re still messy! And I know you’ve never exactly been a fan of using the 5 . Let me know how it goes. Louie Complete Louie’s reply. Use the words in the box in their correct form. There are three extra words/ phrases you should not use. central heating commute dish do privacy thrill tidy vacuum cleaner 2 Key Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
9 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | Living spaces and domestic environments Read the extract from the property brochure and answer the question. 3 Getting the overall meaning of the stem and options Everyone who lives in the Idyll residential development can expect to … A have their household chores done for them. B feel relatively safe in their environment. C attend special advance showings of movies. D work with a personal trainer if they wish. Why are the distractors wrong? 4 Working the reading task: Answering the question and linking it to the options First, read the tips below. Then look at the article about neighbours on page 10. What is Zahra’s main point in the first paragraph? Explain in your own words. 5 First, skim the text. Then, read the questions and underline the key words. Don’t look at the answers (options A–D) just yet. Try to answer the question without reading them. Note your answer and see how it compares with the options. Be especially careful with ‘sentence completion’ questions – you need to make sure that the whole sentence – stem and option – matches the information in the text, and not just the part in the option. Top tips Zahra says that people should Carey Constructions’ stylish new loft apartments are in the luxury Idyll development with state-of-the-art recreational facilities for residents to make use of, such as a cinema room, gym and sauna. The lofts are spacious, with underfloor central heating and air conditioning in each apartment. They’re in a pretty costly part of town, which has low crime rates and where many people enjoy a high standard of living, having a housekeeper on a weekly basis to do cleaning and laundry or maintain their gardens. Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
10 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | Living spaces and domestic environments Now read the first paragraph again and the multiple choice question below. Choose the best answer. Are any of the options similar to your answer? In the first paragraph, Zahra makes the point that people should A feel grateful to have lots of neighbours. B be prepared to speak up if they have rude neighbours. C consider themselves lucky to have well-behaved neighbours. D complain to their neighbours when they feel unhappy with them. Read the rest of the article. Choose the best answer (A, B, C or D) for questions 1–6. Put a cross ( ) in the correct box. The first one (0) has been done for you. 6 7 Good neighbours – are you one? Zahra Ahmed examines the importance of being and having a good neighbour. Neighbours – we’ve all got them. If you’re lucky, you have good ones, but if you’re unlucky, you have unpleasant ones who make your life miserable. If you have good neighbours, consider yourself blessed because that’s priceless. Neighbours play an important role in our community and our lives, and remember, you are someone’s neighbour too. By definition, a neighbour is someone who lives near to you, but obviously ‘near’ is a relative term. For the city-dweller, a neighbour is probably someone in the next apartment, but for the suburban family, a neighbour is a bit further away but still within the residential area. And for those who live in peaceful, rural areas, neighbours may live a kilometre or two away. But what makes a good neighbour? Good neighbours are welcoming and considerate. They have empathy. They wave at you, stop to pet your dog and chat. Although they live close and reach out to connect to you, they also respect your space and privacy. Good neighbours’ actions support community, an idea illustrated in many parts of the world by neighbourhood watch systems, where the goal is to keep watch on each other’s homes, so if, for instance, there are concerns about safety or crime, the appropriate authorities can be alerted to investigate the situation. Good neighbours are important. According to an African proverb, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. My neighbours are my village. My son’s had the opportunity to learn from the older ladies in our neighbourhood, and, as far as I’m concerned, being around these older women has enriched his life. They, in turn, have got a lot of joy from associating with my son. He’s also played and done activities with others in the neighbourhood, and through neighbours, he’s come to appreciate the idea that we have something in common with everyone and that we’re more alike than different. I recently read about some research on neighbours that was carried out by psychologists. It provided an insight into how and why relationships with our neighbours can be so good for us. Results showed that contact with nuclear family members – even participants’ own children – had little impact on sense of well-being or morale. Meanwhile, friendships, especially those with neighbours, predicted lower levels of loneliness and worry, feelings of ‘usefulness’, and self-perceived respect within the community. The study suggests that acquaintance and friendship with neighbours are more effective at increasing well-being since they are based on physical proximity, common interests and lifestyle choice. The friendships and neighbourhood relationships are also developed voluntarily. Family ties, on the other hand, are often characterised by a sense of obligation, physical distance, and personal conflicts. Another study carried out around the same time confirmed the importance of close friendships over family relationships for the over-65s, highlighting the importance of frequent contact. Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
