Science flying in the face of gravity

It looked just like another aircraft from the outside. The pilot told his young passengers that it was built in 1964, a Boeing KC-135 refuelling tanker, based on the 707. But appearances were deceptive, and the 13 students from Europe and the USA who boarded the aircraft were in for the flight of their lives.

Inside, the area that normally had seats had become a long white tunnel. Heavily padded from floor to ceiling, it looked a bit like a lunatic asylum. There were almost no windows, but lights along the padded walls eerily illuminated it. Most of the seats had been taken out, apart from a few at the back, where the young scientists quickly took their places with a look of apprehension.

For 12 months, science students from across the continents had competed to win a place on the flight at the invitation of the European Space Agency. The challenge had been to suggest imaginative experiments to be conducted in weightless conditions.

For the next two hours the Boeing's flight resembled that of an enormous bird which had lost its reason, shooting upwards towards the heavens before hurtling towards Earth. The intention was to achieve weightlessness for a few seconds.

The aircraft took off smoothly enough, but any feelings that I and the young scientists had that we were on anything like a scheduled passenger service were quickly dismissed when the pilot put the plane into a 45-degree climb which lasted around 20 seconds. Then the engines cut out and we became weightless. Everything became confused, and left or right, up or down no longer had any meaning. After ten seconds of free-fall descent the pilot pulled the aircraft out of its nosedive. The return of gravity was less immediate than its loss, but was still sudden enough to ensure that some students came down with a bump.

Each time the pilot cut the engines and we became weightless, a new team conducted its experiment. First it was the Dutch, who wanted to discover why cats always land on their feet. Then it was the German team, who conducted a successful experiment on a traditional building method to see if it could be used for building a future space station. The Americans had an idea to create solar sails that could be used by satellites.

After two hours of going up and down in the plane doing experiments, the predominant feeling was one of exhilaration rather than nausea. Most of the students thought it was an unforgettable experience and one they would be keen to repeat.

 

1. What does the writer say about the plane?

A. It had no seats.

B. The inside was painted white.

C. It had no windows.

D. The outside was misleading.

2. What does 'eerily' in paragraph 2 mean?

A. clearly B. badly C. strangely D. brightly

3. According to the writer, how did the young scientists feel at the beginning of the flight?

A. sick B. nervous C. keen D. impatient

4. What did the pilot do with the plane?

A. He quickly climbed and then stopped the engines.

B. He climbed and then made the plane fall slowly.

C. He took off normally and then cut the engines for 20 seconds.

D. He climbed and then made the plane turn over.

5. What was the point of being weightless?

A. To see what conditions are like in space.

B. To prepare the young scientists for future work in space.

C. To show the judges of the competition what they could do.

D. To allow the teams to try out their ideas.

6. What does 'it' in paragraph 7 refer to?

A. the exhilaration B. the trip C. the plane D. the opportunity

7. Why was this text written?

A. To encourage young people to take up science.

B. To show scientists what young people can do.

C. To report on a new scientific technique.

D. To describe the outcome of a scientific competition.

Exercise 2. You are going to read a newspaper article about how dancing can be good for your health. For questions 1-6, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

An Apple Day

Flo Marsden, aged 71, is learning how to belly dance thanks to a local dance scheme in the UK.

Dance is increasingly being introduced to anyone who is interested for both health and recreational reasons. The National Lottery is funding courses and training, as are local authorities and regional arts associations. In addition, family doctors are prescribing dance to patients, and young footballers are learning about rhythm and balance through hip-hop lessons. There is barely a hall in the country that does not shudder with the sound of stamping feet every week.

The Yorkshire Dance Centre runs Flo's classes. Simon Dove, the dance centre's organiser and promoter, says that attendance has doubled in the last three years. He attributes this to more choice and easier access. And what a choice there is! There are 35 different lessons every week - everything from Arabic dancing to Egyptian, American tap, Asian and South African Township dance. 'Aerobics and fitness regimes can be an introspective and solitary way of keeping fit,' Simon explains. 'People like coming here because it helps you stay fit and engages your mind, enabling you to interact with others.' Steve Johnson, 28, is one of the company's teachers. He goes into schools and introduces kids to jazz, street dance and hip-hop. He thinks that for the less academic, it gives them something to focus on. 'Several school teachers have reported back to me that normally difficult and disruptive children have become more manageable because of the lessons. I think it is because they have found something at school that they excel at, making them more confident. The lessons also make them more aware of their bodies and how they work.'

