Read the texts below. For questions (38-42) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D). Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Are All Deserts Hot?

The geological definition of a desert is a place that (38)________ less than ten inches of rain each year. Low rainfall isn’t (39)________ on heat, though. (40)________ place on the planet isn’t the sand-swept Sahara, Kalahari, or even the Australian outback: it’s Antarctica, Earth’s southernmost continent (41)________ the South Pole. In some parts of this giant frozen desert, it (42)________ for two million years.

Read the texts below. For questions (38-42) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D). Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Are All Deserts Hot?

The geological definition of a desert is a place that (38)________ less than ten inches of rain each year. Low rainfall isn’t (39)________ on heat, though. (40)________ place on the planet isn’t the sand-swept Sahara, Kalahari, or even the Australian outback: it’s Antarctica, Earth’s southernmost continent (41)________ the South Pole. In some parts of this giant frozen desert, it (42)________ for two million years.

Read the texts below. For questions (38-42) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D). Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Are All Deserts Hot?

The geological definition of a desert is a place that (38)________ less than ten inches of rain each year. Low rainfall isn’t (39)________ on heat, though. (40)________ place on the planet isn’t the sand-swept Sahara, Kalahari, or even the Australian outback: it’s Antarctica, Earth’s southernmost continent (41)________ the South Pole. In some parts of this giant frozen desert, it (42)________ for two million years.

Read the texts below. For questions (38-42) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D). Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Are All Deserts Hot?

The geological definition of a desert is a place that (38)________ less than ten inches of rain each year. Low rainfall isn’t (39)________ on heat, though. (40)________ place on the planet isn’t the sand-swept Sahara, Kalahari, or even the Australian outback: it’s Antarctica, Earth’s southernmost continent (41)________ the South Pole. In some parts of this giant frozen desert, it (42)________ for two million years.

Read the texts below. Match choices (A–H) to (1–5). There are three choices you do not need to use. Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

David de Rothschild is an adventurer, an environmentalist, and an explorer. He has travelled across Antarctica, set a speed record crossing the Greenland ice cap, and reached the North Pole with hungry polar bears following him. Now he’s getting ready for his next adventure: Sailing to Australia in a boat made from recycled plastic bottles!

How did he become an explorer and environmentalist? David answers questions from National Geographic Kids:

1 __________

David: I was very inquisitive, curious, and mischievous. I was always asking questions. Asking questions leads you on adventures and adventures are breeding grounds for stories. From stories we create our dreams.

Read the texts below. Match choices (A–H) to (1–5). There are three choices you do not need to use. Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

David de Rothschild is an adventurer, an environmentalist, and an explorer. He has travelled across Antarctica, set a speed record crossing the Greenland ice cap, and reached the North Pole with hungry polar bears following him. Now he’s getting ready for his next adventure: Sailing to Australia in a boat made from recycled plastic bottles!

How did he become an explorer and environmentalist? David answers questions from National Geographic Kids:

2 __________

David: I studied natural medicine, or naturopathy, and it led me to questions of why we use the things we do and thoughts of you are what you breathe. These kinds of questions led me to where I am today and led me on an adventure.

Read the texts below. Match choices (A–H) to (1–5). There are three choices you do not need to use. Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

David de Rothschild is an adventurer, an environmentalist, and an explorer. He has travelled across Antarctica, set a speed record crossing the Greenland ice cap, and reached the North Pole with hungry polar bears following him. Now he’s getting ready for his next adventure: Sailing to Australia in a boat made from recycled plastic bottles!

How did he become an explorer and environmentalist? David answers questions from National Geographic Kids:

3 __________

David: I usually start very early in the morning and end very late at night. I spend a lot of time talking to people, writing, responding to lots of e-mails, and meeting with scientists and engineers working on the boat. And I take time to stay fit and healthy.

Read the texts below. Match choices (A–H) to (1–5). There are three choices you do not need to use. Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

David de Rothschild is an adventurer, an environmentalist, and an explorer. He has travelled across Antarctica, set a speed record crossing the Greenland ice cap, and reached the North Pole with hungry polar bears following him. Now he’s getting ready for his next adventure: Sailing to Australia in a boat made from recycled plastic bottles!

How did he become an explorer and environmentalist? David answers questions from National Geographic Kids:

4 __________

David: It is the one that I haven’t been to. The world is so vast. I mean I’d love to go to Madagascar and back down to Antarctica again. So ask me that again when I am 70 years old!

