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A lot of advice is available for college leavers heading for their first job. In this article we consider the move to a second job. We are not concerned with those looking for a second temporary position while hunting for a permanent job. Nor are we concerned with those leaving an unsatisfactory job within the first few weeks. Instead, we will be dealing with those of you taking a real step on the career ladder, choosing a job to fit in with your ambitions now that you have learnt your way around, acquired some skills and have some idea of where you want to go. What sort of job should you look for? Much depends on your long-term aim. You need to ask yourself whether you want to specialise in a particular field, work your way up to higher levels of responsibility or out of your current employment into a broader field. Whatever you decide, you should choose your second job very carefully. You should be aiming to stay in it for two to three years. This job will be studied very carefully when you send your letter of application for your next job. It should show evidence of serious [line 26: beginning] career planning. Most important, it should [line 26: end] extend you, develop you and give you increasing responsibility. Incidentally, if the travel bug is biting, now is the time to pack up and go. You can do temporary work for a while when you return, pick up where you left off and get the second job then. Future potential employers will be relieved to see [line 34: beginning] that you have got it out of your system, and [line 34: end] are not likely to go off again. Juliette Davidson spent her first year after leaving St. Aldate's College working for three solicitors. It was the perfect first job in that 'OK ... they were very supportive people. I was gently introduced to the work, learnt my way round an office and improved my word processing skills. However, there was no scope for advancement. One day I gave in my notice, bought an air ticket and travelled for a year.' Juliette now works as a Personal Assistant to Brenda Cleverdon, the Chief Executive of Business in the Community. 'In two and a half years I have become more able and my job has really grown,' she says. 'Right from the beginning my boss was very keen to develop me. My job title is the same as it was when I started but the duties have changed. From mainly typing and telephone work, I have progressed to doing most of the correspondence and budgets. I also have to deal with a variety of queries, coming from chairmen of large companies to people wanting to know how to start their own business. Brenda involves me in all her work but also gives me specific projects to do and events to organise.'

B2

Summary: When considering a second job, it's crucial to choose one that aligns with long-term ambitions, allowing for growth, development, and increasing responsibility over two to three years. This job should demonstrate serious career planning and be studied carefully when applying for future positions.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: When considering a second job, it's crucial to choose one that aligns with long-term ambitions, allowing for growth, development, and increasing responsibility over two to three years. This job should demonstrate serious career planning and be studied carefully when applying for future positions.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

BOOK A Steve Martin's Compelling Evidence is compelling indeed. The narrator, a lawyer struggling to build a new practice after being forced to leave a high- powered law firm, finds himself manoeuvred into defending his boss's wife when she is tried for her husbands murder. The trial scenes are riveting, with the outcome in doubt right up to the verdict, and a really unexpected twist in the final pages. This is a terrific debut into a crowded genre. BOOK B Curtains for the Cardinal begins with a bang, and plunges the charismatic Sigismondo, troubleshooter for the aristocracy of the Italian Renaissance, into a turmoil of politics, clerical intrigue and high-wodety murder from which we are always confident he will emerge unscathed to disclose the guilty parties. The plot is convoluted and the book is about 50 pages overweight, but it is still great stuff. BOOK C File Under: Deceased introduces a refreshingly different new detective from a first novelist, Sarah Lacey. Leah Hunter is a tax inspector, ideally positioned, it seems, for a bit of investigating when a strange man falls dead at her feet. Undaunted by attacks from various quarters - perhaps tax inspectors are used to this sort of thing - and the disapproval of her handsome local detective sergeant, gutsy, versatile Leah is a winner in every way. BOOK D Double Deuce by Robert B. Parker sets that most literate of private investigators, Spenser, the job of assisting his friend Hawk to clear drug dealers out of a deprived estate in rundown Boston. The slick dialogue comes almost as fast as the bullets, but there are few corpses and more philosophy than usual. High-quality entertainment, as always from Parker. BOOK E False Prophet by Faye Kellermann, features her usual pair of detectives, Pete Decker and Marge Dunn, investigating an attack and burglary at the house of a legendary film star's daughter. The author's easy writing style and eye for odd human behaviour make this an entertaining mystery. BOOK F Husband and wife, Diane Henry and Nicholas Horrock, write as a team. Blood Red, Snow White features another lawyer, another female client, but the action is all outside the courtroom and the defender finds himself becoming the victim as the plot unravels. All the classic ingredients of romance, money and violence are mixed efficiently to produce an engrossing suspense novel. BOOK G Dead for a Ducat by Simon Shaw presents actor Philip Fletcher in a new role, that of intended victim. The hilarious collection of characters are brought together to film the story of Robin Hood, but Philip isn't the only person to feel this is not the way his career should be developing. Simon Shaw never fails to entertain, but in moving his star actor from black comedy to farce, he gives a performance below his usual high standard. BOOK H Fall Down Easy is Lawrence Gough's best book for some time. Canadian police hunt a versatile bank robber who preys on female bank tellers. The slow, expertly-paced build-up of tension and the portrayal of the clever, disturbed robber raise this way above the average detective novel.

C1

Summary: A collection of mystery novels featuring lawyers, detectives, and actors navigating complex cases, with twists, turns, and suspenseful plots.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: A collection of mystery novels featuring lawyers, detectives, and actors navigating complex cases, with twists, turns, and suspenseful plots.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Watering the Desert It can rain at any time between November and March in Marrakesh, Morocco. It doesn't happen frequently and when it does, the city's water pipes can't manage the sudden floods, which turn the streets into rivers. But, as many winters have remained dry in recent times, when the rain does come, it is welcomed by the local people. Marrakesh's parks and gardens exist, not because of the rain, but thanks to a network of underground channels, dug in the 11th century, which bring in water from the mountains all year round. Basically dry places, which receive their water in this way, are known as oases. Further south from Marrakesh, the traveller arrives at Skoura. Here every available piece of land is made into small squares by the water channels and used to grow food. The Atlas mountains, snow-covered in winter, provide a delightful background.

B1

Summary: Marrakesh's dry winters are punctuated by rare November-to-March rains, which flood streets but also bring welcome relief; underground channels supply water year-round, making it an oasis.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Marrakesh's dry winters are punctuated by rare November-to-March rains, which flood streets but also bring welcome relief; underground channels supply water year-round, making it an oasis.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

Films on video Film critic Nick James reviews some recent releases A Abyss Long before Titanic, director James Cameron made this sweaty, claustrophobic Cold War thriller about oil riggers and navy experts trying to rescue a nuclear submarine stranded many miles beneath water The banter and self-deprecating bravery of foreman Bud and his men rekindle memories of similarly laconic heroes In movies directed by Howard Hawks. Production design and special effects are hugely impressive. It's only the dialogue and characterisation that creak For all the craftsmanship which goes Into the film-making, the story Itself IS strictly B-movie material. B The Thin Red Line The video release of this version of the James Jones novel about the battle for Guadalcanal directed by Andrew Marton makes a fascinating counterpart to Terrence Malick's new film. Whereas Malick's approach IS mystical and poetic, Marton made a much more conventional war movie. albeit one that is often truer to the book. He concentrated on a single soldier, and on his relationship with his abrasive sergeant. Malick's film IS Infinitely richer and more complex, but Marton's version has ItS moments. The flashback sequence, In which the soldier dreams of the wife he longs for, is handled with a harshness which arguably works better than Malick's soft-focus Imagery of the woman on the swing. C On Guard Loosely based on Paul Feval's 1875 novel, this corny but highly watchable swashbuckler IS a cut above most musketeer adventures It has a consummate villain In Fabrice Luchini's clammy politician, orchestrating death and destruction behind the scenes Vincent Perez makes an exuberant (If rather short-lived) hero, and while Daniel Auteuil is perhaps too moody a presence for a romp like this, he too has his moments as an acrobat-turned-swordsman. The film-makers peddle costume-drama cliches with so much Wit and sparkle It never seems to matter. D Character A handsome but dour tale, set In turn-of-the-century Rotterdam. The excessively detailed production and costume design leave the film looking like a museum piece. Taking his cue from the surroundings, Jan Decleir is endlessly morose as the brutal bailiff Dreverhaven, who behaves ruthlessly when evICting tenants. HIS antagonistic relationship with his son IS at the core of the story, but the film-makers seem too busy laYing on the period detail to do Justice to the dark and vicious parable. E The Good, the Bad and the Ugly This digitally re-mastered video re-release shows off director Leone's craftsmanship to ItS best advantage. The sound editing, in particular, stands out every footstep, creaking floorboard or barking dog registers loud and clear. The storytelling IS relentlessly cruel and whenever there's a lull, It only takes a burst of Morricone's magnificent music to quicken the pulse On a moral level, there Isn't much to distinguish between the good (Clint Eastwood), the bad (Lee van Cleef) and the ugly (Ell Wallach), all of whom seem equally unscrupulous as they maraud across the post- Civil War West. F The Longest Day 'Forty-eight International stars' trumpets the publicity for this three-hour Darryl Zanuck war epic. With four directors and 23,000 extras as well, this is one pudding which is definitely over-egged The early sequences, in which the battle-hardened veterans walt for confirmation of when the invasion will happen, drag as much for the audience as for the soldiers. On a logistical level (If not an aesthetic one), this is an impressive enough feat but it cries out for the big screen Panned and scanned on video, It is inevitably a diminished experience.

C1

Summary: Film critic Nick James reviews recent releases, including "Abyss", "The Thin Red Line", "On Guard", "Character", "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", and "The Longest Day". He praises impressive production design and special effects in some films, but notes that others struggle with dialogue and characterization.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Film critic Nick James reviews recent releases, including "Abyss", "The Thin Red Line", "On Guard", "Character", "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", and "The Longest Day". He praises impressive production design and special effects in some films, but notes that others struggle with dialogue and characterization.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Blacksmiths THROUGHOUT the ages, iron has exerted a powerful pull on the human imagination, and the men who work it have often been regarded as much more than skilled craftsmen. Before the Industrial Revolution, blacksmiths enjoyed the same status as doctors and astrologers, because they were the sole providers of weapons, armour and farming tools. They have also been feted as artises. Eighteenth-century smiths produced the wonderfully baroque ironwork for St Paul's Cathedral. The sinuous metalwork of French and Belgian Art Nouveau architecture was always the work of a talented blacksmith. But practitioners of these ancient skills had become almost extinct in Britain by the late 1960s, for heavy industry had ceased to have any use for them, and towerblock architects rarely used anything as graceful and pleasing as a wrought-iron handrail. Over the past 10 years, however, there has been something of a revival - thanks to greater interest in decorative architecture and a less conservative approach to interior design. Even so, much of the work looks surprisingly cliched: manufacturers of gates and balconies still advertise their wares as 'classical' or 'Victorian-style'. You cant walk into a trendy design store without being assailed by rusty candlesticks with dangly bits. Thankfully, alternatives exist and a series of events over the next few weeks aims to promote the blacksmiths craft. The first of these, an exhibition of forged ironwork by members of the British Artist Blacksmiths Association (BABA), opened last week at the Fire & Iron gallery in Leatherhead, Surrey. Alan Dawson, the secretary of BABA, says: 'We could be at the start of a new Iron Age, because, in a sense, both the general public and blacksmiths have had their blinkers removed.' Power tools have liberated smiths from all that labouring over a hot anvil, and they can now bend, split, twist and spot-weld the metal with relative ease. 'In short,' says Dawson, 'these artists now have a material which allows them to express themselves.' About 250 pieces have been produced for the show, ranging from bookends to a spiral staircase. Reserve prices start at PS90 and climb well into four figures. Most of the money raised will go to individual makers, 'but a percentage of every sale will be retained by the Association for the promotion of good ironwork,' says Dawson. His own contributions consist of an eight-foot gate, and a standard lamp topped with a mouth-blown glass shade. 'My style results from just allowing steel to bend and flow into shape when its hot. It's a bit like drawing with metal in space,' he says. Many of the artists admit to being fascinated by iron. Unlike most metals, which are relatively malleable when cold, iron and steel are a tougher, more demanding medium. Susan May, a jeweller by training, says, 'It's quite magical, because its incredibly soft when its hot, but as soon as it cools down, it becomes really rigid and immovable again.' Ann Catrin Evans' mild steel door-knockers and handles seem to have been inspired by those bleak castles that are a stock feature of horror films. One of her designs is shaped like a ball and chain, another like a Celtic cross. 'I love the fact that steel is cold and hard,' she says. 'And the way it feels as though its there forever.' No other base metal can have given man as much visual pleasure, or a greater feeling of security. The chances of iron being used decoratively for the next thousand years are good, to say the least as long as we don't have to look at any more rusty Candlesticks, that is.

C1

Summary: Blacksmiths' artistry and craftsmanship are experiencing a revival, with modern tools liberating them from laborious processes. The British Artist Blacksmiths Association's exhibition showcases over 250 pieces of forged ironwork, ranging from bookends to spiral staircases, with prices starting at £90.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Blacksmiths' artistry and craftsmanship are experiencing a revival, with modern tools liberating them from laborious processes. The British Artist Blacksmiths Association's exhibition showcases over 250 pieces of forged ironwork, ranging from bookends to spiral staircases, with prices starting at £90.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

HE WAS A PEOPLE PERSON American executives are adopting the polar explorer Ernest Shackleton as a model of good management. Eluned Price reports. Most people in Britain know who Sir Ernest Shackleton was and have a rough idea of what he did. America, however, has only just discovered him - although the Wall Street Journal's description of Shackleton earlier this year as 'an Antarctic explorer whose beats went all but unnoticed for most of the 20th century' is taking things too far. But now the Americans are making up for lost time with powerful enthusiasm. Biographies and accounts of the voyage of the Endurance are in production and are expected to spring off the shells as fast as they are stacked; the American Museum of Natural History is mounting a grand exhibition, and Columbia Tristar is preparing a film based on Shackleton's life. Some American managers have also adopted Shackleton as icon and exemplar. His sell-appointed apostles recount the details of his deeds with awe; they extract lessons in leadership and communications as parables for spin doctors, and insiders refer to each other as 'speaking Shackleton'. The determined, resourceful Shackleton, with his reindeer sleeping bag (fur inside) and blubber-stove has become a model for modern management consultants. Jim MacGregor, the managing partner of Abernathy MacGregor Frank in New York, took Shackleton for a role model years ago. His firm specialises in 'communication aspects of mergers and acquisitions and corporate crises'. Such as? Such as 'this firm's plant blew up' or 'half the workforce has to go'. While not forgetting that Shackleton served time in public relations for a Glasgow steel works, it may be a trifle difficult to spot instantly the relevance of eking out the last bit of albatross in sub-zero temperatures to putting a spin on a derivatives trading disaster for the Internet. 'Even if a company manages its crises beautifully, it can still do a lot of harm by communicating sadly about what it's doing,' says MacGregor. 'Shackleton is a model for management because of his qualities as a leader and communicator. He had his values in order. he was at his best when he and those dependent on him had a great deal to lose -- such as their lives. In some ways the most fascinating decision Shackleton made was to turn back when only 97 miles from the South Pole. That trip explained his credibility for the next one: the lives of his men were paramount.' This refers to Shackleton's expedition to reach the South Pole in 1908 when, 97 miles short of their objective, with unforeseen delays draining their supplies and limited time to get back to their ship, Shackleton made the courageous and difficult decision to turn hack. In a crisis, says MacGregor, people want to know someone is in charge. Whereas now the tendency is for managers to duck and squirm, Shackleton was prepared to stand up and accept responsibility. His 1914 expedition was the one that became the stuff of legend. His ship, the Endurance, drifted for nine months in the pack ice and was finally crushed by ice floes. When it finally went down, Shackleton told his men, 'we should all eventually reach safety provided that you continue to do your utmost and to trust me'. From all the accounts and diaries the then kept, it is clear that there was never a time that the Boss was not in charge. 'Shackleton thought everything through, planned for every eventuality, kept his men continually informed and sought their opinions,' says MacGregor. 'He was adaptable, willing to let go when something was lost and start afresh. We've built an effective set of principles here that Shackleton illustrates. Clients can relate to his story without feeling thry're being criticised.' Shackleton believed that an explorer needs optimism, physical endurance and patience. 'One of the hardest things to do in desperate straits is notating, especially in America, a culture that is fanatically opposed to letting time sort things out,' says MacGregor. 'If you buy bonds and guess wrong on the interest rates, you hang in there and eventually you'll get your money back. To "fix it" and sell up would mean a huge loss. Equally, don't be afraid to change your plans if they're not working. If a new product's a stinker, don't keep selling it.' Shackleton led by example. On the voyage back from the Endurance, he noticed Hurley, the expedition photographer, gloveless. He forced his own on Hurley, saying if he didn't put them on he would throw them overboard. Someone else remembered him doing the same thing with a biscuit when they were near starving on the 1905 expeditions: 'He said he'd leave it in the snow. Millions of pounds couldn't have bought that biscuit.' As Caroline Alexander, author of Endurance, the human account of that expedition, says: 'The public appetite for heroic endeavour is increasing. Shackleton exposes the fact that there is nothing heroic going on now. Everything else falls away and he is left standing, the genuine embodiment of the ideals that we are so wistful for nowadays.'

C2

Summary: American executives are adopting Ernest Shackleton as a model of good management, citing his leadership and communication skills during his Antarctic expeditions.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: American executives are adopting Ernest Shackleton as a model of good management, citing his leadership and communication skills during his Antarctic expeditions.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

Enough Sleep? Tiredness, it is often claimed, has become the modern condition. As the richer, busier countries have grown, so sleeplessness and anxiety have also grown in the popular psyche. Research in the USA has found 40 million Americans to be chronically affected, and some recent best-selling novels in Britain have featured insomniacs as protagonists, or sleep-research laboratories as their settings. Part of this interest is in sleep in general: in its rhythms, its uses and in problems with sleeping. But a central preoccupation remains. 'People need more sleep,' says one leading sleep researcher. 'People cut back on sleep when they're busy. They get up too early to avoid the rush hour.' Recently, a sleep researcher tried an experiment. He offered his subjects the opposite of the modern routine. 'I allowed them to sleep for up to 14 hours a night for a month. It took them three weeks to reach an equilibrium of eight-and-a-quarter hours. That indicates a great rebound of sleep - sleep that they hadn't been getting!' In Europe, such propositions are perhaps most thoroughly tested in a small unassuming building on a university campus in the English Midlands. The university sleep research laboratory has investigated, among many subjects, the effects of fatigue on sailors, the effects of airpot noise on sleepers, and the dangers of motorway driving for flagging drivers. For guinea pigs, they advertise in the student newspapers. Subjects are picked up by taxi, paid PS5 an hour, and asked to adjust their sleeping patterns according to instructions. Dr Louise Reyner provides reassurance: 'Some people are quite worried, because you're putting electrodes on their heads, and they think you can see what they're dreaming or thinking.' In fact, the laboratory's interest is more physical. In a darkened room stands a motorway simulator, the front section of car facing a wide projection screen. The subjects are always told to arrive at 2pm, in the body's natural mid-afternoon lull, after a short night's sleep or no sleep at all. The projector is switched on and they are asked to drive, while answering questions. An endless road rolls ahead, sunlight glares; and the air is warm. The young men all deny they are going to fall asleep. Dr Reyner has a video recording of one trying not to. At first the person at the wheel is very upright, wet and bleary eyes determinedly fixed on the windscreen. Then he begins to blink briefly, every now and again; then for longer, and more often, with a slight drop of the head. Each nod grows heavier than the last. The blinks become a 10-second blackout. Every time, he jerks awake as if nothing has happened. But the car, by the second or third occasion, has shot off the carriageway. A coffee might have helped. Two cups, Dr Reyner says, even after no sleep at all, can make you a safe driver for half an hour or more. She recommends a whole basket of alertness products: tablets, energy drinks, caffeinated chewing gum. Shift workers, she is quite sure, could probably use them. But apart from these findings, what else do know about human sleep with any kind of certainty? It is known that humans sleep, like other mammals, according to a daily cycle. Once asleep, they switch between four different stages of unconsciousness, from stage one sleep, the shallowest, to stage four, the deepest. When dreams occur, which is usually during the lightest sleep, the brain paralyses the body except for the hands and eyelids, thus preventing injuries. Beyond this, certainties blur into theories. It is often suggested, for example, that sleep repairs body tissue, or restores muscles, or rests the frontal section of the brain that controls speech and creativity. But all of this may happen more quickly during relaxed wakefulness, so no one is really sure. However, there is a strong degree of certainty among scientists that women seep for half an hour longer than men, and that older people require less sleep, though they don't know why. When asked what sleep is for, some sleep researchers reply in cosmic terms: 'Sleep is a tactic to travel through time without injury.' Moreover, people may have had different sleep patterns in the past. A history professor has investigated nocturnal British life between 1500 and 1850 and discovered that sleeping routines were very different. People went to bed at nine or ten, then woke up after midnight, after what they called their 'first sleep', stayed awake for an hour, and then had their 'morning sleep'. The interlude was a haven for reflection, remembering dreams, or even night-time thieving. The poorest were the greatest beneficiaries of this quiet time, fleetingly freed from the constraints and labours that ruled their day-time existence. By the 17th century, however, as artificial light became more common, the rich began to switch to the more concentrated, and economically more efficient, mode of recuperation that we follow today. Two centuries later, the industrial revolution pushed back the dusk for everyone except some country-dwellers, by making most people work longer hours in lighted buildings. Yet beyond Europe and America, the old pattern was widespread until quite recently, and according to a leading anthropologist, in some non-western settings there are still no rigid bedtimes. People go to bed for a few hours, and then get up again. The idea of a night's solid sleep does not apply. For certain tribal societies, human and animal noises and the need to supervise the fire and watch out for predators combine to make continuous sleep impossible. It seems that people all round the world are badly in need of sleep.

C2

Summary: Sleep researcher Dr. Louise Reyner's experiment shows a great rebound of sleep when subjects are allowed to sleep up to 14 hours a night, indicating humans' natural need for more rest.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Sleep researcher Dr. Louise Reyner's experiment shows a great rebound of sleep when subjects are allowed to sleep up to 14 hours a night, indicating humans' natural need for more rest.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

Art on TV Why is it that television so consistently fails when it comes to programmes about the visual arts? Painting and sculpture should be natural subjects for the camera, which has the ability to show a whole work of art, then move in close to examine the details. Yet I can think of few series on television that have managed to convey both the pleasure and complexity of looking at them. A good example of what goes wrong can be seen in Robert Hughes's eight part survey of American art, American Visions. Hughes is a critic you can trust, he has a personality that commands attention and he has been given nearly eight hours in which to introduce British audiences to a school of art that British galleries have totally ignored. I had expected the series to focus on great works of art. What I got instead was one about the way American history and culture are reflected in its art and architecture. Dealing in Metals For 20 years I worked as an international metals dealer and gained something of a reputation as a speculator. Metals are regulated far less than other markets. With a bit of luck, a willingness to take a risk and a good understanding of how the market works, it's possible to make a lot of money. Risk-taking is part and parcel of the industry. The buccaneering culture fits nicely with a free-market global economy. But now the free-trade economists who claimed the market itself would maintain the price of scarce metals have found the opposite is happening. More minerals are being extracted and the cost of raw materials is decreasing. Taking inflation into account, the prices of most metals are about half of what they were 20 years ago. Recently, I was asked to look into allegations made against one of the multinational conglomerates that benefit from these cheap raw materials. Extract from a Holiday Brochure Abaco and its off-shore cays are part of the 700 islands of the Bahamas that stretch from Florida past the Tropic of Cancer, to Cuba. Each one has its own personality, each one has something to offer. The key to getting anywhere in the islands and cays of Abaco is a boat. If you don't get one thrown in with the room don't worry. Be happy. There are ferries galore. And water-taxis. Or, there are plenty of boats to rent if you prefer to go under your own steam. But sailing is the most popular mode of transport here. Abaco is nicknamed 'The Sailing Capital of the World' for good reason. Those calm, naturally protected waters are also a paradise for fishing, diving, snorkelling and swimming. The cays and their beaches stretch for 200 miles like a string of pearls. It's not only at sea that gems can be found. At night it's the lights of the restaurants and cafes of Hope Town and Green Turtle Cay that sparkle.

C2

Summary: Television struggles to effectively showcase art, despite its ability to capture details. The author reflects on their experience with Robert Hughes' series "American Visions", which focused more on American history and culture than great works of art. The text also touches on the author's past as a metals dealer and their current investigation into allegations against a multinational conglomerate. Additionally, it features an extract from a holiday brochure for Abaco, highlighting its beautiful beaches, calm waters, and sailing opportunities.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Television struggles to effectively showcase art, despite its ability to capture details. The author reflects on their experience with Robert Hughes' series "American Visions", which focused more on American history and culture than great works of art. The text also touches on the author's past as a metals dealer and their current investigation into allegations against a multinational conglomerate. Additionally, it features an extract from a holiday brochure for Abaco, highlighting its beautiful beaches, calm waters, and sailing opportunities.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

Simon Costello knew that the purchase of the house in Pembroke Square had been a mistake within a year of his and Lois's moving in. A possession which can only be afforded by the exercise of stringent and calculated economy is best not afforded at all. But at the time it had seemed a sensible, as well as a desirable, move. He had had a run of successful cases and they were coming in with reassuring regularity. Lois had returned to her job at the advertising agency within two months of the birth of the twins, and had been given a rise which took her salary to thirty-five thousand. It was Lois who had argued the more strongly for a move, but he had put up little resistance to arguments which at the time had seemed compelling: the flat wasn't really suitable for a family, they needed more room, a garden, separate accommodation for an au pair. All these, of course, could have been achieved in a suburb or in a less fashionable part of London than Pembroke Square, but Lois was ambitious for more than additional space. Mornington Mansions had never been an acceptable address for an up-and-coming young barrister and a successful businesswoman. She never said it without a sense that even speaking the words subtly diminished her standing, socially and economically. Lois had decided that a necessary economy was for one of them to travel by public transport. Her firm was on the other side of London; obviously Simon must be the one to economise. The overcrowded tube journey, stayed in a mood of envious resentment, had become an unproductive thirty minutes of brooding on present discontents. He would recall his grandfather's house in Hampstead where he had stayed as a boy, the smell of dinner from the kitchen, his grandmother's insistence that the returning breadwinner, tired from his exhausting day in court, should be given peace, a little gentle cosseting, and relief from every petty domestic anxiety. She had been a 'lawyer's wife', indefatigable in legal good causes, elegantly present at all lawyers' functions, apparently content with the sphere of life which she had made her own. Well, that world had passed for ever. Lois had made it plain before their marriage that her career was as important as his. It hardly needed saying, this was, after all, a modern marriage. The job was important to her and important to them both. The house, the au pair, their whole standard of living depended on two salaries. And now what they were precariously achieving could be destroyed by that self-righteous, interfering Venetia. Venetia must have come straight from the court to their offices and she had been in a dangerous mood. Something or someone had upset her. But the word 'upset' was too weak, too bland for the intensity of furious disgust with which she had confronted him. Someone had driven her to the limit of her endurance. He cursed himself. If he hadn't been in his room, if he'd only left a minute earlier, the encounter wouldn't have taken place, she would have had the night to think it over, to consider what, if anything, she ought to do. Probably nothing. The morning might have brought sense. He remembered every word of her angry accusations. 'I defended Brian Cartwright today. Successfully. He told me that when you were his counsel four years ago you knew before trial that he had bribed three of the jury. You did nothing. You went on with the case. Is that true?' 'He's lying. It isn't true.' 'He also said that he passed over some shares in his company to your fiancee. Also before trial. Is that true?' 'I tell you, he's lying. None of its true.' The denial had been as instinctive as an arm raised to ward off a blow and had sounded unconvincing even to his own ears. His whole action had been one of guilt. The first cold horror draining his face was succeeded by a hot flush, bringing back shameful memories of his headmaster's study, of the terror of the inevitable punishment. He had made himself look into her eyes and had seen the look of contemptuous disbelief. If only he'd had some warning. He knew now what he should have said: 'Cartwright told me after the trial but I didn't believe him. I don't believe him now. That man will say anything to make himself important.' But he had told a more direct, more dangerous lie, and she had known that it was a lie. Even so, why the anger, why the disgust? What was that old misdemeanour to do with her? Who had sent Venetia Aldridge to be guardian of the conscience of their legal practice? Or of his, come to that? Was her own conscience so clear, her behaviour in court always immaculate? Was she justified in destroying his career? And it would be destruction. He wasn't sure what exactly she could do, how far she was prepared to go, but if this got about, even as a rumour, he was done for.

C2

Summary: Simon Costello's life unravels after an encounter with Venetia Aldridge, who accuses him of knowing a client bribed jurors and accepting shares from another. His denials sound unconvincing, and he recalls past shame and guilt.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Simon Costello's life unravels after an encounter with Venetia Aldridge, who accuses him of knowing a client bribed jurors and accepting shares from another. His denials sound unconvincing, and he recalls past shame and guilt.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

No Title A month ago I had no idea that on a Saturday afternoon in November I'd be hanging 30 metres above the ground and enjoying it. Now I looked down at the river far below me, and realised why people love rock-climbing. My friend Matt and I had arrived at the Activity Centre on Friday evening. The accommodation wasn't wonderful, but we had everything we needed (beds, blankets, food), and we were pleased to be out of the city and in the fresh air. On Saturday morning we met the other ten members of our group. Cameron had come along with two friends, Kevin and Simon, while sisters Carole and Lynn had come with Amanda. We had come from various places and none of us knew the area. We knew we were going to spend the weekend outdoors, but none of us was sure exactly how. Half of us spent the morning caving while the others went rock- climbing and then we changed at lunchtime. Matt and I went to the caves first. Climbing out was harder than going in, but after a good deal of pushing, we were out at last - covered in mud but pleased and excited by what we'd done.

