The Man Booker PrizeThe Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded every year for a novel written by a writer from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland and it aims to represent the very best in contemporary fiction. The prize was originally called the Booker-McConnell Prize, which was the name of the company that sponsored it, though it was better-known as simply the Booker Prize. In 2002, the Man Group became the sponsor and they chose the new name, keeping Booker.Publishers can submit books for consideration for the prize, but the judges can also ask for books to be submitted they think should be included. Firstly, the Advisory Committee give advice if there have been any changes to the rules for the prize and selects the people who will judge the books. The judging panel changes every year and usually a person is only a judge once.Great efforts are made to ensure that the judging panel is balanced in terms of gender and professions within the industry, so that a writer, a critic, an editor and an academic are chosen along with a well-known person from wider society. However, when the panel of judges has been finalized, they are left to make their own decisions without any further involvement or interference from the prize sponsor.The Man Booker judges include critics, writers and academics to maintain the consistent quality of the prize and its influence is such that the winner will almost certainly see the sales increase considerably , in addition to the 50,000 that comes with the prize.Top of FormQuestionsQ1 - The Republic of Irelandis in the Commonwealth.is not in the Commonwealth.can't enter the Man Booker Prize.joined the Booker prize in 2002.Q2 - The Man groupwas forced to keep the name 'Booker'.decided to include the name 'Booker'.decided to keep the name 'Booker-McConnell'.decided to use only the name 'Booker'.Q3 - Books can be submittedby publishers.by writers.by judges.by the sponsors.Q4 - Who advises on changes to the rules?The sponsorsThe judging panelThe advisory panelPublishersQ5 - The judging paneldoesn't include women.includes only women.is only chosen from representatives of the industry.includes someone from outside the industry.Q6 - The sponsors of the prizeare involved in choosing the winner.are involved in choosing the judges.are not involved at all.choose the academic for the panel of judges.Q7 - The consistent quality of the prizeis guaranteed by the prize money.is guaranteed by the gender of the judges.is guaranteed by the make-up of the panel of judges.is guaranteed by the increase in sales of the winner.

Reality TelevisionReality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed, presents unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a form of artificial or "heightened" documentary. Although the genre has existed in some form or another since the early years of television, the current explosion of popularity dates from around 2000.

Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or quiz shows which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (a modern example is Gaki no tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism- focused productions such as Big Brother.

Critics say that the term "reality television" is somewhat of a misnomer and that such shows frequently portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated through editing and other post-production techniques.

Part of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary situations. For example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a dozen women simultaneously, travelling on extraordinary dates to scenic locales. Reality television also has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, outwardly in talent and performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently Survivor and Big Brother participants also reach some degree of celebrity.

Some commentators have said that the name "reality television" is an inaccurate description for several styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs such as Big Brother and Survivor, and other special-living-environment shows like The Real World, the producers design the format of the show and control the day-to-day activities and the environment, creating a completely fabricated world in which the competition plays out. Producers specifically select the participants, and use carefully designed scenarios, challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. Mark Burnett, creator of Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and avoids the word "reality" to describe his shows; he has said, "I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama."Q1 - In the first line, the writer says 'it is claimed' becausethey agree with the statement.everyone agrees with the statement.no one agrees with the statement.they want to distance themselves from the statement.Q2 - Reality television hasalways been this popular.has been popular since well before 2000.has only been popular since 2000.has been popular since approximately 2000.Q3 - Japanis the only place to produce demeaning TV shows.has produced demeaning TV shows copied elsewhere.produced Big Brother.invented surveillance focused productions.Q4 - People have criticised reality television becauseit is demeaning.it uses exotic locations.the name is inaccurate.it shows reality.Q5 - Reality TV appeals to some becauseit shows eligible males dating women.it uses exotic locations.it shows average people in exceptional circumstances.it can turn ordinary people into celebrities.Q6 - Pop Idolturns all its participants into celebrities.is more likely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother.is less likely to turn its particiapants into celebrities than Big Brother.is a dating show.Q7 - The term 'reality television' is inaccuratefor all programs.just for Big Brother and Survivor.for talent and performance programs.for special-living-environment programs.Q8 - Producers choose the participantson the ground of talent.only for special-living-environment shows.to create conflict among other things.to make a fabricated world.Q9 - Paul Burnettwas a participant on Survivor.is a critic of reality TV.thinks the term 'reality television' is inaccurate.writes the script for Survivor.Q10 - Shows like Survivorare definitely reality TV.are scripted.have good narratives.are theatre.