11 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | Living spaces and domestic environments A glaring omission from studies on neighbourly relations is the role that marital status might play in the relationships between friendship, neighbouring, and general well-being. Many studies are biased towards investigating the elderly. The assumption they all make, in one way or another, is that improving the well-being and reducing loneliness for the elderly is important since they are perceived as ‘at risk’. While this is true, and indeed a valid direction of inquiry, it ignores the fact that adults of all ages are likely to benefit from neighbouring. Moreover, it does not take into account that individuals who do not have the support of a live-in partner may be especially able to benefit from neighbourly relationships in terms of mental health, reducing vulnerability and sharing resources. Whereas many assume that a romantic relationship may be the best way to achieve this type of support and wellbeing, research shows that being close with your neighbours could be an important complementary strategy, especially for singletons. So, be kind to your neighbours – you may not know just how nice they are and, quite frankly, you never know when you’re going to need them! 0 Zahra says that being able to be called a neighbour A is the same no matter where a person lives. B varies according to where people live. C is similar in nature as being someone’s relation. D varies a lot within each type of environment. 1 She thinks a good neighbour would be likely to A join a community scheme so that people can look after their property. B offer to take care of someone’s pet while they are on holiday. C make sure they check on the people who live near them every day. D allow someone to maintain their independence. 2 Zahra expresses her gratitude for A her neighbours’ relationship with her child. B the fact that she lives in a village. C what she has learned from her neighbours. D the babysitting service her neighbours have provided. 3 Psychologists’ research has revealed that A neighbours can be more effective than relatives for making people feel better. B neighbours have the ability to destroy relationships between family members. C neighbours may actually emphasise a person’s feelings of isolation. D not enough is known about the relationships between children who are neighbours. 4 Friendships with neighbours are beneficial due to A the variety of things we can learn from them. B the feel-good factor we get from helping them if they’re elderly. C the interests we are likely to share with them. D the opportunity to communicate with them every day. 5 Research so far has failed to identify A which groups of people are at a high risk of loneliness. B the effect of someone’s relationship status on their degree of loneliness. C which age groups benefit most from having neighbours. D the impact of only having neighbours who are married. 6 Zarah suggests that being in a romantic relationship A is the best way to become financially secure. B may not necessarily be the answer to dealing with loneliness. C is a good way to protect one’s mental health. D may not always guarantee long-term support for someone. Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
12 Transport and tourism | When you read a text which has some missing information, you need to pay careful attention to its overall structure. You need to consider the conjunctions, relative pronouns and verb tenses that are used. And, of course, you need to consider the overall meaning. Working with vocabulary Circle the correct synonym/paraphrase in the following responses. 1 A: People who try to dodge paying their fare on the train will be fined. B: I don’t get why some people want to limit / avoid paying for their tickets. 2 A: I had to show a valid driving licence as proof of my ID when I was hiring a car in Germany. B: Yeah, so if your licence wasn’t translatable / useable, you wouldn’t have been able to rent a car. 3 A: O ne of my grandfather’s dreams is to go on a safari to see rhinos, and he’s asked me to accompany him. B: So what are you going to do? Are you going to make a reservation for / go with him? 4 A: The new transport links to the city centre have been a real boost to tourism, haven’t they? B: Absolutely! There has been an increase / a decrease since the rail network improved. 5 A: I f we all do our bit to buy from local shops, we’ll be taking steps towards reducing our carbon footprint. B: Yes. And it just means we make a small effort / change a lot of things, but it would be worth it. 6 A: I can meet you at the airport tomorrow. When does your flight get in? B: Well, we leave first thing so I think we depart / arrive before lunchtime. I’ll let you know. 1 Key Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
