Task 1

Which advertisement is about ______?

Raccoon Scales Building

A woman (28)________ on the 10th floor of an apartment building was shocked to discover a raccoon asleep on her balcony. She called experts from Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control to come remove the animal and return it to the wild. The raccoon had (29)________ plans, though. When the team from Skedaddle (30)________, the raccoon darted to the corner of the balcony, hoisted itself over the railing, and slowly inched backward down the building. After taking a break on a fourth-floor balcony, the raccoon resumed its trip to the ground, and ran away from the apartment building.

Larry Sorel, director of the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York, says balconies can be inviting places for raccoons to shelter, especially if food (31)________ out. “Raccoons are great climbers – they can get almost (32)________ with their human-like hands,” Sorel says. “But I’m surprised this raccoon climbed quite so high!”

Raccoon Scales Building

A woman (28)________ on the 10th floor of an apartment building was shocked to discover a raccoon asleep on her balcony. She called experts from Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control to come remove the animal and return it to the wild. The raccoon had (29)________ plans, though. When the team from Skedaddle (30)________, the raccoon darted to the corner of the balcony, hoisted itself over the railing, and slowly inched backward down the building. After taking a break on a fourth-floor balcony, the raccoon resumed its trip to the ground, and ran away from the apartment building.

Larry Sorel, director of the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York, says balconies can be inviting places for raccoons to shelter, especially if food (31)________ out. “Raccoons are great climbers – they can get almost (32)________ with their human-like hands,” Sorel says. “But I’m surprised this raccoon climbed quite so high!”

Raccoon Scales Building

A woman (28)________ on the 10th floor of an apartment building was shocked to discover a raccoon asleep on her balcony. She called experts from Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control to come remove the animal and return it to the wild. The raccoon had (29)________ plans, though. When the team from Skedaddle (30)________, the raccoon darted to the corner of the balcony, hoisted itself over the railing, and slowly inched backward down the building. After taking a break on a fourth-floor balcony, the raccoon resumed its trip to the ground, and ran away from the apartment building.

Larry Sorel, director of the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York, says balconies can be inviting places for raccoons to shelter, especially if food (31)________ out. “Raccoons are great climbers – they can get almost (32)________ with their human-like hands,” Sorel says. “But I’m surprised this raccoon climbed quite so high!”

Raccoon Scales Building

A woman (28)________ on the 10th floor of an apartment building was shocked to discover a raccoon asleep on her balcony. She called experts from Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control to come remove the animal and return it to the wild. The raccoon had (29)________ plans, though. When the team from Skedaddle (30)________, the raccoon darted to the corner of the balcony, hoisted itself over the railing, and slowly inched backward down the building. After taking a break on a fourth-floor balcony, the raccoon resumed its trip to the ground, and ran away from the apartment building.

Larry Sorel, director of the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York, says balconies can be inviting places for raccoons to shelter, especially if food (31)________ out. “Raccoons are great climbers – they can get almost (32)________ with their human-like hands,” Sorel says. “But I’m surprised this raccoon climbed quite so high!”

Raccoon Scales Building

A woman (28)________ on the 10th floor of an apartment building was shocked to discover a raccoon asleep on her balcony. She called experts from Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control to come remove the animal and return it to the wild. The raccoon had (29)________ plans, though. When the team from Skedaddle (30)________, the raccoon darted to the corner of the balcony, hoisted itself over the railing, and slowly inched backward down the building. After taking a break on a fourth-floor balcony, the raccoon resumed its trip to the ground, and ran away from the apartment building.

Larry Sorel, director of the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York, says balconies can be inviting places for raccoons to shelter, especially if food (31)________ out. “Raccoons are great climbers – they can get almost (32)________ with their human-like hands,” Sorel says. “But I’m surprised this raccoon climbed quite so high!”

Could Early Music Training Help Babies Learn Language?

I started playing the piano when I was nine years old, and learning English when I was 12. Later, it (23) ________ me how similar language and music are to each other. Language and music both require rhythm; otherwise they don’t (24)________ any sense. They’re also both built from smaller units – syllables and musical beats. And the process of (25)________ them is remarkably similar, including precise movements, repetitive practice and focused (26)________.

All of this made me (27)________ if music shapes how the brain perceives sounds other than musical notes. And if so, could learning music help us learn languages?

Could Early Music Training Help Babies Learn Language?

I started playing the piano when I was nine years old, and learning English when I was 12. Later, it (23) ________ me how similar language and music are to each other. Language and music both require rhythm; otherwise they don’t (24)________ any sense. They’re also both built from smaller units – syllables and musical beats. And the process of (25)________ them is remarkably similar, including precise movements, repetitive practice and focused (26)________.

All of this made me (27)________ if music shapes how the brain perceives sounds other than musical notes. And if so, could learning music help us learn languages?

Could Early Music Training Help Babies Learn Language?

