File Test 7 A

File Test 7

Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation A

GRAMMAR

VOCABULARY

PRONUNCIATION

Reading and Writing A

READING

Read the blog post about arguing traditions. Five sentences have been removed. Which sentence (A–F) fits each gap (1–5)? There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. Fight or Flyte? If you’re a regular follower of my blog, you’ll know that I’m a speaker in my local debating society as well as an amateur historian. Now, you may know that recently I’ve been doing some research. I’m fascinated by the art of debating, arguing, disagreeing, whatever you want to call it. Even the most mild-mannered of us argue sometimes. Cultures have their own techniques, rules, and etiquette when it comes to arguing – we all argue whether it’s face-to- face or online. (----1----) So, basically, as far back as the Vikings, people were having rap battles. Yes, you heard me correctly. You’ll all be familiar with modern-day rap music …. even if you don’t particularly like it. You may have heard of ‘rap battles’, or seen them on TV, or been to one and seen it live. If you don’t know them, it’s where two rappers get together and have a kind of rapping competition. One rapper makes up a short rap about a minute or so long, about his opponent, and then the other rapper responds with his own rap. (----2----) Anyway, the rap battle rhymes are high-speed and designed to offend the opponent, but they are also very clever. In the end, the watching crowd decides who the winner is. The modern rap battle tradition is supposed to have started on the streets of Brooklyn and the Bronx in the US sometime in the 1970s or early 80s, but its origins are perhaps more ancient than that. So, the first example I’ve found of rap battles goes way back in history to the time when the Vikings of Scandinavia told fireside tales of the mythical Norse gods. It’s not surprising that these stories were popular then – they had all the elements of a good story: drama, love, and violence. (----3----) But here’s something that might surprise you about those powerful Norse gods: they didn’t always solve their disagreements by fighting – they used words. Norse literature tells of the mischievous Loki who was famous for his ability to offend and insult his rivals. He would accuse them of all sorts of crimes, criticize their clothing, and tease them for being weak or cowardly. His opponent would have to defend himself with words, with each trying to win the argument with the cleverest insult. The existence of such stories suggests that word battles played an important role in Viking society, despite the fact that the Vikings were famous for being fierce warriors in real battles. This tradition of competitive arguments is recorded in Scottish history too. The name flyting comes from the old Scots word for ‘arguing’. The flyting tradition was most popular in the 15th and 16th centuries and involved a contest between rival poets. The arguments were famously fierce but generally good-natured. (----4----) Flyting was also a popular form of entertainment in England where it was often performed for the amusement of royalty. People must have got a lot of entertainment out of arguing with each other back then, although I’m glad the kind of debates we have at the debating society are a bit less dramatic. (----5----) However, examples of it appear in many famous works of Scandinavian and European literature including Beowulf, Shakespeare’s plays, and the poems of Robert Burns – and, of course, in the music of today’s rap artists.

A The kind of ingredients that make a great TV series nowadays. B Despite this, it is scientifically proven that it’s human nature to disagree, argue, and debate. C There isn't a great deal written about the actual history and development of flyting. D So, I thought I’d share with you some of the interesting ways people have settled arguments from the past to the present. E It’s a bit like a formal debate really, where one person gives their arguments, the opponent listens, and then takes their turn to respond after the first has finished speaking. F Although the contestants attacked each other with words, they apparently had a great deal of professional respect for each other. Reading total 10

WRITING

 say what kind of things people argue about  give advice on what you can do to win an argument  explain why your suggestions will work. Writing total 10 Reading and Writing total 20

Listening and Speaking A

LISTENING

appearance and the body. Underline the correct answer.

is thinking of you / someone who dislikes you is talking about you.

SPEAKING

‘You should always tell the truth, no matter what the consequences might be.’ Speaking total 20 Listening and Speaking total 30