Watch the video to know more about the environment and think what should be done to save the planet
 

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO STUDY MEDICINE?

Read the article below and choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (1-6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.

Medicine isn’t quite like other degrees. I spent the first three years studying and attending lectures on anatomy, cell biology and pathology (what happens when the body goes wrong). I found when I got to medical school that I was required to memorise far more than I had had to at secondary school and put in far longer hours, especially around exam time.

As well as the lessons and lectures, I had individual weekly classes with my tutor, who also gave me work to do. [ 1 ] These classes soon became a high point in my week. We used to spend the hour discussing such things as the properties of different medicines or the topic of an essay whose title was Doctors can learn more medicine from treating patients than from studying textbooks. Do you agree? [ 2 ]

In my final year, I studied for an extra degree in Physiological Sciences. I was also able to pursue areas of interest, which in my case included neuroscience, and take supplementary modules in the history of medicine and pharmacology. Most universities now expect you to do some academic research as well. However, I felt incredibly lucky that I had the opportunity to work in laboratories where I rubbed shoulders with Nobel Prize winners. [ 3 ]

As a clinical student, in other words as a student in a hospital, my timetable changed dramatically. I was expected to dress smartly, as I spent every day with patients as a functioning part of a medical team. [ 4 ] These included surgery, medicine, dermatology, neurology and many more.

I moved to a London hospital for my clinical training, and had some very memorable experiences, such as delivering my first baby and visiting a prison psychiatric ward. [ 5 ] I was permitted to walk into any ward or any operating theatre and observe, learn, ask questions and speak to patients, whereas practising doctors are all rushed off their feet. Students can often take time to really investigate a patient's condition more deeply, and may even be able to inform the doctors and nurses of some very important detail that has been overlooked and which might lead to the patient being misdiagnosed. [ 6 ] Everyone teaches each other at whatever level, and now I also help secondary-school students who are preparing entrance exams for the top medical schools.

Medicine is a very time-intensive degree. However, being thrown in at the deep end of some of the most challenging situations I have ever been in, and having to deal with patients from all areas of life, continues to inspire me and satisfy me on a daily basis.

A  And on other occasions we used to just play chess.

B  Now, as a working doctor, who is experienced to do certain jobs by certain times, I appreciate that while I

     while I was studying medicine, I had the opportunity to do many things I would not have time for now.

C  On average, four weeks was spent rotating around each of different specialties across the three weeks.

D  The culture within medicine is that each team member’s input is respected, and the team itself is hugely

     valued.

E  And although I was expected to work extremely hard, most of the work was enjoyable.

F  These well-known people would always be more than happy to answer questions in the corridor, or reply

     to an email that requested more information about their subject.

G  This usually consisted of writing an essay on a topic related to my studies.

Cambridge University Press, 2015

GRADUATE JOBS: ADVICE FROM AN EXPERT

You are going to read an article for graduates joining the job market. For questions 1-10, choose the sections (A- D). The sections may be chosen more than once.

A. You should be very conscious of your digital footprint and remember that nothing can ever really be deleted and this includes social media profiles as well as forums and websites. Although it helps if you activate the privacy settings on your social media accounts and control who you allow to see your account, the most foolproof solution is to behave well and treat these networks with a healthy respect. You might not be able to fully prevent some things from showing on search engines, but you can make the most of what shows up first by using public professional networking sites to build a much more professional footprint which you can then add to by getting mentioned for extra-curricular activity. In the job market this can be gold dust, so find opportunities to comment on blogs and articles, provide quotes for journalists and guest blog on things you’re interested in or know a lot about.

B. By all means apply for vacancies on big job boards, but the major drawback is that if you’ve seen a vacancy, so has everybody else. If you've had no joy applying for positions this way, it may well be more productive to start hunting for less visible vacancies instead, because when you do find one, the competition will be a fraction of what you’re up against for widely advertised positions. It’s important to realise that different job-hunting methods work for different industries. If you’re answering ads for junior jobs in media, applying blind is unlikely to reap rewards, but building a network of contacts will. On the other hand, for public-sector jobs all the talking in the world won’t get you through the door: you’ll have to apply through official channels like everybody else. If you’ve only targeted big companies, broaden your search to smaller outfits. They’ll have tighter recruitment budgets and won’t be advertising vacancies or hiring stands at recruitment fairs, so find out how they do recruit and see which small companies are thriving.

