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World Book Day – the test teen reads

by Genny Haslett, 24, English literature teacher at Bathampton
Secondary School
It is often suggested that teachers and librarians aren’t pushing
secondary school readers towards titles that challenge them enough, and
so the organisers of World Book Day have announced a list which might
provide some inspiration for anyone who’s stuck for ideas. This list of
popular books for young adults, voted for by 10,000 people across the
UK, features a top 10 to ‘shape and inspire’ teenagers, and handle some
of the challenges of adolescence.
All but one of the books have already been made into films,
demonstrating that when a book makes it to the big screen, it often then
acquires more readers thanks to the film’s success. Of course, this isn’t
always the case, as with George Orwell’s 1984, where the rather
mediocre film does not compare so favourably with the book’s ability to
conjure up a dark vision of life in a police state.
James Bowen’s A Streetcat Named Bod, published in 2012, is one of the
few relatively contemporary books here. It’s also certainly for me the
least predictable member of the list, but its extended stay on the
bestseller list earned it – and its author – a devoted following. It is the
touching story of Bob, the cat who helped a homeless man called James
get his life back on track. Bob sits on James’s shoulder and sleeps at his
feet while he plays the guitar on the street, and soon becomes the centre
of attention. What makes the story particularly powerful is that it is
based on author James Bowen’s real life.
Also on the list are J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books. In this case it’s
actually the whole series rather than one particular title that makes the
shortlist. Perhaps the judges struggled to agree which one book to pick.
For me, the books are rather more pre-teen than the rest of the books on
the list, which are aimed at a more mature readership.
But Harry Potter is a special case: as Harry gets older in each successive
book in the series, the stories do become more complex and darker. In a
way, readers themselves grow up with Harry and his friends. Rowling
asks some tough questions about standing up to authority, challenging
‘normal’ views and many other subjects close to teenage readers’ hearts.
This should get rid of the idea that the whole series is just for young
kids. In actual fact, half of all Harry Potter readers are over the age of
35, but that’s another story.
The list goes right back to the nineteenth century with Charlotte Bronte’s
great romance Jane Eyre, showing that some books never grow old,
though the majority are twentieth-century works such as Anne Frank’s
heartbreaking wartime memoir The Diary of a Young Girl, which even
now I find hard to get through without shedding tears. Personally, I
would have swapped J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings for one of
the many classics that didn’t make the final selection, Lord of the
Flies perhaps, William Golding’s nightmare vision of schoolboys stuck
on an island.
Of course there’ll always be some choices we don’t agree with, but
that’s what I think makes a list like this so fascinating. I’ve been using it
with my class of 16-year-olds, and I got them to evaluate it and make
other suggestions for what to include or how it could be changed. But
what I hope can really make a lasting difference is if it stimulates them
to try out writers on the list, perhaps ones they haven’t come across
before, and be introduced to new styles of writing.
1 What criticism does the writer make in the first paragraph?
A World Book Day has been poorly organised.
B School librarians aren’t working hard enough.
C Teenagers are reading books that are too easy.
D Teachers don’t encourage pupils to read enough.
2 What point is made about books which are made into films?
A The best books tend to be made into films.
B The film of a book makes more people read the book.
C Many people prefer to watch a film than read the book.
D It is useful to be able to compare the book and the film.
3 What does the writer suggest about A Streetcat Named Bob?
A She is surprised that it is on the list.
B The book did not sell as well as it deserved to.
C It is the most recently published book on the list.
 D It is the only autobiography on the list.
4 How does the writer justify the presence of the Harry Potter books
on the list?
A The books’ fame can help the list get more attention.
B The later books in the series are more suitable for teenagers.
C Teenagers should read books that they will also enjoy as adults.
D It makes sense to have a whole series as well as individual books.
5 Which book does the writer feel shouldn’t be on the list?
A Jane Eyre
B The Diary of a Young Girl
C The Lord of the Rings
D Lord of the Flies
6 What does the writer intend to do?
A be more fully developed in future
B prompt pupils to read more widely
C enable pupils to write more effectively
D provide a useful topic for discussion in class
[Link]
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The fake hairdresser remembers
Some years ago, a British TV company came up with an idea for a
reality TV show. People with no experience would be trained in a
profession in a very short period of time, then would try and pass
themselves off as the real thing with the general public. The show was
called Faking It, and the format has since been imitated the world over.