Scottish IndependenceThe majority of people in Scotland are in favour breaking away from the rest of the UK and becoming independent, according to a poll taken just before the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union, which united Scotland and England.A pair of Acts of Parliament, passed in 1706 and 1707 that came into effect on May 1, 1707, created Great Britain. The parliaments of both countries were dissolved, and replaced by a new Parliament of Great Britain in Westminster, London.The poll showed support for independence for Scotland is running at 51%. This is the first time since 1998 that support for separation has passed 50%, and the first time since devolution gave power to the country in 1999. Six months before elections for the Scottish Parliament, these poll results come as good news to the Scottish Nationalist Party, who are hoping to make progress against Labour and further the cause of an independent Scotland.Many people have become disillusioned with devolution, and believe that the Scottish Parliament has failed to deliver what they had hoped it would; only a tenth have no opinion. In fact, only 39% of those polled want to keep things as they are.Q1 - Scotland and Englandhave always been united.want to break up the union.have been united for a long time.were united by war.Q2 - Great Britainwas formed by an Act of Parliament in 1706.was formed by two Acts of Parliament in 1707.was formed by an Act of Parliament that came into effect on May 1st 1707.was formed by Acts of Parliament that came into effect on May 1st 1707.Q3 - People who want indepence for Scotlandare the vast majority.are in the minority.are the slight majority.have decreased in number since devolution.Q4 - The majority of people wanted independence for the first timebefore devolution.in 1999.after devolution.before and after independence.Q5 - The results of the poll are good newsfor Labour.for both parties.for the Scottish Nationalist Party.for devolution.Q6 - Most people's opinions of devolutionhave gone up.have gone down.are the same.make progress against Labour.Q7 - The number of people who want to keep things as they areis greater than those that don't know.is smaller than those that don't know.is increasing.is the majority.

Mark RothkoMark Rothko, one of the greatest painters of the twentieth century, was born in Daugavpils, Latvia in 1903. His father emigrated to the United States, afraid that his sons would be drafted into the Czarist army. Mark stayed in Russia with his mother and older sister; they joined the family later, arriving in the winter of 1913, after a 12-day voyage.Mark moved to New York in the autumn of 1923 and found employment in the garment trade and took up residence on the Upper West Side. It was while he was visiting someone at the Art Students League that he saw students sketching a nude model. According to him, this was the start of his life as an artist. He was twenty years old and had taken some art lessons at school, so his initial experience was far from an immediate calling.In 1936, Mark Rothko began writing a book, which he never completed, about the similarities in the children's art and the work of modern painters. The work of modernists, which was influenced by primitive art, could, according to him, be compared to that of children in that "child art transforms itself into primitivism, which is only the child producing a mimicry of himself." In this same work, he said that "the fact that one usually begins with drawing is already academic. We start with colour."It was not long before his multiforms developed into the style he is remembered for; in 1949 Rothko exhibited these new works at the Betty Parsons Gallery. For critic Harold Rosenberg, the paintings were a revelation. Rothko had, after painting his first multiform, secluded himself to his home in East Hampton on Long Island, only inviting a very few people, including Rosenberg, to view the new paintings. The discovery of his definitive form came at a period of great grief; his mother Kate died in October 1948 and it was at some point during that winter that Rothko chanced upon the striking symmetrical rectangular blocks of two to three opposing or contrasting, yet complementary colours. As part of this new uniformity of artistic vision, his paintings and drawings no longer had individual titles; from this point on they were simply untitled, numbered or dated. However, to assist in distinguishing one work from another, dealers would sometimes add the primary colours to the name. Additionally, for the next few years, Rothko painted in oil only on large vertical canvasses. This was done to overwhelm the viewer, or, in his words, to make the viewer feel enveloped within the picture.On February 25, 1970, Oliver Steindecker, Rothkos assistant, found him in his kitchen, lying on the floor in front of the sink, covered in blood. His arms had been cut open with a razor. The emergency doctor arrived on the scene minutes later to pronounce him dead as the result of suicide; it was discovered during the autopsy that he had also overdosed on anti-depressants. He was just 66 years old.Q1 - Mark Rothko emigrated to the United Stateswith his father and elder sister.with his mother and brothers.with his mother and elder sister.with all his family.Q2 - Rothko wanted to be an artistfrom his early childhood.when he joined the Art Students League.when he watched students drawing.when he moved to the Upper West Side.Q3 - Rothko thought that modern artwas primitive.could be compared to children's pictures.was already academic.was childish.Q4 - Rothko's distinctive stylewas inspired by Rosenberg.resulted from moving to Long Island.resulted from his grief.evolved in 1948.Q5 - Who named paintings by their colours?RosenbergRothkoDealersSteindecker

