Reading passage 1

A. The fate of the MSC Napoli, which beached off the coast of Devon in January 2007, serves as a reminder that ordinary people never think about shipping containers except when things go wrong. The Napoli has caused an environmental crisis (200 tonnes of oil have leaked into surrounding waters), and led to a realisation that some British people are eager to help themselves to other people's belongings. The ship disgorged a variety of cargo - shampoo and steering wheels, wine and shoes, carpets and motorbikes, and bibles and nappies - and many people went down to the beach to help themselves from the dozens of containers that were washed up on the beach. B. Under a bullet-grey sky at Felixstowe, the UK's largest container port, it is easy to grasp why nobody pays much attention to the transport system that provides Britain with 95% of all imported goods. Where ports once seethed with life - the shops, trades-people, pubs and brothels dependent on regular passing crews - Felixstowe, with its strict security controls, feels all but abandoned. C. The mountains of containers, painted in browns, blues, oranges and greens, make for a desolate, yet awe-inspiring landscape. The giant gantry cranes, which sweep the containers on or off the waiting ships with grace, are mesmerising to watch, except that there is almost nobody there to watch. The few drivers and crane operators present are following the instructions of a computer which has calculated the precise order in which the containers should be moved and stacked for maximum efficiency, so that a single container's journey from ship to waiting lorry is as short as possible and no truck drives anywhere empty when it could be carrying something. In Rotterdam, Europe's busiest port, the scene is even more ghostly; the vehicles moving the containers from the stacks on the ground to the waiting cranes are driverless, piloting themselves even through thick fog using infra-red technology. D. Everything that happens on the dockside at Felixstowe, and each one of the nearly 200m container movements that take place globally each year, owes its existence, ultimately, to Malcolm McLean, a truck driver from North Carolina. In the late 1930s McLean started growing frustrated watching New Jersey dockworkers slowly unloading each crate of timber from his vehicle and winching it on to a waiting ship, where more workers would be on hand to make sure it was securely packed. This method, known as break-bulk shipping, was labour intensive, and an open invitation to theft. Why not, McLean wondered, just use the entire truck trailer itself as the container? E. These days "a 35-tonne container of coffee makers can leave a factory in Malaysia, be loaded aboard a ship, and cover the 15,000km to Los Angeles in 16 days," writes the economist Marc Levinson in The Box, his book about the containerisation revolution. "A day later, the container is on a unit train to Cincinnati. The 18,000km trip from the factory gate to the Ohio warehouse can take as little as 22 days, a rate of 800km a day, at a cost lower than that of a single first-class

air ticket. More than likely, no one has touched the contents, or even opened the container, along the way." F. The containerisation revolution destroyed unions, eliminated whole job categories and decimated waterfront communities. A sailor arriving at Felixstowe is lucky if he gets a couple of hours to play pool, drink a beer or check his email in the dockside Seafarers' Centre before heading back to sea. In ports where traditions persist, the devil finds work for idle hands. "At the port at Brasilia, stevedores are paid to go on board and do nothing," says David Crinnion, who investigates thefts from containers on behalf of Thomas Miller, the world's largest shipping insurer. "The law in Brazil says they have to be there, even though the unloading operation is automated." G. The crackdown after 9/11 has made the system more secure - every container that comes into Felixstowe is scanned for radiation - but there are still enormous gaps that some fear could be exploited by terrorists. "At current staffing and funding levels, US coastguard personnel can thoroughly inspect only about 5% of the 9m shipping containers that arrive at US ports every year," a report by the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations concluded. Source: Time Questions You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1 to 14 which are based on Reading Passage 1 Questions 1 to 7 Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs A G. From the list of headings below, choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph. Write the appropriate numbers I ix in boxes 1 7 on your answer sheet.

i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix.

The crackdown. The fate of the MSC Napoli. Malcolm McLean. The containerisation revolution. The sailing far and off. The container's journey. The difference in mechanism. Felixstowe. The opposite walls of entry.

1 2 3

Paragraph A Paragraph B Paragraph C

4 5 6 7

Paragraph D Paragraph E Paragraph F Paragraph G

Questions 8 10 Choose the correct letters, A, B, C or D Write your answers in boxes 8 10 on your answer sheet. 8 The 18,000km trip from the factory gate to the Ohio warehouse can take as little as A. B. C. D. 9 A. B. C. D. 10 A. B. C. D. 12 days. 22 days. 32 days. 23 days. a 35-tonne container of coffee makers can cover the 15,000km to Los Angeles in 22 days. 16 days. 26 days. 36 days. Malcolm McLean is a Taxi driver. Soldiers. Truck driver. Sailors.