One of the first contestants was Gavin Freeborn, a twenty-three-year-old
farmer’s son, who trained with celebrity hairdresser Trevor Sorbie in
London. Gavin remembers the experience.
‘I was at university, studying for a degree in agriculture, when some
friends mentioned that a TV company had advertised for people to take
part in Faking It. They were looking for someone who’d never picked up
a pair of scissors or thought of hairdressing as a career, which I certainly
hadn’t. I reckoned it would be a laugh. Having spent my school holidays
shearing sheep on my parents’ farm, I was used to the idea of
haircutting, but obviously it’s harder doing it on people – because they
have an opinion about it!’
‘I’d never been to London before and it was so busy that I felt a bit
overwhelmed at first. Meeting Trevor for the first time, he seemed really
strict, but once he realised I was taking the challenge seriously we got on
like a house on fire and they often had to stop filming because we
couldn’t stop giggling. Fortunately, I didn’t have to do any of the
washing or sweeping floors other people new to the business have to do.
I went straight into blow-drying and cutting instead.’
‘At first I practised on a dummy’s head, which was a welcome safety
net, but I did make a really bad mistake halfway through filming when I
was cutting one real man’s hair. I’d been shown how to use clippers to
get a cropped effect but hadn’t been warned to angle the comb. I ended
up shaving off a huge patch of hair! He couldn’t see what I’d done, but
the camera crew couldn’t stop laughing, so it was obvious I’d made a
mistake. Luckily, I managed to rectify the situation and told the client,
who was alright about it, so I forgave them.’
‘By the day of my final test, I knew I was capable but I felt sick with
nerves. I didn’t want to let Trevor down. But even though I failed to
convince the client that I was a real hairdresser, she approved of the
haircut and the judges were impressed by it, too. It didn’t worry me at
the time but, looking back now, I think it was a bit unfair that I was
penalised for taking too long – and hour-and-a-half – when I’d been
taught the most important thing was to ensure your client walks out of
the salon feeling like a million dollars.’
‘After the programme, I went home for a week but I decided to come
back to London because I’d fallen in love with the buzz of the city.
People in town kept stopping and staring at me as if I was famous. I
found this unnerving at first, but with time I got used to it. There were a
few comments about me being too full of myself, but I took no notice.’
‘When I agreed to do Faking It, I had no idea how much I was signing
my life away, but I couldn’t say I have any regrets. The thing is that I’ve
discovered growing up on a farm doesn’t mean I can’t work in a creative
field. What’s more, I’ve now got choices I didn’t realise I had, which is
brilliant. Although I still keep in contact with everyone from Trevor’s
salon, and we all go out when I’m in London, I’m hardly a celebrity
anymore.’
1 Why did Gavin first apply to be on the programme?
A He thought it would be fun.
B He liked the idea of going to London.
C His friends managed to talk him into it.
D He had some experience of hairdressing.
2 How did Gavin feel about the hairdressing mistake he made one
day?
A sorry that the client was dissatisfied
B relieved that the client didn’t notice it
C pleased that he was able to find a solution
D annoyed by the reaction of the camera crew
3 How did Gavin feel on the day of his final test?
A unsure if he was good enough
B worried that he might not succeed
C unconvinced that the client was really happy
D disappointed by the feedback from the judges
4 Thinking about the final test now, Gavin feels that he
A was too slow in completing the haircut.
B didn’t take enough notice of his client’s wishes.
C was unjustly criticised for one aspect of his performance.
D should have paid some attention to things he’d been taught.
5 What does the word ‘it’ in line 33 refer to?
A people making comments about Gavin
B people looking at Gavin in the street.
C Gavin feeling proud of himself
D Gavin feeling uncomfortable
6 Looking back on the whole experience, Gavin now
A wishes he’d thought more carefully before applying.
B realises that his life is different as a result.
C appreciates his farm upbringing more.
D accepts that it’s helped him socially
[Link]
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 Teenagers and parents – it’s the same old story …
Many readers have described the ups and downs of living with teenage
children.
This week, we hear from Barry Davros, 15.
