Reading Practice

READ THE TEXT AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS Nobel heroesWhat is the first thing that springs to mind when someone says ‘hero’? Some people probably picture Superman or one of the other comic book action heroes. Others might conjure up an image of a fireman rescuing someone from a burning building. There are indeed various different kinds of heroes as reflected in the awarding of the Nobel Prizes, which celebrate heroes in the fields of science, literature and peace.(1)Since the first prizes were awarded in 1901, the Nobel Prizes have become a world-renowned institution with more than 580 prizes being distributed among all the categories so far.(2)It would be hard to mention the Nobel Prizes for Science without acknowledging the Curie family. As most people are aware, Marie and Pierre Curie won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903. Marie then went on to win the Chemistry Prize in 1911. What is less well known is that their eldest daughter won the Chemistry Prize for the discovery of artificial radioactivity in 1935 and their second daughter was the President of UNICEF when it won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965.(3)The final category, the Literature Prize, is the one where Nobel’s prescriptions were the most open. His will stated that the prize should go to the person who produced ‘the most outstanding work in an ideal direction’. This has been open to interpretation since the beginning, which has led to quite a variance in the types of literary works that have won it, from Kipling to Vargas Llosa and from Hemingway to Dylan. A lot of people may debate whether these winners should be termed ‘heroes’, but without their work the world would be a duller place.(4)Although the prizes are normally awarded annually, there have been years when no prizes have been given out, most notably during the First and Second World Wars. However, perhaps the most controversial year was 1947 when Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated a few days before the nominations were announced and according to the rules, the award cannot be awarded posthumously. In the end, no Peace Prize was given that year because it was considered that there was no living person worthy of the award.(5)The fact that the Nobel Prizes continue to be awarded more than a century after they were established, demonstrates that humanity enjoys rewarding those who work hard and contribute to society. In many cases, it is a chance for the unsung hero to have their 15 minutes of fame. Long may it continue.AWith regard to this prize, it is perhaps the most abstract category. It recognises heroes that work tirelessly to maintain or accomplish peace in the world. As with the other prizes, as we know, it can be awarded to individual people or organisations. On the one hand, individuals such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela are well known for their work in bringing peace to their areas of the world. On the other hand, 1965 is only one of five occasions when different sections of the United Nations have received the award, which demonstrates how important and far-reaching its work is.BThis event highlights the controversial point that the rules regarding the nominations are very elaborate and some consider them behind the times. This is not unusual. Most awards frequently face controversies regarding the nominees or winners. One of the problems is that there are numerous people working hard in all categories who deserve to win. As a result, there will always be someone who believes that a different nominee should have won the prize. In addition, a prize such as the Nobel Peace Prize is a very subjective category and therefore open to interpretation.CThe idea for a Nobel Prize was established by Alfred Nobel in 1895. He was a very successful industrialist and it appears he wanted to leave behind an enduring legacy. He donated most of his wealth to the establishment of Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Peace.DHaving mentioned the importance of these prizes, you would assume that everyone accepts their award. However, two recipients have turned it down. Le Duc Tho refused the Nobel Peace Prize because he felt the situation in Vietnam didn’t warrant it and Jean-Paul Sartre declined the Nobel Prize in Literature because he consistently declined all awards.EScience is the largest category, covering three separate prizes. The winners have all been scientists who have worked tirelessly to prove a theory or make a discovery vital to the progress of science. Famous laureates include Albert Einstein, who made various discoveries including the cause of the photoelectric effect, which led to his prize in 1921; Alexander Fleming and his colleagues who discovered penicillin, which is now a common medicinal drug; and Watson, Crick and Wilkins, who opened up a whole new area of science with their discovery of DNA.FIn addition, the term ‘hero’ is subjective and open to interpretation. To some it is an act of extraordinary bravery, whereas to others it’s more a dedicated determination to do better.1 Read the article about the Nobel Prize. Five paragraphs have been removed. For gaps 1–5, choose from the paragraphs (A–F). There is one extra paragraph. WRITE YOUR ANSWER IN CAPITAL LETTERS.1. C2. E3. A4. D5. B2 Read the article about the Nobel Prize and complete the summary. Write one word in each gap.The Nobel Prize was established in 1895 and the first prizes were awarded in 1901. A large number of scientists who have devoted their lives to making valuable (1) contributions to science have won awards, such as Einstein and Fleming. The Curie family (2) features strongly in the Nobel list of scientific achievers, too. The Peace Prize is a more intangible award that recognises (3) individuals and organisations who work to (4) bring peace to their part of the world. The (5) requirements for the Literature Prize were rather vague and opinions have altered over the years, so a wide range of literary authors have been recognised. READ THE TEXT AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS Roving robotsParagraph 1)Field geology robots are increasingly being used to conduct field experiments in remote places that are hard for humans to reach. The Mars rovers are probably one of the most well-known examples of this type of robot. The Spirit and Opportunity rovers were sent to Mars in 2003 with a working life expectancy of around three months and yet, against all odds, at the time of writing, Opportunity is still in operation. In 2011, an updated rover referred to as Curiosity was sent to Mars to conduct