Read the blog post quickly and check your ideas from exercise 1.

GPS CHALLENGE

Dear Friends

CLAUDIA'S BLOG

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while. I've been a bit busy lately. You'll find out why... But first of all, have you ever heard of geocaching? It's a kind of treasure-hunting game that uses a GPS device-usually your smartphone-to find small containers called geocaches hidden all over the world. I can definitely recommend it- it's healthy and fun. So how does it work, exactly? Well, the first step is to go to the geocaching website or download the geocaching app onto your phone. Then choose a geocache and start looking. People have been hiding geocaches for more than ten years, so there are literally millions of them around the world, including Antarctica!

Geocaching began around the year 2000. However, similar games did exist in the past. For example, in the middle of the 19th century, a game called 'letterboxing" became popular in the south of England. People walking in the countryside began to hide boxes of addressed postcards all along the route. When other walkers found a box, they collected the cards and posted them.

In geocaching, the boxes contain a logbook, where the person who finds it can write their name and the date. (They also record the find on the website.) Geocaches often contain a toy or gift, too. You are welcome to take this, provided you replace it with something you have brought with you.

The basic game just involves finding a geocache and recording it online and in the logbook. However, there are lots of variations: multi-cache challenges (each cache leads to the next until the final cache containing the logbook), 'travelling caches' (you move it to a different location and update the information on the website) and webcam caches' (you find a public webcam and capture an image of yourself on the webcam as proof of success). I've tried all of these types, and personally, I've enjoyed the multi-cache challenges the most.

Geocaching is an activity you can do alone or, like me, with a couple of friends, or at events with hundreds of other fans of the game. An example of such an event is the annual "Fumble after Dark' in November in Sweden. I'm seriously thinking about joining it next year. So why don't you get into geocaching too, and I might see you there!

Bye for now!

Claudia

 Read the dialogue, ignoring the gaps, and check your ideas from exercise 1.

Jenny: I think this flat is the best we've seen so far. Rents seem to be getting higher and higher. But this one's the least expensive and it's the ¹________ (near) to the city centre.

Beth: But it's the one with the fewest rooms and the least space.

Jenny: So you prefer the flat in the ²________ (bad) location and with the ³________ (high) rent?

Beth: The location isn't that bad. It's ⁴________ (far) from the centre than the other two, but you can get to the train station more easily. And it's much ⁵________ (spacious) than the other two flats.

Jenny: Can we afford it, though? The more we spend on rent, the less we'll have for other things.

Beth: Actually, it's less expensive than it seems because the rent includes all the bills.

2. Read the text and check your ideas from exercise 1.

(Đọc đoạn văn và kiểm tra đáp án của bạn ở bài tập 1.)

The camera revolution

Over the past 20 years, (1) the way in which we take, keep and share photos has been transformed. Most people use smartphones and digital cameras to take photos, and billions of photos have been uploaded to social networking sites. So (2) have traditional celluloid film cameras been replaced by these gadgets? Not yet, but it won't be long.

However, things are going to change again. Wearable gadgets that have recently been developed allow you to take a photo simply by blinking. (3) Messages can also be sent and information can be accessed with these wearable gadgets. (4) The technology hasn't been perfected, so (5) these devices won't be sold in shops for a while.

(6) Will cameras and mobiles be replaced by wearable gadgets? (7) They can't be replaced yet but (8) they may be taken over sooner than we think. What's certain is that (9) our lives will be changed by these devices in ways we haven't even thought of.

1. Check the meaning of the words in the box and complete the text. Read and listen to the text and check your answer.

(Kiểm tra nghĩa của các từ trong khung và hoàn thành văn bản. Đọc và nghe văn bản và kiểm tra câu trả lời của bạn.)

Read the article and check your ideas. Do you collect anything? If so, what?