The Great Wall of ChinaWalls and wall building have played a very important role in Chinese culture. These people, from the dim mists of prehistory have been wall-conscious; from the Neolithic period when ramparts of pounded earth were used - to the Communist Revolution, walls were an essential part of any village. Not only towns and villages; the houses and the temples within them were somehow walled, and the houses also had no windows overlooking the street, thus giving the feeling of wandering around a huge maze. The name for city in Chinese (cheng) means wall, and over these walled cities, villages, houses and temples presides the god of walls and mounts, whose duties were, and still are, to protect and be responsible for the welfare of the inhabitants. Thus a great and extremely laborious task such as constructing a wall, which was supposed to run throughout the country, must not have seemed such an absurdity.However, it is indeed a common mistake to perceive the Great Wall as a single architectural structure, and it would also be erroneous to assume that it was built during a single dynasty. For the building of the wall spanned the various dynasties, and each of these dynasties somehow contributed to the refurbishing and the construction of a wall, whose foundations had been laid many centuries ago. It was during the fourth and third century B.C. that each warring state started building walls to protect their kingdoms, both against one another and against the northern nomads. Especially three of these states: the Chin, the Chao and the Yen, corresponding respectively to the modern provinces of Shensi, Shanzi and Hopei, over and above building walls that surrounded their kingdoms, also laid the foundations on which Chin Shih Huang Di would build his first continuous Great Wall.The role that the Great Wall played in the growth of Chinese economy was an important one. Throughout the centuries many settlements were established along the new border. The garrison troops were instructed to reclaim wasteland and to plant crops on it, roads and canals were built, to mention just a few of the works carried out. All these undertakings greatly helped to increase the countrys trade and cultural exchanges with many remote areas and also with the southern, central and western parts of Asia the formation of the Silk Route. Builders, garrisons, artisans, farmers and peasants left behind a trail of objects, including inscribed tablets, household articles, and written work, which have become extremely valuable archaeological evidence to the study of defence institutions of the Great Wall and the everyday life of these people who lived and died along the wall.Q1 - Chinese cities resembled a mazebecause they were walled.because the houses has no external windows.because the name for cities means 'wall'.because walls have always been important there.Q2 - Constructing a wall that ran the length of the countryhonoured the god of walls and mounts.was an absurdly laborious task.may have made sense within Chinese culture.made the country look like a huge maze.Q3 - The Great Wall of Chinawas built in a single dynasty.was refurbished in the fourth and third centuries BC.used existing foundations.was built by the Chin, the Chao and the Yen.Q4 - Crops were plantedon wasteland.to reclaim wasteland.on reclaimed wasteland.along the canals.Q5 - The Great Wallhelped build trade only inside China.helped build trade in China and abroad.helped build trade only abroad.helped build trade only to remote areas.

English as a National Foreign LanguageIndia has two national languages for central administrative purposes: Hindi and English. Hindi is the national, official, and main link language of India. English is an associate official language. The Indian Constitution also officially approves twenty-two regional languages for official purposes.

Dozens of distinctly different regional languages are spoken in India, which share many characteristics such as grammatical structure and vocabulary. Apart from these languages, Hindi is used for communication in India. The homeland of Hindi is mainly in the north of India, but it is spoken and widely understood in all urban centers of India. In the southern states of India, where people speak many different languages that are not much related to Hindi, there is more resistance to Hindi, which has allowed English to remain a lingua franca to a greater degree.

Since the early 1600s, the English language has had a toehold on the Indian subcontinent, when the East India Company established settlements in Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai, formerly Madras, Calcutta, and Bombay respectively. The historical background of India is never far away from everyday usage of English. India has had a longer exposure to English than any other country which uses it as a second language, its distinctive words, idioms, grammar and rhetoric spreading gradually to affect all places, habits and culture.

In India, English serves two purposes. First, it provides a linguistic tool for the administrative cohesiveness of the country, causing people who speak different languages to become united. Secondly, it serves as a language of wider communication, including a large variety of different people covering a vast area. It overlaps with local languages in certain spheres of influence and in public domains.

Generally, English is used among Indians as a link language and it is the first language for many well-educated Indians. It is also the second language for many who speak more than one language in India. The English language is a tie that helps bind the many segments of our society together. Also, it is a linguistic bridge between the major countries of the world and India.

English has special national status in India. It has a special place in the parliament, judiciary, broadcasting, journalism, and in the education system. One can see a Hindi-speaking teacher giving their students instructions during an educational tour about where to meet and when their bus would leave, but all in English. It means that the language permeates daily life. It is unavoidable and is always expected, especially in the cities.