further experiments and, again at the time of writing, it is still working hard, too.Paragraph 2)The rover is somewhat similar in shape to a large, squat dog with a long neck. Its ‘head’ contains navigation and panoramic cameras to aid navigation and take photographs of the planet. The ‘neck’, technically referred to as the vertical mast, enables the cameras to sit at human eye level. Unlike a canine, the rover has six legs as it has a six-wheel mobility system, which enables it to traverse the rocky planet. Curiosity has aluminium wheels, which are wafer thin so they are as flexible as rubber. The wheels are attached to titanium tubes, which are strong enough to withstand considerable force. The four corner wheels can rotate up to 90 degrees and each wheel moves independently of the others, which gives the robot more stability. In addition, the rover has a robotic arm with tools designed to collect rock and soil samples, which it can analyse later.Paragraph 3)Opportunity is about 1.6 metres long and weighs 174 kilos, while the newer model is considerably heavier, weighing in at 899 kilos and is almost double the length at three metres. Its bigger size means it can travel around 200 metres a day, while its predecessor could only manage half that. The extra weight is due to additional gadgets which have been added to enable it to conduct more experiments. For example, it has a laser which can identify organic compounds.Paragraph 4)Perhaps the most significant difference between the rovers is the power source. Opportunity is supplied with a battery and has solar panels that keep the battery topped up. The solar panels look rather like a square shield and are situated on the body of the robot. It does have some plutonium on board, but it is used as a heat source to keep the electronics warm as Mars is very cold. Curiosity runs on nuclear power. It has a supply of plutonium-oxide on board and as this breaks down, it emits heat, which the rover converts to electricity to maintain the battery at 110 watts. Not only is nuclear power more reliable than solar power, but it is also stronger, which is another reason why the rover can travel further daily.Paragraph 5)The rovers all communicate with Earth using the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN), which is an international network of antennae that links scientists on Earth with Mars. There are three main facilities in California, Madrid and Canberra and their locations mean that scientists can always observe the planet as the Earth rotates. The rovers each have an antenna fixed on their ‘bodies’ near the vertical mast. When the rover communicates directly with Earth, it uses the high wave antenna, which directs a beam in the direction of Earth and links to one of the three centres that it finds. Every day controllers on Earth beam instructions to the rover about where to go and what to do. In addition, there are various orbiters circling Mars as well. The Odyssey is perhaps the most well known and is particularly useful to the rovers. The orbiters use UHF (ultra high frequency) antennae, which act rather like walkie-talkies on Earth, providing close range radio communication. The rover can transmit radio waves to the Odyssey using less energy and due to its proximity to Mars, it can maintain visible contact for longer periods than Earth. As a result the rovers upload a lot of their data to the Odyssey.Paragraph 6)The aim of the robots is to collect data on the planet to establish its make-up and find out if it has any similarities to Earth. Scientists are particularly interested in finding evidence of water on the planet and Opportunity has not disappointed them. It has found samples of hematite, which is a mineral that usually forms in water. It has also uncovered veins of gypsum, which are commonly formed when water leaves calcium behind in cracks in rocks. In addition, it has found clay that seems to have been formed in a neutral pH, which usually means water. These findings all point to the likelihood that there was once water on the red planet.Paragraph 7)Although thousands of photos have been sent from Mars and millions of bytes of data have been transferred, scientists still have a lot to learn about the planet and its environment. The rover robots are providing an invaluable service at the moment and will no doubt be in use for years to come as the possibility for humans to reach Mars still remains a distant dream.Read the article about robots. Choose the correct answer, A, B or C.WRITE A, B or C NEXT TO THE NUMBER OF THE QUESTION AND IN CAPITAL LETTER1. B What does the text say about the wheel system?A) The rovers have six wheels that work simultaneously and can turn up to 90 degrees.B) It’s a six-wheel system where each wheel moves individually.C) There are four wheels that move independently and two others that are connected to the chassis.2. A Which option best describes the rover Curiosity?A) It’s around three metres long and can move up to 200 metres a day.B) It’s the same length as Opportunity, weighs around 900 kilos and travels around 200 metres daily. C It’s C) longer and heavier than Opportunity but only travels half as far every day.3. B What powers the rovers?A) They both run on nuclear power, but Opportunity also has solar panels in case of emergency.B) They both run on solar power, but Curiosity also has nuclear power in case of emergency.C )The two rovers are powered by different means.4. B How do the rovers communicate with Earth?A) Via three antennae situated in different parts of the US.B) Using a network of antennae that are situated in different locations.C) By means of high wave antennae linked to three different satellites.5. B Why do the rovers communicate with orbiters like Odyssey?A) It is more energy-efficient and can upload information more quickly.B) It requires less energy and they have a wider window of communication.C) The close range radio communication provides a stronger, faster link.6. C What findings has Opportunity made so far?A) It has found definitive evidence of water on Mars.B) Samples of gypsum and mud, which imply that Mars once had a similar geological make-up to Earth. C Samples of certain minerals that could mean water was once present on Mars2. Find the synonyms in the text. Use between 1 and 2 words:a) more (paragraph 1): furtherb) to help (paragraph 2): to aidc) Besides (paragraph 2): in additiond) devices, tools (paragraph 3): gadgetse) important (paragraph 4): significantf) transforms (paragraph 4): convertsg) several (paragraph 5): varioush) keep (paragraph 5): maintaini) purpose, objective (paragraph 6): aimk) exposed, showed (paragraph 6): uncovered