                                                       He’s lovin’ it

Mike Fountaine has the world's largest collection of McDonald's memorabilia. The sixty-year-old McDonald's employee has spent almost fifty years collecting everything to do with the fast-food restaurant. He has already filled nine rooms of his house with 75,000 objects, including toys, badges, cups and uniforms! Mike has been at McDonald's since 1968. His first job was cooking Big Macs. A year later he began collecting badges, and he hasn't stopped since! A few years ago, Mike opened his own McDonald's restaurant. He has decorated it with memorabilia. 'People say it's the most beautiful McDonald's restaurant they've ever seen,' says Mike proudly.

Nonfiction Reading Test 

Koko 

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text  to check your answers when appropriate. 

Did you know that humans aren't the only  species that use language? Bees communicate by  dancing. Whales talk to each other by singing.  And some apes talk to humans by using  American Sign Language. 

Meet Koko: a female gorilla born at the San  Francisco Zoo on July 4th, 1971. Koko learned  sign language from her trainer, Dr. Penny  Patterson. Patterson began teaching sign  language to Koko in 1972, when Koko was one  year old. Koko must have been a good student,  because two years later she moved onto the  Stanford University campus with Dr. Patterson.  Koko continued to learn on the campus until  1976. That's when she began living full-time  with Patterson's group, the Gorilla Foundation.  Patterson and Koko's relationship has blossomed  ever since. 

Dr. Patterson says that Koko has mastered sign  language. She says that Koko knows over 1,000  words, and that Koko makes up new words. For  example, Koko didn't know the sign for ring, so  

she signed the words finger and bracelet. Dr.  Patterson thinks that this shows meaningful and  constructive use of language.  

Not everyone agrees with Dr. Patterson. Some  argue that apes like Koko do not understand the  meaning of what they are doing. Skeptics say  that these apes are just performing complex  tricks. For example, if Koko points to an apple  and signs red or apple, Dr. Patterson will give  her an apple. They argue that Koko does not  really know what the sign apple means. She only  knows that that if she makes the right motion,  one which Dr. Patterson has shown her, then she  gets an apple. The debate is unresolved, but one  thing is for certain: Koko is an extraordinary  ape. 

Sign language isn't the only unusual thing about  Koko. She's also been a pet-owner. In 1983, at  the age of 12, researchers said that Koko asked  for a cat for Christmas. They gave Koko a  stuffed cat. Koko was not happy. She did not  play with it, and she continued to sign sad. So  for her birthday in 1984, they let her pick a cat  out of an abandoned liter. Koko picked a gray  cat and named him "All Ball." Dr. Patterson said  that Koko loved and nurtured All Ball as though  he were a baby gorilla. Sadly, All Ball got out of  Koko's cage and was hit by a car. Patterson  reported that Koko signed "Bad, sad, bad" and  "Frown, cry, frown, sad" when she broke the  news to her.  

It seems like Patterson and Koko have a good  relationship, but not everyone agrees with it.  Some critics believe that Patterson is humanizing  the ape. They believe that apes should be left in  the most natural state possible. Even Dr.  Patterson struggles with these feelings. When  asked if her findings could be duplicated by  another group of scientists, she said, "We don't  think that it would be ethical to do again." She  went on to argue that animals should not be kept  in such unnatural circumstances. Nonetheless,  Koko lives in her foundation today. 

As for the future, Dr. Patterson and the Gorilla  Foundation would love to get Koko to an ape  preserve in Maui, but they are having trouble  securing the land. So unless you have a few  million dollars to spare, Koko's going to be  spending her time in Woodland, California with  Dr. Patterson. Koko probably doesn't mind that.  If she moved to Hawaii, she'd have to give up  her Facebook page and Twitter feed, and she's  got like 50 thousand "likes." Some may deny  that she knows sign language, but nobody says  that she doesn't know social networking. 

1. Which best expresses the main idea of this article? 

a. Bees, whales, and apes like Koko all use language to communicate. b. Koko uses sign language but some think it's just a trick. 

c. It is natural for gorillas and house cats to live together.  

d. If you want a lot of "likes" on Facebook, get a talking gorilla.  

2. Which best describes how the second paragraph is organized? 

a. Chronological order b. Cause and effect c. Compare and contrast d. Problem and solution 

3. Which best expresses the author's purpose in writing the second paragraph? a. The author is describing the environment in which Koko lives. 

b. The author is informing readers how Dr. Patterson developed her skills. c. The author is persuading readers that Koko should be freed. 

d. The author is telling readers about Koko and Dr. Patterson's background. 

