Best Body Fitness

 Best Body Fitness

 

About us

 

You don't want just a gym membership. You want a membership that means something. And that means you need support, expert help and a community.

 

Best Body Fitness isn't just a gym: it's a full-service fitness membership made for you.

 

Here's how it works:

 

STEP ONE: Your assessment

 

We begin with an assessment session. This is a chance for you to see what we do at Best Body. Our assessment plans are no-cost and no-risk. We'll also make a training plan specifically for you.

 

STEP TWO: Your training

 

When you decide to become a Best Body member, we show you what to do, how to do it and why you are doing it. After a few sessions with an expert private trainer you will feel comfortable working out on your own. But don't worry, we'll always be nearby if you have questions.

 

STEP THREE: Your membership

 

Membership works on a month-to-month basis. There are no sign-up fees and no cancellation fees. Start and stop whenever you want. And the best part? Our fees are the most competitive in the whole downtown area.

 

STEP FOUR: Your community

 

At Best Body Fitness, we see everyone as part of a big team. And when you work with a team, you can do great things. Join any of our specialised classes, led by expert instructors. Come to our nutrition classes. Participate in our regular social events. Everything is included in your fee.

 

Finally, we wanted to share with you some reasons why our members say that they have chosen us over any other fitness centre in the city.

 

It's so EASY

 

• Easy to start, stop, cancel or refund a membership
• Easy to access – we're open 24/7, we never close
• Easy to do exercise – we have lots of equipment, no long wait
• Easy results – our trainers and equipment give you success, fast
• Easy to find – in the centre of town, near public transport and with parking

 

It's WONDERFUL

 

• Wonderful members
• Wonderful trainers and staff
• Wonderful equipment
• Wonderful energy
• Wonderful location
• Come and visit us for a personal tour!

Speaking Test Part 1 for the course of FCE Part 2 (March 2024)

 

Individually record yourselves answering the questions above with responses between 30 seconds and 1 minute for each one.

 

On the trail of Kit Man

Part 8.- You are going to read a magazine article about the use of gadgets by people doing outdoor activities. For questions 47-56, choose from the sections of the article (A-D). The sections may be chosen more than once.

 

In which section of the article are the following mentioned…

47.- why people were willing to suffer outdoors in the past _____

48.- the need to understand certain terminology _____

49.- a belief about what the reason for doing outdoor activities should be _____

50.- a feeling of reassurance provided by a certain gadget _____

51.- how many people have taken up outdoor activities because of gadgets _____

52.- a criticism of the motivation of people who get a lot of gadgets for outdoor activities _____

53.- a belief that gadgets may prove not to be useful _____

54.- a belief that someone with gadgets would not be a good companion in certain circumstances _____

55.- the high level of demand for gadgets connected with outdoor activities _____

56.- an advantage of outdoor gadgets in addition to the benefits for users _____

 

On the trail of Kit Man

Gadgets that bring some comfort to the great outdoors have given rise to a new breed of outdoor adventurer. But purists are unconvinced.

 

A)      Up there, in the clear fresh air, it isn’t just the stars that are glowing. You can climb a mountain and find at the top of it a bleeping nightmare of hi-tech gadgetry and hardship-avoidance devices. Worried about getting lost? Relax with a handheld GPS unit, featuring 3D and aerial display, plus built-in compass and barometric altimeter. Even the sacred covenant between outdoor types and wet socks has come unravelled with the development of ‘hydrophobic’ fabrics which repel all moisture.  At next month's Outdoors Show in Birmingham, all this kit and more will be on display for an audience which seemingly can’t get enough of it. ‘When we ask people what they come to the show for, they list two things,‘ says the event’s sales manager, Mike Simmonds. ‘One is the inspiration to get outdoors in the first place, and the other is to see the new gear, the gadgets, the breakthroughs. That’s what they love.’ The event, the showcase of Britain’s booming adventure business shows everything the tech-savvy adventurer could wish for, from solar-heated sleeping bags to remote-controlled lanterns.

