Speaking Task 1: Identifying Objects Set A

Set B

Speaking Task 2: Giving a Simple Description

Picture A

Picture B

Speaking Task 3: Describing Past Events Your colleague greets you on Monday morning and asks you what you did over the weekend. You will have 15 seconds to think about your response and 30 seconds to answer.

Speaking Task 4: Expressing an Opinion While traveling on business, you are discussing the typical workweek with a colleague. He remarks that some European businesses have adopted a six-day workweek and are providing employees with more paid vacation days. Some people argue that extending the workweek while providing more vacation will lead to better morale and production among the workers. Your colleague asks if you agree or disagree. You will have 30 seconds to consider your answer and 60 seconds to explain your opinion after the question prompt.

Listening Task: 1 Following Simple Commands Your teacher will ask you some questions. Listen carefully to your teacher’s requests.

Listening Task: 2: Listening to a Phone Message You have offered to stop by the grocery store on the way to your friends’ house for dinner to pick up a few things for them. Your friend leaves a message on your voice mail letting you know what they need and what time you should be there. After listening to the following message, you will be asked to recall the important details.

Listening Task 3: Following Directions

Listening Task 4: Understanding a Newspaper Article Your teacher will read a short newspaper article and ask you some questions. Listen carefully to the main details of the story. You may take notes.

©The NYC Insider. Rockefeller Center. <http://www.theinsider.com/nyc/maps/RockCenterMap.htm> (28 February 2006)

Reading Task 1: Reading a Menu

©O'Charley's, Inc. O’Charley’s To Go Menu. <http://www.ocharleys.com/images/pdf/OCHA2924_L_CoreFaxMnu.pdf> (26 February 2006).

Reading Task 2: Reading a Short Article

Reading Task 3: Reading a Newspaper

Hacking for a Better World, It Helps

Renowned American hacker Johnny Long now gets other hackers to volunteer their skills to charities in Jinja, Uganda.

(VOA/Hilary Heuler)

The Detroit Zoo gets even wilder on Wednesday nights during July and August with its annual Wild Summer Nights concert series. Concerts take place in the Zoo’s Main Picnic Grove from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., July 1 through August 26. Wild Summer Nights features a variety of live music from local bands, including children’s, jazz, pop, folk and blues. Concert-goers are invited to bring a blanket and pack a picnic. Food, snacks, beer, wine and soft drinks are available for purchase from Zoo concessions. The concerts are free with the purchase of Zoo admission. The Zoo remains open until 8 p.m. on Wednesdays during the concert series.

Hilary Heuler March 25, 2013 VOA News

JINJA, UGANDA — One American computer hacker has figured out how to harness the knowledge and creativity of other hackers around the world to help local Ugandan charities solve their information technology problems—for free. For 15 years, Johnny Long was paid by governments and major firms to break into their systems and sometimes their buildings, identifying security holes. His techniques are legendary in technology circles, his books are widely read and people flock to hear him speak at conferences. But when Long first came to Africa, he says he did not think he would have much to offer. “I’m a high-tech guy, I hardly have any other skills. I get somebody else to change light bulbs," said Long. "I’m just not the type that you would think of going to Africa and doing anything.” But he did know computers and he knew a lot about hackers. “I knew that they got a bad rap from a few people that were committing crimes with their name," said Long. "I saw these people doing good things. But I realized there was no charity that was technology-based that was for them.” Inspired by a trip his wife had taken, and determined to help, Long moved his family to Jinja, Uganda, in 2009. There he founded Hackers for Charity, which provides a way for hackers around the world to volunteer their skills to cash-strapped local charities that cannot afford tech support. Hackers can volunteer remotely, building and securing websites or they can come to Uganda in person to help set up and maintain computer labs. Long says the work might not be warm and fuzzy, but for many organizations it is essential. Renee Bach, who runs a charity for malnourished children, is one of the beneficiaries. She points out that computers are vital in keeping her organization going. “We use computers for all of our data and record keeping and all of our bookkeeping and finances as well," said Bach. "We have Skype board meetings and things like that over the Internet as well. A lot of our communication with donors is done over the Internet.”

