Eindexamen Engels vmbo-kb 2021, tijdvak 2: vragen en antwoorden

The cover-up

I showed up late to a Girl Scout meeting, and when I arrived they were already busy doing an activity; written on the white board was ‘Girl Scout gear and accessories’. I had never seen the word written down, so I said out loud “But I don’t know what ask-a-sorry is!” Everyone looked at me like I was an idiot until someone finally said “You pronounce it a-ses-or-ee.” Unable to admit my mistake and desperately wanting to save face, I couldn’t just let it go and instead said “Well, you can also say ask-a- sorry. It’s an alternative way of saying it.” I think about it every couple of months and just relive the embarrassment all over again.

Amy Lamb, Facebook

www.buzzfeed.com, 2017

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Tesco apologises

A horror film colouring book has been withdrawn from sale on the Tesco supermarket website after accidentally being marketed online at children aged five to eight. The supermarket removed the adult book

• which includes scary images from horror films Psycho and Hellraiser
• after it realised the error.

A spokesman for Tesco said the 16-page colouring book called Colour Me Good Arrggghhhh!! had been placed in an incorrect category when listed on its website by a third-party seller. Author Mel Elliott said she was not aware that the distributor had placed her books on Tesco’s website. She said her items were “pop culture-inspired and aimed at playful grown-ups”. She added: “They are not aimed at kids. They are usually sold to grown- ups in fashion shops and book stores.”

A spokesman for Tesco said: “We have very clear guidelines for third- party sellers who list items on our website and are sorry that on this occasion they weren’t followed.”

www.mirror.co.uk, 2013

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The fatberg

1 Today Thames Water has declared victory in its nine-week battle against the monster Whitechapel fatberg. Teams have been working in cramped and extremely challenging conditions

• as seen on BBC News
• four metres below the east London street to remove the famous congealed mass of fat, oil, wet wipes and other sanitary products.

2 Work in Whitechapel Road took longer than first expected due to the damage the fatberg

• weighing a whopping 130 tonnes
• caused to the one-metre-high egg-shaped sewer, using brute force and shovels. Thames Water waste network manager, Alex Saunders, said: “Our work is finished, and the beast was finally defeated after a huge effort from the team. It was some of the most gut-wrenching work many would have seen on national television, and one of the reasons why the man-made Whitechapel fatberg captured the world’s imagination.

3 The good news is, it has helped Thames Water and other water companies around the world get the message across that cooking fat, oils and grease should never go down the plughole. As you have seen, when combined with wet wipes, sanitary products, underwear, nappies, and anything else that shouldn’t be flushed, we’re faced with having to clear out these giant, rock-hard fatbergs.” Thames Water’s ‘Bin it

• don’t block it’ message is simple, with poo, pee and toilet paper the only things that should ever be flushed down the toilet.

4 Andy Brierley, director of Lanes Utilities, Thames Water’s wastewater network services maintenance partner, added: “Nailing this fatberg was like battling a giant Harry Potter movie creature beneath the streets of London. Around each sewer corner we discovered a new fatberg challenge.” Thames Water spends around £1m a month clearing blockages from its 68,000-mile sewer network. Eight times every hour a customer suffers a blockage caused by items being flushed away or put down the drain which shouldn’t be.

Thames Water Utilities Limited, 2017

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Happy Leap Day! February 29 only happens every four years. Why?

Why Leap Day?

1 Our calendar is normally 365 days long. It was created to match the cycles of the seasons. But Roman Emperor Julius Caesar noticed a problem: the Earth doesn’t circle the sun in exactly 365 days. It actually takes 365 and one-quarter days. He figured out that the extra fraction of a day would cause the calendar to grow apart from the seasons over time. Over 100 years, the seasons would shift about 24 days. Caesar decided to add an extra day to the month of February every four years. His idea helped keep the seasons and calendar matched up. Even so, it still wasn’t perfect

• his calendar was adding too many days. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII worked out a complicated solution. His calendar, called the Gregorian calendar, dictates that every year that is evenly divided by 400 is a leap year. Turn-of-the-century years, years ending in “00,” would not be leap years unless they could be divided evenly by 400. These complicated equations help keep the calendar in balance with the orbit of the Earth. Today, we still use the Gregorian calendar. In about 3,000 years, the calendar will be only one day out of step with the seasons. It’s still not perfect, but mathematicians decided it was as close as we could get.