 

B)      The rise of Kit Man, as the gizmo-fixated menace of the 21^st century mountains has been christened, reflects both changing social trends and the dizzying speed of scientific advance. Modern hikers have moveed on from the Spartan routes of 50 years ago, when discomfort, bad food and danger were seen as part of the – map-reading, camp-laying, First-Aid – have declined, to shakily replaced by the virtual skills offered by technology. With so muh gear now available, Kit Man and his kind stand accused by the old-schoolers of being interested only in reaching the summits of gadgetry.

 

 

C)     ‘I think these people are completely missing the point,’ huffs author and TV presenter Guy Grieve, who spent a year living alone in the Alaskan wilderness. ‘The whole idea of going into the wild is to get away from the things tht tie you in knots at thome. I’d prefer to take as little as possible – a tent, a rifle, and a few pots and pans. All this technology, I mean, it might look fantastic on paper, but when there’s a real problem, it’s almost certainly going to let you down. What will see you through is the old stuff, the maps and the bits of rope. There are times when you need that kind of dependability. Who’’d want to be stranded out in the wild with a gadget freak?’ Travel and adventure writer Clive Tully agrees. ‘Be suspicious of anything that claims to make your life easier,’ he warns. ‘My experience is that people who depend on technology are woefully ill-prepared in other ways. You still need to be able to read a map and do the basic stuff.’

 

D)     None of which is enough to keep Kit Man from his toys. The mountains and hills area alive with the sound of ringing mobiles, beeping biometric pressure metres, clicking ultra-violet radiation sensors and the whirring of the current ultimate in gadget chic – a micro-helicopter which can be controlled from an iPod to send back live pictures of the route ahead. Thus tooled up, Kit Man must consider what he is to wear. And as any visit to a contemporary outdoor store shows, this involves not only acquiring new clobber, but new jargon. When he asks about a pair of pants, he will learn about Moisture Vapour Transfer Rate, Hydrostatic Heat Resistance and Wickability. It is tempting to scoff at Kit Man, but not everyone sides with he romantics. Many in the adventure business say gadgets have encouraged thousands who would otherwise not have ventured into the great outdoors. Evidence from the American market also suggests that technology has had a positive environmental impact, and increased safety standards.

 

 

 

Learning to be an action hero

Part 7.- You are going to read a magazine article about a training session with a stuntman – someone who performs dangerous and exciting actions in films. Six paragraphs have been removed from the article. Choose from paragraphs A-G, the one which fits each gap (41-46). There is one extract paragraph which you do not need to use.

 

Learning to be an action hero

Alex Benady has a lesson in fitness from a film stuntman.

 

‘Now see if you can touch your toes,’ says Steve Truglia. As a former Army physical training instructor, he is used to dealing with less than sharp trainees. But how hard can that be? Fifteen seconds of blind confusion ensue before I finally locate my feet. The truth is I can’t reach much past my knees and the effort of doing even that seems to be rupturing my kidneys.

41.- ____

These days, Steve is one of Britain’s top stuntmen. You might have seen him in various well-known action movies. Although I have no real desire to enter rooms through the ceiling or drive into walls at high speed like him, I wouldn’t mind looking a bit more like an action hero, so Steve is showing me exactly how he says ‘stunt fit.’ ‘It’s a very particular, very extreme kind of fitness,’ he explains, ‘consisting of stamina, flexibility, strength and core stability, balance and coordination

42.- _____

Right now, we are working on spatial awareness, a subset of coordination which he says is key to being a stuntman. ‘It’s easy to get disorientated when you are upside down. But I you have a high fall you don’t know exactly where your body is, you won’t be able to land safely. If you are lucky, you’ll just end up with some serious injuries.’ From where I’m hanging, that sounds like a pretty positive outcome. Yet It had all started so well.

43.- _____

He usually does this at the end of the session. ‘On set, you can guarantee that if you have a big dangerous stunt, you won’t do it until the end of the day, when you are completely exhausted. So I design my training regime to reflect that. ‘At first, this part of the session consists of standard strength-building exercises: dips – pushing yourself up and down on the arms of a high chair, for triceps and chest; some bench presses, again for chest; lower back exercises; and curls to build up biceps. Then Steve introduces me to the chinning but, which involves movements for building strength in your back and arms.

