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PROBA DE VERIFICARE A CUNOȘTINȚELOR DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ

25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 1

Read the text and answer the questions:

Why do we gain weight?You were born with 30 billion fat cells in your body! These remarkable cells act like

microscopic balloons which store excess fat. (Imagine a balloon filled with oil, and that's roughly what a fat cell looks like.) Each fat cell can grow to more than 1,000 times its original size. Once it reaches full capacity, the fat cell divides. Now you have more fat cells for life, and you are more prone to gain weight.

To lose weight, you must shrink fat cells. But the idea of giving up on all your favorite food would be a severe punishment which leads more often to disappointment. Have you ever asked yourself why most of your dieting attempts didn't work properly? There are several reasons for that. First, dieting actually makes your fat cells fatter. By starving your fat cells, they improve their ability to preserve fat. Second, very low-calorie diets trigger a chain reaction that tells your metabolism to slow down, and consequently, your energy level deteriorates. Third, diets lead to binge eating. If you deprive yourself, you are more likely to eat twice as much once you give in.

When you are active, your body draws open two sources for energy: the food you eat or the fat you have stored in those balloons. If you are inactive, your body will store more fat than it burns. You can definitely lose weight not by following certain diets but by changing your eating habits, such as eating more often-but decreasing your portions-and increasing your energy level to help burn excess calories and stored fat.

1. According to the article, how do people gain weight?2. Which are the reasons why dieting attempts don’t work properly? 3. How can people successfully lose weight?4. Have you ever tried going on a diet?

INSPECTORATUL ŞCOLAR JUDEŢEAN MUREŞ

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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 2


Year –round schoolThink about those first few days of the school year. First, students describe their summer

break. Then the teacher reviews what students learned the year before. Why? Because students forget what they learn in school over the long summer. Why not replace the traditional ten-month school year with year-round school? Year round education promotes the retention of learning and benefits school districts in other ways as well. Many year-round schools place students in four groups with different vacation times. A popular scheduling plan calls for forty-five days of school and then fifteen days off. While three groups use the building, one group is on vacation. By rotating four student sessions, a school built to serve 750 students can handle 1,000 students. Staggered schedules save school districts money because they do not have to spend the millions of dollars it takes to build new schools. Year-round school also helps teachers. Frequent breaks offered by year-round education may decrease burnout. Most important, year- round education effectively uses the time students have in school. One researcher found that teachers in year round schools do not have to spend as much time reviewing old material. Students have an easier time remembering what they have learned when their education is interrupted only by short breaks rather than by a long summer… Year- round education saves money, benefits teachers, promotes the retention of learning, and provides remedial and enrichment opportunities for students. It is time to rethink the traditional school calendar and consider year- round education. Encourage your district to adopt year- round education by writing or calling the superintendent of schools or a school-board member.

1. What do teachers have to do after the summer holiday and why?2. Which are the advantages of year-round school education?3. How much time does a popular scheduling plan call for?4. Would you like to have such a type of education in our country, too?

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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 3


It’s all in your genes!What colour hair have you got? Is it straight, wavy or curly? What colour are your eyes?

Why are some people tall and slim while others are short and stocky? It’s all in your genes. Each person on this planet is unique, because everyone has got a different combination of genes. These are contained in the DNA structure. Your genes determine your general shape and size, the colour of your skin, eyes and hair, the shape of your face, nose, ears, mouth and teeth.

For every part of your body you have got two genes. You inherit one from your mother and one from your father. One of the two genes is dominant, but you can pass either gene on to your children. A gene can stay hidden in a family for generations.

Knowledge about genes has been used since the eighteenth century to improve plants and animals. Scientists and farmers select the best possible specimens to breed from. In this way they have been able to produce bigger fruit and vegetables, animals that produce more meat, kinds of wheat or rice that are more resistant to disease, and so on. This is known as selective breeding.Now scientists can actually identify the genes for particular characteristics. In the new science of genetic engineering, genes can be removed, added or replaced to produce the characteristics that we want. New and better plants and animals will be produced by genetic engineering. Will we be able to design the perfect human being, too? “Nobody’s perfect”, we say. Perhaps one day everyone will be.

1. What is the article about?2. Why is everybody unique?3. How does selective breeding work?4. How does the process of genetic engineering differ from selective breeding?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 4


British educationIn British schools children aged 5-11 are now being taught how to be “nice”. They have

special lessons explaining how to make friends, how to resolve disputes and to control their tempers, for example. They also learn how to express envy, how to say “Sorry”, how to compliment other people and how to listen to other people’s problems with a sympathetic ear. In one session children talk about their different emotions and play a game called “Guess what I’m feeling”, and they also build an “emotional barometer” to show their feelings. In another lesson they write words like “generous”, “sensible” and “honest” on bricks and then they use the bricks to build a “wall of friendship”.

The government, which is spending about ten million pounds on this initiative, believes that many children no longer learn these things at home, so schools have to provide the emotional and social guidance that they need. School inspectors emphasise that bad behaviour and indiscipline in many secondary schools is affecting teaching and learning; the government hopes that this new project will improve the situation. But some people think that only a small minority of children need this sort of help and that these lessons will use up valuable time that should be spent on academic subjects. Nick Seaton, the head of the Campaign for real Education, says these lessons are absolute nonsense: “Parents do not send their children to school to have them spending their time talking about their emotions in this way. They send them so they can learn to read, write and add up.”

1. Who are the referred lessons aimed at?2. What are these special lessons about?3. What is the purpose of the game “Guess what I’m feeling”?


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4. Why does the British government think these lessons are necessary?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 5


Life in the wildWe are unique in the universe in inhabiting the only planet that is known to have life on it: and what an extraordinary diversity of life forms there are. Scientists believe there could be between 14 million and 100 million species of animals and plants existing today. They cannot even be sure exactly how many, because most of these life forms are either too small to find or are dwelling in unexplored places, such as the tropical rainforest or the deep sea.

The creatures we do know about range from the huge blue whale, weighing up to 150 tons, down to microscopic creatures so small that several could sit comfortably on the head of a pin. As well as huge variations in size, animals display an equally wide range of behavior patterns, but what links them all is they have the same basic need for somewhere to live that will provide them with food and some degree of protection and shelter. Because individual animals cannot live forever, they all also need to be able to produce more of their own kind – otherwise the species would die out.

