Solution for: GT Reading Test 2: LONDON UnderGround

LONDON UnderGround The London Underground rail network or "the Tube" is a great way to travel to and from central London and will be an integral part of most people's stay in the UK capital.

Greater London is served by 11 Tube lines, along with the Dockyards Light Railway (DLR) and an interconnected local train network. Underground trains generally run between 5am and midnight, Monday to Saturday, with reduced operating hours on Sunday.

For more detailed traveler information on which stations to use and suggestions for the best route to reach your destination, use Transport for London's Journey Planner.

London's public transport network, locally called the London Tube, is divided into nine travel zones. Zone 1 is in central London and zones 6 to 9 are on the outskirts of the city.

Buy a Visitor Oyster card, Oyster Card, Travelcard or use a contactless payment card to get the best value as cash is the most expensive way to pay. Check out our guide to cheap travel for more money-saving tips when travelling in London.

An adult cash fare on the London metro for a single journey in zone 1 is £4.90. The same Tube fare with Visitor Oyster card, Oyster card or contactless payment card is £2.40. For more details about London Tube prices, see the Transport for London website. For contactless payment cards issued outside the UK, please check for transaction fees or bank changes.

There are various discounts available for children, students, and elderly travellers on the London subway.

If you plan on travelling around London to do some sight-seeing and visit some of London's best attractions, why not get a London Pass and save even more money.

The Origins of the Oscar: How the Prized Statue Got Its Name Since 1929, Hollywood has revolved around the golden Oscar statue. The prized award has gone through facelifts since first debuting as a knight figure. Here are five fun facts about the history of Hollywood's little golden man.

The first Oscar statue sketch was not how it looks today: MGM art director Cedric Gibbons sketched the first figure of a knight holding a sword and standing on a reel of film with spokes representing the five branches of the Academy (actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers). The sword represented the protection for the welfare and advancement of the industry. Later, Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley redesigned the statue with an improved knight figure, but removed the reel of film.

One popular story suggests the "Oscar" was named after someone's uncle: It's been said that Academy librarian and eventual executive director Margaret Herrick thought the statue resembled her Uncle Oscar. In 1934, Sidney Skolsky used the name in his Hollywood column to describe Katharine Hepburn's first best actress win. The name caught on and the Academy made the name official in 1939. 

The Oscar was first officially named the Academy Award of Merit. It stands 13.5 inches tall and weighs 8.5 pounds.

Over 3,000 statuettes have been presented: R.S. Owens & Company produces new statuettes each January in Chicago, but this year Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry will take on the job and hand-cast the trophies in bronze before they receive their 24-karat gold finish. R.S. Owens & Company, who has been casting the Oscar mold since 1982, will continue to service existing Oscars and create other awards for the Academy. The Oscar was first gold-plated solid bronze and later gold-plated metal: Due to a metal shortage during World War II, Oscars were made of painted plaster for three years. Following the war, the Academy invited recipients to redeem the plaster figures for gold-plated metal ones.

The Academy keeps a second set of additional Oscar statues on hand just in case: Weeks before the Oscars in 2000, the annual shipment of Oscars were stolen. The Academy now stays prepared and locks extra trophies from the ceremony in a vault to be used the next year.

Arugula is an excellent source of folate and vitamin C. Although arugula is typically mildly flavored, larger leaf varieties can have a more peppery, almost hot taste than the smaller, softer leaf variety, so choose your arugula accordingly! Arugula is typically best served in a salad with olives, hard-boiled eggs, onions and salty cheeses.

2. Avocados

Although available year round, avocados are at their peak in the summer months! Touted most frequently for their high quantity of good fat avocados are also an excellent source of potassium, folate and vitamins C and B6. To pick the perfect avocado, look for those that have a uniform and unblemished skin that gives gently when pressed.

3. Cucumbers

A member of the squash family, cucumber's high water content makes it a refreshing addition to summer menus. Cucumber is also a good source of vitamin C and silica, which is important for connective tissue health and also does wonders for the skin (both when ingested and applied topically to reduce swelling or redness). In addition, the skin of the cucumber is a great source of fiber, potassium and magnesium.