44.- _____

We move on to balance and coordination, starting by walking along three-inch-wide bars. Not easy, but do-able, ‘Now turn round,’ says Steve. Not easy and not do-able. I fall off. Now he shows me how to jump on to the bar. Guess what? I can’t do that either. Then he points to a two-inch-wide bar at about waist high.

45.- _____

Now, it’s outside for some elementary falls. He shows me how to slap the ground when you land, to earth your kinetic energy. He throws me over his shoulder and I are gracefully through the air, landing painlessly. But when it’s my turn, I don’t so much throw him as trip him up and he smashes into the ground at my feet, well short of the crash mat. Sorry, Steve.

 

46.-_____

At least I’ll never suffer from an anatomical anomaly – which is what happens when your thighs are so massive, the other parts of your anatomy look rather small by comparison.

 

A) ‘We’ll just warm up first,’ says Steve as we enter the Muscleworks Gym in East London. Five minutes on the recumbent cycle and I’m thinking this stunt lark is a piece of cake. Then we start some strength work, viral for hanging off helicopters, leaping off walls, etc.

B) It’s clear that I have some work to do before I am ready to amaze the world with my dripping physique and daredevil stunts. But I have taken one comforting piece of knowledge from my experience.

C) Instead, we work on what he calls our ‘cores.’ ‘All powerful movements originate from the centre of the body out, and never from the limbs alone,’ he says. So we’ll be building up the deep stablishing muscles in our trunks, the part of the body from the waist to the neck.

D) He reckons anyone can get there with a couple of gym sessions and a couple of runs a week. ‘The key is variety: do as many different types of exercise as possible. Even 20 minutes a day will do.’

E) Much to my surprise, I can actually do a few. Then he says innocently: ‘Just raise your legs so they are at 90 degrees to your body.’ Pain, pain, pain. ‘Now open and close your legs in a scissor motion.’ I manage to do that once.

F) You may think that this sounds a bit feeble. But I was dangling upside down at the time, suspended from a but by a pair of gravity boots.

G) With feet firmly together, he leaps on, balances himself, leaps off, on, off. For good measure he circuits the gym, leaping from one to another, using the thighs to generate the power to leap and the power to stop himself from falling when he lands. Despite his heavy build, he has the feet of a ballerina.

 

Do computer games have education value?

Part 6.- You are going to read four extracts from articles about research into the educational value of computer games. For questions 37-40, choose from the extracts A-D. The extracts may be chosen more than once.

 

Do computer games have education value?

Four journalists consider some recent research findings.

 

A)      Yvonne Cheney

Nobody is claiming that computer games are going to solve the world’s problems, but even the most mindles of them taps into real human abilities and emtions. Gamers may not reflect on how the characters and scenarios they engage with could help to interact with others in the real world but recent research at the State University suggests that the gamers do perform such a function. In other words, far from retreating into another meaningful interaction and developing worthwhile skills. Leaving aside for a moment the issue of whether the games are addictive or not, or how much time gets devoted to them, this meticulous study adds more weight to the growing consensus that gaming may be good for us.

 

B)      Declan Morton

We have heard a great deal recently about the cognitive benefits of gaming. Playing computer games, even the most banal of them, would seem to keep the brain active and to replicate the kind of thought processes that are valuable in the real world. Researchers at the State University take this idea a step further, however, claiming that the games develop interpersonal skills as well as cognitive ones. Although I have no argument with the way the study was conducted, this conclusion, seems to be a step too far, and I can’t see many people taking it very seriously. The evidence that gaming can become compulsive behaviour, and not just in teenagers, is quite convincing and it seems perverse to suggest that such an individualistic pastime, that takes the players off into a world of complete fantasy, could ever promote interpersonal skills in the real world.

 

 

C)     Lydia Porter

New Research at the State University suggests that playing computer games may not be so bad for us after all. This is not the first study to suggest that gaming can have both social and cognitive benefits for the individual, and the claim that mental agility is promoted by gaming is well documented in the literature. Even the popular notion that gaming takes over people’s lives in a negative way, stiffing social development, is being questioned – and not before time. As one commentator nearly puts it. ‘For today’s teenager, the computer game is just as compelling and absorbing, but no more harmful, than the novels of Jane Austen, were for her grandmother at the same age.’ The current study would benefit from further work, however, as the researchers seem to be making quite sweeping claims on the basis of relatively thin evidence. Having said that, the idea put forward here that social skills may develop as a result of gaming is an intriguing one, that’s sure to spark some lively debate.

