Welcome to Language upon Thames.  This brochure has been designed to give you an overview of our Language School and the courses we offer. If you have some additional questions please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.     At Language upon Thames, we feel it is important to be flexible, in order that students can decide what period of study suits them best.           Small Group General English Courses     These courses are aimed at students who wish to improve their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills and are offered at the following levels.     BEGINNERS     ELEMENTARY                                              PREINTERMEDIATE     UPPERINTERMEDIATE     Studying one of the above courses will enable you to use English more confidently and competently on a daily basis.     Try our free online test to see which level you are at--CLICK HERE.                         Exam Courses     These courses are aimed at students who wish to gain academic qualifications in English and are offered at the following levels.     University of Cambridge exams:     ADVANCED 1--FCE (First certificate)     ADVANCED 2--CAE (Advanced)     ADVANCED 3--CPE (Proficiency)     Studying one of the above courses will enable you to continue your education or enter university in this country. (Students wishing to gain admission to a British university are normally required to have the Cambridge Proficiency Certificate.)            Speaking, Listening & Pronunciation      This course builds on communicative confidence and competence and is aimed at students who wish to develop the important skills of speaking and listening.      Emphasis is also placed on pronunciation, with activities designed to meet the needs of students of different nationalities, who need to focus on different areas.      CLICK HERE to register for a General English course.                       Other Languages      At Language upon Thames we offer a wide range of cafeterias, restaurants, shops and bars. Most importantly, we have foreign... What does this passage mainly talk about? A) English courses. B) Ways to improve students' English. C) The best way to improve your skills. D) The importance of English.
A


For high school leavers starting out in the working world, it is very important to learn particular skills and practice how to behave in an interview or how to find an internship  . In some countries, schools have programs to help students onto the path to work. In the   United States, however, such programs are still few and far behind. Research shows that if high schools provide career-related courses, students are likely to get higher earnings in later years. The students are more likely to stay in school, graduate and go on to higher education. In Germany, students as young as 13 and 14 are expected to do internships. German companies work with schools to make sure that young people get the education they need for future employment. But in America, education reform programs focus on how well students do in exams instead of bringing them into contact with the working world. Harvard Education school professor Robert Schwartz has criticized education reformers for trying to place all graduates directly on the four-year college track. Schwartz argued that this approach leaves the country's most vulnerable kids with no jobs and no skills. Schwartz believed that the best career programs encourage kids to go for higher education while also teach them valuable practical skills at high school. James Madison High School in New York, for example ,encourages students to choose classes on career-based courses. The school then helps them gain on-the-job experience in those fields while they're still at high school. However, even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work, the job market is _ . In the US, unemployment rates for 16-to-19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row. "The risk is that if teenagers miss out on the summer job experience, they will become part of this generation of teens who had trouble in landing a job," said Michael, a researcher in the US. In the author's opinion, German high school leavers   _  . A) enjoy more career-related courses than that of US B) need more career advice from their schools C) perform better in exams than American students D) are less brought into contact with the working world
A


Q: A new system that scans customers' fingerprints and subtracts the grocery bill from their bank accounts has taken supermarkets in Germany to use the new system. "Almost a quarter of our customers pay with their fingers," said an employee at the headquarters. Edeka has tried the system at 70 of its supermarkets. It says it will introduce it at 200 others because customers like it. "At first we thought that only the young who really keep up with the latest technology would be interested, but we were wrong," said Stefan Sewoester from IT Werke. "Almost two-thirds of the people who use the system are 40 and older," he said. IT Werke, a computer company, is one of the pioneers of fingerprint payment software in Germany. It has helped about 150 shops, canteens and bars to put in the fingerprint scanning machines. Each costs about 2,000 euros. To sign up for the service, customers must have their fingerprints taken and leave their addresses and banking details with the shop. The shop then takes the cost of goods directly out of the customer's bank account. "It is especially a good thing for elderly people. Now they do not have to remember their pin to pay with their bank cards, or to scratch around for their glasses or cash." Sewoester said. The stores benefit from the system too. It saves more than time in the check-out line. It also cuts out the hidden costs of accepting electronic card payments. According to the passage, the fingerprint system  _  . A) was invented by the Edeka supermarket chain B) has caused payment revolution in Germany C) is more popular with young people D) is preferred by most American customers
A: B


(Question)
Not everyone goes to university after high school graduation. Some work, others join the army and an increasing number worldwide are taking a "gap year" to travel or do community service in their own countries or abroad. They are studying sharks off the Australian coast, building schools in Mexico and learning Spanish or Italian. The concept of a gap year may not be new, but the recent surge   of interest certainly is.  Some students are putting off admissions. Others, who don't get into the college of their choice, are taking a year to explore new frontiers before reapplying. Students are choosing to take a breather; they are thinking. They are not sure what they are going to do. They are going and exploring some of their interests. They are getting experience they can take to the school they finally go to. It is an idea actively encouraged by colleges. Princeton University has just launched a "bridge year" program that will send 10 percent of its incoming class to do volunteer work abroad, starting in 2009. And the Harvard has spent the last 30 years urging incoming students to take a gap year. "Many speak of their year away as a 'life-changing' experience or a 'turning point'" says Harvard admissions director Marlin Lewis. "Many come to college with new opinions about their academic plans, their extracurricular interests and the career possibilities they observed in their year away." A student won't   _   in a gap year. A) travel B) join the army C) do community service D) learn a foreign language
(Answer)

B