Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 26 to 30.

Mobile phones: a benefit or social nuisance?

Few people under 30 will be able to imagine a time before the existence of mobile phones. Neither will they be (26) ____________ of the harmful effect that many people predicted text language would have on young people's language skills.

Interestingly, linguists nowadays believe that expressing oneself clearly in texts is evidence of a good background in grammar and sentence structure. Mobile phones are credited with encouraging people to communicate more. They can also provide reassurance to people (27) ____________ are alone in dangerous situations. Some people use mobile phones as a kind of barrier to unwelcome social contact; texting can signal your unavailability to (28) ____________ people in the same way that wearing sunglasses and headphones does.

Some issues with mobile phones are still controversial. Talking loudly on the phone while on public transport is thought to be rude and (29) ____________ by many people in the UK. (30) ____________ , a significant minority of people still do it, despite the sighing and other obvious signs of disapproval from their fellow passengers.

(Adapted from "Advanced Expert" by Jan Bell and Roger Gower)

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 26 to 30.

Mobile phones: a benefit or social nuisance?

Few people under 30 will be able to imagine a time before the existence of mobile phones. Neither will they be (26) ____________ of the harmful effect that many people predicted text language would have on young people's language skills.

Interestingly, linguists nowadays believe that expressing oneself clearly in texts is evidence of a good background in grammar and sentence structure. Mobile phones are credited with encouraging people to communicate more. They can also provide reassurance to people (27) ____________ are alone in dangerous situations. Some people use mobile phones as a kind of barrier to unwelcome social contact; texting can signal your unavailability to (28) ____________ people in the same way that wearing sunglasses and headphones does.

Some issues with mobile phones are still controversial. Talking loudly on the phone while on public transport is thought to be rude and (29) ____________ by many people in the UK. (30) ____________ , a significant minority of people still do it, despite the sighing and other obvious signs of disapproval from their fellow passengers.

(Adapted from "Advanced Expert" by Jan Bell and Roger Gower)

Our lives are full of cardboard. The packaging of certain things we buy, from food products to electrical goods, is made of cardboard. In the UK, over 8 million tons of the stuff is produced every year just for packaging. It makes the things we buy more expensive, too. On average, 16% of the money we spend on a product is for the packaging. And where does the packaging usually end up? In the bin, of course, but hopefully that's the recycling bin not the rubbish bin!

Recycling cardboard is much more efficient than producing it in the first place. It takes 24% less energy and produces 50% less sulphur dioxide to recycle it. Recycled cardboard has some remarkable uses, too. Obviously, it ends up as packaging again, but it is also used as a building material. It isn't as expensive as traditional materials and it is often more accessible. Some innovative and environmentally friendly designers are actually using it to make furniture and buildings.

One such person is Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who designed wonderful emergency shelters made of cardboard tubes. The first people to use these were the survivors of the appalling earthquake in Kobe, Japan, in 1995. Since then, they have been used in other places around the world after terrible natural disasters. Perhaps Ban's most outstanding design is his cardboard cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand. His modern, eco-friendly cathedral for up to 700 people is a temporary replacement for the ancient cathedral that was damaged in the earthquake in February 2011 .

(Adapted from "Achievers B1" by Helen Halliwell)

Our lives are full of cardboard. The packaging of certain things we buy, from food products to electrical goods, is made of cardboard. In the UK, over 8 million tons of the stuff is produced every year just for packaging. It makes the things we buy more expensive, too. On average, 16% of the money we spend on a product is for the packaging. And where does the packaging usually end up? In the bin, of course, but hopefully that's the recycling bin not the rubbish bin!

Recycling cardboard is much more efficient than producing it in the first place. It takes 24% less energy and produces 50% less sulphur dioxide to recycle it. Recycled cardboard has some remarkable uses, too. Obviously, it ends up as packaging again, but it is also used as a building material. It isn't as expensive as traditional materials and it is often more accessible. Some innovative and environmentally friendly designers are actually using it to make furniture and buildings.

One such person is Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who designed wonderful emergency shelters made of cardboard tubes. The first people to use these were the survivors of the appalling earthquake in Kobe, Japan, in 1995. Since then, they have been used in other places around the world after terrible natural disasters. Perhaps Ban's most outstanding design is his cardboard cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand. His modern, eco-friendly cathedral for up to 700 people is a temporary replacement for the ancient cathedral that was damaged in the earthquake in February 2011 .

(Adapted from "Achievers B1" by Helen Halliwell)

Our lives are full of cardboard. The packaging of certain things we buy, from food products to electrical goods, is made of cardboard. In the UK, over 8 million tons of the stuff is produced every year just for packaging. It makes the things we buy more expensive, too. On average, 16% of the money we spend on a product is for the packaging. And where does the packaging usually end up? In the bin, of course, but hopefully that's the recycling bin not the rubbish bin!

Recycling cardboard is much more efficient than producing it in the first place. It takes 24% less energy and produces 50% less sulphur dioxide to recycle it. Recycled cardboard has some remarkable uses, too. Obviously, it ends up as packaging again, but it is also used as a building material. It isn't as expensive as traditional materials and it is often more accessible. Some innovative and environmentally friendly designers are actually using it to make furniture and buildings.

