OPTION A - TRAP
Trap is a curious English word. Young people are likely to associate it with a subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the Southern United States during the early 2000s, but it has several other very different meanings, which are not even near-synonyms. In theatre, for example, a trap is a concealed opening, usually in the stage floor, through which actors, props, and scenery can be brought on and off stage. Combined with elaborate and ingenious machinery, traps can be used to create a great variety of stage effects, particularly the sudden appearance or disappearance of characters. Then, in something as complex as solid-state physics, a trap is any location within a solid (generally a semiconductor or an insulator) that restricts the movement of electrons. Geologists also speak of traps when they study petroleum. In Geology, a trap is an underground rock formation that blocks the movement of petroleum and causes it to accumulate in a reservoir that can be exploited.
Of course the word also has far less technical meanings such as the piece of equipment used for catching animals or a clever trick that is used to make someone do or say something that they did not intend to.
Finally, the name of the subgenre of hip hop music comes from the Atlanta slang word "trap", a house used exclusively to sell drugs. Trap music is characterized by lyrical content that often focuses on drug use and urban violence, and uses very few instruments, which consist almost exclusively of drums and hi hats.
EXERCISE A.1: Add True or False, quoting the relevant information from the text to justify your answer. (2 points)
a) The scientists that study the rocks, soil etc that make up the earth use the word trap to refer to an accumulation of petroleum caused by a rock formation below the surface of the earth.
b) In modern culture, trap is considered to be a rich style of music because it uses a wide variety of instruments.
EXERCISE A.2: Answer the following questions according to the information given in the text. Use your own words. (2 points)
a) Why is using traps so important for theatre?
b) Is there any relationship between drug use and the meaning of "trap" in music?
EXERCISE A.3: Find words or phrases in the text which mean the same as the following: (1 point)
a) hidden
b) subterranean
c) intelligent, smart
d) informal, vulgar
EXERCISE A.4: Complete the second sentence in each pair. The meaning should be the same as that of the first sentence. (2 points)
a) In hip hop culture, trap is newer than MCing or rapping. In hip hop culture, trap is not (...)
b) In solid-state physics, traps restrict the movement of electrons. In solid-state physics, the movement of electrons (...)
c) You say you want to study petroleum? You will have to learn about traps. If you (...)
d) "What style of music uses almost exclusively drums and hi hats?", Jane inquired. Jane wanted (...)
EXERCISE A.5: Write an e-mail to a friend persuading him/her to go camping with you. Justify your invitation and suggest a suitable, attractive destination (100-140 words). (3 points)

OPTION B - CAMPING AND RECREATIONAL VEHICLES
Have you ever gone camping? If you haven't, you must know that it is a recreational activity in which participants take up temporary residence in the outdoors, normally using a tent or a specially designed or adapted vehicle for shelter. Such a vehicle is usually known as a recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV. It is a motor vehicle or trailer which includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, and caravans (also known as travel trailers and camper trailers).
Camping was at one time only a rough, back-to-nature pastime for hardy open-air lovers, but it later became the standard holiday for vast numbers of ordinary families. The founder of modern recreational camping was Thomas Hiram Holding, who wrote the first edition of The Camper's Handbook in 1.908. His urge to camp derived from his experiences as a boy: in 1.853 he crossed the prairies of the United States in a wagon train, covering some 1,200 miles.
Repeating Holding's adventure nowadays would probably involve shopping for an RV or a camper, although you should first know the different classifications and the correct terminology. RV and camper are generic terms. When people refer to RVs, they usually mean either a motor vehicle or a trailer equipped with some of the amenities of home. On the other hand, the term "camper" typically refers to trailers that are towed by trucks, or ride on the back of trucks, whereas motorhomes are motorized units that usually have beds, a kitchen, bathroom and living quarters.
EXERCISE B.1: Add True or False, quoting the relevant information from the text to justify your answer. (2 points)
a) Camping originated in the prairies of the United States.
b) The concept of recreational vehicle includes a type that normally has beds, a kitchen, bathroom and living quarters.
EXERCISE B.2: Answer the following questions according to the information given in the text. Use your own words. (2 points)
a) How has camping evolved over time?
b) What was Thomas Hiram Holding's contribution to modern recreational camping?
EXERCISE B.3: Find words or phrases in the text which mean the same as the following: (1 point)
a) momentary, provisional
b) typical, usual
c) impulse, desire
d) divisions
EXERCISE B.4: Complete the second sentence in each pair. The meaning should be the same as that of the first sentence. (2 points)
a) "When was The Camper's Handbook written?", she asked her teacher. She wanted her teacher to tell (...)
b) Thomas Hiram Holding crossed the prairies of the United States in a wagon train in 1.853. The prairies of the United States (...)
c) Do not shop for an RV or a camper without knowing the different classifications. If you (...)
d) Motorhomes and campers usually have some of the amenities of home, but campers are specifically trailers that are towed by trucks. Although (...)
EXERCISE B.5: Recommend a book written in English to a student a couple of years younger than you. Give reasons and explain why you consider it good (100-140 words). (3 points)