Read the texts below. Match choices (A–H) to (1–5). There are three choices you do not need to use. Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

David de Rothschild is an adventurer, an environmentalist, and an explorer. He has travelled across Antarctica, set a speed record crossing the Greenland ice cap, and reached the North Pole with hungry polar bears following him. Now he’s getting ready for his next adventure: Sailing to Australia in a boat made from recycled plastic bottles!

How did he become an explorer and environmentalist? David answers questions from National Geographic Kids:

5 __________

David: There are two really. One is to be honest. Always treat other people the way you would want to be treated. And the second one is don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. You aren’t going to know if you don’t try.

Read the text below. For questions (6–10) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Multi-tasking

“If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it,” goes the saying. Being perpetually busy – a type A personality who can check e-mail, fold laundry, send a text message, and cook dinner, all at once – is a state that modern technology supports and that society encourages as something of a status symbol. In fact, the opposite may be true: multitasking causes the brain to make more mistakes. According to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doing two or more things at once is a recipe for inefficiency; plus, the more you multitask, the worse you are at it.

In the study, Stanford University researchers compared university students who did a lot of multitasking – constantly switching between different media and messages, such as reading e-mail while also writing essays, surfing the Internet, and watching TV – with those who did very little. The two groups were given tests which assessed them on memory, the ability to focus, and how easily they moved from one task to another. In all three tests, the students who did the most multitasking had the worst results, in terms of being easily distracted, being unable to organise facts in their short-term memory. What’s more, the researchers suggest multitasking may lead to a type of self-perpetuating behaviour, where a person has difficulty differentiating the worthwhile from the pointless, and compulsively seeks more information – more Tweets, more text messages, more news feeds.

To quote researcher Eval Ophir, “High multitaskers can’t keep things separate in their minds. They just love more and more information, their greatest thrill is to get more.” If this description of multitasking has hit a little too close to home, take steps to reduce your media exposure – when you’re working on your laptop, turn off your phone and close your e-mail. Use a kitchen timer to spend 45 minutes on a particular task, with no distractions – you will be surprised at how much you achieve. Same goes for watching a TV program with your family or having an uninterrupted conversation. If you are struggling, ground yourself with a few minutes of deep breathing or a walk, and then redirect your mind to the designated activity.

According to paragraph 1, multi-tasking allows people ___________.

Read the text below. For questions (6–10) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Multi-tasking

“If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it,” goes the saying. Being perpetually busy – a type A personality who can check e-mail, fold laundry, send a text message, and cook dinner, all at once – is a state that modern technology supports and that society encourages as something of a status symbol. In fact, the opposite may be true: multitasking causes the brain to make more mistakes. According to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doing two or more things at once is a recipe for inefficiency; plus, the more you multitask, the worse you are at it.

In the study, Stanford University researchers compared university students who did a lot of multitasking – constantly switching between different media and messages, such as reading e-mail while also writing essays, surfing the Internet, and watching TV – with those who did very little. The two groups were given tests which assessed them on memory, the ability to focus, and how easily they moved from one task to another. In all three tests, the students who did the most multitasking had the worst results, in terms of being easily distracted, being unable to organise facts in their short-term memory. What’s more, the researchers suggest multitasking may lead to a type of self-perpetuating behaviour, where a person has difficulty differentiating the worthwhile from the pointless, and compulsively seeks more information – more Tweets, more text messages, more news feeds.

To quote researcher Eval Ophir, “High multitaskers can’t keep things separate in their minds. They just love more and more information, their greatest thrill is to get more.” If this description of multitasking has hit a little too close to home, take steps to reduce your media exposure – when you’re working on your laptop, turn off your phone and close your e-mail. Use a kitchen timer to spend 45 minutes on a particular task, with no distractions – you will be surprised at how much you achieve. Same goes for watching a TV program with your family or having an uninterrupted conversation. If you are struggling, ground yourself with a few minutes of deep breathing or a walk, and then redirect your mind to the designated activity.

What does the word “those” in paragraph 2 refer to?

Read the text below. For questions (6–10) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Multi-tasking

“If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it,” goes the saying. Being perpetually busy – a type A personality who can check e-mail, fold laundry, send a text message, and cook dinner, all at once – is a state that modern technology supports and that society encourages as something of a status symbol. In fact, the opposite may be true: multitasking causes the brain to make more mistakes. According to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doing two or more things at once is a recipe for inefficiency; plus, the more you multitask, the worse you are at it.