A Complicated Birthday

2 So what happens when someone is born on Leap Day? Do these happy few celebrate their birthday each year, or do they instead have to wait four years to age? Statistics show that on non-leap-years, about 80 percent still celebrate their birthdays in February, rather than on March 1. Birth certificates and most government agencies use February 29 for people who were born on Leap Day, but some states use March 1 for official purposes. So how rare is a Leap Day birthday? The chance of someone being born on a Leap Day is 1 out of 1,461. Babies born on February 29 are sometimes known as leapers or leaplings.

www.timeforkids.com, 2017

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Arctic pics

1 The seal poised on the edge of an iceberg is about to plunge into the Arctic waters. Josh Harrison’s photograph

• one of almost 2,000 he took in this remote region
• helped him reach the finals of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Now, the 29-year-old who says he is “pretty much hooked” on the Arctic, is holding his first major exhibition in Hull. “It is so pure and remote, and the light is always good,” said Josh, who runs a commercial photography and design business. “You could take the same landscape shot a few hundred times in a day and it would never be the same, it is always changing.”

2 The showing, at Hull Maritime Museum, features 20 of Josh’s images. They are set alongside objects from the collection, to draw links with Hull’s history of whaling in the region. Alongside the historical aspects, he hopes the showing will inspire others to visit this icy destination, and raise awareness of the changes now taking place in its ecosystem. “You can see the effect climate change is having,” Josh said.

3 “The first time I went up, there were a couple of maritime biologists studying the impact tourism was having up there. One thing they told us, which I found quite worrying, was that pesticides that were banned in the US in the Seventies, but are still used in other countries, have started getting into the ecosystem. The big predators, like the polar bears, get the build-up of these chemicals.”

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4 Josh saved up for eight months to pay for his first trip to the Arctic in 2010. The holiday came about after previous trips to Iceland and Norway for this self-taught photographer. “It made sense to keep going further north,” he said. A former manager of the Skate Park in Driffield, Josh began taking action photographs of the BMX bikers and skateboarders using the site. After getting requests to take more photographs, he decided to start his own business. Because of his interest in travel and photography he visited the US, Europe and India and he took a series of wildlife images across East Yorkshire. But the Arctic, to which he returned last year, made a particular impression.

5 During his 2010 trip, he came within 20ft of a group of polar bears. On his second trip he also saw seals, walruses and birdlife. It was during this trip that he captured the two images that reached the finals of this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Alongside the image of the seal was a shot of hundreds of harp seals gathered on icebergs. “One morning, we woke up and there were hundreds of beluga whales as far as you could see,” Josh said. “There were all these little white humps popping up for miles around.”

6 He also visited the research town of Ny-Alesund, the site of the world’s most northerly post office, where scientists live alongside some of the region’s fiercest creatures. “You can’t leave the towns without carrying a weapon because of the polar bears,” Josh said. “The guides are always armed, though that is a last resort, as they tend to leave you alone. But then I think most of the places worth visiting involve some sort of risk”. He’s looking to return to the Arctic soon, and, in the future, would like to make the trip south to the Antarctic. Despite his affection for this northerly region, one thing he hasn’t acclimatized to is the Midnight Sun. “It’s particularly disorientating when you’re in a bar,” he said. “It feels like it’s mid-afternoon, until you look at your watch and realise it is 1 am.”

The Journal, 2017

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Double Dipping

1 What do you do when you are left with half a chip in your hand after dipping? Admit it, you’ve wondered whether it’s OK to double dip the chip, loading your half-eaten chip with a bit more dip. But can the bacteria in your mouth make it onto the chip then into the dip? Presumably some of your mouth’s bacteria transfer to a food when you take a bite. But the question is whether that happens, and if so, how many bacteria make it from mouth to dip. We compared bitten versus unbitten crackers, measuring how many bacteria could transfer from the cracker to a cup of water. We found about 1,000 more bacteria per milliliter of water when crackers were bitten before dipping than solutions where unbitten crackers were dipped.