C. Strictly speaking, in some countries unpaid internships are illegal which means it's illegal for your employer not to pay you and for you to work for free, as you’re both undermining the national minimum wage law. The problem is that in some countries this law isn’t being enforced, so employers are free to exploit graduates who can afford to work for less than the minimum wage and exclude those who can’t. Because many graduates are desperate for experience, the result is that most internships now pay nothing, even when interns are effectively doing a proper job and working long hours with a wide range of activities for months at a time. Until things change, you’ll have to decide for yourself whether an unpaid internship is a good investment. This will depend on the calibre of the company and what you’ll be doing while you’re there. As there is no guarantee of a paid job at the end of it, you must keep applying for roles elsewhere before your internship ends.

D. It’s normal to feel low just after graduation. For some graduates, it’s because the energy they needed is still flowing but now has no outlet, so they feel anxious. For others, it’s because they’ve realised how much effort they’ve expended, and they feel exhausted. Whatever the reason, pay attention to the words you use. Graduation represents an ending, it’s true, but it also represents new beginnings and it’s more energising to think in those terms. Instead of saying, "I need to start my career,” you should break the task ahead into smaller steps and frame each step in a way that allows you to measure progress. So, for example, instead of expecting to "sort myself out”, ask yourself to “prepare my CV”, “find two referees", and “register with an employment agency”. Put these goals in chronological order and focus on each one in turn until you have achieved it. In the long run you might easily conclude that the most treasured aspect of your university experience wasn’t your academic education or any careers advice, but rather the friends you made, so you should make it a priority to stay in touch with those who mattered most to you during your university career.

In which section does the writer

 1   advise graduates to continue job-hunting while already working?

 2   explain why some graduates accept a certain type of employment opportunity?

 3   make a suggestion for graduates whose job hunting has so far been unsuccessful?

 4   mention a variety of ways of obtaining employment?

 5   suggest how graduates can create a good impression?

 6   mention the need to maintain relationships?

 7   recommend a way of thinking positively?

 8   explain why some jobs may have fewer applicants?

 9   warn graduates that some information may be difficult to hide?

10  describe an employment opportunity he disapproves of?

Cambridge University Press, 2015

Dr. Brown's dental practice was on the ground floor of a large suburban house which had been built towards the end of the 19th century. The front room, which served both as the waiting room and an office for the secretary, was furnished with dusty armchairs and a couple of sofas that looked as though they must have been bought second-hand when the house was first occupied. The usual selection of magazines, all hopelessly out of date and falling to pieces, were scattered on the scratched coffee table that stood on the worn-out carpet in the centre of the room.

    John wondered where all these magazines came from. Somehow, he could not imagine Dr. Brown reading magazines with titles like "Woman's Fashion Weekly”and "Home and Family"  in his spare time. Perhaps the secretary brought them in, he thought, as he sat fidgeting on the uncomfortable sofa next to his serious-looking father. He wanted to ask her, but it somehow seemed wrong to  speak;just about the only sounds that could be heard in the room was the steady tick of the clock which stood on  the mantelpiece over the fireplace and the tap-tap of the secretary’s typewriter.

Some of the people sitting in the waiting room idly flipped through the old magazines while others, probably regular visitors, read the morning newspaper they had wisely brought with them. One lady sat next to the fire quietly knitting what looked like a long scarf, exactly as if she were sitting in her own living room at home. Another woman kept looking at the clock and moaning softly, but there was no conversation amongst the waiting patients.

      Bored, John started to play a game. What was wrong with all these people he asked himself. Were they all here for the same routine check-up as he was? Surely not; that lady was clearly in pain, so he decided the others must all have terrible problems as well. He imagined that the knitting lady had absent-mindedly put one of her knitting needles in her mouth and bitten it, breaking a tooth. He was sure this was the case because his mother was always warning him that this would happen to him if he didn't stop chewing his pen when he was doing his homework. And that man with the grey hair; wasn't his right cheek just a little bit swollen? Obviously he had eaten something with a maggot in it and now the maggot was still there in his mouth, eating through his gums...  Suddenly, John was brought back to earth by the sound of footsteps in the hall outside and then a bell rang somewhere in the room. Everybody looked up at the secretary as she consulted a list of names in the diary on her desk. "Mrs. Barker", she called out, and the lady by the fire carefully put her knitting away in the plastic bag she carried and rose to her feet, heading towards the door and the dentist's chair. The other patients seemed to relax a little as they returned to their reading; even the moaning from the clock-watching lady ceased for a few seconds. John sighed inwardly and  picked up one of the more colourful-looking magazines in  front of him. He had had enough of his game, but he had a horrible feeling that it was going to be a long time before he got to see the dentist.

