GT IELTS Collection 1 Reading Test 10

Is Your Loan Due Back This Week? Borrowing and Overdue-Item Information for Library Members

Introduction

A shared library collection works only when borrowed items come back for the next reader. Returning loans on time keeps shelves stocked and reservations moving for others. Under the terms of your Thornbeck Library membership, you must return each item to the branch that holds your account by the date on your receipt.

What you can do

Return or renew your loans on or before the due date. Items returned within two days of the due date are not charged, but after that, a small daily charge applies.

If you cannot bring an item back in time, it is important that you let us know promptly. Full instructions for reporting a delay, and details of who to contact, can be found on the library website.

If you think an item may be lost, you should contact us rather than waiting to see whether it turns up. Reporting a loss early lets us settle the matter quickly; if the item cannot be found, you will be asked to pay a replacement charge.

Policy on Overdue Fees

Overdue fines are charged to your account automatically once an item is more than two days overdue. We understand that emergencies happen, and we will gladly waive fees if the delay was out of your control.

Valid reasons for a fee waiver include:

Illness or a hospital stay.

Family emergencies or bereavement.

Documented postal delays.

Last-minute, mandatory travel for work or study.

A broken library return machine.

Please note that fees will NOT be waived for the following reasons:

Forgetting when the item was due.

Taking the item away on holiday.

Needing extra time to finish reading.

Losing your library receipt.

Lending the item to someone else.

HOLIDAY COTTAGES TO LET

A. Cottage A

Sleeps 2–4. Two-bedroom cottage on a small holiday park, with clear views over the lake. One of several stone cottages sharing an on-site shop and a few leisure facilities for guests. On the edge of a quiet village. Roadside parking is usually easy to find.

B. Cottage B

Sleeps 2–4. Finished only last year, this two-bedroom cottage welcomed its first guests last spring. Off-road parking on a private driveway. Set in a quiet hamlet, with the lake just a few minutes away on foot. A couple of golf courses lie just along the lane.

C. Cottage C

Sleeps 2, with room for a child. A one-bedroom cottage; a child's bed can be added if needed. A sheltered deck, screened from the neighbours, gives a private spot to sit out. In a pretty hamlet, ten minutes by car from a market town. The owners live close by and gladly lend a hand.

D. Cottage D

Sleeps 2–5. A more spacious three-bedroom cottage, with a heated pool of its own kept solely for guests. It sits about 3 km out from the village and its shop, on the edge of open moorland — a calm, quiet setting. A choice of golf courses lies a short drive away.

E. Cottage E

Sleeps 2–4. A one-bedroom ground-floor flat in a converted barn, with the owners living upstairs; a sofa bed in the sitting room takes two more. A small ferry to the island jetty sets off from the shore close by. Near a lively town, and a few minutes from a newly opened leisure complex, where there is public parking.

F. Cottage F

Sleeps 2. A one-bedroom cottage, very comfortably done out and full of homely touches. Out on the village outskirts, the windows frame a neighbouring golf course. The village shop and a couple of places to eat are a short walk down the road. A garage can be arranged with the owners.

G. Cottage G

Sleeps 2–4. A two-bedroom cottage right in the centre of a lively village, among the shops and cafés. A short way from the lakeshore. Whatever the season, the village keeps you busy — there is a pool open to all, courts for tennis, and a golf course on the doorstep.

Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE): A Guide for Factory Employees

Why it matters

Some tasks in the factory release hazardous substances into the air, such as dust, vapour, or gas. Breathing these in can harm your health, with common effects including sore eyes and headaches. Wearing the correct RPE protects you whenever you work in these conditions. Always make sure you are using the right RPE for the task at hand. Different respirators are designed for different hazards — for example, negative pressure respirators must never be used in low oxygen environments.

Getting a good fit

Some types of RPE only work if they form a tight seal around your face. To make sure yours fits properly, your employer will arrange a facial fit test every year. During the test, a substance is released that you can smell or taste if the seal is not secure, confirming whether the RPE is working properly.