2 Then we compared three kinds of dip: salsa, chocolate and cheese dips. Again, we tested bacterial populations in the dips after already-bitten crackers were dipped, and after dipping with unbitten crackers. We also tested the dips two hours after dipping to see how bacterial populations were growing. So, how dirty is your dip? We found that without double- dipping, our foods had no detectable bacteria present. Once subjected to double-dipping, the salsa took on about five times more bacteria from the bitten chip when compared to chocolate and cheese dips. 15 two hours after double-dipping, the salsa bacterial numbers dropped to about the same levels as the chocolate and cheese.

3 So, is it something you need to worry about? Anywhere from hundreds to thousands of different bacterial types and viruses live in the human oral cavity, most of which are harmless. But some aren’t so good. With that in mind, there may be a concern over the spread of oral bacteria from person to person thanks to double-dipping. And a person doesn’t have to be sick to pass on germs. If you detect double-dippers in the midst of a festive gathering, you might want to steer clear of their favored snack. And if you yourself are sick, do the rest of us a favor and don’t double-dip.

www.scientificamerican.com, 2015

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Can companies make us better citizens?

1 If you want to know what coffee and elections have in common, ask Starbucks. In May, the US giant ran a campaign in the Philippines called “care to vote”, which rewarded customers with a free drink if they turned out to vote in the country’s general election. Having visited a polling station, all customers had to do was show an ink-stained voting finger to a barista in order to get their complimentary coffee or other beverage. “Our intent was simple,” says Keith Cole, head of marketing for Starbucks Philippines. “By helping to increase voter participation we believe more people will have an opportunity to make their votes count.”

2 From campaigning on voting rights, to sustainability, healthy eating, and gender equality, businesses are increasingly speaking out about societal issues, in the hope of influencing

• and improving
• our behaviour. The aim, they say, is to use their power and influence for good, and not just for profit. But with corporate scandals never far from the news, can we seriously take their word for it?

3 The idea that brands might encourage us to be better citizens is not new. UK chocolate manufacturer Cadbury and US carmaker Ford invested heavily in the towns where their employees lived in the 19th and 20th centuries, and in return expected workers to live according to certain values

• both in and outside work. But today such efforts tend to be more focused on customers because the aim is to promote social good while encouraging loyalty to their brand at the same time.

4 Take Dutch brewer Heineken, for example, which has promoted moderate drinking in its advertising since 2011. Heineken PR manager Milly Hutchinson says that the firm believes it has “a role to play in society”, and the “perfect platform to spread the message of moderate consumption”. She adds that the firm is also reflecting a “visible shift in consumer behaviour”, as its own research shows that a majority of young adults now limit the amount of alcohol they drink. A Heineken survey published in January found that 75% of drinkers aged between 21 and 35 limited the amount of alcohol they drank on the majority of their nights out. The study was conducted across five countries

• the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Mexico and Brazil.

5 Charlotte West, from UK charity Business in the Community, says it is true that a growing number of firms are making their campaigning voices heard. She adds: “Companies can see that being associated with a certain practice reflects well on them, and might bring in additional customers. But they can risk seeming preachy too, 22 .”

www.bbc.com, 2016

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Old dog

1 There is a popular idiom “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But that really applies more to people than dogs. People get stuck in their ways as they get older. Dogs on the other hand are incredibly adaptable and have a lifelong willingness to learn new things. With some dogs reaching “senior status” at age 7, I believe it is important to keep training for their entire lives, and I have seen dogs as vintage as age 11 in my classes.

2 With that in mind, it is always easier to install new behaviors than to get rid of old ones. A dog that has had 10 years of lunging at other dogs, barking to get attention or relieving himself indoors is going to need a serious commitment from a new owner to change these habits as it may take a while. However, to teach a senior dog with little to no obedience training how to walk on leash, sit on cue, stay and come when called among other basic tricks is just as easy as teaching a young pup.

