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Reading B

You are going to rcad a newspaper article about a useful object. Seven sentences have been removcd from the article. Fili each gap (24-30) with the sentence which you think fits best from the list A-G.

Glance down any expedilion equipment list of recent yoars and there is one item you are surę to come across: a knlfe. [24] .... C ... At first glance the numbcr and rangę of blades, tools and gadgets can be somewhat confusing. Indeed it's usually nccessary to refer to the enclosed instructions to avoid any embarrassment when you are asked the question: „So what does this one do then?"

It was introduced to me during my first winter in the Antarctic by a proud owner who assured me that one of its grcatest assets was the magnifying glass! [25] ... B .... Duły impressed, I detided I needed one as soon as possible. It should be noted that later attempts by myself to repeat the snów crystal experiment resulted in a rather fuzzy image of dubious value!

I was once dispatched to one of the Brftish Antarctic Survey's field huts to rebuild an old Nansen Slcdge. I discovered on arrival that there were no tools at the hut, and a second trip would have to be madę to repair the sledge. [26] ... G ... Closer inspection revealed all the items necessary to carry out repairs: the wood saw; a Phillips screwdriver; a straight screwdriver; the thing for making holes; the things for making holes larger; the metal saw; the main blade; the file; and the ruler. By the end of the day the completed sledge was again ready for use.

Until its loss a few years later, when I had to look for a replacement, I was unaware as to the number of models there were to choose from. [27] ... F....

One tool the Swiss have been unable to incorporate into their knives as yet is a hammer. This, however, did not deter an enthusiastic Keith Burgess on a ski Crossing of Greenland in 1989 as he struggled with the sledge wheel locating pin. [28] ... A ...

Valuablc as the Swiss Army Knife may be on expeditions, there appears to be a certain reluctance to carry the item personally. [29] .... D ... After I had listenod to his lengthy argument about keeping the sledges as light as possible and could we really afford such a luxury, he finally gave in. Ali of which in my opinion adds to its obvious importance to the expedition.

Retired adventurers still manage to find uses for their once precious possessions. An old sledging

companion carries his everywhere he travels. [30].....E......A haircut I received recently owed its

somewhat ragged appearance not to the scissors in a friend's Swiss Army Knife but an over-keen hairdresser, who had assured me she had cut hair before!

A	The resulting damage to the once shiny red case gave the knife ' character', Keith said, as he handed it back to me.
B	This was later put to the test as he used it to study the snów crystals on an avalanche-prone slope that we were trying to cross.
C	Not any old knife, but an instrument of almost legendary stature: the Swiss Army Knife.
D	A phonecall to Steve Martin confirmcd this thcory before our dcparture to Siberia earlier this year
E	These days however its use is reduced to scraping old wallpaper off walls rather than wax off skis.
F	There were morę than twenty at the last count, with names ranging from Picknicker to Swiss Champion, the latter being a fairly hefty lump, comprising 29 various tools, some it must be said of doubtful worth.
G	It was then I remembered the unused knife