Modelo examen 6 – Reading – Part 2
Read the text and fill the gaps with the correct sentences A-H. Write the letter of the missing sentence in the box in the gap. There are two extra sentences you will not need.
The making of a hero
It would be easy to feel intimidated by someone who has survived abduction by the Khmer Rouge, run the London marathon shortly after losing their lower right arm and leg in an accident and appeared on the BBC’s Parkinson show. Yet Chris Moon, 39, is refreshingly down to earth, even to the point of finding it difficult to keep the initial appointments for this interview, proving that even superheroes can’t be in two places at once. 1.______________________________.
You don’t need to speak to him for long before you realise that this is a particularly appropriate title. Not only does he talk with an almost evangelical zeal about his desire to empower others to get the best out of themselves and their businesses, but his own philosophy is all about making the best of any situation, however grim it may seem 2. _____________________________. «I decided it was about doing the best we can, reaching our full potential and making use of our talents. It’s also about involvement with other people. I wanted to make a difference, do something I could be trained in but also grow as a person, so I decided to join the army.» On graduating from Sandhurst, he was commissioned into the Royal Military Police and also served with several infantry units.
- ____________________________. «When we were first kidnapped, I thought I had no control as I kept thinking I can’t do anything about this. But my one thought was never to assume the role of victim. It would have been so easy to give up, but I quickly realised that fear is a state of inactivity. You have to be positive and pursue logic and reason. That was, and still is, my driving force.»
- ________________________________. His big break could be said to have come shortly after he left hospital, when he was talking to an old friend from primary school who suggested he looked on the accident as an opportunity to do something that would help him grow as a person. Recognising the value of education and feeling that he hadn’t been able to do his best at school, he decided to do a master’s degree in security management at the University of Leicester.
- ___________________________. He began to do risk management surveys for different companies, while giving talks on leadership, dealing with change and the process of achievement. He says his main aim is to try and motivate people, although he prefers to be called a performance enhancer rather than a motivational speaker. «There is no greater privilege than empowering someone to do something they thought they couldn’t,» he says.
- ____________________________________. So after all the experiences he has been through, is he surprised to find himself running his own business? «My mum’s cousin had an extremely successful dairy business and when I was very young he said to me: ‘When you’ve done all the other things you want to do, set up a business and help get the best out of people.’ He obviously had it right.»
A. The young fellow is eager to fight the system. “We live in a rotten society that diminishes disabled people”.
B After leaving the army, he felt he wanted to do some sort of charity work, and when he heard that the British charity, the HALO Trust – which specialises in mine clearance – wanted an army officer with agricultural and command experience, he was keen to get involved. It was while clearing mines in Cambodia that he was abducted by the Khmer Rouge, an experience which, not surprisingly, had a profound effect on him.
C. He is also keen to challenge the concept of the disabled scrapheap. «Lots of disabled people are much better at what they do than able bodied people. We need to look at what people can do rather than what they can’t and have a fully integrated society.»
D. At present, Chris runs a company he set up to help clients solve problems in human resources and security management. He has called it Making The Best (MTB).
E. Not that he’s totally downhearted. «It’s statistically proven that those people who leave money to charity live three years longer than those who don’t.» Sounds good to me. Now, where’s my will?
F. The things he learned from this experience helped him to survive when he was blown up by a mine two years later, while walking in a supposedly clear area in Mozambique. He lost his lower right arm and leg, but does not consider himself a victim. He accepts responsibility because he chose to work in mined areas.
G. However, what disabled people despise the most is, undoubtedly, victim mentality.
H. After completing the degree he had plenty of job offers but felt he wanted to keep the focus on charity work. He was invited to speak at a large number of conferences and also found that friends with their own companies were asking him to talk to their employees about dealing with change.