Animals communicate with each other to warn of danger or to tell each other about good food sources. Communication is especially well developed among insects, such as ants and many bees and wasps, which live in colonies and work together for the good of the whole community.

1. Why are we unique in the universe?


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2. What do all animals have in common?3. Why do animals need to produce more of their own kind?4. What is the purpose for animals communicating with each other?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 6


Online shoppingOnline shopping allows consumers to shop in the convenience of their own home, and to save travelling time to retail stores and spend their time on other important tasks and hobbies. Researchers indicate convenience as the ‘primary objective’ of online shopping. In addition to the ease of finding products online and time saved, consumers can shop without time limitations with 24 hour access as a beneficial characteristic of online shopping.

Online shopping benefits both the society as a whole and individuals. The society can save human resources when consumers help themselves by browsing freely online instead of asking for assistance from vendors. Consumers are also freed from the pressure to buy from the vendors and can spend more time to make wise purchase decisions. With the online tools that enable product comparison, consumers can compare product prices and features to make a better decision with less effort.

One of the numerous disadvantages of online shopping is that many shoppers enjoy shopping with others and it is often a good way to make social connections. Privacy is the number one reason that non-online shoppers do not shop online. Because one needs money to buy a computer and to have internet connection, online shopping seems to be limited to people with a reasonable amount of income. Also since it is harder to learn to use computers at an older age, elderly


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people tend to shop at traditional retail stores. Another reason some people do not shop on line is that they are worried that the products will not be what they have expected by viewing online.

1. Which are the main advantages of online shopping for the consumer?2. How can the society as a whole benefit from it?3. Name some of the reasons that make people not to appeal to online shopping.4. Have you ever bought anything online?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 7


Chocolate for all occasions

Chocolate is a very popular gift around the world for many different occasions. Why is chocolate so popular and where does it come from originally?

Chocolate, which is made from cocoa beans, was a spicy drink before becoming a food. The first people to drink it were the people of Central America and Mexico thousands of years ago. The Aztecs used the drink as part of their religious ceremonies and people say the Aztec Emperor Montezuma drank fifty cups of chocolate each day! They also used cocoa beans as a form of currency. For example, you could buy a rabbit for ten cocoa beans and a slave for 100.

Spanish explorers brought cocoa beans to Europe in the 16th century, but only rich people could drink chocolate because it was expensive to import the cocoa beans and sugar. People didn’t start to eat chocolate until about 150 years ago.

Nowadays chocolate isn’t only for rich people, but for everyone. Europeans are the biggest consumers of chocolate and they mostly eat chocolate between 8.00 pm and midnight. Too much chocolate is unhealthy because it contains a lot of sugar and fat, but some scientists say eating


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small amounts of chocolate can be good for you. Studies suggest that eating a little dark chocolate once or twice a week can help prevent heart disease and lower your blood pressure. Dark chocolate is better for you than milk chocolate because it contains more cocoa.

1. Where does chocolate come from?2. What did the Aztecs use it for?3. Why is chocolate healthy to consume?4. Are you a chocolate eater?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 8


English todayLooking at the past is an important step towards understanding the future. Any serious study of English in the 21st century must start by examining how English came to be in the state it is not spoken by those who speak it. What factors have ensured the spread of English? What does it tell us about the fate of languages in unique political and cultural contexts?

English is remarkable for its diversity, its propensity to change and be changed. This has resulted in both a variety of forms of English, and also a diversity of cultural contexts within which English is used in daily life. The main areas of development in the use and form of English will undoubtedly come from no native speaks. How many are there and where are they located? We need to be aware of the different place that English has in the lives of native speakers, second language user and those who learn it as a foreign language.

Britain’s colonial expansion established the pre- conditions for the global use of English, taking the language from its island birthplace to settlements around the world. The English language has grown up in contact with many others, making it a hybrid language which can rapidly evolve to meet new culture and communicative needs. The story of English in the 20 th century has been closely linked to the rise of the US as a superpower which has spread the English language alongside its economic, technological, and cultural influence. In same period the international importance of other European languages, especially French has declined.


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There are kinds of English speakers: those who it as a first language, those for whom it is a second or additional language, and those who learn it as foreign language. Native speakers may feel the language belongs to them, but it will be those who speak English as a second or foreign language who will determine its world future.

1. What did the changes of the English language result in?2. How did the English language grow up after the British colonial expansion?3. Which are the main types of English speakers?4. Why is it useful to learn English?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 9


Artificial intelligenceAn Oxford philosophy professor who has studied existential threats ranging from nuclear war to superbugs says the biggest danger of all may be superintelligence. Superintelligence is any intellect that outperforms human intellect in every field, and Nick Bostrom thinks its most likely form will be a machine -- artificial intelligence.

There are two ways artificial intelligence could go, Bostrom argues. It could greatly improve our lives and solve the world's problems, such as disease, hunger and even pain. "Superintelligence could become extremely powerful and be able to shape the future according to its preferences," Bostrom told me. "If humanity was sane and had our act together globally, the sensible course of action would be to postpone development of superintelligence until we figure out how to do so safely."

Bostrom, the founding director of Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute, lays out his concerns in his new book, Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. His book makes a harrowing comparison between the fate of horses and humans: Horses were initially complemented by carriages and ploughs, which greatly increased the horse's productivity. Later, horses were substituted for by automobiles and tractors. When horses became obsolete as a source of labor,


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many were sold off to meatpackers to be processed into dog food, bone meal, leather, and glue. In the United States, there were about 26 million horses in 1915. By the early 1950s, 2 million remained. The same dark outcome, Bostrom said, could happen to humans once AI makes our labor and intelligence obsolete.

1. According to Nick Bostrom, which is the biggest existential threat?2. How does he define superintelligence?3. Which are the advantages of appealing to artificial intelligence?4. What would you do with a superintelligent power?

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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 10


Indian Mandala

A mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in Indian religions, representing the universe. The basic form of most mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T. Mandalas often exhibit balance.

The term appears in the Rigveda as the name of the sections of the work, but is also used in other religions and philosophies, particularly Buddhism.

In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction.

In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any diagram, chart or geometric pattern that represents the cosmosmetaphysically or symbolically; a microcosm of the universe.


