Space cadets everybody loves a joke, right? but (0) c if the joke is on you? that is what nine unwitting ‘thrill-seekers’ will eventually discover, having signed up for the experience of a (1) …….. – to be blasted off into space in a new (2) …….. tv series, space cadets. it is, in fact, an elaborate and very expensive hoax. the nine contestants - (3) …….. three actors planted to help the action along – think that they are undergoing training in russia, but in reality they’re (4) …….. the south of england. they believe themselves to be (5) …….. against each other for four places on a space shuttle flight, but the truth is, they will not leave the ground. their ‘spaceship’ will be a prop from a science fiction film, and the flight itself just an illusion created by special (6) …….. but is watching a hoax of this kind legitimate entertainment or just exploitation? practical jokes by their nature tend to involve a certain (7) …….. of cruelty, as they are designed to make the victim feel foolish. but where do you draw the (8) …….. between a bit of a laugh and something really nasty? british comedian arthur smith says that, in his opinion, drawn-out hoaxes go too (9) …….. ‘i quite like the idea of briefly fooling a friend, but on an enormous scale like this, it’s cruel. the greatest experience of your life is suddenly taken (10) …….. from you, and you discover that you’ve been laughed at for weeks.’ although practical jokes are cruel, they remain popular because we (11) …….. pleasure in the misfortune of others, according to psychologists. basically, we enjoy watching other people look stupid because that (12) …….. us feel clever. 0 a whether b how c what d when 1 a lifetime b life c living d livelihood 2 a truth b reality c realism d truthfulness 3 a together b altogether c plus d moreover 4 a on b in c at d along 5 a wrestling b winning c trying d competing 6 a results b effects c causes d tricks 7 a number b measurement c part d amount 8 a difference b barrier c line d separation 9 a strong b long c big d far 10 a away b apart c off d under 11 a do b enjoy c take d amuse 12 a leads b causes c makes d allows
2)B
3)B
4)B
5)D
6)B
7)D
8)C
9)D
10)A
11)C
12)C