Questions 11 14 Complete each of the following statements (questions 11 14) with the best endings A G from the box below Write the appropriate letters A G in boxes 11 14 on your answer sheet. 11 The containerisation revolution destroyed unions, 12 At current staffing and funding levels, US coastguard personnel can 13 The 18000 km journey can be made at a cost lower than 14 The giant gantry cranes sweep the containers

A B C D E F

Low ponderous beams above. On or off the waiting ships with grace. Eliminated whole job categories. On or off the waiting ships with power. Is not going to win the game for them. Thoroughly inspect only about 5% of the 9m shipping containers. G That of a single first-class air ticket.

Reading passage 2 A. The family of Dashwood had been long settled in Sussex. Their estate was large, and their residence was at Norland Park, in the centre of their property, where for many generations, they had lived in so respectable a manner as to engage the general good opinion of their surrounding acquaintance. The late owner of this estate was a single man, who lived to a very advanced age, and who for many years of his life had a constant companion and housekeeper in his sister. B. But her death, which happened ten years before his own, produced a great alteration in his home; for to supply her loss, he invited and received into his house the family of his nephew, Mr. Henry Dashwood, the legal inheritor of the Norland estate, and the person to whom he intended to bequeath it. In the society of his nephew and niece, and their children, the old gentleman's days were comfortably spent. His attachment to them all increased. The constant attention of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood to his wishes, which proceeded not merely from interest, but from goodness of heart, gave him every degree of solid comfort which his age could receive; and the cheerfulness of the children added a relish to his existence. C. By a former marriage, Mr. Henry Dashwood had one son; by his present lady, three daughters. The son, a steady, respectable young man, was amply provided for by the fortune of his mother, which had been large, and half of which devolved on him on his coming of age. By his own marriage, likewise, which happened soon afterwards, he added to his wealth. To him therefore the succession to the Norland estate was not so really important as to his sisters; for their fortune, independent of what might arise to them from their father's inheriting that property, could be but small. Their mother had nothing, and their father only seven thousand pounds in his own disposal; for the remaining moiety of his first wife's fortune was also secured to her child, and he had only a life interest in it. D. The old Gentleman died; his will was read, and like almost every other will, gave as much disappointment as pleasure. He was neither so unjust, nor so ungrateful, as to leave his estate from his nephew; but he left it to him on such terms as destroyed half the value of the bequest. Mr. Dashwood had wished for it more for the sake of his wife and daughters than for himself or his son; but to his son, and his son's son, a child of four years old, it was secured, in such a way, as to leave to himself no power of providing for those who were most dear to him, and who most needed a provision, by any charge on the estate, or by any sale of its valuable woods. The whole was tied up for the benefit of this child, who, in occasional visits with his father and mother at Norland, had so far gained on the affections of his uncle, by such attractions as are by

no means unusual in children of two or three years old: and imperfect articulation, an earnest desire of having his own way, many cunning tricks, and a great deal of noise, as to outweigh all the value of all the attention which, for years, he had received from his niece and her daughters. He meant not to be unkind however, and, as a mark of his affection for the three girls, he left them a thousand pounds a-piece. E. Mr. Dashwood's disappointment was at first severe; but his temper was cheerful and sanguine, and he might reasonably hope to live many years, and by living economically, lay by a considerable sum from the produce of an estate already large, and capable of almost immediate improvement. But the fortune, which had been so tardy in coming, was his only one twelvemonth. He survived his uncle no longer; and ten thousand pounds, including the late legacies, was all that remained for his widow and daughters. F. His son was sent for, as soon as his danger was known, and to him Mr. Dashwood recommended, with all the strength and urgency which illness could command, the interest of his mother-in-law and sisters. G. Mr. John Dashwood had not the strong feelings of the rest of the family; but he was affected by a recommendation of such a nature at such a time, and he promised to do everything in his power to make them comfortable. His father was rendered easy by such an assurance, and Mr. John Dashwood had then leisure to consider how much there might prudently be in his power to do for them. Questions You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15 27 which are based on Reading Passage 2 Questions 15 19 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 15 -19 in your answer sheet write TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. if the statement agrees with the information if the statement contradicts the information if there is no information on this

The family of Dashwood lived in Surrey. Mr. John Dashwood had not the strong feelings of the rest of the family. Mr. Henry Dashwood had one child. Mr. Dashwood didnt love his former wife. Mr. Dashwood had wished for it more for the sake of his wife and daughters.

Question 20 23 Look at the following topics (questions 20 23) and the list of statements below. Match each topic to the correct statement. Write the correct letter A G in boxes 1 4 on your answer sheet. 20. Mr. Dashwood 21. Mrs. Dashwood 22. Mr. John Dashwood

23. Norland Park A B C D E F G Joined hands with the government. Remained for his widow and daughters. Gave as much disappointment as pleasure. The homeland for the Dashwood. Was reluctant about his family. Loved his wife and daughter more than his son. Is situated in Sussex.