B1

Summary: A weekend outdoors with friends led to rock-climbing and caving adventures, discovering the thrill of hanging 30 meters above ground and enjoying the experience.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: A weekend outdoors with friends led to rock-climbing and caving adventures, discovering the thrill of hanging 30 meters above ground and enjoying the experience.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

Norwich Norwich, the capital of the part of Britain known as East Anglia, has existed as a place to live for more than two thousand years. It began as a small village beside the River Wensum. At the time of the Norman invasion in 1066 it had grown to become one of the largest towns in England. With two cathedrals and a mosque, Norwich has long been a popular centre for various religions. The first cathedral was built in 1095 and has recently celebrated its 900th anniversary, while Norwich itself had a year of celebration in 1994 to mark the 800th anniversary of the city receiving a Royal Charter. This allowed it to be called a city and to govern itself independently. Today, in comparison with places like London or Manchester, Norwich is quite small, with a population of around 150,000, but in the 16th century Norwich was the second city of England. It continued to grow for the next 300 years and got richer and richer, becoming famous for having as many churches as there are weeks in the year and as many pubs as there are days in the year. Nowadays, there are far fewer churches and pubs, but in 1964 the University of East Anglia was built in Norwich. With its fast-growing student population and its success as a modern commercial centre (Norwich is the biggest centre for insurance services outside London), the city new has a wide choice of entertainment: theatres, cinemas, nightclubs, busy cafes, excellent restaurants, and a number of arts and leisure centres. There is also a football team, whose colours are green and yellow. The team is known as 'The Canaries', though nobody can be sure why. Now the city's attractions include another important development, a modern shopping centre called 'The Castle Mall'. The people of Norwich lived with a very large hole in the middle of their city for over two years, as builders dug up the main car park. Lorries moved nearly a million tons of earth so that the roof of the Mall could become a city centre park, with attractive water pools and hundreds of trees. But the local people are really pleased that the old open market remains, right in the heart of the city and next to the new development. Both areas continue to do good business, proving that Norwich has managed to mix the best of the old and the new.

B1

Summary: Norwich, a city in East Anglia, has existed for over 2,000 years, growing from a small village to a significant town after the Norman invasion. It's known for its two cathedrals, mosque, and historic charm, with a mix of old and new attractions like the University of East Anglia, shopping centre, and entertainment options.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Norwich, a city in East Anglia, has existed for over 2,000 years, growing from a small village to a significant town after the Norman invasion. It's known for its two cathedrals, mosque, and historic charm, with a mix of old and new attractions like the University of East Anglia, shopping centre, and entertainment options.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

Maria Mutola In 1988, Maria Mutola was playing football as the only girl in an all-boys team in a local competition in Mozambique. 'We won,' she said. 'At first no one thought it was a problem that I was a girl. But then the team we beat complained.' The story appeared in a local newspaper and Jose Craveirinha, who had encouraged other African athletes, learnt about Maria. He went to meet her and found her kicking a ball around outside the football club. He realised immediately that she was fast. 'He talked to me about athletics. I had no idea what he meant. The only sport I knew about was football. Then he bought me running shoes and took me training. It was such hard work and my legs really ached.' But Jose visited her parents and persuaded them she could be successful and this would help end their poverty. They agreed to let him take her away to train. In 1991, she finally accepted an invitation to train in the United States. She had refused previously because she knew she would miss her family. Her background was unlike those of the girls she met in the US. She explains, 'They were good athletes but, while I worried about my parents having enough to eat, they worried about dresses and make-up. They knew very little about me and even less about my problems. But I knew I was lucky to be there. The trainers were brilliant and I learnt a lot.' Today, Maria still runs and for most of the year she lives happily in South Africa with her mother.

B1

Summary: Maria Mutola's journey from playing football as a girl in Mozambique to becoming an athlete in the US, where she trained hard and eventually found success.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Maria Mutola's journey from playing football as a girl in Mozambique to becoming an athlete in the US, where she trained hard and eventually found success.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

I was dirty, smelly, hungry and somewhere beneath all that, suntanned. It was the end Inter-Rail holiday. My body couldn't take any more punishment. My mind couldn't deal with any more foreign timetables, currencies or languages. 'Never again,' I said, as I stepped onto home ground. I said exactly the same thing the following year. And the next. All I had to do was buy one train ticket and, because I was under twenty-five years old, I could spend a whole month going anywhere I wanted in Europe. Ordinary beds are never the same once you've learnt to sleep in the corridor of a train, the rhythm rocking you into a deep sleep. Carrying all your possessions on your back in a rucksack makes you have a very basic approach to travel, and encourages incredible wastefulness that can lead to burning socks that have become too [line 10: beginning] anti-social, and getting rid of books when finished. On the other hand, this way of looking at life line 10: end] is entirely in the spirit of Inter-Rail, for common sense and reasoning can be thrown out of the window along with the paperback book and the socks. All it takes to achieve this carefree attitude is one of those tickets in your hand. Any system that enables young people to travel through countries at a rate of more than one a day must be pretty special. On that first trip, my friends and I were at first unaware of the possibilities of this type of train ticket, thinking it was just an inexpensive way of getting to and from our chosen camp-site in southern France. But the idea of non-stop travel proved too tempting, for there was always just one more country over the border, always that little bit further to go. And what did the extra miles cost us? Nothing. We were not completely uninterested in culture. But this was a first holiday without parents, as it was for most other Inter-Railers, and in organising our own timetable we left out everything except the most immediately available sights. This was the chance to escape the guided tour, an opportunity to do something different. I took great pride in the fact that, in many places, all I could be bothered to see was the view from the station. We were just there to get by, and to have a good time doing so. In this we were no different from most of the other Inter-Railers with whom we shared corridor floors, food and water, money and music. The excitement of travel comes from the sudden reality of somewhere that was previously just a name. It is as if the city in which you arrive never actually existed until the train pulls in at the [line 29: beginning] station and you are able to see it with your own tired eyes for the first time. [line 29: end] Only by actually seeing Europe, by watching the changing landscapes and seeing the differences in attitudes and lifestyles, can you really have an accurate picture of the continent in your mind. Everybody knows what is there, but it is meaningless until you view it yourself. This is what makes other people's holiday photos so boring. While the train trip won't allow you to discover anything new in the world sense, it is a valuable personal experience. Europe is a big place, and Inter-Rail gives people the best opportunity to recognise this ... though in our case it didn't happen immediately.

B2

Summary: A nostalgic account of an Inter-Rail holiday, where the author's youthful energy and carefree attitude allowed for non-stop travel across Europe, exploring new places and cultures without a fixed itinerary or parental guidance.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: A nostalgic account of an Inter-Rail holiday, where the author's youthful energy and carefree attitude allowed for non-stop travel across Europe, exploring new places and cultures without a fixed itinerary or parental guidance.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

Confident people what's their secret? Confident people may look as though they were born that way, but most will tell you that it's a skill they've learned because they had to. Nina Hathway asks five people how they did it. A Jenny When I left school I was very shy and I always thought I'd stay that way. I was about twenty-five when I was asked to help out at my daughter's school. I was sure I wouldn't cope, but I surprised myself by doing well and someone there suggested that I should do a university course. There was a huge knot in my stomach the day I turned up for my first lecture. But my confidence gradually grew - I became more outgoing. Looking back, working at the school was the turning point in my life that has helped everything else fall into place. B Michaela It all started four years ago when my father became ill and I had to take over the family business. I was so scared, I went over the top and became a bit too aggressive and impatient. I thought that was what confident people were like, but gradually I learned otherwise. To be confident you've got to believe in yourself. If things get too demanding for me at work, I don't let myself feel guilty if I save a number of tasks until the next day. When I'm confronted with something difficult, I tell myself that I've got nothing to lose. It's fear that makes you lack confidence, so I'm always having quiet chats with myself to put aside those fears! C Lisa People think I'm very confident but, in fact, the calmer I look, the more terrified I really am. I've had to develop the ability to look confident because it's the most vital thing in TV. Interviewing people has helped me realise that most - if not all - of us get tense in important situations, and we feel calmer when we speak to someone who's genuinely friendly. The best ever piece of advice came from my mother when I was agonising as a teenager about wearing the right clothes. She simply cried, 'Who's looking at you? Everybody's too busy worrying about how they look.' I've found that's well worth remembering. I also think you gain confidence by tackling things that scare you. When I took my driving test I was so nervous, but I passed. After that I felt sure that I'd never feel so frightened again, and I never have. D Barbara My confidence comes naturally from really enjoying the work I do, but it's something that I've built up over the years. If you just get on with it and learn from any mistakes you make, you're more confident the next time round. I work hard and I'm popular in the restaurant, but it's probable that one out of ten people doesn't like me. I don't let that affect me. You've got to like yourself for what you are, not try to be what others expect. My company runs a lot of training courses, and going on those has built up my self-esteem. The company also encourages employees to set manageable targets. It helps no end if you can see you're achieving something tangible, rather than reaching for the stars all at once, and ending up with nothing but air! E Kim After I left college I worked for years as a secretary and would sit in meetings, not always agreeing with what was being said, but too scared to speak up. Eventually, I summoned up the confidence to start making my point. Even so, when I first worked in politics, I'd never spoken in public before and always used to shake like a leaf. I would say to myself, 'Don't be so silly. People do this every day of their lives, so there's no reason why you can't.' I also found it helpful to jot a few things down to refer to - rather like having a comfort blanket! I don't think there is anyone who isn't a little shaky when it comes to talking publicly. The real secret of confidence lies in telling yourself over and over again, 'Nothing is impossible.'

B2

Summary: People build confidence through experiences, self-reflection, and learning from mistakes. They develop skills like believing in themselves, overcoming fears, and enjoying their work.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: People build confidence through experiences, self-reflection, and learning from mistakes. They develop skills like believing in themselves, overcoming fears, and enjoying their work.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

The day I drew Picasso Richard Cork recalls how, as an 78-year-old student, he came face-to-face with one of the most revered artists of the century. Even seen at a distance, eating his lunch at an open-air restaurant in Cannes harbour, Picasso was instantly recognisable. I was an I8-year-old student, filling in time before university by travelling round Europe and Morocco in a battered and unreliable van. Having run out of money, I found a boat-painting job on the waterfront. But I spent much of the time drawing, and was lucky enough to be carrying an ample sketchbook when my encounter with the octogenarian artist took place. Picasso was known to be a fairly reclusive figure who spent most of his time shut away working high in the hills. So I was doubly astonished to find him seated at a table with his wife, Jacqueline, and three companions. Without my friend's prompting, I would never have dared to walk over and ask for his signature. Nor did I imagine, as I nervously introduced myself and offered my sketchbook, that he would comply. But my request was generously granted. Taking the large sheet I passed over, Picasso inscribed his name across the top of the paper. Then, as if unable to resist the blankness below, he added an exuberant linear flourish on the rest of the page. But Pcasso's art, even at its least representational, was usually anchored in observed reality. So the curves may well refer to a cloud, the wind-rippled sea or the shape assumed by Cannes harbour, dominating his lunchtime vantage point. Delighted, I thanked him and embarked on a halting conversation. Since Picasso's English was even poorer than my French, an extravagantly dressed American woman at the table acted as our interpreter. She kept describing him as the Maestro, and it was difficult to combat her gushing interjections. But I did manage to tell Picasso of my voracious interest in art and my admiration for his work. After a while, I resumed to the boat and proudly displayed the fruit of my visit. But the friend who had encouraged me to introduce myself to Picasso could see that the lunch party was still in progress. 'Is that all?' he asked, looking at the signature. 'Why on earth don't you go back and make the most of it? You won't get a chance like this again - and he probably wouldn't mind if you drew his portrait.' Sketchbook under arm, I returned to Picasso's table. I thought it wise not to ask him whether he'd mind having his portrait drawn: a refusal at this stage might have wrecked the whole delicate enterprise. So I simply stood by the table, propped my pad against an ironwork screen, got out a stick of crayon and stayed to draw. Once he noticed, Picasso grinned like an imp and made my task wickedly difficult. He acted out a range of expressions, both ridiculous and macabre - rolling his eyes, sticking out his tongue and brandishing his hand in fantastical shapes on either side of his forehead. The entire performance was carried out with the gusto of an instinctive clown. I was tempted to give up the struggle, but the sheer high spirits of my playful sitter seemed tantamount to a challenge. However obstructive his antics, I felt that he was testing my persistence, in order, perhaps, to discover the true extent of my determination. As if to bear this out, Picasso at last relented and lapsed into repose. For a few extraordinary minutes, he deliberately gave me the chance to study him without impediment. I noticed how tough and alert he appeared, still taut in a blue-and-white striped jersey. As compact as a wrestler, the deeply tanned figure resembled an athletic 60-year-old rather than a man who would soon be celebrating his 84th birthday. I marvelled at the youthfulness of his clear, dark eyes, set with startling intensity in features remarkably unencumbered by the folds of slack flesh on so many elderly faces. The eyes were mesmerising, and I tried to give them the necessary forcefulness. After fastening themselves on whatever they wanted to scrutinise, they did not blink until the unwavering gaze moved elsewhere. He also seemed curiously removed and alone, even though there was plenty of company nearby. His engaging burst of buffoonery could not disguise an underlying gravity of spirit. Content to let his friends do most of the talking, he sat in a very private and absorbed silence, pursuing his own isolated interests undisturbed. When the American lady told me that the Maestro wanted to see his portrait, I became embarrassed and replied that it wasn't good enough to show him. Picasso insisted, however, and after I passed my sketchbook over, he gave my efforts a generous nod. Then, to my astonishment, he announced that it was now his turn. I lost no time in giving him my crayon, and his hand applied a few swift, decisive strokes to the paper. In a matter of seconds, with beguiling assurance, he outlined a bearded face below the head which had taken me so many anxious minutes to produce. He handed the pad back, and there was a drawing blithely at odds with my dogged strivings. Picasso had moved one eye onto my nose, and summarised my smile in a single, irresistibly vivacious line. I looked like a creature who had strayed from one of his more lighthearted mythological compositions. Perhaps he saw me as an intruder from another world, peering in at him with all the gauche curiosity of a young man amazed to find himself face-to-face with an artist he venerated. I thanked Picasso, and asked him if he would be kind enough to sign the drawing. After consultation, the American explained that the Maestro says you already have his signature. So there were limits to the generosity he was prepared to bestow on me! All the same, I look back now and wonder at my good fortune. Meeting Picasso and, more important, receiving his attention meant an enormous amount to me.

C1

Summary: An 18-year-old student meets Pablo Picasso in Cannes, France, and is granted a sketchbook signature, which leads to a portrait drawing session where Picasso playfully acts out expressions, testing the artist's persistence.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: An 18-year-old student meets Pablo Picasso in Cannes, France, and is granted a sketchbook signature, which leads to a portrait drawing session where Picasso playfully acts out expressions, testing the artist's persistence.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Miss Rita Cohen, a tiny, pale-skinned girl who looked half the age of Seymour's daughter, Marie, but claimed to be some six years older, came to his facto1y one day. She was dressed in overalls and ugly big shoes, and a bush of wiry hair framed her pretty face. She was so tiny, so young that he could barely believe that she was at the University of Pennsylvania, doing research into the leather industry in New Jersey for her Master's degree. Three or four times a year someone either phoned Seymour or wrote to him to ask permission to see his factory, and occasionally he would assist a student by answering questions over the phone or, if the student struck him as especially serious, by offering a brief tour. Rita Cohen was nearly as small, he thought, as the children from Marie's third-year class, who'd been brought the 50 kilometres from their rural schoolhouse one day, all those years ago, so that Marie's daddy could show them how he made gloves, show them especially Marie's favourite spot, the laying-off table, where, at the end of the process, the men shaped and pressed each and every glove by pulling it carefully down over steam-heated brass hands. The hands were dangerously hot and they were shiny and they stuck straight up from the table in a row, thin-looking, like hands that had been flattened. As a little girl, Marie was captivated by their strangeness and called them the 'pancake hands'. He heard Rita asking, 'How many pieces come in a shipment?' 'How many? Between twenty and twenty-five thousand.' She continued taking notes as she asked, 'They come direct to your shipping department?' He liked finding that she was interested in eve1y last detail. 'They come to the tannery. The tannery is a contractor. We buy the material and they make it into the right kind of weather for us to work with. My grandfather and father worked in the tannery right here in town. So did I, for six months, when I started working in the business. Ever been inside a tannery?' 'Not yet.' 'Well, you've got to go to a tannery if you're going to write about leather. I'll set that up for you if you'd like. They're primitive places. The technology has improved things, but what you'll see isn't that different from what you'd have seen hundreds of years ago. Awful work. It's said to be the oldest industry of which remains have been found anywhere. Six-thousand-year-old relics of tanning found somewhere Turkey, I believe. The first clothing was just skins that were tanned by smoking them. I told you it was an interesting subject once you get into it. My father is the leather scholar; he's the one you should be talking to. Start my father off about gloves and he'll talk for two days. That's typical, by the way: glovemen love the trade and everything about it. Tell me, have you ever seen anything being manufactured, Miss Cohen?' 'I can't say I have.' 'Never seen anything made?' 'Saw my mother make a cake when I was a child.' He laughed. She had made him laugh. An innocent with spirit, eager to learn. His daughter was easily 30 cm taller than Rita Cohen, fair where she was dark, but othenwise Rita Cohen had begun to remind him of Marie. The good-natured intelligence that would just waft out of her and into the house when she came home from school, full of what she'd learned in class. How she remembered everything. Everything neatly taken down in her notebook and memorised overnight. 'I'll tell you what we're going to do. We're going to bring you right through the whole process. Come on. We're going to make you a pair of gloves and you're going to watch them being made from start to finish. What size do you wear?'

B2

Summary: Seymour shows Miss Rita Cohen, a tiny and eager researcher, around his leather factory, sharing details about the process and offering her a hands-on experience making a pair of gloves.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Seymour shows Miss Rita Cohen, a tiny and eager researcher, around his leather factory, sharing details about the process and offering her a hands-on experience making a pair of gloves.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

Living in the valley We had been living in our valley for sixteen months when we first realised the dangers that could exist in the surrounding hills and threaten our very survival. It was the year when the storms came early, before the calendar even hinted at winter, even before November was out. Until that time, we had felt safe and sheltered in our valley below the protecting hills. Soon snow began to fall. Within a day it lay some 15 centimetres deep. It almost completely blocked our lane and made the streamside path slippery and dangerous. But on the neighbouring heights the snow was much deeper and stayed for longer. Up there the wind blasted fiercely. Deep in our valley we felt only sudden gusts of wind; trees swayed but the branches held firm. And yet we knew that there was reason for us to worry. The snow and wind were certainly inconvenient but they did not really trouble us greatly. It was the river, the Ryburn, which normally flowed so gently, that threatened us most. It reminded us of what could have occurred if circumstances had been different, if the flow of water from the hills had not, many years before, been controlled, held back by a series of dams. In a short time the snow started to melt. Day after day, we watched furious clouds pile up high over the hills to the west. Sinister grey clouds extended over the valleys. They twisted and turned, rising eastwards and upwards, warning of what was to come. We had seen enough of the sky; now we began to watch the river, which every day was becoming fuller and wilder. The snow was gradually washed away as more and more rain streamed from the clouds, but high up in the hills the reservoir was filling and was fast approaching danger level. And then it happened - for the first time in years the reservoir overflowed. There in the heights it was like the Niagara Falls, as the water surged over the edge of the dam and poured into the stream below. The river seemed maddened as the waters poured almost horizontally down to its lower stretches. Just a couple of metres from our cottage, the stream seemed wild beneath the bridge. It was far deeper than we'd ever seen it so near our home, lunging furiously at its banks. For three days we prayed that it would stay below its wall. Fortunately, our prayers were answered as the dam held and the waters began to subside. On many occasions through the centuries before the dam was built, the river had flooded the nearby villages in just such a rage. Now, though, the dam restricts the flow of the river and usually all is well; the great mass of water from the hills, the product of snow and torrential rain, remains behind its barrier with just the occasional overflow. We can thus enjoy, rather than fear, the huge clouds that hang over the valley, and can be thrilled by the tremendous power which we know the river possesses. Thanks to this protection we can feel our home in the valley is still secure and safe.

B2

Summary: The valley's residents face danger when snowmelt and rain cause the nearby river to overflow, threatening their survival.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The valley's residents face danger when snowmelt and rain cause the nearby river to overflow, threatening their survival.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

WORKING FOR AN AIRLINE Nicola Peet left school at eighteen, went to college and then worked at a local airport. After nine months, she went to work for Saudi Arabian Airlines and then she joined British Airways as an air hostess. Four years later, she got her present job as a manager. This is what she told us about her job: 'My office is at Heathrow Airport, but I spend 60% of my time in the air. I teach air hostesses and help them with any problems. I also go to lots of meetings. My hours are usually from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. but sometimes I work from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. At work, the first thing I do is check plane times on my computer and then I speak with some of the air hostesses. Sometimes I go on long flights to check how the air hostesses are doing. That's my favourite part of the job, but I like office work, too. Travelling can be hard work. When I get back from a long journey, all I can do is eat something and then go to bed! I don't earn much money, but I'm happy with British Airways and want to stay there and continue to travel.'

A2

Summary: Nicola Peet works as a manager for British Airways, splitting time between office work and in-flight duties, teaching air hostesses and resolving issues.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Nicola Peet works as a manager for British Airways, splitting time between office work and in-flight duties, teaching air hostesses and resolving issues.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

The Skywalk The Grand Canyon in the United States was created by the River Colorado. People visit the Grand Canyon Park to go walking and running but mainly to look at the view. It is a wonderful view made even better by the Skywalk. The distance from the Skywalk to the bottom of the Grand Canyon is 1219 metres. It is a platform whose walls and floor are built of glass so that you can see the beautiful rocks of the canyon. Up to 120 people are allowed to stand on it at the same time. It opened in 2007 and since then thousands of people have used it. You have to wear special covers over your shoes to avoid scratching the glass beneath your feet. Walking onto the Skywalk makes you feel like a bird floating high up in the air.

B1

Summary: The Grand Canyon's Skywalk offers breathtaking views, with a 1219-meter drop to the canyon floor, and can accommodate up to 120 people at once, providing a unique experience akin to flying.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The Grand Canyon's Skywalk offers breathtaking views, with a 1219-meter drop to the canyon floor, and can accommodate up to 120 people at once, providing a unique experience akin to flying.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

REBECCCA STEVENS Rebecca Stevens was the first woman to climb Mount Everest. Before she went up the highest mountain in the world, she was a journalist and lived in a small flat in south London. In 1993, Rebecca left her job and her family and travelled to Asia with some other climbers. She found that life on Everest is hard. 'You must carry everything on your back,' she explained, 'so you can only take things that you will need. You can't wash on the mountain, and in the end I didn't even take a toothbrush. I am usually a clean person but there is no water, only snow. Water is very heavy so you only take enough to drink!' When Rebecca reached the top of Mount Everest on May 17 1993, it was the best moment of her life. Suddenly she became famous. Now she has written a book about the trip and people often ask her to talk about it. She has a new job too, on a science programme on television. Rebecca is well known today and she has more money, but she still lives in the little flat in south London among her pictures and books about mountains!

A2

Summary: Rebecca Stevens became the first woman to climb Mount Everest, leaving her job and family for a challenging adventure. She reached the summit on May 17, 1993, and gained fame, later writing a book and working on a science TV program.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Rebecca Stevens became the first woman to climb Mount Everest, leaving her job and family for a challenging adventure. She reached the summit on May 17, 1993, and gained fame, later writing a book and working on a science TV program.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Food for all We proudly present our own hand-picked special selection of the very best cookbook titles now on offer. A. Ask anyone to think of a famous TV cook and writer, and it's frequently Delia Smith's name that comes to mind. Her recipes come from all over the world each marked by her enthusiasm for exciting food, plus her straightforward appreciation of what the average cook can do in the average kitchen. The book that established her reputation is Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course, which has now become the kitchen reference book for the modern cook. Along with simple, but expert, guidance on all aspects of basic and more advanced cookery, Delia mixes her advice with hundreds of superb recipes that are anything but boring. Recently revised, it's more than ever the book that answers the question: 'If I could only have one cookbook, which would it be?' B. It took Raymond Blanc just 15 years to move from amateur, untrained chef to chef/owner of the most famous French restaurant in Britain. Now, to accompany his first TV series, Blanc Mange, comes the book of the same name. Raymond wants to teach us all to be better cooks by demonstrating how and why certain ingredients react in certain ways. Good cooking is easy, in his view, when you really understand what's going on in the pan. Over 80 amazing recipes demonstrate exactly what he means. It's a very practical reference book, which is not above explaining why certain dishes can go wrong and introducing some basic food chemistry to clarify the points made. Monsieur Blanc loves to cook to entertain and, as this book proves, he's very, very good at it. C. Le Cordon Bleu, three words which make you think of all that is best in classical French cooking. Over the past 100 years, the expert chefs of this most famous cooking school have trained all levels of students to achieve perfection. Now, to celebrate the school's impressive hundredth anniversary, comes this equally impressive new book, Le Cordon Bleu Classic French Cookbook, which contains 100 of the school's most respected recipes. Although the recipes in the book are all classics, they're all still remarkably fresh. While Le Cordon Bleu has always carried the flag for traditional French cooking, it has also moved away from rich, creamy sauces and altered its approach to cut down on the killer calories. Starting with a chapter on the basics of sound kitchen procedure, the book follows it up with Appetisers and Starters, Main dishes and, finally, Desserts. Throughout, the recipes are illustrated with step-by-step illustrations plus wonderful shots of the finished dishes. Expert chefs from Cordon Bleu schools around the world have each selected a recipe for which they are famous, and shared their secrets with the reader. D. Fast food? Oh yuk! Surely it's accepted wisdom that good food means a long period of suffering in front of the cooker? Well, Nigel Slater, food editor of The Observer, doesn't think so as his new book, The 30-Minute Cook, will prove. Fast food, as Nigel says, 'is just what the world wants when it comes home tired and hungry and demanding something good to eat at once.' He's always believed it's perfectly possible to create something tasty in the time it takes to deliver a pizza, and he has already written two very successful books to prove it. In this great new book you'll find more enticing recipes, and each hits the table just 30 minutes after the word 'go'. Nigel has written down, in his jolly and enjoyable style, more than 200 recipes from around the world. Just because he likes his food fast, it doesn't mean this bright young writer doesn't appreciate good food. If you don't believe fast food can be great food, try his recipes: they're simply delicious.

B2

Summary: Four renowned chefs and writers share their expertise in cookbooks that cater to different tastes and cooking styles. Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course offers simple yet expert guidance, Raymond Blanc's Blanc Mange teaches the chemistry of cooking, Le Cordon Bleu Classic French Cookbook presents traditional recipes with a modern twist, and Nigel Slater's The 30-Minute Cook proves that fast food can be delicious and healthy.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Four renowned chefs and writers share their expertise in cookbooks that cater to different tastes and cooking styles. Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course offers simple yet expert guidance, Raymond Blanc's Blanc Mange teaches the chemistry of cooking, Le Cordon Bleu Classic French Cookbook presents traditional recipes with a modern twist, and Nigel Slater's The 30-Minute Cook proves that fast food can be delicious and healthy.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

Dear Lorna, How are you? I'm happy because last month I got a new job in the city centre. I am working in a Tourist Information Office and it is very interesting. I start work every morning at half past seven, so I have to get up very early! I love this job because I meet people from a variety of different countries. I like telling them about our city. Here is a photo of me. I'm wearing my new uniform. Do you like it? Love, Gloria

A2

Summary: Gloria got a new job at a Tourist Information Office in the city centre, where she meets people from various countries and enjoys sharing information about her city.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Gloria got a new job at a Tourist Information Office in the city centre, where she meets people from various countries and enjoys sharing information about her city.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Schnauzer Dogs There are three sizes of Schnauzer dog. The two smaller sizes first came to England over 50 years ago, but the Giant Schnauzer has not been here very long. The name Giant is a good one because the dogs are 65 to 67.5 cm high. All the dogs have long hair, which should be cut quite often. Most smaller Schnauzers are grey in colour, but the Giant Schnauzer is usually black. Schnauzers come from Germany, where farmers use the dogs to help them with their sheep, and they are also used by the police, because Schnauzer dogs are very intelligent. A Schnauzer makes a nice family dog. It is friendly and very good with young children.

A2

Summary: Schnauzers come in three sizes, including Giant Schnauzers that stand 65-67.5 cm tall. They have long hair requiring regular grooming, and are intelligent, friendly dogs suitable for families with young children.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Schnauzers come in three sizes, including Giant Schnauzers that stand 65-67.5 cm tall. They have long hair requiring regular grooming, and are intelligent, friendly dogs suitable for families with young children.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

It's true - we're all getting too big for our boots Chris Greener was fourteen when he told his careers teacher he wanted to join the navy when he left school. 'What do you want to be?' asked the teacher. 'The flagpole on a ship?' The teacher had a point - because Chris, though still only fourteen, was already almost two metres tall. Today, at 228 cm, he is Britain's tallest man. Every decade, the average height of people in Europe grows another centimetre. Every year, more and more truly big people are born. Intriguingly, this does not mean humanity is producing a new super race. In fact, we are returning to what we were like as cavemen. Only now are we losing the effects of generations of poor diet - with dramatic effects. 'We are only now beginning to fulfil our proper potential,' says palaeontologist Professor Chris Stringer. 'We are becoming Cro-Magnons again - the people who lived on this planet 40,000 years ago.' For most of human history, our ancestors got their food from a wide variety of sources: women gathered herbs, fruits and berries, while men supplemented these with occasional kills of animals (a way of life still adopted by the world's few remaining tribes of hunter- gatherers). One research study found that they based their diet on 85 different wild plants, for example. Then about 9,000 years ago, agriculture was invented - with devastating consequences. Most of the planet's green places have been gradually taken over by farmers, with the result that just three carbohydrate-rich plants - wheat, rice and maize - provide more than half of the calories consumed by the human race today. This poor diet has had a disastrous effect on human health and physique. Over the centuries we have lived on soups, porridges and breads that have left us underfed and underdeveloped. In one study in Ohio, scientists discovered that when they began to grow corn, healthy hunter-gatherers were turned into sickly, underweight farmers. Tooth decay increased, as did diseases. Far from being one of the blessings of the New World, corn was a public health disaster, according to some anthropologists. Nevertheless, from then on agriculture spread because a piece of farmed land could support ten times the number of people who had previously lived off it as hunter-gatherers. The fact that most people relying on this system are poorly nourished and stunted has only recently been tackled, even by the world's wealthier nations. Only in Europe, the US and Japan are diets again reflecting the richness of our ancestors' diets. As a result, the average man in the US is now 179cm, in Holland 180 cm, and in Japan 177 cm. It is a welcome trend, though not without its own problems. Heights may have risen, but the world has not moved on, it seems. A standard bed-length has remained at 190cm since 1860. Even worse, leg-room in planes and trains seems to have shrunk rather than grown, while clothes manufacturers are constantly having to revise their range of products. The question is: where will it all end? We cannot grow for ever. We must have some programmed upper limit. But what is it? According to Robert Fogel, of University, it could be as much as 193 cm - and we are likely to reach it some time this century. However, scientists add one note of qualification. Individuals may be growing taller because of improved nutrition, but as a species we are actually shrinking. During the last ice age, 10,000 years ago, members of the human race were slightly rounder and taller - an evolutionary response to the cold. (Large, round bodies are best at keeping in heat.) Since the climate warmed, we appear to have got slightly thinner and smaller, even when properly fed. And as the planet continues to heat up, we may shrink even further. In other words, the growth of human beings could be offset by global warming.