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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrocosm_and_microcosm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmos

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temenos

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigveda

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principles_of_art#Balance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bindu_(symbol)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_religions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbol

Mandalas are the most popular objects in indian culture and they are the biggest phenomenom in trival tattoos trends all over the world. The brightest the mandala is, the most spiritual it gets. Mandalas are symbols of life and letting go, people in India wake up very early in the sunrise to make mandalas on the floor, the use flowers and colorful chalk, as soon as the sun rises, they all destroy them as a symbol that life events are temporary and no matter what, we need to continue with strengh.

1. What is a Mandala?2. What is it employed for?3. What is the mandalas’ importance in Indian culture? 4. In what religion are they most popular?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 11


Global warmingThe world's oceans have warmed 50 percent faster over the last 40 years than previously thought due to climate change, Australian and US climate researchers reported Wednesday. Higher ocean temperatures expand the volume of water, contributing to a rise in sea levels that is submerging small island nations and threatening to wreak havoc in low-lying, densely-populated delta regions around the globe. The study, published in the British journal Nature, adds to a growing scientific chorus of warnings about the pace and consequences rising oceans. It also serves as a corrective to a massive report issued last year by the Nobel-winning UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), according to the authors.

Rising sea levels are driven by two things: the thermal expansion of sea water, and additional water from melting sources of ice. Both processes are caused by global warming. The ice sheet that sits atop Greenland, for example, contains enough water to raise world ocean levels by seven metres (23 feet), which would bury sea-level cities from Dhaka to Shanghai.

Trying to figure out how much each of these factors contributes to rising sea levels is critically important to understanding climate change, and forecasting future temperature rises, scientists say. But up to now,


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there has been a perplexing gap between the projections of computer-based climate models, and the observations of scientists gathering data from the oceans.

The new study, led by Catia Domingues of the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, is the first to reconcile the models with observed data. Using new techniques to assess ocean temperatures to a depth of 700 metres (2,300 feet) from 1961 to 2003, it shows that thermal warming contributed to a 0.53 millimetre-per-year rise in sea levels rather than the 0.32 mm rise reported by the IPCC.

1. What happens when the ocean’s temperature rises?2. What causes sea level to rise?3. What will the scientists be able to do better as a result of the new study? 4. What is the main finding of the study?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 12


Romulus and Remus

The early history of the city of Rome involves Romulus and Remus, two orphan boys who, legend says, were raised by a she-wolf. The boys' mother had been murdered by an evil king and the two babies tossed into the river Tiber. When the wolf found them they had washed up on the shore. She perhaps took pity on the crying of the babies and, gently picking them up in her teeth, she carried them back to her cave and fed them on her milk. The boys grew bigger and stronger and, eventually, were found by a herdsman who took them home. He and his wife raised the boys like their own children. When they reached manhood they sought revenge on the king who had killed their mother and driven them from their home.

They decided to build a city. Unfortunately, they argued over the appropriate site and Romulus killed his brother Remus. Romulus ruled this city - called Roma - for thirty-seven years.


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The city of Rome is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. If you travel there you can see a statue of the two baby boys feeding from their mother - the wolf.

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. How did the king try to kill the babies?3. What is a herdsman?4. How is the Italian capital connected to the babies in the story?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 13


The Wild LifeLong before the arrival of Europeans on the Canadian prairie (the wide grasslands of what is now called Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba), the First Nations people lived in a harmonious relationship with their natural surroundings. Every item of their culture, from sewing needles to homes was obtained from nature. Their homes were called teepees and were like large tents made from the skins of deer. These people - tribes with names like the Blackfoot, the Peigan and the Blood people - were nomadic, which means that they travelled from place to place following the animals they hunted or the growth of the berries and fruits on the bushes and trees.

They had horses, although horses came to North America after escaping from the Spanish explorers who brought them here to explore the areas around Mexico and Texas. Boys and girls were both expert riders. They did not use saddles or reins or stirrups; they rode "bareback". Their clothes were made from deer skins and buffalo skins and decorated with the parts of other animals - tails from squirrels and gophers, quills from porcupines and the delicate bones of birds.

These children of nature did not ever have to go to school. This does not mean their life was easy. The winters were very long and very cold and there were sometimes wars between tribes. There were also the very great dangers involved in the buffalo hunt. Warriors rode at top speed (with no saddle) beside the huge buffalo shooting arrows to bring them down. The chances of a buffalo turning suddenly or of falling off the horse were very great.

Even so, the young people of the tribes must have enjoyed a very pleasant lifestyle: fishing and gathering berries in summer, hunting in the forests in the early morning, dancing around the fire at night and listening to the old people tell stories and legends from long ago.

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. What kind of people were the first inhabitants of the Canadian prairie?3. What were some of the dangers they had to face?4. How was the life of the children different at that time?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 14


Wild Children: Emily CarrNot all children who grow up inside a culture are completely influenced by that culture. Some young people find that they are more interested in nature or the culture of other people at a very young age.

The most famous painter in Victoria's history is Emily Carr. She was born in 1871 and, as a child, she discovered that walking in the woods appealed more to her than playing with other children. She discovered that she was more interested in roaming the streets of old Victoria than playing at home with dolls and spending her time brushing her hair and putting pretty ribbons in it.

Emily was a chubby little girl who spent much of her childhood in Beacon Hill Park, which was very close to her family home. Drawing fascinated her, and she also liked to play with the animals she kept as pets. She often wandered around the streets of Victoria and was particularly interested in the First Nations people and the Chinese people she saw in Victoria's Chinatown. Their culture and way of dressing seemed so distinct from her own. At the age of sixteen she began to study drawing seriously. She eventually travelled to San Francisco and Paris to study art, but always returned to her beloved forests of the Pacific Northwest in the Victoria area.

Emily was a very brave and independent woman. She walked for kilometer after kilometer through the woods alone, even though she knew that bears, cougars and wolves might be her only companions. The First Nations people called her "Klee Wyck", which means "Laughing One", and she knew more about their lifestyle and the forests than any other European woman. When you look at her paintings, you can sense the atmosphere of these dark, mysterious forests. Her paintings are now very famous and, although the dark colours may not be attractive to some people, they evoke the beauty and mystery of the deep woods and the skill of a great artist.

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. How was Emily different from other children?3. What was she especially interested in?4. What is the main theme of her paintings?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 15


The Effects of StressThere is a famous expression in English: "Stop the world, I want to get off!" This expression refers to a feeling of panic, or stress, that makes a person want to stop whatever they are doing, try to relax, and become calm again. 'Stress' means pressure or tension. It is one of the most common causes of health problems in modern life. Too much stress results in physical, emotional, and mental health problems.