Statements

 1. The furniture in the waiting room must have been:

 a) made before the house was built;

 b) very shabby and dirty looking;

 c)  not new when it was bought;

 d) not suitable for a dental practice.

 2. John was quite sure that Dr. Brown:

 a)  never read the magazines in the waiting room;

 b)  told his secretary to buy new magazines;

 c)  did not'know where the  magazines came from;

d)  did not have enough time to read magazines.

 3. Why didn't John ask the secretary about the magazines?

a)  H is father would be angry;       

 b)  he could see she was very busy;

 c) he was too shy to do so;          

 d)  nobody else was talking.

 4. The writer suggests that some patients had brought newspapers with them because:

 a) they wanted to catch up with the news;

 b) they didn't want to talk to each other;

 c) they knew nothing about the magazines;

 d) they had been to the dentist before.

 5. There were some patients that:

 a) needed treatment badly;

  b) spent their time doing something useful;

  c) were playing table games while waiting;

  d)were impatiently wandering around the room.

 6. Why did John have to see the dentist?

  a) He had broken one of his teeth

  b) His mother insisted on it;

  c) He was in a lot of pain; "

  d)  It was time for his regular visit.

 7. John must have had:

a) good imagination;

b)  a bad toothache;

c) maggot in his mouth;

d)  grey hair.

   8. The secretary knew the dentist was ready to see the next patient because:

  a) she heard footsteps in the corridor;

  b)  the clock sounded the hour;

  c)  she heard a special signal;       

  d)  Mrs. Barker put her knitting away.

  9. The patients in the waiting room seemed to feel:

  a) quite relaxed;                   

  b)  a bit frightened;

  c) little annoyed;                 

  d)  a little bored.

  10. Why did John stop playing his game?

  a) He had got bored with it;

  b) It was time to see the dentist;

  c) he wanted to read the magazine;

  d) It was not very relaxing

Writing Test for 10th Form Students 
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with relevant evidence. Write at least 250 words.
1. Some people believe that exams are an inappropriate way of measuring students’ performance and should be replaced by continuous assessment. Do you agree or disagree with this view?
2. Should museums and art galleries be free of charge for the general public, or should a charge, even a voluntary charge, be levied for admittance? Discuss this issue, and give your opinion.
 3. Differences between countries become less evident each year. Nowadays, all over the world people share the same fashions, advertising, brands, eating habits and TV channels. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of this?

 4. Reading Comprehension Test for 10 th Form Students 
TEXT
Read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each space.
The Beginning 
 The wind stabbed through his heavy wool jacket as though he wasn't even wearing one. Andy struggled to wrap his scarf more securely around his neck and face. Gusts of thickly flying snow hid the sun and made it impossible to look at his watch, so he had no idea what time it was. He was certain of only one thing. Somewhere along the way back to his uncle's house he had taken a wrong turn and was now lost. In the Colorado Rocky Mountains, a wrong turn could be fatal in a snowstorm. Here, the ranchers and farmers strung a rope from the house to the barn to provide safe passage if they had to go outside. Andy had heard about that, but he hadn't been impressed; after all, he was tough. He shook his head in an effort to clear his vision. Even though he kept rubbing his eyes, snow frosted his eyelashes so quickly that he could barely see. The thought that a simple afternoon walk had turned into a life-and-death struggle frightened him. He probably should have listened to his uncle when he reminded him to stay close to home. A sudden slip sent him tumbling down a steep incline. Exhausted, he struggled to his feet and stumbled into a drift of snow already driven high by the wind. Panic drove him to scramble through it, but he discovered that his feet were growing numb. Uncomfortably, he suddenly recalled his last words to his mother as she put him on the plane to visit his uncle for the holidays. "I'll be okay," he had said, rolling his eyes while she cautioned him about the weather. He was more eager to get his first vacation away from home started than he was to listen to her fussing over him. Now he regretted that he had not said something nice to her before he boarded the plane. It looked as though he might not get the opportunity again, and that drove another dagger of cold through his jacket, although he could scarcely feel it. Based on the stories he had heard, numbness was a bad sign. His body was freezing. He fell in the snow and lay there for what seemed like an hour, although he knew it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. He thought of his mother and how miserable she would be if something happened to him. For once, he felt truly guilty. After his father's death, she had worked very hard to take care of him, and he had never thought to show his appreciation. No more of that, he thought. He would change. If he made it through this, he would be a completely different person. All he desired was another chance. In the distance, from what seemed like miles away, he heard someone calling his name. "Here!" he called frantically. "Here!" For him, this would not be the end of the story, but the beginning.