B2

Summary: Britain's tallest man, Chris Greener, is 228 cm tall due to a growing trend in European height, which is returning humans to their pre-agricultural state as hunter-gatherers.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Britain's tallest man, Chris Greener, is 228 cm tall due to a growing trend in European height, which is returning humans to their pre-agricultural state as hunter-gatherers.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

The Albuquerque Balloon Festival Every autumn, the sky above the desert city of Albuquerque in the south-western United States turns into a mass of bright colours. This is the Albuquerque Balloon festival, an annual nine-day event. The first festival was held in 1972 to celebrate the 50th birthday of the local radio station. There were about a dozen hot-air balloons and they took off from the car park in the middle of Albuquerque. From these small beginnings, the festival has grown steadily. This year at least a thousand balloons from over one third of the countries of the world are expected at its current out-of-town site. What to see The pilots are in radio contact with each other and all light up the burners of their balloons at the same time. These are known as 'balloon glows' and are an opportunity to take fantastic photographs. However, you must arrive just after night has fallen or before 5.30 am to see these 'glows' as the balloons rise into the dark sky. During the day, you can walk around among the balloons and chat to the pilots as they prepare for take-off. The balloons come in all sizes and colours, some in the shapes of animals or cartoon characters and, of course, well-known products such as varieties of soft drinks and fast food. Kids will love it. In the afternoon, why not take to the sky yourself by arranging a balloon flight over the desert with one of the many companies offering balloon rides? Another possibility is to take the cable car from the desert floor to the top of the nearby mountains, the longest such ride anywhere, and enjoy a bird's-eye view of the festival. There are plenty of other attractions for visitors of all ages, including balloon races and firework displays on the opening evening and the last three evenings of the festival. The Albuquerque Box This is a local wind pattern that creates perfect conditions for balloonists. The Sandia Mountains protect the balloons from strong winds, and at the same time create gentler currents of wind at different heights. This means that by rising or descending, skilful pilots can control the direction of their balloons. Practical advice Buy your tickets in advance (they are available on line) and save yourself a long wait to get into the festival site. Wear several layers of thin clothing. At night and in the early morning it can be quite cool, but during the day sunglasses and suncream are essential. Bring a flashlight for night-time events and, of course, bring your camera. If you're not a digital photographer, you'll need high-speed film for evening and night-time pictures.

B1

Summary: The Albuquerque Balloon Festival is a 9-day event in autumn where over 1,000 balloons from around the world gather, featuring colorful hot-air balloons, balloon glows at night, and activities like balloon rides and firework displays.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The Albuquerque Balloon Festival is a 9-day event in autumn where over 1,000 balloons from around the world gather, featuring colorful hot-air balloons, balloon glows at night, and activities like balloon rides and firework displays.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

Dear Jeff, I'm having a good holiday in Australia. When we arrived two weeks ago the weather was bad and it was cold. Now the weather is better and we go to the beach every day. This week we are staying in Sydney but next week we went to the Great Barrier Reef. Because the water was so warm, I loved swimming there. The fish were all different here: red, yellow, purple! Australia is very beautiful. We don't want to come home! See you at the end of September. Sue

A2

Summary: Sue is having a great holiday in Australia, enjoying warm weather and daily beach trips. She's excited about upcoming visits to Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef, where she loved swimming with colorful fish.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Sue is having a great holiday in Australia, enjoying warm weather and daily beach trips. She's excited about upcoming visits to Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef, where she loved swimming with colorful fish.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Keeping the holiday-makers happy A chalet girl's work is never done, Sarah Sutherland-Pilch tells Veronica Lee - in between making beds and delicious dinners. This is the second year as a chalet girl for Sarah Sutherland-Pilch, a 24-year-old from West Sussex. Known by her nickname, Pilch, Sarah works for a company in Val d'Isere, France, cooking and cleaning for visitors who come to ski and stay in the wooden houses, known as chalets, that are characteristic of the area. Sarah graduated in French and History of Art from Oxford Brookes University last summer. Being a chalet girl isn't a career, she says, but an enjoyable way to spend a year or two before settling down. 'It's a good way to make contacts. I meet successful people every week.' Sarah does not 'live in'. She gets up at 7a.m. to walk the mile or so to the chalet, which sleeps up to 18 guests each week. She has her own breakfast before preparing that of the guests. 'They get the works - porridge, eggs, cereals, fruit and croissants.' When the last of the guests has had breakfast, by about 9.30 a.m., Sarah clears up and either makes the afternoon tea, which is left for the guests to help themselves, or cleans the rooms - 'the worst part of the job,' she says. By about 11 a.m. she is ready to go on the slopes herself. She skis as much as possible. 'On a good day we can be up there until 4.30 p.m.' Sarah returns to the chalet in time to prepare dinner and takes a shower before doing so, but does not sleep. 'It's fatal if you do,' she says. Dinner, a three-course affair, is served at 8 p.m. and coffee is usually on the table by 10 p.m. Sarah clears away the dinner things and fills the dishwasher. 'There's nothing worse than coming in to a messy kitchen the next morning.' Sometimes she will stay and chat with the guests, other times they are content to be left alone. 'Good guests can make a week brilliant - breakfast this morning was great fun - but some weeks, for whatever reason, don't go quite so well.' Sarah meets her friends in the chalet where she lives - and they go out at about 11 p.m. 'We usually start off in Bananas, might go to G Jay's and perhaps Dick's T-Bar at the end of the evening,' she says. But Sarah never stays out too late on Saturday night as Sunday is her busiest time of the week. 'A frightful day,' she says, 'when you certainly don't want to be cooking breakfast with a terrible headache.' Work begins earlier than usual on Sunday, since breakfast for guests who are leaving has to be on the table by 7 a.m. As soon as the guests are gone, Sarah starts cleaning madly. 'We just blitz the place - clear the breakfast, strip the beds, get everything ready.' If she hasn't already done the week's shop on Saturday, Sarah does it now. At around 3 p.m., the cleaning work done, Sarah then prepares tea for the new guests. 'They get here at around 4.30 p.m.' Sometimes they are disorientated and full of questions. I'm sure it's the mountain air that does something to them.' Between tea and dinner, Sarah takes any guests needing boots or skis down to the ski shop and then gets a lift back to the chalet from one of the ski shop staff. It is soon time for dinner duty again and perhaps a drink later, but not always. 'Sometimes I'm so tired I just have an early night,' she says.

B2

Summary: Sarah Sutherland-Pilch, 24, works as a chalet girl in Val d'Isere, France, cooking and cleaning for ski holiday-makers. She wakes up at 7am to prepare breakfast, then spends the day skiing before returning to clear up after dinner and prepare for new guests arriving.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Sarah Sutherland-Pilch, 24, works as a chalet girl in Val d'Isere, France, cooking and cleaning for ski holiday-makers. She wakes up at 7am to prepare breakfast, then spends the day skiing before returning to clear up after dinner and prepare for new guests arriving.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

There is nothing more disappointing than arriving at an airport overseas to discover that your baggage has been left behind. At best you will have to put up with wearing the clothes you stand up in for hours or days, until the airline reunites you with your luggage. At worst, you may be in a different climate zone, thousands of miles from home and forced to wear wholly unsuitable clothes. Although airlines rarely reveal how many cases they lose, it is a fact of life that sooner or later regular travellers will be parted from their luggage. Even the best airlines slip up from time to time, and it is impossible for any carrier to guarantee that a passenger's checked luggage will go on the same flight, particularly when a journey calls for one or more changes of aircraft. The system works like this. Airlines insist on exaggerated check-in times (which require passengers to report to the airport at a given time before departure) designed to allow sufficient time for baggage to pass through the airport and be loaded on to the plane. Minimum connecting times (MCTs) are the shortest time it takes to transfer between two flights. These, too, are exaggerated to allow for baggage transfers. In normal circumstances the system works well. But extra security checks at airports and problems with air traffic combine to cause delayed flights. All this can cause the baggage system to fail. Then there is the possibility of human error, or an accident in which the destination label is torn off. These problems can become severe at large transfer airports, known as 'hubs', because of the large number of bags that are processed. Last year, for example, London's Heathrow airport handled more than 41 million passengers, of whom nine million were changing planes. British Airways alone handled two million transfer passengers at Heathrow, with most making the one-mile transfer between Terminal 1 (for Domestic and European flights) and Terminal 4 (for long-distance flights). Even efficient transfer airports, such as Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Singapore and Zurich have their bad days. The risk of baggage being lost when changing planes is higher than average at certain airports. Even the United States has problems - Miami airport is well known for luggage going missing when transatlantic passengers make immediate connections for destinations in Latin America. You should choose direct flights whenever possible and check in well before the official time. If a change of plane is unavoidable, or makes your flight less expensive, then try to fly the same airline throughout. Try to allow more connecting time by taking an earlier flight to the transfer airport, and make sure you label your luggage inside and out with your home and holiday addresses. Don't forget to include the flight numbers. If, after all this, your luggage still goes missing, you must contact the appropriate airline official in the baggage hall and complete a property irregularity report (PIR). This must be done before leaving the airport.

B2

Summary: Losing luggage is a common issue when traveling, especially during connections at large airports. Airlines' exaggerated check-in times and minimum connecting times can lead to delays, human error, or accidents causing baggage loss. To minimize risk, choose direct flights, check in early, fly the same airline, and label luggage inside and out with flight numbers.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Losing luggage is a common issue when traveling, especially during connections at large airports. Airlines' exaggerated check-in times and minimum connecting times can lead to delays, human error, or accidents causing baggage loss. To minimize risk, choose direct flights, check in early, fly the same airline, and label luggage inside and out with flight numbers.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

ICE-FISHING If you drive north from Toronto for three hours, you come to Lake Nipissing. In winter, the lake becomes ice, and thousands of Canadian fishermen travel there each weekend. They build little houses of wood on the ice and paint them in bright colours. Then they sit inside to catch the fish that swim under the ice. Bob Marvisch has come here at this time of year for twenty-five years. 'You need clothes that are light but warm: two pairs of socks and gloves, several thin sweaters and a snow suit on top. Catching the fish. is easy,' he says. 'First you break the ice and make a small round hole in it. Next you take a fishing line and put some bread on it. Then you put the line through the hole and into the water. You pull the line up when the fish eat the bread. They are between ten and twenty centimetres long. Some people like to eat them, but when I have caught three or four fish, I prefer to have some chocolate or other snack! Today I have caught twenty-five! It's a great sport and you can meet some nice people here!'

A2

Summary: Thousands of Canadian fishermen travel to Lake Nipissing each weekend to catch ice-fish through holes in the frozen lake, using bread as bait.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Thousands of Canadian fishermen travel to Lake Nipissing each weekend to catch ice-fish through holes in the frozen lake, using bread as bait.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Metals It may have been a wish for self-adornment that aroused the interest of Stone Age people in metals. Sitting by the side of a river, waiting for a fish to come within a spears throw, or just idling away a moment, one of our early ancestors might have happened upon a shiny yellow pebble and plucked it off the river bed. It did not have the feel of stone, but it was attractive. In such a way, one could conjecture that gold entered the lives of primitive people. Given the malleability of the metal, it very soon became a much sought-after material. Copper may also have been discovered by accident, and once the value of copper tools was realised, the search for its ores and for ways of getting the copper out of them was pursued with vigour. Thus, metalworking was added to our ancestors' battery of life-enhancing accomplishments. St Ives There was silence as we lugged our bags down the winding, cobbled lane that led to the heart of town, bent double against the force eight gale and trying in vain to avoid the icy waves that smashed over the promenade. There was no one on the streets and the shutters in every cottage on the waterfront were bolted tight against the battering. We had watched the weather worsen as we chugged into St Ives on the tiny single-track railway. As the ominous grey skies closed in, visiting Cornwall in the off-season - without a car - no longer seemed such a good idea. I had lured my friend into joining me with the promise of walks along the beautiful Cornish coast, and snug evenings, toasting ourselves before open fires. Computer Modelling The problem with studying the past is that it is past. The people who prospered in times of peace and plenty and struggled through conflict and drought are long dead. The forces that drove them to settle here or move there, that brought them together as families and clans, villages and cities, have faded from memory. Archaeology provides hints and clues, but we cannot test our hypotheses with experiments on cultures living or dead. We cannot rewind the tape and watch a replay of the past. Then again, perhaps we can. Computer modelling allows us to recreate prehistoric landscapes and environments and populate them with virtual communities - digital creations with some of the needs, independence and capabilities of real-world humans. We can establish rules of conduct and replicate social units. Then we can turn down the rainfall - or turn up the population - and watch how this cyber-culture and its artificial people react.

C2

Summary: The discovery of metals may have started with accidental finds, like a shiny yellow pebble, which led to their value being realized and the development of metalworking. Similarly, computer modelling allows us to recreate prehistoric environments and simulate human-like communities to test hypotheses about the past.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The discovery of metals may have started with accidental finds, like a shiny yellow pebble, which led to their value being realized and the development of metalworking. Similarly, computer modelling allows us to recreate prehistoric environments and simulate human-like communities to test hypotheses about the past.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

Dinosaurs No one has ever seen a dinosaur. The last dinosaur died about 60 million years ago, a long time before there were any people on the earth. Nobody knows for sure why they all died. The nearest living relatives of dinosaurs are birds. Dinosaurs didn't all look the same. There were more than 5000 kinds. Some were very small, but others were giants. The largest were bigger than any other animals that ever lived on land. The Brontosaurus, for example, was twenty metres long, and it ate plants. The Tyrannosaurus Rex was not as big, but it was stronger. It had sharp teeth for eating meat. Also it could run fast because it had long back legs.

A2

Summary: Dinosaurs were massive creatures that roamed the earth 60 million years ago, with over 5000 known species ranging from small to giant sizes, including the Brontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Dinosaurs were massive creatures that roamed the earth 60 million years ago, with over 5000 known species ranging from small to giant sizes, including the Brontosaurus and Tyrannosaurus Rex.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

No Title We always went to Ireland in June. Ever since the four of us began to go on holidays together we had spent the first fortnight of the month at Glencorn Lodge in County Antrim. It's a large house by the sea, not far from the village of Ardbeag. The English couple who bought the house, the Malseeds, have had to add to the building, but everything has been done most discreetly. It was Strafe who found Glencorn for us. He'd come across an advertisement in the days when the Malseeds still felt the need to advertise. 'How about this?' he said one evening and read out the details. We had gone away together the summer before, to a hotel that had been recommended by friends, but it hadn't been a success because the food was so appalling. The four of us have been playing cards together for ages, Dekko, Strafe, Cynthia and myself. They call me Milly, though strictly speaking my name is Dorothy Milson. Dekko picked up his nickname at school, Dekko Deacon sounding rather good, I suppose. He and Strafe were at school together, which must be why we call Strafe by his surname as the teachers used to. We're all about the same age and live quite close to the town where the Malseeds were before they decided to make the change from England to Ireland. Quite a coincidence, we always think. 'How ve1y nice,' Mrs Malseed said, smiling her welcome again this year. Some instinct seems to tell her when guests are about to arrive, for she's rarely not waiting in the large, low-ceilinged hall that always smells of flowers. 'Arthur, take the luggage up,' she commanded the old porter. 'Rose, Tulip, Lily and Geranium.' She referred to the names of the rooms reserved for us. Mrs Malseed herself painted flowers on the doors of the hotel instead of putting numbers. In winter, when no one much comes to Glencorn Lodge, she sees to little details like that; her husband sees to redecoration and repairs. 'Well, well, well,' Mr Malseed said, now entering the hall through the door that leads to the kitchen. 'A hundred thousand welcomes,' he greeted us in the Irish manner. He was smiling broadly with his dark brown eyes twinkling, making us think we were rather more than just another group of hotel guests. Everyone smiled, and I could feel the others thinking that our holiday had truly begun. Nothing had changed at Glencorn, all was well. Kitty from the dining room came out to greet us. 'You look younger every year, all four of you,' she said, causing eve1yone in the hall to laugh again. Arthur led the way to the rooms, canying as much of our luggage as he could manage and returning for the remainder. After dinner we played cards for a while but not going on for as long as we might because we were still quite tired after the journey. In the lounge there was a man on his own and a French couple. There had been other people at dinner, of course, because in June Glencorn Lodge is always full: from where we sat in the window we could see some of them strolling about the lawns, others taking the cliff path down to the seashore. In the morning we'd do the same: we'd walk along the sands to Ardbeag and have coffee in the hotel there, back in time for lunch. In the afternoon we'd drive somewhere. I knew all that because over the years this kind of pattern had developed. Since first we came here, we'd all fallen hopelessly in love with every variation of its remarkable landscape.

B2

Summary: The narrator and their friends, Dekko, Strafe, and Cynthia, arrive at Glencorn Lodge in Ireland for their annual June holiday, a tradition that began when they found the advertisement for the house. They are greeted warmly by the Malseeds, the English owners of the lodge, and settle into their rooms.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The narrator and their friends, Dekko, Strafe, and Cynthia, arrive at Glencorn Lodge in Ireland for their annual June holiday, a tradition that began when they found the advertisement for the house. They are greeted warmly by the Malseeds, the English owners of the lodge, and settle into their rooms.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

Should the media earn money from content they don't own? Although digital cameras and camera phones have made it easier to capture newsworthy events, it is social media that have revolutionised citizen photography. With news regularly breaking on social networks, some journalists are now turning to them as sources of images as fast-moving events occur. Unfortunately, some reporters have published user-generated content (UGC) without permission. Despite official guidance that images posted on social media can be used without permission if there are exceptional circumstances or strong public interest, debate continues about whether this is ethical. With research indicating that around one in ten people would film or photograph a news event, it is clear that UGC has a major role to play in the future of the media. However, if the media is to prevent its relationship with the public from souring, steps must be taken to ensure that people are properly rewarded for their work and that permission is always sought.

C1

Summary: Journalists increasingly rely on social media for citizen photography, but ethical concerns arise when publishing user-generated content without permission, sparking debate about fair compensation and public interest exceptions.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Journalists increasingly rely on social media for citizen photography, but ethical concerns arise when publishing user-generated content without permission, sparking debate about fair compensation and public interest exceptions.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Snowboarding Victoria Jamieson from Britain started snowboarding at 20. She is now 23 and has won many competitions in this sport. We spoke to her when she was at a snowboarding competition last week in Switzerland and asked her why she started the sport. 'I've always liked all kinds of sports, especially skiing, and it seemed natural to start snowboarding. It doesn't take long to learn and you can become really good in a few months.' We asked her if she had to do a lot of practice. 'Well, in winter I snowboard in the mountains every day from 8.30 a.m. until 4 p.m. I also run and go biking. But I just love doing it all! I like the competitions and being in the mountains. It's so beautiful. But free-riding, that's doing what you want when you're not in a competition, is the best thing in the world for me.' We asked her what is important when you're learning. 'You can learn quickly but you need lessons. It's also important to have the right clothes so you don't get wet because, to begin with, you spend a lot of time falling down!'

A2

Summary: Victoria Jamieson started snowboarding at 20 and now competes professionally, citing its ease of learning and ability to improve quickly.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Victoria Jamieson started snowboarding at 20 and now competes professionally, citing its ease of learning and ability to improve quickly.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Sea, Ice & Rock Mountaineer Chris Bonnington (58) is best known for scaling the summit of Everest in 1985. He has also pioneered routes in Britain and the Alps and written many books, including Quest for Adventure and Everest the Hard Way. Robin Knox-Johnston (53) began his sea career in the Merchant Navy. In 1968-9 he was the first to circumnavigate the world single-handed, in his yacht Sunhaili. He broke the transatlantic record, taking 10 days to reach the Lizard from New York. The two teamed up to sail and climb in Greenland, recording the trip in their new book: Sea, Ice and Rock. In 1979 I was working on Quest for Adventure, a study of post-war adventure. I called Robin to ask for an interview and he said would I like to join him for a sail. I could show him some climbing techniques and he could show me the rudiments of sailing. It was the first time I'd been on a yacht. We sailed for a while and then anchored. Robin's wife and daughter stayed on the boat and we paddled to the shore to exercise Robin's skills at climbing. The route was quite difficult and I was impressed at how steady Robin was in tricky conditions. He just padded quietly along. After a bit we I arrived at this huge drop. I asked Robin if he had ever climbed before. He hadn't, so I showed him. When I had finished, Robin very politely asked if he could go down the way he climbed down ropes on his boat. He was used to using his arms, I wanted him to use his legs. I wasn't too happy about it, but he lowered himself down quite safely. It was during that trip to Skye that Robin and I built the foundation of a very real friendship. His proposal that we should combine our skills on a joint trip to Greenland was just an extension, on a rather grand scale, of our voyage to Skye. Robin impressed me immensely as a leader. Traditionally, the skipper makes all the decisions. But Robin made a point of consulting everyone first. Most of the time, nobody dared to advise him, but it was nice to feel you were part of the decision-making process. To be frank, I found the sailing trying and very boring. The moments of crisis which we had on the way back were easy to deal with: the adrenaline pumps and you get all worked up. The bit I found difficult was spending day after day in the middle of the sea. I am a land-lover and not really a do-it-yourself type of person. Robin, in contrast, is a natural sailor and seemed to enjoy tinkering with the engine or mending the lavatory. I was aware that Robin didn't really need me. To be honest, I felt a bit useless at times; I found that very trying. The crew was also packed very close together: six people on a 32ft yacht, designed to sleep four. At least when you're on a mountain expedition you have a chance to get away from each other. When we reached Greenland and it was my turn to 'lead' the expedition, I found it difficult taking responsibility for Robin's life. There were many instances climbing together when if Robin had fallen, he could have pulled me off with him. I had to watch for that constantly. I underestimated how difficult the Cathedral -- Greenland's highest mountain - would be. Robin isn't a natural climber, which made his efforts even more impressive. The first time we tried to reach the pinnacle, we were on the go for 24 hours. On the way down we were dropping asleep on 50 degree slopes, 1,500 feet above the ground. Robin went to hell and back, but he totally put his confidence in me. He just followed. When it got too difficult and I realised wed have to turn back, he accepted it. I also knew that Robin was worried about the boat: whether we'd be able to get it through the ice, whether it was in one piece. Yet he was all in favour of us having another go at climbing the mountain. The only time there was a near-crisis in our relationship was on the yacht on the way home. We were taking it in turns to be on watch. I was supposed to get up at 4 am for my shift, but Robin decided not to wake me. He felt he could do it himself. The previous night I'd almost dropped asleep. I felt that he didn't trust me - I felt insecure, and I said so. Robin immediately reassured me that I'd jumped to the wrong conclusion. While we enjoyed the Skye trip, we didn't really know each other until the end of the Greenland expedition. I found that underneath his bluff exterior, Robin was a kind-beaned, sensitive person.

C1

Summary: Chris Bonnington and Robin Knox-Johnston team up for an adventure in Greenland, combining their skills in mountaineering and sailing.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Chris Bonnington and Robin Knox-Johnston team up for an adventure in Greenland, combining their skills in mountaineering and sailing.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

CROCODILES We can find crocodiles in tropical parts of the world, for example Africa, South America and Northern Australia. They spend most of the time in slow-moving water but they can move fast through the water and on land. You often see crocodiles together in large groups. They eat everything they catch, like fish, birds and small animals. And sometimes they make a meal of large animals or even people. There are more than ten types of crocodile. They all have very sharp teeth. They often lose these teeth, but soon get new ones. Crocodiles are usually about 3.5 metres long, but some are much bigger. Crocodiles live for a long time. The oldest one kept in a zoo was 66 years old.

A2

Summary: Crocodiles inhabit tropical regions, thriving in slow-moving water and capable of swift movement on land; they congregate in large groups, feeding on diverse prey, with some species reaching lengths over 3.5 meters and living up to 66 years.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Crocodiles inhabit tropical regions, thriving in slow-moving water and capable of swift movement on land; they congregate in large groups, feeding on diverse prey, with some species reaching lengths over 3.5 meters and living up to 66 years.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Conduct becoming Giving directions to an orchestra is never easy. Anne Inglis talks to five new conductors about their work. A. ANNE MANSON When Anne Manson, 30, asked if she could attend conductor Claudio Abbado's practice sessions in Vienna, she found herself standing in for an absent assistant. She was then asked to help on another opera the next season. 'I had to take the first orchestral rehearsal for Abbado. No, I wasn't nervous. I always had a good attitude to standing up in front of an orchestra.' American-born Manson works with a well established London-based opera company which concentrates on modern works. She is also building a reputation in other European countries, which she has visited with financial aid from the British Arts Council, and, since that first occasion, she has assisted Abbado on several more projects. B. ANDREW CONSTANTINE The most difficult part of being a conductor is deciding how to convince people to present you with the right opportunities; saysAndrew Constantine, 31, who won a major competition in 1991, after failed attempts in two other contests. Looking back, he is grateful for the timing: 'If it had happened any earlier, I am sure I would have disappeared without trace: The competition provided many performance opportunities and a period as assistant to a well-known conductor, but Constantine is finding it difficult to lose the 'competition' label: 'If in three years' time my name is still associated with the competition then I will be worried,' he says.'But orchestras such as the English Chamber Orchestra who took me on after the competition are now inviting me back. If this doesn't happen,your career will gradually fall to pieces.' C. WASFI KANI Wasfi Kani, who set up Pimlico Opera, loves the long practice period which is part of any opera production. 'The music is worth four weeks' attention; says Kani, who started conducting seriously in her late twenties. After university, she supported herself by working in London's commercial centre until Pimlico Opera turned fully professional two years ago. Starting lessons with Sian Edwards was the key moment for her. 'I saw her conduct and realised she was the same size as me - I had always been taught by much bigger people which makes a huge difference.' She likes the complicated nature of opera: 'There are lots of arguments, and you've got singers' personalities to consider ... ' D. ROGER VIGNOLES 'Conducting has come upon me as something of a surprise, but it holds great fascination for me,' says Roger Vignoles, 48. In fact, it's not such a strange career move. He started out as a resident musician with an opera house, and worked with good conductors. Last year he was asked to direct Handel's Agrippina from the piano at a festival, something he had never done before. 'It was much less difficult than I thought. I found I knew the music well, I knew what I wanted it to sound like, and I tried my best to get the performance I wanted. Fortunately, people have respected my ability as a musician generally. I am benefiting from every piece of experience I've ever had, both in musical style and in the actual business of performing. Now I will do whatever people ask me to do so I can find out what I like doing.' E. WAYNE MARSHALL It was back in 1986 that the conductor Simon Rattle noticed a young assistant conductor on one of his productions and told his agent about Wayne Marshall. Marshall, now 32, soon found himself conducting a musical in London at short notice, a difficult beginning. He even had to deal with some over-relaxed professional musicians reading newspapers during the show: 'I was just tough with them. I always gave a clear beat and got the best result I could. A lot of orchestral musicians I've seen don't seem to need advice and instruction from a conductor. But I'm never afraid to say what I want. If people see you're worried, it gets worse. I've never studied conducting formally and no book tells you how to conduct but people have been kind to me. I am determined and I know what I like.'

B2

Summary: Five conductors share their experiences, from standing in for Claudio Abbado to finding opportunities through competitions, building reputations, and learning from mentors.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Five conductors share their experiences, from standing in for Claudio Abbado to finding opportunities through competitions, building reputations, and learning from mentors.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

Kinetic Art Rejoice -- the well-nigh impossible has happened: London's austere Hayward Gallery has been transformed into a place full of wonder. And not, thankfully, by some huge-budget, mega-hyped, multi-media extravaganza, but by a charmingly idiosyncratic investigation into an almost forgotten aspect of the last 60 years. A new exhibition traces the history of kinetic art -- that is art which is concerned with movement -- in the twentieth century. In the process, it reveals that making artworks which either move by themselves or investigate the idea of movement in some way has been a consistent if largely unrecognised theme of some of the most fascinating creative activity of this century. And not only that -- the marvellous range of paintings and drawings, documents and films on kinetic art assembled by curator Guy Brett, who has made a life-long study of the subject, are presented largely unmediated by text. Visitors, unharried by explanations, are left to have the pleasure of making connections and discoveries for themselves. David Hockney Hockney's work appeals to a great many people who might otherwise display little interest in art. It may be that they are attracted to it because it is figurative and, therefore, easily accessible on one level, or because the subject matter of leisure and exorcism provides an escape from the mundanities of everyday life. Perhaps it is not even the art that interests some people, but Hockney's engaging personality and the verbal wit that makes him such good copy for the newspapers. He may, in other words, be popular for the wrong reasons. But does this negate the possibility that his art has a serious sense of purpose? In the view of some respected critics, Hockney is nothing more than an overrated minor artist. To this one can counter that Hockney might seem minor because it is unacceptable today to be so popular, rather than because his work is lacking in substance. Hockney himself is not self-deluding; he is aware of his limitations and thinks that it is beside the point to dismiss his work because it does not measure up to an abstract concept of greatness. Hockney does not claim to be a great artist and is aware that only posterity can form a final judgement on his stature. Window-shopping - an art exhibition In the last few years I have seen loads of exhibitions of contemporary art, and amongst them brilliance and mediocrity. What always bugs me, though, are shows that seem to push an underlying agenda, suggesting there is a common attitude among certain artists. Sometimes it works, we really are made aware of new trends mining though apparently unrelated work. More often, though, we are alerted to a dubious angle or a forced concept. This led me, as a curator, to attempt a show which stands as an antithesis to this. Together with seven artists I took over a space in an empty warehouse. 'Window-shopping' was intended as a collection of individual artworks that related to each other purely through the fact that they proclaimed to be art. Sam Cole's knitted cats went barmy chasing each other round on a toy train track. In contrast Matthew Crawley's turning on a video camera, opening it up and poking around in there until it breaks flickered, flashed and disappeared on the monitor in the corner. These works certainly didn't fit into the 'an exhibition exploring the theme of ...' category, and wouldn't usually be seen together in the same show, but why not? They did not impede each other and actually, I hope, through their contrast, gave something to each other. OK, so I haven't made any grandiose statements about the nature of contemporary art practice, but there probably aren't any to be made about what is basically an individual activity in which artists set their own parameters. Art History People who enjoy paintings are sometimes reluctant to analyse them for fear of spoiling the richness and spontaneity of their experience. It has been suggested that some of the work done by art historians, whose concern is with theory rather than practice, ignores and indeed denies the aesthetic experience, the fundamental pleasure of looking, as well as the very special act of artistic creativity. This view is a bit like the notion that knowing the ingredients of the recipe, recognising the method of cooking and seeing the utensils employed detracts from the taste of the dish. Acknowledging the importance of enjoying something does not, of course, preclude a thorough knowledge of the object that is arousing pleasure. It might in fact be more pleasurable if we know more about the object we are viewing. Moreover, pleasure is not a simple matter. The arousal of our senses - and how we recognise and register it - is itself open to interrogation. It is also historically located. Why we like particular characteristics of certain sorts of objects at any one time is not simply the result of our genes or our own particular personalities but is determined by values promoted within the society of which we are a part. So, while no one seeks to underestimate the importance of sensuous and instinctive responses to art objects, the notion that the sensuous is undermined by the intellectual is a legacy from a period in the past which promoted art as an alternative to thought.