A tight-fitting seal is only possible if you are clean-shaven — facial hair makes it almost impossible to achieve. If you have a beard, speak to your employer about alternative forms of RPE that do not rely on a tight facial fit. Jewellery and long hair can also compromise the seal, so keep these in mind when fitting your equipment.

Before every use

Carry out a visual check of your RPE for any signs of damage before you put it on. If your RPE relies on a tight fit, you must also check that it fits properly before you enter a hazardous area.

After every use

Clean it

Wash your RPE with a brush, warm water and a mild detergent — never use harsh products such as solvents, as these can cause damage. Rinse with clean water to remove excess detergent, which can otherwise irritate your skin. Dry your RPE on a solid wooden rack or suspend it from a clothes line.

Inspect it

Check your RPE after each use and while cleaning it. Examine the straps for breaks, tears, fraying edges and loss of elasticity, and confirm that the inhalation and exhalation valves are undamaged and working properly.

Store it

Keep your RPE in a clean, dry place away from dust, oil and sunlight, and position it so that it cannot be crushed. Improper storage can distort your RPE and stop it from working effectively.

Working Safely in a Dairy: Advice for Employers

Slips and trips are among the most common accidents in dairy facilities. They may occur during milking or while employees are carrying out routine cleaning and maintenance. Employers should pay particular attention to three major sources of risk: contaminated floors, physical obstructions and unsafe steps or stairways.

Wet or contaminated floors

Floors can quickly become slippery when they are wet or contaminated with milk, oil, cleaning chemicals or spilled grain. Employers should establish a clear procedure for removing spillages immediately and ensure that all staff follow it consistently. Slip-resistant flooring or matting should be installed in areas that are regularly damp, and workers should wear suitable footwear with soles that provide a secure grip.

Obstructions and poorly organised work areas

Hoses, cables, pipes and unused fittings can create tripping or collision hazards. Where possible, hoses and cables should be secured to walls or stored above floor level so that they do not cross areas used by employees. Redundant fixtures, including unused floor bolts, should be removed.

Equipment or other objects that obstruct walkways and entrances should also be relocated wherever practicable. Any hazard that cannot be removed should be made clearly visible, for example by marking it with yellow warning tape. Low overhead fixtures should be clearly identified and fitted with protective padding to reduce the risk of head injuries.

Unsafe steps and stairways

Steps and stairways may be dangerous if they are too steep, unevenly constructed or located in poorly lit areas. They should be structurally sound, fitted with slip-resistant surfaces and provided with secure handrails. Sufficient lighting should also be installed so that workers can see changes in floor level clearly.

Manual-handling risks

Dairy employees may suffer injuries when carrying buckets of grain, water or milk or when lifting calves. Employers should reduce these risks by limiting the weight of individual loads and encouraging workers to distribute weight evenly. For example, two lighter buckets may be safer to carry than one excessively heavy bucket.

Wherever possible, employees should use trolleys or other mechanical equipment instead of moving heavy loads manually. Workers should also receive appropriate training in safe lifting and carrying techniques.

Risks associated with milking

Milking work can place considerable strain on employees, particularly when they must stoop, stretch or repeatedly attach and remove milking equipment. Employers should therefore consider redesigning or adapting the milking area so that workers can perform their duties at a comfortable height.

Frequently used tools and equipment should be positioned within easy reach to minimise excessive bending and stretching. Staff should also rotate between different tasks, including attaching and removing the milking equipment, to reduce the physical strain caused by repetitive movements.

Listening to the Ocean

The results of some recent research answer some long-standing questions

A.

The oceans cover more than 70 per cent of the planet’s surface, yet until quite recently we knew less about their depths than about the surface of the Moon. The Moon has been far more accessible to study because astronomers have long been able to look at its surface, first with the naked eye and then with the telescope, both instruments that focus light. Until the twentieth century, however, no instruments were available for the study of Earth’s oceans: light, which can travel trillions of kilometres through the vast vacuum of space, cannot penetrate very far in seawater.

B.