4. Eggplant

Although it is assumed that an eggplant would have a purple skin, eggplants can come in just about any shade from black to a near-translucent white. Although selecting an eggplant is easy enough - again, just look for those with smooth, taut skin and those that feel heavy for their size -cooking can be a little bit more complicated. If the eggplant is young, the skin is edible, but if it's a little bit older, the skin will taste bitter and is best removed.

5. Kohlrabi

Often referred to as cabbage turnip, this green vegetable looks almost like an oversized radish, complete with a ball-like bulb and bushy sprouting leaves. When selecting a kohlrabi, look for smallish, firm bulbs less than 3 inches in diameter. Kohlrabi is an excellent source of vitamin C as well as potassium. When raw, it can be added to salads and vegetable platters or served as relish. When cooked, it can be steamed for inclusion in casseroles or hollowed out, and stuffed with a meat or vegetable filling.

6. Mushrooms

Different types of mushrooms are available year around. With low sodium and fat content and high levels of fiber and riboflavin, niacin, potassium and riboflavin, mushrooms are an excellent way to add bulk to a meal without dramatically changing the nutrition content of foods. When shopping for mushrooms, they should be dry and firm and, if open, should have gills that are intact and appear fresh.

7. Shallots

Of all the vegetables in the onion and leek family, shallots have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants. In addition, they have also shown to have anti-bacterial, anti inflammatory, and anti-allergic properties. Shallots are associated with a reduction in risk for several cancers, including those affecting the liver and colon as well as heart disease and diabetes.

Do your research: Check out the company's website, Facebook page and Twitter feed to get a feel for how employees dress and behave, then take your cues from that when prepping for your interview. Next, clean up. If your at-home appearance leans towards the casual, take some time to polish up. It's always better to err on the side of freshly-scrubbed-even if you're an aspiring trek leader, carefully dressed in her best khakis. Assuming your bottom half will be hidden under a desk, you may be tempted to wear your favorite sweatpants, but it's best to dress from head to toe. What if you have to stand up to adjust your equipment?

B. Prepare Your Surroundings

Take your call in a quiet, businesslike setting, ideally in a room with a door. Look behind you, because that's what they'll see. A cluttered background may distract your audience, not to mention send the wrong idea of your organizational skills. Also, rid the area of personal items no need to share too much information. A blank or neutral background is best, with a well organized desktop. Be sure to inform anyone else at home about the meeting; you don't want to be interrupted by a sudden blast of stereo music or someone bellowing your name.

C. Practice It First

Your first few video calls are bound to feel awkward as you figure out where to look, what to do with your hands, or how loudly to speak. But it's easy to work out those kinks ahead of time. Conducting a practice interview with a friend can be very helpful; record it so that you'll have an accurate idea of how you come across on video," advises Cheryl Palmer, career coach and owner of Call to Career, a career coaching service.

D. Don't Forget to Smile!

At an in-person interview, you'd naturally smile upon arrival, and try to keep a pleasant facial expression for the duration. It's more difficult to do this with a remote interview. Lacking a 'live' person in front of you, and sidetracked by thoughts of equipment or cameras, you might be less likely to smile reflexively. If that's the case, you can seem like you're staring wide-eyed at the camera. Smiling is the best way to break the ice and develop rapport with your interviewer.

One may suggest interjecting listening sounds ("hm," or "yes") as your interviewers speak. In addition to making your conversation more pleasant, it also reassures the other party that the technology is functioning correctly and you are, indeed, still listening. And even though they can't see you, never tinker with your computer during a call.

F. Go Ahead and Cheat

One advantage to a video interview is that you don't have to remember everything you want to mention. You can have notes in front of you-without your interviewer knowing. Place your resume in front of you, news about the company, questions you want to ask and potential talking points. Of course, you don't want to be reading off the page verbatim, so make sure you're familiar with your material.

G. Address Tech Problems Immediately

When you're relying on video equipment, there's a good chance you'll experience a technical glitch: a weak connection, interference or garbled signals. You may hesitate to draw attention to the problem, but you don't want to give an inaccurate answer because you didn't understand the question. If you're getting too many blips, it's good to stop the call and redial.