OK, I’ll admit it. Things haven’t been so easy at home in the last couple
of years. I’d like to think I’m old enough and wise enough to know that
it’s almost certainly because I’m a teenager now. Teenagers complain to
their friends about their parents. And I think we can be pretty certain that
the parents do the same about their kids. I argue with mine. We don’t
talk as much as we did when I was a kid. It’s not that this is the way I
want it – I’d prefer it if we never argued, but found a way to talk about
what was bothering us. That would be so much better, not just for me
and my mum and dad, but for any teenager and their family. So I’ve
been reading a lot – books like The Teenage Brain, and lots of online
stuff. And I’m sure that if people understood more about what goes on
inside a teenager’s mind, half of the arguments over the dinner table
wouldn’t even start in the first place. So I’d like to share what I’ve
learnt.
There are so many things that parents have a go at their teenagers for
that it’s almost impossible to know where to start. So let’s just pick
mornings. Mornings are for sleeping. For as long as you need to, or at
least as long as you can. Every teenager knows that. But not parents –
they think that we should get up at 7.30, just because they get up at 7.30,
ready for another busy day. So who’s right? Well, the science says that
an adolescent’s body clock isn’t programmed in the same way, and is on
a schedule about three hours behind that of older adults (that means both
going to bed and getting up).
Another ‘issue’ that parents make a big deal about is tidiness. Clothes
dumped on the bathroom floor, an old plate of food under the bed, house
keys lost. OK, I admit, I’ve been guilty of all of these things recently
(but at least I owned up!). Sorting stuff like this takes planning, and the
way the teenage brain develops means that it’s just not our strong point.
Sorry! The brain develops a chemical called myelin, and it’s created
over time. Until it’s fully developed in all parts of the brain, it does
unfortunately mean that even very bright teens can do really stupid
things. So just bear with us guys!
Because as already mentioned, the teenage brain goes through all sorts
of changes, sometimes teenagers can get angry. This usually makes
parents angry. Which makes us angrier, which … OK, you get the
picture. But parents need to understand more about what’s going on
inside our heads. Like, there might be a perfectly understandable (to us)
reason why we don’t want to do that maths homework this instant. So,
listen parents out there, try and understand! Don’t always respond to us
by getting angry. Just don’t! Calm down, count to ten and think
twice. (line 49)
Communication. That’s a big one. Sure, teens and parents need to hang
out together too, not live in separate worlds. But I’m 15, so the topics of
conversation I was into when I was 11 don’t work for me now. Same for
all kids my age. The sooner parents realise that, the better. It’s not that
we stop (line 54) loving them just because we’re in our teens, it’s just
that we need more space. To grow up and find out who we are.
Here’s a tip – if there’s something that needs to be discussed, do it on a
car journey. Whether it’s the whole family together or just two of you,
the fact that you’re in a car means that you’re gazing ahead, rather than
staring at each other. For me, it just makes it easier to talk somehow,
because I sometimes feel they’re judging me or something if they’re
observing me. Try it. It works. And you heard it from me.
1 Why shouldn’t parents be surprised if their teenagers sleep late?
A Many teenagers find their busy schedule tiring.
B Some teenagers need more hours of sleep than adults.
C Teenagers prefer not to see their parents in the mornings.
D It’s natural for teenagers to have different sleep patterns from
adults.
2 In the third paragraph, the writer admits that teenagers tend not to be
very
A honest.
B organised.
 C confident.
D intelligent.
3 What does the writer mean when he advises parents to ‘count to ten’
in line 49?
A don’t react too quickly
B repeat what you have said
C find ten reasons for the behaviour
D don’t tell teenagers things they already know
4 What does ‘that’ refer to in line 54?
A Teenagers need to spend time away from their parents.
B Teenagers love their parents less than they did as children.
C Teenagers want to talk about different things as they mature.
D Teenagers need to spend more time talking to their parents.
5 Car journeys are a good opportunity to speak because
A the speakers don’t need to look at each other.
B the vehicle provides more privacy.
C families can travel somewhere nice together.
D teenagers cannot avoid their parents when they are in the same
car.