3 Besides classes, there are activities you can do at home with your senior dog that help keep him alert and well-behaved while you maintain or strengthen your bond with him. Practice “stay” and “come” when called with a game of hide-and-seek. Use cardboard boxes, plastic cups and towels to create nose work (scent hunting) games of “Find the Treats.” Turn meal times and walks into training games, rewarding your dog for “wait,” “leave it,” “watch,” and anything else you can think of incorporating, with the things he loves.

Courtney Bayer is a Canine Behavior and Training Associate at the Louisiana SPCA. To send a question to the Ask the Trainer column, email training@la-spca.org or visit www.la-spca.org/training.

blog.nola.com, 2017

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Pilots

1 (CNN)

• Their combined ages are just 45. But that didn’t stop 26-year-old captain Kate McWilliams and her 19-year-old co-pilot Luke Elsworth from flying hundreds of passengers to their destinations this week. The young pilots manned a flight from London to Malta, after Kate earlier passed a course ascending to the rank of captain. Their employer, the British carrier Easyjet, believes Kate has become the world’s youngest commercial airline captain
• with co-pilot Luke also one of the country’s youngest co- pilots.

2 At an early age, Kate began a CTC Aviation training course, and two years later started working as a first officer with British airline carrier Easyjet. The first officer is often referred to as the co-pilot of an aircraft, and is in effect the second-in-command to the captain. Julie Westhorp of the British Women Pilots’ Association (BWPA) said she hoped Kate’s achievement “will inspire more women to consider pursuing a career in aviation. It clearly demonstrates to other young women that it is possible to succeed as a pilot in commercial aviation,” she added.

3 Of the 130,000 airline pilots worldwide, just 450 are female captains according to the International Society of Women Airline Pilots, and Kate has urged more women to join their ranks. “I joined the air cadets when I was 13 where I got plenty of flying experience,” said Kate, who first became interested in planes after attending an air show at age 4. “I didn’t imagine a career in commercial aviation as I didn’t know any commercial pilots who I could ask for advice,” added Kate, who is based at London’s Gatwick Airport. “I never even thought it could be an option available to me.”

edition.cnn.com, 2016

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Bear Biologist

1 From the moment conservation biologist Wes Larson entered the long sandstone tunnel, he could see the black bear at the other end. The 350-pound mammal simply stared back. Larson was in a remote area of Bryce Canyon National Park, trying to trap the bear to change its radio collar, which had dying batteries.

2 Larson crawled within eight feet of the bear, sat motionless to see if the bear might get aggressive, then finally jabbed it with a syringe full of tranquilizers affixed to the end of a pole. Nothing happened. So he administered another dose. Eventually, the bear crawled groggily out of the cave, where Larson was able to affix a new radio collar, weigh it, measure it, and take vital signs.

3 The trapping is part of a multiyear study Larson, 33, is working on for his master’s degree in wildlife and wildlands conservation at Brigham Young University. He is a new breed of scientist, sharing his work not only in academic papers but also with other people through a robust Instagram feed (@grizkid), where snapshots of himself with sedated bears, his pet orphaned raccoon and other wildlife have snagged more than 90,000 followers.

4 Growing up in western Montana, Larson was always curious about wildlife, fishing, and backpacking and exploring creeks for frogs, turtles, and snakes. … … … So Larson went into his office about every other week for about a year. Finally Smith hired him as a field tech to work on a study of polar bears in the Arctic.

5 Now, as a master’s student and research apprentice, Larson is primarily working on two bear studies. Besides his study on black bears, he is helping find polar bear caves and monitors hibernating females to determine exit times, denning behaviors, and any effects on the animals

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• he has withstood temperatures of minus 54°C, cold enough to make his eyeballs freeze
• but he insists polar bears aren’t as terrifying as their reputation might suggest. “Polar bears are curious, and when they do want to investigate a person as a potential food source, it’s scary just because you know they’re trying to eat you,” says Larson. “But we’re working with females that are resting, and they truly want nothing to do with us. They want to protect their young.”