C2

Summary: The Hayward Gallery's exhibition on kinetic art reveals the history of movement-based artworks in the 20th century, showcasing paintings, drawings, and films that explore the concept of movement.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The Hayward Gallery's exhibition on kinetic art reveals the history of movement-based artworks in the 20th century, showcasing paintings, drawings, and films that explore the concept of movement.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

Ralph unlocked the door to his let and as he entered the dark, motionless hall experienced that momentary qualm of ownership which even after three years still lightly besieged him sometimes when he returned alone at the end of the day. When he had first bought the flat, he used to come home in an eager, questioning mood - often as early as he could -- wondering what it had been doing during the hours he had been away. It had represented a form of welcome to him, a region in which his focus was undisputed and reliable. He supposed that he should have worried about intruders or burst drains in that moment of reunion, but his flat had always been sitting waiting for him with an expression of independence or of neglect, depending on whether he'd left it tidy or not. In the end he had begun to regard it merely as another cloistered annexe of himself, a space into which the stuffy chambers of his heart and head had gradually overspilled their contents. He had grown impatient with its inability to be transformed. There was, of course, the small, angular puddle of letters which sometimes gathered by the door and the red eye of the answering machine which could occasionally be found resuscitated and blinking with life when he returned. And he was grateful that the glassy eyes of his windows hadn't been smashed nor the contents ravished with violence, mind you, he wondered what the flat would look like afterwards. From the dreary distance of his shabby third-floor office on the Holloway Road, Ralph often looked forward to his three or four solitary evenings at home each week. Once he had fled the fabricated world of the office and felt the memory of himself begin patchily to return on his bus journey home, he no longer needed to be on his own, a fact which seemed continually to elude him in his social calculations. Sitting exposed at his desk he would crave isolation, unlimited time alone amongst his possessions, but the relief of escape drained him and he would vainly wait for some sense of selfhood to return. Instead, there was merely a resounding emptiness, which made him suspect during his long hours of loneliness that the alien exercise of doing work which did not suit him had forced him to change, moving him further and further from what he liked to think of as himself. He would often read or listen to music as the night deepened outside, familiar habits which now, however, he would find himself asking for whom or what he did them. His points of reference had grown dim, his signposts muddied: sensations and ideas would arrive and then get lost, circulating around the junctions of his mind, unable to find a connection. There had been a time, he supposed, when he had not felt this powerless, when, had he but perceived his own worth, he might have escaped; but he had been so eager to fix himself up with something that he had been swept along by this great desire for something, and he had followed the first course which presented itself as if it had been ordained that he should do so. He had tried, of course, after he left university, to formulate some plan for his own betterment, but it hadn't really surprised him to find, when he searched himself for ambition, merely the desire unobtrusively to survive. He had applied for the types of jobs which had become familiar to him though the talk of his peers, had latched himself wearily on to their futures and jogged behind as they rushed towards them, unable to imagine that he might be put to some use which would manufacture as its by-product his own happiness. He had attended his only interview gratefully, and in the fever of examination did not think to test the position - an inexplicit editorial role on a free local newspaper for its own merits. Relieved at having pulled off twenty minutes of pleasant conversation with Neil, his boss, he had not considered the future of lengthy encounters by which he was now daily assaulted. Neil had offered him the job there and then, telling him he was the only graduate who had applied; a revelation which at the time Ralph had obscurely taken as a compliment.

C2

Summary: Ralph returns to his flat, feeling a mix of ownership and unease after three years. He's grown impatient with its unchanged state, except for occasional letters and answering machine messages.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Ralph returns to his flat, feeling a mix of ownership and unease after three years. He's grown impatient with its unchanged state, except for occasional letters and answering machine messages.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

The Lure of the Kitchen When I was at university I decided I wanted to be a chef. Among my contemporaries, this was an unusual choice. Cooking was not one of the plum jobs that most of us wanted. It is, on the face of it, an unattractive profession. Chefs lead notoriously harsh lives: the work is long, pressured, menial - and badly paid. But such considerations didn't put me off. I was unhappy at university. The work was hard; the social scene was insular and self-important. Being a chef seemed the perfect antidote to intellectual and social posturing. It promised a seriousness and integrity lacking in my college life. But my desire to cook was not simply a reaction to being a student. It also expressed an aesthetic ideal. My first glimpse of this ideal came when I ate a meal at a famous London restaurant. It was a revelation. I still clearly remember my starter. I finished that meal wanting to prostrate myself weeping, at the feet of the chef who had made it. I felt warm and airy for days afterwards. After this, I developed an intense desire to uncover the secrets of this strange, fabulous art. I transformed my student life into an extended preparation for my assault on the culinary world. My history degree became a hollow pretence, distracting me from my true course. I acquired my real education haphazardly and deficiently by reading cookbooks, roaming markets and delicatessens and preparing extravagant meals. Extract from a novel The school's swimming instructor was an ex-drill sergeant, small and muscle-bound, with tattooed arms. When I asked him to teach me how to dive, he told me to sit on the pools edge, put my hands above my head and roll forwards, pushing myself off with my feet. I practised that manoeuvre until the hour was up. The next visit, he got me standing upright, and diving off the edge. The instructor was a martinet and every time I surfaced he looked at me with distaste: 'Don't look down, look up!' 'Keep your legs straight.' 'Point your toes I said!' The next week, I went up onto the high board. It was a fixed board and its front edge bent slightly downward. It seemed outrageously high as I stood there, trying to work up my courage. Gradually the echoing voices disappeared and I felt as if I were cocooned in silence. I waved my arms vaguely in the way I'd been taught, tried to look up, not down, and launched myself into space. For a brief moment, I was flying. When I hit the water, I crumpled ignominiously, and my legs were all over the place. The instructor looked at me with contempt and shook his head. But even he could not diminish my euphoria. That's what they mean by 'free as a bird', I thought. The Traveller To those of us for whom a comfortable bed, running water and the probability of living at least until tomorrow are of prime importance, the phenomenon of the traveller appears as incomprehensible as it is intriguing. Here are people who have succumbed to the treacherous seduction of the unknown, who actually choose to put their lives at risk by climbing the sheer and icy face of an avalanche-ridden mountain; who sail alone in frail craft through towering seas; who will eat maggots and river insects if nothing more palatable is on offer and who can live, day and night for months on end, in the shadow and the promise of the unknown. It is easy to dismiss such people as oddities - as indeed they are - to be relegated to the ranks of the truly eccentric: hermits, freefall divers or indeed writers. That they exist cannot be denied, but the strange, uncomfortable world they occupy lies well outside our everyday experience and can be dismissed, we tell ourselves, as an irrelevancy. We can shrug our shoulders and return thankfully to our world of microwave ovens and answerphones, glad that the only risks to our own health are predictable ones such as making a suicidal dash across a city street. SAILING Jonathan Raban is afraid of the sea, saying it is not his element, which is probably why he spends so much time on it. He does not claim to be a world-class sailor, though he is obviously a competent one. His overriding reason for sailing is that, being a writer, he likes to write about having sailed. Sailing is guaranteed to provide alarms and achievements for his pen to celebrate. Raban's little boat carries an electronic device that instantly gives mariners their position to within a few metres, anywhere on the earth's surface. Strongly as he approves of this instrument, there is more than a touch of primitivism in Raban's attitude to other sea-faring aids. He thinks the invention of the compass was a disaster, causing a 'fundamental rift in the relationship between man and sea'. Raban maintains that since it came into use, perhaps a thousand years ago, it has become the main object of the steersman's gaze, with the result that he no longer has to study the waves and feel the sea. And the ocean, once a place with all sorts of things going on in it, is now reduced to a mere space. Since his job is merely to keep steady on a course, the helmsman can be replaced for long stretches by an autopilot. This may be why Raban had time to look so carefully at the waves.

C2

Summary: A writer's passion for cooking and sailing stems from their desire to escape the monotony of university life and find a sense of freedom and adventure.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: A writer's passion for cooking and sailing stems from their desire to escape the monotony of university life and find a sense of freedom and adventure.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

Sound the Alarm Stuart Harris reports Many of us listen to the radio when we get up in the morning and most of us also require some external means to persuade us to get out of bed. Thus we have the clock radio. But how do you pick a good one? Our panel, which consisted of myself plus the inventor Tom Granger and the broadcaster Paul Bridges, tested five currently available. The 'dual alarm function' that is advertised with this model does not allow you, as I first supposed, to be woken by the buzzer, snooze a while and then finally be driven out of bed. The instruction booklet advises you to use this function to set two different wake-up times, one for work days and one for weekends, but whose life is programmed to this extent? Since this model costs more or less the same as the second model tested, the inclusion of a cassette player is quite a bargain - you can fall asleep to your own soothing tapes and wake up to a day without news. We all thought the quality of the radio excellent, too - if only the whole thing was smaller. It's as big as a rugby ball. Paul Bridges said, 'Any clock radio I buy has to leave enough space on the bedside table for my keys, wallet, glasses and telephone. Anyway, I'm completely paranoid and always book a wake-up call in case the alarm doesn't go off.' This model was voted best in the beauty stakes and overall winner. Paul Bridges declared himself 'in love with it', although the clock on the one he tested 'kept getting stuck at 16.00'. I was fascinated by the digital display, with its classy grey numbers on a gentle green background. The wide snooze bar means you can tap it on the edge with your eyes shut. Unfortunately, the smooth undulations and tactile buttons, like pebbles on the beach, encouraged me to run my fingers over them as if they were keys on a piano, which proved my undoing when I finally looked at the SO-page instruction booklet. The clock has a self-power back-up so you don't have to reset it if someone unceremoniously pulls the plug out in order to use a hairdryer or the vacuum cleaner; this met with unanimous approval. However, we all found it a technical feat to set up - though completing the learning curve made us feel 'cool' and sophisticated. Tom Granger described this model with its extra built- in lamp as 'unbelievably tacky' in the way it's made. 'You have to wrench the funny light out of its socket to get it to work, which makes me wonder about the quality of the rest of it.' He complained that he had to read the instruction booklet twice before he could get it to work; the clock kept leaping from 12.00 to 02.00 so he had to go round again. The light was certainly hard to position; you would never be able to read by it - it only shines on the clock, which is illuminated anyway. Paul Bridges said he was 'very tickled' by the lamp idea but agreed that the radio was hard to tune. The buzzer is reminiscent of 'action stations' on a submarine and made me feel like hurling the whole thing across the bedroom. Interestingly, however, this model is the third most popular on the market. Clearly aimed at young people, with its brightly coloured casing and matching bootlace strap, this one appealed to the child in Tom Granger and me. 'I would choose this one because it doesn't disappear into the background like the others,' he said. In fact, the traditional design of the controls made it the only one we managed to set up without reading the instruction booklet. Too bad the alarm is allowed a hilarious 20- minute margin for error; the manual notes, 'the alarm may sound about 10 minutes earlier or later than the pre-set time'. Paul Bridges scoffed at such a notion, adding that this model was 'terribly fiddly' and, indeed, 'completely useless'. The simplest and cheapest of all the models tested, this scored points with Tom Granger because it 'seemed very standard and took up little space', but also because it has old-fashioned dial tuning. 'It's more intuitive to set up. With modern push-button tuning you're never really sure if you've pressed all the buttons in the right order so you can't have confidence that the thing will actually work.' He accepted, however, that manufacturers had been obliged to improve the quality of radios because of the advent of button-tuning. I thought the tuning rather crude, as did Paul Bridges, but we agreed that the radio quality was fine. The buzzer on this model certainly works; it succeeded in getting me out of bed in just two beeps!

C1

Summary: A panel tested five clock radios, with one model standing out for its excellent radio quality and digital display, but criticized for its large size and tricky setup. Another model was praised for its simplicity and old-fashioned dial tuning, making it easy to set up and use.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: A panel tested five clock radios, with one model standing out for its excellent radio quality and digital display, but criticized for its large size and tricky setup. Another model was praised for its simplicity and old-fashioned dial tuning, making it easy to set up and use.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Meet the Amazing Watkins Family The sons are composers and prize-winning musicians, while Dad makes the instruments. Matthew Rye reports. Whole families of musicians are not exactly rare. However, it is unusual to come across one that includes not only writers and performers of music, but also an instrument maker. When South Wales schoolteachers John and Hetty Watkins needed to get their ten-year-old son, Paul, a cello to suit his blossoming talents, they baulked at the costs involved. 'We had a look at various dealers and it was obvious it was going to be very expensive,' John says. 'So I wondered if I could actually make one. I discovered that the Welsh School of Instrument Making was not far from where I lived, and I went along for evening classes once a week for about three years.' 'After probably three or four goes with violins and violas, he had a crack at his first cello,' Paul, now 28, adds. 'It turned out really well. He made me another one a bit later, when he'd got the hang of it. And that's the one I used right up until a few months ago.' John has since retired as a teacher to work as a full-time craftsman, and makes up to a dozen violins a year - selling one to the esteemed American player Jaime Laredo was 'the icing on the cake'. Both Paul and his younger brother, Huw, were encouraged to play music from an early age. The piano came first: 'As soon as I was big enough to climb up and bang the keys, that's what I did,' Paul remembers. But it wasn't long before the cello beckoned. 'My folks were really quite keen for me to take up the violin, because Dad, who played the viola, used to play chamber music with his mates and they needed another violin to make up a string trio. I learned it for about six weeks but didn't take to it. But I really took to the character who played the cello in Dad's group. I thought he was a very cool guy when I was six or seven. So he said he'd give me some lessons, and that really started it all off. Later, they suggested that my brother play the violin too, but he would have none of it.' 'My parents were both supportive and relaxed,' Huw says. 'I don't think I would have responded very well to being pushed. And, rather than feeling threatened by Paul's success, I found that I had something to aspire to.' Now 22, he is beginning to make his own mark as a pianist and composer. Meanwhile, John Watkins' cello has done his elder son proud. With it, Paul won the string final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. Then, at the remarkably youthful age of 20, he was appointed principal cellist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, a position he held, still playing his father's instrument, until last year. Now, however, he has acquired a Francesco Rugeri cello, on loan from the Royal Academy of Music. 'Dad's not said anything about me moving on, though recently he had the chance to run a bow across the strings of each in turn and had to admit that my new one is quite nice! I think the only thing Dad's doesn't have - and may acquire after about 50-100 years - is the power to project right to the back of large concert halls. It will get richer with age, like my Rugeri, which is already 304 years old.' Soon he will be seen on television playing the Rugeri as the soloist in Elgar's Cello Concerto, which forms the heart of the second programme in the new series, Masterworks. 'The well-known performance history doesn't affect the way I play the work,' he says. 'I'm always going to do it my way.' But Paul won't be able to watch himself on television - the same night he is playing at the Cheltenham Festival. Nor will Huw,whose String Quartet is receiving its London premiere at the Wigmore Hall the same evening. John and Hetty will have to be diplomatic - and energetic - if they are to keep track of all their sons' musical activities over the coming weeks.

B2

Summary: The Watkins family is a talented group, with parents John and Hetty's son Paul being a prize-winning cellist and composer, while his brother Huw is a pianist and composer. Their father makes instruments, including cellos, which he made for Paul to use in competitions and performances.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The Watkins family is a talented group, with parents John and Hetty's son Paul being a prize-winning cellist and composer, while his brother Huw is a pianist and composer. Their father makes instruments, including cellos, which he made for Paul to use in competitions and performances.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

I may be too old for this lark, but here goes! At 34, Tim Pozzi has left a good job to go backpacking. He ponders what has made him -- and others of hi sage -- take the plunge. This summer, I quit my job and resolved to rent out my flat and go travelling in South East Asia for a yeaL You might think I'm lucky, but I'm 34 years old, and I'm nervous. It's not as if I haven't done the travelling thing before. After university, I spent two years backpacking around North and South America, and when I returned. was determined to do it again some day, But you know how it is ... I fell in love, embarked on a career, bought a Hat and got used to earning a salary. But I gradually realised I had been sacrificing my own sense of worth for my salary. When I handed in that letter of resignation, it felt as though I'd taken charge of my life again. I now have no tics. Many of my friends are now married with children and, while they wouldn't swap places with me, they envy me my lack of responsibilities. I'm no longer in a relationship, and I have no burning career ambitions. I feel almost obliged to make the most of that freedom - if only for my friends' sake! Why am I so nervous? In the first place, 1t's a question of making the necessary arrangements. How could I bear to have someone else living in my home? And how would I go about organising the letting? And apart from anything else, I had to decide where to go. T'm a shocking procrastinator. and am already several weeks behind my intended schedule. 'Might as well enjoy the summer in England,' I told myself. Then, 'Why not hang around for the start of the football season?' Severing emotional ties makes it even more difficult. I'm putting it off because, deep down, I wonder if I can still cope with backpacking. Will I be able to readjust to a more basic wav of life? Will I feel out of place among a community of backpackers fresh out of school and university? Perhaps not. I've discovered it's increasingly common for Britons in their late twenties and thirties to want to disentangle themselves from the lives they've made for themselves and head ofT for foreign climes. Jennifer Cox, of Lonely Planet guidebook publishers, identifies a growing awareness that adventure is there for the raking: 'The penny's dropped. The sort of people who always say "I wish I'd had that opportunity" are realising that they can have it any time they want. They just have to be brave enough and organised enough and confident enough to do it.' 1-'0I' Danny, a 30-year-old accountant, and his girlfriend Tammy, a 28-year-old teacher, it's a chance to have a final fling before settling down. They have bought 'I round-the-world ticket for a year. 'I'm prepared to sacrifice job security to have the trip,' says Danny. 'There's always a niggling thought at the back of your mind that. "OK, I'm not moving up the career ladder, I'm going to be in the same position I was in before when I come back," but I think it's a risk you have to take, When I left the office, I threw my calculator into the river as a ceremonial act of defiance!' For Matt, who'd just got out of the Army, the year he spent travelling amounted to a period of metamorphosis. 'When you're in the military, there's a set wav of doing things, a pattern to the way you approach problems. I went away because I really needed to temper this, and get rid of this approach in some cases, in order to have a reasonable existence as a civilian.' While there are as many reasons to go travelling at my time of life as there are travellers, there do seem to be common factors. 'We have a much more flexible workforce today,' says Angela Baron of the Institute of Personnel Development. 'There are more people working on short-term contracts and so if your contract's just come to an end you've got nothing to lose.' Larger companies are even adopting career-break policies. 'If you've spent a lot of time and money training someone, it's nice to know they're coming back at some point rather than going to work for a competitor.' For Dan Hiscocks, managing director of Travellerseye, a publishing company that specialises in the tales of 'ordinary' travellers, an increasing number of thirty-somethings are taking stock of their lives. 'If you're nor happy doing what you're doing - and many people aren't - it's no longer a question of just seeing it through. Now people are aware that opportunities exist and that a job isn't "for life" any more. Travel offers a chance to reassess, to take a step back and think about your life.' Is giving in to wanderlust just another example of my generation's inability to come to terms with adulthood? Jennifer Cox thinks nor. 'It's a sign of a better educated, more stable society when we're less concerned with paving the bills than wanting to live a balanced life. We're actually taking the time to ask "Is this what I want?" Ben, a 32-year-old picture researcher heading off to Central America for a year , does nor believe he's running away. 'It's more a case of running towards something. It's trying to grab some things that I want for myself' But he does feel some trepidation. 'It's the thought of what I'm leaving behind, that comfortable routine - just the act of going into the office every day. saying "hi" to everyone and sitting down with a cup of coffee.' I share Ben's reservations about leaving behind an ordered life with few challenges and I'm nor sure I'd be making this journey if [ hadn't found my boss so intolerable. As Jennifer Cox points out: 'This is fairly typical. There's often a catalyst. like the break-up of a relationship or the loss of a job. Such an event can push people to go and do it.' It may have taken a helpful kick up the backside to get me moving, but I'm now approaching the next 12 months with a mounting sense of excitement. Whatever the outcome, I'll be able to take satisfaction in having grabbed life by the horns. And in that I'm sure I speak for all of us ageing backpackers.

C1

Summary: Tim Pozzi, 34, quits his job and embarks on a year-long backpacking trip in South East Asia, reflecting on why others of his age are also taking the plunge.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Tim Pozzi, 34, quits his job and embarks on a year-long backpacking trip in South East Asia, reflecting on why others of his age are also taking the plunge.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

GETTING FIT Exercise is essential for mind, body and spirit. It's one of the best ways to maintain a perfect balance when all around you everything seems more and more unbalanced and the world becomes ever more fast and furious. Don't groan because this is yet another article about fitness. The reason why there are so many is that it is seriously good for you. There are plenty of reasons why you should exercise and very few - for most of us why you shouldn't. Exercise improves muscle tone and provides quick changes in body shape. It improves muscle power and promotes good posture - the way in which you hold your body when sitting or standing. It helps prevent those muscle imbalances which can lead to injuries. It provides quick improvement in specific problem areas such as thighs, stomach and upper arms. It improves the condition of the heart and lungs and blood circulation. Probably all these reasons have been thrown at you time and time again, so maybe you are bored by them and have switched off. All right then, this should make you sit up and take notice. Did you know that exercise helps to ease depression and tiredness, and that it helps to regulate sleep patterns? Also that exercise is instrumental in controlling stress? Not only this, but exercise can help to relieve certain medical conditions. By now you should be influenced a little by these arguments. If not, common sense alone should tell you that exercise is good for you. There are plenty of types of exercise you can do aerobics, calisthenics, jogging, working out with free weights, working on weight machines. There is one point you should note - training too hard and with too much weight may cause injury, so start slowly and carefully. If you're not sure, you should consult your doctor on what's good for you personally. No amount of exercise will improve your body shape if you don't have good posture. This practically determines how you look and feel. Not only is a stiff or sagging body unattractive, it also lacks energy and is more likely to suffer from minor health complaints. If your body tends to slouch, imagine that the top of your head is connected to a helium balloon, which is trying to pull you up into the sky. This will help you to lift the chest for fuller and easier breathing. At the same time, it lengthens the abdomen, making the body look much slimmer. If the chest is well balanced when you are standing, you can see your ankles. Stretching the muscles improves flexibility and ease of movement, and helps you to maintain correct posture and to prevent muscle tears and injuries caused by overuse. If done four or five times a week, it will guarantee a more flexible,fitter body. So stretching should play an important part in your exercise routine, which should be performed both slowly and precisely. The best exercise, therefore, involves a good warm-up, stretching exercises, an energetic workout and definitely a cool down period.

B2

Summary: Exercise improves physical and mental well-being by toning muscles, boosting posture, and regulating sleep patterns. It also relieves depression, stress, and certain medical conditions. Start slowly with various types of exercise, prioritize good posture, and incorporate stretching to maintain flexibility and prevent injuries.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Exercise improves physical and mental well-being by toning muscles, boosting posture, and regulating sleep patterns. It also relieves depression, stress, and certain medical conditions. Start slowly with various types of exercise, prioritize good posture, and incorporate stretching to maintain flexibility and prevent injuries.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

An eye for detail Artist Susan Shepherd is best known for her flower paintings, and the large garden that surrounds her house is the source of many of her subjects. It is full of her favourite flowers, most especially varieties of tulips and poppies. Some of the plants are unruly and seed themselves all over the garden. There is a harmony of colour, shape and structure in the two long flower borders that line the paved path which crosses the garden from east to west. Much of this is due to the previous owners who were keen gardeners, and who left plants that appealed to Susan. She also inherited the gardener, Danny. 'In fact, it was really his garden,' she says. 'We got on very well. At first he would say, "Oh, it's not worth it" to some of the things I wanted to put in, but when I said I wanted to paint them, he recognised what I had in mind.' Susan prefers to focus on detailed studies of individual plants rather than on the garden as a whole, though she will occasionally paint a group of plants where they are. More usually, she picks them and then takes them up to her studio. 'I don't set the whole thing up at once,' she says. 'I take one flower out and paint it, which might take a few days, and then I bring in another one and build up the painting that way. Sometimes it takes a couple of years to finish.' Her busiest time of year is spring and early summer, when the tulips are out, followed by the poppies. 'They all come out together, and you're so busy,' she says. But the gradual decaying process is also part of the fascination for her. With tulips, for example, 'you bring them in and put them in water, then leave them for perhaps a day and they each form themselves into different shapes. They open out and are fantastic. When you first put them in a vase, you think they are boring, but they change all the time with twists and turns.' Susan has always been interested in plants: 'I did botany at school and used to collect wild flowers from all around the countryside,' she says. 'I wasn't particularly interested in gardening then; in fact, I didn't like garden flowers, I thought they looked like the ones made of silk or plastic that were sold in some florists' shops - to me, the only real ones were wild. I was intrigued by the way they managed to flower in really awkward places, like cracks in rocks or on cliff tops.' Nowadays, the garden owes much to plants that originated in far-off lands, though they seem as much at home in her garden as they did in China or the Himalayas. She has a come-what-may attitude to the garden, rather like an affectionate aunt who is quite happy for children to run about undisciplined as long as they don't do any serious damage. With two forthcoming exhibitions to prepare for, and a ready supply of subject material at her back door, finding time to work in the garden has been difficult recently. She now employs an extra gardener but, despite the need to paint, she knows that, to maintain her connection with her subject matter, 'you have to get your hands dirty'.

B2

Summary: Susan Shepherd's flower paintings are inspired by her large garden, where she grows her favorite tulips and poppies. She focuses on detailed studies of individual plants, often painting them in her studio after collecting them from the garden.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Susan Shepherd's flower paintings are inspired by her large garden, where she grows her favorite tulips and poppies. She focuses on detailed studies of individual plants, often painting them in her studio after collecting them from the garden.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

Three theories about sleep People spend about one-third of their lives asleep. It seems certain, therefore, that sleep has a vital function. However, what that function might be is still in debate. Scientists are far from being in agreement about precisely why so much of our precious time is given over to sleep. There seem to be three main theories. The most popular states that the functions and purposes of sleep are primarily physiological. It claims that we sleep in order to maintain the health of our body. In other words, biological processes work hard as we sleep to repair any damage done during the day and to restore ourselves to full efficiency. However, a second theory places more emphasis on the learning benefits of sleep. This theory holds that sleep allows us to process the information that we acquire during the day, and asserts that, without sleep, learning would not take place. A third popular theory is based on ideas about energy, saying that we need periods of sleep in order to, in a sense, recharge our batteries and so have an adequate supply of energy for the coming day.

C1

Summary: Three theories explain why humans spend one-third of their lives asleep: physiological maintenance, learning processing, or recharging energy.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Three theories explain why humans spend one-third of their lives asleep: physiological maintenance, learning processing, or recharging energy.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Trying to get published? If you are wondering where to send your story our expert Margaret Stubbs is here with the advice you need. Readers of this magazine often write in saying, 'I have written this story / book. Can you please tell me who to send it to?' One of the first things they need to know is that they should be researching their markets and finding out about publishers as well as practising their writing skills. Turning words into a saleable commodity takes a good deal of knowledge about the 'writing game'. Whatever kind of writing you do, you need to develop a knowledge of the markets you are aiming at. There are several ways of doing this, but the best one is simply by reading everything relevant you can lay your hands on. Use your local library and go round the local bookshops and newsagents. Reading widely will always give you the best guide to what kinds of writing publishers are actually accepting at any given time. As time goes on, this knowledge must be updated as new publications are constantly appearing - editors change jobs, and magazines change direction. New titles are coming and going all the time. Publishers are always hungry for new blood; as writers we have to make sure we give them what they want. To begin with you may be looking around, not quite sure what you want to write. Let us say you feel that you might like to write short love stories. The very first thing you must do is find out which magazines use love stories, a rather limited market these days, and get hold of as many recent copies as you can. Then familiarise yourself with the kind of stories they are buying, taking special note of who the readers are. These readers will expect different things from their magazine, and the editor is only interested in catering to their needs. Writers often send me their stories saying, 'This has been rejected three times - please tell me if I am wasting my time ... do I stand a chance at all?' As a former teacher, I would never actively discourage anyone. But it is unlikely that the work is of publishable standard; so I have to try to give an honest opinion, but always with a positive viewpoint. The problem is that most new writers are too eager to send their work out, usually long before they are ready to enter the market. If you have only written one story or one article, it is not at all likely to be published. That almost never happens. When you read about so-called success', you usually find that the person has been in the publishing trade or journalism for some years before their current success. When you do finally send off some of your work for the first time, immediately get on with more work while you await a reply; write ten more stories, twenty even. Each one will be better than the last, and you will begin to think of yourself as a writer, and both your fluency and your confidence will grow. Don't tear any of them up-improve them instead. Also, I would advise not showing your work to anyone else, certainly in the early stages. Don't forget that every successful writer will have had many rejections before succeeding. Do everything you can to advance your career as a writer. See whether there's a creative writing course near you. If not, try joining a local writers' group which will help you to gain ideas and confidence from mixing with other aspiring writers. Think of yourself as a writer and get that writing practice in - every day if possible.