1. Which of the following is an OPINION in the story?
           A Andy loses his way in the storm.
           B Andy falls down a steep incline.
           C Andy hears someone calling his name.
           D Andy needs a vacation away from home

2. What happens to cause Andy to have a clearer view of his life?
            A He almost dies in the snowstorm.
            B He realizes that he misses his mother.
            C He discovers that he likes life on a ranch.
            D He and his uncle have a long talk.

3. What is the setting for this story?
            A a park during a snowstorm
            B a city during a snowstorm
            C a quiet little town during a snowstorm
            D open country during a snowstorm

4. Which of the following words BEST describes Andy's feelings about his mother at the end of the story?
              A anger
              B guilt
              C happiness
              D dislike

5. What is the BEST summary of this passage?
               A Being lost in a snowstorm makes Andy want to become a rancher.
               B Being lost in a snowstorm makes Andy decide to be angry with his mother.
               C After being lost in a snowstorm, Andy thanks the men who rescued him.
               D After being lost in a snowstorm, Andy decides to change his tough attitude.

6. Read the following sentence from the story. Andy had heard about that, but he hadn't been impressed; after all, he was tough. What does the word impressed mean?
               A affected
               B changed
               C frightened
               D interested


TEXT
Read the text and decide which answer (А, В, С or D) best fits each gap.

 Arguing vs Quarrelling Oscar Wilde once remarked that he disliked arguments as they were always vulgar and often convincing. What, 0) then, is the difference between an argument and a quarrel? Look the word "quarrel" up in a dictionary and you will find it defined 1)…… an "angry argument". It seems that "angry" is the 2)……….word here. Both quarrelling and arguing involve disagreements 3)……… it is only during the former that we become angry or upset. We may raise our voices or even display aggressive behaviour when quarrelling, 4) ………in an argument, we maintain a 5)………tone of voice and refrain from physically threatening our opponent. 6) ……., should we forget the differences in content. An argument is a discussion or debate in which two or more people put forward different or opposing views. They may not be personally concerned in the issues under discussion. 7)…….., the process is an objective, intellectual one. Evidence and logic may be used 8) ………to support the speaker's point of view and possibly to convince the other(s). A quarrel,9)…., is personal, bound up with the ego and the participants' sense of self. A quarrel may result from a clash of personalities, may hurt the participants and may be sincerely regretted afterwards. 10) ……that there are hot-tempered people around, they may get carried away in an argument 11) it degenerates into a quarrel, but it should, 12)……speaking, be a dispassionate exchange of views rather than a shouting match.
 0 A particularly и                 B then                       C although                        D say
 1 A as                                   B like                        C by                                  D such
2 A key                                  B basic                      C code                              D main
3 A so                                    B while                     C consequently                 D but
4 A nevertheless                    B when                     C whereas                         D however
5 A steady                              B level                      C plain                              D monotonous
6 A In addition                       B Also                      C Nor                                D In all
7 A Largely                            B Admittedly            C Particularly                   D Consequently
 8 A In order                           B in case                   C in the event                   D in effect
9 A like                                   B despite                  C however                        D no matter
10 A Allowing                        B Granted                 C Given                           D Knowing
11 A so there                          B so much                 C so as                             D so that
12 A generally                       B usually                   C normally                       D habitually

 TEXT 5 Which section (A, B, C or D) does each statement 1 – 7 refer to?
 Changes in Performance Feedback
1 staff being reminded that it is not essential to restrict feedback to once a year
 2 the way in which feedback could identify people suitable for promotion
3 the aim of improving staff communication throughout an organisation
4 the feedback obtained on an employee being linked to requirements for a particular job
5 aspects of a group of employees’ work that were identified as requiring improvement
6 feedback indicating both positive and negative aspects of an individual’s work
7 the participation of less senior personnel in a member of staff’s feedback



 A In the past, feedback about your performance used to mean a quiet chat with the boss. But now 360-degree feedback – the system where employees are also given feedback from peers and from the people they manage – is taking root in corporate culture. The system is characterised by greater participation and has grown out of the desire of companies to create more open working environments where people work better together and ideas and opinions are exchanged between teams and across levels of seniority.