13 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | Transport and tourism Understanding text structure Complete the following sentences with a suitable relative pronoun. 1 For safety reasons, passengers use walking canes are advised to take extra care on icy platforms. 2 When Jana and Peter arrived in Paris, they went on a shopping spree lasted three days. 3 Lisa’s the one friend company I can always rely on to lift my mood. 4 Obviously if I’m somewhere the phone reception’s rubbish, I won’t be able to call you. 5 All things considered, it’s lucky that nobody was injured when the drone crashed into the park – there was one man was standing near the fountain and it narrowly missed him. 6 I’d love to jet off to a beautiful tropical island, the only thing I’d have to think about is which cocktail to have with my lunch. Read the extract from a text about street pedlars. Choose the best option to complete the first gap. 2 3 A and they are most often seen in large towns and cities B so they had seldom been seen in busy towns or cities Which of the following help you to choose the correct answer? Tick the box/es, then check your answer. the overall meaning of the sentence when the two parts are combined the conjunction at the start of the phrase in A and B the relative pronoun used in option A and B the verb tense used in option A and B Now read the next paragraph of the article. Think about what kind of information would fit best in the gap and how you can word this. Write your phrase below the paragraph. 4 Street pedlars can be found in many parts of the world, . They usually sell goods at more affordable prices than high street shops. The reason for this is that they don’t have to pay overheads such as rent and electricity or pay a team of staff. Sometimes, the goods on offer are luxury goods which are popular with tourists who think they’re getting a bargain. However, if such cheap prices for beautiful designer goods seem too good to be true, that’s because they are! Many of these street pedlars are sellers . And without this licence, customers are not protected when they buy faulty goods from them. Basically, customers lose their money. Check your answer. Were you right? If not, check again to see why you made a mistake. 5 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
14 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | Transport and tourism Read the article about driverless vehicles. Some parts are missing. Choose the correct part (A–K) for each gap (1–8). There are two extra parts that you should not use. Write your answers in the boxes provided. The first one (0) has been done for you. 6 Skim the text to get an idea of what it’s about. Then, read the phrases A–K. Read the statements and remember that they are likely to be paraphrased. Next, read the text around the gaps carefully – think of different ways you could phrase the same information that’s there. Try the options A–K (apart from the example) in the first gap to see which one fits. Repeat for each gap. Make sure the information in the option fits with what comes before and after the gap. Top tips To self-drive or not to self-drive? Many in Silicon Valley promised that selfdriving cars would be a common sight by 2022. Now the industry is resetting expectations and preparing itself for years of more work. The tech wizards of Silicon Valley, California, said people would be sitting back, commuting to work in liberating self-driving cars by now. However, instead, there have been court fights, injuries, and, sadly, even deaths, and billions of dollars spent on a frustratingly unpredictable technology (0) . Now, for safety reasons, the pursuit of self-driving cars is undergoing a complete overhaul. In a surprise turn, some companies, such as Uber, (1) , have opted out. Only the companies with the biggest bank balances, such as Waymo or Alphabet, and auto giants are managing to stay in the game. So what went wrong? Some researchers would say nothing and that’s just how science works. After all, (2) . The self-driving car project just happened to one of the most talked about technology experiments of this century. That publicity and propaganda wasted millions of dollars of investments, and, at the same time, (3) . In 2015, the electric carmaker Tesla’s billionaire boss, Elon Musk, claimed that fully functional self-driving cars were just two years away. More than five years later, however, Tesla cars offered simpler autonomy designed solely for highway driving. Even that was scarred by controversy after several fatal accidents, for which the company said misuse of technology was to blame. Dmitri Dolgov, Waymo’s co-chief executive, said the company considered its Arizona service a test case. Based on what it has learned in Arizona, he said, Waymo is building a new version of its self-driving technology that it will eventually use in other places and in other kinds of vehicles, including long-haul trucks. The suburbs of Phoenix, Arizona, are particularly well-suited to driverless cars; streets are wide, pedestrians are