B2

Summary: Research markets and publishers, read widely, and develop your writing skills before seeking publication. Update knowledge regularly, and be prepared for rejection, focusing on improvement rather than discouragement.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Research markets and publishers, read widely, and develop your writing skills before seeking publication. Update knowledge regularly, and be prepared for rejection, focusing on improvement rather than discouragement.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

The Eden Project Since it opened, the Eden Project in the south-west of England has become one of the UK's most popular tourist attractions. At first sight, the huge 'biospheres' on this former industrial site look like a scene from a science-fiction movie. Each biosphere contains a different climate zone, showing visitors just how important the relationship between people and plants is. It is amazing to see just how many products that we use every day come from plants: wood, rubber, fruit, rice, sugar, coffee and chocolate, for example. Over 135,000 different types of plant are grown here. However cold the weather is outside, computer-controlled electric heaters keep the plants at the right temperature. In the Rainforest Zone, the atmosphere is always damp because of a huge waterfall. Another zone reproduces the environment of the Mediterranean, California and South Africa, and there are plans to build a desert zone in the near future.

B1

Summary: The Eden Project in southwest England features massive "biospheres" simulating different climate zones, showcasing plant diversity and importance, with over 135,000 types grown on site.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The Eden Project in southwest England features massive "biospheres" simulating different climate zones, showcasing plant diversity and importance, with over 135,000 types grown on site.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

Dedicated to their sports Four young sports stars talk about their lives. A Darius (runner) I've always been sporty. I played a bit of everything at one time, but I was best at football and athletics. When I was 14, I had a trial for a professional football club, but eventually I opted to go down the athletics route instead. My biggest moment came when I got to compete for my country in the youth team and got a medal. It didn't result in much media attention, though, which was a shame. I'd been hoping some sponsorship would come out of it, because the training doesn't come cheap. I train at home all winter and then go away for three weeks, usually Florida, before the season starts. It's good fun - there are great athletics facilities there and the nightlife's great too. You've got to be really disciplined, though. If friends ask me to go out the night before training, I have to say no. I wish I didn't, but dedication pays in this sport. The main goal for me is to get to the next Olympics -that would be fantastic. B Gabriel (surfer) The surfing community is small, so you get to meet the same guys wherever you compete. Professional surfers are very serious and often the best waves are at dawn, so if you're really going to get anywhere, you have to cut out late-night parties altogether. I don't mind that so much, but I do love having a lie-in, and I usually have to give that up too. But it's worth it,because without that kind of dedication I might not have won the National Championships last year. I make sure that a big night out follows any win, though, and if there's cash involved in the winnings, I'll go away somewhere really nice. And, of course, the sacrifices are worth it in the long run because winning that championship meant I got picked to present a surfing series on TV. I guess I'm a bit of a celebrity now. C Dieter (yacht racer) With five lads on a boat together, you have a good laugh. We're very traditional and we always celebrate a win in great style. It's been said that we act a bit childishly when we're out, but we don't actively go looking for media coverage. Sometimes the reporters actually seem more concerned about where you go out celebrating and what you get up to there than about where you came in the race. I'm away for eight months of the year, so it's great to get back, go out with my mates from other walks of life and do the things they do. You can't live, eat and breathe the sport all the time- it's not healthy. I'm known within the world of sailing, but fortunately I can count the number of times I've been recognised in the street on the fingers of one hand. I'd hate to become some sort of celebrity. I get a lot of nice letters from people wanting signed pictures, though. It may take ages, but I reply to every one. It would be cheeky to complain, even if it does take a bit of organising. D Tomas (tennis player) It's always a great thing to walk on court and feel that the crowd's behind you. At the last tournament, though, it all got a bit crazy with people crowding around. Despite that, I have to admit that I do still get quite a thrill out of being spotted by fans when I'm out shopping or something. It has its downside though. My last girlfriend didn't like it if I got too much attention from female fans. The thing is,tennis players have to travel quite a lot, and in the end that's why we split up, I guess. That was hard, but you've got to make sacrifices in any sport; you've got to be serious and professional. Actually, it doesn't really bother me too much. I'm content to concentrate on my game now and catch up on the other things in life once I've retired, because, after all, that comes pretty early in this sport.

B2

Summary: Four young athletes share their dedication to their respective sports, highlighting the sacrifices they make for success.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Four young athletes share their dedication to their respective sports, highlighting the sacrifices they make for success.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

14 Sheffield Road Rotherham 20th May 2002 Dear Mary, I will be in London next Thursday morning. Would you like to have lunch with me? Write and tell me when you are free and where I can meet you. Hope to see you then. Yours Joan 20 Didsbury Drive London NW1 22 May 2002 Dear Joan, Thanks for you letter. I got it this morning. Yes. I'd love to see you. How about meeting outside my office at one o'clock? There's a good Italian restaurant near there. Do you like Italian food? I have to be back at work by two o'clock, so please don't be late! Yours Mary

A2

Summary: Joan invites Mary to lunch in London and suggests meeting outside her office at 1 pm; Mary accepts and recommends an Italian restaurant nearby.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Joan invites Mary to lunch in London and suggests meeting outside her office at 1 pm; Mary accepts and recommends an Italian restaurant nearby.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Running a business in the countryside Five women talk about their experiences setting up a business in the countryside. A. 'My customers are friends,' says CHRISTINE HOGAN, who runs a computer-aided design business with a turnover of over PS200,000 a year and four full-time employees. 'My husband and I moved out of London to the country when our children were small, and I wanted work I could do at home. I had worked with computers before I was married, so my husband suggested I set up a computer-aided design business. It needed a huge amount of money and things were difficult in the beginning. But I have been very careful, making sure that I told the bank manager if I was likely to overspend. Being in the house is a big saving, and I can carry on working in the evening if I want. It has remained a small business. We hardly ever deliver work - people from the area tend to collect it from us.' B. 'I enjoy being independent,' says MAGGY SASANOW, who works from home as a designer of greetings cards. 'I trained in art at university, and wanted to work in a museum. But when I married, we went to live in the countryside, where there wasn't that sort of work. So I decided to set up my own business and I produce a range of 50 greetings cards which I sell to museums. I work in a big room upstairs. The disadvantage of working from home is that there is always something that needs doing - like mowing the lawn. My business comes completely by word of mouth - I don't advertise at all. People send work down from London as I am cheaper than other artists. Working alone, I don't get to exchange ideas with other people any more, but generally there are more advantages than disadvantages.' C. 'It has been hard at times,' says DELIA TURNER, whose curtain-making business has seen good times and bad. 'I started my business eight years ago. Then this type of business was expanding, and in two years my turnover went from PS24,000 to PS80,000. I used to manage six full-time curtain-makers. But I had to sack them because of the decline in the economy, which was painful because it is not easy to find other jobs in this area. I am right back almost to where I started, making the curtains at home myself, with my husband's help, and using women who work from their homes. I have to be prepared to cut my prices when it's necessary and to look at different opportunities.' D. TESSA STRICKLAND runs the editorial and production side of her children's book publishing business from her farmhouse. 'I moved to the countryside three years ago for two reasons. The first was financial, because London was so expensive, and the second was because I love the country. I enjoy being able to work when I want to. Eighty per cent of my income comes from deals with Australia, the Far East and North America, so I have to take calls at odd hours. The disadvantage is that it requires discipline to shut the office door. I publish children's books from cultures around the world, working with authors and artists. All my professional experience had been in London, so I used to feel very alone at first.' E. MEG RIVERS runs a cakes-by-post business and a shop with a turnover of PS250,000 a year and employs six people, some part-time. 'I started ten years ago at home. I am very interested in health, so I started making fruit cakes, using good quality flour and eggs. Then I started getting requests from friends and relatives, and soon I was sending cakes all over the country. Seven years ago I rented a small building and everything is made there - we have a baker and assistant, and a professional cake-icer. I don't cook at all now, as I run the commercial side. My greatest problem has been the financial side of the business, which has been difficult simply because we didn't have an enormous amount of money to set up with.'

B2

Summary: Five women share their experiences running businesses in the countryside, highlighting advantages like cost savings and flexibility, as well as challenges like isolation and fluctuating economies.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Five women share their experiences running businesses in the countryside, highlighting advantages like cost savings and flexibility, as well as challenges like isolation and fluctuating economies.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

The history of horse racing From the first history books ever written, it is clear that horse racing has always been an important sport. It started in Central Asia about 4,500 years ago and was a favourite sport in both Greek and Roman times. Modern horse racing began when Arab horses were brought to Europe in the 12th century. At first, races were long and between just two horses, but at the beginning of the 18th century this changed. Races became much shorter and had several horses running against each other. Today, horse racing is watched by more people than any other sport in the USA, except baseball. It is also very popular in other parts of the world.

A2

Summary: Horse racing originated in Central Asia 4,500 years ago and evolved through Greek and Roman times to modern forms, with Arab horses introduced to Europe in the 12th century and shorter races emerging by the 18th century.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Horse racing originated in Central Asia 4,500 years ago and evolved through Greek and Roman times to modern forms, with Arab horses introduced to Europe in the 12th century and shorter races emerging by the 18th century.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

It's a tough job? Chris Arnot asks four people with dream jobs if they're as wonderful as they seem. A. Raquel Graham Raquel Graham rings from the taxi taking her to the airport. She can't make our appointment tomorrow because her boss wants her to be in Los Angeles instead. When you're personal assistant to a pop star, you're expected to jet around the world at the drop of a hat. Raquel loves her job and gets on well with her boss. There's just one minor problem - she can't stand flying. 'On a nine-hour trip to California I usually take sleeping tablets to help calm me down,' she admits. Her worst experience was being on Concorde. 'It seemed so shut in with those tiny windows.' Offices in Manchester and London occupy her when she comes down to earth. There's some mundane paperwork to get through - organising the diary, sitting in on meetings with solicitors and accountants, sorting out itineraries and making yet more travel arrangements. She didn't apply for the job. A chance meeting with the manager of a pop group led to the offer of work behind the scenes and she took a secretarial certificate at evening classes at the same time. Five years later she was in the right place at the right time when her boss needed a PA. B. David Brown David Brown has been an accountant and a golf caddy; a man who carries a golfer's bags. On the whole, he preferred the golf. Well, so would you if golf was your passion. There were drawbacks however. A small flat fee is on offer, plus a percentage of the winnings. The average earnings are between PS25,000 and PS35,000 and much of that will go on travel and hotels. He was 31 when he first caddied for the golfer, Greg Norman. 'You're not just carrying bags. You're offering advice, pitting your knowledge against the elements and trying to read the course.' His accountancy skills were recently recognised by European Tour Productions when they made him statistical data administrator. From cards brought in by the caddies, he compiles and analyses the statistics of each day's play. The results are sought after by television commentators, golfing magazines, and the golfers themselves. C. Martin Fern Martin Fern is the editor of the 'Food and Drink' pages of a daily newspaper and one of his less difficult tasks is to sample what's on offer in the finest restaurants. What does he think about restaurants that charge exorbitant prices? 'For those who can afford it, it's up to them,' he says. 'I'd rather spend PS120 on a meal I'll remember for the rest of my life than buy a microwave.' It was his talent as a cook that led to the offer of a food column from a friend who happened to edit a Saturday Review. For Martin, at the time creative director of an advertising agency, it was a useful secondary income. He was 42 when another newspaper rang to offer a full-time job. 'It meant a 50 per cent cut in guaranteed income,' he says. 'But it was a chance to convert my passion into a profession.' He still does all the cooking at home and tries to keep his waistline under control by cycling a couple of miles to the nearest tube station. D. Dick Prince 'I started writing children's stories about 20 years ago,' says Dick Prince, one of Britain's most popular children's writers. 'Before that, I had always loved words and enjoyed using them, but my writing had mainly been verse. Then I had this idea for a story. I had been a farmer, and knew the problem of chickens being killed by a fox. So I wrote a kind of role reversal story called The Fox Busters, which became my first published children's story.' Where do his ideas come from? 'Well, it's not easy, I have to work at them,' he says. 'That is what I usually do in the mornings. I'm not up with the dawn, I'm afraid. After lunch, I spend another couple of hours typing out the morning's scribbling - all of which I do with one finger on an old portable typewriter rather than on one of those awful laptops. I get between 50 and a hundred letters a week and that is the part about being a writer that I enjoy the most. I do try to answer them all, but nowadays I have some secretarial help.'

B2

Summary: Four individuals with dream jobs share their experiences, from Raquel Graham's demanding role as personal assistant to a pop star to David Brown's passion for golf caddying and Martin Fern's culinary adventures as food editor. Dick Prince, a popular children's writer, also shares his creative process.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Four individuals with dream jobs share their experiences, from Raquel Graham's demanding role as personal assistant to a pop star to David Brown's passion for golf caddying and Martin Fern's culinary adventures as food editor. Dick Prince, a popular children's writer, also shares his creative process.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

New TV Star Caroline Benson talks about her first TV role 'I never expected to spend some of my first year at university filming The Finnegans. I'd only ever acted at school, but I'd loved the book since I was eleven. My grandmother used to say I was just like Polly Finnegan and I always imagined myself playing her. I'd taken a year off to go travelling before university. While I was in Chile, my mother emailed me to say there were plans to turn the book into a TV drama. I knew I had to go for the part. She was surprised at first, but sent my photograph to the director and persuaded him to meet me. I flew back and got the part. The outdoor filming started a week into term, so I got permission from the university to be away for three weeks. Once I was back at university, I got up at 6.00am to write the essays I'd missed. I didn't tell my university friends, but they found out and thought it was great. It was an amazing experience I'm so lucky. After university, I definitely want to make acting my career. I'm not from an acting family, though my grandfather was an opera singer. I've tried for other TV parts but haven't received any offers yet. I don't know how I managed it all, because I had a full social life too. When filming finished, I hardly knew what to do. I've since appeared in two college plays. Unfortunately, I haven't been home much and now my first year at university is over, I'm off to Greece for the summer with friends.'

B1

Summary: Caroline Benson landed her first TV role in "The Finnegans" after a chance meeting with the director while traveling in Chile. She balanced filming with university life, and now plans to pursue acting as a career.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Caroline Benson landed her first TV role in "The Finnegans" after a chance meeting with the director while traveling in Chile. She balanced filming with university life, and now plans to pursue acting as a career.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

No Title The best age to start learning the violin is between three and six," says Margaret Porter, a violinist and music teacher. "It's the time when you are learning about the world." Margaret, who lives in London, prefers to take pupils at three and four, although she has made lots of exceptions for keen five-year-olds. When she started teaching the violin in 1972, her first class consisted of her children's five-year-old school friends. Margaret's pupils have group lessons. Each group has about a dozen pupils and each lesson lasts an hour, once a fortnight. In addition, each pupil has one individual lesson a week with her. Parents also have to attend the classes. It is important that the parents take an active interest in the lessons. From the earliest lessons pupils learn to play by ear. They do not even try to read music until they have been playing for several years, and for a long time there is a big difference between their playing and reading of music. Margaret says that her method is not supposed to produce great violinists, and always suggests that pupils who perform particularly well should leave and study the violin using more traditional methods.

B1

Summary: Margaret Porter recommends starting violin lessons at age 3-6, emphasizing ear training over reading music, with group and individual sessions, parental involvement, and a focus on developing skills rather than producing virtuosos.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Margaret Porter recommends starting violin lessons at age 3-6, emphasizing ear training over reading music, with group and individual sessions, parental involvement, and a focus on developing skills rather than producing virtuosos.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

Grass Grass is probably the most successful living plant in the world. There are over 9,000 different types of grasses and they are found in every region on the earth. They are the single flowering plants that can exist in the freezing environment of the Arctic and the Antarctic. Grasslands support a wide range of animal life, from tiny insects and birds to huge animals like cows and lions. All of them depend on grass in one way or another. Grass recovers very quickly after it is cut or damaged. Unlike other plants, the new leaves grow from below the soil, not from the top of the plant. That is why large families of animals are able to live together in one area. As soon as they have eaten all the grass there, a fresh meal is always available because the plants start to grow again.

B1

Summary: Grass is the most successful living plant with over 9,000 types, thriving in every region and climate, supporting diverse animal life from insects to lions, and rapidly regrowing after damage or cutting.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Grass is the most successful living plant with over 9,000 types, thriving in every region and climate, supporting diverse animal life from insects to lions, and rapidly regrowing after damage or cutting.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

HOW DO THE IRISH POP-GROUP 'BOYZONE' LIVE A HEALTHY LIFE? Sleeping well is very important. When I can get home to my mother's house, I sleep for ten hours. But I find it very difficult to sleep at night after a concert because my head is full of music. Sport is important. Before I had a car accident I was at the sports centre two and a half hours a day, five days a week. I can't do that now so I do about 150 sit-ups a day. I don't drink alcohol or smoke. I try to eat well. Also I drink a lot of water because it's good for your health. I should have about eight glasses a day but I don't always drink so much. People shouldn't work all the time. I love my job but there are other things I like doing too. In my free time I just listen to music or watch TV. It's good for you to do nothing sometimes. I don't get tired any more since the doctor told me to eat better. Now I eat lots of things like carrots and spinach every day. But I still eat burgers sometimes!

A2

Summary: Boyzone member prioritizes sleep, exercise, and healthy habits, including a balanced diet, water intake, and relaxation time, while acknowledging the importance of taking breaks from work.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Boyzone member prioritizes sleep, exercise, and healthy habits, including a balanced diet, water intake, and relaxation time, while acknowledging the importance of taking breaks from work.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Great sports Women on a winning streak To excel in any sport is hard enough, even far men, but women have to be twice as tough. Training and competition leave little time for a normal life, so sacrifices must be made. But against all the odds they are beating prejudice and breaking records. Here, we talk to just a haw brilliant British sportswomen who are achieving their goals. A. Jill, 27, skier "It's a great feeling to fly through the air and land cleanly, but it can be scary. Sometimes you don't feel well or it's windy and you can't see, but you just get on with it. It's not easy to have a career outside skiing because we train for ten months of the year. You give up a lot of your social life and friends. But it was my choice. There are six men and three women in the British team. We all compete on the same courses at the same competitions and get treated the same - it's a young sport." B. Caroline, 22, cyclist "Two years ago I borrowed a bike to take part in a charity race. I won overall just because I cycled faster than everyone else, which was amazing because I'd never cycled before! I'm well paid as a pro, and cycling has lots of potential in terms of endorsements. However, I know I'm not ugly and it worries me that people may think I've got where I am because of how I look, not because I'm the best cyclist. So I tend to concentrate on the cycling at the moment, rather than earning money I do at least four hours' training every day on the bike, plus some stretching exercises, swimming and running. My boyfriend's a cyclist as well, so he knows the time you have to put into it -- it would be impossible otherwise." C. Annabel, 26, rower "Rowing is hard for girls to get into because very few girls' schools do it. So most don't start till they're 19 or 20 which makes it harder to succeed at an international level. Also, you usually have coaches who only stay a year or so. There's no continuity so the women's squad is basically a shambles. But it's great fun and I love being fit, plus there's a good social life." D. Ffyona, 24, long distance walker "At 13 I dreamed of walking around the world -- I didn't know just how big it was then! But Britain was too claustrophobic, too safe. I was very headstrong; I hated anyone having control over me. Now I am more tactful. Each walk has been different. The walk across Australia was the worst experience I've ever had as far as pain is concerned. I was doing 50 miles and 21 hours each day with three hours sleep in high temperatures and walking with 15 blisters on each foot. But I got the record! I had to, because my sponsorship money was going to run out after 95 days. Men think that women are more likely to fail, so sponsoring them is always seen as a higher risk." E. Lisa, 26, saloon car racer "Some men have huge egos when they're driving - you see it on motorways. When I'm doing well, they don't talk to me. Being a woman has its disadvantages. When I get to a corner, the men think 'I've got to beat her', so I've had a lot of knocks! You have to be naturally competitive and aggressive. It's very difficult to earn any money and what I do make goes back into the sport. Women have been racing since the twenties and have always been classed as eccentrics. It's great that there are now more and more women taking up racing every year. For me, the appeal of saloon car racing is aiming for perfection always trying to get round with a perfect lap." F. Alison, 28, triathlete "I get up at 5.30 three mornings a week to swim. I need Tuesday and Thursday mornings to catch up on my sleep. In the evening I just cycle or run. Yes, I do fall asleep at my desk sometimes! There is a lot of nervous build-up beforehand and when you're racing you really push yourself - you don't feel good if you don't. Several times I've asked myself why I do it. The answer is a) I'm happier when I keep fit, b) I'm a slob at heart and if I didn't make myself do this I'd really be one, c) racing is very social. Men and women usually compete together but when an event is given coverage in the press, 90 per cent of the article will explain the men's event and 10 per cent will say, 'Oh, by the way, so-and-so won the women's event'. The prize money isn't as good either, of course. But now we've formed an International Triathlon Women's Commission, so we're working on it."

C1

Summary: British sportswomen share their experiences and challenges in pursuing careers in various sports, including skiing, cycling, rowing, long-distance walking, saloon car racing, and triathlons. They discuss the sacrifices they make, the pressure to perform, and the struggles with gender bias and lack of recognition.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: British sportswomen share their experiences and challenges in pursuing careers in various sports, including skiing, cycling, rowing, long-distance walking, saloon car racing, and triathlons. They discuss the sacrifices they make, the pressure to perform, and the struggles with gender bias and lack of recognition.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Dear Lynne and Tony, I'm writing to say thank you for the two nights I stayed in your lovely home. It was good to see you again. Here are the photographs of your children that you asked for. They're good photos, aren't they? I hope you like them. I really love my new camera. I am going to visit my sister in New York next week. I will take a lot of photos there, too. I haven't seen my sister for a long time. Thanks again. Love, Roy

A2

Summary: Roy thanks Lynne and Tony for hosting him, shares photos of their children, and mentions upcoming visits to his sister in New York and plans to take more photos.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Roy thanks Lynne and Tony for hosting him, shares photos of their children, and mentions upcoming visits to his sister in New York and plans to take more photos.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

In hot water Rachel Mills is a scientist who spends as much time as she can at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Rachel Mills teaches and does research into marine geochemistry, which means she studies the chemical processes happening in the sea. She is a lecturer at the Oceanography Centre at Southampton University. When she isn't teaching, she lowers herself into a steel vehicle, a vessel for underwater exploration the size of a small car, and dives three kilometres down into the Atlantic Ocean to study underwater volcanoes. 'Inside,' she says, 'space is so limited that I can reach out and touch the two pilots. They are used to these conditions, which mean we can't stand up or move and we must stay inside until someone opens the door from the outside. A dive can last for 16 hours - three hours to reach the ocean floor, ten hours gathering samples of rock and water and then three hours to get back up to the surface again.' 'If anything happens, and you have a problem and have to get to the top quickly, you can hit a panic button. The outside drops away leaving a small circular escape vessel that gets released, and it's like letting go of a ping-pong ball in the bath - it goes rapidly to the surface. No-one's tested it yet, but I don't think it would be a very pleasant journey.' 'I didn't know how I was going to react the first time I climbed into the vehicle. It was on the deck of a ship and I got in with an instructor. He then talked me through the emergency procedures; including what to do if the pilot had a heart attack! They were testing me to see how I would react to being in such a small place.' Now Rachel has made six dives. Last year she dived with a Russian crew. 'We went to a site which was a five-day sail west of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic. Here, on the ocean floor, is a huge area of underwater volcanoes, their chimneys all blowing out black smoke. It is where the Atlantic Ocean comes alive. The Russian team were dropping off some scientific equipment there to discover the effect of a multi-national programme that would make a hole 150 metres through a volcano.' When she isn't at sea, Rachel is in her office at the Oceanography Centre, Southampton. 'Two thirds of my salary comes from teaching, which I love, but I do it so I can get on with my research into the "black smokers". This is just another name for underwater volcanoes - water comes out of the rock and turns into what looks like black smoke. This pours out at a rate of one metre per second and at a temperature of 350 degrees.' 'The only time I've been frightened is when I first went down with the Americans. We were towing equipment on a SO-metre rope when suddenly there was an explosion. There was this immense bang as the shock waves hit our vehicle and I thought, "I'm going to die." We stared at each other in silence, waiting. When it didn't happen, we couldn't believe it. The relief was incredible - we were still alive!' 'It's such an adventure diving down to the deepest part of the ocean. Every time I look out of the porthole and see those chimneys, there is such a sense of wonder. Here I am on the bottom of the sea, and no-one else on this planet has ever before seen them. I had studied the black smokers for three years for my Ph.D. When I got down there and saw them for real it was such an amazing feeling.'

B2

Summary: Rachel Mills, a scientist, dives to the Atlantic Ocean floor in a steel vehicle to study underwater volcanoes, also known as "black smokers." She's made six dives, including one with a Russian crew, and has experienced intense moments like explosions.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Rachel Mills, a scientist, dives to the Atlantic Ocean floor in a steel vehicle to study underwater volcanoes, also known as "black smokers." She's made six dives, including one with a Russian crew, and has experienced intense moments like explosions.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

There are some activities that just will not be rushed. They take the time they take. If you are late for a meeting, you can hurry. But if you are impatient with the mayonnaise and add the oil too quickly, it curdles. If you start tugging with frustration on a tangled fishing line, the knot just becomes tighter. The mind, too, works at different speeds. Some of its functions are performed at lightning speeds; others take seconds, minutes, hours, days or even years to complete their course. Some can he speeded up - we can become quicker at solving crossword puzzles or doing mental arithmetic. But others cannot he rushed, and if they are, then they will break down, like the mayonnaise, or get tangled up, like the fishing line. 'Think fast; we need the results' may sometimes be as absurd a notion, or at least as counterproductive, as the attempt to cram a night's rest into half the time. We learn, think and know in a variety of ways, and these modes of the mind operate at different speeds, and are good for different mental jobs. 'He who hesitates is lost,' says one proverb. 'Look before you leap,' says another. And both are true. Roughly speaking, the mind possesses three different processing speeds. The first is faster than thought. Some situations demand an unselfconscious, instantaneous reaction. When my motorbike skidded on a wet road in London some years ago, my brain and my body immediately choreographed for me an intricate and effective set of movements that enabled me to keep my seat - and it was only after the action was all over that my conscious mind and my emotions started to catch up. Neither a concert pianist nor an Olympic fencer has time to figure out what to do next. There is a kind of 'intelligence' that works more rapidly than thinking. This mode of fast physical intelligence could be called our 'wits'. (The five senses were originally known as 'the five wits'.) Then there is thought itself: the sort of intelligence which does involve figuring matters out, weighing up the pros and cons, constructing arguments and solving problems. A mechanic working out why an engine will not fire, a scientist trying to interpret an intriguing experimental result, a student wrestling with an assignment: all are employing a way of knowing that relies on reason and logic, on deliberate conscious thinking. We often call this kind of intelligence 'intellect'. Someone who is good at solving these sorts of problems we call 'bright' or 'clever'. But below this, there is another mental register that proceeds more slowly still. It is often less purposeful and clear-cut, more playful, leisurely or dreamy. In this mode we are ruminating or mulling things over; being contemplative or meditative. Perched on a seaside rock, lost in the sound and the motion of the surf, or hovering just on the brink of sleep or waking, we are in a different mental mode from the one we find ourselves in as we plan a meal or dictate a letter. This leisurely, apparently aimless, way of knowing and experiencing is just as intelligent as the other faster ones. Allowing the mind time to meander is not a luxury that can safely be cut back as life or work gets more demanding. On the contrary, thinking slowly is a vital part al the cognitive armoury. We need the tortoise mind just as much as we need the hare brain. Some kinds of everyday predicament are better, more effectively approached with a slow mind. Some mysteries can only be penetrated with a relaxed, unquesting mental attitude. Recent scientific study shows convincingly that the more patient, less deliberate modes of mind are particularly suited to making sense of situations that are intricate, shadowy or ill defined. Deliberate thinking works well when the problem is easily conceptualised. When we are trying to decide where to spend our holidays, it may well be perfectly obvious what the parameters are. But when we are not sure what needs to be taken into account, or even which questions to pose - or when the issue is too subtle to be captured by the familiar categories of conscious thought - we need recourse to the tortoise mind. If the problem is how best to manage a difficult group of people at work, or whether to give up being a manager completely and retrain as a teacher, we may be better advised to sit and ponder than to search frantically for explanations and solutions. This type of intelligence is associated with what we call creativity, or even 'wisdom'. Poets have always known the limitations of conscious, deliberate thinking, and have sought to cultivate these slower, mistier ways of knowing. Philosophers have written about the realms of the mind that lie beyond and beneath the conscious intellect. It is only recently, however, that scientists have started to explore directly the slower, less deliberate ways of knowing. The hybrid discipline of 'cognitive science' is revealing that the unconscious realms of the human mind will successfully accomplish a number of unusual, interesting and important tasks if they are given the time. They will learn patterns of a degree of subtlety which normal consciousness cannot even see, make sense out of situations that are too complex to analyse, and get to the bottom of certain difficult issues much more successfully than the questing intellect.