It turns out that for penetrating water, the best instrument is sound. Curious investigators have long been fascinated by sound and the way it travels in water. As early as 1490, the artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci observed: ‘If you cause your ship to stop and place the head of a long tube in the water and place the outer extremity to your ear, you will hear ships at a great distance from you.’ It was not until 1826 that two scientists, Colladon and Sturm, accurately measured the speed of sound in water. Using a long tube to listen underwater (as da Vinci had suggested), they recorded how fast the sound of a submerged bell travelled across Lake Geneva in Switzerland. What these investigators demonstrated was that water is an excellent medium for sound, transmitting it almost five times faster than its speed in air.

C.

A number of factors influence how far sound travels underwater and how long it lasts, including particles, salinity, temperature and pressure. Particles in seawater can reflect, scatter and absorb certain frequencies of sound, just as certain wavelengths of light may be reflected, scattered and absorbed by specific types of particles in the atmosphere. In 1943, Maurice Ewing and J. L. Worzel conducted an experiment to test the theory that low-frequency waves, which are less vulnerable than higher frequencies to scattering and absorption, should be able to travel great distances, if the sound source is placed correctly. The researchers set off an underwater explosion and learned that it was detected easily by receivers 3,200 kilometres away. In analysing the results of this test, they discovered a kind of ‘sound pipeline’, known as the ‘deep sound channel’. Sound introduced into this channel of water could travel thousands of kilometres with minimal loss of signal.

D.

The US Navy was quick to appreciate the usefulness of low-frequency sound and the deep sound channel. They developed the Sound Surveillance System SOSUS, which involved underwater microphones, called hydrophones, that were placed on the ocean bottom and connected by cables to on-shore processing centres. It was Christopher Clark of Cornell University who soon realised that SOSUS could be used to listen to whales. Using a SOSUS receiver in the West Indies, he could hear whales that were 1,770 kilometres away.

E.

Whales are the biggest of Earth’s creatures, yet these animals are also remarkably elusive. Scientists wishing to observe blue whales must simply wait in their ships for the whales to surface. A few whales have been tracked briefly in the wild in this way but not for very great distances, and much about them remains unknown. But by using SOSUS, scientists can track the whales and position them on a map. Moreover, they can track not just one whale at a time, but many creatures simultaneously. They can also learn to distinguish whale calls; researchers have detected changes in the calls of finback whales as the seasons change, and have found that blue whales in different regions of the Pacific Ocean have different calls.

F.

SOSUS has also proved instrumental in obtaining information crucial to our understanding of climate. The system has enabled researchers to begin making ocean-temperature measurements on a global scale, measurements that are key to understanding the workings of heat transfer between the ocean and the atmosphere. The ocean plays an enormous role in determining air temperature — the heat capacity in only the upper few metres of ocean is thought to be equal to all of the heat in the entire atmosphere. For sound waves travelling horizontally in the ocean, speed is largely a function of temperature. Thus, the travel time of a wave of sound between two points is a sensitive indicator of the average temperature along its path. Transmitting sound in numerous directions through the deep sound channel can give scientists measurements spanning vast areas of the globe. Thousands of sound paths in the ocean can be pieced together into a map of global ocean temperatures, and by repeating measurements along the same paths over time, scientists can track changes in temperature over months or years.

G.

Researchers are also using other acoustic techniques to monitor the climate. Oceanographer Jeff Nystuen, for example, has explored the use of sound to measure rainfall over the ocean. Monitoring changing global rainfall patterns will contribute to understanding major climate change as well as the weather phenomenon known as El Niño. Since 1985, Nystuen has used hydrophones to listen to rain over the ocean, acoustically measuring not only the rainfall rate but also the rainfall type, ranging from drizzle to thunderstorms. By using the sound of rain underwater as a ‘natural’ rain gauge, the measurement of rainfall over the oceans will become available to climatologists. In this way, modern society continues to benefit from the investigations of those who, like Leonardo da Vinci, pursued the answers to some basic questions of nature.

Listening to the Ocean

The results of some recent research answer some long-standing questions

A.

The oceans cover more than 70 per cent of the planet’s surface, yet until quite recently we knew less about their depths than about the surface of the Moon. The Moon has been far more accessible to study because astronomers have long been able to look at its surface, first with the naked eye and then with the telescope, both instruments that focus light. Until the twentieth century, however, no instruments were available for the study of Earth’s oceans: light, which can travel trillions of kilometres through the vast vacuum of space, cannot penetrate very far in seawater.

