Home and abroad

After a short time living in a foreign country, I noticed conversations with locals assumed a (O) ........... pattern. There were standard answers to the usual questions. Most questions caused little (1) ............... — it was rather like dancing, where both partners know how to avoid (2) ........... on each other's toes.

But, 'When are you going home?' was a question I (3) ............. to answer, whenever I (4) ............... my life and the direction it seemed to be (5) ............... .  In the last ten years, I had lived in a dozen countries. And I had travelled through dozens more; usually in (6) ........... of a purpose or a person; occasionally to see the attractions.

This kind of travel is not (7) .............. wandering, but is the extensive exploration of a wide (8) ...............  of cultures. However, it doesn't allow you to put down roots. At the back of your mind, though, is the idea of home, the place you came from.

An Irish cookery school

In the last few years, a number of cookery schools have been set (0).............. in Ireland to promote Irish cooking. (9)............ such school is run by Kathleen Doyle not (10).............. from the centre of Dublin.

'l opened the school twelve years ago,' says Kathleen. 'The school was by no means an overnight success; I found (11)............. necessary to work hard to build up a reputation. One of my advantages was that I'd had problems with my own cooking. I've made (12)............. mistake that it's possible to make, but (13)................ of this, I know what people do wrong from first-hand experience.'

Just (14)............... most cookery schools in Ireland, Kathleen initially copied the classical dishes of France and Italy and other countries (15)............... have a reputation for excellent food. 'Now though, things are changing,' says Kathleen. 'We get excellent produce from Irish farms and, (16)................ a result, we're encouraging students to create unique Irish dishes.'

Runnins speed

Elite (0).............. like the Jamaican Usain Bolt have regularly been clocked   running at nearly 45 kilometres per hour. Such speed would have seemed (17)............... not so long ago. . Scientists now suggest that humans can move (18).............faster than even that, perhaps as fast as 65 kilometres per hour.

For years, it was assumed that simple muscle power determined human speed, but recent research suggests otherwise. The most important (19)............... factor appears to be how quickly the muscles can contract and thus (20)............... the time a runner's foot is in contact with the ground.

Is our athletic ability inherited? Researcher Alun Williams has (21)............ twenty-three inherited factors that influence sporting performance, such as the (22).............. use of oxygen, and strength. As world population rises, predicts Williams, the (23).............. of there being someone with the right genes for these twenty-three (24)..............will increase noticeably and thus faster runners are likely to emerge in future.

Reading and use of English

Part 4

For question 25—30, complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given.

Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given. Here is an example (O).

Example:

0. A very friendly taki driver drove us into town.

DRIVEN

We ......................... a very friendly taxi driver.

The gap can be filled by the words 'were driven into town by'.

25. Robert had never been to Turkey on business before.

FIRST

It ...................................... Robert had ever been to Turkey on business.

26. It was impossible for me to know which road to follow.

NOT

I ...........................  known which road to follow.

27. So far this year the cost of petrol has not increased.

INCREASE

So far this year there ................................... in the cost of petrol.

28. I cannot get all my clothes in the suitcase.

BIG

The suitcase ........................................... take all my clothes.

29. The waiter carried the tray very carefully so that he wouldn't spill any of the drinks.

AVOID

The waiter carried the tray very carefully so........................... any of the drinks.

30. I wasn't able to get to the airport on time because of the bad weather.

PREVENTED

The bad weather ................................... to the airport on time.

The Isle of Muck

Jim Richardson visits the Scottish island of Muck.

Lawrence MacEwen crouches down on his Scottish island, the Isle of Muck. And so do I. An Atlantic gale threatens to lift and blow us both out like October leaves, over the steep cliff at our feet and across the bay 120m below, dropping us in the surrounding ocean. Then MacEwen's sheepdog, Tie, creeps up and his blond, bearded owner strokes him with gentle hands. The howling wind, rage as it might, can't make this man uncomfortable here, on his island, where he looks — and is — perfectly at home.

MacEwen is giving me a visual tour of his neighbourhood. Nodding to the north, he yells, 'That island is Eigg. The one to the west of it is the Isle of Rum. It gets twice as much rain as we do.' I watch heavy clouds dump rain on its huge mountains. 'Just beyond Rum is the island of Soay.' 'I have sheep to move,' MacEwen abruptly announces when rain drifts towards us. We start down the slopes. As we stride along, he brings me up to speed on island details: Volcanic Muck is 3 km long and half as wide; its geese eat vast amounts of grass; and the MacEwens have been living here for 3,000 years.

Herding the sheep interrupts the flow of information. Tie, the sheepdog, is circling a flock of sheep — and not doing it well. 'Away to me, Tie. Away to me,' meaning the dog should circle to the right. He doesn't; he goes straight up the middle of the flock, creating confusion. 'Tie.' MacEwen's voice drips disappointment. 'That will never do.' The dog looks ashamed.

The Isle of Muck is largely a MacEwen enterprise. Lawrence runs the farm with his wife, Jenny; son Colin, newly married, manages the island cottages; and daughter Mary runs the island hotel, Port Mor, with her husband, Toby. Mary and Toby love the fact that their two boys can wander the island on their own and sail dinghies on summer days. 'They go out of the door and come back only when they're hungry.' But island life has its compromises. For one, electricity is only available part of the time. My first evening, I wait anxiously for the lights to turn on. The next morning I find Mary setting out breakfast by torchlight. But I cope with it — along with no mobile phone service. 'There is mobile reception on the hill,' Mary tells me. 'Most visitors try for a couple of days, then just put the phone in the drawer.' So I do too.