One such person is Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who designed wonderful emergency shelters made of cardboard tubes. The first people to use these were the survivors of the appalling earthquake in Kobe, Japan, in 1995. Since then, they have been used in other places around the world after terrible natural disasters. Perhaps Ban's most outstanding design is his cardboard cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand. His modern, eco-friendly cathedral for up to 700 people is a temporary replacement for the ancient cathedral that was damaged in the earthquake in February 2011 .

(Adapted from "Achievers B1" by Helen Halliwell)

Our lives are full of cardboard. The packaging of certain things we buy, from food products to electrical goods, is made of cardboard. In the UK, over 8 million tons of the stuff is produced every year just for packaging. It makes the things we buy more expensive, too. On average, 16% of the money we spend on a product is for the packaging. And where does the packaging usually end up? In the bin, of course, but hopefully that's the recycling bin not the rubbish bin!

Recycling cardboard is much more efficient than producing it in the first place. It takes 24% less energy and produces 50% less sulphur dioxide to recycle it. Recycled cardboard has some remarkable uses, too. Obviously, it ends up as packaging again, but it is also used as a building material. It isn't as expensive as traditional materials and it is often more accessible. Some innovative and environmentally friendly designers are actually using it to make furniture and buildings.

One such person is Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who designed wonderful emergency shelters made of cardboard tubes. The first people to use these were the survivors of the appalling earthquake in Kobe, Japan, in 1995. Since then, they have been used in other places around the world after terrible natural disasters. Perhaps Ban's most outstanding design is his cardboard cathedral in Christchurch, New Zealand. His modern, eco-friendly cathedral for up to 700 people is a temporary replacement for the ancient cathedral that was damaged in the earthquake in February 2011 .

(Adapted from "Achievers B1" by Helen Halliwell)

What was, just a few days ago, the object of eager speculation among British children has become a reality. Schools are shut. For an unspecified period, learning will take place at home, except for a minority of pupils who are deemed to be vulnerable, or whose parents are key workers. Closing schools was a necessary step that should have been taken sooner, as it was in other countries. Across the world, school is part of the rhythm of life - for parents and teachers as well as pupils. Because of coronavirus, an estimated 800 million children globally are now having their education interrupted.

Some may welcome this, at least at first. Nobody wants to catch Covid-19, or be responsible for spreading it. With British schooling in preparation for primary school SATs, GCSEs and A-levels, lessons can be more like drills than investigations. Some parents have already begun sharing plans (and jokes) about homeschooling. However, most parents will feel less well equipped to teach older children.

The social impact of being separated from peers also varies for different age groups. Almost all children, including some who find school difficult, benefit from the social experiences that it offers. But for teenagers, whose emotional development requires them to become more separate from their parents and carers, being forced back into the family nest carries particular stresses.

But economic inequality will be the biggest variable between the experiences of British children over the next few months. In any society, school is a leveller. When they are there, pupils share the same spaces, lessons, menus and teachers. At home, children of well-off parents invariably live in bigger houses, are more likely to have their own bedrooms, two parents rather than one to support them, and better access to technology as well as books and other learning resources, and food.

We must do our best over the coming months, and no one should begrudge those who are looking forward to lessons or weekday lunches with their children. But during this particular period, the government should do everything in its power to ensure that more vulnerable children and families do not lose out. When things get back to normal, anyone who have fallen behind must be helped to catch up.

(Adapted from www.theguardian.com)

What was, just a few days ago, the object of eager speculation among British children has become a reality. Schools are shut. For an unspecified period, learning will take place at home, except for a minority of pupils who are deemed to be vulnerable, or whose parents are key workers. Closing schools was a necessary step that should have been taken sooner, as it was in other countries. Across the world, school is part of the rhythm of life - for parents and teachers as well as pupils. Because of coronavirus, an estimated 800 million children globally are now having their education interrupted.

Some may welcome this, at least at first. Nobody wants to catch Covid-19, or be responsible for spreading it. With British schooling in preparation for primary school SATs, GCSEs and A-levels, lessons can be more like drills than investigations. Some parents have already begun sharing plans (and jokes) about homeschooling. However, most parents will feel less well equipped to teach older children.

The social impact of being separated from peers also varies for different age groups. Almost all children, including some who find school difficult, benefit from the social experiences that it offers. But for teenagers, whose emotional development requires them to become more separate from their parents and carers, being forced back into the family nest carries particular stresses.

But economic inequality will be the biggest variable between the experiences of British children over the next few months. In any society, school is a leveller. When they are there, pupils share the same spaces, lessons, menus and teachers. At home, children of well-off parents invariably live in bigger houses, are more likely to have their own bedrooms, two parents rather than one to support them, and better access to technology as well as books and other learning resources, and food.

We must do our best over the coming months, and no one should begrudge those who are looking forward to lessons or weekday lunches with their children. But during this particular period, the government should do everything in its power to ensure that more vulnerable children and families do not lose out. When things get back to normal, anyone who have fallen behind must be helped to catch up.

