How to Break a Guinness World Record - Test 3
B2 First · Gapped Text · Cambridge B2 First 4, Cambridge University Press
You are going to read an article about the book Guinness World Records. Six sentences have been removed from the article. Choose from the sentences A-G the one which fits each gap (1–6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
How to break a Guinness World Record
Who doesn't want to be the best in the world?
They change with the times: records involving selfies have become popular recently.
So, remember that you are responsible for proving what you've achieved.
The mind is constantly telling you that you can't do things.
Without the internet, there was no easy way of checking – even the host's well-stocked library couldn't settle the matter.
Another useful idea is to choose something you're good at already and work at that.
There is also a core of serial record breakers.
You should apply to GWR before making your record attempt; it will send you the overall guidelines and those specific to your record.
Why are we so fascinated by breaking records? For record holders, it is official confirmation that you can do something better than anyone else in the world, even if it is just eating a lemon quickly. People like setting goals, pushing themselves – especially if they get to see their name in print at the end of it. Although humans have been competing and showing off for thousands of years, the official arbiter of human achievement, Guinness World Records, is still young. It began only 64 years ago when Sir Hugh Beaver, head of the Guinness company, got into an argument while away on a hunting trip about the fastest game bird in Europe: was it the grouse, the duck or the plover?
And so the idea for a book of records was born, a definitive list of the world's superlatives. It's surprising how many people seem to be interested in breaking a record. GWR gets about 1,000 record claims a week, of which only 5%–7% are accepted, and about 2% make it into the annual book. You may wonder what kind of person is interested in breaking records. Applications come from all over the world: most from the US, followed by India and China – two Indian men are currently battling for the 'longest hair' record. The typical would-be record-breaker is apparently a man in his mid-30s.
Ashrita Furman from the US has the record for holding the most records (more than 200, though he has broken up to 600). Some people even make record attempts every day. Almost anything definable, measurable and provable can become a record.
Some, like those, are easy to attempt but difficult to beat, such as eating three cheese biscuits in the fastest time (14.78 seconds). It's easier to beat an existing record than set a new one because 'firsts' have to be exceptional records to attempt.
The general notes spell out the importance of evidence – photographic, video, independent witnesses – as much as you can get. For mass-participation records, you must prove that you've counted properly. GWR gives some general advice to newcomers: analyse the specific rules for your chosen record to spot and exploit any loopholes in them. For example, Furman smashed the world record for rolling an orange for a mile with his nose when he discovered the rules didn't stipulate colour – he chose an unripe green orange that was hard, round and fast.
It isn't enough just to be able to do something unusual, such as lick your elbow. You need to have the skill to be able to lick your elbow as many times as possible in one hour – something that can then be attempted and broken by someone else. Records will be dismissed if they are considered stupid, dangerous or illegal, or if there isn't enough evidence: an organist's playing marathon was rejected because it was only witnessed by her parents.
Finally, don't cheat! One man, who broke the record for balancing the most drinking glasses on his chin, had his award disallowed when he admitted to breaking the rules by using plastic cups.
Why are we so fascinated by breaking records? For record holders, it is official confirmation that you can do something better than anyone else in the world, even if it is just eating a lemon quickly. People like setting goals, pushing themselves – especially if they get to see their name in print at the end of it. Although humans have been competing and showing off for thousands of years, the official arbiter of human achievement, Guinness World Records, is still young. It began only 64 years ago when Sir Hugh Beaver, head of the Guinness company, got into an argument while away on a hunting trip about the fastest game bird in Europe: was it the grouse, the duck or the plover? ___ And so the idea for a book of records was born, a definitive list of the world's superlatives. It's surprising how many people seem to be interested in breaking a record. GWR gets about 1,000 record claims a week, of which only 5%–7% are accepted, and about 2% make it into the annual book. You may wonder what kind of person is interested in breaking records. Applications come from all over the world: most from the US, followed by India and China – two Indian men are currently battling for the 'longest hair' record. The typical would-be record-breaker is apparently a man in his mid-30s. ___ Ashrita Furman from the US has the record for holding the most records (more than 200, though he has broken up to 600). Some people even make record attempts every day. Almost anything definable, measurable and provable can become a record. ___ Some, like those, are easy to attempt but difficult to beat, such as eating three cheese biscuits in the fastest time (14.78 seconds). It's easier to beat an existing record than set a new one because 'firsts' have to be exceptional records to attempt. ___ The general notes spell out the importance of evidence – photographic, video, independent witnesses – as much as you can get. For mass-participation records, you must prove that you've counted properly. GWR gives some general advice to newcomers: analyse the specific rules for your chosen record to spot and exploit any loopholes in them. For example, Furman smashed the world record for rolling an orange for a mile with his nose when he discovered the rules didn't stipulate colour – he chose an unripe green orange that was hard, round and fast. ___ It isn't enough just to be able to do something unusual, such as lick your elbow. You need to have the skill to be able to lick your elbow as many times as possible in one hour – something that can then be attempted and broken by someone else. Records will be dismissed if they are considered stupid, dangerous or illegal, or if there isn't enough evidence: an organist's playing marathon was rejected because it was only witnessed by her parents. ___ Finally, don't cheat! One man, who broke the record for balancing the most drinking glasses on his chin, had his award disallowed when he admitted to breaking the rules by using plastic cups.
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