 B PCs linked to the company IT network are set to become the feedback machines. Many firms introducing 360-degree feedback are using Personal Development Planner software. Feedback on an individual, which is based on a questionnaire relating to attributes needed for that person’s role in the company, is collected using this electronic system. All the information gathered is analysed and the end result is a suggested development plan. The advantage is that individuals make requests for the feedback themselves and receive the results directly.

 C Sarah Rains, from the pharmaceutical company Optec, said, ‘Now feedback is available on our network, we encourage managers to choose how they use it. It is a flexible tool and we tell them that waiting for the annual event of a formal appraisal needn’t apply.’ At the engineering company NT, 250 technical managers have been through the feedback process. Jack Palmer, a senior manager there, said, ‘We needed to develop the interpersonal skills of these technicallyminded people. In particular, we wanted to build on their team-working and coaching skills.’

 D So, how is the new feedback culture likely to affect you? It could form the basis of your personal development programme, providing pointers to your strengths and also to those areas you need to develop more. Or feedback could be used for ‘succession planning’, where companies use the information to speculate on who has the right skills to move into more senior positions. As yet, few organisations have stretched the role of feedback so far as to link it to salaries. But one thing is clear: the future will bring even wider participation by all members. 

Writing Test for 9th Form Students 
You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with relevant evidence. Write at least 250 words.
 1. Recent research shows that the consumption of junk food is a major factor in poor diet and this is detrimental to health. Some people believe that better health education is the answer to this problem but others disagree. What is your opinion?
2. Television has had a significant influence on the culture of many societies. To what extent would you say that television has positively or negatively affected the cultural development of your society? 3.Every culture has stories. Stories serve different purposes. Some entertain. Others teach history or help people understand their own culture. In many cultures, stories are used to teach the difference between right and wrong behaviours. What kinds of stories are traditional in your culture? Describe a story that teaches a lesson.

 Reading Comprehension Test for 9th Form Students (41 tasks) 
Directions: In this Test you will read five texts. Each text is followed by 5 – 10 tasks. You should do the tasks following a text on the basis of what is stated or implied in that text. For each task you will choose the best possible answer and mark your choice on the Answer Sheet.
TEXT 1 You are going to read an article about customer service in banks. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
 A Although people do not expect much from the internet these days, this will change in the future.
 B The managers recognise that customers find them impersonal and unnatural.
 C First National is also preparing to adopt this personal approach to its internet banking.
D They have the attitude that some skills, such as keyboard skills and so on, can be taught, but a member of staff can’t be taught to be a nice person.
 E Telephones are very personal because staff are speaking to people on their own territory.
 F And if customers try to contact the bank by telephone, they are put through to a call centre in another country where they have to speak slowly in order to be understood.
G Not everyone wants a chatty, friendly service.

  Customer Service in Banks The banking profession doesn’t have a very good reputation for customer service at the moment, and it’s not just due to loss of savings. High street branches are shutting down and where banks are available, their opening hours are inconvenient. Staff at the desks are surly, increasingly under-qualified and often unable to answer questions (1       ). Astonishingly, however, 86% of the customers at one bank are either ‘extremely satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with the service they receive. And what is even more surprising is that the bank in question has no High Street outlets at all. First National bank is run entirely through the telephone and the internet. And its success shows that customer service is just about face-to-face contact with clients. The primary concern of the bank is recruiting the right people. (2     ) So they only recruit people who already exhibit good communication skills. And unlike other services that operate primarily over the telephone, the staff at First National do not use scripts. (3    ) What this bank asks for is that staff be themselves and establish a rapport with their customers. Part of this is recognizing people’s needs. (4) Some want the process to be swift and efficient. The member of staff has to pick up on the caller’s mood and react accordingly. (5   ) The idea that customer service can be improved on a medium where there is no actual contact with a member of staff may seem strange at first. However, the website designers at First National spend a great deal of time understanding their customers and offering services which meet their needs. (6    ) First National is already taking steps to fill this demand. They already offer a service in which customers receive a text when funds are received or when their account falls below a certain level. In the future, online systems may pre-empt customers’ needs in even more sophisticated ways.