4. Which happened last? 

a. Koko got a stuffed cat for Christmas.  

b. Koko lost All Ball. 

c. Koko began living with the Gorilla Foundation. 

d. Dr. Patterson began teaching Koko to sign. 

5. Which statement would the author most likely agree with? 

a. Koko has mastered sign language without a doubt. 

b. Everybody likes how Dr. Patterson has raised Koko. 

c. Koko doesn't really know sign language. 

d. Some people are troubled by how Koko was raised. 

6. Which best defines the word duplicated as it is used in the sixth paragraph? a. To dispute a fact or disagree with someone b. To lie to someone or to fool them c. To copy or recreate something d. To be disproven through debate 

7. Which event happened first? 

a. Koko moved onto the Stanford University campus. 

b. Koko picked All Ball out for her birthday. 

c. Koko began living with the Gorilla Foundation. 

d. Koko got a stuffed cat for Christmas. 

8. Which best describes the main idea of the sixth paragraph? 

a. Dr. Patterson has treated Koko very cruelly. 

b. Dr. Patterson and Koko have a beautiful, pure, and unconflicted relationship. c. Some people think that Koko should not have been treated like a human. d. Some people are working very hard to prove that Dr. Patterson is wrong.

9. Which statement would the author most likely disagree with? 

a. Dr. Patterson has worked hard to teach Koko sign language. 

b. Some people think that Koko only signs to get food. 

c. The Gorilla Foundation would like to move Koko to an ape preserve. 

d. Dr. Patterson has no regrets about working with Koko.  

10. If a book were being written about Koko and All Ball, which title would best summarize their story? a. Long Wanted, Short Lived: A Tale of Strong Loves Lost 

b. Happy Ending: The Gorilla Who Got What She Wanted 

c. A Tale of Two Kitties: A Stuffed Cat Versus a Real One 

d. Plushy Love: How A Gorilla Fell in Love with a Stuffed Cat 

Long-Response Questions 

1. Does Koko really understand sign language? Support your position with quotes from the text. Explain  your quotes clearly. Argue your point thoroughly. 

2. What lesson can readers learn from this text? Use evidence from the text to support your position.  Explain what your evidence shows.  

3. Make an inference. Describe how Dr. Patterson feels about her relationship with Koko. Use evidence  from the text to support your response. Explain your evidence clearly. 

Read the article and check your ideas.

                                                       MR CONNECTED

Chris Dancy loves technology. A few years ago, he noticed that he had very little information about his habits, health and lifestyle, and he wanted to lose some weight. So he bought some gadgets that could collect this information and help him understand himself better. Now he is connected to 700 sensors that record every detail of his life. He monitors what he eats and drinks, how long he sleeps, how much he spends, his mood... even the activity of his dogs! Few, if any, people collect as much data about themselves as Chris.

Most of his gadgets are attached to him. He wears gadgets on both arms, a heart rate monitor and a device that counts calories. He has a smartwatch too, which he can wear on either wrist. His house and car are also full of gadgets. Every one of them sends data to his computer, and at the end of each day Chris spends a little time analysing it. The smartwatch is the only gadget he wears all the time. He doesn't wear all of his gadgets 24/7, but he has so many systems that automatically track his activity that there aren't any days when there is no monitoring at all.

SPEAKING Read the text and check your answer to exercise 1. Do you think the app would increase or decrease the number of arguments in your family? Why?

Tablets for dinner?

An evening meal for the family was once part of everyday life in British homes. But this tradition has almost disappeared. Some people blame technology: children and teenagers are so addicted to their phones and tablets that they do not want to stop playing with them, even at mealtimes. This causes a lot of arguments in families. But now, parents can get a free app called DinnerTime, which locks their children’s devices at certain times of the day and tight. During those times, the children are unable to access messages, games, or the internet. In theory, this means that parents and children can spend more time together, eating and chatting. But will it lead to happier families or more family arguments?