few, and there is almost no rain or snow. Waymo supports its driverless vehicles with remote technicians and roadside assistance crews (4) either in person or via the internet. Self-driving tech is not yet nimble enough to reliably handle the variety of situations human drivers encounter each day. It can usually handle suburban Phoenix, (5) , for instance. “You have to peel back every layer before you see the next layer of challenges for the technology,” said Waymo software engineer Nathaniel Fairfield, (6) , describing some of the distractions faced by cars. “Your car has to be pretty good at driving before you can really get into the situations where it handles the next most challenging thing.” Like Waymo, Aurora is now developing selfdriving trucks as well as passenger vehicles. No company has used trucks without safety drivers behind the wheel, but many engineers argue that driverless trucks will make it to market soon. Long-haul trucking doesn’t involve passengers who have issues with sensitive brakes. The routes are also simpler. Once you become familiar with Working the reading task: Multiple matching Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
15 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | Transport and tourism one stretch of highway, engineers say, it’s easier to master another. But, (7) , even driving down a long, relatively straight highway is extraordinarily difficult. Delivering dinner orders across a neighbourhood is an even greater challenge. “This is one of the biggest technical challenges of our generation,” said Dave Ferguson, an early Google team engineer, (8) , pizzas and other goods. Mr. Ferguson said many thought self-driving technology would improve like an internet service or a smartphone app. But robotics is a lot more challenging. All things considered, it was wrong to claim anything else. “You need to have optimism to get up every day to try to solve a problem that has never been solved, and it’s not guaranteed that it ever will be solved,” he admitted. And I’m inclined to agree with him – there remain many obstacles to be overcome. A nobody can entirely predict what will happen in a test B contrary to popular belief C but it can’t match the human nerve needed for joining the Lincoln Tunnel in New York D that some researchers say is still years away from becoming the car industry’s next big thing E nobody questioned it would be very straightforward F who can help cars get around obstacles G worried about losing their money in pursuit of driverless technology H though that has actually been found to be very difficult to sustain I who is now president of Nuro, a company focussing on delivering groceries J who has worked on the driverless car project since 2009 K set up unrealistic expectations 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 D Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
16 School and education | When you read a long text, as well as reading to get the gist, or general meaning, you also need to understand the details in the text. Failing to understand details can mean answering a question incorrectly and losing marks. Details can be communicated in several different ways, e.g. by using words that have positive or negative meanings. Understanding details Read the blog post by a teenager called Aniko and decide if the statements that follow are true (T) or false (F). 1 According to my parents, getting a tertiary-level education is a no-brainer. In their eyes it’s a must! Now it’s not that I’m consciously trying to undermine parental authority, but I think we teenagers can do just as well for ourselves, if not better, by entering the University of Life. In other words, leaving school, getting a job and learning numerous hard life lessons along the way. Surely there’s no better way to learn life skills than by living life – life in the real world that is, rather than in an indulgent academic bubble where the focus is on scholarships, critical thinking, sitting exams and graduating with top marks in your field. Don’t get me wrong – as far as I’m concerned, it’s fine to deepen our understanding of a subject that’s close to our hearts, but surely we can do that in our own free time? Tuition fees at many universities are outrageous, meaning that graduates spend years of their lives paying back the money they earn, money that they really should be using to fulfil other life goals. We shouldn’t underestimate the power of a bit of hard work as a school-leaver to open doors for the future. It’s not all about study. T F 1 Aniko’s parents believe that going to university is important. 2 Aniko confesses that she is deliberately trying to challenge her parent’s beliefs. 3 She feels that young people acquire many useful life skills while studying at university. 4 According to Aniko, universities charge reasonable fees for degree courses. 5 She thinks that getting a job just after leaving school is a good way of securing the future. Underline the phrase or sentence/s that helped you to find the answer. Which statement/s above say/s the OPPOSITE of the text? The sentences on the next page relate to Aniko’s blog post, but each sentence has an incorrect detail. Correct the information by crossing out the wrong word/s and writing the correct one/s one the line. The first one has been done for you. 1 Aniko’s parents approve of secondary education. tertiary 2 At the University of Life, people are taught a life lesson. 2 3 Key Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
