Reading

Reading Practice
Reading Practice Test 1
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based
on Reading Passage 1 below.
Ancient Chinese Chariots

A The Shang Dynasty or Yin Dynasty, according to traditional historiography,
ruled in the Yellow River valley in the second millennium. Archaeological work
at the Ruins of Yin (near modern-day Anyang), which has been identified as the
last Shang capital, uncovered eleven major Yin royal tombs and the
foundations of palaces and ritual sites, containing weapons of war and remains
from both animal and human sacrifices.
B The Tomb of Fu Hao is an archaeological site at Yinxu, the ruins of the

ancient Shang Dynasty capital Yin, within the modem city of Anyang in Henan
Province, China. Discovered in 1976 it was identified as the final resting place
of the queen and military general Fu Hao. The artifacts unearthed within the
grave included jade objects, bone objects, bronze objects etc. These grave
goods are confirmed by the oracle texts, which constitute almost all of the first
hand written record we possess of the Shang Dynasty. Below the corpse was a
small pit holding the remains of six sacrificial dogs and along the edge lay the
skeletons of human slaves, evidence of human sacrifice.
C The Terracotta Army was discovered on 29 March 1974 to the east of Xian in
Shaanxi. The terracotta soldiers were accidentally discovered when a group of
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local farmers was digging a well during a drought around 1.6 km (1 mile) east
of the Qin Emperors tomb around at Mount Li (Lishan), a region riddled with
underground springs and watercourses. Experts currently place the entire
number of soldiers at 8,000 — with 130 chariots (130 cm long), 530 horses and
150 cavalry horses helping to ward of any dangers in the afterlife. In contrast,
the burial of Tutank Hamun yielded six complete but dismantled chariots of
unparalleled richness and sophistication. Each was designed for two people (90
cm long) and had its axle sawn through to enable it to be brought along the
narrow corridor into the tomb.
D Excavation of ancient Chinese chariots has confirmed the descriptions of

them in the earliest texts. Wheels were constructed from a variety of woods:
elm provided the hub, rose-wood the spokes and oak the felloes. The hub was
drilled through to form an empty space into which the tampering axle was
fitted, the whole being covered with leather to retain lubricating oil. Though the
number of spokes varied, a wheel by the fourth century BC usually had
eighteen to thirty-two of them. Records show how elaborate was the testing of
each completed wheel: flotation and weighing were regarded as the best
measures of balance, but even the empty spaces in the assembly were
checked with millet grains. One outstanding constructional asset of the ancient
Chinese wheel was dishing. Dishing refers to the dish-like shape of an
advanced wooden wheel, which looks rather like a flat cone. On occasion they
chose to strengthen a dished wheel with a pair of struts running from rim to
rim on each of the hub. As these extra supports were inserted separately into
the felloes, they would have added even greater strength to the wheel. Leather
wrapped up the edge of the wheel aimed to retain bronze.
E Within a millennium, however, Chinese chariot-makers had developed a

vehicle with shafts, the precursor of the true carriage or cart. This design did
not make its appearance in Europe until the end of the Roman Empire. Because
the shafts curved upwards, and the harness pressed against a horse’s
shoulders, not his neck, the shaft chariot was incredibly efficient. The halberd
was also part of chariot standard weaponry. This halberd usually measured well
over 3 metres in length, which meant that a chariot warrior wielding it
sideways could strike down the charioteer in a passing chariot. The speed of
chariot which was tested on the sand was quite fast. At speed these passes
were very dangerous for the crews of both chariots.
F The advantages offered by the new chariots were not entirely missed. They
could see how there were literally the warring states, whose conflicts lasted
down the Qin unification of China. Qin Shi Huang was buried in the most
opulent tomb complex ever constructed in China, a sprawling, city-size
collection of underground caverns containing everything the emperor would
need for the afterlife. Even a collection of terracotta armies called Terra- Cotta
Warriors was buried in it. The ancient Chinese, along with many cultures
including ancient Egyptians, believed that items and even people buried with a
person could be taken with him to the afterlife.
Questions 1-4
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading
Passage 1?
In boxes 1-4 on you answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement is true
FALSE if the statement is false
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage
1 When discovered, the written records of the grave

goods proved to be accurate.
2 Human skeletons in Anyang tomb were identified as

soldiers who were killed in the war.
3 The Terracotta Army was discovered by people lived

who lived nearby, by chance.
4 The size of the King Tutankhamen’s tomb is bigger than

that of in Qin Emperors’ tomb.
Questions 5-10
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 5-10 on your answer sheet.
The hub is made of wood from the tree of 5
The room through the hub was to put tempering axle in which is
wrapped up by leather aiming to retain 6
The number of spokes varied from 18 to 7

The shape of wheel resembles a 8
Two 9 was used to strengthen the wheel
Leather wrapped up the edge of the wheel aimed to remain

10
Questions 11-13
Answer the questions below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the

passage for each answer.
What body part of horse was released the pressure from to the shoulder?
11
What kind road surface did the researchers measure the speed of the
chariot?
12
What part of his afterlife palace was the Emperor Qin Shi Huang buried in?
13
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-27, which are based on
Reading Passage 2 below.

Saving the British Bitterns
A . Breeding bitterns became extinct in the UK by 1886 but, following re-
colonisation early last century, numbers rose to a peak of about 70 booming
(singing) males in the 1950s, falling to fewer than 20 by the 1990s. In the late
1980s it was clear that the bittern was in trouble, but there was little
information on which to base recovery actions.
B. Bitterns have cryptic plumage and a shy nature, usually remaining hidden
within the cover of reed bed vegetation. Our first challenge was to develop
standard methods to monitor their numbers. The boom of the male bittern is its
most distinctive feature during the breeding season, and we developed a
method to count them using the sound patterns unique to each individual. This
not only allows us to be much more certain of the number of booming males in
the UK, but also enables us to estimate local survival of males from one year to
the next
C. Our first direct understanding of the habitat needs of breeding bitterns came
from comparisons of reed bed sites that had lost their booming birds with those
that retained them. This research showed that bitterns had been retained in
reed beds where the natural process of succession, or drying out, had been
slowed through management. Based on this work, broad recommendations on
how to manage and rehabilitate reed beds for bitterns were made, and funding
was provided through the EU LIFE Fund to manage 13 sites within the core
breeding range. This project, though led by the RSPB, involved many other
organisations.
D. To refine these recommendations and provide fine-scale, quantitative

habitat prescriptions on the bitterns preferred feeding habitat, we radio-
tracked male bitterns on the RSPB’s Minsmere and Leighton Moss reserves.
This showed clear preferences for feeding in the wetter reed bed margins,
particularly within the reed bed next to larger open pools. The average home
range sizes of the male bitterns we followed (about 20 hectares) provided a
good indication of the area of reed bed needed when managing or creating
habitat for this species. Female bitterns undertake all the incubation and care
of the young, so it was important to understand their needs as well. Over the
course of our research, we located 87 bittern nests and found that female
bitterns preferred to nest in areas of continuous vegetation, well into the reed
bed, but where water was still present during the driest part of the breeding
season.
E . The success of the habitat prescriptions developed from this research has
been spectacular. For instance, at Minsmere, booming bittern numbers
gradually increased from one to 10 following reed bed lowering, a
management technique designed to halt the drying out process. After a low
point of 11 booming males in 1997, bittern numbers in Britain responded to all
the habitat management work and started to increase for the first time since
the 1950s.
F The final phase of research involved understanding the diet, survival and
dispersal of bittern chicks. To do this we fitted small radio tags to young bittern
chicks in the nest, to determine their fate through to fledging and beyond.
Many chicks did not survive to fledging and starvation was found to be the
most likely reason for their demise. The fish prey fed to chicks was dominated
by those species penetrating into the reed edge. So, an important element of
recent studies (including a PhD with the University of Hull) has been the
development of recommendations on habitat and water conditions to promote
healthy native fish populations
G. Once independent, radio-tagged young bitterns were found to seek out new
sites during their first winter; a proportion of these would remain on new sites
to breed if the conditions were suitable. A second EU LIFE funded project aims
to provide these suitable sites in new areas. A network of 19 sites developed
through this partnership project will secure a more sustainable UK bittern
population with successful breeding outside of the core area, less vulnerable to
chance events and sea level rise.
H. By 2004, the number of booming male bitterns in the UK had increased to

55, with almost all of the increase being on those sites undertaking
management based on advice derived from our research. Although science has
been at the core of the bittern story, success has only been achieved through
the trust, hard work and dedication of all the managers, owners and wardens of
sites that have implemented, in some cases very drastic, management to
secure the future of this wetland species in the UK. The constructed bunds and
five major sluices now control the water level over 82 ha, with a further 50 ha
coming under control in the winter of 2005/06. Reed establishment has
principally used natural regeneration or planted seedlings to provide small core
areas that will in time expand to create a bigger reed area. To date nearly
275,000 seedlings have been planted and reed cover is extensive. Over 3 km
of new ditches have been formed, 3.7 km of existing ditch have been re-
profiled and 2.2 km of old meander (former estuarine features) has been
cleaned out.
I . Bitterns now regularly winter on the site some indication that they are
staying longer into the spring. No breeding has yet occurred but a booming
male was present in the spring of 2004. A range of wildfowl breed, as well as a
good number of reed bed passerines including reed bunting, reed, sedge and
grasshopper warblers. Numbers of wintering shoveler have increased so that
the site now holds a UK important wintering population. Malltraeth Reserve now
forms part of the UK network of key sites for water vole (a UK priority species)
and 12 monitoring transects has been established. Otter and brown-hare occur
on the site as does the rare plant. Pillwort.
Questions 14-20
The reading passage has seven paragraphs, A-H.
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-H from the list below.
Write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 14-20 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i research findings into habitats and decisions made
ii fluctuation in bittern number
iii protect the young bittern
iv international cooperation works
v Began in calculation of the number
vi importance of food
vii Research has been successful.
viii research into the reedbed
ix reserve established holding bittern in winter
14
Paragraph A
15
Paragraph B
16
Paragraph C
17
Paragraph D
18
Paragraph F
19
Paragraph G
20
Paragraph H
Example: Paragraph E: vii
Questions 21-26
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the

When did the birth of bitten reach its peak of number?
21
What does the author describe the bittern’s character?
22
What is the main cause for the chick bittern’s death?
23
What is the main food for chick bittern?
24
What system does it secure the stability for bittern’s population?
25
Besides bittern and rare vegetation, what mammals does the plan
benefit?
26
Questions 27
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in box 27 on your answer sheet.
27 What is the main purpose of this passage?
A  Main characteristic of a bird called bittern.
B  Cooperation can protect an endangered species.
C  The difficulty of access information of bittern’s habitat and diet.
D  To save wetland and reedbed in UK.

READING PASSAGE 3
E-training
A E-learning is the unifying term to describe the fields of online learning, web-
based training, and technology-delivered instruction, which can be a great
benefit to corporate e-learning. IBM, for instance, claims that the institution of
its e-training program, Basic Blue, whose purpose is to train new managers,
saved the company in the range of $200 million in 1999. Cutting the travel
expenses required to bring employees and instructors to a central classroom
accounts for the lion’s share of the savings. With an online course, employees
can learn from any Internet-connected PC, anywhere in the world. Ernst and
Young reduced training costs by 35 percent while improving consistency and
scalability.
B In addition to generally positive economic benefits, other advantages such as

convenience, standardized delivery, self-paced learning, and variety of
available content have made e-learning a high priority for many corporations.
E-learning is widely believed to offer flexible “any time, any place” learning.
The claim for “any place” is valid in principle and is a great development. Many
people can engage with rich learning materials that simply were not possible in
a paper or broadcast distance learning era. For teaching specific information
and skills, e-training holds great promise. It can be especially effective at
helping employees prepare for IT certification programs. E-learning also seems
to effectively address topics such as sexual harassment education,5 safety
training and management training — all areas where a clear set of
objectives can be identified. Ultimately, training experts recommend a
“blended” approach that combines both online and in-person training as the
instruction requires. E-learning is not an end-all solution. But if it helps
decrease costs and windowless classrooms filled with snoring students, it
definitely has its advantages.
C Much of the discussion about implementing e-learning has focused on the

technology, but as Driscoll and others have reminded us, e-learning is not just
about the technology, but also many human factors. As any capable manager
knows, teaching employees new skills is critical to a smoothly run business.
Having said that, however, the traditional route of classroom instruction runs
the risk of being expensive, slow and, often times, ineffective. Perhaps the
classroom’s greatest disadvantage is the fact that it takes employees out of
their jobs. Every minute an employee is sitting in a classroom training session
is a minute they’re not out on the floor working. It now looks as if there is a way
to circumvent these traditional training drawbacks. E-training promises more
effective teaching techniques by integrating audio, video, animation, text and
interactive materials with the intent of teaching each student at his or her own
pace. In addition to higher performance results, there are other immediate
benefits to students such as increased time on task, higher levels of
motivation, and reduced test anxiety for many learners. A California State
University Northridge study reported that e-learners performed 20 percent
better than traditional learners. Nelson reported a significant difference
between the mean grades of 406 university students earned in traditional and
distance education classes, where the distance learners outperformed the
traditional learners.
D On the other hand, nobody said E-training technology would be cheap. E-

training service providers, on the average, charge from $10,000 to $60,000 to
develop one hour of online instruction. This price varies depending on the
complexity of the training topic and the media used. HTML pages are a little
cheaper to develop while streaming-video (presentations or flash animations
cost more. Course content is just the starting place for cost. A complete e-
learning solution also includes the technology platform (the computers,
applications and network connections that are used to deliver the courses).
This technology platform, known as a learning management system (LMS), can
either be installed on site or outsourced. Add to that cost the necessary
investments in network bandwidth to deliver multimedia courses, and you’re
left holding one heck of a bill. For the LMS infrastructure and a dozen or so
online courses, costs can top $500,000 in the first year. These kinds of costs
mean that custom e-training is, for the time being, an option only for large
organizations. For those companies that have a large enough staff, the e-
training concept pays for itself. Aware of this fact, large companies are
investing heavily in online training. Today, over half of the 400-plus courses