C2

Summary: The mind operates at different speeds, with some functions working rapidly while others unfold slowly. Rushing certain mental processes can lead to breakdowns or tangling, like curdled mayonnaise or a knotted fishing line. Three processing speeds are identified: fast physical intelligence ("wits"), deliberate conscious thinking ("intellect"), and slower, more contemplative modes that allow for creativity and wisdom.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The mind operates at different speeds, with some functions working rapidly while others unfold slowly. Rushing certain mental processes can lead to breakdowns or tangling, like curdled mayonnaise or a knotted fishing line. Three processing speeds are identified: fast physical intelligence ("wits"), deliberate conscious thinking ("intellect"), and slower, more contemplative modes that allow for creativity and wisdom.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

Interview Tips First impressions are often lasting ones. Studies show that people form impressions about us within the first few minutes of meeting. They observe how we dress, our eye contact, our body movement and how fast or slowly we talk, our volume and tone of voice as well as our our actual words. Mary Pearce studied to be a teacher. She says, 'I worked hard to earn my degree. When I finally graduated I was very confident.' She applied for a job at a nearby primary school and got an interview with the Head Teacher.'I noticed a small hole in my jacket that morning,' she recalls. 'I would have changed, but I knew it would make me late, and I always think it's important to be on time.' Mary didn't get the job. In fact, one of her friends who also teaches at the school told her the Head Teacher's only comment was, 'If someone doesn't take the time to present her best image at an interview, what kind of teacher is she going to be?' As Simon Grant, hotel manager, says: 'Interviewees who look as if they care about themselves are more likely to care about their jobs. People think it's what's inside that counts, but in an interview you should aim to come across in the best possible way.' Yet many people ignore the importance of having a professional image. For example, Janet Goodwood worked for ten years as an administrative assistant in a large accounting firm. When the office manager retired, she applied for the position but wasn't even given an interview. 'I thought it was a mistake so I asked the Director of Personnel what had happened,' she says. 'He told me I didn't fit the image of an office manager. He suggested I improve my wardrobe before I applied again for promotion. I was shocked. I do a very good job and the way I dress shouldn't make any difference.' Movement and gestures will also influence an interviewer's first impression of a candidate. Psychologist Albert Mehrabian has discovered that 7% of any message about our feelings and attitudes comes from the words we use, 38% from voice and a surprising 55% from our facial expressions. When our facial expressions and our words send different messages the listener will put more weight on the non-verbal message. So make sure your words agree with your body language. Mixed messages will only confuse the interviewer. It is also important not to appear too desperate for the job or too eager to please. When Sheila Rice, a marketing specialist, applied for a promotion her interview went so well she was offered the job on the spot. 'I was delighted,' she recalls. 'But I reacted to the offer with too much enthusiasm. Once the boss sensed how excited I was, he knew I wasn't going to turn him down. Consequently, he offered me a lower salary than I'd hoped for. I'm sure I could have got more had I managed to control my excitement.' Finally, a consideration of what we say and how we say it will contribute to the success of an interview. David Artesio, the manager of an employment agency, suggests that it's a good idea to inform yourself about the company before you go for an interview. 'The annual report, for example, will tell you about areas of company involvement. Mention an area that interests you during the interview. This will give a positive note and convince others of your interest in the company.' Businessconsultant Marian Woodall suggests you have a few questions ready and avoid speaking in long, confused sentences. As she puts it, 'Poor communicators talk in paragraphs. Successful communicators talk in short sentences and even in highlighted points.'

B2

Summary: First impressions matter; dress professionally, make eye contact, and control your tone of voice to create a lasting impression. Mixed messages can confuse interviewers, so ensure words align with body language. Avoid appearing too desperate or eager, and prepare thoughtful questions to show interest in the company.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: First impressions matter; dress professionally, make eye contact, and control your tone of voice to create a lasting impression. Mixed messages can confuse interviewers, so ensure words align with body language. Avoid appearing too desperate or eager, and prepare thoughtful questions to show interest in the company.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

Mission to Mars Wanted: a middle-aged, married couple for a 501-day round trip to Mars. Applicants must be physically and emotionally robust. This will be the profile of the very first Martian astronauts if multi-millionaire Dennis Tito's plans to launch a capsule on 5 January 2018 actually lead to fruition. The capsule will take the crew to about 160 km above Mars. The spacecraft will use the gravity of Mars to allow it to return to Earth without burning any more fuel, for fuel efficiency is a priority - the 2018 deadline has been fixed since the next launch window when Mars and Earth align again isn't until 2031. It's a normal order, but the race is on to develop systems involving totally new technologies. Given that these can be put in place soon enough, the spacecraft might just make it. But even if it never leaves Earth, the efforts to achieve these ambitious goals will not be in vain, as they will lead to valuable advances for future missions.

C2

Summary: Dennis Tito seeks a married couple for a 501-day Mars mission, requiring physical and emotional robustness, with fuel-efficient return using Martian gravity, aiming for January 2018 launch.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Dennis Tito seeks a married couple for a 501-day Mars mission, requiring physical and emotional robustness, with fuel-efficient return using Martian gravity, aiming for January 2018 launch.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

The pen is mightier than the psychoanalyst The study of handwriting to reveal a person's character is gaining support If you applied for a job in some countries, you would almost certainly be asked for a sample of your handwriting. And it would be the handwriting, as much as anything else, that would determine your suitability for the job. Handwriting analysis, or graphology, is accepted as a genuine science in many countries. Researchers say it can be a useful tool in indicating certain illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer, and can reveal psychological states and emotional disturbances. Handwriting analysis is increasingly being used for vocational guidance and as an adjunct to interviews. Many big companies now employ graphologists to analyse the handwriting of potential candidates for key jobs. But most doctors and psychiatrists remain dubious about the value of graphology. Patricia Marne, a professional graphologist for more than 20 years, argues that they should take it more seriously. She believes that handwriting can indicate psychological characteristics as well as certain medical conditions. She says: 'Handwriting is a powerful indicator of social class and intelligence. But more than that, it can be used to assess mental ability and potential, whether a person should concentrate on arts or sciences, and whether they have a devious or open character.' According to Ms Marne, graphology can be particularly useful in assessing possible criminal tendencies: 'Criminals all have disturbed handwriting, mostly illiterate and poorly-shaped. Most criminals come from deprived backgrounds and have arrested emotional development. This often shows up in unusually childish handwriting and in going over letters several times. The person behind the handwriting: examples analysed by graphologist Patricia Marne. 'I can tell whether people are honest, manipulators, or reliable employees.' 'Young male offenders frequently have very high ascenders, indicating that they live in a world of fantasy and dream of making it big. Graphologists can tell whether violence is about to erupt, whether the writer is under unbearable pressure, and whether there are psychopathic tendencies. Handwriting can be used to predict would-be suicides.' Heart and lung problems can also show up, she says. 'You can't make a diagnosis from one sample, unless the writing is obviously shaky or disturbed. But if over a period of time it changes or becomes disjointed, if there's a break in the signature which did not exist previously, that could be a sign that something quite serious has occurred.' A severe emotional upset can also show up in a temporarily altered signature, she maintains. Ms Marne says handwriting can be used to reveal other psychological characteristics. People with writing in which letters form 'threads' instead of being individually forms are, apparently, devious and clever. Those who write mainly in capitals are trying to conceal their true selves from others. Very light pressure indicates sensitivity and lack of vitality. Originality in handwriting - how far the writer has deviated from copybook script - indicates confidence and artistic ability. Disconnected writing is the cardinal sign of the loner. Very small signatures indicate inhibition and an inferiority complex; circles over the 'i' are a bid for attention, and crossing the 't' heavily over the whole word is a sign of intolerance and a patronising attitude. Ms Marne says it takes six years of study and experience to be able to analyse handwriting accurately, and this has to be combined with empathy and intuition. She feels that more research is needed to put graphology on a proper scientific footing. This will happen soon, she believes. 'It's actually far more accurate than psychoanalysis, as you can tell the whole history of the person, including all their emotional crises, without asking them questions to which they may give wrong answers.' Interesting as all this may sound, there is little hard evidence to support such claims. Some psychiatrists are highly critical of them. Handwriting, they say, is a product of education, artistic ability and the type of writing taught - and has no other significance.

C1

Summary: Handwriting analysis, or graphology, can reveal psychological characteristics, emotional disturbances, and even medical conditions like heart disease and cancer. It's used for vocational guidance, job interviews, and assessing criminal tendencies, with some experts claiming it's more accurate than psychoanalysis.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Handwriting analysis, or graphology, can reveal psychological characteristics, emotional disturbances, and even medical conditions like heart disease and cancer. It's used for vocational guidance, job interviews, and assessing criminal tendencies, with some experts claiming it's more accurate than psychoanalysis.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

The Schoolgirl Model When 15-year-old Kira Langer is not flying off to wonderful locations and appearing on the covers of magazines, you'll probably find her revising for her school exams. Jane Laidlaw finds out more. 'I'm afraid Kira will be a little late,' the receptionist at the agency told me. 'Oh, fine,' I said, 'no problem.' I had been trying to convince myself that all the bad things I had read about models were rubbish, but the words difficult, vain and unintelligent kept coming into my head. And now she was going to be late. How late? An hour? Three hours? Maybe she wouldn't come at all. What if she had decided a visit to the hairdresser's would be more fun than talking to me? If she was late, she would be rushing. She could be in an awful mood and refuse to answer my questions. But when the winner of the Looks magazine supermodel competition walked in, she was smiling, relaxed and apologetic and with her mother. Kira was not dressed in expensive-looking designer clothes but in a simple black dress and trainers. There was no sign of a selfish attitude, she was just a very friendly, very tall, very pretty girl. All models under the age of 16 must take an adult with them whenever they work, she explained, and apart from looking incredibly young, her mother was a normal mum - visibly proud of her successful daughter. Kira gives the impression of being slightly puzzled by her new-found fame, which is understandable since it was completely unplanned. It was her older sister who decided that she should take part in the model competition. 'She saw the competition and said I should go in for it,' Kira remembers. 'I said no, but she sent some photos in anyway.' When the call came to tell her that she was a finalist, she was at school. The achievement of being selected for the final [line 38: beginning] gave Kira the confidence to go through with it and [line 38: end] she performed perfectly. She won easily and the Select model agency in London immediately offered her work. Kira now finds that one of the hardest things she has to do is to manage her two separate lives. But her friends and teachers have become accustomed to having a star among them. 'They're really proud of me,' she says. However, a few unkind people at her school are rude about her success. 'They say I have too high an opinion of myself.' This kind of remark must be hard for Kira to deal with, since there can't be many people as successful as her who are less self-important. But she says, 'They assume that because I've suddenly become a model, I can't stay the same. But the only thing that's changed is I've become more confident - not in a horrible way, but I'm able to stand up for myself more.' As a busy model though, her social life is obviously affected. The Select agency can ring at any time and tell her that she is wanted for a job the next day. 'If my friends are going out together, I can't say I'll come, because I don't know what I'm doing the next day. I can't really make plans, and if I do they sometimes get broken, but my friends are good about it. They don't say, "Oh, you're always going off modelling now, you never have time for us".' Kira has the looks, ability and support to have a fabulous career ahead of her. And not many people can say that before they even sit their school-leaving exams. I am about to finish the interview with the girl who has it all, and I ask what she would like to do as a career if she didn't have the outstanding beauty that seems certain to take her to the top of the profession. She pauses and replies: 'I'd like to do what you're doing.'

B2

Summary: Kira Langer, 15, won the Looks magazine supermodel competition and is now a model with Select agency in London. Despite fame, she remains down-to-earth, friendly, and focused on her education.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Kira Langer, 15, won the Looks magazine supermodel competition and is now a model with Select agency in London. Despite fame, she remains down-to-earth, friendly, and focused on her education.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

Hide and Seek Yvonne Coppard Emma and her friends are pursuing a holiday game -- surveillance of a suspicious bookshop -- when she realises that one of its rare customers is her Uncle Jim. He callously draws her into a web of deceit and crime, manipulating her affection for him and attempting to alienate her from her friends, whose characters are persuasively drawn by Coppard. When Emma finds her life in danger, things take a dark and compelling turn - her confinement in the cellar of a derelict house is stunningly handled. This book reveals the minutiae of family life, the bonds of childhood friendship and warns that adults aren't always the protectors they ought to be. A vital and convincing read. Backtrack Peter Hunt Two teenagers, 'peasant' Jack and Rill, a boarder at a posh girls school, join forces on realising that relatives of both were involved in an apparently inexplicable 1915 train accident, in which eight people died. Varied viewpoints and documents -- maps, first-hand accounts, hurt records, railway histories -- throw an ever-changing light on the incident, so that the reader works as hard as the two protagonists to understand what happened and why. A clever, complex novel which rewards close attention. Pigeon Summer Ann Turnbull Mary Dyer doesn't really fit into her family or male-dominated culture; for one thing, she, a girl, loves her father's racing pigeons and when he must go away to find work, Mary knows enough to carry on managing the loft and winning prizes, despite increasing conflict with her harassed mother. Set believably in 1930, this readable tale has a sound basic message that 'There are different kinds of cleverness', which can't be bad. Thoughtful readers should find satisfaction here. Yaxley's Cat Robert Westall Unusually, Robert Westall uses the viewpoint of a mature woman for this chilling story of rural prejudice and persecution. Rose, to escape from her materialistic life and her smug husband, rents Sepp Yaxley's cottage with her two children. A ferocious cat, and bizarre items found in cupboards, reveal the answer to why Yaxley disappeared, but the newcomers' presence arouses local hostility to the point where their own lives are at risk. By the end, the threatening violence is controlled, but Rose feels just as dismayed by the methodical ruthlessness of her teenage son. Utterly gripping. Someone's Mother is Missing Harry Mazer At the poor, shambling, noisy end of the family there's Sam - fat, overtalkative and awed by his supercool and sophisticated cousin, Lisa, from the apparently rich end of the clan. When Lisa's privileged world crumbles, it's Sam who helps her to find some balance, out of which both gain a better sense of reality and the value of family. The pace is slightly slow in parts but there's a gentle humour and the developing closeness of the two teenagers is convincingly handled. It could be interesting to both boys and girls, which is a bit of a rarity. Stanley's Aquarium Barry Faville Barry Faville writes with assurance and humour, vividly evoking his New Zealand setting and creating an intelligent and likeable first-person narrator. Robbie takes a jon gardening for elderly Stanley, finding him at first fascinating and later repellent; when she finds out what he keeps in his aquarium and what he plans to do with them, the book takes 'thrillerish' twist without losing its sharp insight into character and relationships. Unusual and compelling. Dodger Libby Gleeson A painful, sad story where the troubled personal relationships plus the stormy school life of Mick are told though a skilful blend of flashback, a teacher's letters to a friend, the boys own notes and sympathetic narrative. Coming to terms with the negative expectations of others and his own poor sense of self-worth is achieved through a role in a school play and by an impressively sensitive first-year teacher. Highly recommended, even though it's truly an agonising read, especially at the end.

C1

Summary: A collection of young adult novels that explore themes of family, friendship, and identity. The stories feature relatable characters navigating complex relationships, secrets, and mysteries, often with a touch of suspense or thriller elements.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: A collection of young adult novels that explore themes of family, friendship, and identity. The stories feature relatable characters navigating complex relationships, secrets, and mysteries, often with a touch of suspense or thriller elements.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Maps The purpose of a map is to express graphically the relations of points and features on the earth's surface to each other. These are determined by distance and direction. In early times distance wha often expressed in units of time, for example 'so many hours' march' or 'a day's journey by river', but such measurements gave more information about the relative ease of crossing the local terrains than they did about actual distance. The other element is direction, but for the ordinary traveller, whose main concern was 'Where do I go from here?' and 'How far away is it?', the accurate representation of direction was not of primary importance. Partly for this reason, written itineraries for a long time rivalled maps. Even today, certain types of maps, for example those showing railway systems, may make little attempt to show true directions. Similarly, conspicuous landmarks along a route were at first indicated by signs, realistic or conventional, and varied in size to indicate their importance. Clearly the conventions employed varied with the purpose of the map, and also from place to place, so that in studying early maps the first essential is to understand the particular convention employed. The history of cartography is largely that of the increase in the accuracy with which these elements of distance and direction are determined and in the comprehensiveness of the map content. In this development, cartography has called in other sciences to its aid. For example, instead of determining direction by observing the position of a shadow at midday, or of a constellation in the night sky, or even of a steady wind, use was made of terrestrial magnetism through the magnetic compass, and instruments were evolved which enabled horizontal angles to be calculated with great accuracy. The application of astronomical concepts, and the extension of the knowledge of the world through exploration, encouraged attempts to map the known world. Then astronomers discovered that the earth is not a perfect sphere, but is flattened slightly at the poles, which introduced further refinements into the mapping of large areas. Meanwhile, the demands being made of the map maker were shifting significantly. The traveller or the merchant ceased to be the sole user of maps. The soldier, especially after the introduction of artillery, and the problems of range, field of fire, and dead ground which it raised, demanded an accurate representation of the surface features, in place of the earlier conventional or pictorial delineation, and a solution in any degree satisfactory was not reached until the contour was invented. Then there was the archaeologist, the historian and, much later, the modern geographer, each with their own special requirements. In order to address these, the present-day cartographer has had to evolve methods of mapping all kinds of 'distributions', from geological strata and climatic regimes to land use. It is the present widespread recognition of the value of the map in the co-ordination and interpretation of phenomena in many sciences that has led to what may truly be called a modern renaissance o cartography. It would be misleading of me to represent the stages summarily sketched above as being either continuous or consecutive. There have been periods of retrogression or stagnation, broken by others of rapid development, during which outmoded ideas have held their place beside the new. Again, cartographers have constantly realised the theoretical basis for progress, but have had to wait for technical improvement in their instruments before they could apply their new ideas. Since the easiest way to make a map is to copy an old one, and considerable capital has often been locked up in printing places or stock map publishers have often been resistant to new ideas. Consequently, maps must never be accepted uncritically as evidence of contemporary knowledge and technique. Clearly, the maps, many thousands in number, which have come down to us today, are the results of much human work and thought. They constitute therefore an invaluable record for the students of man's past. It is above all this aspect that makes the study of historical cartography so fascinating and so instructive.

C2

Summary: Maps express graphically the relations between points and features on Earth's surface, with distance and direction as key elements. Cartography has evolved to increase accuracy and comprehensiveness, incorporating concepts from other sciences like magnetism and astronomy.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Maps express graphically the relations between points and features on Earth's surface, with distance and direction as key elements. Cartography has evolved to increase accuracy and comprehensiveness, incorporating concepts from other sciences like magnetism and astronomy.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

Atlantic College Last week I went to visit Atlantic College, an excellent private college in Wales. Unusually, it gives young people much needed experience of life outside the classroom, as well as the opportunity to study for their exams. The students, who are aged between 16 and 18 and come from all over the world, spend the morning studying. In the afternoon they go out and do a really useful activity, such as helping on the farm, looking after people with learning difficulties, or checking for pollution in rivers. One of the great things about Atlantic College students is that they come from many different social backgrounds and countries. As few can afford the fees of PS20,000 over two years, grants are available. A quarter of the students are British, and many of those can only attend because they receive government help. "I really admire the college for trying to encourage international understanding among young people", as Barbara Molenkamp, a student from the Netherlands, said. "You learn to live with people and respect them, even the ones you don't like. During the summer holidays my mother couldn't believe how much less I argued with my sister." To sum up, Atlantic College gives its students an excellent education, using methods which really seem to work.

B1

Summary: Atlantic College in Wales offers a unique blend of academic study and practical activities, fostering international understanding among 16-18 year old students from diverse backgrounds.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Atlantic College in Wales offers a unique blend of academic study and practical activities, fostering international understanding among 16-18 year old students from diverse backgrounds.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

THEATRE CHARLES SPENCER A. Tamburlaine the Great Marlowe's ten-act epic about the all-conquering warrior can seem never-ending, but it emerges as one of the most thrilling nights of the year in Terry Hands' staging. He has hacked great chunks from the text and offers a production that combines the glories of Marlowe's play with an exhilarating speed and physicality. Antony Sher is in terrific form in the title role, somersaulting from the balcony, sliding down a rope head-first as he delivers a speech, demanding and getting the audience's complete attention as his eyes glint with a mad lust for power and glory. Great stuff. Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon (01789 295623) B. Women Laughing Welcome London transfer for the late Michael Wall's fine play, seen at the Manchester Royal Exchange in May. The first act creates an atmosphere of unsettling menace as two married couples chat on a sunny suburban lawn. In the second half the location shifts and the piece becomes a powerful, compassionate study of the devastating effects of illness. The British theatre lost a talent of great promise when Wall died at the tragically early age of 44. Royal Court Theatre, London SW1 (0207 730 1745) C. Amphibians Billy Roche is the latest in the long line of Irish dramatists to have enriched the English stage. All his plays to date have been set in his native Wexford, and this latest piece explores the decline of the fishing industry with his usual mixture of rich characterisation, painful emotion and sudden moments of quirky humour. The play sprawls a bit aimlessly at times, but builds to a blistering climax. Barbican 3 Pit Theatre, London EC2 (0207 638 8891) D. Murder by Misadventure Traditional thriller involving our old friend, 'the perfect murder'. This time it is Gerald Harper and William Gaunt who play the crime-writing partnership intent on killing each other, and though its all rather familiar stuff; the twists and turns are handled with ingenuity. Whitehall Theatre, London SW1 (0207 867 1119) E. The Alchemist Young director Sam Mendes finds the gold in Jonson's great comedy of 17th-century confidence tricksters. First seen at the Swan in Stratford last year, the show works just as well on the Barbican's main stage, with Jonathan Hyde, David Bradley and Joanne Pearce repeating their fine performances as the wicked trio of con-artists. Barbican Theatre, London EC2 (0207 638 8891) F. The Madras House Peter James' production of Harley Granville Barkers rich, panoramic comedy about fashion and the position of women in Edwardian society transfers to London after its success at the Edinburgh Festival. The staging is stylish, the acting excellent, the play itself an unjustly neglected classic. Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London W6 (0208 741 2311) G. Dreams from a summer house This delightful new musical finds playwright Alan Ayckbourn in unusually benign form as he relocates the Beauty and the Beast story deep in the heart of London suburbia. A lush score by John Pattison and an unashamedly schmaltzy celebration of romantic love combine to make this good-hearted show a real winner. London impresarios looking for a hit should board the next train to Scarborough. Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough (01 723 370541) H. The Merry Wives of Windsor David Thacker's lacklustre production of Shakespeare's most farcical comedy came perilously close to being awarded the dreaded thumbs-down symbol, but this disappointing, crudely designed show is redeemed by first-rate comic performances from Ron Cook as the French physician Dr Caius and Anton Lesser as the explosively jealous husband, Ford. Almost everyone else looks faintly embarrassed, as well they might. Shakespeare Theatre, Stragford-upon-Avon (01789 295623) I. The Voysey Inheritance Another major Granville Barker revival, now touring the regions. This story of an apparently respectable solicitor who bequeaths a corrupt financial legacy to his son results in a marvellous play. Apollo Theatre, Oxford (01865 244544)

C1

Summary: Theatrical productions reviewed include Tamburlaine the Great, Women Laughing, Amphibians, Murder by Misadventure, The Alchemist, The Madras House, Dreams from a Summer House, and The Merry Wives of Windsor.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Theatrical productions reviewed include Tamburlaine the Great, Women Laughing, Amphibians, Murder by Misadventure, The Alchemist, The Madras House, Dreams from a Summer House, and The Merry Wives of Windsor.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Piano players - when they were young Ivan Petrov Ivan was born on a farm in Russia, but from the age of twelve to eighteen he studied in Poland. His first music teacher couldn't play the piano but taught him and his sister songs from the opera. His mother began to teach him the piano when he was six. At ten, he decided that he wanted to write music too, and he soon started on his first song. Oleg Gagarin Oleg was the youngest of five children and when he was four years old his father, who liked playing the piano, taught him some traditional Russian music. When he was six, he started having lessons with a piano teacher who lived in the same city. Oleg soon began to win prizes for his piano playing. At the age of fourteen, he went to a music college in Austria for two years. Later, he returned home to Russia. Josef Heptmann Josef's father was German but he taught music in Poland where Josef was born. The family moved to Germany when Josef was two, and a year later he started playing the piano. He gave his first concert when he was six. At ten, he gave fifty-two concerts in two months during a trip to England! Josef always liked music but he was also interested in physics and languages. He is too busy now but one day he would like to write his own music.

A2

Summary: Three piano players share their early experiences with music, including Ivan's mother teaching him at age six, Oleg's father introducing him to traditional Russian music at four, and Josef's father starting his lessons in Poland.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Three piano players share their early experiences with music, including Ivan's mother teaching him at age six, Oleg's father introducing him to traditional Russian music at four, and Josef's father starting his lessons in Poland.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

The end of print may take some time Peter Preston Transition. It's a pleasant word and a calming concept. Change may frighten some and challenge others. But transition means going surely and sweetly from somewhere present to somewhere future. Unless, that is, it is newspapers' 'transition' to the online world, an uncertain and highly uncomfortable process - because, frankly, it may not be a process at all. But surely (you say) it is bound to happen eventually. Everybody knows that print newspaper sales are plummeting while visits to the same papers' websites keep on soaring. Just look at the latest print circulation figures. The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and many of the rest are down overall between 8% and 10% year-on-year, but their websites go ever higher. All of which may well be true, depending on timing, demography, geography and more. After all, everyone - from web academics to print analysts - says so. Yet pause for a while and count a few little things that don't quite fit. So if sales in that area have fallen so little, perhaps the crisis mostly affects newspapers? Yet again, though, the messages are oddly mixed. The latest survey of trends by the World Association of Newspapers shows that global circulation rose 1.1% last year (to 512 million copies a day). Sales in the West dropped back but Asia more than made up the difference. As for news and current affairs magazines - which you'd expect to find in the eye of the digital storm - they had a 5.4% increase to report. In short, on both sides of the Atlantic, although some magazine areas went down, many showed rapid growth. You can discover a similar phenomenon when it comes to books. Kindle and similar e-readers are booming, with sales up massively this year. The apparent first step of transition couldn't be clearer. Yet, when booksellers examined the value of the physical books they sold over the last six months, they found it just 0.4% down. Screen or paper, then? It wasn't one or the other: it was both. Tales like these of young people abandoning newspaper-reading are wildly exaggerated. Turn to the latest National Readership Survey figures and you'll find nearly 5,000,000 people aged between 15 and 35 following the main national dailies. And even within Europe, different countries have different stories to tell. There's Britain, with a 10.8% drop in recent years (and a 19.6% fall for quality papers), but in Germany the decline has only been 7% all round - with a mere 0.8% lost to quality titles. And France shows only a 3.1% fall (0.8% at the quality end of the market). Such varying national trends may well reflect a situation far more complicated than the prophets of digital revolution assume. America's media analysts used to argue that booming online advertising revenues would pay for change and, along with lower production costs, make online newspapers a natural success. But now, with digital advertisements on newspaper sites actually dropping back, such assumptions seem like history. Already 360 US papers - including most of the biggest and best - have built paywalls around their products. However, the best way of attracting a paying readership appears to be a deal that offers the print copy and digital access as some kind of joint package. In other words, print is also a crucial tool in selling internet subscriptions. And its advertising rates raise between nine and ten times more money than online. Of course this huge difference isn't good news for newspaper companies, as maintaining both an active website and an active print edition is difficult, complex and expensive. But newspaper brands still have much of their high profile in print; adrift on the web, the job of just being noticed becomes far harder.

C1

Summary: The decline of print newspapers may be exaggerated, as circulation figures show a 1.1% global increase last year, with some countries experiencing minimal declines or even growth. Online and print coexist, with many papers building paywalls around their digital products and offering joint packages to attract readers.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The decline of print newspapers may be exaggerated, as circulation figures show a 1.1% global increase last year, with some countries experiencing minimal declines or even growth. Online and print coexist, with many papers building paywalls around their digital products and offering joint packages to attract readers.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Sharks Sharks are some of the most frightening creatures in our oceans. They are well prepared for feeding under water because they can see very well, and they can also feel movement through special lines on the sides of their bodies. These make sharks very dangerous for smaller sea creatures that become their food. Although sharks are similar to other fish in a number of ways, their bodies are different. For example, unlike other fish, most sharks ought to swim all the time in order to breathe and stay alive, so they hardly sleep at all. Also, if sharks are turned over on their backs, they can stop moving completely. This is a very useful technique for researchers who are often required to handle sharks. It allows them to find out more about these fascinating creatures.

B1

Summary: Sharks have exceptional underwater vision and sensitivity to movement, making them formidable predators. They're unique in their constant swimming requirement and ability to temporarily stop moving when turned onto their backs, allowing researchers to study them.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Sharks have exceptional underwater vision and sensitivity to movement, making them formidable predators. They're unique in their constant swimming requirement and ability to temporarily stop moving when turned onto their backs, allowing researchers to study them.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

The History of Farming Before people started farming, they went to the forest to look for plants or fruit they could eat. This meant that people were moving all the time to find food. But about 12,000 years ago, in the Middle East, people began to grow food. These people were the first farmers. Farming made it possible for people to stay in one place and slowly their villages got bigger. Some people in the villages became free to do other work, like making clothes, because the farmers could grow food for everyone. Unfortunately, farming was difficult when the weather was bad and then some people did not get enough food to eat. Today, farmers can grow more food and it travels thousands of kilometres from where it is grown to our homes.