There are numerous physical effects of stress. Stress can affect the heart. It can increase the pulse rate, make the heart miss beats, and can cause high blood pressure. Stress can affect the respiratory system. It can lead to asthma. It can cause a person to breathe too fast, resulting in a loss of important carbon dioxide. Stress can affect the stomach. It can cause stomach aches and problems digesting food. These are only a few examples of the wide range of illnesses and symptoms resulting from stress. Emotions are also easily affected by stress. People suffering from stress often feel anxious. They may have panic attacks. They may feel tired all the time. When people are under stress, they often overreact to little problems. For example, a normally gentle parent under a lot of stress at work may yell at a child for dropping a glass of juice. Stress can make people angry, moody, or nervous.

Long-term stress can lead to a variety of serious mental illnesses. Depression, an extreme feeling of sadness and hopelessness, can be the result of continued and increasing stress. Alcoholism and other addictions often develop as a result of overuse of alcohol or drugs to try to relieve stress. Eating disorders, such as anorexia, are sometimes caused by stress and are often made worse by stress. If stress is allowed to continue, then one's mental health is put at risk.

It is obvious that stress is a serious problem. It attacks the body. It affects the emotions. Untreated, it may eventually result in mental illness. Stress has a great influence on the health and well-being of our bodies, our feelings, and our minds. So, reduce stress: stop the world and rest for a while.

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. How does stress affect our organism?3. What is the danger of long-term stress?4. How can stress be reduced?


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PROBA DE VERIFICARE A CUNOȘTINȚELOR DE LIMBA ENGLEZĂ25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 16


The Causes of FloodsFloods are second only to fire as the most common of all natural disasters. They occur almost everywhere in the world, resulting in widespread damage and even death. Consequently, scientists have long tried to perfect their ability to predict floods. So far, the best that scientists can do is to recognize the potential for flooding in certain conditions.

There are a number of conditions, from deep snow on the ground to human error, that cause flooding. When deep snow melts it creates a large amount of water. Although deep snow alone rarely causes floods, when it occurs together with heavy rain and sudden warmer weather it can lead to serious flooding. If there is a fast snow melt on top of frozen or very wet ground, flooding is more likely to occur than when the ground is not frozen. Frozen ground or ground that is very wet and already saturated with water cannot absorb the additional water created by the melting snow. Melting snow also contributes to high water levels in rivers and streams. Whenever rivers are already at their full capacity of water, heavy rains will result in the rivers overflowing and flooding the surrounding land. Rivers that are covered in ice can also lead to flooding. When ice begins to melt, the surface of the ice cracks and breaks into large pieces. These pieces of ice move and float down the river. They can form a dam in the river, causing the water behind the dam to rise and flood the land upstream. If the dam breaks suddenly, then the large amount of water held behind the dam can flood the areas downstream too. Broken ice dams are not the only dam problems that can cause flooding. When a large human-made dam breaks or fails to hold the water collected behind it, the results can be devastating. Dams contain such huge amounts of water behind them that when sudden breaks occur, the destructive force of the water is like a great tidal wave. Unleashed dam waters can travel tens of kilometers, cover the ground in meters of mud and debris, and drown and crush everything and creature in their path.

Although scientists cannot always predict exactly when floods will occur, they do know a great deal about when floods are likely, or probably, going to occur. Deep snow, ice-covered rivers, and weak dams are all strong conditions for potential flooding. Hopefully, this knowledge of why floods happen can help us reduce the damage they cause.

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. What are some of the causes for floods?3. How does snow cause flooding?4. What kinds of problems can floods cause?



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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 17


Owning a DogHaving a dog helps a child learn how to act responsibly. As a dog owner, the child must take care of the animal's daily needs. The dog must be fed and exercised every day. A dog is completely dependent on its owner for all its needs, including the need for good health and a safe environment. Therefore, being responsible for a dog also means taking care of the dog so that it stays healthy. Furthermore, the owner must take responsibility for the safety of the dog and the safety of the people it comes into contact with. If the child forgets any of these duties and responsibilities, or ignores any of the dog's needs, the dog will suffer. This teaches the child that his responsibility to the dog is more important than his desire to play with his toys, talk on the phone, or watch TV.

Another lesson that a child can learn from having a dog is how to be empathetic. Empathy is the ability to put oneself in another person's, or in this case another creature's, situation and imagine that person's or creature's feelings or problems. A dog cannot express itself with speech, so its owner must learn how to interpret its behaviour. Is the dog frightened, aggressive, or sick? The result of learning to read a dog's behaviour is that the child develops empathy. By learning how to empathize with a dog, the child also learns how to empathize with other people. This leads to the child becoming a more considerate and caring person.

One of the most significant benefits of owning a dog is the example of true friendship that a dog provides. A dog gives unconditional love to its owner. A dog will not stop loving its owner because of a little anger, indifference, or neglect. The dog will wait patiently for its owner to pat its head and say a few kind words. This acceptance of the negative qualities and appreciation for the positive qualities of its owner provide a wonderful model of how to be a good friend. A child soon realizes that his dog will always listen to him, will always be ready to play with him, will always protect him, and will always forgive him.

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. What are the benefits of owing a dog?3. What can people learn from dogs?



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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 18


The Great Wall of ChinaWalls and wall building have played a very important role in Chinese culture. These people, from the dim mists of prehistory have been wall-conscious; from the Neolithic period – when ramparts of pounded earth were used - to the Communist Revolution, walls were an essential part of any village. Not only towns and villages; the houses and the temples within them were somehow walled, and the houses also had no windows overlooking the street, thus giving the feeling of wandering around a huge maze. The name for “city” in Chinese (ch’eng) means wall, and over these walled cities, villages, houses and temples presides the god of walls and mounts, whose duties were, and still are, to protect and be responsible for the welfare of the inhabitants.

However, it is indeed a common mistake to perceive the Great Wall as a single architectural structure, and it would also be erroneous to assume that it was built during a single dynasty. For the building of the wall spanned the various dynasties, and each of these dynasties somehow contributed to the refurbishing and the construction of a wall, whose foundations had been laid many centuries ago. It was during the fourth and third century B.C. that each warring state started building walls to protect their kingdoms, both against one another and against the northern nomads.