that Rockwell Collins offers are delivered instantly to its clients in an e-learning
format, a change that has reduced its annual (training costs by 40%. Many
other success stories exist.
E E-learning isn't expected to replace the classroom entirely. For one thing,
bandwidth limitations are still an issue in presenting multimedia over the
Internet. Furthermore, e-training isn,t suited to every mode of instruction or
topic. For instance, it’s rather ineffective imparting cultural values or building
teams. If your company has a unique corporate culture it would be difficult to
convey that to first time employees through a computer monitor. Group
training sessions are more ideal for these purposes. In addition, there is a
perceived loss of research time because of the work involved in developing and
teaching online classes. Professor Wallin estimated that it required between
500 and 1,000 person-hours, that is, Wallin-hours, to keep the course at the
appropriate level of currency and usefulness. (Distance learning instructors
often need technical skills, no matter how advanced the courseware system.)
That amounts to between a quarter and half of a person-year. Finally, teaching
materials require computer literacy and access to equipment. Any e-Learning
system involves basic equipment and a minimum level of computer knowledge
in order to perform the tasks required by the system. A student that does not
possess these skills, or have access to these tools, cannot succeed in an e-
Learning program.
F While few people debate the obvious advantages of e-learning, systematic

research is needed to confirm that learners are actually acquiring and using
the skills that are being taught online, and that e-learning is the best way to
achieve the outcomes in a corporate environment. Nowadays, a go-between
style of the Blended learning, which refers to a mixing of different learning
environments, is gaining popularity. It combines traditional face-to-face
classroom methods with more modem computer-mediated activities. According
to its proponents, the strategy creates a more integrated approach for both
instructors and learners. Formerly, technology-based materials played a
supporting role to face-to-face instruction. Through a blended learning
approach, technology will be more important.
Questions 28-33
The reading passage has seven paragraph A-F
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-F from the list below.
Write the correct number, i-xi in boxes 28-33 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings
i overview of the benefits for the application of E-training
ii IBM’s successful choice of training
iii Future direction and a new style of teaching
iv learners achievement and advanced teaching materials
v limitations when E-training compares with traditional class
vi multimedia over the Internet can be a solution
vii technology can be a huge financial burden
viii the distance learners outperformed the traditional university learners in worldwid
ix other advantages besides economic consideration
x Training offered to help people learn using computer
28
Paragraph A
29
Paragraph B
30
Paragraph C
31
Paragraph D
32
Paragraph E
33
Paragraph F
Questions 34-37
The reading Passage has seven paragraphs A-F.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter A-F, in boxes 35-37 on your answer sheet.
34
Projected Basic Blue in IBM achieved a great success.
35
E-learning wins as a priority for many corporations as its
flexibility.
36
The combination of the traditional and e-training
environments may prevail.
37
Example of a fast electronic delivery for a company’s
products to its customers.
Questions 38-40
Choose THREE correct letters, among A-E.
A  Technical facilities are hardly obtained.

B  Presenting multimedia over the Internet is restricted due to the
bandwidth limit.
C  It is ineffective imparting a unique corporate value to fresh

employees.
D  Employees need block a long time leaving their position

attending training.
E  More preparation time is needed to keep the course at the

suitable level.

Solution:
1 TRUE 2 FALSE
3 TRUE 4 NOT GIVEN
5 elm 6 oil
7 Thirty-two/32 8 dish
9 struts 10 bronze
11 (the) Neck 12 (the) Sand
13 (opulent) tomb complex 14 ii
15 v 16 i
17 viii 18 vi
19 iii 20 iv
21 (in the) 1950s 22 (being) shy/shyness
23 starvation 24 (native) fish
25 partnership project (network)/ 26 otter and brown-hare

network (of sites)
27 B
28 i 29 ix
30 iv 31 vii
32 v 33 iii
34 A 35 B
36 F 37 D
38
40
B,C,E
Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
New Zealand Seaweed

Call us not weeds; we are flowers of the sea.
Section A
Seaweed is a particularly nutritious food, which absorbs and concentrates

traces of a wide variety of minerals necessary to the body's health. Many
elements may occur in seaweed - aluminium, barium, calcium, chlorine,
copper, iodine and iron, to name but a few - traces normally produced by
erosion and carried to the seaweed beds by river and sea currents. Seaweeds
are also rich in vitamins: indeed, Eskimos obtain a high proportion of their
bodily requirements of vitamin C from the seaweeds they eat.
The nutritive value of seaweed has long been recognised. For instance, there is
a remarkably low incidence of goitre amongst the Japanese, and for that mat‐
ter, amongst our own Maori people, who have always eaten seaweeds, and this
may well be attributed to the high iodine content of this food. Research into old
Maori eating customs shows that jellies were made using seaweeds, fresh fruit
and nuts, fuchsia and tutu berries, cape gooseberries, and many other fruits
which either grew here naturally or were sown from seeds brought by settlers
and explorers.
Section B
New Zealand lays claim to approximately 700 species of seaweed, some of

which have no representation outside this country. Of several species grown
worldwide, New Zealand also has a particularly large share. For example, it is
estimated that New Zealand has some 30 species of Gigartina, a close relative
of carrageen or Irish moss. These are often referred to as the New Zealand
carrageens. The gel-forming substance called agar which can be extracted
from this species gives them great commercial application in seameal, from
which seameal custard is made, and in cough mixture, confectionery,
cosmetics, the canning, paint and leather industries, the manufacture of
duplicating pads, and in toothpaste. In fact, during World War II, New Zealand
Gigartina were sent toAustralia to be used in toothpaste.
Section C
Yet although New Zealand has so much of the commercially profitable red sea‐
weeds, several of which are a source of agar (Pterocladia, Gelidium, Chondrus,
Gigartina), before 1940 relatively little use was made of them. New Zealand
used to import the Northern Hemisphere Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) from
England and ready-made agar from Japan. Although distribution of the
Gigartina is confined to certain areas according to species, it is only on the east
coast of the North Island that its occurrence is rare. And even then, the east
coast, and the area around Hokiangna, have a considerable supply of the two
species of Pterocladia from which agar is also available. Happily, New Zealand-
made agar is now obtainable in health food shops.
Section D
Seaweeds are divided into three classes determined by colour - red, brown and
green - and each tends to live in a specific location. However, except for the
unmistakable sea lettuce (Ulva), few are totally one colour; and especially
when dry, some species can change colour quite significantly - a brown one
may turn quite black, or a red one appear black, brown, pink or purple.
Identification is nevertheless facilitated by the fact that the factors which de‐
termine where a seaweed will grow are quite precise, and they therefore tend
to occur in very well-defined zones. Although there are exceptions, the green
seaweeds are mainly shallow-water algae; the browns belong to medium
depths, and the reds are plants of the deeper water. Flat rock surfaces near
mid-level tides are the most usual habitat of sea bombs, Venus’ necklace and
most brown seaweeds. This is also the location of the purple laver or Maori
karengo, which looks rather like a reddish-purple lettuce. Deep-water rocks on
open coasts, exposed only at very low tide, are usually the site of bull kelp,
strap weeds and similar tough specimens. Those species able to resist long
periods of exposure to the sun and air are usually found on the upper shore,
while those less able to stand such exposure occur nearer to or below the low-
water mark. Radiation from the sun, the temperature level, and the length of
time immersed all play a part in the zoning of seaweeds.
Section E
Propagation of seaweeds occurs by spores, or by fertilisation of egg cells. None

have roots in the usual sense; few have leaves, and none have flowers, fruits or
seeds. The plants absorb their nourishment through their fronds when they are
surrounded by water: the base or "holdfast" of seaweeds is purely an attaching
organ, not an absorbing one.
Section F
Some of the large seaweeds maintain buoyancy with air-filled floats; others,
such as bull kelp, have large cells filled with air. Some, which spend a good
part of their time exposed to the air, often reduce dehydration either by having
swollen stems that contain water, or they may (like Venus' necklace) have |
swollen nodules, or they may have distinctive shape like a sea bomb. Others,
like the sea cactus, are filled with slimy fluid or have coating of mucilage on %
the surface. In some of the larger kelps, this coating is not only to keep the
plant moist but also to protect it from the violent action of waves.
Questions 1-6
Reading Passage 1 has six sections A-F.
Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings
below.
Write the correct number i-x in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.

i Locations and features of different seaweeds
ii Various products of seaweeds
iii Use of seaweeds in Japan
iv Seaweed species around the globe
v Nutritious value of seaweeds
vi Why it doesn't dry or sink
vii Where to find red seaweeds
viii Underuse of native species
ix Mystery solved
x How seaweeds reproduce and grow
1 Section A
2 Section B
3 Section C
4 Section D
5 Section E
6 Section F
Questions 7-10
Complete the flow chart below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each
answer.

7
10
Questions 11-13
Classify the following description as relating to
A Green seaweeds
B Brown seaweeds
C Red seaweeds
Write the correct letter A, B, or C in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.
11
Can resist exposure to sunlight at high-water mark
12
Grow in far open sea water
13
Share their habitat with karengo

READING PASSAGE 2
Optimism and Health

Mindset is all. How you start the year will set the template for the
rest, and two scientifically backed character traits hold the key:
optimism and resilience (if the prospect leaves you feeling
pessimistically spineless, the good news is that you can significantly
boost both of these qualities).
Faced with 12 months of plummeting economics and rising human distress,

staunchly maintaining a rosy view might seem deludedly Pollyannaish. But
here we encounter the optimism paradox. As Brice Pitt, an emeritus professor
of the psychiatry of old age at Imperial College, London, told me: “Optimists
are unrealistic. Depressive people see things as they really are, but that is a
disadvantage from an evolutionary point of view. Optimism is a piece of evolu‐
tionary equipment that carried us through millennia of setbacks.”
Optimists have plenty to be happy about. In other words, if you can convince
yourself that things will get better, the odds of it happening will improve - be‐
cause you keep on playing the game. In this light, optimism “is a habitual way
of explaining your setbacks to yourself”, reports Martin Seligman, the
psychology professor and author of Learned Optimism. The research shows
that when times get tough, optimists do better than pessimists - they succeed
better at work, respond better to stress, suffer fewer depressive episodes, and
achieve more personal goals.
Studies also show that belief can help with the financial pinch. Chad Wallens, a
social forecaster at the Henley Centre who surveyed middle-class Britons’

beliefs about income, has found that “the people who feel wealthiest, and
those who feel poorest, actually have almost the same amount of money at
their disposal. Their attitudes and behaviour patterns, however, are different
from one another.”
Optimists have something else to be cheerful about - in general, they are more
robust. For example, a study of 660 volunteers by the Yale University
psychologist Dr. Becca Levy found that thinking positively adds an average of
seven years to your life. Other American research claims to have identified a
physical mechanism behind this. A Harvard Medical School study of 670 men
found that the optimists have significantly better lung function. The lead
author, Dr. Rosalind Wright, believes that attitude somehow strengthens the
immune system. “Preliminary studies on heart patients suggest that, by
changing a person’s outlook, you can improve their mortality risk,” she says.
Few studies have tried to ascertain the proportion of optimists in the world. But
a 1995 nationwide survey conducted by the American magazine Adweek found
that about half the population counted themselves as optimists, with women
slightly more apt than men (53 per cent versus 48 per cent) to see the sunny
side.
Of course, there is no guarantee that optimism will insulate you from the
crunch’s worst effects, but the best strategy is still to keep smiling and thank
your lucky stars. Because (as every good sports coach knows) adversity is char‐
acter-forming - so long as you practise the skills of resilience. Research among
tycoons and business leaders shows that the path to success is often littered
with failure: a record of sackings, bankruptcies and blistering castigation. But
instead of curling into a foetal ball beneath the coffee table, they resiliently
pick themselves up, learn from their pratfalls and march boldly towards the
next opportunity.
The American Psychological Association defines resilience as the ability to

adapt in the face of adversity, trauma or tragedy. A resilient person may go
through difficulty and uncertainty, but he or she will doggedly bounce back.
Optimism is one of the central traits required in building resilience, say Yale
University investigators in the. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. They add
that resilient people learn to hold on to their sense of humour and this can help
them to keep a flexible attitude when big changes of plan are warranted. The
ability to accept your lot with equanimity also plays an important role, the
study adds.
One of the best ways to acquire resilience is through experiencing a difficult

childhood, the sociologist Steven Stack reports in the Journal of Social Psych‐
ology. For example, short men are less likely to commit suicide than tall guys,
he says, because shorties develop psychological defence skills to handle
the bullies and mickey-taking that their lack of stature attracts. By contrast,
those who enjoyed adversity-free youths can get derailed by setbacks later on
because they’ve never been inoculated against aggro.
If you are handicapped by having had a happy childhood, then practising

proactive optimism can help you to become more resilient. Studies of resilient
people show that they take more risks; 'they court failure and learn not to fear
it.
And despite being thick-skinned, resilient types are also more open than aver‐
age to other people. Bouncing through knock-backs is all part of the process.
It’s about optimistic risk-taking - being confident that people will like you.
Simply smiling and being warm to people can help. It’s an altruistic path to self-
interest - and if it achieves nothing else, it will reinforce an age-old adage: hard
times can bring out the best in you.
Questions 14-17
Complete the summary below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
from Reading Passage 2 for each answer.
A study group from Yale University had discovered that optimism can
stretch one's life length by 14 years. And another
group from Harvard thinks they have found the biological basis -
optimists have better 15 because an optimist outlook
boosts one's 16 . The study on 17
was cited as evidence in support of this claim.
Questions 18-22
Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-H.
18
Brice Pitt believes
19
The research at Henley Centre discovers
20
The study conducted by Adweek finds
21
The Annual Review of Clinical Psychology reports
22
Steven Stack says in his report
A material wealth doesn't necessarily create happiness.
B optimists tend to be unrealistic about human evolution.
C optimism is advantageous for human evolution.
D adversity is the breeding ground of resilience.
E feelings of optimism vary according to gender.
F good humour means good flexibility.
G evenness of mind under stress is important to building resilience.
H having an optimistic outlook is a habit.
Questions 23-26
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading
Passage?
In boxes 23-26 on your answer sheet write
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
23
The benefits of optimism on health have been long
known.
24
Optimists have better relationships with people than
pessimists.
25
People with happy childhoods might not be able to
practise optimism.
26
Resilient people are often open, and even thick‐
skinned.
READING PASSAGE 3
The Columbian Exchange