A2

Summary: Humans initially nomadic, gathering food in forests. Around 12,000 years ago, first farmers emerged in the Middle East, allowing for settled communities and specialization in non-agricultural tasks.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Humans initially nomadic, gathering food in forests. Around 12,000 years ago, first farmers emerged in the Middle East, allowing for settled communities and specialization in non-agricultural tasks.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

TO ALL STUDENTS: Would you like to come on a camping trip this weekend? We are going to go to the forest in the school bus and we will stay at a camp-site from Friday to Sunday. It has hot showers and a small shop and you can rent bicycles there. The trip costs PS25. It is very cold there at night, so you should take warm clothes and you will need to wear strong shoes. If you want yo come, tell me today. Ahmed, Student Secretary

A2

Summary: Ahmed invites students on a camping trip this weekend, departing Friday-Sunday, with costs PS25, requiring warm clothing and sturdy shoes.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Ahmed invites students on a camping trip this weekend, departing Friday-Sunday, with costs PS25, requiring warm clothing and sturdy shoes.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

0ral History The growing trend for historians to rely on oral evidence is not without its problems. It is naive to suppose that someone's testimony represents a pure distillation of past experience, for in an interview each party is affected by the other. It is the historian who selects the informant and indicates the area of interest; and even if he or she asks no questions and merely listens, the presence of an outsider affects the atmosphere in which the informant recalls the past and talks about it. The end product is conditioned both by the historian's social position vis-a-vis the informant, and by the terms in which he or she has learnt to analyse the past and which may well be communicated to the informant. In other words, historians must accept responsibility for their share in creating new evidence. But the difficulties are far from over when the historian is removed from the scene. For not even the informant is in direct touch with the past. His or her memories may be contaminated by what has been absorbed from other sources (especially the media); they may be overlaid by nostalgia ('times were good then'), or distorted by a sense of grievance about deprivation in childhood, which only took root in later life. To anyone listening, the feelings and attitudes are often what lends conviction to the testimony, yet they may be the emotional residue of later events rather than the period in question. Animal Science There are two main approaches to animal science - the physiological and the whole animal. Physiologists are mainly interested in how the body works, that is, in how the nerves, muscles and sense organs are coordinated to produce complex behaviour. Those taking the 'whole animal' approach, although they are often interested in the mechanisms of 'behaviour', study the behaviour of the intact animal and the factors that affect it. Within the 'whole animal' approach, a distinction is often made between psychologists and ethologists. Psychologists have traditionally worked in laboratories on the learning abilities of a restricted range of species, mainly rats and pigeons. Ethologists have been more concerned with the naturally occurring, unlearnt behaviour of animals, often in their wild habitats. Although this distinction still exists to some extent, there is now a fruitful coming together of the two. Among these types, it is the physiologists who like to emphasise that their methods are the more fundamental. However, even if we knew how every nerve cell operated in the performance of some pattern of behaviour, this would not remove the need for us to study it at a behavioural level also. Behaviour has its own organisation and its own units mat we must use for its study. Trying to describe the nest-building behaviour of a bird in terms of the actions of individual nerve cells would be like trying to read a page of a book with a high-powered microscope. The Social Sciences A problem facing all students who come to study a social science for the first time is that they must do two things simultaneously. They must familiarise themselves with the substance or content of their new subject and, at the same time, they must learn the methodology of the subject. That is, they must become familiar not only with the knowledge and research findings which fill the textbooks but also with the methods by which the knowledge is obtained and organised, that is with the logical basis of the subject itself. The two elements are not separate; they are very closely related. Because we are all familiar with social life through our everyday experiences we may feel that the social sciences are very largely a matter of common-sense. But, as a look at any textbook will quickly indicate, though each of the social sciences is concerned with people in society, each discipline goes beyond common-sense understanding. Each discipline focuses on a particular aspect of social life, each uses particular methods of study and each employs its own set of concepts. It is this set of concepts, the most basic ideas in a subject, which constitutes the 'logical basis of the subject', which enables the social scientist to go beyond everyday common-sense and which distinguishes one discipline from another. Classical Architecture To the classical world, that of Ancient Greece and Rome, architecture meant much more than the mere construction of buildings. 'Architecture', says the Roman architect Vitruvius, 'consists of Order, and of Arrangement, and of Proportion and Symmetry and Propriety and Distribution.' For several of these terms he gives a Greek equivalent: his definitions probably derived from an earlier Greek authority whose writings are lost to us. Utility and Function are not part of this definition, though in his book Vitruvius does go on to describe the best form and arrangements for different purposes of structure; but here, at the beginning, the aesthetic emphasis, architecture as an art, has priority. The origins of classical architecture are complex. There was obviously a long prehistory of basic construction, of hut habitations simple in form and material, both in Greece and Italy, which did not match up to Vitruvius' artistic requirements. Though these were, by definition, inartistic they nevertheless contributed an essential element of form, which persisted into the later sophisticated architectural concepts. However orate it may appear from the outside, in essence the classical temple is a simple, single-roomed hut.

C2

Summary: Historians' reliance on oral evidence is problematic due to the influence of the interviewer and the informant's memories being contaminated by external factors. Similarly, animal scientists must consider both physiological and whole-animal approaches to understand behavior. In social sciences, students must simultaneously learn subject content and methodology. Classical architecture prioritizes aesthetics over utility, emphasizing artistry in its definition.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Historians' reliance on oral evidence is problematic due to the influence of the interviewer and the informant's memories being contaminated by external factors. Similarly, animal scientists must consider both physiological and whole-animal approaches to understand behavior. In social sciences, students must simultaneously learn subject content and methodology. Classical architecture prioritizes aesthetics over utility, emphasizing artistry in its definition.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

P. D. James Barbara Michaels meets the acclaimed crime writer, whose innocent exterior hides a complex and brilliant imagination. Best-selling crime writer P.D. James - the initials stand for Phyllis Dorothy - exudes an air of quiet authority. It is easy to envisage her, had she not become a creator of detective stories with more twists and turns than a spiral staircase, as a headmistress of a girls' school. But it is soon apparent from what she says that the authoritative mien is, in fact, a cloak for shyness. She reluctantly admits that Adam Dalgliesh, the detective in her novels, 'is, I suppose, modelled on myself - or rather, the way I would have turned out if I had been a man'. Dalgliesh prefers to unravel the complexities of crimes solo, as does his creator. 'I need time on my own, particularly when I am writing. I can write more or less anywhere as long as I have total privacy.' She is too modest to concur with the view that she is Britain's best-known crime writer, even though her books - 12 major detective novels - are read avidly by millions all over the world. She herself is a great fan of the works of close friend Ruth Rendell. 'I particularly enjoy her psychological works, written under the name of Barbara Vine.' Books beside her bed are most likely to be by women writers such as Iris Murdoch, Anita Brookner and Penelope Lively, although not to the total exclusion of male authors like Graham Greene and Evelyn Waugh, whom she considers to have been the greatest novelists of their generation. Success came to P.D. James late in life. Now in her seventies, she was 42 when her first crime novel, Cover Her Face, was published. Born in Oxford, the eldest of three children, Phyllis grew up mainly in Cambridge, where her family moved when she was 11 years old. 'I met my husband there - he was a student at the university, and I have always loved the place. That is why I chose it as the setting for An Unsuitable Job For A Woman.' Reluctantly, she reveals that from a promising start, life has been hard, even tragic at times. Her Irish doctor husband, Connor Bantry White, returned from the Second World War, during which he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps, a very sick man. 'I had to work long hours to support him and our two young daughters, Clare and Jane. The ideas were teeming in my head, but I could do practically nothing about it - I simply hadn't the time. My husband's parents, however, were marvellous, and took my daughters under their wing, giving them a sense of security throughout those difficult years.' While working full-time in administration for the National Health Service, she made good use of her enviable organisational skills. At one point, five psychiatric outpatients' clinics came under her jurisdiction. Then followed 11 years at the Home Office, first in the Police Department, doing administration for forensic science research, and then in the Criminal Law section, in the juvenile crime division. It was while working in forensic science that she became 'quite accustomed' to the sight of corpses. But it was not fascination with death itself that inspired her. 'It was, rather, the shape and construction involved in the writing of a crime novel that appealed. I have always enjoyed reading detective stories, and I always knew that I wanted to be a writer.' 'I didn't want to use the traumatic events of my own life in a work of fiction. The writing of a detective story appealed as a wonderful apprenticeship for someone setting out to be a serious novelist, and it was suitably remove from my own experience. As I went on, I became increasingly aware that one could stay within the constraints and indeed within the so-called formula of the classic detective story and still write a good, serious and revealing novel about human beings. Writing detective stories', she says, 'is a way of bringing order out of disorder. The solution of a crime confirms the sanctity of life - even If that life ls unlovable. Nobody really likes violence.'

C1

Summary: P.D. James, Britain's best-known crime writer, is a shy and modest individual who has written 12 major detective novels, including the Adam Dalgliesh series. She drew inspiration from her own experiences, but also found solace in writing about human beings through detective stories, which she sees as bringing order out of disorder.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: P.D. James, Britain's best-known crime writer, is a shy and modest individual who has written 12 major detective novels, including the Adam Dalgliesh series. She drew inspiration from her own experiences, but also found solace in writing about human beings through detective stories, which she sees as bringing order out of disorder.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Fun at the Dentist's? If you walk into W. Lloyd Jerome's dental surgery in the centre of Glasgow, you'll see bright modern paintings on the wall and a fashionable blue couch which patients sit on while he checks their teeth. Jerome says, 'Fifty per cent of the population only go to the dentist when they're in pain rather than attending for regular check- ups. That's because they're frightened.' To counteract this, he has tried to create an environment where people are not afraid. That's why I took the decision not to wear a white coat. I find that's one of the things that people associate with pain. In fact, my philosophy is that dental treatment should take place in an atmosphere of relaxation, interest and above all enjoyment.' Which is all highly shocking for anyone (most of us in fact) who has learnt to associate dental treatment with pain, or at the very least, with formal, clinical visits. Jerome says, 'If people are relaxed, entertained and correctly treated, they will forget such previous negative experiences.'. Virtual-reality headsets are one of his new relaxation techniques. 'We were the first practice in Britain to introduce them and they're proving very popular. The headsets are used for the initial check-up, where the patient sits comfortably on the blue couch and watches a film about underwater wildlife while I look at their teeth. Then the headset switches to a special camera, to give the patient a visual tour around their mouth.' Surprisingly, most patients seem to enjoy this part of their visit to the dentists. Another key point is that the surgery smells more like a perfume shop than a dentist's. Today there is the smell of orange. Jerome explains, 'When people walk in, I want them to realise with all their senses that it's not like going to the dentist's. Smell is very important. That dental smell of surgical spirit can get the heart racing in minutes if you're frightened of dentists.' I certainly found the delicate smell in the surgery very pleasant. Although he is known as Glasgow's most fashionable dentist,Jerome is keen to point out that he takes his work very seriously. The relaxation techniques are important but the quality of the treatment is of course the most important thing. For example, Jerome uses a special instrument which sprays warm water on the teeth to clean them, rather than scraping them. It feels a bit strange at first, but as long as people are relaxed, it's not painful at all. Five years ago, Jerome went to the United States to do research into dental techniques. 'One of the things I found out there was that when you make it easier for the patient you make it easier for yourself', he explains. He sees his patient-centred attitude as the start of a gradual movement towards less formality in the conservative British dentistry profession. At that moment, a patient arrives. Jerome rushes over, offers him a cup of tea (herbal or regular), asks him what video he'd like to watch and leads him gently towards the chair. The patient seems to be enjoying this five-star treatment and no wonder. The surgery seems more like an elegant beauty parlour than a mainstream dental practice.

B2

Summary: Glasgow dentist W. Lloyd Jerome creates a relaxing atmosphere by ditching traditional white coats, introducing virtual-reality headsets, and pleasant scents to ease patients' fears and make dental treatment enjoyable.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Glasgow dentist W. Lloyd Jerome creates a relaxing atmosphere by ditching traditional white coats, introducing virtual-reality headsets, and pleasant scents to ease patients' fears and make dental treatment enjoyable.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

BICYCLES The bicycle is a cheap and clean way to travel. The first bicycle was made about one hundred and fifty years ago. At first bicycles were expensive. Only rich people could buy one. These early bicycles looked very different from the ones we have today. Later, when bicycles became cheaper, many people bought one. People started riding bicycles to work and in their free time. Today, people use cars more than bicycles; cars are much faster and you don't get wet when it rains! But some people still prefer to cycle to work. They say that there are too many cars in town centres and you can't find anywhere to park!

A2

Summary: The bicycle, a cheap and clean mode of transportation, has been around for over 150 years, evolving from an expensive luxury item to a popular means of commuting and leisure activity.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The bicycle, a cheap and clean mode of transportation, has been around for over 150 years, evolving from an expensive luxury item to a popular means of commuting and leisure activity.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

The Globe Theatre Visiting the theatre in London 400 years ago was very different from visiting a modern theatre. The building was round, there was no roof, and people got cold and wet if the weather was bad. The queen loved going to the Globe Theatre, by the River Thames, to see the plays of William Shakespeare. All the actors at that time were men. The visitors ate, talked to their friends, walked about during the show, and some people even threw things at the actors! Today, it is still possible to visit the Globe Theatre. A new theatre stands in the same place near the river. You can enjoy a Shakespeare play there or just learn about life in the seventeenth century.

A2

Summary: The original Globe Theatre was an open-air, circular building by the River Thames where Queen Elizabeth I enjoyed William Shakespeare's plays; it had no roof and visitors often got wet and cold.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The original Globe Theatre was an open-air, circular building by the River Thames where Queen Elizabeth I enjoyed William Shakespeare's plays; it had no roof and visitors often got wet and cold.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Life was getting out of hand Susan Harr unplugs her gadgets and rediscovers the joys of manual labour. Everyone is in love with technology. It gives us all those marvellous gadgets that make life easier and leave us so much more time to do other things. A gradual, though not particularly subtle, form of brainwashing has persuaded us that technology rules, and that it is OK. These implications are obvious. The movement of my fingers uses nothing from the previous power supply being eaten up by our greedy race. A craft executed by hand does not pollute the environment. However, a recent unhappy experience with my malfunctioning word processor - a PS48 call-out fee, a labour charge of PS15 per quarter of an hour, plus parts and replacements costs - has confirmed a suspicion that gadgets are often not worth the expense or the trouble. Are we as dependent on technology as we imagine? Bit by bit, I have been letting the household technology fall by the wayside as its natural and often short life expires. This makes me wonder just what 'time' technology gives us. The time to take up more activities for which we must buy more gadgets? If so, hats off to the marketing experts: but I think they are conning us. So when the thing started making curious noises, which continued even when it was disconnected by a puzzled service agent, I abandoned it to the backyard, where it whispers damply to itself like some robot ghost. I am not tied to a noisy, whirring machine, with my head bent and my back turned on the world, and I can take my time over the garment. In any case, I was always slightly alarmed by those electric machines that dash across the fabric towards your fingers. Best of all, I can pop the whole lot into a carrier bag and take it with me wherever I go. Of course, there are some gadgets I would not like to be without. A year living without a washing machine convinced me of the value of the electric washtub. But there are others whose loss has brought unexpected delight. Feeling that we were becoming too apt to collapse in front of the television, or slot in a video, I sent back the rented colour equipment and we returned to the small black-and-white portable. It is a real strain on the eyes and concentrates the mind on what is really worth watching. We now spend a lot more time walking the dog (who never liked television anyway), reading, talking or pursuing other hobbies. One of these, in my own case, is sewing; and here is another gadget that went by the board. My old Singer sewing machine is now an ornamental plant table, and as l cannot afford to replace it, I have taken to sewing by hand. We have come to believe that we could not do without it, and if we do resist the notion that our lives would be unmanageable without the appliances of science we certainly do not want to relinquish them. Pity the generations whose lives were blighted by tedious and blister inducing toil. Even our brains are relieved of exertion by computers that not only perform miraculous calculations with amazing speed but now provide entertainment. In fact, the time I now spend placidly stitching is anything but tedious, and the advantages are numerous. For a start, I can sew and listen to the radio - another rediscovered pleasure - or I can talk with family and friends. If it is a simple task, I can watch the programmes I do want to see on television, and alleviate my puritanical guilt at sitting in front of the box by doing something useful at the same time. And what a lovely, cosy feeling it is to sit by the fire and sew with a pot of tea for company. Quite wrongly, I had tended to think with horror of the women who sewed elaborate garments, robes, linen and household items by hand. I thought of those long hours, the strain on the eyes and so on. There is a wonderfully soothing quality about executing a craft by hand, a great satisfaction in watching one's work become neater, more assured. I find things get done surprisingly quickly, and the pace of life suddenly slows down to the rhythm of my own hands. I am also freed from one of the most detestable aspects of late 20th century life the need to rush to finish an activity so that I can rush to the next. Meanwhile I have regained control of my sink, where I plunge my hands into the suds and daydream while doing the washing up agreeable, if temporarily forgotten, activity. The result of all this brooding is that I now prowl the house with a speculative eye. Do we really need the freezer, the microwave oven, that powered lawnmower? Come to think of it, we could save an awful lot of money by doing without electric lights!

C1

Summary: Susan Harr abandons her gadgets and rediscovers joys of manual labor, finding satisfaction in sewing by hand and appreciating the simple pleasures of life.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Susan Harr abandons her gadgets and rediscovers joys of manual labor, finding satisfaction in sewing by hand and appreciating the simple pleasures of life.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

POSTCARDS Today, people like to send postcards to their friends and family. These postcards often have pictures of beaches, mountains or castles on them and you can write a message on the back. Many people send postcards when they are on holiday because postcards are cheap and the pictures on them are often better than people's own photos. Somebody sent the first postcard at the end of the nineteenth century. It had a picture of a town by the sea on it. Later on, postcards had pictures showing something in the news that week, perhaps an accident or an important person's visit. People liked to see them because they did not have pictures in their newspapers then.

A2

Summary: Postcards are popular for sending messages and photos to friends and family, often featuring scenic views like beaches and mountains.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Postcards are popular for sending messages and photos to friends and family, often featuring scenic views like beaches and mountains.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Parrots Perhaps you have seen these beautiful birds, with their lovely colours and long tails in the forest or in the zoo. Parrots are found in countries like Brazil, Australia and India. They usually live in large groups and because they like to eat fruit, they are sometimes a problem for farmers. There are many different kinds of parrots, but they all have strong beaks and feet, which they use for climbing and holding food. The biggest birds can live for up to 80 years. They are very noisy, but they are clever birds and it is easy to teach them to talk. Some zoos have parrot shows, where you can see the birds doing things they have learned.

A2

Summary: Parrots inhabit Brazil, Australia, and India, living in large groups and feasting on fruit, but their love for food can be a problem for farmers; they're known for strong beaks and feet, cleverness, and loud vocalizations.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Parrots inhabit Brazil, Australia, and India, living in large groups and feasting on fruit, but their love for food can be a problem for farmers; they're known for strong beaks and feet, cleverness, and loud vocalizations.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

HAPPY HUNTING GROUND We're 'animal people' who enjoy the company of all kinds of creatures. Consider this typical chain of events, leading to total confusion, which began one afternoon. My daughter telephoned me at work with the news that she had found a wonderful pine snake. 'Can we keep him?' she cried. I said 'Yes, but only overnight.' We had set up a special tank for just such passers-through, overnight being long enough to admire and look them up in our well-used natural history book. I was late getting home. I hurriedly put a pot on to boil just as screams of 'Oh, Mother! Help! Do something!' came from my sons' bedroom. I leapt to it. The crisis involved Domino the cat and Bianca the white mouse given to me as a Mother's Day present. (I've [line 23: beginning] heard that some mothers get [line 23: end] perfume.) Domino, with mouse feet waving from his jaws, ran round and round the bedroom that was crowded with furniture and children. Looking for a way out so he could enjoy his catch, Domino had so far avoided the forest of waving arms. I threw myself into the confusion and promptly tripped over something or someone to find myself on the floor. As I thought about dropping my full weight on Domino when he next came past, my eyes locked on the snake. It had escaped - or, more correctly, was escaping. It was pouring itself up and out and off the table and all over the floor. I crouched like a rabbit at the approach of its bullish head, and long powerful body. The snake and I were now both being jumped over by cat/mouse/kids in a screaming, leaping, hissing mass - the snake striking at every moment, the dog barking wildly. The pot boiled over in the kitchen and I raced to shut off the gas, returning to the battle with new strength. This time I successfully captured Domino by the tail, and pulled the small, damp and miraculously uninjured mouse from his growling jaws. Incidentally, the same mouse was caught by the same cat three more times during its lifetime, but eventually died of old age. [line 60: beginning] Encouraged by my success with the [line 60: end] cat, I looked the snake over for weak points. It didn't have any. In the end, I sat on the floor like a snake-charmer, rocking backwards and forwards, but without a flute. Gradually the snake relaxed enough to drop its head on to its piled-up body, but its eyes still shone with suspicion. I eventually ever-so-slowly eased my hands beneath the piled-up snake and gradually raised myself to a kneeling position, then I stood up and walked to the very end of the garden where I gave the snake the choice of living happily ever after on the garden shed by pointing it in the direction of a handy tree. But when I finally gathered enough courage to release the snake's head - fully expecting it to swing instantly around to crush my face in its powerful jaws - it slid away from the tree and up over my shoulders where, like a colourful leathery shawl, it gave every sign of making itself comfortable for the winter. We stood in the gathering dusk, four young children, Mum and the snake. DJ, my eldest, broke the heavy silence with a scientific explanation: 'You know what it is, Mum? You're nice and fat and warm, and the shed isn't.' I had the children gather at the snake's tail end and gently encourage it to move on. Slowly and unwillingly it did so. Without a backward glance, the snake travelled smoothly up the wall to disappear over the now night-shadowed roof. As the last tiny bit of tail disappeared from our property, three-year old Clay sighed and said it for all of us: 'Boy, that was one big snake!'

B2

Summary: A family's chaotic encounter with a pine snake, a cat, and a mouse leads to a thrilling adventure as they try to capture the snake and release it safely outside.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: A family's chaotic encounter with a pine snake, a cat, and a mouse leads to a thrilling adventure as they try to capture the snake and release it safely outside.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

Heritage The true meaning and significance of heritage is that it gives people and communities a genuine sense of connection with the past. Obviously, we feel connected to our personal heritage usually, we know who and what our grandparents were, and we will have heard stories about how they lived. But, beyond that, there is a wider basic need to learn about our past, in order to help us understand and interpret our individual and national futures. Heritage represents a fundamental desire for continuity - assurance about the past goes a long way to assuring our future. It is through this continuity that we achieve our own place in history, our own immortality. In the same way that you inherit your genes, you also inherit a culture which has been passed down through many generations. There are aspects of your national heritage that you may not like or condone, but it is yours, and it is reassuring to feel a part of something. Heritage has a phenomenal amount to teach us and, I would say, is imperative for our well-being. It affects everything from customs to material culture. Traditionally, our link with the past was through the stories and legends passed down by our ancestors. But, because Western industrial society broke up communities and families, much of that oral tradition has already been lost. Instead, places and architectural 'memories' give us clues to our past. It is vitally important to conserve and restore these links as a testament to our ancestors' identity. The Fens Some while ago I began a novel, Waterland, in which, though I did not know it then, the landscape of that part of England known as the Pens was to play a major part. Since the novel was published I have often been asked why, as an ignorant and perhaps presumptuous Londoner, I chose to write about a part of the country with which I have no personal connection. The short answer is that I chose the Fens because of their apparent unobtrusiveness -- a flat and empty stage on which to set the drama of my book. This, as I learnt, was merely theory. The Fens, once one's imagination has got to grips with them, are neither flat nor empty. What I discovered was that the Fens, while as richly English as any other part of England, are also compellingly and hauntingly strange. It is remarkable that there should still exist in the middle of England a region which most English people find peculiarly foreign, especially when so many other distinctive (and remoter) areas of Britain have been ingested into the nations cultural and literary heritage. The Fens are both empty and brimming, both cultivated and tenaciously wild, apparently 'open' and 'obvious' yet profoundly mysterious. My own physical researches while writing my novel were in fact not so extensive. I have never been, yet, to Wisbech or Prickwillow. As a writer of fiction I am interested in imagined worlds, and I would much rather hazard an inspired guess at some point of authenticity than go for documentary proof. Yet this very attempt to 'imagine' the Fens has its special logic, for, as the pages of Edward Storey's scholarly book abundantly show, the Fens are, peculiarly, not just a landscape but a state of mind. Museums Museums must make their collections accessible. In the past, this simply meant packing them into display cases, often with wordy labels that made little concession to the lay person. Nowadays, accessibility should demand more than this. Displays can be lively and interesting, making the best use of theatrical or architectural techniques to capture visitors' attention and perhaps stimulate emotional response. But museums should be about more than their displays. They should make their collections accessible to the widest possible community. The provision of loan boxes of objects for class teachers is one known example of this and, recently, this principle has been extended by some museums so that similar material is made available for use in treating elderly people who are losing their memory. Museums concern themselves with 'artefacts and specimens' - not replicas. They exist to facilitate an encounter with authenticity. They present items that actually existed - were used - had meaning - at some historical time. This is their great strength, and is what distinguishes them from heritage centres and theme parks, books and CD-ROMs. Museums which rise to the challenge which this distinction implies and provide exciting and accessible displays, catalogues and outreach programmes, will find that their apparent competitors in 'virtual history' are in fact their allies, stimulating an appetite for the 'real thing' that museums are uniquely placed to satisfy. Architecture and Environment The desire to preserve things is not new, but now change in our towns comes with such speed and on such a scale that most of us are affected by it in some way. It turns some people into rabid preservationists and it encourages others to think more closely about the nature of towns as we know them today and their future. It may be quite reasonably argued that the generations who have lived through events such as world wars and the like are more inclined to preservation than their predecessors - anything which expresses stability becomes important. If there is a psychological need for preservation it is part of the planners job to take account of it. Change is no enemy if we learn how to handle it. Physical change, in other words, change in the environment provided by our towns, reflects social change - change in our numbers, in our welfare and in our demands.

C2

Summary: Heritage connects people to their past, providing a sense of continuity and identity. It's not just about personal stories but also national and cultural legacies that shape individual and collective futures.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Heritage connects people to their past, providing a sense of continuity and identity. It's not just about personal stories but also national and cultural legacies that shape individual and collective futures.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

Rock Band Two years ago,our 14-year-old s on,Ben, asked us for a set of drums for his birthday. At first,we were very much against the idea because of the noise. 'It's better than watching television or playing computer games in my free time,' Ben argued ,'and it'll keep me out of trouble.' In the end we gave in. 'All right,' we said, 'but you must consider the rest of the family and the neighbours when you play.' That was just the beginning. Because drums are not the easiest instrument to transport, the other members of Ben's band started appearing at our home with their guitars and other electrical equipment. And so, for several hours a week,the house shakes to the noise of their instruments and their teenage singing. At least Ben's hobby has been good for our health: whenever the band start practising, my husband and I go out for a long walk. And I must admit that, although their music may sound a little strange, they are a friendly and polite group of young men. I cannot judge their musical skill - after all I didn't expect my parents' generation to like the same music as I did when I was a teenage - but they do play regularly in local clubs for young people. Our main worry is that they won't spend enough time on their school work because of their musical activities, though this hasn't happened yet. I am always stressing to Ben how important his studies are. But one thing is certain - Ben was right: it has kept him out of trouble and he is never bored.

B1

Summary: A family's home becomes a makeshift music studio for their 14-year-old son's rock band, with neighbors and family members adapting to the noise and chaos.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: A family's home becomes a makeshift music studio for their 14-year-old son's rock band, with neighbors and family members adapting to the noise and chaos.CEFR level: B1[/INST]

Writing by hand and on screen Dr Johnson maintained that 'what is written without effort is in general read without pleasure'. The converse is that good writing comes hard. Looking back though my handwritten school essays I was surprised at how few crossings-out they contained. Today I would have rewritten them five times over. I am sure the reason was that they were physically hard to write. The slowness of the hand disciplined the brain. What would be difficult to alter or erase was written with care. The casual facility of the computer leads to sloppiness. Most writers using word processors find the time spent correcting early drafts more or less equates with the time originally spent on handwritten text. Equally, the e-mail, unlike the handwritten letter, is emotionally ponderous. This electronic Eros is said to have revive the art of the love letter. Millions of these missives now flow down the lines, where previously there was only idle chatter. Hurrah for that. At least these e-mails are written, in a sort of English and a sort of grammar: But words printed on a screen pack a monotonous punch. Their writers are often unaccustomed to the power of the written word and tend, in computer jargon, to 'flare'. Their meaning becomes exaggerated and distorted in transmission. And printed words written in haste lack the care and character of handwriting. The CD I put down my cup and went to inspect the CD. The case was disappointing but the rainbow-silver disc inside looked interesting. 'Wonderful little things, aren't they?' Mr Warriston said, coming back into the room. I agreed, gingerly handing the disc to him. 'Amazing they manage to squeeze seventy minutes of music onto them,' he continued, bending to the hi-fi device. He switched it on and all sorts of lights came on. He pressed a button and a little drawer slid out of the machine. He put the disc inside, pressed the button again and the tray glided back in again. 'Of course, some people say they sound sterile, but I think they...' 'Do you have to turn them over, like records?' I asked. 'What? No,' Mr Warriston said, straightening. 'No, you only play one side.' 'Why?' I asked him. He looked nonplussed, and then thoughtful. 'You know,' he said, 'I've no idea. I don't see why you couldn't make both sides playable and double the capacity...' He stared down at the machine. 'You could have two lasers, or just turn it over by hand... hmm.' He smiled at me. 'Yes, good point.' He nodded over at my wooden chair. 'Anyway. Come on, let's get you sitting in the best place for the stereo effect, eh?' I smiled, pleased to have thought of a technical question Mr Warriston could not answer. Books versus Electronic Text In comparing books and electronic text, the author Malcolm Bradbury was spot on when he said that if matches had been invented after cigarette lighters, we'd have marvelled at the improvement. Most of the propaganda, dazzled by newness, states that electronic text is a change comparable to the invention of printing and that it is already nearly completed. It ignores the fact that shifts in consciousness take generations and such rhetoric falls into the trap of chronocentricity, the egotism that one's own generation sits on the very cusp of history. Take this treasure from Mighty Micro, a book from 1979: 'The 1980s will see the book as we know it, and as our ancestors created and cherished it, begin a slow and steady slide to oblivion.' So far, so wrong. Reading anything lengthy on a screen is such a miserable experience that most never do it and, in any case, the organisation of what resides in computers encourages people to dip into text. Techno-proselytisers have extracted virtue here by claiming that inherent flightiness leads to new forms of narrative and imaginative space. But there's nothing new about 'non-linearity'. Lots of books have never been read from beginning to end - most religious texts, dictionaries and poetry collections spring to mind. What is new is not so much the branchings of electronic text as that computers don't invite the joined-up thinking of reading anything in its entirety. The Office Charles Walked through the office door and into a perfect world of order. The carpet was clear of the paper avalanche which had buried it on the very day it was put down, and the naked desk was dark wood, just as he remembered it from the Sotheby's auction of five weeks ago. Neat file-holders were being put in their proper drawers. Twelve years of trade journals now filled the shelves on one wall. Kathleen strained to close the door of the filing cabinet and then turned on him. 'You have to go to computers, Charles. This is just too much.' 'Hello, Kathleen. Oh, this is amazing.' He was admiring the room, its antique furniture. He was not visualising a computer or any other mechanical device in it, not even a pencil sharpener. 'Simply amazing,' he said, altogether skirting the issue of computers. Over the two years he had known her, they'd had this conversation many times. She could never understand his resistance to the technology when he was so adept at computers and had even published an important paper on computer-mode giftedness. She had been the inspiration for that paper. Via the keyboard, she could dip her fingers into the stuffing of any software and make it into a new animal that could sit up and bark at the moon if she wished.