Everything on Muck seems delightfully improbable. The boat today brings over the post — and three musicians, who hop off carrying instruments. Their concert in the island's tearoom proves a smash hit, with the islanders present tapping their boots in time to the music. That night, sitting by a glowing fire as it rains outside, Lawrence MacEwen tells me how he met his wife, Jenny. 'Her father saw a small farm on the isle of Soay advertised in the newspaper, and bought it without even looking at it. He'd never been to Scotland. Jenny was sent to manage it.' Did Jenny know anything about running a farm? 'She had good typing skills.'

I go to bed with rain and awake to more rain. But I eat well, virtually every bit of food coming from the tiny island. Mary sends me down to fisherman Sandy Mathers for fresh fish. I carry it back through the village and deliver it to Mary at the kitchen door. By 7 pm, our fish is on the table, delicious beyond reckoning. Also beyond reckoning: my ferry ride the following morning to my next island. Over the preceding two months, many of the scheduled ferries had been cancelled because of high seas. If my ferry didn't come, I'd be stuck on Muck for two more days. (line 75) Which, now, phone or no phone, was what I secretly longed for.

The sign on a hill

At the top of a hill called Mount Lee in Los Angeles on the west coast of the USA is a very famous sign, recognisable to people around the world. My job is to look after this sign. It says Hollywood and that's of course the place where films have been made for over a hundred years. The first film was made there in 1907 and by 1912, at least 15 independent studios could be found making films around town.

The film industry continued to grow and the name Hollywood, which by the 1920s represented not just a city but also an industry and a lifestyle, was made official when the 'Hollywoodland' sign was erected in 1923. It was only supposed to last about a year. (37)………….. But it wasn't always. It started out as a massive billboard advertising an upscale suburban development called Hollywoodland.

In the 1940s, TV started to become popular and some Hollywood film studios closed, but then TV companies moved in and took them over. At this point, the city of Los Angeles decided to renovate the sign. The letters spelling 'land' were removed and the rest was repaired. Modern Hollywood was born. The letters in the sign weren't straight and still aren't. (38)………...... They follow the shape of Mount Lee and this is part of their fame.

I am responsible for maintaining and protecting the sign (39)………….. When I first arrived in 1989, security was pretty low-tech — we put up a fence around the sign to stop trespassers messing with it. But people just jumped over the fence. The back of the sign was black with graffiti — there was barbed wire across it, but they still got through. So I decided to improve the effectiveness of the security.

Now we have motion-detectors and cameras. Everything goes via the internet to a dedicated surveillance team watching various structures around the city.  (40)…...……… But they can get a closer look on one of my regular tours.

It's also important to protect the sign's image as it's used in loads of adverts and news pieces. There's a simple rule about how the sign can be used. (41)……..…….. However, it mostly comes down to the look. To take a different example, if you used 'Hollywood' in the name of your company it would depend what the word looked like, whether it was just spelled out or whether the image of the sign itself was used.

People call up with the most ridiculous ideas. They want to light the sign, paint it pink, or cover it in something to promote their product. You'll get a really enthusiastic marketing executive call up, terribly excited because they think they're the first person to think of this or that idea. (42)..………….. That's because we don't like to change the image and we hope it will have the same significance for generations to come.

Sports diets

Four athletes talk about what they eat.

A. Mark 

When I'm cycling on my own I stuff my pockets with bananas and protein bars. On the longest rides I'll eat something every half an hour. For heavier training it's physically impossible to get enough energy from food alone, so you do rely on energy drinks. One development in sports nutrition since I've been competing is the focus on the importance of protein. Cycling is much more weight-orientated than the swimming I used to do, which means I need to eat differently now. Protein feeds the muscles but keeps them as lean as possible. I've been an athlete for 20 years so healthy eating is normal for me, but that's not to say I don't get a tasty take-away meal from time to time. I've just learned to spot the meals that will provide what I need. It's simple things like steering clear of the creamy sauces and making sure I get lots of veg.

B. Stefan

Everyone says: 'As a runner you must be on a really strict diet. Do you only eat salad? Are you allowed chocolate?' But that's really not the case. I've got salad and vegetables in my shopping trolley but there's always some chocolate in there, too. I do most of the cooking at home. On the morning of a competition, I get so nervous I feel really sick. I have to force myself to have something so I'll have enough energy to perform well. Sometimes I get those days where I don't want to be so disciplined. You think: 'I've trained really hard, I deserve to have a pizza.' It's OK to have a little relapse every now and then but I can't do it every day or I'd be rolling round the track!

C. Guy

For a gymnast, a kilo can make all the difference. But if you don't eat enough you'll be a bit shaky and weak. It's all about eating the right amount, at the right time — two hours before you do anything. Breakfast is fruit and if I'm a bit peckish, wholewheat toast and butter! I get to training for 12 pm, then break after three hours for lunch — more fruit, a cheese and tomato sandwich. I'm back in the gym from 5 pm to 8 pm, then I go to my Mum's for steak and vegetables or chicken and salad. I don't tend to mix carbs with meat late at night. I'm not the best cook, but I think it's fun to do. I know how to make chicken from my mum's recipe, it just takes me a bit longer to get organised.

D. Tomas

It's definitely possible to eat delicious food and be a professional swimmer. I've always loved food so I'm not going to be obsessive because you can get what you need and still enjoy every bite. I'm not really one for endless protein shakes and energy drinks. Before a training session I'd rather have a banana. That's not to say I'm perfect. At the world championships I got my feeding strategy wrong — and I paid for it. For my sport it's what you eat two days before the competition that makes the difference. You have to 'carb load' — eat piles of rice or pasta — and I didn't. I was leading for a long way but I ended up 11 ^th. My biggest indulgence is pastry. And I love baking. I train for 33 hours a week so in my time off I need to rest, and spending time in the'kitchen is perfect. Swimming is my biggest passion but baking comes a close second.

Which athlete....