 

D)     Stig Strellson

For those of us who are both enthusiastic gamers and perfectly well-adjusted human beings, the accusation frequently heard that gaming is both addictive and harmful has always smacked of prejudice and ignorance in equal measure. Fortunately, recent studies into the cognitive and social benefits of gaming are now setting the record straight. The latest study, carried out at the State University, takes the argument further, claiming that gaming actively promotes real-world interpersonal skills. Although it is sure to attract quite a bit of attention, this study is clearly just scratching the surface of a big issue. The fact that only a small geographical area was studied detracts a little from the findings. It is nonetheless, a further step in the right direction inn terms of dispassionate debate on this emotive subject.

 

Which writer…

37.- has a different view from Cheney regarding the social benefits of gaming? ______

38.- doesn’t share Morton’s opinion about the addictive nature of gaming? ______

39.- agrees with Porter’s point regarding the researcher’s methodology? ______

40.- presents a different argument to the others regarding the likely impact of the research? ______

The impossible moment of delight

Part 5.- You are going to read an article about happiness. For questions 31-36, choose the answer (A, B, C, or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

 

The impossible moment of delight

 

A recent survey has examined the well-trodden ground of the relationship between pleasure and money. Many studies have examined this, from any number of starting points, often concluding, in the oldest of old clichés, that money can’t buy you happiness or, in more sophisticated terms, that happiness and pleasure often reside, not in riches in absolute terms, but in being richer than the people who happen to live to your left or your right. Other studies have claimed that comparison with the wealth of others lend to a ‘set-up for disappointment’ and that a good attitude is all that matters.

 

This most recent study inquired into the well-being of 136,000 people worldwide and compared it to levels of income. I found, overall, that feelings of security and general satisfaction did increase with financial status. Money, however, could not lift its possessors to the next level, and was unable to provide enjoyment or pleasure on its own. The survey, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, examined large numbers of people from almost every culture on Earth, and found much the same thing. The stereotype of the rich man who finds life savourless and without pleasure was not invented simply to keep the poor happy with their lot.

 

Paul Bloom addresses the same issue in this book How Pleasure Works. According to Bloom, at the point when people get the thing they really want, they enter a state of perfect pleasure. Both Bloom’s book and the enormous survey concentrate on status and on the moment of getting possession of something we want. Are we satisfied and filled with pleasure when we get what we want? Bloom, looking at eager consumers, would say ‘yes’; the survey tends to say ‘not necessarily.’ In my view, it’s rare that we can actually pin down the specific moment when the feeling of pleasure is at its clearest.

 

Take the teenager determined to buy the latest must-have gadget, a woman setting out to get a new handbag, or a prosperous businessman who wants to add to his collection of Japanese netsuke. The setting out with the happy intention of spending; the entering of the shop; the examination of the wares; the long decision; the handing over of the money; the moment when the ownership of the goods is transferred; the gloating at home; the moment when the object is displayed to others. All these steps form a process in employment, but almost all of them are redolent with anticipation or with retrospective glee. The moment where bliss is at its peak is over in a flash, and hardly exists at all. Everything else is expectation or memory.

 

Composers have always known this simple, basic truth: pleasure is half anticipation and half blissful recollection, and hardly at all about the fulfilment of the promise. The great musical statements of ecstasy, such as Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde or Schubert’s first Suleika song, are literally all half crescendo and half languid recall. We look forward to pleasure; we look back on it. The moment of pleasure itself is over in a flash, and often rather questionable.

 

The hairband and geegaw emporium. Claire’s Accessories has a thoughtful, rather philosophical slogan to temp its young costumers. It sells itself under the strapline ‘where getting ready is half of the fun.’ That is honest and truthful. A group of 14-year-old girls in their party best is nowhere near as successful an enterprise of pleasure as exactly the same girls putting on and trying out and discussing their hopes of the party in advance, not as successful either as talking it over the next day. The party itself, from the beginning of time, has consisted of a lot of standing around gawping and giggling, and someone crying in the lavatory.