17 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | School and education 3 Life at university tends to focus on collective thinking among other things. 4 It’s OK to develop knowledge of a job you’re particularly interested in. 5 Graduates are unable to finance important life expenses while paying back tuition fees. 6 Good luck plays a big part in making our futures secure. Working with vocabulary Circle the correct word to complete each sentence. 1 In order to be able to make an informed decision / admission, you first need to have all the facts. 2 The subject of whose responsibility it is to pay university tuition fees is a soft / sore spot for many people. 3 My friend was very disbelieving / bullying when I told her I’d got top marks for my thesis as she thought I hadn’t put a lot of effort into it. 4 The lecturer was not satisfied with the student’s consistent / disrespectful attitude towards authority. 5 Several people questioned the defiance / justification for changing the rules for sitting university exams. Complete the email with suitable words. The first letter has been given. 4 5 Rishi Irina First week at uni From: To: Subject: Hey Irina, how’s life? Well, I’ve just finished Fresher’s Week here at uni in Manchester and I’ve had a blast! I guess the real work starts now, huh? My degree’s in psychology and it’ll be four years before I 1 g . Can you believe it – I’ll be a 2 p when I finish? I’ve met most of my tutors and they all seem great – highly specialised in their 3 f . The only thing I can’t figure out at the minute how I’m going to fit in all my lectures and seminars around my social life – it’s going is to be 4 tr ! There’s loads of cool clubs and bars! I’ll probably be back home for a weekend next month – my parents are already 5 na me to come back and visit them. See you then, hopefully! Rishi Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
18 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | School and education Here are some expressions from the following reading task. Choose the best meaning for each expression. 1 A one-dimensional fix is a solution that . a examines a problem from a single point of view b takes a long time to find 2 If a job is done adequately, it is done . a to a poor standard b to a satisfactory standard 3 Inclusivity in the job sector means . a having workers from all genders and ethnic groups b having mainly foreign workers 4 If a particular market is over-saturated, it has . a a limited number of products b too much of one type of product 5 When a person is competent at doing something, they are . a new and inexperienced at it b skilled and experienced at it Read the article about STEM education. First decide whether the statements (1–7) are true (T) or false (F) and put a cross ( ) in the correct box. Then identify the sentence in the text which supports your decision. Write the first 4 words of this sentence in the space provided. There may be more than one correct answer; write down only one. The first one (0) has been done for you. 6 7 Working the reading task: True/False/Justification Use the heading to guess what the text will be about. Read the statements and remember that they are likely to be paraphrased. Look at the details in the statements – watch out for negative verbs, adverbs and adjectives, or phrases that have the opposite meaning of the text. Remember to only write the FIRST FOUR words of the sentence where you find the answer. Top tips Does STEM education really live up to its reputation? STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is a buzzword for economic development and growth, frequently publicised as a manifold solution to prepare young people for employment, support the national workforce, promote innovation and explore methods for accelerating future development. But is having a STEM degree really the magical solution it’s claimed to be? Does it truly boost economic growth and support the nation’s workforce? And is STEM the best way to equip young people with skills, knowledge and opportunities to ensure they can be capable and responsible citizens? Personally, I believe that focusing solely on STEM presents a one-dimensional ‘fix’ which does not take into account the many other factors that influence economic growth and development from context to context. Instead, a more universal approach is needed to equip the future workforce and secure economic development for emerging and modern economies alike. To adequately invest in the future, the creation of a generation of economic citizens is key to boosting economic growth and breaking ongoing cycles of poverty. Although there are many apparent opportunities and benefits linked to a solid STEM infrastructure and development of skills within a country, the current emphasis placed on investment in this sector seems to take little notice of the limitations resulting from a reliance on this academic field. And in terms of inclusivity across STEM subjects, workers are pre-dominantly male from higher socio-economic backgrounds, while minority groups, women and low-income youth or youth from disadvantaged backgrounds are consistently under-represented. Known for being an elitist and exclusive subject area, it is surprising that emphasis is being placed on STEM to fill gaps across national workforces – female Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