The role that the Great Wall played in the growth of Chinese economy was an important one. Throughout the centuries many settlements were established along the new border. The garrison troops were instructed to reclaim wasteland and to plant crops on it, roads and canals were built, to mention just a few of the works carried out. All these undertakings greatly helped to increase the country’s trade and cultural exchanges with many remote areas and also with the southern, central and western parts of Asia – the formation of the Silk Route. Builders, garrisons, artisans, farmers and peasants left behind a trail of objects, including inscribed tablets, household articles, and written work, which have become extremely valuable archaeological evidence to the study of defence institutions of the Great Wall and the everyday life of these people who lived and died along the wall.

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. Why do Chinese cities resemble a maze?3. When was the Great wall of China built?4. What was the role of the wall?



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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 19


Dirty BritainBefore the grass has thickened on the roadside verges and leaves have started growing on the trees is a perfect time to look around and see just how dirty Britain has become. The pavements are stained with chewing gum that has been spat out and the gutters are full of discarded fast food cartons. Years ago I remember travelling abroad and being saddened by the plastic bags, discarded bottles and soiled nappies at the edge of every road. Nowadays, Britain seems to look at least as bad. What has gone wrong? The problem is that the rubbish created by our increasingly mobile lives lasts a lot longer than before. If it is not cleared up and properly thrown away, it stays in the undergrowth for years; a semi-permanent reminder of what a tatty little country we have now.

Firstly, it is estimated that 10 billion plastic bags have been given to shoppers. These will take anything from 100 to 1,000 years to rot. However, it is not as if there is no solution to this. A few years ago, the Irish government introduced a tax on non-recyclable carrier bags and in three months reduced their use by 90%. When he was a minister, Michael Meacher attempted to introduce a similar arrangement in Britain. The plastics industry protested, of course. However, they need not have bothered; the idea was killed before it could draw breath, leaving supermarkets free to give away plastic bags.

What is clearly necessary right now is some sort of combined initiative, both individual and collective, before it is too late. The alternative is to continue sliding downhill until we have a country that looks like a vast municipal rubbish tip. We may well be at the tipping point. Yet we know that people respond to their environment. If things around them are clean and tidy, people behave cleanly and tidily. If they are surrounded by squalor, they behave squalidly. Now, much of Britain looks pretty squalid. What will it look like in five years?

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. How is rubbish different nowadays?3. How was the plastic bag production reduced?4. What needs to be done according to the text?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 20


Shambo

Shambo, the bull at the centre of a three-month legal fight, has been killed. After a positive test for TB (Bovine Tuberculosis), an order was made for his slaughter, in keeping with the law. However, the multi-faith community where he lived went to court to try to save him as he was a sacred animal to Hindus.

A High Court judge said that the order to kill him was unlawful, but the decision was overturned in the Appeal Court. Police had to be called in as worshippers had formed a human shield around the animal to stop him being taken away. Opinion is very divided on the issue - some believe that he was a danger to the national herd and needed to be killed, while others feel that religious beliefs should be respected and the community had offered to provide sufficient measures to ensure that he would not infect any other animals if he contracted the disease as they planned to isolate him. The authorities cut through the security fence and led the bull away. The following morning they announced that he had been given a lethal injection.

The debate on the issue is unlikely to end with the death of Shambo and may widen into a debate about the policy of killing cows that test positive for TB.

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. Who / what was Shambo?3. Why was Shambo important to the community?4. What happened to Shambo?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 21


Ada Lovelace Ada Lovelace was the daughter of the poet Lord Byron. She was taught by Mary Somerville, a well-known researcher and scientific author, who introduced her to Charles Babbage in June 1833. Babbage was an English mathematician, who first had the idea for a programmable computer.

In 1842 and 1843, Ada translated the work of an Italian mathematician, Luigi Menabrea, on Babbage's Analytical Engine. Though mechanical, this machine was an important step in the history of computers; it was the design of a mechanical general-purpose computer. Babbage worked on it for many years until his death in 1871. However, because of financial, political, and legal issues, the engine was never built. The design of the machine was very modern; it anticipated the first completed general-purpose computers by about 100 years.

When Ada translated the article, she added a set of notes which specified in complete detail a method for calculating certain numbers with the Analytical Engine, which have since been recognized by historians as the world's first computer program. She also saw possibilities in it that Babbage hadn't: she realised that the machine could compose pieces of music. The computer programming language 'Ada', used in some aviation and military programs, is named after her.

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. What was Ada Lovelace passionate about?3. Why were her notes important?4. How did she surpass her teacher?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 22


The Man Booker PrizeThe Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded every year for a novel written by a writer from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland and it aims to represent the very best in contemporary fiction. The prize was originally called the Booker-McConnell Prize, which was the name of the company that sponsored it, though it was better-known as simply the ‘Booker Prize’. In 2002, the Man Group became the sponsor and they chose the new name, keeping ‘Booker’.

Publishers can submit books for consideration for the prize, but the judges can also ask for books to be submitted they think should be included. Firstly, the Advisory Committee give advice if there have been any changes to the rules for the prize and selects the people who will judge the books. The judging panel changes every year and usually a person is only a judge once.

Great efforts are made to ensure that the judging panel is balanced in terms of gender and professions within the industry, so that a writer, a critic, an editor and an academic are chosen along with a well-known person from wider society. However, when the panel of judges has been finalized, they are left to make their own decisions without any further involvement or interference from the prize sponsor.

The Man Booker judges include critics, writers and academics to maintain the consistent quality of the prize and its influence is such that the winner will almost certainly see the sales increase considerably, in addition to the £50,000 that comes with the prize.

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. What type of fiction can be awarded the ‘Booker Prize’?3. How is the judging panel selected?4. What is the benefit of winning the prize?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 23


Reality TelevisionReality television is a genre of television programming which presents unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a form of artificial or "heightened" documentary. Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or quiz shows which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s, to surveillance - or voyeurism - focused productions such as Big Brother.

Part of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in extraordinary situations. For example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a dozen women simultaneously, travelling on extraordinary dates to scenic locales. Reality television also has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, outwardly in talent and performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently Survivor and Big Brother participants also reach some degree of celebrity.

Some commentators have said that the name "reality television" is an inaccurate description for several styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs such as Big Brother and Survivor, and other special-living-environment shows like The Real World, the producers design the format of the show and control the day-to-day activities and the environment, creating a completely fabricated world in which the competition plays out. Producers specifically select the participants, and use carefully designed scenarios, challenges, events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. Mark Burnett, creator of Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and avoids the word "reality" to describe his shows; he has said, "I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It really is unscripted drama."