 

So any notion of fulfilled pleasure which insists on the moment of bliss is doomed to failure. Mr Bloom and the researchers of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology were clearly happiest when undertaking their research during which time they were looking forward to coming to a conclusion. And now they can sit back and start to say ‘Yes, when I concluded any theory of pleasure and satisfaction…’ Even for philosophers of pleasure, another ancient and well-handled cliché about travel and life is true: getting there really is half the pleasure.

 

 

31.- The writer says that previous studies of happiness have differed on…

A) whether having more money than others make people happy.

B) why people compare their financial situation to that of others.

C) what makes people believe that money brings happiness.

D) how important it is for people to think that they are happy.

 

32.- According to the writer, the most recent survey…

A) confirmed a common belief about wealth and happiness.

B) produced results that may surprise some people.

C) provided more accurate information than many other surveys.

D) found that there was no connection between money and happiness.

 

33.- In the third paragraph, the writer says that his own opinion on the subject…

A) has been influenced by the results of the survey.

B) is based on his personal feelings rather than on research.

C) differs from what Bloom concludes in his book.

D) might not be widely shared by other people.

 

34.- The writer says that the musical works he mentions…

A) are not intended to produce feelings of intense happiness.

B) sometimes disappoint people who listen to them.

C) perfectly illustrate his point about pleasure.

D) show how hard it is to generalize about pleasure.

 

35.- The writer says that the company Claire’s Accessories understands that…

A) parties are less enjoyable for girls than getting ready for them.

B) girls enjoy getting ready for parties more than any other aspect of them.

C) looking good at parties make girls happier than anything else.

D) what girls wear for parties affects their memories of them.

 

36.- The writer concludes that both Bloom and the researchers…

A) would agree with his own theory of pleasure.

B) would agree with a certain cliché.

C) have made an important contribution to the study of pleasure.

D) have gone through a process he has previously described.

Dancing is good for you

Part 3.- For questions 17-24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of the gaps to form a word that fits in each one of them. There is an example at the beginning (0).

 

Dancing is good for you

 

Since the dawn of civilisation, dance has been an important part of life, and dance (0) HISTORIANS (HISTORY) struggle to identify the first evidence of dance as it has always been an intrinsic part of human (17)__________(BEHAVE). The earliest recorded dances, discovered in the 9,000 -year-old Bhimbetka rock paintings in India, were used used to tell stories and celebrate (18)_________(SIGNIFY) events, whilst also serving  as a way of passing on information to future generations.

 

But why has dance, something can make someone look utterly (19)__________(RIDICULE) if done wrong, always seemed to be natural to our DNA? Experts argue that is psychological and psychological benefits are the cause, (20)_________(NUMBER) studies have discovered that dancing is not only and (31)_________(EFFECT) form of non-verbal communication, but is also a mood-boosting cure that can alleviate (22)_________(DEPRESS), improve interpersonal (23)__________(RELATION) and cure illnesses. Physically, dancing makes us happy because, as with any repetitive exercise, it releases endorphins. Also it’s a socialising event, (24)_________(ABLE) us to be physically close to people and emotionally connected to them.

Choosing Binoculars

 Part 2.- For questions 9-16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

 

Choosing Binoculars

 

For independent travellers, a good pair of binoculars often represents an essential piece of kit. Unless you’re planning to do a (0) GREAT  deal of bird-watching or other specialist activities, however, there’s no need to invest (9)______ a full-size pair. Compact binoculars are fine when (10)_____ comes to general all-purpose viewing in good light. What’s (11)_______ they are certainly easier to carry round.

 

Everyone has (12)_______ own idea of what makes a comfortable pair of binoculars. When you’re considering (13)_______ of the many brands and models on the market you should choose, don’t  base your decision on price alone. A better idea (14)________ to pop down to your local photographic store and (15)______ those that fall within your price range a test run.

 

(16)_________ you might like the look of a particular pair you may not find the handling and viewing position comfortable. Finally, make sure the binoculars come with a decent case and comfortable neck strap. These details can make all the difference when you’re out in the field.