B.

It turns out that for penetrating water, the best instrument is sound. Curious investigators have long been fascinated by sound and the way it travels in water. As early as 1490, the artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci observed: ‘If you cause your ship to stop and place the head of a long tube in the water and place the outer extremity to your ear, you will hear ships at a great distance from you.’ It was not until 1826 that two scientists, Colladon and Sturm, accurately measured the speed of sound in water. Using a long tube to listen underwater (as da Vinci had suggested), they recorded how fast the sound of a submerged bell travelled across Lake Geneva in Switzerland. What these investigators demonstrated was that water is an excellent medium for sound, transmitting it almost five times faster than its speed in air.

C.

A number of factors influence how far sound travels underwater and how long it lasts, including particles, salinity, temperature and pressure. Particles in seawater can reflect, scatter and absorb certain frequencies of sound, just as certain wavelengths of light may be reflected, scattered and absorbed by specific types of particles in the atmosphere. In 1943, Maurice Ewing and J. L. Worzel conducted an experiment to test the theory that low-frequency waves, which are less vulnerable than higher frequencies to scattering and absorption, should be able to travel great distances, if the sound source is placed correctly. The researchers set off an underwater explosion and learned that it was detected easily by receivers 3,200 kilometres away. In analysing the results of this test, they discovered a kind of ‘sound pipeline’, known as the ‘deep sound channel’. Sound introduced into this channel of water could travel thousands of kilometres with minimal loss of signal.

D.

The US Navy was quick to appreciate the usefulness of low-frequency sound and the deep sound channel. They developed the Sound Surveillance System SOSUS, which involved underwater microphones, called hydrophones, that were placed on the ocean bottom and connected by cables to on-shore processing centres. It was Christopher Clark of Cornell University who soon realised that SOSUS could be used to listen to whales. Using a SOSUS receiver in the West Indies, he could hear whales that were 1,770 kilometres away.

E.

Whales are the biggest of Earth’s creatures, yet these animals are also remarkably elusive. Scientists wishing to observe blue whales must simply wait in their ships for the whales to surface. A few whales have been tracked briefly in the wild in this way but not for very great distances, and much about them remains unknown. But by using SOSUS, scientists can track the whales and position them on a map. Moreover, they can track not just one whale at a time, but many creatures simultaneously. They can also learn to distinguish whale calls; researchers have detected changes in the calls of finback whales as the seasons change, and have found that blue whales in different regions of the Pacific Ocean have different calls.

F.

SOSUS has also proved instrumental in obtaining information crucial to our understanding of climate. The system has enabled researchers to begin making ocean-temperature measurements on a global scale, measurements that are key to understanding the workings of heat transfer between the ocean and the atmosphere. The ocean plays an enormous role in determining air temperature — the heat capacity in only the upper few metres of ocean is thought to be equal to all of the heat in the entire atmosphere. For sound waves travelling horizontally in the ocean, speed is largely a function of temperature. Thus, the travel time of a wave of sound between two points is a sensitive indicator of the average temperature along its path. Transmitting sound in numerous directions through the deep sound channel can give scientists measurements spanning vast areas of the globe. Thousands of sound paths in the ocean can be pieced together into a map of global ocean temperatures, and by repeating measurements along the same paths over time, scientists can track changes in temperature over months or years.

G.

Researchers are also using other acoustic techniques to monitor the climate. Oceanographer Jeff Nystuen, for example, has explored the use of sound to measure rainfall over the ocean. Monitoring changing global rainfall patterns will contribute to understanding major climate change as well as the weather phenomenon known as El Niño. Since 1985, Nystuen has used hydrophones to listen to rain over the ocean, acoustically measuring not only the rainfall rate but also the rainfall type, ranging from drizzle to thunderstorms. By using the sound of rain underwater as a ‘natural’ rain gauge, the measurement of rainfall over the oceans will become available to climatologists. In this way, modern society continues to benefit from the investigations of those who, like Leonardo da Vinci, pursued the answers to some basic questions of nature.