A Millions of years ago, continental drift carried the Old World and New World
apart, splitting North and South America from Eurasia and Africa. That sep‐
aration lasted so long that it fostered divergent evolution; for instance, the
development of rattlesnakes on one side of the Atlantic and of vipers on the
other. After 1492, human voyagers in part reversed this tendency. Their ar‐
tificial re-establishment of connections through the commingling of Old and
New World plants, animals, and bacteria, commonly known as the Columbian
Exchange, is one of the more spectacular and significant ecological events of
the past millennium.
B When Europeans first touched the shores of the Americas, Old World crops
such as wheat, barley, rice, and turnips had not travelled west across the
Atlantic, and New World crops such as maize, white potatoes, sweet potatoes,
and manioc had not travelled east to Europe. In the Americas, there were no
horses, cattle, sheep, or goats, all animals of Old World origin. Except for the
llama, alpaca, dog, a few fowl, and guinea pig, the New World had no
equivalents to the domesticated animals associated with the Old World, nor did
it have the pathogens associated with the Old World’s dense populations of
humans and such associated creatures as chickens, cattle, black rats, and
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. Among these germs were those that carried
smallpox, measles, chickenpox, influenza, malaria, and yellow fever.
C As might be expected, the Europeans who settled on the east coast of the
United States cultivated crops like wheat and apples, which they had brought
with them. European weeds, which the colonists did not cultivate, and, in fact,
preferred to uproot, also fared well in the New World. John Josselyn, an
Englishman and amateur naturalist who visited New England twice in the
seventeenth century, left us a list, “Of Such Plants as Have Sprung Up since the
English Planted and Kept Cattle in New England,” which included couch grass,
dandelion, shepherd’s purse, groundsel, sow thistle, and chickweed.

One of these, a plantain (Plantago major), was named “Englishman’s Foot” by
the Amerindians of New England and Virginia who believed that it would grow
only where the English “have trodden, and was never known before the English
came into this country”. Thus, as they intentionally sowed Old World crop
seeds, the European settlers were unintentionally contaminating American
fields with weed seeds. More importantly, they were stripping and burning
forests, exposing the native minor flora to direct sunlight, and the hooves and
teeth of Old World livestock. The native flora could not tolerate the stress. The
imported weeds could, because they had lived with large numbers of grazing
animals for thousands of years.
D Cattle and horses were brought ashore in the early 1600s and found hos‐
pitable climate and terrain in North America. Horses arrived in Virginia as early
as 1620 and in Massachusetts in 1629. Many wandered free with little more
evidence of their connection to humanity than collars with a hook at the bottom
to catch on fences as they tried to leap over them to get at crops. Fences were
not for keeping livestock in, but for keeping livestock out.
E Native American resistance to the Europeans was ineffective. Indigenous

peoples suffered from white brutality, alcoholism, the killing and driving off of
game, and the expropriation of farmland, but all these together are insufficient
to explain the degree of their defeat. The crucial factor was not people, plants,
or animals, but germs. Smallpox was the worst and the most spectacular of the
infectious diseases mowing down the Native Americans. The first recorded
pandemic of that disease in British North America detonated among the Al‐
gonquin of Massachusetts in the early 1630s. William Bradford of Plymouth
Plantation wrote that the victims “fell down so generally of this disease as they
were in the end not able to help one another, no, not to make a fire nor fetch a
little water to drink, nor any to bury the dead”. The missionaries and the
traders who ventured into the American interior told the same appalling story
about smallpox and the indigenes. In 1738 alone, the epidemic destroyed half
the Cherokee; in 1759 nearly half the Catawbas; in the first years of the next
century, two thirds of the Omahas and perhaps half the entire population
between the Missouri River and New Mexico; in 1837-38 nearly every last one
of the Mandans and perhaps half the people of the high plains.
F The export of America’s native animals has not revolutionised Old World agri‐
culture or ecosystems as the introduction of European animals to the New
World did. America’s grey squirrels and muskrats and a few others have
established themselves east of the Atlantic and west of the Pacific, but that has
not made much of a difference. Some of America’s domesticated animals are
raised in the Old World, but turkeys have not displaced chickens and geese,
and guinea pigs have proved useful in laboratories, but have not usurped
rabbits in the butcher shops.
G The New World’s great contribution to the Old is in crop plants. Maize, white
potatoes, sweet potatoes, various squashes, chiles, and manioc have become
essentials in the diets of hundreds of millions of Europeans, Africans, and
Asians. Their influence on Old World peoples, like that of wheat and rice on
New World peoples, goes far to explain the global population explosion of the
past three centuries. The Columbian Exchange has been an indispensable fac‐
tor in that demographic explosion.
H All this had nothing to do with superiority or inferiority of biosystems in any

absolute sense. It has to do with environmental contrasts. Amerindians were
accustomed to living in one particular kind of environment, Europeans and
Africans in another. When the Old World peoples came to America, they
brought with them all their plants, animals, and germs, creating a kind of
environment to which they were already adapted, and so they increased in
number. Amerindians had not adapted to European germs, and so initially their
numbers plunged. That decline has reversed in our time as Amerindian
populations have adapted to the Old World’s environmental influence, but the
demographic triumph of the invaders, which was the most spectacular feature
of the Old World’s invasion of the New, still stands.
Questions 27-34
Reading Passage 3 has eight paragraphs A-H.
Write the correct letter A-H in boxes 27-34 on your answer sheet.
27
A description of an imported species that is named after
the English colonists
28
The reason why both the New World and Old World
experienced population growth
29
The formation of new continents explained
30
The reason why the indigenous population declined
31
An overall description of the species lacked in the Old
World and New World

32
A description of some animal species being ineffective in
affecting the Old World
33
An overall explanation of the success of the Old World
species invasion
34
An account of European animals taking roots in the New
World
Questions 35-38
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading
Passage?
35
European settlers built fences to keep their cattle and
horses inside.
36
The indigenous people had been brutally killed by the
European colonists.
37
America's domesticated animals, such as turkey,
became popular in the Old World.
38
Crop exchange between the two worlds played a
major role in world population
Questions 39-40
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from
the passage for each answer.
Who reported the same story of European diseases among the indigenes
from the American interior?
39
What is the still existing feature of the Old World's invasion of the New?
40

Solution:
1 v 2 ii
3 viii 4 i
5 x 6 vi
7 New Zealand carrageen(s) 8 agar
9 seameal 10 cough mixture
11 A 12 C
13 B 14 7/seven
15 lung function 16 immune system
17 heart patients 18 C
19 A 20 E
21 G 22 D
23 NOT GIVEN 24 NOT GIVEN
25 YES 26 YES
27 C 28 G
29 A 30 E
31 B 32 F
33 H 34 D
35 FALSE 36 TRUE
37 FALSE 38 TRUE
39 missionaries and traders 40 (the) demographic triumph

Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
William Gilbert and Magnetism

A
The 16th and 17th centuries saw two great pioneers of modern science: Galileo
and Gilbert. The impact of their findings is eminent. Gilbert was the first
modern scientist, also the accredited father of the science of electricity and
magnetism, an Englishman of learning and a physician at the court of
Elizabeth. Prior to him, all that was known of electricity and magnetism was
what the ancients knew, nothing more than that the lodestone possessed
magnetic properties and that amber and jet, when rubbed, would attract bits of
paper or other substances of small specific gravity. However, he is less well
known than he deserves.
Gilbert’s birth pre-dated Galileo. Born in an eminent local family in

Colchester County in the UK, on May 24, 1544, he went to grammar school, and
then studied medicine at St John’s College, Cambridge, graduating in 1573.
Later he travelled in the continent and eventually settled down in London.
C
He was a very successful and eminent doctor. All this culminated in his election
to the president of the Royal Science Society. He was also appointed personal
physician to the Queen (Elizabeth I), and later knighted by the Queen. He
faithfully served her until her death. However, he didn’t outlive the Queen for
long and died on November 30, 1603, only a few months after his appointment
as personal physician to King James.
Gilbert was first interested in chemistry but later changed his focus due to the
large portion of mysticism of alchemy involved (such as the transmutation of
metal). He gradually developed his interest in physics after the great minds of
the ancient, particularly about the knowledge the ancient Greeks had about
lodestones, strange minerals with the power to attract iron. In the meantime,
Britain became a major seafaring nation in 1588 when the Spanish Armada was
defeated, opening the way to British settlement of America. British ships
depended on the magnetic compass, yet no one understood why it worked. Did
the Pole Star attract it, as Columbus once speculated; or was there a magnetic
mountain at the pole, as described in Odyssey, which ships would never
approach, because the sailors thought its pull would yank out all their iron nails
and fittings? For nearly 20 years, William Gilbert conducted ingenious
experiments to understand magnetism. His works include On the Magnet,
Magnetic Bodies, and the Great Magnet of the Earth.
Gilbert’s discovery was so important to modern physics. He investigated the

nature of magnetism and electricity. He even coined the word “electric”.
Though the early beliefs of magnetism were also largely entangled with
superstitions such as that rubbing garlic on lodestone can neutralise its
magnetism, one example being that sailors even believed the smell of garlic
would even interfere with the action of compass, which is why helmsmen were
forbidden to eat it near a ship’s compass. Gilbert also found that metals can be
magnetised by rubbing materials such as fur, plastic or the like on them. He
named the ends of a magnet “north pole” and “south pole”. The magnetic
poles can attract or repel, depending on polarity. In addition, however, ordinary
iron is always attracted to a magnet. Though he started to study the
relationship between magnetism and electricity, sadly he didn’t complete it. His
research of static electricity using amber and jet only demonstrated that
objects with electrical charges can work like magnets attracting small pieces of
paper and stuff. It is a French guy named du Fay that discovered that there are
actually two electrical charges, positive and negative.
He also questioned the traditional astronomical beliefs. Though a Copernican,

he didn’t express in his quintessential beliefs whether the earth is at the centre
of the universe or in orbit around the sun. However, he believed that stars are
not equidistant from the earth but have their own earth-like planets orbiting
around them. The earth itself is like a giant magnet, which is also why
compasses always point north. They spin on an axis that is aligned with the
earth’s polarity. He even likened the polarity of the magnet to the polarity of
the earth and built an entire magnetic philosophy on this analogy. In his
explanation, magnetism is the soul of the earth. Thus a perfectly spherical
lodestone, when aligned with the earth’s poles, would wobble all by itself in 24
hours. Further, he also believed that the sun and other stars wobble just like
the earth does around a crystal core, and speculated that the moon might also
be a magnet caused to orbit by its magnetic attraction to the earth. This was
perhaps the first proposal that a force might cause a heavenly orbit.
His research method was revolutionary in that he used experiments rather

than pure logic and reasoning like the ancient Greek philosophers did. It was a
new attitude towards scientific investigation. Until then, scientific experiments
were not in fashion. It was because of this scientific attitude, together with his
contribution to our knowledge of magnetism, that a unit of magneto motive
force, also known as magnetic potential, was named Gilbert in his honour. His
approach of careful observation and experimentation rather than the
authoritative opinion or deductive philosophy of others had laid the very
foundation for modern science.
Questions 1-7
Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs A-G.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings
below.
Write the correct number i-x in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet.

List of headings
i Early years of Gilbert
ii What was new about his scientific research method
iii The development of chemistry
iv Questioning traditional astronomy
v Pioneers of the early science
vi Professional and social recognition
vii Becoming the president of the Royal Science Society
viii The great works of Gilbert
ix His discovery about magnetism
x His change of focus
1 Paragraph A
2 Paragraph B
3 Paragraph C
4 Paragraph D
5 Paragraph E
6 Paragraph F
7 Paragraph G
Questions 8-10
Passage 1?
In boxes 8-10 on your answer sheet, write
8 He is less famous than he should be.

9 He was famous as a doctor before he was employed
by the Queen.
10
He lost faith in the medical theories of his time.
Questions 11-13
Choose THREE letters A-F.
Which THREE of the following are parts of Gilbert’s discovery?
A  Metal can be transformed into another.