For Flo, who already keeps fit by doing aerobics, her weekly dance lessons play a more social role in her life. It's the togetherness of dancing that is the best. A keep fit class doesn't get you so involved with others. When I go out shopping I see people from the lessons and say hello, jt makes you feel you are part of a community.'

Dance is one of the five activities the Health Education Authority is promoting in its current Active for Life campaign, and this summer saw one of the first health and dance conferences in the UK. John Dunbar, one of the speakers, says that on a fitness level, dance can be just as effective as going on a running programme: There were tests done in the US where two previously sedentary 30-year-olds were put on fitness programmes, one using dance, the other running and the results were the same. People are far more likely to keep up dancing rather than a running programme, so in that way it can be more suitable.'

So, if you're lucky enough to have dance classes near where you live, my advice to you would be to have a go!

1. The dance classes are being paid for by

A. the participants themselves. C. family health centres.

B. a variety of public bodies. D. local sports centres.

2. What does Simon say about the dance classes in the second paragraph?

A. Some are more popular than others. C. They are a very sociable way to exercise.

B. They are the quickest way to make friends. D. There is no limit to the number you can take.

3. Steve Johnson believes that dance

A. is suitable for the less active type of child.

B. has grown in popularity in less academic schools.

C. can be taught by ordinary school teachers.

D. helps children who have low self-esteem.

 

4. Flo enjoys going to dance classes because

A. they make her feel more relaxed than other classes.

B. they provide her with a sense of belonging.

C. they allow her to meet people from outside the area.

D. they have enabled her to get over her shyness.

5 What does 'It' refer to in paragraph 4?

A. dancing B. a community C. keeping fit D. the social role

6 According to John Dunbar, dancing

A. is much better for you than running.

B. needs to be done regularly to be effective.

C. has most effect on the health of older people.

D. motivates people more than running.

 

Exercise 3. You are going to read a newspaper article. For questions 1-7, choose the answer (А, В, С or D ) which you think fits best according to the text.

The dog

When they first saw the dog, they weren't sure, in fact, that it was a dog. A small pile of rubbish by the side of the litter bin began to move. Verity and Sally, walking past on their way to the beach, both jumped back, expecting a rat to emerge from the litter. What they saw instead was the back end of a small brown dog, which seemed to be connected to a plastic bag. They both let out shrieks of delight.

'Oh, it's a puppy!' cried Verity, and bent down to release the dog's head from the plastic bag. The dog looked up at them with ketchup on its face. Now that they could see the whole animal, it was clear that it was not quite as young as Verity had thought at first sight. It carried one or two scars of life on the streets - it had a cut below one eye and one ear seemed to be permanently at an angle - but on the whole it was not in bad health for a stray dog. Its coat was shiny and you couldn't see its ribs under the skin, like you could with many dogs in a similar position. Judging by the litter bin, visitors to the beach were a good source of chips, hot dogs and hamburgers without knowing it. The dog sat, looking up at the girls with its tongue hanging out as it panted.

'Come on,' said Verity. 'Let's take him down to the beach!' Sally hesitated a moment before agreeing. She could see where it was leading. Her father always told her to walk away from a stray animal because there was a danger you would want to keep it. Then it would be harder when you actually did have to walk away. However, she couldn't deny that the dog was cute, so she was pleased when it trotted along behind them on the way to the beach.

They spread their towels on the beach and got sun cream out of their bags. When they turned round, the dog had settled on one of the towels as if he owned the place. He seemed glad of the opportunity to rest and Verity could imagine the constant battle he faced each day to survive. Apart from the search for food and shelter, which perhaps were less of a problem here than they would have been in the city centre, there was the competition from other dogs. This dog must be pretty smart, she decided, to survive against the others because he certainly wouldn't win too many fights, even if his injuries showed that he didn't give up easily.