Galapagos: The islands that changed the world

Part 1.- For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

 

0.- A) fulfill  B) accomplish  C) manage   D) profit

 

Book Review

Galapagos: The islands that changed the world

 

I was lucky enough to (0) (A) fulfill an ambition and visit the Galapagos Islands two years ago. (1)______ no substitute for a visit, this superbly attractive book provides a fascinating commentary and scientific background to the Galapagos experience. BBC books have (2)______ their usual high-quality job in producing the volume that will accompany their TV series of the same name.

 

Nothing can compare to exploring the strange landscapes, (3)_______ up close and personal with the unique wildlife and witnessing the rich biological and environmental history that is so very apparent on the islands. However, this book does (4)_______ close. The superb descriptive prose of award-winning cameraman Paul Stewart is another plus (5)_______, as is the fact that is punctuated by his iconic photography. This book (6)_______ in celebrating the weird and wonderful sights but don’t (7)________ read this book as an alternative to actually going, use it as the (8)_________ of inspiration for your own trip, a useful guide once you’re there and a stunning reminder on your return.

 

1.- A) Despite  B) However  C) Whilst  D) Whereas

2.- A) set          B) done         C) made     D) given

3.- A) getting   B) reaching   C) arriving  D) gaining

4.- A) run         B) come        C) go           D) pass

5.- A) spot        B) point         C) mark      D) tip

6.- A) attains   B) succeeds   C) achieves D) obtains

7.- A) barely   B) hardly       C) merely   D) scarcely

8.- A) base       B) cause        C) origin    D) source

Jessica Ennis: heptathlon Olympic champion

Multiple Matching

 

You are going to read a newspaper article about an Olympic athlete. For questions 6.1-6.10, choose from the paragraphs (A-D). The paragraphs may be chosen more than once.

 

Which paragraph…

6.1.- gives an example of Jessica having good luck?

6.2.- refers to the role of Jessica’s family in helping her achieve success?

6.3.- suggests it is surprising that Jessica does not understand herself better?

6.4.- mentions a previous sporting disappointment that Jessica had?

6.5.- explains why Jessica is so popular with the local public?

6.6.- explains why another athlete was surprised at Jessica’s performance?

6.7.- mentions a painful childhood memory?

6.8.- suggests that Jessica’s appearance can give a misleading impression?

6.9.- says that Jessica’s relationship with someone can sometimes be difficult.

6.10.- contrasts Jessica’s personality on and off the track?

 

Jessica Ennis: heptathlon Olympic champion

 

A

There have been many great Olympic athletes in recent years, but few have been taken to their country’s heart quite as warmly as gold medal winner Jessica Ennis. Her quiet determination to succeed, her good humour when faced by setbacks and the absolute joy she showed when finally becoming Olympic champion have all contributed to this, as has the difficulty of the sport she has chosen to compete in the heptathlon. This involves turning in world-class performances in seven track and field events over two days. At first sight, Jessica – at just 1.65 metres and 57 kilos – may seem an unlikely winner of such a physically demanding sport, but once the action begins it soon becomes clear she has the speed, strength and endurance to beat anyone.

 

B

Jessica recognizes that her normally easygoing nature is transformed into something much fiercer when she has to compete. She shows that success only comes from being highly motivated and totally focused on each event. In her autobiography Unbelievable, she talks of the way she was picked on at school by bigger girls because of her background and lack of size, and how that has made her determined to succeed, particularly against taller and stronger athletes. She also points out that she is not from a particularly sporting family and that her sister ‘absolutely hates sport,’ buy says she was introduced to athletics by her parents, who have continued to give her encouragement and support throughout her career as an athlete. Her mother was born in the UK and her father in Jamaica.

 

C

She gets on well with her family, as she does with her husband Andy, saying the dislikes conflict and wherever possible avoids arguments with people. The only exception is her trainer Chell, with whom she has a row ‘every day.’ And although Jessica is a psychology graduate, she is unable to explain how she acquired the tremendous self-discipline that has enabled her to keep training to Olympics gold medal standard while so many others have given up along the way. Of course, at that level nothing can be taken for granted, as she discovered when a sudden injury put her out of the Beijing Games. She describes that as the lowest point in her career. Typically though, Jessican bounced back, and once fit again began training just as hard as ever. 