 TEXT 2
Read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each space.
 MOBILE MANIA SPREADS as PHONES BECOME the MUST-HAVE GADGET By Robert Uhlig, technology correspondent 1 More than 24 million Britons now own a mobile phone, according to statistics released yesterday. The growth is expected to accelerate in the next few years as the mobile phone overtakes the personal computer as the most used method of accessing the Internet. No longer a tool only of well-heeled travelling executives and plumbers, the mobile phone is now as likely to be found in school satchels and shopping bags as in briefcases. 2 According to Vodafone, the market leader, of the 24 million cell phones in use, 11.9 million are prepaid, many of which are now used by teenagers. Schools have even taken to banning the use of mobile phones in classrooms and playgrounds. 3 The pre-pay services, using phone cards, have proved the most popular with phone users keen to keep their bills under control. The advent of 'pay-as-you-go' schemes has brought the mobile phone to millions who could not previously afford one or failed the necessary credit ratings. The average pre-pay customer spends £198 a year whereas the typical business customer receives a bill of £556 a year. 4 Around 40 percent of Britons now have a mobile, but by the end of next year, analysts expect the figure to increase by at least half. Even then, we will lag behind Finland, where 71 percent of people own a cellphone. 5 Already, analysts are predicting that within a few years more people will actually watch the six o'clock news or Match of the Day on their mobile phone than on television. The phone networks say more people are already using their mobiles at six o'clock each evening than the BBC claims are watching its evening news bulletin. 6 In recent years, a new technology called WAP, which enables the Internet to be viewed on a cellphone screen, was introduced. Now, almost all mobiles will be WAP phones. Mike Caldwell, of Vodafone, said: 'The average person will not realise it is the Internet that is coming to them on their mobile phone. They'll just use it to watch what they think is television.'

 1 Why is the number of users of mobile phones expected to go up so much?
          a) They are going to become cheaper.
          b) They will be more popular amongst teenagers. programmes from the Internet.
          c) Phones will be used to connect with the Internet
          d) They are so convenient.

 2 Who used to be main users of mobile phones?
         a) Internet users.
         b) Self-employed and business people.
         c) People with very big incomes.
         d) People who travelled a lot.

 3 Why have pre-pay phone cards increased the number of users?
           a) The phone calls are cheaper.
           b) They are more convenient.
           c) Bills tend to be lower.
           d) Users have to pay before making calls.

4 What link is there between mobile phones and television?
           a) People often use their phones during the six o'clock news.
           b) Third generation mobiles will show live TV programmes from the Internet.
           c) The new generation of phones will be much smaller than earlier ones.
           d) Mobiles are good for watching the news and sports programmes.

 5. 'well-heeled' means
            a) technologically competent
            b) fashionable.
            c) tired of travel
            d) quite wealthy.

Read the interview with a singer. Then decide if the statements are true (T) or false (F).

   You recently went to Greece to play with a band - how did that happen?

Shortly before I finished university, I got a call from a bass player living in Greece who wanted a singer for the summer. They were playing in a bar in a beautiful harbour town. He got my number from my singing teacher, who couldn't do it. He thought it would be a great opportunity for me to gain confidence and to sing somewhere else than in London bars. It was something I jumped at - a few days later I was on the plane. It was quite spontaneous!

   Well, the best things usually are. Was singing away from London something you had always wanted to do?

To be honest, I'd never really thought about it before. It was perfect timing though, as I didn't have a clue what I was going to do after finishing my studies. It was a fantastic opportunity I couldn't miss. Plus, I can't say that I was sad to leave behind the smoky bars of London for a while! Since then, I've also played in Venice and toured around Italy and Germany. I think my time spent in Greece gave me the confidence to do this, though.      ,

  Well, I can believe that. How did you find the change of atmosphere - going from London bars to Greek ones?

It was great. Greece was breathtaking - beautiful mountains and flowers as far as the eye could see. The weather was great, too. It's much nicer spending evenings outside by the sea than in a smelly pub in the middle of London. I think the people were a bit more relaxed, too -not stressed by the fast city life like those I sing to at home. I also found the audiences more attentive in Greece, which did wonders for my confidence as a singer.

  Did the time you spent away teach you anything else?

It taught me that I could go away from home on my own and be able to cope. I'd never been away from home for more than two weeks before and always with friends or family, so I grew up a lot while I was away. It was a positive experience in so many ways.

1  Before going to Greece, Kate had fixed plans for her future.

    2  Kate enjoyed the atmosphere in Greece.

3 Her stay in Greece encouraged Kate to travel more.

4 Kate thought a lot about accepting the offer to go to Greece.

5 Thanks to her stay in Greece, Kate became more independent.

6              6 Kate was recommended to the band by a friend.

   7  Kate was a little unhappy about leaving London.

8 People in Greece listened to Kate's songs carefully and with interest.

    9 Kate was offered the job in Greece for one year.