READING PASSAGE-B1(with sound and exercises&key)

PALM TREES
Of the world’s 2,500-plus species of palm trees, the Palmyra palm is most important to man, next to the coconut palm, because it yields food and provides over one hundred
different useful end-products. To obtain the majority of its benefits, the Palmyra needs to be climbed twice daily to extract the nutritious juice from its flower-bunches. It is this
juice, converted by several different methods, that is the basis for a wide variety of other products. Collecting this juice, however, is arduous – and often dangerous – work, for the trees can top 30 metres in height.

EXERCISE 1: Find words or phrases in the passage which mean the same as:

a) more than…………….
b) produce naturally……………….
c) final result after treatment or processing……………….
d) get……………….
e) more than half of the total; most………………..
f) something good or useful…………………..
g) get something from or out of something else……………………
h) having high value as food, e.g. containing vitamins, etc………………..
i) change (in form, etc.)………………….
j) tiring; involving a lot of energy and effort………………….
k) be taller, higher or more than………………….

EXERCISE 2: Choose the correct answer according to the passage.
1. When the Palmyra is climbed twice a day
A) it is possible to get most of its benefits
B) strict safety measures are taken
C) the best coconuts can be picked
D) it encourages the tree to grow to over thirty metres
E) the flowers are collected for processing

2. According to the passage
A) each palm tree can produce over 100 coconuts
B) the juice from coconuts is very nutritious
C) there are at least two and a half thousand types of palm tree
D) there are several different ways of collecting Palmyra flower juice
E) many people rely on palm trees for their basic food requirements

3. The juice from the Palmyra’s flower-bunches
A) is better quality if the tree is at least 30 metres high
B) is only produced at certain times of the day
C) gets converted into over 100 different food types
D) is extracted by pressing the picked flowers
E) provides the raw material for many other products

EXERCISE 3: Complete the sentences by selecting words from Column B in EXERCISE 1.
1. The results we…………………….. weren’t what we’d expected, so we may have to carry out the experiment again.
2. For the first time in the company’s history, sales have ……………………..$10 million.
3. If you are planning to grow your own tomatoes, I’d recommend planting this variety as it generally………………………………. a larger crop than other types.
4. The best quality olive oil is that which is………………. from the olives at the first pressing.
5. During the fermentation period of wine-making, the natural sugar in the grapes is………………. to alcohol.

KEY

Ex.1: a)-plus b) yield c) end-product d) obtain e) majority f) benefit g) extract h) nutritious i) convert j) arduous k) top
Ex. 2: 1.A 2.C 3.E
Ex.3: 1.obtained 2.topped 3.yields 4.extracted 5.converted