1. What is the main idea of the text?2. What types of reality television are mentioned?3. Why is this type of entertainment appealing to the public?4. According to the text, is Big Brother accurately categorized as ‘reality television? Why?



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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 24


Angkor WatSiem Reap is a small town near the world famous temple of Angkor Wat. The town is charming and worth exploring, with some fine examples of Khmer and French colonial architecture set among the more modern developments. Nowadays, visitors are flocking in, using it as a base for visits to the nearby temples.

From the 9th to the 14th centuries, when Europe was still struggling out of the Dark Ages, the Cambodian Empire of Angkor covered most of present-day Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. The heart of this empire during the 12th century was the ancient capital of Angkor Thom, near present day Siem Reap, the site of the world’s largest temple complexes, which were rediscovered in 1861.This spectacular city was built over 30 years under the reign of King Suryavarman II (1113-1150). The area covers about 400 square kilometres and is full of the finest examples of Khmer art and architecture.

In Angkor Wat you will find more than 100 stone monuments and temple buildings, each of which contains countless statues, sculptures and reliefs that have weathered extremely little over the last 800 years. To see the whole thing can take several days. The most important temples to visit in the area are Angkor Wat, especially at sunrise or sunset. Visas are required to enter Cambodia. You can obtain one on arrival at Siem Reap International Airport for $20, and 1 passport photo is required per person. You will also need another passport photo for the Angkor Temple Entrance Pass. Please ensure you take comfortable walking shoes, light clothing and plenty of water to drink as it is very hot there. The most commonly accepted currency in Cambodia is the US dollar.

1. What is Angkor Wat? Where is it?2. How old is it?3. Why is it worth seeing?4. What are some of the things you need to visit it?



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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 25


Youth crimeUntil two years ago, Clearing, Illinois was a tranquil suburb of Chicago. But residents grew alarmed when they noticed armed teenagers on the streets, giving gang signals and shouting at passing cars. Then came a series of burglaries and graffiti messages on storefronts. By the time local authorities realized they had a gang problem, it was too late. Last December, two 13-year-old girls were shot outside their school as they sat in a car with two members of a local gang, the Ridgeway Lords.

Nearly all 50 states have recently passed laws that allow youths aged 14-17 to be tried in court as adults. In about 25 states they have passed laws to punish parents for their children's behaviour. And in 146 of the nation's largest cities, they have imposed curfews to reduce juvenile violence. As a result, young people are not allowed to go out when it is too late. When you look at the spectacular rise of violent crime among young people recently, it's easy to understand the concern. Over the past decade, there has been a decline in adult murders in the US, while murder rates have surged for youths between 14-17.

For young offenders who aren't sent to prison, the punishments vary: some are ordered to perform community service, others are placed in job training programs, still others sent to youth prisons. But the Republicans in Congress want to reverse a basic principle of juvenile justice: the separation of young criminals from hardened adult criminals in prison. The reasons are partly financial - to reduce the cost of having separate prisons for young people - and partly psychological - to end what Republicans consider as society's overly protective attitude towards young criminals.

1. Why were the residents of Clearing worried?2. Who were the ‘Ridgeway Lords’?3. What is a ‘curfew’?4. What would the Republicans like to do?



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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 26


The Bermuda Triangle At 2 pm on 5 December 1945, five US bombers took off from Fort Lauderlale in the USA for a training flight in perfect weather. Shortly afterwards, the pilots radioed that their flight instruments were all malfunctioning. Two hours after take-off, all contact with the planes was lost. A reconnaissance plane was immediately dispatched to search for the missing planes. Within 20 minutes, radio contact with it had also been lost. No trace of any of the planes was ever found. In all, six planes and 27 men had vanished into the air.

The disappearance of the six planes was far from being the first mysterious incident in the area: for years, navigational problems and strange magnetic forces had been reported. The disappearance was not even the greatest disaster within the triangle. The Cyclops, a 19,000-ton US ship was sailing from Barbados to Norfolk, Virginia. In March 1918, when it vanished with its crew of 309 from the surface of the ocean without making a distress call and without the slightest wreckage ever being found.

The losses of boats and planes in that area defy explanation. The disasters are the origin of a new phrase in the English language – the Bermuda Triangle and this phrase has entered legend. The Bermuda Triangle has been called the Devils’ Triangle, the Triangle of Death, the Graveyard of the Atlantic. It has swallowed up 140 ships and planes and more than 1,000 people. Today many airmen and sailors are still afraid of that area of the Atlantic Ocean.

1. What is the text about?2. When did the first mysterious incident happen?3. What was "the Cyclops"?4. How many people have disappeared so far?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 27


Olympic Success

On television, the young gymnast comes down from the uneven bars with little effort. She smiles toward the enthusiastic crowd and walks away with high scores. Then, the silver or gold medallist appears on the cover of “Sports Illustrated” or on television. It all seems to be easy and glamorous.

You don’t see it on television, but the road to Olympic success is a long one; and it is hard, physically, emotionally and financially. There is the stress of competition and the separation from loved ones.

Stacey has spent the last 13 years preparing for the Olympics. Today, the young athlete feels the pressure. Four years from now, she’ll be 21 and too old for the gymnastic competition in the Olympics. Even when very young, a dedicated athlete must practise or attend meetings five or six nights a week. This exhausting routine includes doing one’s homework in the car on the way to practice and sleeping on the way back. Her life is hectic… Three times a week, her trainers start working with her as early as 5:30 in the morning. Then she goes through the routine of uneven bars, floor exercise, etc. After that, she goes off to class at the public school next to the gym. At 4, she is back in the gym till 7:30, working on optionals or her own routine. “Olympic competition is a family decision for most competitors,” says her Dad. “Without the support of their families, the gymnasts couldn’t become the great achievers they are.”

1. What is the text about?2. How old is she?3. What is Stacey’s sport?4. How much does she train?


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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 28


A hundred billion burgersOnce upon a time, a businessman named Ray Kroc discovered a restaurant owned by two brothers. The restaurant served just four things: hamburgers, French fries, milk shakes and coca cola. But it was clean and inexpensive, and the service was quick. Mr Kroc liked it so much that he paid the brothers so that he could use their idea and their name: Mc Donald's.