Questions 24 27 Complete the following statements with the correct alternative from the box. Write the correct letter A F in boxes 24 27 on your answer sheet. 24. 25. 26. 27. The son, a steady was amply provided for by Mr. Henry Dashwood is the legal inheritor Old Mr. Dashwood was neither so unjust, nor so ungrateful, The succession to the Norland estate was not

A At all important to him. B Of the Sussex. C The fortune of his mother. D So really important to Mr Dashwood as to his sisters. E As to leave his estate from his nephew. F Of the Norland estate.

Reading Passage 3 A. The River Murray used to be compared to America's Mississippi. During the 19th century, paddle steamers were a familiar sight along its lazy green-grey currents, ferrying goods from town to town. Covering an area of more than one million km2, the Murray basin carries water from the tropical north in Queensland to the Darling River, and from the Murray's source in the Snowy Mountains to the outskirts of Adelaide, 1,500 miles downstream. B. Nearly 60 years ago, the Snowy Hydro scheme was opened. The scheme promised to provide a reliable supply of water to the Murray. The dry, fertile country to the west was transformed into dairy pastures, orchards and lush rice fields. Years of over-allocation for irrigation, as well as drought, has resulted in a pitifully low stream level. In June 2006, the catchment area received

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

an inflow of 700 gigalitres. A year later, it had plummeted to 300 gigalitres. (One gigalitre is 1,000,000,000 litres.) Some people question whether climate change is the cause. Louise and Andrew Burge are farmers but they refute evidence that the current drought is driven by climate change. They showed me a series of old photographs showing the Murray in drier conditions than now. 'Global warming represents a herd mentality with a herd mentality for the solutions,' she said. According to a UN report, per capita, Australia's emissions of greenhouse gases are among the highest in the world. As the drought bites, the conflict between farmers, traditionally portrayed as rampant land-clearers, and environmentalists, is brought to the fore. In reality, while all the farmers I spoke to were global warming sceptics, they were passionate conservationists. Many farmers argue that the current drought is very similar to that of the 1890s and 1940s. Nonetheless, the effect on rural towns all along the Murray is acute. Figures from the Reserve Bank reveal that rural debt has doubled from 10bn in 1999 to 20bn in 2005. In Deniliquin, 20 minutes from the Burges' farm, the wide streets are eerily quiet. That evening, in the empty Federal Hotel, I meet Wayne Cockayne, a 44-year-old whose eyes stare into the mid-distance. 'This town's gone backward,' he says, taking a sip on a Diet Coke. 'In 1979, when I left school, the town was prospering. Now farmers' children are leaving the land.' For the past four years, Cockayne hasn't made a cent from the cereals on his 3,000-acre property 20 miles south of Deniliquin. This year he had to pay for water to be trucked in to flush his toilet. He grits his teeth. 'I know about depression,' he goes on. 'I locked myself in at home for four days. Then I got in the family car and drove into town. A friend found me slumped over the steering wheel crying. I never thought I'd be a person who would suffer from it.' 'In the first seven years, I had, on average, two people a year from the farming community who presented with depression,' Dr Harry von Rensburg tells me in his surgery in Barham, 60 miles west of Deniliquin. This year he is 'actively managing' more than 120 farmers, including some of the most high-profile landowners in the district. A psychologist comes once a week and has back-to-back appointments. 'If we could get her twice a week we would fill that.' A national mental health report stated that one farmer commits suicide in Australia every four days. I ask Dr Von Rensburg whether this figure is accurate.

Source: Wikipedia.com Questions You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28 40 which are based on Reading Passage 3. Questions 28 32 The passage has seven paragraphs labelled AG. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet.

NB: You may use any letter more than once. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. The dry, fertile country to the west was transformed into dairy pastures, orchards and lush rice fields. Many farmers argue that the current drought is very similar to that of the 1890s and 1940s. The catchment area received an inflow of 700 gigalitres in June 2006. The River Murray used to be compared to America's Mississippi. Wayne Cockayne is a 44-year-old whose eyes stare into the mid-distance.

Questions 33 36 Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage 3. Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.

33. 34. 35. 36.

Louise and Andrew Burge refute evidence that the current drought is driven by . Nearly 60 years ago, the scheme was opened. The Murray basin carries water from the tropical north in Queensland to . The scheme promised to provide a reliable supply of .

Questions 37 40 Complete the summary of the paragraphs A C below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet. The River Murray used to be compared 37 Years of over-allocation for irrigation, as well as drought, has resulted in a pitifully 38 . Some people question whether climate 39 . Global warming represents a herd mentality with a herd 40