They spent the day lazing in the sun, swimming and playing beach tennis. The dog joined in after resting for a while. To the casual observer, it would have looked like two girls and their dog playing together. Sally knew, however, that that wasn't the case and she was dreading the moment when they would have to leave. Eventually, the sun began to set and it got cooler. Verity stared at the sun, as if willing it to stay in the sky for another hour. She avoided looking at Sally and didn't seem to notice Sally looking at her watch. Verity stroked the dog, which was lying on the towel next to her. Sally knew that they couldn't put it off any longer.

'It's probably time we were getting back,' she said at last. Verity turned round and Sally saw tears running down her face. The dog looked from one of them to the other and waited.

 

1. Verity and Sally's first reaction is

a) amusement at the dog's appearance. c) fright at what might be under the rubbish.

b) worry about the dog's condition. d) curiosity at the dog's behaviour.

 

2. The dog seems to be

a) in good condition despite its injuries. c) rather overweight for its size.

b) in a worse state than most stray dogs. d) in urgent need of medical attention.

3. It seems that people who go to this beach

a) enjoy feeding the stray dogs. c) throw a lot of food away.

b) are careless with their rubbish. d) don't know they are harming the dogs.

4. Sally doesn't immediately agree to take the dog to the beach because

a) they don't have a lead to put on the dog to control it.

b) her father stops her from doing what she wants to do.

c) she thinks the dog might be dangerous., in spite of his appearance.

d) she doesn't want to form a relationship with the dog.

5. Verity thinks that the dog

a) needs their help to avoid the other dogs.

b) is a coward when it comes to fighting other dogs.

c) is more attractive than the other dogs.

d) uses his brains to beat the other dogs.

6. The girls don't want to leave the beach because

a) they think the dog will be attacked. c) they want people to think it's their dog.

b) they want to sunbathe for another hour. d) they are trying to delay leaving the dog.

7. Sally feels uncomfortable because

a) she and Verity have argued about the dog.

b) she thinks that someone is watching them.

c) she knows that leaving the dog will be hard.

d) she wants to get rid of the dog without Verity knowing.

Exercise 4. You are going to read an article from a website. For questions 1-7, choose the answer (А, В, С or D ) which you think fits best according to the text.

A New Approach to Cooking

Popular TV presenter and journalist James May shares his unusual ideas on eating habits with readers.

For some time, I've been campaigning for a new departure in airline food.

The gist of it is this. The problem with airline food is that they try to do something a bit posh, with several courses drizzled with extra words, but then give it all to you on a tray the size of a mouse mat. Even at the pointy end of the aeroplane it's a bit of an elbows-in affair, but if you want to butter a bread roll in the cheap seats your neighbours will have to get up and stand in the aisle.

So what I'd like to see is healthy, balanced and nutritious food that can be eaten one-handed from one item of crockery. Every nation on earth can provide a 'signature dish' for its own airline: stews, hot-pots, casseroles, stir-fries, pasta, bowls of noodles, wraps and the cheeseburger are a few that spring to mind.

Everybody benefits from this scheme. The food is simpler to eat, and, above all, it's more straightforward to prepare and serve. There's more space on the little table for drink, and less packaging to fall on the floor. As there's less equipment involved, there can be more actual food, and clearing up will take no time at all.

But now I wonder if I haven't been, as usual, a bit unambitious.

How often do most people fly? Twice a year maybe, perhaps less. My mate Cookie has never been abroad, and is relatively unfamiliar with the pressurised carton of UHT milk. The idea needs wider social application for it to work. Now, as I have argued in previous articles, the reason cooking has become so popular, especially amongst blokes, is because the kitchen is the new workshop. Deprived of the requirement to hone his innate craft skills in wood or metal, the modern man turns to the formica worktop instead - previously this was more likely to be the woman's domain - and makes an intricate prawn cocktail. It involves tools, process and planning, and satisfies a natural desire to produce something.