B  Garlic can remove magnetism,
C  Metals can be magnetised.
D  Stars are at different distances from the earth.
E  The earth wobbles on its axis.
F  There are two charges of electricity.
READING PASSAGE 2
The 2003 Heatwave

It was the summer, scientists now realise, when global warming at last made
itself unmistakably felt. We knew that summer 2003 was remarkable: Britain
experienced its record high temperature and continental Europe saw forest
fires raging out of control, great rivers drying to a trickle and thousands of
heat-related deaths. But just how remarkable is only now becoming clear.
The three months of June, July and August were the warmest ever recorded in
western and central Europe, with record national highs in Portugal, Germany
and Switzerland as well as in Britain. And they were the warmest by a very long
way. Over a great rectangular block of the earth stretching from west of Paris
to northern Italy, taking in Switzerland and southern Germany, the average
temperature for the summer months was 3.78°C above the long-term norm,
said the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia in
Norwich, which is one of the world's leading institutions for the monitoring and
analysis of temperature records.
That excess might not seem a lot until you are aware of the context - but then
you realise it is enormous. There is nothing like this in previous data,
anywhere. It is considered so exceptional that Professor Phil Jones, the CRU's
director, is prepared to say openly - in a way few scientists have done before -
that the 2003 extreme may be directly attributed, not to natural climate
variability, but to global warming caused by human actions.
Meteorologists have hitherto contented themselves with the formula that

recent high temperatures are “consistent with predictions” of climate change.
For the great block of the map - that stretching between 35-50N and 0-20E -
the CRU has reliable temperature records dating back to 1781. Using as a
baseline the average summer temperature recorded between 1961 and 1990,
departures from the temperature norm, or “anomalies”, over the area as a
whole can easily be plotted. As the graph shows, such is the variability of our
climate that over the past 200 years, there have been at least half a dozen
anomalies, in terms of excess temperature - the peaks on the graph denoting
very hot years - approaching, or even exceeding, 2°C. But there has been
nothing remotely like 2003, when the anomaly is nearly four degrees.
“This is quite remarkable,’ Professor Jones told The Independent. “It’s very
unusual in a statistical sense. If this series had a normal statistical distribution,
you wouldn’t get this number. The return period [how often it could be
expected to recur] would be something like one in a thousand years. If we look
at an excess above the average of nearly four degrees, then perhaps nearly
three degrees of that is natural variability, because we’ve seen that in past

summers. But the final degree of it is likely to be due to global warming,
caused by human actions.”
The summer of 2003 has, in a sense, been one that climate scientists have
long been expecting. Until now, the warming has been manifesting itself mainly
in winters that have been less cold than in summers that have been much
hotter. Last week, the United Nations predicted that winters were warming so
quickly that winter sports would die out in Europe’s lower-level ski resorts. But
sooner or later, the unprecedented hot summer was bound to come, and this
year it did.
One of the most dramatic features of the summer was the hot nights,
especially in the first half of August. In Paris, the temperature never dropped
below 23°C (73.4°F) at all between 7 and 14 August, and the city recorded its
warmest-ever night on 11-12 August, when the mercury did not drop below
25.5°C (77.9°F). Germany recorded its warmest-ever night at Weinbiet in the
Rhine Valley with a lowest figure of 27.6°C (80.6°F) on 13 August, and similar
record-breaking nighttime temperatures were recorded in Switzerland and
Italy.
The 15,000 excess deaths in France during August, compared with previous
years, have been related to the high night-time temperatures. The number
gradually increased during the first 12 days of the month, peaking at about
2,000 per day on the night of 12-13 August, then fell off dramatically after 14
August when the minimum temperatures fell by about 5°C. The elderly were
most affected, with a 70 per cent increase in mortality rate in those aged 75-
94.
For Britain, the year as a whole is likely to be the warmest ever recorded, but
despite the high temperature record on 10 August, the summer itself - defined
as the June, July and August period - still comes behind 1976 and 1995, when
there were longer periods of intense heat. “At the moment, the year is on
course to be the third hottest ever in the global temperature record, which
goes back to 1856, behind 1998 and 2002, but when all the records for
October, November and December are collated, it might move into second
place/' Professor Jones said. The ten hottest years in the record have all now
occurred since 1990. Professor Jones is in no doubt about the astonishing
nature of European summer of 2003. “The temperatures recorded were out of
all proportion to the previous record," he said.
“It was the warmest summer in the past 500 years and probably way beyond

that. It was enormously exceptional."
His colleagues at the University of East Anglia's Tyndall Centre for Climate
Change Research are now planning a special study of it. “It was a summer that
has not been experienced before, either in terms of the temperature extremes
that were reached, or the range and diversity of the impacts of the extreme
heat," said the centre's executive director, Professor Mike Hulme.
“It will certainly have left its mark on a number of countries, as to how they
think and plan for climate change in the future, much as the 2000 floods have
revolutionised the way the Government is thinking about flooding in the UK.
The 2003 heatwave will have similar repercussions across Europe."
Questions 14-19
Passage 2? In boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet write
14
The average summer temperature in 2003 is almost 4
degrees higher than the average temperature of the past.
15
Global warming is caused by human activities.
16
Jones believes the temperature variation is within the
normal range.
17
The temperature is measured twice a day in major
cities.
18
There were milder winters rather than hotter
summers.
19
Governments are building new high-altitude ski
resorts.
Questions 20-21
Questions 20-21
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS
AND/OR NUMBERS from the passage for each answer.
What are the other two hottest years in Britain besides 2003?
20
What has also influenced government policies like the hot summer in
2003?
21
Questions 22-25
Complete the summary below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
from the passage for each answer.
The other two hottest years around the globe were 22
The ten hottest years on record all come after the year
23
This temperature data has been gathered since 24
Thousands of people died in the country of 25
Question 26
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.
Write your answer in box 26 on your answer sheet.
26
Which one of the following can be best used as the title of this
passage?
A  Global Warming
B  What Caused Global Warming
C  The Effects of Global Warming
D  That Hot Year in Europe

READING PASSAGE 3
Amateur Naturalists
From the results of an annual Alaskan betting contest to sightings of
migratory birds, ecologists are using a wealth of unusual data to
predict the impact of climate change.
A Tim Sparks slides a small leather-bound notebook out of an envelope. The

book's yellowing pages contain bee-keeping notes made between 1941 and
1969 by the late Walter Coates of Kilworth, Leicestershire. He adds it to his
growing pile of local journals, birdwatchers' lists and gardening diaries. "We're
uncovering about one major new record each month," he says, "I still get
surprised." Around two centuries before Coates, Robert Marsham, a landowner
from Norfolk in the east of England, began recording the life cycles of plants
and animals on his estate - when the first wood anemones flowered, the dates
on which the oaks burst into leaf and the rooks began nesting. Successive
Marshams continued compiling these notes for 211 years.
B Today, such records are being put to uses that their authors could not pos‐
sibly have expected. These data sets, and others like them, are proving in‐
valuable to ecologists interested in the timing of biological events, or phen‐
ology. By combining the records with climate data, researchers can reveal how,
for example, changes in temperature affect the arrival of spring, allowing
ecologists to make improved predictions about the impact of climate change. A
small band of researchers is combing through hundreds of years of records
taken by thousands of amateur naturalists. And more systematic projects have
also started up, producing an overwhelming response. "The amount of interest
is almost frightening," says Sparks, a climate researcher at the Centre for
Ecology and Hydrology in Monks Wood, Cambridgeshire.
C Sparks first became aware of the army of "closet phenologists”, as he de‐

scribes them, when a retiring colleague gave him the Marsham records. He now
spends much of his time following leads from one historical data set to
another. As news of his quest spreads, people tip him off to other historical
records, and more amateur phenologists come out of their closets. The British
devotion to recording and collecting makes his job easier - one man from Kent
sent him 30 years' worth of kitchen calendars, on which he had noted the date
that his neighbour's magnolia tree flowered.
D Other researchers have unearthed data from equally odd sources. Rafe Sa‐
garin, an ecologist at Stanford University in California, recently studied records
of a betting contest in which participants attempt to guess the exact time at
which a specially erected wooden tripod will fall through the surface of a
thawing river. The competition has taken place annually on the Tenana River in
Alaska since 1917, and analysis of the results showed that the thaw now
arrives five days earlier than it did when the contest began.
E Overall, such records have helped to show that, compared with 20 years ago,
a raft of natural events now occur earlier across much of the northern hemi‐
sphere, from the opening of leaves to the return of birds from migration and
the emergence of butterflies from hibernation. The data can also hint at how
nature will change in the future. Together with models of climate change,
amateurs' records could help guide conservation. Terry Root, an ecologist at
the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, has collected birdwatchers' counts of
wildfowl taken between 1955 and 1996 on seasonal ponds in the American
Midwest and combined them with climate data and models of future warming.
Her analysis shows that the increased droughts that the models predict could
halve the breeding populations at the ponds. "The number of waterfowl in
North America will most probably drop significantly with global warming," she
says.
F But not all professionals are happy to use amateur data. "A lot of scientists
won't touch them, they say they're too full of problems," says Root. Because
different observers can have different ideas of what constitutes, for example,
an open snowdrop. "The biggest concern with ad hoc observations is how
carefully and systematically they were taken," says Mark Schwartz of the
University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, who studies the interactions between
plants and climate. "We need to know pretty precisely what a person's been
observing - if they just say 'I noted when the leaves came out', it might not be
that useful." Measuring the onset of autumn can be particularly problematic
because deciding when leaves change colour is a more subjective process than
noting when they appear.
G Overall, most phenologists are positive about the contribution that amateurs
can make. "They get at the raw power of science: careful observation of the
natural world," says Sagarin. But the professionals also acknowledge the need
for careful quality control. Root, for example, tries to gauge the quality of an
amateur archive by interviewing its collector. "You always have to worry -
things as trivial as vacations can affect measurement. I disregard a lot of
records because they're not rigorous enough," she says. Others suggest that
the right statistics can iron out some of the problems with amateur data.
Together with colleagues at Wageningen University in the Netherlands,
environmental scientist Arnold van Vliet is developing statistical techniques to
account for the uncertainty in amateur phenological data. With the enthusiasm
of amateur phenologists evident from past records, professional researchers
are now trying to create standardised recording schemes for future efforts.
They hope that well-designed studies will generate a volume of observations
large enough to drown out the idiosyncrasies of individual recorders. The data
are cheap to collect, and can provide breadth in space, time and range of
species. "It's very difficult to collect data on a large geographical scale without
enlisting an army of observers," says Root.
H Phenology also helps to drive home messages about climate change. "Be‐
cause the public understand these records, they accept them," says Sparks.
It can also illustrate potentially unpleasant consequences, he adds, such as the
finding that more rat infestations are reported to local councils in warmer
years. And getting people involved is great for public relations. "People are
thrilled to think that the data they've been collecting as a hobby can be used
for something scientific - it empowers them," says Root.
Questions 27-33
Reading Passage 3 has eight paragraphs A-H.
27
The definition of phenology
28
How Sparks first became aware of amateur records

29
How people reacted to their involvement in data
collection
30
The necessity to encourage amateur data collection
31
A description of using amateur records to make
predictions
32
Records of a competition providing clues to climate
change
33
A description of a very old record compiled by
generations of amateur naturalists
Questions 34-36
Complete the sentences below with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from
the passage for each answer.
Walter Coates’s records largely contain the information of

34
Robert Marsham is famous for recording the 35 of

animals and plants on his land.
According to some phenologists, global warming may cause the number

of waterfowl in North America to drop significantly due to increased
36
Questions 37-40
Why do a lot of scientists discredit the data collected by

37 amateurs?
A  Scientific methods were not used in data collection.
B  Amateur observers are not careful in recording their data.
C  Amateur data is not reliable.

D  Amateur data is produced by wrong candidates.
Mark Schwartz used the example of leaves to illustrate

38 that
A  amateur records can’t be used.
B  amateur records are always unsystematic.
C  the colour change of leaves is hard to observe.
D  valuable information is often precise.
39 How do the scientists suggest amateur data should be used?
A  Using improved methods
B  Being more careful in observation
C  Using raw materials
D  Applying statistical techniques in data collection
40 What’s the implication of phenology for ordinary people?
A  It empowers the public.
B  It promotes public relations.
C  It warns people of animal infestation.
D  It raises awareness about climate change in the public.

Solution:
1 v 2 i
3 vi 4 x
5 ix 6 iv
7 ii 8 TRUE
9 TRUE 10 NOT GIVEN
11
13
C,D,E 14 YES
15 YES 16 NO
17 NOT GIVEN 18 YES
19 NOT GIVEN 20 1976, 1995
21 2000 floods/flooding 22 1998 and 2002/1998, 2002
23 1990 24 1781
25 France 26 D
27 B 28 C
29 H 30 G
31 E 32 D
33 A 34 bee-keeping
35 life cycles 36 drought(s)
37 C 38 A
39 D 40 D

Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading
Passage 1 below.
The politics of pessimism