19 B2 | 7. Klasse | READING | School and education students are 50% more likely to leave their STEM course than male counterparts, and STEM students from ethnic minority groups are more likely to be in non-engineering jobs six months after graduation. In the workplace, fixed beliefs around suitability for STEM careers must be tackled immediately. The promise that STEM offers is inadequate for the multi-dimensional reality of economic development and growth. Rapidly changing technologies and global competition make it very difficult to predict occupational needs. While there is clearly a demand for scientific and technological knowledge in all countries, it’s been suggested that there is not as big a shortage of STEM-related workers as previously thought. Too much focus on STEM alone runs the risk of over-saturating certain sectors rather than producing a well-rounded workforce. Furthermore, while educating young people in these subject areas may ensure they are experts on specific topics, it does not necessarily create hardworking citizens who have strong reasoning skills and are able to make responsible social and financial decisions. So, what’s the solution? Making sure all young people receive the education and training to become responsible economic citizens is key to securing future economic stability. A more rounded approach to educating and equipping young people with knowledge and skills presents a more comprehensive solution than relying on a one-sided focus like STEM education. To avoid having a workforce that’s ill-equipped for the modern day, young people must be provided with a comprehensive social, financial and livelihoods education, and have the opportunity to develop a range of skills. UNICEF1 stresses the importance of this type of education being discussed in a range of sectors, and notes that it is now more important than ever for young people to become competent and confident in achieving results to the best of their abilities. It is crucial that we adequately support the employees of tomorrow to prevent financial crises and support future economic stability. Recent research by Aflatoun International, a non-governmental organisation that educates children about their rights and responsibilities, found that, within their primary school programme, 91% of children had positive savings attitudes after participating in social and financial education. The findings noted the benefits of early-age intervention and noted the success of social and financial education programmes, which are taught in a holistic manner. Statements T F First four words 0 The author questions whether having a STEM qualification is as good as people say. But is having a 1 The author’s opinion is that the focus on STEM subjects fails to consider a wide variety of circumstances. 2 STEM careers attract graduates from both sexes and all classes. 3 Companies urgently need to rethink their attitudes regarding STEM. 4 Worldwide, it seems that there is a greater lack of STEM employees than expected. 5 There is no guarantee that studying STEM subjects improves one’s ability to reason. 6 UNICEF believes that various job sectors should welcome students who don’t have a background in STEM subjects. 7 Aflatoun International found that only a small minority of students were aware of the importance of saving. 1 UNICEF: the United Nations Children’s Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
20 Rules, laws and regulations | When you read a text which has complete sentences removed, in order to be able to choose the best sentence to fill each gap you need to understand the text structure. As you won’t have a lot of time to do an exam task, it’s important to develop skills to follow the development of ideas in the text and match the sentences to the gaps quickly and correctly. Working with vocabulary Complete the phrasal verbs in the sentences. 1 Thanks to increased numbers of police on the streets in our city, petty offences like public nuisance have more or less been wiped . 2 During the COVID pandemic, government regulations required people to line for their vaccinations. 3 Stefan falsely claimed that he’d made his money by trading crypto currency like Bitcoin, but he was actually involved in fraud. 4 Last night a number of business premises in the town centre were broken and police are appealing for witnesses to come forward. 5 While women were protesting for their right to vote in the 19th century, some actually went hunger strike. A collocation is two or more words that often go together. Match the words in box A with the words in box B to make collocations. There is one line for each collocation. 1 2 issue a fine A issue crime unlicensed cause civil violate prison commit drug public gun mass B a fine protesting safety the law a crime scene sentence ownership disobedience trafficking shooting trouble Key Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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