Long says persuading people to work with hackers is not always easy. The stigma

attached to the term can drive donors away.

“Most organizations see that word hacker—which we won’t remove from our name,

because it’s who we are—and that’s it. End of discussion," said Long. "Organizations

that would normally donate to us won’t donate because they’re fearing a news story.”

He says working with hackers does come with challenges. Some of his volunteers prefer

to remain anonymous, taking precautions to prevent their emails from being traced. And,

he adds, identity is not the only problem.

“The other challenge is vetting the volunteers," said Long. "If you have somebody that

has bad motives and they just want to put a back door into a client’s website instead of

fixing it, that becomes sticky.”

Long’s volunteers have numbered in the thousands, and he screens them all carefully.

Tim Rosenberg, an IT professional who has volunteered twice with Long, insists that the

majority are just grateful for the chance to use their expertise to benefit others.

“We’re not known for our social skills," said Rosenberg. "We’re known for spending

hours and days and months in windowless offices interfacing on laptops and computers,

and not really moving outside of that bubble. An organization like Hackers for Charity,

that provides the ability to start impacting into the wider community and the world, is just

a phenomenal opportunity.”

Long says he hopes the work they do will change the public’s perceptions of hackers as

well.

“We’re able to show hackers aren’t just about mayhem and causing trouble," said Long.

"We’re actually making a difference.”

In the meantime, Long admits his own tech skills are getting a bit rusty. But he feels like

he is helping to save lives and says he is not looking back.

Source: Voice of America News http://www.voanews.com/content/hacking-for-better-world/1628148.html

Reading Task 4: Reading Literature

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Out of one window I can see the garden, those mysterious deep shaded arbors, the riotous old-fashioned flowers, and bushes and gnarly trees.

Out of another I get a lovely view of the bay and a little private wharf belonging to the estate. There is a beautiful shaded lane that runs down there from the house. I always fancy I see people walking in these numerous paths and arbors, but John has cautioned me not to give way to fancy in the least. He says that with my imaginative power and habit of story-making, a nervous weakness like mine is sure to lead to all manner of excited fancies, and that I ought to use my will and good sense to check the tendency. So I try.

I think sometimes that if I were only well enough to write a little it would relieve the press of ideas and rest me.

But I find I get pretty tired when I try.

It is so discouraging not to have any advice and companionship about my work. When I get really well, John says we will ask Cousin Henry and Julia down for a long visit; but

he says he would as soon put fireworks in my pillow-case as to let me have those stimulating people about now.

I wish I could get well faster.

But I must not think about that. This paper looks to me as if it KNEW what a vicious influence it had!

There is a recurrent spot where the pattern lolls like a broken neck and two bulbous eyes stare at you upside down.

I get positively angry with the impertinence of it and the everlastingness. Up and down and sideways they crawl, and those absurd, unblinking eyes are everywhere. There is one place where two breadths didn't match, and the eyes go all up and down the line, one a little higher than the other.

I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before, and we all know how much expression they have! I used to lie awake as a child and get more entertainment and terror out of blank walls and plain furniture than most children could find in a toy store.

I remember what a kindly wink the knobs of our big, old bureau used to have, and there was one chair that always seemed like a strong friend.

I used to feel that if any of the other things looked too fierce I could always hop into that chair and be safe.

The furniture in this room is no worse than inharmonious, however, for we had to bring it all from downstairs. I suppose when this was used as a playroom they had to take the nursery things out, and no wonder! I never saw such ravages as the children have made here.

The wall-paper, as I said before, is torn off in spots, and it sticketh closer than a brother—they must have had perseverance as well as hatred.

Then the floor is scratched and gouged and splintered, the plaster itself is dug out here and there, and this great heavy bed which is all we found in the room, looks as if it had been through the wars.

But I don't mind it a bit—only the paper.

There comes John's sister. Such a dear girl as she is, and so careful of me! I must not let her find me writing.

Source: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1952/1952-h/1952-h.htm

Writing Task 1: Writing a Simple Letter

Writing Task 2: Writing an Email

To:

From:

Subject:

Writing Task 3: Writing a Note

Writing Task 4: Proposing a Course of Action