Newspaper headlines and TV or radio news bulletins would have us believe erroneously
that a new age has come upon us, the Age of Cassandra. People are being assailed not
just with contemporary doom, or past gloom, but with prophecies of disasters about to
befall. The dawn of the new millennium has now passed; the earth is still intact, and the fin
de siècle Jeremiahs have now gone off to configure a new date for the apocalypse.
It can, I believe, be said with some certainty that the doom-mongers will never run out of
business. Human nature has an inclination for pessimism and anxiety, with each age hav‐
ing its demagogues, foretelling doom or dragging it in their wake. But what makes the
modern age so different is that the catastrophes are more “in your face”, Their assault on
our senses is relentless. Whether it be sub-conscious or not, this is a situation not lost on
politicians. They play upon people’s propensity for unease, turning it into a very effective
political tool.
Deluding the general public
All too often, when politicians want to change the status quo, they take advantage of peo‐
ple’s fears of the unknown and their uncertainties about the future. For example, details
about a new policy may be leaked to the press. Of course, the worst case scenario is pre‐
sented in all its depressing detail. When the general public reacts in horror, the
government appears to cave in. And then accepting some of the suggestions from their
critics, ministers water down their proposals. This allows the government to get what It
wants, while at the same time fooling the public into believing that they have got one over
on the government. Or even that they have some say in the making of policy.
There are several principles at play here. And both are rather simple: unsettle people and
then play on their fears; and second, people must be given an opportunity to make a con‐
tribution, however insignificant, in a given situation; otherwise, they become dissatisfied,
not fearful or anxious.
A similar ruse, at a local level, will further illustrate how easily people’s base fears are ex‐
ploited. A common practice is to give people a number of options, say in a housing devel‐
opment, ranging from no change to radical transformation of an area. The aim is to
persuade people to agree significant modifications, which may involve disruption to their
lives, and possibly extra expenditure. The individuals, fearful of the worst possible
outcome, plump for the middle course. And this, incidentally, is invariably the option
favoured by the authorities. Everything is achieved under the guise of market research, but
it is obviously a blatant exercise in the manipulation of people’s fears.
Fear and survival
Fear and anxieties about the future affect us still. People are wracked with self-doubt and
low self-esteem. In the struggle to exist and advance in life, a seemingly endless string, of
obstacles is encountered, so many, in fact, that any accomplishment seems surprising.
liven when people do succeed they are still nagged by uncertainty.
Not surprisingly, feelings like doubt, fear, anxiety and pessimism are usually associated
with failure. Yet, if properly harnessed, they are the driving force behind success, the very
engines of genius.
if things turn out well for a long time, there is a further anxiety: that of constantly watting for
something to go wrong. People then find themselves propitiating the gods: not walking on
lines on the pavements, performing rituals before public performances, wearing particular
clothes and colours so that they can blame the ritual not themselves when things go
wrong,
But surely the real terror cornea when success continues uninterrupted for such a long
period of time that we forget what failure is like!
We crave for and are fed a daily diet of anxiety, Horror films and disaster movies have an
increasing appeal. Nostradamus pops his head up now and again. And other would-be
prophets make a brief appearance, predicting the demise of human kind. Perhaps, this is
all just a vestige of the hardships of early man – our attempt to recreate the struggles of a
past age, as it's becomes more and more comfortable.
Mankind cannot live by contentment alone. And so, a world awash with anxieties and pes‐
simism has been created. Being optimistic is u struggle. Hut survival dictates that mankind
remain ever sanguine.
Questions 1-5
Choose one phrase (A-K) from the List of phrases to complete each Key point
below. Write the appropriate letters (A-K) in Boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
The information in the completed sentences should be an accurate summary of the

points made by the writer.
NB. There are more phrases (A-K) than sentences, so you wilt not need to use them
all. You may use each phrase once only.
Key points
1 Newspaper headlines and TV or radio news bulletins
2 Doom-mongers are popular, because people
3 Today, catastrophes
4 To politicians, people’s Inclination for fear
5 The government

List of phrases
A are not as threatening as in the past
B tell the truth
C blame them
D try to make us believe mistakenly that we are in a new era
E calm people down
F are uncertain about the future
G are less comfortable
H are natural pessimists and worriers
I are more immediate
J get what they want by deceiving the public
K is something they can make use of
Questions 6-9
Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in Boxes 6-9 on your answer
sheet.
The housing development example shows that people

6 …
A  are not that easily deceived
B  like market research
C  lead their fears
D  are easy to delude
Which one of the following statements is true, according to the

7 passage?
A  Market research uses people’s fears for their own good
B  People are scared by market research techniques
C  Market research techniques are used as a means of taking advantage of

people’s fears

D  Market research makes people happy
The engines of genius are

8 …
A  properly harnessed
B  the driving force behind success
C  driven by feelings like fear
D  usually associated with failure
9 Continual success …
A  makes people arrogant
B  worries people
C  does not have any negative effects on people
D  increases people’s self-esteem
Questions 10-13
Do the statements below agree with the information in Reading Passage 1?
In Boxes 10-13, write:
Example: Politicians pretend things are worse than they are.
Answer: YES.
10
The complex relationship between failure and success needs
to be addressed carefully.
11
People perform certain rituals to try to avoid failure.
12
Anxiety in daily life is what we want.
13
The writer believes that Nostradamus and certain other
prophets are right about their predictions for the end of the human race.

READING PASSAGE 2
Passage 2 below.
Crows Can be Craftsmen too

A remarkable colony of inventors has emerged on an isolated Pacific island.They can
fashion tools out of materials scavenged from the rainforest. They can even customise a
tool for a given job. Meet the crows of New Caledonia.
Thinkers as diverse as Freud, Engels and Thomas Carlyle once pointed to the use of tools
as being a defining behaviour of human beings. Then it was found that many animals also
used them, from the ’fishing sticks’ of apes to the rocks dropped on ostrich eggs by
Egyptian vultures. Crows are particularly crafty. Earlier studies showed that they are
almost human-like in their use of tools, with technological features that match the stone
and bone tool cultures that emerged among primitive humans between 2.5 million and
70,000 BC.
But only humans were thought to have the brain power required for cumulative
technological evolution. This is the skill for innovation that took our ancestors two million
years ago from creating flakes of flint, for use in cutting, to honing knives, blades,
arrowheads and axeheads.
Now this ‘unique’ attribute of humans has also turned out to be a flattering delusion. A new
study shows that the crows of New Caledonia are inventive. With their evolving leaf tools,
the birds have levered man off his pedestal.
Dr Gavin Hunt and Dr Russell Gray of the University of Auckland have spent the past
decade studying feathered technology in New Caledonia, 900 miles north-east of
Australia. After an intensive field survey of local crow industry, the scientists found that the
birds rip the leaves of the pandanus tree to fashion three distinct types of tool for grub and
insect extraction: wide, narrow and tapered.
Long ago, the birds discovered that they could rip the serrated edge off the leaves to
make a wide tool. The skill spread and the crows honed tools with finer working tips, by
either narrowing tools or tapering them. (Because the leaves are reinforced by tough
parallel fibres, the tapered design is made in steps. The crow nips the leaf, rips along the
fibres, makes another cut and tears again, repeating until it has a tool with usually two,
three or four steps.)
Leaf tool manufacture is an example of culture: the birds leam through example and their
tool-making wisdom grows in sophistication down the generations. The crows appear to
have the cognitive requirements for cumulative, though rudimentary, technological
evolution, said Dr Gray. Tool manufacture in New Caledonian crows shows striking
flexibility and innovation.’ The ability of the birds to innovate is further shown by their
making of other tools. They often strip a twig of leaves and cut it off just below a shortened
offshoot to create a hook to get bugs out. They also use simpler tools to extract grubs from
the dead wood of trees.
Prof Alex Kacelnik, fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford, praised the study as’extremely
important’. It complements his own research, with Dr Jackie Chappell and Alex Weir,
which has turned Betty the New Caledonian crow into a star by revealing her to be the first
animal, other than man, to show a basic understanding of cause and effect.
Betty began making tools after her partner snatched away a hook made for her by the
researchers, forcing her to make her own from garden wire to fish out morsels from a tube.
She wedged the end of the wire into the base of the food tube and turned her head to form
the hook. What amazed the researchers is that she can even adapt her hooks if they are
not up to the job, something that even chimpanzees are unable to do. Although chimps
use sticks in experiments, they have not shown any human-like understanding of basic
physical laws.’When she starts bending the wire it is as if she has a clear objective, even
correcting the angle of the hook if it is not right,’ said Prof Kacelnik. ’Although many
animals use tools, purposeful modification of objects to solve new problems, without
training or prior experience, is virtually unknown.’
‘While we have been emphasising the individual ability of animals like Betty to solve
problems, the New Zealand team has been emphasising tool manufacture, the cultural
traditions and transmission of information in the wild,’ said Prof Kacelnik. Both strands of
research are related by how the crows are not genetically programmed to use a tool, like a
spider and his web. Instead, the birds creatively invent new kinds of tools to solve
problems and can share skills with others.
The crow family are the Einsteins of the avian world, though Prof Kacelnik added that, at
least in terms of tool making, the Pacific crows are smarter than their British cousins. We
have not yet identified what it is that makes these crows so special, though it is something
to do with ecological circumstances,’said Prof Kacelnik.
Once scientists have got to the bottom of what makes Pacific crows master toolmakers,
they may have to think again about how this skill evolved in humans.
Questions 14-17
Complete the diagrams.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
14
15
16
17
Questions 18-22
Classify the following statements as referring to the crow(s) in
A the study by Hunt and Gray
B the study by Kacelnik, Chappell and Weir
C both studies
Write the correct letter, A, B or C.

18
can share tool-making skills with other crows
19
can make special tools for a particular purpose
20
can solve problems by understanding rather than learning
21
can make tools better than British crows can
22
can manufacture hooks to extract food
Questions 23-26
Complete the summary.
It used to be thought that only human beings used tools. Even after we learned
that many other 23 also do so, it was still believed that only
humans were intelligent enough to gradually evolve better tools. A study of crows
in 24 , however, shows that these birds use a leaf tool which
has been evolved over several generations. A crow in another study has shown
the humanlike ability to understand 25 in order to manufacture
tools, which not even 26 can do.
Reading Passage 3
Passage 3 below.

Coming into the World A little-known island
community comes in from the cold.
Back in early 1961, few outside the corridors of dwindling British power had heard of the
archipelago centred on the main island of Tristan da Cunha, from which the scattered
islands that make up the group took their name.
It would take a dramatic volcanic eruption, and an emergency evacuation that would grab
the attention of the media, to bring attention to this mysterious outpost of the British
Empire. It seemed that the islands, no more than pin-pricks in the Southern Atlantic
Ocean, almost equidistant between Buenos Aires in South America and Cape Town in
South Africa, preferred not to be found.
The same can be said of the 290 or so residents of Tristan da Cunha at that time. They
lived on the remotest island on the entire planet.There was no airport, nor was there space
to build one on this mountainous carbuncle projecting from the ocean.The only harbour,
impenetrable during rough weather, was 1,500 miles distant from the nearest mainland
port. Cape Town. Communications with the outside world relied predominantly on signals
to passing fishing boats and the annual visit of the vessel that supplied the islanders with
the goods they could not produce themselves.
For this was a self-reliant community, proud of their ability to survive and help each other
in times of adversity. Colonised early in the 19th century, until December 1942, money had
not been exchanged on the island. However, war-time conditions and new development, in
particular a new fishing industry, saw the beginnings of links which meant that the
islanders had to accept they were now part of the modern world, however much the older
members of the community might resist such change.
The lives of the islanders ticked quietly along, largely ignored as the government of Britain
struggled with larger events on the world stage, until the beginning of August 1961. Earth
tremors and rock falls began on the 6th, but by October the situation had got so bad that
the island had to be evacuated.The entire population eventually found themselves in
England, where they were met with unwanted and unexpected attention from the media.
They were housed at a military camp just outside the port of Southampton.
Coming from a sub-tropical island and having had little exposure to the illnesses and chill
endured by the natives of the British Isles during winter, several of the elder islanders
succumbed. The government did not seem to know what to offer the islanders, there was
no news about what was happening to their homeland, and the future looked very
bleak.These were people who had built up their own way of life for over one hundred and
fifty years. They were a compact community who shared only seven family names
between them, and now it seemed that their way of life was to be destroyed.
Fortunately, and despite the islanders reluctance to have any dealings with the media, who
they suspected looked on them as historical curiosities, the attention helped keep their
plight in the public eye. Eventually, word came through that the island was again habitable
and, despite strong resistance from the British Government, the vast majority of the
islanders voted to return, turning their backs on the temptations of the brighter lights of
their temporary home in favour of their own.
The last of the returning islanders arrived in November 1963 and, with the rebuilding of the
crawfish canning industry and a growing demand for the island’s stamps amongst
dedicated collectors following the publicity caused hy the volcanic eniption, the local
economy soon recovered, although communications remained as difficult as they had ever
been. Michael Parsons, a young British teacher who was employed on the island, recalls
that there was no television and mail from the outside world arrived just eight times a year.
‘I was allowed to send a 100-word telegram home once a month,’he recalls,’and getting
news from home brought a lump to my throat’
Things have changed with developments in technology, but at the beginning of the
present century the island was again cut off from the rest of the world when, on May
23rd2001, a hurricane tore through the area. It caused extensive damage, knocking out
the radio station and satellite telephone link as well as leaving the islanders without
electricity. It would be a week before news of the disaster reached London and several
more weeks before a rescue package could be agreed to help the islanders rebuild.
Today the island boasts its own internet café. For the first time people can see what the
items they wish to obtain from abroad actually look like before they purchase them – a big
bonus in a place where you have to wait many months to receive an order which might
prove to be unsuitable for the purpose you had in mind. At last, it seems, Tristan da Cunha
has joined the world.
Questions 27-28
The writer describes the islands of Tristan da Cunha

27 as
A  difficult to find in an emergency.
B  a place the media didn’t understand.
C  somewhere different countries claimed to own.
D  unknown to most members of the public.
What does the writer say about the

28 islanders?

A  They could go for years with no contact with outsiders.
B  They had no means of leaving the island to speak to others.
C  They exchanged messages with boats that went past them.
D  They travelled to the mainland on the supply ship.
Questions 29-34
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage
3? Write
29
People living on Tristan da Cunha are totally self-sufficient.
30
The islanders often get ill.
31
Some islanders were reluctant to return after the volcanic
eruption.
32
The selling of postage stamps has generated revenue for the
islanders.
33
There is no television service on Tristan da Cunha.
34
Communications with the island are often interrupted.
Questions 35-40
First colonised in the early part of the 19th century, Tristan da Cunha remained
unknown to many people in the rest of the world until a 35
forced the small population of this remote island to evacuate their homes and
brought their existence to the attention of 36 . After spending
two years as refugees in 37 , the British Government
reluctantly allowed them to return to the island once it had been established that
the danger had passed. The 38 of the island improved when
rebuilding work had been completed, partly because of a new interest in the
39 Disaster was to strike the island again nearly forty years
later when a 40 destroyed many buildings on the island.