In the study, Stanford University researchers compared university students who did a lot of multitasking – constantly switching between different media and messages, such as reading e-mail while also writing essays, surfing the Internet, and watching TV – with those who did very little. The two groups were given tests which assessed them on memory, the ability to focus, and how easily they moved from one task to another. In all three tests, the students who did the most multitasking had the worst results, in terms of being easily distracted, being unable to organise facts in their short-term memory. What’s more, the researchers suggest multitasking may lead to a type of self-perpetuating behaviour, where a person has difficulty differentiating the worthwhile from the pointless, and compulsively seeks more information – more Tweets, more text messages, more news feeds.

To quote researcher Eval Ophir, “High multitaskers can’t keep things separate in their minds. They just love more and more information, their greatest thrill is to get more.” If this description of multitasking has hit a little too close to home, take steps to reduce your media exposure – when you’re working on your laptop, turn off your phone and close your e-mail. Use a kitchen timer to spend 45 minutes on a particular task, with no distractions – you will be surprised at how much you achieve. Same goes for watching a TV program with your family or having an uninterrupted conversation. If you are struggling, ground yourself with a few minutes of deep breathing or a walk, and then redirect your mind to the designated activity.

Which of the following abilities was NOT the subject of Stanford University study?

Read the text below. For questions (6–10) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Multi-tasking

“If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it,” goes the saying. Being perpetually busy – a type A personality who can check e-mail, fold laundry, send a text message, and cook dinner, all at once – is a state that modern technology supports and that society encourages as something of a status symbol. In fact, the opposite may be true: multitasking causes the brain to make more mistakes. According to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doing two or more things at once is a recipe for inefficiency; plus, the more you multitask, the worse you are at it.

In the study, Stanford University researchers compared university students who did a lot of multitasking – constantly switching between different media and messages, such as reading e-mail while also writing essays, surfing the Internet, and watching TV – with those who did very little. The two groups were given tests which assessed them on memory, the ability to focus, and how easily they moved from one task to another. In all three tests, the students who did the most multitasking had the worst results, in terms of being easily distracted, being unable to organise facts in their short-term memory. What’s more, the researchers suggest multitasking may lead to a type of self-perpetuating behaviour, where a person has difficulty differentiating the worthwhile from the pointless, and compulsively seeks more information – more Tweets, more text messages, more news feeds.

To quote researcher Eval Ophir, “High multitaskers can’t keep things separate in their minds. They just love more and more information, their greatest thrill is to get more.” If this description of multitasking has hit a little too close to home, take steps to reduce your media exposure – when you’re working on your laptop, turn off your phone and close your e-mail. Use a kitchen timer to spend 45 minutes on a particular task, with no distractions – you will be surprised at how much you achieve. Same goes for watching a TV program with your family or having an uninterrupted conversation. If you are struggling, ground yourself with a few minutes of deep breathing or a walk, and then redirect your mind to the designated activity.

What happens to people when they multi-task?

Read the text below. For questions (6–10) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
Write your answers on the separate answer sheet.

Multi-tasking

“If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it,” goes the saying. Being perpetually busy – a type A personality who can check e-mail, fold laundry, send a text message, and cook dinner, all at once – is a state that modern technology supports and that society encourages as something of a status symbol. In fact, the opposite may be true: multitasking causes the brain to make more mistakes. According to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doing two or more things at once is a recipe for inefficiency; plus, the more you multitask, the worse you are at it.

In the study, Stanford University researchers compared university students who did a lot of multitasking – constantly switching between different media and messages, such as reading e-mail while also writing essays, surfing the Internet, and watching TV – with those who did very little. The two groups were given tests which assessed them on memory, the ability to focus, and how easily they moved from one task to another. In all three tests, the students who did the most multitasking had the worst results, in terms of being easily distracted, being unable to organise facts in their short-term memory. What’s more, the researchers suggest multitasking may lead to a type of self-perpetuating behaviour, where a person has difficulty differentiating the worthwhile from the pointless, and compulsively seeks more information – more Tweets, more text messages, more news feeds.

To quote researcher Eval Ophir, “High multitaskers can’t keep things separate in their minds. They just love more and more information, their greatest thrill is to get more.” If this description of multitasking has hit a little too close to home, take steps to reduce your media exposure – when you’re working on your laptop, turn off your phone and close your e-mail. Use a kitchen timer to spend 45 minutes on a particular task, with no distractions – you will be surprised at how much you achieve. Same goes for watching a TV program with your family or having an uninterrupted conversation. If you are struggling, ground yourself with a few minutes of deep breathing or a walk, and then redirect your mind to the designated activity.

What does the author say about multitaskers?