Język angielski, matura 2019 - poziom rozszerzony - pytania i odpowiedzi

A TEMPTING OFFER

In March of 1995, I received a call from Mark Bryant, the editor of Outside. He proposed that I join a guided Everest expedition scheduled to depart soon and write an article about the growing commercialization of the mountain. The magazine’s idea was that I remain in Base Camp and report the story from the glacier at the foot of the Tibetan side of the mountain. Mark insisted that I make the decision at once, so I said “yes” and went as far as to book a flight and get the required immunizations. But then, after I’d thought it through, I backed out at the last minute. Given the aversion to Everest I’d expressed over the years, one might assume that I declined to go on principle, but I did it for a different reason. As a child, I often imagined myself conquering the mountain, so the call from Outside had unexpectedly aroused a powerful, long-buried desire. I realized it would be unbearably frustrating to spend two months in the shadow of Everest without ascending higher than Base Camp. If I were going to travel to the far side of the globe and spend eight weeks away from my wife and children, I wanted an opportunity to climb the mountain.

A few days later, I thought of a possible alternative. I contacted the editor and asked if he would consider postponing the assignment for a year and changing it so that I got the chance to reach the summit. The immunizations would still be valid and a twelve-month delay would give me time to train intensively to meet the physical demands of the expedition. The biggest question was if the magazine would be willing to book me with one of the more reputable guide services and cover the $65,000 fee. I’d written more than sixty pieces for Outside over the previous fifteen years, but the travel budget for these assignments had never exceeded two or three thousand dollars.

TREE CLIMBING

It had been nearly 40 years since I climbed a tree, and to be honest it was not something I’d expected to do again. But earlier this summer, I found myself on the Isle of Wight, putting on a safety helmet and harness and preparing to scale a 70ft oak tree, using only ropes and my own strength.

For grown-ups, tree climbing is not only a chance to relive childhood adventures while flexing some underused muscles again, it can also give your brain a big boost. Research published at the University of North Florida revealed that tree climbing can benefit our working memory. This is the part of our memory we rely on to follow instructions or directions and to remember phone numbers or items on a shopping list. The researchers discovered that when you climb a tree, your brain is constantly calculating and evaluating your spatial awareness, balance and orientation. This provides it with a vigorous workout. Quite simply, after such a challenging physical activity, your brain becomes extremely alert and ready for mental tasks.

With this information firmly in mind, my wife and I, along with our sons, decided to see whether tree climbing would work that well in our case. We headed to the Isle of Wight, where Paul McCathie, an experienced tree surgeon, runs a tree climbing business. Here anyone over the age of eight can learn to climb safely.

Before we started, any fears we had about tree climbing – everything from branches giving way to suffering vertigo – were calmly talked through by Paul. He had us trained before we set off and managed to pacify all our worries. Think the rope’s going to snap, for instance? Don’t worry. Each one could bear the weight of a two-ton rhino. Paul explained we would be secured to the rope via a carabiner, a metal loop attached to a waist harness. Surprisingly, I felt totally secure in the harness. He also assured us that we could come down at any time.

When our two hours were up, we were exhausted but didn’t feel like returning to ground level. When we started climbing, I had the sensation of everything spinning around, but in the end I was surprised to find the experience really calming. We all agreed it was one of the most challenging and thrilling family activities we had done together.

Did it work? Did I feel more alert after my brain workout? I did my weekly supermarket shopping that evening and I didn’t forget any of the items I was supposed to buy. It’s not proof but the scientists might be right.

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Nie bierze się pod uwagę zapisu wielką/małą literą oraz powtórzenia wyrazu podanego przed luką / po luce. Wyjątkiem są słowa, które muszą być pisane po angielsku wielką literą np. Monday, July. W takiej sytuacji brak wielkiej litery jest traktowany jako błąd ortograficzny.