Exploring Scottish Culture: Kilts, Bagpipes, and Haggis
TEXTO 1
For some people, fear can create a business opportunity. Patrick Smith, for example, makes a living out of answering questions about an activity that many people are afraid of, namely getting on an airplane. A pilot himself, Patrick Smith’s Ask the Pilot column on the online magazine Salon.com
RESPUESTA:
1. The text is about Patrick Smith, who has a column in an online magazine in which he answers people’s questions about air travel. Some of these questions are about things like airplane toilets or air conditioning. But most people ask about airport security or the danger of different routes and airports.
2. a) makes a living b) risk c) confiscating d) inconvenienced
3. a) Patrick Smith, who is a pilot, writes for the online magazine Salon.com.
b) Some people asked if crews emptied/empty the contents of the toilet over people’s houses.
c) If you concentrate on these irrelevant things, you are wasting/ you waste time and resources.
d) More attention is required for/ in some routes and airports than for /in others.
4. a) The things that make people afraid of flying are/ whether the airport is safe or not/ airport security and the danger of some routes and airports.
b) Because this gives people a false sense of security/ makes people think that airports are safe, but really it is irrelevant and does not contribute to solving the problem of terrorist attacks.
5. My favorite means of transport is the airplane, because it can take you to far-away places in a very short time. You would probably never go to America or to places like Singapore or Australia if you had to travel by ship and spend weeks on the journey. Traveling by plane has certain disadvantages, of course, like having to wait for long periods of time in airports, especially when there are strikes, and also having very little room in the airplane, which is very uncomfortable on long journeys. But I really love it when the airplane takes off and lands.
TEXTO 2
Scotland has a history and rich culture of which Scots are famously proud. The stereotypical Scot wearing a kilt, playing bagpipes and eating haggis is not as widespread as visitors might hope, but if you know where to look you won’t be disappointed. Several years ago kilts came back into fashion and young men started wearing them again.
RESPUESTA:
1. Some aspects of old Scottish culture which are still present today are kilts, which are worn by young men, especially at rugby matches, bagpipes, often heard in town centers, and haggis, which you can find in most supermarkets. Furthermore, the Scots still hold ceilidhs and love to dance Scottish reels.
2. a) Kilts b) Scottish reel c) outsells d) hangover
3. a) The writer advised us to keep our eyes open for haggis in restaurants and pubs.
b) At most weddings the Scots prefer country dancing to a disco.
c) Tours and Scottish entertainment are provided by language centers as part of their courses.
d) Perhaps if you had enough money you would/could/ might even buy a kilt.
4. a) This passage is written for young people who are interested in improving their English, because it talks about the entertainment provided by language centers, about returning home with better English and about two-week language courses.
b) There are many things a visitor may not expect, for example, that a haggis is not an animal but a food, and that nowadays you can buy it in supermarkets. These days, not every Scottish person plays the bagpipes and wears a kilt (which may be very expensive). There are also some other traditional things that foreigners don’t know, such as the ceilidh, Irn Bru and shortbread.
5. I have never done a language course abroad, but I did once spend a month in Avignon, in the South of France, working in a hostel making beds and clearing tables and so on. It was quite hard work, but I enjoyed myself a lot because I met a lot of young people from all over the world. However, I didn’t improve my French very much because everyone spoke English, so I practiced this language instead.
TEXTO 3
The Guinness World Records lists some very surprising activities among its records. One of the stranger ones has to be blindfolded waterskiing. This activity involves someone waterskiing while blindfolded. The skier cannot see the route or water over which they are skiing. The record also involves skiing over open sea. Conditions on the open sea are much more challenging than on a lake.
RESPUESTA:
1. The text is about Steve Thiele, who established a Guinness World Record in blindfolded waterskiing. This record was particularly notable because Thiele was actually blind, and because he achieved the record in very difficult conditions on the open sea.
2. a) challenging b) raise c) weird d) margin
3. a) Blindfolded waterskiing, which only the bravest and most experienced waterskiers dare to do, is a difficult sport.
b) The skier isn’t able to see the route or water over which they are skiing.
c) A new world record has been set by Steve Thiele in an effort to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
d) Thiele said that it was great to get a world record and that he was very happy to have completed the challenge.
4. a) Because a blind person can’t see, so s/he doesn’t need a blindfold.
b) That the person who set it was blind, and that the conditions in which it was set were very
difficult, as it was open sea with very strong currents.
5. A really successful athlete, like a really successful musician, has to work very hard for long hours a day and is also exposed to the stress of competition, so from this point of view maybe they do deserve to earn a lot of money. Also, in many cases, like that of Rafa Nadal and the players in the Spanish football team or Cristiano Ronaldo, it must be admitted that they provide a lot of entertainment and escapism for a lot of people. But in spite of this, I really think that the enormous amounts of money which some of them get are almost indecent, especially today, when many normal people are losing their jobs or having their salaries reduced.