Solution:
1 D 2 H
3 I 4 K
5 J 6 A
7 C 8 C
9 B 10 NOT GIVEN
11 YES 12 YES
13 NOT GIVEN 14 rips
15 pandanus 16 wide
17 tapered 18 A
19 C 20 B
21 C 22 C
23 animals 24 New Caledonia
25 physical laws 26 chimpanzees/chimps
27 D 28 C
29 NO 30 NOT GIVEN
31 YES 32 YES
35 volcanic eruption 36 the media
37 England 38 (local) economy
39 island’s stamps 40 hurricane

Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
Seed vault guards resources for the future
Fiona Harvey paid a visit to a building whose contents are very precious.
About 1,000 km from the North Pole, Svalbard is one of the most remote places
on earth. For this reason, it is the site of a vault that will safeguard a priceless
component of our common heritage – the seeds of our staple crops. Here,
seeds from the world’s most vital food crops will be locked away for hundreds
or even thousands of years. If something goes wrong in the world, the vault will
provide the means to restore farming. We, or our descendants, will not have to
retread thousands of years of agriculture from scratch.
Deep in the vault at the end of a long tunnel, are three storage vaults which
are lined with insulated panels to help maintain the cold temperatures.
Electronic transmitters linked to a satellite system monitor temperature, etc.
and pass the information back to the appropriate authorities at Longycarbyen
and the Nordic Gene Bank which provide the technical information for
managing the seed vaults. The seeds are placed in scaled boxes and stored on
shelves in the vaults. The minimal moisture level and low temperature ensure
low metabolic activity. The remote location, as well as the rugged structure,
provide unparalleled security for the world’s agricultural heritage.
The three vaults are buried deep in the hillside. To reach them, it is necessary
to proceed down a long and surprisingly large corridor. At 93.3 metres in
length, it connects the 26-metre long entrance building to the three vaults,
each of which extends a further 27 metres into the mountain. Towards the end
of this tunnel, after about 80 metres, there are several small rooms on the
right-hand side. One is a transformer room to which only the power company
officials have access – this houses the equipment needed to transform the
incoming electrical current down to 220 volts. A second is an electrical room
housing controls for the compressor and other equipment. I he oilier room is an
office which can be heated to provide comfortable working conditions for those
who will make an inventory of the samples in and out of the vault.
Anyone seeking access to the seeds has to pass through four locked doors: the
heavy steel entrance doors, a second door approximately 90 metres down the
tunnel and finally the two keyed doors separated by an airlock, from which it is
possible to proceed directly into the seed vaults. Keys are coded to allow
access to different levels of the facility. A work of art will make the vault visible
for miles with reflective sheets of steel and mirrors which form an installation
acting as a beacon. It reflects polar light in the summer months, while in the
winter, a network of 200 fibre-optic cables will give the piece a muted greenish-
turquoise and white light. Cary Fowler, the mastermind behind the vault,
stands inside the echoing cavern. For him, this is the culmination of nearly 30
years of work. ‘It’s an insurance policy,’ he explains, ‘a very cheap insurance
policy when you consider what we’re insuring – the earth’s biological diversity.’
Seeds are being brought here from all over the world, from seed banks created
by governments, universities and private institutions. Soon, there will be seed
varieties from at least 100 crops in the Svalbard vault – extending to examples
of all of the 1.5 million known crop seed varieties in the world. If any more are
unearthed. either in the wild or found in obscure collections, they can be
added, too – the vault has room for at least 4.5 million samples. Inside the
entrance area it is more than 10® C below freezing, but in the chambers where
the seeds are kept, refrigerators push down the temperature even further, to -
18oC. At this temperature, which will be kept constant to stop the seeds
germinating or rotting, the wheat seeds will remain viable for an estimated
1.700 vears. the years.
Svalbard’s Arctic conditions will keep the seeds cold. In order to maintain the
temperature at a constant -10° C to -20® C, the cold Arctic air will be drawn
into the vault during the winter, automatically and without human intervention.
The surrounding rock will maintain the temperature requirements during the
extremely cold season and, during warmer periods, refrigeration equipment will
engage. Looking out across the snow-covered mountains of Svalbard, it is hard
not to feel respect for the 2,300 or so people who live here, mainly in
Longyearbyen, a village a few miles away. There are three months without
light in winter.
Svalbard is intended 3s the seed bank of last resort. Each sample is made up of
a few hundred seeds, sealed inside a watertight package which will never be
tampered with while it is in the vault. The packages of seeds remain the
property of the collections they have come from. Svalbard will disburse
samples ‘only if all the other seeds in other collections around the world are
gone,’ explains Fowler. If seeds do have to be given out, those who receive
them are expected to germinate them and generate new samples, to be
returned to the vault.
Questions 1-6
Label the diagram below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS OR A
NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

1
Question 7-13
Passage 1 ?

7 The vault has the capacity to accommodate
undiscovered types of seed at a later date.
8 There are different levels of refrigeration according to

the kinds of seeds stored.
9 During winter, the flow of air entering the vault is

regularly monitored by staff.
10
There is a back-up refrigeration system ready to be
switched on if the present one fails.
11
The people who work at Svalbard are mainly locals.
12
Once a seed package Is In the vault, it remains
unopened.
13
If seeds are sent from Svalbard to other banks, there
is an obligation for the recipient to send replacements back.
READING PASSAGE 2
WHAT COOKBOOKS REALLY TEACH US
A . Shelves bend under their weight of cookery books. Even a medium-sized

bookshop contains many more recipes than one person could hope to took in a
lifetime. Although the recipes in one book are often similar to those in another,
their presentation varies wildly, from an array of vegetarian cookbooks to
instructions on cooking the food that historical figures might have eaten. The
reason for this abundance is that cookbooks promise to bring about a kind of
domestic transformation for the user. The daily routine can be put on one side
and they liberate the user, if only temporarily. To follow their instructions is to
turn a task which has to be performed every day into an engaging, romantic
process. Cookbooks also provide an opportunity to delve into distant cultures
without having to turn up at an airport to get there.
B . The first Western cookbook appeared just over 1,600 years ago. De re
couquinara (it means ‘concerning cookery’) is attributed to a Roman gourmet
named Apicius. It is probably a compilation of Roman and Greek recipes, some
or all of them drawn from manuscripts that were later loss. The editor was
sloppy, allowing several duplicated recipes to sneak in. Yet Apicius’s book set
the tone of cookery advice in Europe for more than a thousand years. As a
cookbook it is unsatisfactory with very basic instructions. Joseph Vehling, a
chef who translated Apicius in the 1930s, suggested the author had been
obscure on purpose, in ease his secrets leaked out.
C . But a more likely reason is that Apicius’s recipes were written by and for
professional cooks, who could follow their shorthand. This situation continued
for hundreds of years. There was no order to cookbooks: a cake recipe might
be followed by a mutton one. But then, they were not written for careful study.
Before the 19th century few educated people cooked for themselves. The
wealthiest employed literate chefs; others presumably read recipes to their
servants. Such cooks would have been capable of creating dishes from the
vaguest of instructions.
D . The invention of printing might have been expected to lead to greater

clarity but at first the reverse was true. As words acquired commercial value,
plagiarism exploded. Recipes were distorted through reproduction. A recipe for
boiled capon in Vk Good Huswives Jewell, printed in 1596, advised the cook to
add three or four dates. By 1653. when the recipe was given by a different
author in A Book of Fruits & Flowers, the cook was told to see the dish aside for
three or four days.
E. The dominant theme in 16th and 17th century cookbooks was order. Books
combined recipes and household advice, on the assumption that a well-made
dish, a well-ordered larder and well- disciplined children were equally
important. Cookbooks thus became a symbol of dependability in chaotic times.
They hardly seem to have been affected by the English civil war or the
revolutions in America and France.
F . In the 1850s, Isabella Becton published the Book of Household
Management. Like earlier cookery writers she plagiarized freely, lifting not just
recipes bur philosophical observations from other books. If Becton’s recipes
were not wholly new. though, the way in which she presented them certainly
was. She explains when the chief ingredients are most likely to be in season,
how long the dish will take to prepare and even how much it is likely to cost.
Bee ton’s recipes were well suited to her times. Two centuries earlier, an
understanding of rural ways had been so widespread that one writer could
advise cooks to heat water until it was a little hotter than milk comes from a
cow. By the 1850s Britain was industrializing. The growing urban middle class
needed details, and Becton provided them in hill.
G. In France, cookbooks were fast becoming even more systematic. Compared

with Britain, France had produced few books written for the ordinary
householder by the end of the 19th century. The most celebrated French
cookbooks were written by superstar chefs who had a clear sense of codifying
a unified approach to sophisticated French cooking. The 5.000 recipes in
Auguste Escoffiers Le Guide CuJinaire (The Culinary Guide), published in 1902,
might as well have been written in stone, given the book’s reparation among
French chefs, many of whom still consider it the definitive reference book.
H. What Escoffier did for French cooking. Fannie Farmer did for American home
cooking. She not only synthesized American cuisine; she elevated it to the
status of science. ‘Progress in civilization has been accompanied by progress in
cookery,’ she breezily announced in The Boston Cooking-School Cook
Book, before launching into a collection of recipes that sometimes resembles a
book of chemistry experiments. She was occasionally over-fussy. She explained
that currants should be picked between June 28th and July 3rd, but not when it
is raining. But in the main her book is reassuringly authoritative. Its recipes
are short, with no unnecessary that and no unnecessary spices.
I. In 1950, Mediterranean Food by Elizabeth David launched a revolution in

cooking advice in Britain. In some ways Mediterranean Food recalled even
older cookbooks but the smells and noises that filled David's books were not
mere decoration for her recipes. They were the point of her books. When she
began to write, many ingredients were not widely available or affordable. She
understood this, acknowledging in a later edition of one of her books that even
if people could not very often make the dishes here described, it was
stimulating to think about them. David's books were not so much cooking
manuals as guides to the kind of food people might well wish to cat.

Questions 14-16
Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO
WORDS from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes
14-16 on your answer sheet.
Why are there so many cookery books?

There are a great number more cookery books published than is
really necessary and it is their 14 which makes them
differ from each other. There are such large numbers because they offer
people an escape from their 15 and some give the
user the chance to inform themselves about other 16
Questions 17-21
Reading Passage 2 has nine paragraphs, A-I. Which paragraph contains
the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-l, in boxes 17-21 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
17
cookery books providing a sense of stability during
periods of unrest
18
details in recipes being altered as they were passed on
19
knowledge which was in danger of disappearing
20
the negative effect on cookery books of a new
development
21
a period when there was no need for cookery books to
be precise
Questions 22-26
Look at the following statements (Questions 22-26) and list of books (A-E)
below. Match each statement with the correct book A-E.
Write the correct letter A-E. In boxes 22-26 on your answer sheet.

22
Its recipes were easy to follow despite the writer’s
attention to detail.
23
Its writer may have deliberately avoided passing on
details.
24
It appealed to ambitious ideas people have about
cooking.
25
Its writer used ideas from other books but added
additional related information.
26
It put into print ideas which are still respected today.
List of cookery books
A De re couquinara
B The Book of Household Management
C Le Guide Culinaire
D The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book
E Mediterranean Food
READING PASSAGE 3

Is there more to video games than people
realize?
Many people who spend a lot of time playing video games insist that they have helped
them in areas like confidence-building, presentation skills and debating. Yet this way of
thinking about video games can be found almost nowhere within the mainstream media,
which still tend to treat games as an odd mix of the slightly menacing and the alien. This
lack of awareness has become increasingly inappropriate, as video games and the culture
that surrounds them have become very big business indeed.
Recently, the British government released the Byron report into the effects of electronic
media on children. Its conclusions set out a clear, rational basis for exploring the
regulation of video games. The ensuing debate, however, has descended into the same
old squabbling between partisan factions: the preachers of mental and moral decline, and
the innovative game designers. In between are the gamers, busily buying and playing
while nonsense is talked over their heads.
Susan Greenfield, renowned neuroscientist, outlines her concerns in a new book. Every
individual’s mind is the product of a brain that has been personalized by the sum total of
their experiences; with an increasing quantity of our experiences from very early
childhood taking place ‘on screen’ rather than in the world, there is potentially a profound
shift in the way children’s minds work. She suggests that the fast-paced, second-hand
experiences created by video games and the Internet may inculcate a worldview that is
less empathetic, more risk-taking and less contemplative than what we tend to think of as
healthy.
Greenfield’s prose is full of mixed metaphors and self-contradictions and is perhaps the
worst enemy of her attempts to persuade. This is unfortunate, because however much
technophiles may snort, she is articulating widely held fears that have a basis in fact.
Unlike even their immediate antecedents, the latest electronic media are at once domestic
and work-related, their mobility blurring the boundaries between these spaces, and video
games are at their forefront. A generational divide has opened that is in many ways more
profound than the equivalent shifts associated with radio or television, more alienating for
those unfamiliar with new’ technologies, more absorbing for those who are. So how do our
lawmakers regulate something that is too fluid to be fully comprehended or controlled?
Adam Martin, a lead programmer for an online games developer, says:’ Computer games
teach and people don’t even notice they’re being taught.’ But isn’t the kind of learning
that goes on in games rather narrow? ‘A large part of the addictiveness of games does
come from the fact that as you play you are mastering a set of challenges. But humanity’s
larger understanding of the world comes primarily through communication and
experimentation, through answering the question “What if?’ Games excel at teaching this
too.’
Steven Johnson’s thesis is not that electronic games constitute a great, popular art, but
that the mean level of mass culture has been demanding steadily more intellectual
engagement from consumers. Games, he points out, generate satisfaction via the
complexity of their virtual worlds, not by their robotic predictability. Testing the nature and
limits of the laws of such imaginary worlds has more in common with scientific methods
than with a pointless addiction, while the complexity of the problems children encounter
within games exceeds that of anything they might find at school.
Greenfield argues that there are ways of thinking that playing video games simply cannot
teach. She has a point. We should never forget, for instance, the unique ability of books to
engage and expand the human imagination, and to give us the means of more fully
expressing our situations in the world. Intriguingly, the video games industry is now
growing in ways that have more in common with an old-fashioned world of companionable
pastimes than with a cyber future of lonely, isolated obsessives. Games in which friends
and relations gather round a console to compete at activities are growing in popularity.
The agenda is increasingly being set by the concerns of mainstream consumers – what
they consider acceptable for their children, what they want to play at parties and across
generations.
These trends embody a familiar but important truth: games are human products, and lie
within our control. This doesn’t mean we yet control or understand them fully, but it
should remind us that there is nothing inevitable or incomprehensible about them. No
matter how deeply it may be felt, instinctive fear is an inappropriate response to
technology of any kind.
So far, the dire predictions many traditionalists have made about the ‘death’ of old-
fashioned narratives and imaginative thought at the hands of video games cannot be
upheld. Television and cinema may be suffering, economically, at the hands of interactive
media. But literacy standards have failed to decline. Young people still enjoy sport, going
out and listening to music And most research – including a recent $1.5m study funded by
the US government – suggests that even pre- teens are not in the habit of blurring game
worlds and real worlds.

