sábado, 15 de agosto de 2015

Reading test: A selfie with a weapon kills

In this week's reading test we are going to practice the kind of 'insert a sentence' kind of task. Read The Guardian article A selfie with a weapon kills: Russia launches campaign urging photo safety and choose the best sentence A to J for each gap. Two sentences do not correspond to any blank. 0 is an example.

A selfie with a weapon kills: Russia launches campaign urging photo safety

Russian police (0) have launched a campaign urging people to take safer selfies after accidents caused by high-risk poses (1) ……………… this year.

“A cool selfie could cost you your life,” the interior ministry warned in a new leaflet packed with tips such as “a selfie with a weapon kills”.

That warning comes after (2) …………. . In May, a 21-year-old woman accidentally shot herself in the head in Moscow while taking a selfie holding a pistol. She suffered injuries but survived. In January, two young men died in the Urals while taking a selfie holding a hand grenade with the pin pulled out. The mobile phone (3) ………. . In May, a teenager in the Ryazan region died while attempting to photograph himself as he climbed on a railway bridge and accidentally came into contact with live electrical wires.

“Unfortunately we have noted recently that the number of accidents caused by lovers of self-photography is constantly increasing,” said Yelena Alexeyeva, an aide to the interior minister. “Since the beginning of the year we are talking about some hundred cases of injuries for sure.” She added that the phenomenon had also led to “dozens of deadly accidents”. “The problem really exists and(4) …………… .”

The campaign includes leaflets, a video and advice on the ministry’s website, and uses warning signs in the style of road signs (5) …………….. . In one image, a figure holding a selfie stick wanders on a rail track. “A selfie on the railway tracks is a bad idea if you value your life,” the leaflet says. In another of the warning signs, a figure climbs on an electricity pylon while taking a selfie.

The public safety video produced by the ministry includes spectacular images shot by “roofers” – a subculture based (6) ……………… buildings and taking photos from the top, their pictures often going viral on social media.

“Before taking a selfie, everyone should think about the fact that racing after a high number of ’likes’ could lead someone on a journey to death and (7) ……………………… could turn out to be posthumous,” Alexeyeva warned.

A - a string of recent selfie-related accidents
B - around illicitly sneaking into high-rise
C - brought about by careless individuals
D - have launched a campaign – 0 Example
E - have resulted in about 100 injuries and dozens of deaths
F - his last extreme photo
G - leads to very unfortunate consequences
H - to get its message across
I - who inadvertently pulled the trigger
J - with the selfie survived as a record





KEY:
1E 2A 3J 4G 5H 8B 7F