I started playing the piano when I was nine years old, and learning English when I was 12. Later, it (23) ________ me how similar language and music are to each other. Language and music both require rhythm; otherwise they don’t (24)________ any sense. They’re also both built from smaller units – syllables and musical beats. And the process of (25)________ them is remarkably similar, including precise movements, repetitive practice and focused (26)________.

All of this made me (27)________ if music shapes how the brain perceives sounds other than musical notes. And if so, could learning music help us learn languages?

Could Early Music Training Help Babies Learn Language?

I started playing the piano when I was nine years old, and learning English when I was 12. Later, it (23) ________ me how similar language and music are to each other. Language and music both require rhythm; otherwise they don’t (24)________ any sense. They’re also both built from smaller units – syllables and musical beats. And the process of (25)________ them is remarkably similar, including precise movements, repetitive practice and focused (26)________.

All of this made me (27)________ if music shapes how the brain perceives sounds other than musical notes. And if so, could learning music help us learn languages?

Could Early Music Training Help Babies Learn Language?

I started playing the piano when I was nine years old, and learning English when I was 12. Later, it (23) ________ me how similar language and music are to each other. Language and music both require rhythm; otherwise they don’t (24)________ any sense. They’re also both built from smaller units – syllables and musical beats. And the process of (25)________ them is remarkably similar, including precise movements, repetitive practice and focused (26)________.

All of this made me (27)________ if music shapes how the brain perceives sounds other than musical notes. And if so, could learning music help us learn languages?

What is a Pecha Kucha Presentation?

Imagine this: You're in a presentation, (17) ________ reading directly from a PowerPoint. Their voice is monotonous, and without realising it, you start disconnecting from what they are saying within a few minutes. Sounds familiar? The good news: there is a solution. If you want your presentations to tell a story, and keep the audience engaged, there is a presentation style you should know about: Pecha Kucha.

Pecha Kucha, chit-chat in Japanese, is a unique presentation style. These presentations are known for (18) ________ rather than text and are typically brief. They use the 20x20 rule, where each presentation consists of 20 slides, and each slide is displayed for only 20 seconds, automatically progressing to the next one. This results in a total presentation time of 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

This might be a new format that challenges the speaker more than regular presentations, but it undoubtedly has its benefits. The main one is the huge improvement in the audience’s experience. Why? It keeps presentations concise and dynamic, (19) ________. It minimises distractions and maximises engagement. It helps speakers stay on-topic, preventing them from going off track and (20) ________.

Pecha Kucha presentations were created in Tokyo in 2003 by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham. Since then, its popularity has gone beyond the design field, (21)________. These presentations are now used in many different settings (22)________ and even informal gatherings.

What is a Pecha Kucha Presentation?

Imagine this: You're in a presentation, (17) ________ reading directly from a PowerPoint. Their voice is monotonous, and without realising it, you start disconnecting from what they are saying within a few minutes. Sounds familiar? The good news: there is a solution. If you want your presentations to tell a story, and keep the audience engaged, there is a presentation style you should know about: Pecha Kucha.

Pecha Kucha, chit-chat in Japanese, is a unique presentation style. These presentations are known for (18) ________ rather than text and are typically brief. They use the 20x20 rule, where each presentation consists of 20 slides, and each slide is displayed for only 20 seconds, automatically progressing to the next one. This results in a total presentation time of 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

This might be a new format that challenges the speaker more than regular presentations, but it undoubtedly has its benefits. The main one is the huge improvement in the audience’s experience. Why? It keeps presentations concise and dynamic, (19) ________. It minimises distractions and maximises engagement. It helps speakers stay on-topic, preventing them from going off track and (20) ________.

Pecha Kucha presentations were created in Tokyo in 2003 by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham. Since then, its popularity has gone beyond the design field, (21)________. These presentations are now used in many different settings (22)________ and even informal gatherings.

What is a Pecha Kucha Presentation?

Imagine this: You're in a presentation, (17) ________ reading directly from a PowerPoint. Their voice is monotonous, and without realising it, you start disconnecting from what they are saying within a few minutes. Sounds familiar? The good news: there is a solution. If you want your presentations to tell a story, and keep the audience engaged, there is a presentation style you should know about: Pecha Kucha.

Pecha Kucha, chit-chat in Japanese, is a unique presentation style. These presentations are known for (18) ________ rather than text and are typically brief. They use the 20x20 rule, where each presentation consists of 20 slides, and each slide is displayed for only 20 seconds, automatically progressing to the next one. This results in a total presentation time of 6 minutes and 40 seconds.

This might be a new format that challenges the speaker more than regular presentations, but it undoubtedly has its benefits. The main one is the huge improvement in the audience’s experience. Why? It keeps presentations concise and dynamic, (19) ________. It minimises distractions and maximises engagement. It helps speakers stay on-topic, preventing them from going off track and (20) ________.

Pecha Kucha presentations were created in Tokyo in 2003 by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham. Since then, its popularity has gone beyond the design field, (21)________. These presentations are now used in many different settings (22)________ and even informal gatherings.