The sheer pace and scale of the changes we face, however, leave little room for
complacency. Richard Battle, a British writer and game researcher, says Times change:
accept it; embrace it.’ Just as, today, we have no living memories of a time before radio,
we will soon live in a world in which no one living experienced growing up without
computers. It is for this reason that we must try to examine what we stand to lose and
gain, before it is too late.
Questions 27-32
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading
Passage 3?
27
Much media comment ignores the impact that video
games can have on many people’s lives.
28
The publication of the Byron Report was followed by a
worthwhile discussion between those for and against video games.
29
Susan Greenfield’s way of writing has become more
complex over the years.
30
It is likely that video games will take over the role of
certain kinds of books in the future.
31
More sociable games are being brought out to satisfy
the demands of the buying public.
32
Being afraid of technological advances is a justifiable
reaction.
Questions 33-37
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D. Write the correct letter A-D in
boxes on your answer sheet.

33
According to the writer, what view about video games does Susan
Greenfield put forward in tier new book?
A  They are exposing a child to an adult view of the world too soon.
B  Children become easily frightened by some of the situations in

them.
C  They are changing the way children’s view of the world

develops.
D  Children don’t learn from them because they are too repetitive.
34
According to the writer, what problems are faced when regulating video
games?
A  The widespread and ever-changing use of games makes it

difficult for lawmakers to control them.
B  The appeal of the games to a younger generation isn’t really

understood by many lawmakers.
C  The lawmakers try to apply the same rules to the games as they
did to radio and television.
D  Many lawmakers feel it is too late for the regulations to have

much effect on the use of games.
What main point does Adam Martin make about video

35 games?
A  People are learning how to avoid becoming addicted to them.
B  They enable people to learn without being aware of it

happening.
C  They satisfy a need for people to compete with each other.
D  People learn a narrow range of skills but they are still useful.
36 Which of the following does Steven Johnson disagree with?
A  the opinion that video games offer educational benefits to the

user

B  the attitude that video games are often labelled as predictable
and undemanding
C  the idea that children’s logic is tested more by video games

than at school
D  the suggestion that video games can be compared to scientific

procedures
37
Which of the following is the most suitable subtitle for Reading Passage 3?
A  A debate about the effects of video games on other forms of

technology.
B  An examination of the opinions of young people about video

games.
C  A discussion of whether attitudes towards video games are

outdated.
D  An analysis of the principles behind the historical development

of video games.
Questions 38-40
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-E, below.
Write the correct letter, A-E. on your answer sheet.
38
There is little evidence for the traditionalists’ prediction
that
39
A recent study by the US government found that
40
Richard Battle suggests that it Is important for people to
accept the fact that

A young people have no problem separating their own lives from the ones they play
B levels of reading ability will continue to drop significantly.
C new advances in technology have to be absorbed into our lives.
D games cannot provide preparation for the skills needed in real life.
E young people will continue to play video games despite warnings against doing so.

Solution:
1 mirrors 2 93.3 metres
3 office 4 (electrical) current
5 an airlock 6 moisture
7 TRUE 8 FALSE
9 FALSE 10 NOT GIVEN
11 NOT GIVEN 12 TRUE
13 TRUE 14 presentation
15 (daily) routine 16 cultures
17 E 18 D
19 F 20 D
21 C 22 D
23 A 24 E
25 B 26 C
27 YES 28 NO
31 YES 32 NO
33 C 34 A
35 B 36 B
37 C 38 B
39 A 40 C
Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on Reading
Passage 1 below
REFLECTING ON THE MIRROR

In all likelihood the first mirrors would have simply been pools of water that reflected the
image of the one who looked into it. Nature’s mirror, while cheap and readily accessible,
must have also been quite frustrating with the slightest disturbance on the surface of the
water making it difficult to see clearly. It is not altogether clear when the first man-made
mirrors were produced but mirrors made of brass are mentioned in the Bible, and after that
mirrors of bronze were in common use among the ancient Egyptians, Romans and
Greeks. In addition to bronze, the Greeks and Romans experimented with polished silver
to produce simple mirrors.
Crude forms of glass mirrors were first made in Venice in 1300. Small sheets of glass were
cut from disks made by a spinning process. When this glass was backed with a covering of
tin or lead, a ‘mirror’ resulted. During the early periods of their development, mirrors were
rare and expensive. France had glass factories but only in Venice, Italy was the secret of
mirror foiling know n. The chemical process of coating a glass surface with metallic silver
was discovered by German chemist Justus von Liebig in 1835, and this advance
inaugurated the modern techniques of mirror making.
By the end of the 17th century mirrors were made in Britain and the manufacture of mirrors

developed subsequently into an important industry in many other European countries.
People wore them in their hats, or set them like jewels in their rings. Society glittered and
shone like the firmament. A little later on, America was gripped by the mirror craze, only
this time they wore interested in larger mirrors. In house after house in residential districts
and eastern cities there could be found one long mirror after another placed between two
front parlour windows.
In the manufacture of mirrors today, plate glass is cut to size, and all blemishes are
removed by polishing with rouge. The glass is scrubbed and flushed with a reducing
solution before silver is applied. The glass is then placed on a hollow, cast-iron tabletop,
covered with felt, and kept warm by steam. A solution of silver nitrate is poured on the
glass and left undisturbed for about 1 hour. The silver nitrate is reduced to a metallic silver
and a lustrous deposit of silver gradually forms. The deposit is dried, coated with shellac,
and painted. Most present-day mirrors therefore, are made up of these layers. Glass is
used on top because it is smooth, clear, and protects the reflective surface. A mirror needs
to be very smooth in order for the best reflection to occur.
Mirrors may have plane or curved surfaces. A curved mirror is concave or convex
depending on whether the reflecting surface faces toward the centre of the curvature or
away from it. Curved mirrors in ordinary usage have surfaces of varying shapes. Perhaps
the most common is spherical. Spherical mirrors produce images that are magnified or
reduced – exemplified, by mirrors for applying facial makeup and by rear-view mirrors for
vehicles. Cylindrical mirrors are another common type of shape. These focus a parallel
beam flight to a linear focus. A paraboloidal mirror is one which is often used to focus
parallel rays to a sharp focus, as in a telescope mirror, or to produce a parallel beam from
a source at its focus, such as a searchlight. A less common but useful shape is the
ellipsoidal. Such a mirror will reflect light from one of its two focal points to the other.
While the mirror is the focus of the production, the frame plays an important albeit slightly
lesser role as the anchor by which the mirror is affixed to its proper place. From the late
17th century onward, mirrors and their frames played an increasingly important part in the
decoration of rooms. Complementing the shiny reflective mirror, the early frames were
usually of ivory, silver, ebony, or tortoiseshell or were veneered with walnut, olive, and
laburnum. Needlework and bead frames were also to be found. Craftsmen such as
Grinling Gibbons often produced elaborately carved mirror frames to match a complete
decorative ensemble. The tradition soon became established of incorporating a mirror into
the space over the mantelpiece; many of the early versions of these mirrors, usually
known as overmantels, were enclosed in glass frames. The architectural structure of which
these mirrors formed a part became progressively more elaborate. Focusing heavily on the
effect created by mirrors, 18th century designers such as the English brothers Robert and
James Adam created fireplace units stretching from the hearth to the ceiling. Oil the
whole, mirror frames reflected the general taste of the time and were often changed to
accommodate alterations in taste – frames usually being cheaper and hence more easily
replaced than the mirror itself.
By the end of the 18th century, painted decoration largely supplanted carving on mirrors,
the frames being decorated with floral patterns or classical ornaments. At the same time
the French started producing circular mirrors. Usually surrounded by a neoclassical gilt
frame that sometimes supported candlesticks, these mirrors enjoyed great popularity well
into the 19thImproved skill in mirror making also made possible die introduction of the
cheval glass, a freestanding full-length mirror, supported on a frame with four feet. These
were mainly used for dressing purposes, though occasionally they had a decorative
function. New, cheaper techniques of mirror production in the 19th century led to a great
proliferation in their use. Not only were they regularly incorporated into pieces of furniture
– such as wardrobes and sideboards – they were also used in everything from high-
powered telescopes to decorative schemes in public places. Their popularity continues
today. Through them, infants are able to develop an awareness of their individuality
through ‘mirror games’. This type of emotional reflection stimulates babies to move various
parts of their body and even promotes verbal utterances.
Questions 1-5
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 1
below
1 The Creeks arid Egyptians used polished silver to make

mirrors.
2 The first man-made mirrors were made of bronze.
3 Only the wealthy could afford the first mirrors.
4 The first mirrors in America were used for decoration.
5 Spherical mirrors are commonly used in cars.
Questions 6-9
Complete the labels on Diagram A below.

Write the correct letter A-J in boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet.
Diagram A: Magnified side-view of a mirror
A rouge
B cast iron
C felt
D steam
E shellac
F glass
G metal
H silver nitrate paint
I reducing solution

Questions 10-13
Choose the correct letter A, B, C, or D.
The type of mirror used for looking at the stars

10 is
A  paraboloidal.
B  spherical.
C  cylindrical.
D  ellipsoidal.
17th century
11 craftsmen
A  blended mirror frames well with other household furniture.
B  hung mirrors above fireplaces.
C  used mirror frames as a focus for home decoration.
D  established floral patterns as a standard for mirror frames.
18th century
12 craftsmen
A  designed furniture which highlighted the unique properties of mirrors.
B  experimented largely with mirror frames made of ebony and ivory.
C  built spherically-shaped minors.
D  experimented with ceiling mirrors around fireplaces.
19th century
13 craftsmen
A  used mirrors less than any previous time in history.
B  introduced mirrors as learning tools.
C  used mirrors extensively in bedroom furniture.
D  etched designs into mirrors.

READING PASSAGE 2
Passage 2
EFFORT AND SCIENCE TO WIN

Winning nowadays is not only a question of disciplined training: The triumph of victory
today involves the collaboration of several medical specialists who combine their particular
knowledge in an effort to help each athlete to reach their potential.
A. In Mexico, the Medicine Direction and .Applied Sciences of the National Commission of
Deporte analyses all aspects of sports science from the role of the auditory system in
sporting achievement to die power of the mind and its role in the ability to win. Everything,
it seems, is open to scrutiny. Recently, the focus has been evaluating the visual acuity of
cyclists and long distance runners but they also focus on the more traditional areas of
sports research, among them psychology, nutrition, anthropology, biochemistry and
odontology1. From budding child athletes as young as 9 to the more mature-aged
sportsperson, the facility at Deporte has attracted some of Mexico’s most famous sporting
and Olympic hopefuls.
B . “The study of elite athletes is now more scientific than ever” says doctor Francisco
Javier Squares, “after each competition, athletes are exposed to vigorous medical
examinations and follow-up training in order to help US arrive at a program that is tailor-
made. “The modern athlete has become big business, no longer is there a one-size-fits-all
approach. For example, in the past two people both 1.70 meters tall and weighing 70
kilograms would have been given the same program of athletic conditioning – now this
idea is obsolete. It may be that the first individual has 35 kgs of muscle and 15 kgs of fat

and the other person, although the same height and weight may have 30 kgs of muscle
and 20 kgs of fat. Through detailed scientific evaluation here at our facility in Deporte,”
says Squares, “… we are able to construct a very specific training programme for each
individual.”
C. Whereas many countries in die world focus on the elevation of the glorious champion,
the Mexican Olympic team takes a slightly different approach. Psychologically speaking an
athlete must bring to his endeavour a healthy dose of humility. As Squares said, “When an
athlete wins for Mexico, it is always as a result of a combined team effort with many people
operating behind the scenes to realise the sporting achievement. When an athlete stands
on the dais, it is because of great effort on the part of many.”
D. As is often the case in some poorer countries, sportsmen and women are stifled in their
development due to budgetary constraints. However this has not been a factor for
consideration with the team in Mexico. The Mexican government has allocated a
substantial sum of money for the provision of the latest equipment and laboratories for
sports research. In fact, the quality of Mexico’s facilities puts them on a par with countries
like Italy and Germany in terms of access to resources. One example of sophisticated
equipment used at the Mexican facility is the hyperbaric chamber. This apparatus is used
to enhance oxygen recovery after a vigorous physical workout. Says Squares, “When you
breathe the air while inside a hyperbaric chamber the natural state of the oxygen does not
change. Green plants produced the oxygen; modern technology just increases the air
pressure. This does not change the molecular composition of oxygen. Increased pressure
just allows oxygen to get into tissues better. Due to our purchase of the hyperbaric
chamber, athletes are able to recover from an intense workout in a much shorter space of
time. We typically use the chamber for sessions of 45 to 60 minutes daffy or three times
per week.”
E . When pushed to the limit, the true indicator of fitness is not how hard the heart
operates, but how quickly it can recover after an extreme workout. Therefore, another
focus area of study for the team in Mexico has been the endurance of the heart. To
measure this recovery rate, an electroencephalograph (EEG) is used. The EEG enables
doctors to monitor the brainwave activity from sensors placed on the scalp. Athletes exert
intense effort for a sustained period after which they are given time to rest and recover.
During these periods between intense physical exertion and recovery, doctors are able to
monitor any weaknesses in the way the heart responds. The CCG has had a big impact
upon our ability to measure the muscular endurance of the heart.
F. In 1796, the life expectancy of a human being was between 25 and 36 years, in 1886
that number basically doubled to between 45 and 50. In 1996, the life expectancy of an
average Mexican stood at around 75 years. People are living longer and this is due in
large part to the advances of modern science. It is not all sophisticated medical equipment