D

By the time of the London Games in London she was in the best shape of her life, and on this occasion she was fortunate enough to remain free of injury. Some of the times she recorded in the heptathlon were so fast that she would have achieved good positions in the finals of track events such as the 200 metres. That bought to mind a race won two years earlier against the world champion, who couldn’t believe she had lost to someone who trained for seven different events. Since the London Olympics, Jessica has continued to take part in competitions, receiving numerous awards including World Sportswoman of the Year. She has also featured on a special postage stamp and had a post box in her home city of Sheffield painted gold in her honour.

Distance Learning

You are going to read an article about doing a degree course from home. For questions 1-6, choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

 

Distance learning

Distance learning can give students the chance to work and learn at the same time.

 

Nineteen-year-old Jamie Henderson hasn’t had what you’d call a typical student experience. Despite wanting to read for a degree in Law, Jamie decided against the usual university route and instead opted to study from home.

 

‘With course fees now so high in his country, I was really put off by all the debt I would have when I came out of university,’ he says.

 

Having made this decision, Jamie was able to look into alternatives – which in the end turned out to be a degree validated by a university through a distance learning provider.

 

‘It was a massive weight off my mind and it was a perfect option for me,’ Jamie says, ‘It has allowed me to stay near my friends and my family and still work part-time.’

 

Jamie has been able to take on two part-time jobs – alongside his studies – but has also been free to undertake work experience for a law firm, which has led to a full-time job offer before he has even completed his course.

 

Jonathan Smith, who is studying for a BA in Business, chose to study via a distance learning course where already in full-time employment.

 

‘I’d studied History, Politics and Economics at school but going to university wasn’t even a consideration for me,’ he explains, ‘My friends were at home, I didn’t want to be burdened with debt and I wanted to get straight into a career.’

 

Jonathan completed a Business and Administration Apprenticeship with the local council. While working as a medical administrative, he studied for a diploma and after 12 months had valuable workplace experience.

 

‘I’d done so well at work that they kept me on. But after six months getting settled into my new role, I was financially stable and ready to progress my career with a degree. I didn’t want to give up what I’d achieved to go to university, so distance learning was an appealing choice.’

 

Obviously, one of the downsides to a distance learning course is that students miss out on the experience of attending university, which means missing out on traditional lectures.

 

‘Reading feedback and instructions from a screen isn’t quite the same as talking to someone face-to-face,’ Jamie says, ‘It’s also a lot of work to do on your own. I don’t have a close circle of friends going through the same thing, so I can’t really ask my peers for help and advice. However, I’ve found the online student forums helpful and the firm I’ve been working for have offered advice and guidance when I’ve needed it.’

 

‘I haven’t met as many new people as I would have, had I moved away,’ says Jamie, ‘But I have met new people through work instead. It’s just a different type of experience, which is just as rewarding and ultimately, in my opinion, makes me more employable.’

 

For anyone considering a distance learning course, there are several other factors to be considered; perhaps most importantly, motivation.

 

‘Distance learning isn’t an easy option,’ says Dr Philip Hallam, Chef Executive Officer of a distance and online learning provider. ‘It’s going to be a substantial commitment, no only financially but also on your time. We need to make sure that people have really thought it through and understand why they want a degree. You will need to dig deep occasionally.

 

Jonathan Smith is confident in the choices he’s made regarding education, but believes more could be done to make young people aware of the choice they have.

 

‘When I left school with good qualifications, I was shocked at how little advice was available on options other than university. Everyone is different and education should reflect that, I’m glad I took the route I did and I think it is important that more people have the opportunity to study in a way that suits them.’

 

1.- Why did James decide to do his degree from home?

A) His friends were also studying by distance learning.

B) He had already been offered a full-time job.

C) He wanted to avoid owing a lot of money.

D) He was unable to obtain a place at university.

 

2.- Jonathan’s reason for studying from home was that…

A) he wanted to remain in his job.

B) the job he was doing was badly paid.

C) his preferred subject wasn’t available at university.

