IESOL Reading – Sample Paper 3

Let's Not Be Rude!

We all know the Japanese are very polite. But being polite in Japan is more than just saying 'excuse me' or 'thank you' or holding the door 0) open for someone. Politeness is synonymous with respect. Putting other people first - giving them the biggest piece of cake, the best seat in the restaurant, or in central ____ in the photo are all part of everyday politeness in Japan.

Respect is about patience. Waiting in line without complaint, and giving others the chance to express their opinion ____ someone immediately challenging their words. It's about listening to others, allowing them to open up. It's respecting the opinions of other people, even when they're different from yours. Respect means not boasting, and not talking in an angry voice. It means holding in your emotions, ____ make a scene if things don't go as smoothly as you think they should at the bank, post office or shop.

Politeness is about not hurting other's feelings, not putting people on the spot, and not disagreeing with them in front of others by saying things ____ might cause the speaker embarrassment.

Politeness is about grace. Using your hand to refer to the person standing over there rather than pointing with your finger. It's about respecting dress codes: dressing well just to ____ others. Yes, you may be uncomfortable in that shirt and tie, but if you wear jeans out to a nice restaurant, you are making your guest look bad. Think about the people around you and that they might be ____ if you talk too loud, gossip about others, or wear offensive clothing.

Polite people do not blame and do not complain. In short, politeness is the realisation that it's not all about you. Instead, it's about us.

Vegetarian Diet

So, if you'd like to become a vegetarian without too much trouble, here are my suggestions. First of all, make sure that your decision is motivated by good reasons. If you just want to become vegetarian for kicks, or because the girl you like has given up meat, you probably won't stick with it for long — not because it's hard, but because any lifestyle change or habit change requires a fair amount of motivation. You need to give this decision some thought, rather than just jump into it.

Before starting anything new, I tend to read as much as possible about whatever it is that I'll be doing, and I suggest you do so with vegetarianism. Check out a couple of good books from the library, or better yet, borrow some from vegetarian friends, who will probably offer some useful advice as well. And there are tons and tons of good sites on the Internet: one of my favourites is GoVeg.com.

You should not underestimate the importance of finding decent recipes. You don't need to go out and buy a load of new cookbooks; there are many great recipes available online. In fact, it can all be a little overwhelming … but don't worry, you don't need to decide on anything. Just look through the recipes, take note of a few that look really good, and decide to try a few of them.

Rather than try to change all your meals straightaway, try just one recipe a week. If you like it, add it to your collection of staple recipes that you eat on a regular basis, and if it isn't that great, try another next week. Soon, you'll have a good list of 5-10 great meals that you love to cook and eat. And really, whether you're a vegetarian or meat eater, that's probably all you really eat on a regular basis anyway (for dinner, at least). It is also a good idea to try the regular recipes that you love, but instead of using meat, use meatless products. There are alternatives for just about any kind of meat, and some of them are actually quite good.

I would recommend a gradual transition into vegetarianism. Although you can do it all at once, I've found that for many people, a gradual transition works better. If you do this, start with red meat, as it is typically the least healthy, and then try cutting out pork for a couple of weeks, followed by chicken, and finally seafood. With this two-week approach you'll hardly notice the difference. I've found that I don't crave meat anymore, although I did for about a week.

One myth about vegetarianism is that you don't get enough protein, but in fact meat eaters usually take in way more protein than they need. Protein requirements for the average adult are lower than people think, and if you eat a varied diet (not just junk food, for example) that includes vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, soy protein and the like, you will be fine. It would be hard to create an eating plan where you're not getting enough protein. Another myth is that you need to eat different types of protein within a single meal (or even a single day) to get complete protein from plants … actually, as long as you eat varied proteins (such as those listed above) over a few days, you'll be fine. And don't forget that soya protein is a complete protein, just like meat.

Again, you can be a vegetarian and be very unhealthy if you don't consider your diet properly. Being a vegetarian is not a license to eat junk food but you can indulge in treats such as cakes, sweets and desserts too as part of a balanced diet. Just remember though that shop-bought biscuits, cakes, sweets and the like can sometimes contain high levels of fats, including animal fat which isn't an obvious ingredient, so always check the label.