The importance of the ability to speak or write English has recently increased significantly because English has become the de facto standard. Learning English language has become popular for business, commerce and cultural reasons and especially for internet communications throughout the world. English is a language that has become a standard not because it has been approved by any standards organization but because it is widely used by many information and technology industries and recognized as being standard. The call centre phenomenon has stimulated a huge expansion of internet-related activity, establishing the future of India as a cyber-technological super-power. Modern communications, videos, journals and newspapers on the internet use English and have made knowing English indispensable.

The prevailing view seems to be that unless students learn English, they can only work in limited jobs. Those who do not have basic knowledge of English cannot obtain good quality jobs. They cannot communicate efficiently with others, and cannot have the benefit of Indias rich social and cultural life. Men and women who cannot comprehend and interpret instructions in English, even if educated, are unemployable. They cannot help with their childrens school homework everyday or decide their revenue options of the future.A positive attitude to English as a national language is essential to the integration of people into Indian society. There would appear to be virtually no disagreement in the community about the importance of English language skills. Using English you will become a citizen of the world almost naturally. English plays a dominant role in the media. It has been used as a medium for inter-state communication and broadcasting both before and since Indias independence. India is, without a doubt, committed to English as a national language. The impact of English is not only continuing but increasing.Q1 - According to the writer, the Indian constitution recognises22 official languages.Hindi as the national language.2 national, official languages.2 national languages.Q2 - English's status as a lingua franca is helped byits status in northern India.the fact that it is widely understood in urban centres.the fact that people from the south speak languages not much related to Hindi.it shares many grammatical similarities with Hindi.Q3 - In paragraph 3, 'toehold' means that Englishdominated India.changed the names of some cities in India.has had a presence in India.has been in India longer than any other language.Q4 - Hindi-speaking teachersmight well be heard using English.only use English.only use English for instructions.do not use English.Q5 - In paragraph eight, it says 'the prevailing view', which suggests thatthe view is correct.the view is held by the majority.the view is incorrect.the view is held by the minority.Q6 - English in Indiais going to decrease.has decreased since independence.causes disagreement.is going to have a greater importance.

Dirty BritainBefore the grass has thickened on the roadside verges and leaves have started growing on the trees is a perfect time to look around and see just how dirty Britain has become. The pavements are stained with chewing gum that has been spat out and the gutters are full of discarded fast food cartons. Years ago I remember travelling abroad and being saddened by the plastic bags, discarded bottles and soiled nappies at the edge of every road. Nowadays, Britain seems to look at least as bad. What has gone wrong?The problem is that the rubbish created by our increasingly mobile lives lasts a lot longer than before. If it is not cleared up and properly thrown away, it stays in the undergrowth for years; a semi-permanent reminder of what a tatty little country we have now.

Firstly, it is estimated that 10 billion plastic bags have been given to shoppers. These will take anything from 100 to 1,000 years to rot. However, it is not as if there is no solution to this. A few years ago, the Irish government introduced a tax on non-recyclable carrier bags and in three months reduced their use by 90%. When he was a minister, Michael Meacher attempted to introduce a similar arrangement in Britain. The plastics industry protested, of course. However, they need not have bothered; the idea was killed before it could draw breath, leaving supermarkets free to give away plastic bags.

What is clearly necessary right now is some sort of combined initiative, both individual and collective, before it is too late. The alternative is to continue sliding downhill until we have a country that looks like a vast municipal rubbish tip. We may well be at the tipping point. Yet we know that people respond to their environment. If things around them are clean and tidy, people behave cleanly and tidily. If they are surrounded by squalor, they behave squalidly. Now, much of Britain looks pretty squalid. What will it look like in five years? 1 - The writer says that it is a good time to see Britain before the trees have leaves becauseBritain looks perfect.you can see Britain at its dirtiest.you can see how dirty Britain is now.the grass has thickened on the verges.Q2 - According to the writer, things used to beworse abroad.the same abroad.better abroad.worse, but now things are better abroad.Q3 - For the writer, the problem is thatrubbish is not cleared up.rubbish last longer than it used to.our society is increasingly mobile.Britain is a tatty country.Q4 - Michael Meacherfollowed the Irish example with a tax on plastic bags.tried to follow the Irish example with a tax on plastic bags.made no attempt to follow the Irish example with a tax on plastic bags.had problems with the plastics industry who weren't bothered about the tax.Q5 - The writer thinksit is too late to do anything.we are at the tipping point.there is no alternative.we need to work together to solve the problem.Q6 - The writer thinks thatpeople are squalid.people behave according to what they see around them.people are clean and tidy.people are like a vast municipal rubbish tip.

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