6 Why has Barry written this blog post?
A to help families get along better
B to explain why his parents annoy him
C to encourage parents, doctors and teachers to read more about
teenagers
D to suggest that it is important for teenagers to be responsible

[Link]
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Survival adventure camp

Last summer, I took part in a survival adventure camp in the mountains.
It was run by Survive! Adventure Club, and the idea behind it was to
give teenagers like me a taste of what it’s like to survive in the wild.
There were no luxuries such as showers or shops which you find on
other adventure camps. That might have bothered some people – not me,
though. Our guides were experienced and reassured us they’d be with us
every step of the way. They provided tips to help us make informed
decisions about things like where to camp, how to make meals from
food we’d find ourselves, and how to get around without maps.
The experience began at the Survive! Adventure Club headquarters at
the base of the mountains. There, we were divided into teams for the
camp. The teams weren’t based on age and experience but on our
performance in a number of team-building tasks, which was a way for
the leaders to put us together based on individual skills and personalities,
to ensure a good mix in each team. We were led through a series of fun
activities, such as making a raft which floated on water and taking part
in a quiz. The activities were aimed at helping us make the most of our
strengths, in addition to building confidence before the real survival
adventure began.
Once we’d decided that we still wanted to take part after the day’s
activities, our first night was spent in the cabins at the club’s
headquarters. We had a proper bed for the night but the evening meal
was down to us – I knew there’d be some kind of challenge for us! Our
survival expert, Hans, gave us a lesson on finding food, such as plants,
in the wild. He warned us that not everything that looks good is safe to
eat, and explained that it’s vital to identify what you’re looking at. Hans
not only pointed out what was edible or should be left alone, but also
taught us to build a campfire and provided cooking tips. He told us we
should see our imaginations, as cooking in the wild was different to
cooking at home.
Next morning the real survival adventure began. We’d been advised to
take well-fitting hiking boots, warm clothing and waterproofs. I
appreciated the advice because as we soon found out, the weather in
mountainous regions can be highly unpredictable. After an initial steep
climb, we spent the rest of the morning identifying wildlife and learning
to navigate using nature alone. We learned to determine where we were
heading and what time it was. We put our cooking skills to the test at
lunchtime, which was trickier than we’d imagined, though we eventually
came up with something we could all eat! When evening fell, we had to
locate a spot to put up our tents in. Although we’d been told there was
nothing dangerous in the nearby forest, we still kept away from the
edges, which put us at ease.
Over the next two days, we made a shelter, learned to treat minor
injuries and built a bridge. I was put in charge of the latter and although
I hadn’t done anything like it previously and wasn’t particularly keen to
be given the responsibility, I discovered a new skill in engineering,
which I never thought I’d be good at. The tasks were all fascinating and
I’d like to do more of that kind of thing.
It was a wonderful adventure. I had no idea what to expect when I
signed up and I wasn’t an outdoors kind of person, so why I thought it
was a good idea, I’m not sure! I don’t regret it, though and I’m pleased I
didn’t quit, even when things got tougher than I ever thought they
would. I always knew I was in the capable hands of the leaders and we
had such good fun. I hope to be back again at some point in the future!
1 What is the writer doing in the first paragraph?
A describing the kinds of accommodation available on the trip
B explaining why she had some concerns about going on the trip
C highlighting that the adventure camp she went on was unlike
others
D offering advice to other teenagers about how to cope with
conditions on the trip

2 The writer says that the team-building tasks were carried out in order
to
A enable participants to get to know each other.
B ensure each group was balanced in terms of ability.
C provide some fun before the challenges of the trip started.
D select those who would take part in the actual survival adventure.
3 What does the writer suggest about the first night’s activity?
A It didn’t require too much creativity on the part of participants.
B It helped participants decide whether they wanted to carry on.
C It equipped participants with some useful knowledge.
D It wasn’t as relaxing as she had expected it to be.
4 How does the writer say she felt when the survival adventure
started?
A proud that she quickly acquired knowledge about getting around
B grateful that she had the appropriate gear with her
C nervous about the location she chose to camp in
D disappointed in her cooking skills
5 What does the writer say about the activities they did on the
following two days?
A She found she was good at something she hadn’t tried before.
B She didn’t enjoy some of them as much as she had hoped to.
C She liked being put in a position of leadership for one activity.