(Adapted from www.theguardian.com)

What was, just a few days ago, the object of eager speculation among British children has become a reality. Schools are shut. For an unspecified period, learning will take place at home, except for a minority of pupils who are deemed to be vulnerable, or whose parents are key workers. Closing schools was a necessary step that should have been taken sooner, as it was in other countries. Across the world, school is part of the rhythm of life - for parents and teachers as well as pupils. Because of coronavirus, an estimated 800 million children globally are now having their education interrupted.

Some may welcome this, at least at first. Nobody wants to catch Covid-19, or be responsible for spreading it. With British schooling in preparation for primary school SATs, GCSEs and A-levels, lessons can be more like drills than investigations. Some parents have already begun sharing plans (and jokes) about homeschooling. However, most parents will feel less well equipped to teach older children.

The social impact of being separated from peers also varies for different age groups. Almost all children, including some who find school difficult, benefit from the social experiences that it offers. But for teenagers, whose emotional development requires them to become more separate from their parents and carers, being forced back into the family nest carries particular stresses.

But economic inequality will be the biggest variable between the experiences of British children over the next few months. In any society, school is a leveller. When they are there, pupils share the same spaces, lessons, menus and teachers. At home, children of well-off parents invariably live in bigger houses, are more likely to have their own bedrooms, two parents rather than one to support them, and better access to technology as well as books and other learning resources, and food.

We must do our best over the coming months, and no one should begrudge those who are looking forward to lessons or weekday lunches with their children. But during this particular period, the government should do everything in its power to ensure that more vulnerable children and families do not lose out. When things get back to normal, anyone who have fallen behind must be helped to catch up.

(Adapted from www.theguardian.com)

What was, just a few days ago, the object of eager speculation among British children has become a reality. Schools are shut. For an unspecified period, learning will take place at home, except for a minority of pupils who are deemed to be vulnerable, or whose parents are key workers. Closing schools was a necessary step that should have been taken sooner, as it was in other countries. Across the world, school is part of the rhythm of life - for parents and teachers as well as pupils. Because of coronavirus, an estimated 800 million children globally are now having their education interrupted.

Some may welcome this, at least at first. Nobody wants to catch Covid-19, or be responsible for spreading it. With British schooling in preparation for primary school SATs, GCSEs and A-levels, lessons can be more like drills than investigations. Some parents have already begun sharing plans (and jokes) about homeschooling. However, most parents will feel less well equipped to teach older children.

The social impact of being separated from peers also varies for different age groups. Almost all children, including some who find school difficult, benefit from the social experiences that it offers. But for teenagers, whose emotional development requires them to become more separate from their parents and carers, being forced back into the family nest carries particular stresses.

But economic inequality will be the biggest variable between the experiences of British children over the next few months. In any society, school is a leveller. When they are there, pupils share the same spaces, lessons, menus and teachers. At home, children of well-off parents invariably live in bigger houses, are more likely to have their own bedrooms, two parents rather than one to support them, and better access to technology as well as books and other learning resources, and food.

We must do our best over the coming months, and no one should begrudge those who are looking forward to lessons or weekday lunches with their children. But during this particular period, the government should do everything in its power to ensure that more vulnerable children and families do not lose out. When things get back to normal, anyone who have fallen behind must be helped to catch up.

(Adapted from www.theguardian.com)

What was, just a few days ago, the object of eager speculation among British children has become a reality. Schools are shut. For an unspecified period, learning will take place at home, except for a minority of pupils who are deemed to be vulnerable, or whose parents are key workers. Closing schools was a necessary step that should have been taken sooner, as it was in other countries. Across the world, school is part of the rhythm of life - for parents and teachers as well as pupils. Because of coronavirus, an estimated 800 million children globally are now having their education interrupted.

Some may welcome this, at least at first. Nobody wants to catch Covid-19, or be responsible for spreading it. With British schooling in preparation for primary school SATs, GCSEs and A-levels, lessons can be more like drills than investigations. Some parents have already begun sharing plans (and jokes) about homeschooling. However, most parents will feel less well equipped to teach older children.

The social impact of being separated from peers also varies for different age groups. Almost all children, including some who find school difficult, benefit from the social experiences that it offers. But for teenagers, whose emotional development requires them to become more separate from their parents and carers, being forced back into the family nest carries particular stresses.

But economic inequality will be the biggest variable between the experiences of British children over the next few months. In any society, school is a leveller. When they are there, pupils share the same spaces, lessons, menus and teachers. At home, children of well-off parents invariably live in bigger houses, are more likely to have their own bedrooms, two parents rather than one to support them, and better access to technology as well as books and other learning resources, and food.

We must do our best over the coming months, and no one should begrudge those who are looking forward to lessons or weekday lunches with their children. But during this particular period, the government should do everything in its power to ensure that more vulnerable children and families do not lose out. When things get back to normal, anyone who have fallen behind must be helped to catch up.

(Adapted from www.theguardian.com)