Beef, big business and fast service were the ingredients when Mr Kroc opened his first Mc Donald's in 1955. Four years later, there were 100 of them. Kroc knew Americans liked success. So he put signs saying how many millions of Mc Donald's hamburgers people had bought. In just four years, the number was one hundred million. Now, there are more than 13,000 Mc Donald's restaurants from Dallas to Paris and from Moscow to Beijing.

Anyone who wants to open a Mc Donald's must first work in one for a week. Then, they do a nine-month training programme, in the restaurants and at "Mc Donald's University" in Chicago. There they learn the Mc Donald's philosophy: quality control, service, cleanliness and cheap prices. Mc Donald's has strict rules, Hamburgers must be served before they are ten minutes old, and French fries, seven.

Mc Donald's has never stopped looking for new methods to attract customers, from drive-in windows to birthday parties. Chicken, fish, salad and, in some places, pizza are now on the menu. Mc Donald's in Holland even sells a vegetarian burger. Their international popularity shows they have found the recipe for success.

1. What is the text about?2. Who was Ray Kroc? What did he discover?3. How did he show that his restaurants were successful?4. What is the McDonald’s recipe for success?



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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 29


Charlie Chaplin He was believed to have been born on April 16, 1889. There is some doubt whether April 16 is actually his birthday, and it is possible he was not born in 1889. There is also uncertainty about his birthplace: London or Fontainebleau, France. There is no doubt, however, as to his parentage: he was born to Charles Chaplin, Sr. and Hannah Harriette Hill (aka Lily Harley on stage), both Music Hall entertainers. His parents separated soon after his birth, leaving him in the care of his increasingly unstable mother.

In 1896, Chaplin's mother was unable to find work; Charlie and his older half-brother Sydney Chaplin had to be left in the workhouse at Lambeth, moving after several weeks to Hanwell School for Orphans and Destitute Children. His father died an alcoholic when Charlie was 12, and his mother suffered a mental breakdown, and was eventually admitted temporarily to the Cane Hill Asylum at Coulsdon (near Croydon). She died in 1928 in the United States, two years after coming to the States to live with Chaplin, by then a commercial success.

Charlie first took to the stage when, aged five, he performed in Music Hall in 1894, standing in for his mother. As a child, he was confined to a bed for weeks due to a serious illness, and, at night, his mother would sit at the window and act out what was going on outside. In 1900, aged 11, his brother helped get him the role of a comic cat in the pantomime Cinderella at the London Hippodrome. In 1903 he appeared in 'Jim, A Romance of Cockayne', followed by his first regular job, as the newspaper boy Billy in Sherlock Holmes, a part he played into 1906. This was followed by Casey's 'Court Circus' variety show, and, the following year, he became a clown in Fred Karno's 'Fun Factory' slapstick comedy company.

According to immigration records, he arrived in the United States with the Karno troupe on October 2, 1912. In the Karno Company was Arthur Stanley Jefferson, who would later become known as Stan Laurel. Chaplin and Laurel shared a room in a boarding house. Stan Laurel returned to England but Chaplin remained in the United States. Chaplin's act was seen by film producer Mack Sennett, who hired him for his studio, the Keystone Film Company.

1. What were Charlie’s parents like?2. What was his first real job?3. What was his first acting part?4. How was he discovered?



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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 30


The Notting Hill Carnival The Notting Hill Carnival takes place in the streets of London and it is a great tourist attraction. Its name comes from an area in West London. This event is celebrated every year on the last weekend of August and it lasts two days (Sunday and Monday). It attracts more than two million people from all over the world. For this reason it is the biggest street festival in Europe and the second biggest carnival in the world (after the carnival in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil).

This festivity is organized by the Trinidad and Tobago population and is an old tradition from the Caribbean islands. It was brought to London by the Caribbean immigrants who moved to England in the 1950s, taking their traditions with them. In the beginning it was celebrated inside a Town Hall to try to develop relations between races and promote cultural unity. Then, in 1966, it was moved to the month of August because then the weather is warmer. Since then it has been a very successful street festival.

The carnival celebrations start on Sunday. Two different parades are organized. The first parade is for children, who wear beautiful costumes and dance. The adult parade is on Monday and is longer. There are decorated floats and live music, such as reggae, calypso, soul, hip hop, salsa and soca – traditional music from Jamaica, Cuba, Trinidad and Puerto Rico. The parade is almost seven kilometers long and at the end there is a special prize for the best float. People can dance, listen to music, look at wonderful costumes and floats and have delicious Caribbean food and drinks. Families of Caribbean origin prepare for this event weeks in advance. They create wonderful costumes and floats and practice playing the drums and other musical instruments.

1. What is the text about?2. Where did the festivity originate from?3. When do the celebrations start?4. How do people have fun during the celebration?



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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 31


The Brazilian CarnivalEach year tons of tourists go to Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador, Recife and other important Brazilian cities to take part in the most famous Brazilian celebration: the Carnival. It is usually in February, it starts on Saturday (some cities start the celebration on Friday) and lasts until the next Tuesday. The most important event of the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is the Parade when all the “Samba Schools” present to people on an avenue especially set for the occasion. Each samba school prepares a song theme (or “samba”) and while it’s song by the samba school official singers, the samba school members pass on the streets dancing “samba”, wearing costumes and some go on floats. The floats, the singers, the members and the costumes have a unique theme, based in a story that is narrated by the “samba theme”.

São Paulo city also has a popular parade that is similar to the one that happens in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival Balls are also common, people wear costumes and dance samba until 4 a.m. The most important clubs promote carnival balls each night, from Friday to Tuesday and in the afternoon there’s a matinee ball for the kids. The most popular character is the “King Momo”, each city chooses a heavy man to wears the “King Momo” costume and he participates in the Carnival Balls, especially for the kids. He’s kind of “King of Carnival”.

In Salvador the people dance on the street, following the “trio elétrico”, that is a truck with a band and some singers. They play during all the night and the people dance while following them. They also have the “Olodum”, a famous group that participated with Michael Jackson in some of his hits recordings when he was in Brazil.

1. According to the text, where is the Brazilian Carnival celebrated?2. When is it celebrated?3. What is the most important event in Rio de Janeiro?4. Who is the most popular character for kids?



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25 MAI 2016

BILETUL Nr. 32


School problems in MorrocoDropping out of school is a serious problem in Morocco. Each year, nearly 200,000

children leave school before completing their primary education. A new government initiative in Morocco offers some measures to reduce the number of students who withdraw from school. This initiative is part of an awareness campaign targeting parents.