D She felt that experience of doing similar activities helped her.
6 How does the writer feel about having taken part in the survival
adventure?
A excited about returning as soon as she can
B sorry that she hadn’t thought of doing it before
C surprised by how much she learned from the leaders
D proud of herself for dealing with unexpected difficulties

[Link]
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Hotels of the future

Our Travel correspondent Joana Richards reports about a new trend in
hotels.
I recently visited a hotel in France which has no visible human staff.
This is just one of several hotels in Europe and Asia which runs with
apparently no human contact. Most of the services are provided by
robots and machines. The concept is to provide an environmentally
friendly hotel where staff and running costs kept to a minimum.
Personally, I’ve spent my life away from robots and machines, and so
kept having to remind myself that in many parts of the world, its not
unusual for jobs and household tasks to be automated these days.
So I lost no time in booking myself a room at one of these hotels and
going to see it for myself. And sure enough, there are the reception desk
instead of a friendly receptionist wearing a uniform was a machine.
‘I’d like to check in please, I shouted, wondering if the machine would
respond to my voice, and feeling thrilled that I was about to have my
first ever conversation with a check-in machine. Nothing. I said it again
but there was silence. I was hoping the machine would say something
like ‘If you want to check in, press 1. But then I noticed a written
message in the machine’s screen. ‘Please insert your credit card and key
in your booking reference, then follow the instructions.’ No
conversation. How disappointing.
Staying at the hotel costs from €35 (more if you want a bigger room).
That’s a bargain for Paris, where a stay in a more conventional hotel can
easily cost two or three times that much. And if you did stay there, it
wouldn’t necessarily be any nicer, and certainly wouldn’t be any more
memorable. The hotel is located near to the amusement park, Disneyland
Paris, which was created as a visitor attraction on the east of the city
with lots of amusement rides. In fact, many of the guests book the hotel
purely in order to be close to the park.
Back in the hotel, as well as machines to check in, there are vending
machines to serve drinks and snacks and vacuum cleaners that work
without a human, using sensors to navigate around the rooms. According
to the owners, the laundry has robots which do all the washing unaided.
Another innovation is the use of face recognition instead of keys to get
into your room. A photograph of the guest’s face is taken at the
reception desk by the check in machines.
With 60 rooms in the building, there is a lot of coming and going.
Guests are actively encouraged to stop and get a coffee from one of the
machines in the guest lounge with other guests, so there is at least some
social interaction. One area where humans are absolutely essential for
the hotel is security. There are scanners and CCTV cameras everywhere,
and the footage from these is watched by human security guards, no
matter whether or not the hotel is full. It is their job to make sure that the
guests are safe – and that no-one causes any damage to hotel property,
including of course making off with a costly robot.
Critics say that businesses like these automated hotels will mean that
people lose their jobs, as more and more roles can be performed by
robots and machines. But there are many who see them as a vision of the
future and argue that robots can make our lives easier. But this can only
happen if higher manufacturing and (line x) operating standards are
achieved, and if guests are prepared to put their trust in machines and
don’t mind the lack of personal contact. Only then will this type of hotel
be a success. Time will tell if this is the case.
1 The aim of this hotel is to be very
A efficient.
B friendly.
C profitable.
D unusual.
2 What aspect of the writer’s experience at reception was
‘disappointing’ (line X)?
A the appearance of the reception
B the time she wasted checking in
C the lack of verbal interaction with the machine
D the rudeness of the other guests
3 What does the writer say about the price of the rooms in the hotel?
A The hotel is good value.
B The prices are likely to rise.
C Other hotels provide better accommodation.
D It is not always clear how much a room will cost.
4 What is the writer’s main point in the fourth paragraph?
A There are limits to what robots and machines can do.
B Robots and machines can learn a wide range of skills.
C Different robots and machines are used for different tasks.
D Humans make mistakes that robots and machines do not make.
5 What risk is mentioned in the fifth paragraph?
A robots being stolen
B security guards being ineffective
C the hotel not doing enough business
D areas of the hotel becoming too crowded
6 What does ‘this can only happen’ in line X refer to?
 A more roles being performed by robots and machines
B many seeing the hotel as a vision of the future
C robots and machines making our lives easier
D reduction in social human contact

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