I like fooling about in the kitchen, to be honest. I know you like it, too, because by far the biggest forum response I've ever had to a column (apart from the time you all fell out) was when I instigated a debate about the best way to make cheese sauce. The trouble, though, is that I'm really not very good at it. Last night, spurred on by too many visits to over-priced restaurants where I've eaten over-intellectualised dinners, I tried to do something a bit clever with liver, a selection of vegetables and some clever chemistry involving oils, herbs and spices. It was all right, I suppose. I mean, my guest and I both ate it, but in a slightly ashen-faced and awkward sort of way. It was all a bit brown.

More to the point, it took hours and hours that could have been better spent on something more constructive, such as mending the cooker, the door of which has dropped off. There are also three dead motorcycles in the garage, and they're not going to repair themselves. I have therefore revised my original scheme and yoked it to a new mantra in a "Strength Through Simplicity" style: one burner, one utensil, one implement. And the new arena of culinary progress shall be the garage.

I'm hoping to incorporate the notion of garage cooking in a forthcoming TV series and, as usual, would welcome any suggestions; anything suitable for consumption by a man who has one reasonably clean hand and one coated with something so toxic he'd rather not put it near his face. This is not, in fact, without precedent. I've been in a die-casting factory in India where the blokes baked exotic breads on the tops of hot machines, and they somehow tasted better for being a by­product of industrial endeavour. In former times, the foundry or the footplate of the steam locomotive afforded working men the opportunity to cook with the heat from the raging furnaces they attended. There is a great legacy of one-course, one-handed meals for us to draw on.

I imagine the garage cafe experiment would be very appealing to production engineers in car companies. It might also dispel the myth of men's inability to multi-task. What's the point of waiting for something to boil? In the garage, you can be stripping something down while that's going on. This way, the artificial division between the kitchen and the garage – both workshops, after all - will be demolished, although ‘hег in the main bit of the house' might not be so keen on the idea. I've made a start already. Tonight I've had an oil and filter change with a side of chain adjustment accompanied by beans ‘n’ sausages.

1. The writer's main objection to airline food is that it

A. does not taste as good as it should.

В. is described in over-complicated language.

С. comes in too small portions.

D. is presented in an inappropriate way.

2. The writer's main argument for his airline food suggestion is that

A. airlines could serve food typical of their own country.

В. airline meals would be better for passengers' health

С. it would make things easier for the crew.

D. there would be benefits for the environment.

3. The writer argues that men are increasingly interested in cooking because

A. they find it more enjoyable than making things with wood or metal.

В. they have fewer opportunities to create things than used to be the case.

С. it is now more socially acceptable for men to spend time in the kitchen.

D. women are generally spending less time cooking than they used to.

4. What do we learn about the meal the writer prepared?

A. He used a recipe for a dish he had eaten in an expensive restaurant.

В. His meals are usually much more successful than this one was.

С. It looked considerably better than it tasted.

D. It was a waste of time that he could have spent more usefully.

5. Why does the writer refer to 'Strength through Simplicity'?

A. It is the principle he intends to apply to cooking.

В. It suggests a masculine approach to cookery.

С. It reflects the simplicity and strength of his ingredients.

D. It is the name of his future TV series.

6. The writer uses the example from India to illustrate that

A. skills learnt in a factory can be applied to cooking a meal.

В. meals have previously been prepared in unusual workplace settings.

С. food cooked in this way tastes as delicious as that from a kitchen.

D. his inspiration came from a country well-known for its tasty food.

7. One reason why the writer says he likes his idea of garage cooking is that it will

A. show that men can do two things at the same time.

В. please his wife that he is helping with the cooking.

С. give him opportunities to improve his cooking skills.

D. enable him to spend more time in his garage.

Exercise 5. You are going to read a newspaper article. For questions 1-7, choose the answer (А, В, С or D ) which you think fits best according to the text.

ZOOKEEPERS FOR A DAY

A visit to the zoo is one of the defining day trips of childhood, but the fascination tends to fade during teenage years. However, the 'Keeper for the Day' schemes currently being offered by several British zoos are proving a surprising hit among adolescents.

