Text 24

When you walk into number 4 Walpole Street, Chester, in the North of England, you have to be careful you don’t fall over the mountain bikes, sports bags and various pieces of sports equipment all over the hall. The house is occupied by five sports science students from University College, Chester, who eat, live and breathe sport. They work hard to keep fit. Karl, the canoeist, describes a typical day: “In the morning, we go for a run before breakfast, and then we have lectures at college. Then we go running again and or swimming, and then a quick lunch. In the afternoons we do coaching to earn some extra money, and evenings are spent in the gym or playing football”.

All five boys are obviously fit. But who is the fittest? We asked them to do a series of tests to find out the answer.

Text 25 Stonehenge

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 2.0 miles (3.2 km) west of Amesbury and 8 miles (13 km) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.

Archaeologists believe the iconic stone monument was constructed anywhere from 3000 BC to 2000 BC, as described in the chronology below. Radiocarbon dating in 2008 suggested that the first stones were erected in 2400–2200 BC, whilst another theory suggests that bluestones may have been erected at the site as early as 3000 BC.

The surrounding circular earth bank and ditch, which constitute the earliest phase of the monument, have been dated to about 3100 BC. The site and its surroundings were added to the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1986 in a co-listing with AveburyHenge monument. It is a national legally protected Scheduled Ancient Monument. Stonehenge is owned by the Crown and managed by English Heritage, while the surrounding land is owned by the National Trust.

Archaeological evidence found by the Stonehenge Riverside Project in 2008 indicates that Stonehenge could possibly have served as a burial ground from its earliest beginnings. The dating of cremated remains found on the site indicate that deposits contain human bone material from as early as 3000 BC, when the initial ditch and bank were first dug. Such deposits continued at Stonehenge for at least another 500 years.

Text 26

When Ermek was eight, he seemed to be very interested in computers. His parents knew that he would love to have one, but they couldn’t afford to buy one.

He learned how to use his friend’s computer, but he couldn’t wait to get one of his own.

His father decided to work extra hours to buy him computer. At first his father let him use it four an hour a day. He didn’t wait it to damage his eyes.

By the time Ermek was fourteen he had become very good at using his computer, but it was his only hobby. His parents wanted him to go out, but he had very few friends and he didn’t want to. Nobody persuade him to do anything and nothing could make him turn his computer off.

In the end, his father threatened to turn off the electricity. Ermek went to bed and pretended to be asleep, but at midnight he got up to work at the computer again. He didn’t want to sleep or to eat. He just couldn’t bear to be away from his computer.

His parents didn’t know what to do. Their son had become a computer addict. Even the family doctor didn’t know how to help. One morning Ermek’s mother found him lying on the floor. He had collapsed exhaustion. A fortnight in hospital finally made Ermek realize that his computer had become a dangerous obsession. Now Ermek is sixteen. He had lots of friends and hobbies. He hopes to study computer science at university and would like to find a job in computer research.