D) it was too late for him to apply to university.

 

3.- In the twelfth paragraph (line 46), what does ‘my peers’ mean?

A) the university staff

B) students who have already graduated.

C) the management of the firm.

D) students of the same age.

 

4.- Jamie says that studying from home has enabled him to…

A) work with people who were also studying at the same time.

B) improve his chances of finding work in the future.

C) get to know more people than he would have done at university.

D) concentrate on studying rather than spend time socializing.

 

5.- Dr Hallam recommends distance learning for students…

A) dislike having to work very hard.

B) have little time available for study.

C) cannot afford to go to university.

D) know exactly what it involves.

 

6.- In the last paragraph, Jonathan says that young people should…

A) be advised not to go to university.

B) be made aware of the choices they have.

C) apply for work with employers like this.

D) ensure they get high grades at school.

Which job shall I do?

Part 3.- For questions 3.1-3.8, read the text ‘Which job shall I do?’ on and use the word given in capitals at the end of the lines to form a word that fitis in the gap. There is an example at the beginning (0). (8 points)

 

Example: (0) GRADUATION

 

Which job shall I do?

I have my (0)__________(GRADUATE) ceremony next month but still have no idea what kind of work I am going to after I leave university.

 

I think I need to get some (3.1)__________(ADVISE) because although I have really enjoyed studying history, there seem to be very few jobs available for (3.2)_________(HISTORY) and nowadays most (3.3)_________(EMPLOY) seem to be looking for people with more technical skills.

 

One (3.4)________(POSSIBLE) would be to study for a further degree then stay in the academic world, perhaps as a (3.5)_________(RESEARCH) I am sure I would find that kind of work (3.6)_________(FASCINATE), but the problem is I wouldn’t be earning anything.

 

Since I was a child I have always loved books, so another option might be to become a (3.7)_________(LIBRARY). To do so I would need to spend a year or two learning about the work as a (3.8)_________(TRAIN), but it may be possible to do that here at this university.

Just because I’ve been on holiday doesn’t mean I have to be happy

Part 4.- You are going to read an article about returning to work after being away on holiday. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (4.1-4.6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

 

Just because I’ve been on holiday doesn’t mean I have to be happy

‘Holiday hangover’, ‘back-to-work blues’, ‘post-travel depression’ – it’s a well-known condition, and I’m suffering from it.

My cat. My tortoise. My friends. My bed. The list reads the some every time, but I still write it. I write it on the last day of every holiday, to convince myself that going home isn't so bad. Then I feel utterly miserable. There are plenty of things I'm not great at - driving, maths, returning library books on time - but the thing I'm worst at is coming back to work after a holiday.

It's an extreme case of being selfishly miserable. To have had a lovely sunshine break and then return to the office, where everyone has been working hard without restaurant lunches or morning swims, with a face like thunder is terribly bad manners. (4.1)____ Given the number of names for it - 'holiday hangover', 'back-to-work blues', 'post-travel depression' - it's a well-known condition.

In a recent survey conducted by a travel website, 62 percent of the 1,254 people asked experienced post-holiday misery. (4.2)_____ Probably just before they logged on to a job vacancy website or started fantasising about retraining for work in the countryside.

Even if you manage to avoid end-of-holiday panic, and you feel refreshed, relaxed, and ready to face the world of work, you're guaranteed to walk into stress, conflict, and injustice. (4.3)_____ Or the suprise departmental reorganisation that took place while you were away.

Still, it could be worse. Over three-quarters of people questioned said that their holiday depression lasted for a month. (4.4)_____ Perhaps they should have saved their cash and not bothered going.

After years of practice. I've come up with a few things that help a bit. The first is the list mentioned above, (4.5)_____ Unlike some people I know, I can't just roll off on an intercontinental flight and roll into the office. The third is concentrating on getting through the first day back at work without running away, making a grand plan for a new life, or spending (too much) time on my own tearfully looking at my holiday photos saying to myself: 'I can't believe this is my life.'

I feel sorry for my poor colleagues having to look at my long face today, but at least by having a break now I'm getting my bad mood in early. (4.6)_____ Then I can support them in their hour (month?) of need. I might even lend them one of my pets.