Researchers and government officials largely assume that this phenomenon is due to the ignorance of poor parents who do not realise the importance of education. Some parents, for example, withdraw their children from school because of the competing demands for household income which often push children to work. Drop-out rates are higher among children of illiterate parents. These rates can be reduced if we make parents aware of the importance of sending their children to school. In 2006, Morocco launched a number of awareness campaigns to address this growing problem. These campaigns aim at introducing a national programme which encourages school children to make a list of non-registered children and children who have dropped out. More than 14,000 teachers and headmasters will also be responsible for implementing this plan.

The initiative is considered a logical one because it will get children who have dropped out back into the school system. For example, a student missed a year of school to work for his family. He is now back in school and has struck a healthy balance between work and studies. In the morning, he goes to school and in the evening, he helps his father in his workshop. This year, he is taking part in the initiative to make a list of children who are not in school. He also advises parents in his family circle to allow their children to finish their education.

1. What does the Moroccan government do to reduce the rates of school drop outs?2. Why do poor parents withdraw their children from school?3. What is the writers’ attitude towards the initiative taken by the government: supportive,

neutral, unsupportive? Justify your answer.4. Do you know any examples of students who have dropped out school?

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A brief history of pizza So you thought the hamburger was the world's most popular fast food? After all, McDonald's Golden Arches span the globe. But no, there is another truly universal fast food, the ultimate fast food. It's easy to make, easy to serve, much more varied than the hamburger, can be eaten with the hands, and it's delivered to your front door or served in fancy restaurants. It's been one of America's favourite foods for over 50 years. It is, of course, the pizza.

It's kind of silly to talk about the moment when pizza was invented. It gradually evolved over the years, but one thing's for certain. It’s been around for a very long time. The idea of using pieces of flat, round bread as plates came from the Greeks.They called them 'plakuntos' and ate them with various simple toppings such as oil, garlic, onions, and herbs. The Romans enjoyed eating something similar and called it 'picea'. By about 1000 A.D. in the city of Naples, 'picea' had become 'pizza'. In 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita heard about pizza and asked to try it. They invited pizza maker, Raffaele Esposito, to make it for them. He decided to make the pizza like the Italian flag, so he used red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil leaves. The Queen loved it and the new pizza was named 'Pizza Margherita' in her honour.

Pizza migrated to America with the Italians at the end of the nineteenth century. The first pizzeria in the United States was opened in 1905 at 53% Spring Street, New York City, by Gennaro Lombardi. But the popularity of pizza really exploded when American soldiers returned from Italy after World War II and raved about 'that great Italian dish'. Americans are now the greatest producers and consumers of pizza in the world.

1. Why is pizza more popular than hamburgers, according to the text?2. Where did the idea of producing pizza first come from?3. What ingredients did Raffaele use for making pizza?4. When did the popularity of pizza burst out?



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Dreams Japanese scientists say they have found a way to "read" people's dreams. Researchers at the ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories used resonance imaging for what they say is, "the world's first scanner of night-time visions. Their research is published in the "Science" magazine. The researchers wrote: "Visual imagery during sleep has long been a topic of speculation, but its private nature has hampered objective analysis. Here, we present a neural decoding in which machine learning models predict the contents of visual imagery during sleep." They were able to predict what images their volunteers had seen with a 60 per cent accuracy.

The research is a part of a programme aimed at studying the brain. It hopes to reveal the secrets of the unconscious mind to help the disabled move artificially, using brain activity. It could also help those with dementia and other neurological problems. A spokesperson said: "Our expectations from the dream study are quite fascinating, but we are also looking carefully at the ethical aspects of the technology, which may allow a person to look at somebody else's thoughts." The head researcher said, "dreams have guided people since ancient times, but their function and meaning has remained closed". He believes his research is, "a key towards reading people’s dreams more precisely".

1. What do the Japanese scientists use resonance imaging for?2. What does the programme hope to find out?3. What kind of people can the programme help?4. Do you believe in the significance of your dreams? Justify.

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Climate changes

When looking at the best way to protect wildlife from the growing climate change crisis, conservation scientists usually ignore the most significant impact on fauna and flora: the changes that global warming causes in the behaviour of humans and resultant effects on the living world and natural processes. Those effects are already causing many of the climate-related ecological changes that we are seeing across the globe.

For example, the opening up of the Arctic for oil and gas because of sea-ice reduction directly impacts polar biodiversity. Expansion of agricultural activities due to changes in rainfall in the mountains of Africa's Albertine Rift and the valleys of the Congo Basin now put gorilla habitat at risk there.

The list is endless but it is not all negative. For example, in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala, efforts by local communities to control a growing number of wildfire incidents are having a positive impact on vulnerable populations of threatened species like the jaguar.

However, some people could say that in their work on climate change, conservation scientists have forgotten a basic concept of our field: that conservation is fundamentally about people.

It’s true that direct threats to species are often less difficult to identify, quantify and predict, but indirect threats can often be much more significant and permanent. Understanding the ecology of species and possible responses to climate change is helpful, but understanding how humans are going to be affected by climate and what impact this will cause on those species is much more important.

1. What is the text about?2. Which are the two types of problems conservation scientists should think about?3. What consequences did the expansion of agricultural activities have in Congo?4. What is conservation fundamentally about?


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BILETUL Nr. 36


Extreme sportsExtreme sports is a popular term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of

danger. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion, and highly

specialized gear. There are more than forty kinds of extreme sports

The definition of an extreme sport is not exact and the origin of the term is unclear, but it

gained popularity in the 1990s when it was picked up by marketing companies to promote the X

Games (The X Games is a sports event, controlled and arranged by the U.S., which focuses

on extreme sports.) and the Extreme Sports Channel and Extreme.com launched.

While the use of the term "extreme sport" has spread far and wide to describe a multitude

of different activities, exactly which sports are considered 'extreme' is debatable. There are,

however, several characteristics common to most extreme sports. Extreme sports are considered

to be the domain of the youth; however, they tend to have younger followers. Extreme sports

tend to be more solitary than traditional sports..

Whilst traditional sporting judgment criteria may be adopted when assessing performance

(distance, time, score, etc.), extreme sports performers are often evaluated on more subjective

and aesthetic criteria.

1. What do extreme sports involve?2. What is the X Games?3. Which are the main criteria that guide the evaluation of extreme sports performers?4. Would you ever try any extreme sport?


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