C2

Summary: The slowness of handwriting disciplines the brain, while computer writing can lead to sloppiness. Electronic text lacks the care and character of handwriting, and its writers often lack the power of the written word.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The slowness of handwriting disciplines the brain, while computer writing can lead to sloppiness. Electronic text lacks the care and character of handwriting, and its writers often lack the power of the written word.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

The Wrong Country Uncle chose for them a package holiday at a very reasonable price: a flight from Gatwick Airport, twelve nights in Venice, the fairyland city, in the Pensione Concordia. When Keith and Dawne went together to the travel agency to make the booking, the counter clerk explained that the other members of that particular package were a school group from the south coast, all of them learning Italian. But something went wrong. Either in the travel agency or at the check-in desk, or in some anonymous computer, a small calamity was conceived. Dawne and Keith ended up in a hotel called the Edelweiss, in Room 212, somewhere in Switzerland. At Gatwick they had handed their tickets to a girl in the yellow-and-red Your-Kind-of-Holiday uniform. She'd addressed them by name, had checked the details on their tickets and said that that was lovely. An hour later it had surprised them to hear elderly people on the plane talking in North of England accents. Keith said there must have been a cancellation, or possibly the Italian class was on a second plane. They ordered two drinks, and then two more. 'The coach'll take us on,' a stout woman with spectacles announced when they touched down. 'Keep all together now.' There's been no mention of an overnight stop in the brochure, but when the coach drew in at its destination, Keith explained that that was clearly what this was. As they stepped out of the coach it was close on midnight: fatigued and travel-stained, they did not feel like questioning their right to the beds they were offered. But the next morning, when it became apparent that they were being offered them for the duration of their holiday, they became alarmed. 'We have the lake, and the water birds,' the receptionist smilingly explained. 'And we may take the steamer to Interlaken.' 'An error has been made,' Keith informed the man, keeping the register of his voice even, for it was essential to be calm. He was aware of his wive's agitated breathing close beside him. 'We were meant to be in Venice. In the Pensione Concordia.' 'I do not know the name, sir. This is Switzerland.' 'A coach is to take us on. An official said so on the plane. She was here last night, that woman.' 'Your group is booked twelve nights in the Edelweiss Hotel. To make an alteration now, sir, if you have changed your minds -' 'We haven't changed our minds. Theres been a mistake.' The receptionist shook his head. He did not know about a mistake. 'The man who made the booking,' Dawne interrupted, 'was bald, with glasses and a moustache.' She gave the name of the travel agency in London. 'Some problem, have we?' a woman said, beaming at Keith. She was the stout woman he had referred to as an official. They'd seen her talking to the yellow-and-red girl at Gatwick. On the plane she'd walked up and down the aisle, smiling at people. 'My name is Franks,' she was saying now. 'I'm married to the man with the bad leg.' 'Are you in charge, Mrs Franks?' Dawne enquired. 'Only we're in the wrong hotel.' Again she gave the name of the travel agency and described the bald-headed counter clerk, mentioning his spectacles and his moustache. Keith interrupted her. 'It seems we got into the wrong group. We reported to the Your-Kind-of-Holiday girl and left it all to her.' 'We should have known when they weren't from Dover,' Dawne contributed. 'We heard them talking about Darlington.' Keith made an impatient sound. He wished sh'ed leave the talking to him. 'We noticed you at Gatwick,' Keith said. 'We knew you were in charge of things.' 'And I noticed you. I counted you, although I daresay you didn't see me doing that. Now, let me explain to you. There are many places Your-Kind-of-Holiday sends its clients to, many different holidays at different prices. There are, for instance, villa holidays for the adventurous under-thirty-fives. There are treks to Turkey, and treks for singles to the Himalayas.' 'Now, what I am endeavouring to say to you good people is that all tickets and labels are naturally similar, the yellow with the two red bands.' Mrs Franks suddenly laughed. 'So if you simply followed other people with the yellow-and-red label you might imagine you could end up in a wildlife park! But of course,' she added soothingly, 'that couldn't happen in a million years.' 'We're not meant to be in Switzerland,' Keith doggedly persisted. 'Well, let's just see, shall we?' Unexpectediy, Mrs Franks turned and went away, leaving them standing. The receptionist was no longer behind the reception desk. The sound of typing could be heard. 'She seems quite kind,' Dawne whispered, 'that woman.' Keith wasn't listening. He tried to go over in his mind every single thing that had occurred: handing the girl the tickets, sitting down to wait, and then the girl leading the way to the plane, and then the pilot's voice welcoming them aboard, and the air hostess with the smooth black hair going round to see that everyone's seat belt was fastened. 'Nice to have some young people along,' an elderly man's voice interrupted Keith's thoughts. 'Nottage the name is.' The old man's wife was with him, both of them looking as if they were in their eighties. They'd slept like logs, she said, best night's sleep they'd had for years, which of course would be due to the lakeside air. 'Thats nice,' Dawne said. Keith walked out of the reception area and Dawne followed him. On the forecourt of the hotel they didn't say to one another that there was an irony in the catastrophe that had occurred. On their first holiday since their honeymoon they'd landed themselves in a package tour of elderly people when the whole point of the holiday was to escape the needs and demands of the elderly. In his bossy way Uncle had said so himself when they'd tried to persuade him to accompany them.

C2

Summary: Keith and Dawne, on their first holiday since their honeymoon, find themselves in a Swiss hotel instead of Venice after a travel agency mix-up, leading to a series of misunderstandings with the tour group's leader, Mrs. Franks.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Keith and Dawne, on their first holiday since their honeymoon, find themselves in a Swiss hotel instead of Venice after a travel agency mix-up, leading to a series of misunderstandings with the tour group's leader, Mrs. Franks.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

Emotional Intelligence - The Key to Success Daniel Goleman examines the 'people skills' that are essential for a place at the top of your profession A The rules for work are changing, We are being judged by a new yardstick - not just by how clever we are, or by our training and expertise, but also by how well we handle ourselves and each other. This yardstick is increasingly used in choosing who will be hired and who will not, who will be passed over and who will not. The new rules can he used to indicate who is likely to become a star performer and who is more prone to mediocrity. And, no matter what field we work in currently, they measure the trait- that are crucial to our marketability for future jobs, These rules have little to do with what we were told at school was important. The ability to do well in examinations is largely irrelevant to this standard. The new measure takes it for granted that we all have enough intellectual ability and technical knowhow to do our jobs. It focuses instead on social skills and personal qualities, such as initiative and empathy, adaptability and persuasiveness - the 'people skills' that make up what is now commonly referred to as emotional intelligence. B In a time when few guarantees of job security have led to the very concept of a 'job' being rapidly replaced by 'portable skills', personal qualities begin to play an important role in the workplace. Talked about loosely for decades under a variety of names, from 'character' and 'personality' to 'soft skills', there is, at last, a more precise understanding of these human talents as well as a new name tor them. 'Emotional intelligence' is generally defined as the ability to monitor and regulate one's own and others' feelings, and to use feelings to guide thought and action. In our work-life it comprises basic elements: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and adeptness in social relationships. There is a common assumption that it simply means 'being nice', However, at strategic moments it may demand not 'being nice', but rather, for example, bluntly confronting someone with the uncomfortable truth. Nor does emotional intelligence mean giving free rein to feelings - 'letting it all hang out'. Rather, it means managing feeling so that they are expressed appropriately and effectively, enabling people to work together smoothly towards their common goal. C More and more businesses are seeing that encouraging emotional intelligence skills is a viral component of management philosophy. And the less straightforward the job, the more emotional intelligence matters - if only because a deficiency in these abilities can hinder the use of whatever technical expertise or intellect a person may have. There are many examples of people who have risen to the top notwithstanding flaws in emotional intelligence, but as work becomes more complex and collaborative, companies where people work together best have a competitive edge. In the new workplace, with its emphasis on teamwork and a strong customer orientation, this crucial set of emotional competencies is becoming increasingly essential for excellence in every job and in every part of the world. D Whereas one's IQ undergoes few changes, emotional intelligence continues to develop as we go through life and learn from our experiences: our competence in it can keep growing. In fact, studies that have measured people's emotional intelligence through the years show that most people grow more adept at handling their own emotions and impulses, at motivating themselves and at honing their empathy and social adroitness. There is an old-fashioned word for this growth in emotional intelligence: maturity. Not only can emotional intelligence be learnt, but individually we can add these skills to our tool kit for survival. This is especially relevant at a time when it seems a contradiction to put the words 'job' and 'stability' together. Emotional intelligence is no magic formula for uncompetitive organisations, no guarantee of more market share or a healthier bottom line. But if the human ingredient is ignored, then nothing else works as well as it might.

C1

Summary: Emotional intelligence is key to success in today's workplace, where social skills and personal qualities matter more than technical expertise. It involves self-awareness, motivation, empathy, and adeptness in relationships, enabling people to work together effectively.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Emotional intelligence is key to success in today's workplace, where social skills and personal qualities matter more than technical expertise. It involves self-awareness, motivation, empathy, and adeptness in relationships, enabling people to work together effectively.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

A great idea! Frazer and Peter are two 14-year-old boys who grew up in the same small Canadian town. They have always been friends and classmates. Like all their other friends, they enjoy going fishing or swimming at weekends. But for the last few months, they've spent every weekend in Peter's room working on his laptop. This isn't because they have a lot of homework. They have made a new computer word game. The idea for the game came from Frazer's little brother, Kevin, who had problems with his reading. Kevin learns words more easily by seeing pictures and hearing information than he does by reading. His brother wanted to help. Frazer and Peter worked together for over 200 hours to make a computer game and now it's ready to use. It's a speaking and picture game. For example, if you look at the word 'hat', there's a drawing of a hat next to it and you can hear Peter saying 'Hat! Hat!' at the same time. The two boys have won a lot of prizes for their computer game and it will soon be on sale around the world. Many schools are interested in buying it.

A2

Summary: Two 14-year-old friends, Frazer and Peter, created a speaking and picture-based word game to help Kevin, Frazer's little brother, with reading difficulties.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Two 14-year-old friends, Frazer and Peter, created a speaking and picture-based word game to help Kevin, Frazer's little brother, with reading difficulties.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Amateur Astronomy Many things have changed in astronomy over the past half-century. Until about 30 years ago, there was a great shortage of charts and catalogues. Telescopic equipment was limited and there were few books on practical astronomy. Today, the range of off-the-shelf telescopes and equipment covers almost everything one could need. Electronic calculators and computers have revolutionised almanacs and chart production, and facilitated the analysis of observations and the publication of results. All this must surely make this the golden age of amateur astronomy. Well, perhaps, but a great deal has been lost as well. Now one may have to travel 80 km to find a sky comparable to that found in urban areas 50 years ago. The daytime skies are now plagued by aircraft condensation trails which can persist for hours and often spread out to form amorphous clouds, making solar observations impossible and hampering night-time observation too. Too Much Choice Society is becoming 'overchoiced'. There are too many things to do, too many options, too many opportunities. In the new economy, the desire for the new product, service or next big thing is an addiction, and technology simply accelerates the pace of change: the noise, the proliferation of new goods and services, offering more and more choice. No sooner has the new product emerged off this virtual production line than the next one is about to be launched. The head spins, the brain races, the fatigue sets in; the disconnection from life begins. Choice is the mantra of the new economy, but more choice means more stress, less time and more complexity. Hence a new trend is afoot. The search is on for 'simplexity' - the simple things that give meaning in an increasingly complex world. But simplifying your life is not easy in an age of economic excess. There are more basic brands of detergent and breakfast cereals than we can ever need or want, more software upgrades, features and calling plans than we can keep track of. McAndrews Hotel Every summer we spend a fortnight in McAndrews Hotel in North Mayo, Ireland. It is a family tradition, instigated by my grandmother, and by now it has achieved a certain sacredness. Nothing is allowed to interfere with the ritual. We are of a kind, McAndrews clientele: old-fashioned, odd perhaps, some would say snobbish. I do not like the bad manners, the insolence of shop assistants which passes for egalitarianism in this present age; I resent chummy overtures from waiters who sometimes appear to restrain themselves with difficulty from slapping one on the back. I know most of my fellow-guests' names - like me they have been coming here since they were children - yet can rest assured that when I meet any of them in any part of the hotel, I shall be spared all social intercourse apart from a civil word of greeting. Such respect for dignity and personal privacy is hard to come by in commercial establishments these days.

C2

Summary: Amateur astronomy has evolved with advancements in technology, but urbanization and light pollution have reduced the quality of night skies. Meanwhile, society's obsession with choice and constant novelty can lead to stress and disconnection from life, prompting a search for simplicity.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Amateur astronomy has evolved with advancements in technology, but urbanization and light pollution have reduced the quality of night skies. Meanwhile, society's obsession with choice and constant novelty can lead to stress and disconnection from life, prompting a search for simplicity.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

Garbage in, garbage out Charging families for each bag of rubbish they produce seems environmentally sound and economically sensible. It may not be. Some rituals of modern domestic living vary little throughout the developed world. One such is the municipal refuse collection: at regular intervals, rubbish bags or the contents of rubbish bins disappear into the bowels of a special lorry and are carried away to the local tip. To economists, this ceremony is peculiar, because in most places it is free. Yes, households pay for the service out of local taxes but the family that fills four bins with rubbish each week pays no more than the elderly couple that fills one. Yet the cost of rubbish disposal is not zero at all. The more rubbish people throw away, the more rubbish collectors and trucks are needed, and the more the local authorities have to pay in landfill and tipping fees. This looks like the most basic of economic problems: if rubbish disposal is free, people will produce too much rubbish. The obvious solution is to make households pay the marginal cost of disposing of their waste. That will give them an incentive to throw out less and recycle more (assuming that local governments provide collection points for suitable materials). But as Don Fullerton and Thomas Kinnaman, two American economists, have found, what appears to be the logical approach to an everyday problem has surprisingly intricate and sometimes disappointing results. Research focused on several American towns and cities which, in the past few years, have started charging households for generating rubbish. The commonest system is to sell stickers or tags which householders attach to rubbish bags or cans. Only bags with these labels are picked up in the weekly collection. In a paper published last year Messrs Fullerton and Kinnaman concentrated on the effects of one such scheme, introduced in July 1992 in Charlottesville, Virginia, a town of about 40,000 people. Residents were charged 80 cents for each tagged bag of rubbish. This may sound like sensible use of market forces. In fact, the authors conclude, the schemes benefits did not cover the cost of printing materials, the commissions to sellers and the wages of the people running the scheme. True, the number of bags or cans did fall sharply, by 37%. But this was largely thanks to the 'Seattle stomp', a frantic dance first noticed when that distant city introduced rubbish pricing. Rather than buy more tags, people simply crammed more garbage - about 40% more -- into each container by jumping on it if necessary. As we all know, such compacting is done better by machines at landfill sites than by individuals, however enthusiastically. The weight of rubbish collected (a better indicator of disposal costs than volume) fell by a modest 14% in Charlottesville. In 25 other Virginian cities where no pricing scheme was in place, and which were used as a rough-and-ready control group, it fell by 3.5% in any case. Less pleasing still, some people resorted to illegal dumping rather than pay to have their rubbish removed. This is hard to measure directly but the authors guess that illegal dumping may account for 30-40% of the reduction in collected rubbish. The one bright spot in the whole experience seems to have been a 15% increase in the weight of materials recycled, suggesting that people chose to recycle (which is free) rather than pay to have their refuse carted away. But the fee may have little to do with the growth in recycling, as many citizens were already participating in Charlottesville's voluntary scheme. In a more recent study, Messrs Fullerton and Kinnaman explore the economics of rubbish in more detail. One conclusion from this broader study is that pricing does reduce the weight of rubbish - but not by much. On average, a 10% increase in sticker prices cuts quantity only by 0.3%. This figure is lower than in other studies covering fewer towns, but is it so surprising? To reduce their output of rubbish by a lot, people would have to buy less of just about everything. A tax of a few cents on the week's garbage seems unlikely to make much difference. If that's the case, it seems worth considering whether other factors, such as income and education, matter every bit as much as price. In richer towns, for example, people throw out more rubbish than in poorer ones and they have less time for recycling. Should we conclude that the idea of charging households for the rubbish they produce is daft? Not at all: free disposal after all is surely too cheap. But the effects of seemingly simple policies are often complex. Intricate economic models are often needed to sort them out. And sometimes, the results of this rummaging do not smell sweet.

C2

Summary: Charging households for their waste may seem environmentally sound and economically sensible, but research suggests it can have unintended consequences, such as increased illegal dumping and only modest reductions in waste quantity.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Charging households for their waste may seem environmentally sound and economically sensible, but research suggests it can have unintended consequences, such as increased illegal dumping and only modest reductions in waste quantity.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

The Cerne Giant Sherborne and Dorchester are two towns in the south of England that are quite near each other. On the road between them, there are a lot of green hills and fields. On one of these hills is a picture of a very large man. The man in the picture is called the Cerne Giant because the village that is next to him is called Cerne. Nobody really knows when the Cerne Giant was made, but people think that it was a very long time ago. To get nearer the picture, you can walk from Cerne. If you go on the first of May when the sun comes up, you will see all the people from the village dancing around the man on the hill.

A2

Summary: The Cerne Giant is a large figure etched into a hillside in southern England, near Sherborne and Dorchester, with origins unknown but believed to be ancient.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The Cerne Giant is a large figure etched into a hillside in southern England, near Sherborne and Dorchester, with origins unknown but believed to be ancient.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Take Five Careers Rebecca Cripps meets five women who discuss their different professions: the highlights, the drawbacks and their typical working day. A. THE BRAIN SURGEON Name: Anne Age: 34 ANNE'S DAY "I get up at 6.30am, go the gym at 7am, get to work by 8am and start operating at 8.30am. I operate all Monday and Wednesday, as well as some Friday afternoons. Most standard head operations take three hours, but some operations take all day. I've worked ten hours straight through on occasion without eating or going to the loo. Deciding when to operate, and what to do, can be stressful. I don't feel particularly stressed when operating, but sometimes I worry about what I'm going to do the next day. Brain surgery tends to be a last resort for a patient, but when it works it's tremendous, and more than makes up for the unsuccessful times. From 10am to 1pm I hold an out-patients' clinic, when I explain the operations. I enjoy this and find it quite easy to talk to the patients. If they get upset, I comfort them, but time pressure can make this difficult. I leave work between 6pm and 8pm. Some nights and weekends I'm on call, and I always carry my bleeper. On holidays, I worry for the first three days about the people I've left behind, and at night I dream I'm operating. I'm hopeless at switching off." B. THE SENIOR DESIGNER Name: Marita Age: 31 MARITA'S DAY "I get up at Z45am, leave the house by 8.20am, take the train to work and arrive at 9.15am. At 10.30am on Monday we meet to discuss what were doing, any problems or whether anyone needs help. We work in teams - in my team there are three senior designers, a company partner who oversees everything, and a junior designer. The work usually involves ten to fifteen per cent design: the rest is production. I'll be given a brief by the client - with luck the company will have clear ideas about what they want to say, their target market and the form of the project. I then spend three or four weeks designing, researching and developing the project. After this I present my ideas to the client and once they've agreed to them, we work out estimates and budgets, and I start commissioning photographers and illustrators. I liaise with the printers and make sure the needs of the job are being met, and on time. I spend a lot of time managing people. I have to be able to communicate with a broad range of people, and briefing them correctly is essential. When their work comes in, I assemble everything and send it to the printers. Keeping several jobs going at once can send stress levels sky-high. Deadlines are always looming, and no day has a set structure. Lunch is at 1pm for an hour, when we try to get out to the pub. Otherwise I have sandwiches and work through. It's a great feeling if the client gives a good response to the designs you've done and you know the project has worked; it's a great disappointment when you've worked really hard and the job gets rejected. I get home at 7.30pm at the earliest; often it's 8.30pm and sometimes much later. I find it hard to unwind when I get back, especially if I'm very busy." C. THE CHAUFFEUR Name: Linda Age: 42 LINDA'S DAY "I get up at about 7am most days, but two or three mornings a week I meet a long-haul flight from Heathrow or Gatwick and get up between 4.30am and 5am. At 10.30 or 11am I might go for a bike ride, or swim. Because chauffeuring is a sedentary job, I have to watch my diet and exercise quite carefully. I usually have a big breakfast, though, and just have snacks during the day. People often ask me to recommend restaurants, nightclubs or shops, so I have to know my way around. Luckily, a lot of the jobs are pre-booked, so I get a chance to look routes up beforehand. Not everyone is polite. Some passengers are anti-social, some arrogant, some downright rude. But most of the time people are very well behaved and I've built up a good rapport with my regular clients. There are times when I hear a conversation in the car and have to make sure my eyes are firmly on the road and my ears shut. Sometimes the press have tried to make me talk about clients I've carried, but I won't. I work a seven-day week, up to fifteen hours a day. I have to be careful not to get too tired. I try to get to bed by 11pm." D. THE LANDSCAPE GARDENER Name: Tracy Age: 27 TRACY'S DAY "I get up at about 7am, leave the house at 7.30am and get to my first job. My assistant and I spend most of our time maintaining gardens we originally designed and landscaped. We do a few commercial jobs but most of our work is in private gardens. We spend about an hour and a half at each house. At about 11am we get hungry and go to a local cafe for a big breakfast. I often look at my watch and wish it was earlier and that time didn't pass so quickly. In summer I may work until 10pm; in winter until 4.30pm. The business office is at home, so when I get back I listen to any messages and respond to any calls. If someone wants their garden landscaped, I'll usually arrange a consultation with them in the evening - at about 7pm or 8pm. We specialise in using old materials, such as old bricks and unusual plants, to make gardens look as if they were built a long time ago. But sometimes people have a set idea of what they want, and it can be pretty horrible. Still, its very satisfying when we do a complete landscape from start to finish and then see all the blooms come out. It's hard to relax in the evenings because I can always hear the business line when it rings. I never have any trouble sleeping because the work I do is so physical that I'm always exhausted at the end of the day. I wouldn't say I'm very strong, but I'm fit. Physically, it's a very tough job, but it does let your imagination run wild." E. THE CIVIL ENGINEER Name: Zena Age: 27 ZENA'S DAY "I arrive at the site by 8.30am. I'm assistant resident engineer at the site, so I'm looking after the building of a couple of bridges and a retaining wall - which prevents people driving off the road into a quarry. I check that the contractors are working to the schedule and specifications, with correct safety systems and minimum environmental impact. I help to co-ordinate the site professionals and find solutions to any problems. The contractors start work at 6am, so my first task is to find out from the clerk of works what's been going on since I left the night before. The rest of the day is a reaction to whatever he tells me. Usually there's some paperwork from the contractors to look at, or there might be design queries to answer. Lunch is usually for half an hour between 2pm and 2.30pm, but I tend to grab things to eat as I go along. The contractors have set mealtimes and when they're off eating it's easier to check things on site. Because we're checking their work it can cause conflict, so our relationship has to be as open as possible. I see the duty resident engineer once a day. However, if something really important comes up I don't wait to tell them before I act. I usually leave the site at about 6pm and Im on call all the time.

C1

Summary: Five women share their careers, from brain surgery to landscape gardening, discussing highlights, drawbacks, and typical working days.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Five women share their careers, from brain surgery to landscape gardening, discussing highlights, drawbacks, and typical working days.CEFR level: C1[/INST]

Dear Jacqueline, Would you like to come to the cinema with me after school today? We can go to see Pocahontas at the ABC cinema. The film starts at 6 o'clock. Shall we meet outside the cinema? Love, Isabella Dear Isabella, I am very sorry but I can't go to the cinema this evening. My mother has some work, and I am going to cook dinner. Why don't you invite Karen to go? I hope you like the film. You can tell me about it tomorrow. Love, Jacqueline

A2

Summary: Isabella invites Jacqueline to see Pocahontas at the cinema after school, but Jacqueline declines due to family commitments and suggests inviting Karen instead.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Isabella invites Jacqueline to see Pocahontas at the cinema after school, but Jacqueline declines due to family commitments and suggests inviting Karen instead.CEFR level: A2[/INST]

Film Critic Mark Adams looks back over the last ten years of his work as a film critic for a newspaper called The Front Page. Writing articles about films for The Front Page was my first proper job. Before then I had done bits of reviewing - novels for other newspapers, films for a magazine and anything I was asked to do for the radio. That was how I met Tom Seaton, the first arts editor of The Front Page, who had also written for radio and television. He hired me, but Tom was not primarily a journalist, or he would certainly have been more careful in choosing his staff. At first, his idea was that a team of critics should take care of the art forms that didn't require specialised knowledge: books, TV, theatre, film and radio. There would be a weekly lunch at which we would make our choices from the artistic material that Tom had decided we should cover, though there would also be guests to make the atmosphere sociable. It all felt like a bit of a dream at that time: a new newspaper, and I was one of the team. It seemed so unlikely that a paper could be introduced into a crowded market. It seemed just as likely that a millionaire wanted to help me personally, and was pretending to employ me. Such was my lack of self-confidence. In fact, the first time I saw someone reading the newspaper on the London Underground, then turning to a page on which one of my reviews appeared, I didn't know where to look. Tom's original scheme for a team of critics for the arts never took off. It was a good idea, but we didn't get together as planned and so everything was done by phone. It turned out, too, that the general public out there preferred to associate a reviewer with a single subject area, and so I chose film. Without Tom's initial push, though, we would hardly have come up with the present arrangement, by which I write an extended weekly piece, usually on one film. The luxury of this way of working suits me well. I wouldn't have been interested in the more standard film critic's role, which involves considering every film that comes out. That's a routine that would make me stale in no time at all. I would soon be sinking into my seat on a Monday morning with the sigh, 'What insulting rubbish must I sit through now?' - a style of sigh that can often be heard in screening rooms around the world. The space I am given allows me to broaden my argument - or forces me, in an uninteresting week, to make something out of nothing. But what is my role in the public arena? I assume that people choose what films to go to on the basis of the stars, the publicity or the director. There is also such a thing as loyalty to 'type' or its opposite. It can only rarely happen that someone who hates westerns buys a ticket for one after reading a review, or a love story addict avoids a romantic film because of what the papers say. So if a film review isn't really a consumer guide, what is it? I certainly don't feel I have a responsibility to be 'right' about a movie. Nor do I think there should be a certain number of 'great' and 'bad' films each year. All I have to do is put forward an argument. I'm not a judge, and nor would I want to be.

B2

Summary: Mark Adams reflects on his 10-year career as a film critic for The Front Page, discussing the evolution of his role from a team-based approach to writing extended weekly pieces on individual films.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Mark Adams reflects on his 10-year career as a film critic for The Front Page, discussing the evolution of his role from a team-based approach to writing extended weekly pieces on individual films.CEFR level: B2[/INST]

POETRY RECITALS At any given time in history the literary scene will seem confused to those who are living through it, and it is the selectivity of posterity that makes the pattern and orders of eminence appear clearly defined to the retrospective view. It is fairly safe to say that, at the present time, there is an especially bewildering complexity of poetic tendencies, of kinds of poetry being written, of warring factions, of ways of presenting, criticising and teaching poetry, and of conflicting beliefs about the role of the poet in society. Very broadly speaking, the present debate in contemporary poetry concerns the reciprocal mistrust and disapproval shown by the seriously committed 'literary' writers, whose poems are intended to be printed and read on the page, and the 'popular', performing poets who, while they will probably publish their verses in magazines and collections, are happier declaiming them to an audience. Of course, this division is far from absolute. The practice of promoting public poetry readings has been steadily increasing over the past twenty years or so, in many different forms. Small literary societies in provincial towns conduct them in village halls or the sitting rooms of their members; schools and colleges invite poets to read and talk to audiences of students; arts festivals often advertise poetry readings by well-known authors on their programmes. The consequences of all these events, and of poets being more or less obliged to become public performers, are manifold and of uncertain benefit to them as mists. For the 'pop' poets, whose work has been composed expressly for the purpose of recital to live audiences, the issue is plain. They can only profit from public performance. Their verses are often very simple in both form and content, and can be assimilated at a single hearing; it is on the printed page that the deficiencies of thought, technique and imagination become clear. Poets who are dedicated to their craft, and are doing their best to continue and develop what is finest in the traditions of poetry - which involves compressing the maximum amount of passion, thought, wit and vision into the smallest possible space and achieving rhythmic effects of great variety and subtlety -- are unlikely to be appreciated by an audience which is probably encountering their work for the first time. The danger here is, not that they will be tempted to emulate the content and style of the entertainers, but that they might, in the effort to achieve instant communication, read only their most readily accessible work which is quite likely to be their slightest and least characteristic. Attendance at poetry reading cannot be a substitute for reading poetry on the page, though it can be an enjoyable and instructive adjunct. To hear good poets read their work aloud, even if they are not accomplished public speakers, is a valuable guide as to where the precise emphases are to be placed, but it is desirable that the audience should either follow the reading with the text before them or have a prior knowledge of the poems being spoken. The principal justification for popular recitals of poetry, where the readings are sometimes interspersed with musical items (jazz and poetry used to be a very popular mixture), is that audiences will come to associate poetry with pleasure and not feel that it is an art available only to an initiated minority.

C2

Summary: The literary scene is complex, with various poetic tendencies and conflicting beliefs about the poet's role in society. Poetry recitals are increasing, but their value is uncertain, as they may compromise the quality of poetry for popular appeal.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: The literary scene is complex, with various poetic tendencies and conflicting beliefs about the poet's role in society. Poetry recitals are increasing, but their value is uncertain, as they may compromise the quality of poetry for popular appeal.CEFR level: C2[/INST]

BEARS The bear can be a dangerous animal. The adult bear is very strong and it can kill a person. Bears are good at climbing trees and they can run very fast. But they cannot see well and, like most animals, they find food by using their noses. There are seven kinds of bear: The largest is the white polar bear, which is almost three metres tall. There are two kinds of black bear: One lives in the forests of North America, and the other lives in South-East Asia. But not all black bears are black. They may be dark brown or a reddish brown. Everyone loves the black and white panda bear, which comes from China. Not many pandas live in the forest today because it is difficult to find food.

A2

Summary: Bears are strong and can be dangerous, but also good climbers and runners; they have poor eyesight and rely on their sense of smell for food; there are seven types, including the polar bear, black bears, and panda bears.

<s>[INST] <<SYS>>You are an AI specialized in English language learning. Your task is to write a text that aligns with a specific CEFR level. The text should be engaging and based on the topic provided. Please ensure the vocabulary, sentence structure, and complexity are suitable for the specified CEFR level.<</SYS>>Topic: Summary: Bears are strong and can be dangerous, but also good climbers and runners; they have poor eyesight and rely on their sense of smell for food; there are seven types, including the polar bear, black bears, and panda bears.CEFR level: A2[/INST]