R1: SENTENCE COMPREHENSION)

PRACTICE 1

Choose one word to complete the email.

Hi Sam,
How ARE you?
Could you buy SOME things from the shop?
Please BUY some pasta, some cheese and a few tomatoes.
Don't FORGET that I finish work late on Tuesdays.
So, please COULD you walk the dog?
I’ll be home AROUND at 8pm.
Love, Jane

R2: TEXT COHESION

PRACTICE 1

Order the sentences so that they make a complete, coherent text.

TEXT 1

A. This report gives information about the dangers of driving on the mountain road.
B. This is why I think there should be more warning signs along the road.
C. For this reason, it is easy for them to lose control and have an accident.
D. They aren't used to driving in dangerous conditions.
E. These will make it safer for them to get to the ski resort in our beautiful mountains.
F. This road is sometimes icy during the winter when people come to ski here.

Order: A - F - D - C - B - E

TEXT 2

A. Barry George was born in the English city of Manchester in 1942.

B. He became a racing driver at 21, and won his first competition at 22 years old.
C. He died at the age of 85, and is fondly remembered for his generosity.
D. His career went from strength to strength, until he was the best in the world.
E. By the time he retired, he was very wealthy. So, he invested his money in a school.
F. As a child, he was obsessed with racing cars and speed.

Order: A - F - B - D - E - C

 R3: OPINION MATCHING

FIRST DAYS

PERSON A
Everyone in my new team was very friendly, but I soon confused the names as I was quite
nervous. It's probably a good idea to investigate your future colleagues' names before you
start. I was asked to write a short report and then left on my own. I didn't do it very well,
mainly because did it quite quickly. You must look as if you're doing something, though, so I
typed it out four times. It was a bit disappointing overall because l'd wanted to make a good
impression.

PERSON B
The first thing I did was learn everyone's names - not too hard as I'm good at that sort of
thing. My line manager showed me where everything was and it was a thrill to have my very
own desk. I was stunned when she told me most people went home fairly late wanted to be
considered for promotion in the future. I should have realised that before as my mates had
warned me that might be the case - I ought to have listened to them!

PERSON C
When walked into the office the first person I saw was the person who'd interviewed me. She
didn't make much of an effort to put me at my ease which I reckon is wrong. I just sat down
where she told me to and got on with it. I decided I'd bring in some pictures and a plant for
my desk, just to make it teel more mine and this worked well. I could see that's what the
others had done. I've been there for two years now, and I've made some good buddies - this is
important as it helps the time fly by at work.

PERSON D
I remember being pretty nervous, and when I got there, nobody seemed to know who I was or
what my role was. I looked overly smart and everyone else was fairly casual. I wished I'd
asked beforehand and not worn a suit - so that's a decent tip. I'd imagined I might not do
much, but I was asked to look for some pictures of architecture to go with an article my co-
worker was writing. I found several appropriate ones, and went home at the end of a long day
feeling rather content!

OUESTIONS

1. Who thinks it's a good idea to personalise your workspace? (Person C)

2. Who thinks it's a good idea to ask about the dress code? (Person D)
3. Who thinks it's important to look busy? (Person A)
4. Who thinks you should learn from the experiences of friends? (Person B)
5. Who thinks you should build good relationships with colleagues? (Person C)
6. Who thinks you should research the other staff before you start work? (Person A)
7. Who thinks others could try to ease your nerves on your first day? (Person C)

R4: LONG TEXT COMPREHENSION

SONY PLAYSTATION

A series of best-sellers
0. The original console in the series was the first video game console to ship 100 million
units, 9 years and 6 months after its initial launch. Its successor, the PlayStation 2, was
released in 2000. The PlayStation 2 is the best-selling home console to date, having reached
over 155 million units sold as of December 28, 2012. The PlayStation 3, was released in
2006 and has sold over 80 million consoles worldviide and Sony's latest console, the
PlayStation 4, was released in 2013, sellíng 1 million consoles in its first 24 hours on sale,
becoming the fastest-selling console in history.

A profitable partnership
1. The history of the PlayStation begins in 1988 as Sony and Nintendo were working
together to develop the Super Disc. Nintendo was dominating computer gaming at that time
and Sony had not yet entered the home video game market, but they were eager to make a
move. By teaming with the market leader, they believed they had a good chance for
success.

From old friends to new rivals

2. However, Nintendo decided to break the business deal with Sony, opting to use the
electronics company Philips as a partner instead. The Super Disc was never actually
introduced or used by Nintendo, but the breaking of the partnership infuriated Sony
President Norio Ohio, who responded by developing the PlayStation project to compete
against Nintendo's dominance.

A gadget with many uses

3, Only 200 models of the first PlayStation (that could play Super Nintendo
game cartridges) were ever manufactured by Sony. The original PlayStation was designed
as a multi-media and multi-purpose entertainment unit. Besides being able to play Super
Nintendo games, the PlayStation could play audio CDs and could read CDs with computer
and video information. However, these prototypes were scrapped.

New format, new friends

4. In 1994, the new PlayStation X (PSX) was released and was no longer compatible with
Nintendo game cartridges as it only played CD-ROM based games.This was a smart move
that soon made PlayStation the bestselling game console. Sony developed games in a 3D
polygon graphics format which attracted new developers and partners such as Electronic
Arts and Namco, who were excited about the 3D-capable, CD-ROM-based console as they
were cheaper to manufacture than the old cartridges.

 Design risks are rewarded

5. The original and iconic first console was a slim, gray unit and the PSX joy paa allowed
far more control than the controllers of the Sega Saturn from Nintendo. BacK in the
mid-'90s, video game controllers weren't standardized as they are in today s market. There
were no analogue sticks on the first PlayStation gamepad, and no vibration or rumble. The
shape it took - a core component of all modern game controller design - was brand-new,
and was considereda risk by the Sony leadership.

Lea sobre los nuevos juegos y lanzamientos

6. The PlayStation brand has a wide series of magazines, from across different continents,
covering PlayStation related articles and stories. Many of these magazines work closely
with Sony and thus often come with demo discs for PlayStation games. Currently there are
a number of magazines still in circulation including PlayStation: The official Magazine.
However, over the years, many PlayStation magazines have spawned while a few have also
become defunct.

Fondly remembered for changing the gaming world

7. In 2005, Australian newspaper The Age wrote an article about the PlayStation brand.
Among the numerous interviews conducted with various people in the industry was an
interview with Dr Jeffrey Brand, associate professor at Bond University who said,
"PlayStation re-ignited our imagination with video games". Game designers called the
brand "revolutionary - PlayStation has changed gaming, distribution, sales, image and
more", while others said that "PlayStation is responsible for making playing games cool,"
As of 2015, PlayStation is the strongest selling console brand globally.