Peter Maltby, 16, has travelled from his home to be a keeper for the day at Colchester Zoo. The trip is a present from his parents, who are accompanying him. 'We used to take Peter and his sister to the zoo as children and it gave them both a love of wildlife,' says his mother. Peter heard about the scheme from a school friend. 'He raved about how good it was,' he says. The zoo offers two options, and while his school friend chose the carnivores (white tiger, snow leopard and lions), fed red pandas, penguins and seals, and visited the iguana incubation room, Peter chose the 'primates, birds of prey, small mammals and elephants' option. His first session involves feeding lemurs and rare gelada baboons and, as he dispenses bananas, some sit on his head. Then it is on to the Falconry Centre, where, gingerly at first but with growing confidence, he handles several fearsome-looking birds of prey, including hawks, falcons and vultures.

Colchester Zoo's business manager, Alex Burr, says the scheme has become extremely popular. Elsewhere, it is a similar story. Geoff Worden of Blackpool Zoo says their scheme has really taken off. The days do not come cheap, but they do provide essential funds for conservation and endangered species programmes for the zoos. 'They also offer a unique opportunity for participants to learn a lot about how a zoo works and to spend time with everything from birds, reptiles and sea lions to gibbons, tigers and zebras,' says Worden. 'Naturally, we get youngsters who are thinking of a career with animals or in a zoo, but its appeal is broader than that. Afterwards, everyone realises just what hard work it is looking after animals. They lose any idea that it's a cushy job and come away impressed with the care and dedication of zookeepers who might spend a full night with a sick animal - and realise that there are some things that are not about money, which can be very refreshing.'

At Paignton Zoo, keepers for the day are also expected to 'muck in' and 'muck out'. 'This is not just a chance to meet some of the animals close up, this is real work,' says the Zoo's Phil Knowling. 'We get our share of youngsters on the scheme, some budding vets included, and everyone gets something different out of it. Not surprisingly, some are a bit wary of the reptiles and it can be unnerving to go into an enclosure full of hanging, twittering bats, but they gain a lot from their day.'

Some lucky participants in these schemes experience the drama of an animal birth, or are present at the introduction of a new species to the zoo, but although the reality is likely to be less dramatic, most seem entranced by the experience. 'From feeding giant tortoises, stroking the belly of a pregnant tapir, to holding out live locusts for the excitable lemurs, I had a fantastic day,' one participant wrote to Bristol Zoo. T can't actually remember the last time I was in such a rush to get up in the morning. It was a great day. I left full of information and experience that I would never normally have come across,' another reported back.

1. The writer says in the first paragraph that many young people

A. are unaware of the 'Keeper for the Day' schemes.

B. don't like being taken to zoos when they are very young.

C. tend to lose interest in zoos as they get older.

D. only become interested in zoos when they are teenagers.

2. We are told that when Peter Maltby took part in the scheme,

A. his parents went with him because he was nervous.

B. his school friend's advice was of little help to him.

C. he chose the option he thought would be the easiest.

D. he began to feel better as one of the sessions went on.

3. What does Geoff Worden say about the scheme at his zoo?

A. It is not exactly the same as schemes at other zoos.

B. All kinds of young people take part in it.

C. It is particularly useful for people considering a career with animals.

D. His zoo has to charge more for it than other zoos charge.

4. What is meant by 'cushy' in the third paragraph?

A. easy

B. boring

C. dangerous

D. glamorous

5. What does Phil Knowling say about the scheme at his zoo?

A. A few people regret taking part in it.

B. He has made changes to it since it started.

C. It involves more contact with animals than some other schemes.

D. Not all the people who take part in it are young.

6. In the final paragraph, the writer says that taking part in one of the schemes

A. often includes experiencing dramatic events.

B. can be a more exciting experience at some zoos than at others.

C. may change people's views of what happens in zoos.

D. is usually a very enjoyable experience.

7. One of the participants who wrote after taking part in a scheme mentioned

A. a feeling of great excitement before the event.

B. a feeling of surprise at the variety of activities involved.

C. overcoming their fear when dealing with creatures.

D. learning about creatures they had not previously heard of.

PART II

Exercise 1. You are going to read an extract from a magazine article. Six paragraphs have been removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A-G the one which fits each gap (1-6). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.