6 While most science is a long, detailed, and often not so glamorous process, these activities naturally make for sensational social media. And over the years, Larson’s Instagram feed has evolved from a way to share his daily adventures with friends to a method for getting non-scientists interested in conservation biology. “It’s a way to spread a conservation message outside of the typical scientific formula,” says Larson. “I think my posts on Instagram and some of this other outreach helps people understand a little more about how conservation works and how biologists are actually out there trying to learn more about wildlife to protect them.”

www.nationalgeographic.com, 2016

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Perfect for the job

1 Merlin Entertainments Group advertised earlier this year for Lego model designers to help design and build animated figures for the Windsor theme park. The advert asked for experience in product design, IT and design packages, as well as an “interest in or knowledge about Lego and creation of Lego models”. In return, the company promised a “competitive annual salary”, 20 days of holiday and 40% discount on Lego kits.

2 Stanley saw the advert and felt he was a perfect fit for the role. He wrote to the company, saying: “Dear Sir/Madam, I am six years old and I love Lego and have a box of it. I hide my Lego so my brother can’t get it. I am the man for the job because I have lots of experience. Love, Stanley.”

3 The company sent him a reply. “Loving Lego is the first step to being a model maker, so it certainly sounds like you’ll be perfect for the job once you’ve finished school of course. In the meantime, and because you say you’re the man for the job, we’d love to offer you a one-off work experience day with our model makers.”

4 Stanley, who has now turned seven, spent the day watching how the model makers carry out checks and repairs on the Lego constructions throughout the theme park, and getting a behind-the-scenes tour. He said: “It was awesome to spend the whole day at Legoland meeting the model makers and learning all about what they do every day. I loved it and I can’t wait to tell all my friends about it at school.”

www.bbc.com, 2017

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Iceberg Floats Past Canada

1 The historic, seaside town of Ferryland, Newfoundland, doesn’t draw many tourists on an average day. Lately, however, people have been flocking to the sleepy village for a once-in-a-lifetime view of a massive glacier. Each year, hundreds of icebergs float past Ferryland through shipping lanes. The massive blocks of ice break off in the Arctic, and float south as they slowly melt away. This year, a particularly large iceberg has run aground right next to the town. While icebergs are not an unusual sight in Ferryland, this year has offered far more than usual.

2 Knowing when the icebergs will float by towns like Ferryland is difficult to predict, so the grounded one has been a great blessing to the town. Tour companies, like Iceberg Quest Ocean Tours, are enjoying record profits because of the reliably beached ice mountain. While the town has just 465 permanent residents, there have been traffic jams along their Southern Shore Highway due to amateur and professional photographers vying for position. Everyone wants a photo of this beautiful and somewhat surreal natural phenomenon. There’s no telling how long the massive iceberg will last in Ferryland. If it becomes unmoored, it could float away in a matter of hours. If it stays beached, it could last through the summer as it slowly melts away. If you can make it to Ferryland, now is the time to go. The iceberg is there, but it might not be for long.

www.urbo.com, 2017

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Office worker claim

Sheyla White looks up to the ceiling in surprise after a fire sprinkler nozzle drops onto her desk. She picks up the object and examines it for a few moments, apparently considering what to do. CCTV catches her: the video shows her surprise as it lands near her computer before she picks it up to look at it for a few seconds. Suddenly she hits herself hard in the forehead and recoils back from the impact, holding her other hand up to the wound.

White was busted before she received a compensation payout. She had hoped to get a payout from her employer’s insurers

• but they became suspicious and referred the case to state authorities in Florida, US. When they looked at CCTV they saw the injury was self-inflicted. White, of Fort Lauderdale, was convicted and sentenced to 18 months’ probation.

www.thesun.co.uk, 2018

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DO NOT THROW CIGARETTE BUTTS DOWN THE DRAIN

All drains lead to the sea Cigarette butts are made of plastic fibre and do not decompose. Cigarette butts get eaten by sea birds and animals, causing obstruction, poisoning and death.

BIN YOUR BUTTS Kick the flick

Cito, 2018

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