that is playing a part; although lesser in impact, basic advances in engineering are also
greatly assisting. Take for example, a professional tennis player. In the past, most tennis
players’ shoes were constructed with fabric and a solid rubber sole. These shoes were of
poor construction and resulted in hip and foot injuries. Today the technology of shoe
construction has radically changed. Now some shoes are injected with silicone and made
of more comfortable, ergonomic1 construction. This has helped not only the elite but also
the recreational sportsperson and thus, helps in the preservation of the human body.
1 objects designed to be better adapted to the shape of the human body
Questions 14 -17
The passage has eight paragraphs labelled A-F
Write the correct letter A-F in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.
14
the natural process of oxygen production
15
standard after-competition procedure
16
the areas of study undertaken to improve athletic performance
17
the Mexican viewpoint on winning
Questions 18 -20
Choose the correct letter A, B, C, or D.
The hyperbaric
18 chamber
A  helps athletes to breathe more easily.
B  increases the level of oxygen an athlete breathes.
C  decreases the pressure of the oxygen for Mexican athletes.
D  speeds up recovery time for athletes.
The electroencephalograph
19 (EEG)
A
Access measures how fast brainwaves
https://ieltsonlinetests.com move
for more during exercise.
practices page 8
A  measures how fast brainwaves move during exercise.
B  helps doctors to determine heart problems.
C  measures how hard the heart works during exercise.
D  strengthens the heart muscle in athletes.
The life-span of individuals in Mexico has increased due

20 to
A  medical improvements.
B  more committed doctors.
C  better made sporting equipment.
D  advances in ergonomics.
Questions 21-26
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?
In boxes 21 -26 on your answer sheet write
21
There are limits to the level of sporting enquiry.
22
Specific athletic programs differ mostly between men and
women
23
Mexico and Germany have similar sporting resources.
24
Lack of money is what stops athletic improvement in some
poor countries.
25
Wealthy countries enjoy greater athletic success.
26
Mexican athletes have the support of their government.
READING PASSAGE 3
Passage 3.
FUELING THE FUTURE

The world’s 750 million motor vehicles emit well over 900 million metric tonnes of carbon
dioxide each year. Traffic-related air pollution has been responsible for 6% of deaths per
year and is associated with certain forms of leukaemia, inflammatory lung diseases,
increased cardio-vascular disease, low birth-weight babies and male infertility. It stands to
reason that tackling traffic- related air pollution should be high on any government’s list of
priorities. Thus, in an attempt to minimise this situation many governments around the
world have been looking at ways to implement alternative fuel sources. The most widely
accepted way of doing this is to replace the crude oil that our vehicles currently run on with
renewable, ‘environmentally friendly’ One serious contender put forward as a solution to
the pollution problem is ethanol.
Ethanol is a type of alcohol made by fermenting plant material. Water and organic matter
from the plants including com, sorghum, sugar cane and wood are mixed together and
fermented to make ethanol. After fermentation there are three layers remaining. The first is
water and small particles of grain and alcohol. It takes on a syrup consistency. The second
layer is the remaining grain, which is 17 per cent dry matter. The third layer is the actual
ethanol – a colourless, volatile, flammable liquid. It is the only layer sold and accounts for
exactly one-third of the total dry matter used for its production. There are three primary
ways that it is used as a fuel for transportation: as a blend of 10 per cent ethanol with 90%
unleaded fuel (E10); as a component of reformulated gasoline and; as a primary fuel with
85 parts of ethanol blended with 15 parts of unleaded fuel (E-85). In the 1800s in the USA,
it was first used as lamp fuel. Later on, due to skyrocketing oil prices in the 1970s, E10
was produced as a type of ‘fuel-extender’ for vehicles with E-85 being produced in the

1990s. Brazil has also used ethanol-blended fuels. Like America, the high prices in the
1970s prompted a government mandate to produce vehicles which could be fuelled by
pure ethanol Today there are more than 4,2 million ethanol- powered vehicles in Brazil (40
per cent passenger carrying) which consume 4 billion gallons of ethanol annually. Today,
Brazil is the largest transportation ethanol fuel market in the world.
Given that Ethanol is made from a variety of plant substances when it is used in fuel
production, it increases the monetary value of feed grains grown by farmers. In fact, in the
USA, the largest ethanol consuming nation in the world, ethanol production adds £4.5
billion to the farm economy every year. According to the United States Department of
Agriculture, ethanol production adds 30 cents to the value of a bushel of corn. Another of
its benefits, according to Brian Keating, deputy chief of Australia’s Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is that a 10% ethanol blend (E10)
would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2 to 5% over the full lifecycle of ethanol
production and consumption. Said Keating, “The precise benefits depend on specific
factors in the production cycle. An important component of which is the energy source
used by the ethanol factory. If it’s being powered by coal or oil, there are obviously
associated greenhouse gas emissions.” In America, The Clean Air Act of 1990 and the
National Energy Policy Act of 1992 have both created new market opportunities for
cleaner, more efficient fuels with many state governments in America’s Mid-west
purchasing fleet vehicles capable of running on E-85 fuels.
Although it makes a good fuel, some drawbacks have been documented. The economics
of ethanol production are improving as the technology improves but ethanol has two
problems: It does not explode like gasoline, and it can absorb water, which can cause
oxidation, rust and corrosion. The claims of possible damage to vehicles from the use of
ethanol blends above 10% has therefore attracted considerable negative publicity.
Compared to diesel – the standard fuel in the heavy moving industry – ethanol is known to
have a lower energy content so ethanol trucks require larger fuel tanks to achieve the
same range as a diesel-powered vehicle. In Australia, a government review’ into the
impacts of a 20% ethanol blend on vehicles found the information to be insufficient or
conflicting, but did identify a number of problems such as the possible perishing and
swelling of elastomeric and plastic materials in fuel systems. Stakeholders in the motor
vehicle industry have slated that warranties on motor vehicles and pump dispensing
equipment could be at risk with the use of blends above 10% ethanol. Principle economist
for the Australian Bureau of Agriculture Andrew Dickson points out that the money
sugarcane growers get for their cane is not determined by the domestic consumption or
domestic demand for ethanol, it is entirely determined by the world sugar market and the
world trade in molasses He believes that the only way the sugar industry’ can benefit from
the existence of an ethanol industry is if they invest in the ethanol industry. “The sugar
producer does not get any more money for their molasses so what incentive do they have

to produce any more?.” The cost of production also represents some challenges. In
Australia, fuel ethanol costs around 70 cents per litre compared with around 35 cents per
litre for unleaded petrol. In America, one report revealed that even with government
assistance, ethanol is dose to 35 per cent more than the price of diesel. Consequently,
production of ethanol requires government assistance to be competitive. A recent study by
the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economies found that without
assistance, large-scale production of ethanol would not be commercially viable in
Australia.
Regardless of whether the Australian sugar industry will benefit from a mandated 10%
ethanol mix, the expansion of ethanol production would certainly lead to increased
economic activity in farming areas. It is inevitable that some expansion would be at the
expense of existing industry. If ethanol becomes more popular, there will soon be more
plants producing it. This means there will be a need for workers for the plants. The
American National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NBVC) projects that employment will be
boosted by 200,000 jobs and the balance of trade will be improved by over $2 The future
of ethanol looks promising, for better or worse ethanol looks to be a serious contender for
tomorrow’s fuel.
Questions 27 -31
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage
2?
27
The need to control air pollution is why ethanol came into use.
28
Brazil uses more ethanol for transportation than America.
29
Select food crops become more expensive due to ethanol
production
30
The Australian sugar industry will benefit from the production
of ethanol.
31
Primary ethanol (E-85) has been extensively tested in

Australia.
Questions 32–35
Look at the following list of descriptions (Questions32-35) and the list of
fuel types below.
Match each description to the fuel type.
Write the correct letter A-D in boxes 32-35 on your answer sheet.
A regular gasoline
B unleaded gasoline
C ethanol
D diesel
.
32
costs about half the price of ethanol
33
reacts poorly with some metals
34
is the reason why trucks have been fitted with larger fuel tanks
35
commonly used in the trucking industry
Question 36–40
Classify the following statements according to which country they apply to. Write the
appropriate letters A-D in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.
A Australia only
B America only
C both Australia and America
D neither Australia nor America
36
makes ethanol out of sugar cane
37
uses more ethanol than any other country in the world
38
receives government assistance for ethanol production
39
proved ethanol production is costly
40
their government bought ethanol-friendly cars

Solution:
1 FALSE 2 FALSE
3 TRUE 4 NOT GIVEN
5 TRUE 6 H
7 E 8 I
9 F 10 A
11 A 12 A
13 C 14 D
15 B 16 A
17 C 18 D
19 B 20 A
23 TRUE 24 TRUE
27 NO 28 YES
29 YES 30 NO
31 NOT GIVEN 32 B
33 C 34 C
35 D 36 A
37 B 38 B
39 C 40 B
Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
THE CREATIVITY MYTH

A. It is a myth that creative people are born with their talents: gifts from God or nature.
Creative genius is, in fact, latent within many of us, without our realising. But how far do
we need to travel to find the path to creativity? For many people, a long way. In our
everyday lives, we have to perform many acts out of habit to survive, like opening the
door, shaving, getting dressed, walking to work, and so on. If this were not the case, we
would, in all probability, become mentally unhinged. So strongly ingrained are our habits,
though this varies from person to person, that sometimes, when a conscious effort is made
to be creative, automatic response takes over. We may try, for example, to walk to work
following a different route, but end up on our usual path. By then it is too late to go back
and change our minds. Another day, perhaps. The same applies to all other areas of our
lives. When we are solving problems, for example, we may seek different answers, but,
often as not. Find ourselves walking along the same well-trodden paths.
B. So, for many people, their actions and behaviour are set in immovable blocks, their
minds clogged with the cholesterol of habitual actions, preventing them from operating
freely, and thereby stifling creation. Unfortunately, mankind’s very struggle for survival has
become a tyranny – the obsessive desire to give order to the world is a case in point.
Witness people’s attitude to time, social customs and the panoply of rules and regulations
by which the human mind is now circumscribed.
C. The groundwork for keeping creative ability in check begins at school. School, later
university and then work, teach us to regulate our lives, imposing a continuous process of
restrictions which is increasing exponentially with the advancement of technology. Is it
surprising then that creative ability appears to be so rare? It is trapped in the prison that
we have erected. Yet, even here in this hostile environment, the foundations for creativity’
are being laid; because setting off on the creative path is also partly about using rules and
regulations. Such limitations are needed so that once they are learnt, they can be broken.
D. The truly creative mind is often seen as totally free and unfettered. But a better image is
of a mind, which can be free when it wants, and one that recognises that rules and
regulations are parameters, or barriers, to be raised and dropped again at will. An
example of how the human mind can be trained to be creative might help here. People s
minds are just like tense muscles that need to be freed up and the potential unlocked. One
strategy is to erect artificial barriers or hurdles in solving a problem. As a form of
stimulation, the participants in the task can be forbidden to use particular solutions or to
follow certain lines of thought to solve a problem. In this way they are obliged to explore
unfamiliar territory, which may lead to some startling discoveries. Unfortunately, the
difficulty in this exercise, and with creation itself, is convincing people that creation is
possible, shrouded as it is in so much myth and legend. There is also an element of fear
involved, however subliminal, as deviating from the safety of one’s own thought patterns is
very much akin to madness. But, open Pandora’s box, and a whole new’ world unfolds
before your very eyes.
E. Lifting barriers into place also plays a major part in helping the mind to control ideas
rather than letting them collide at random. Parameters act as containers for ideas, and
thus help the mind to fix on them. When the mind is thinking laterally, and two ideas from
different areas of the brain come or are brought together, they form a new’ idea, just like
atoms floating around and then forming a molecule. Once the idea has been formed, it
needs to be contained or it will fly away, so fleeting is its passage. The mind needs to hold
it in place for a time so that it can recognise it or call on it again. And then the parameters
can act as channels along which the ideas can flow, developing and expanding. When the
mind has brought the idea to fruition by thinking it through to its final conclusion, the
parameters can be brought down and the idea allowed to float off and come in contact
with other ideas.
Questions 1-5
Reading Passage 1 has five paragraphs, A-E.
Write the correct letter A-E in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.

1 the way parameters in the mind help people to be creative
2 the need to learn rules in order to break them
3 how habits restrict us and limit creativity
4 how to train the mind to be creative
5 how the mind is trapped by the desire for order
Questions 6-10
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D
According to the writer, creative

6 people
A  are usually born with their talents.
B  are born with their talents.
C  are not born with their talents.
D  are geniuses.
According to the writer, creativity

7 is
A  a gift from Cod or nature.
B  an automatic response.
C  difficult for many people to achieve.
D  a well-trodden path.
According to the
8 writer
A  the human race’s fight to live is becoming a tyranny.
B  the human brain is blocked with cholesterol.
C  the human race is now circumscribed by talents.
D  the human race’s fight to survive stifles creative ability.

Advancing
9 technology
A  holds creativity in check.
B  improves creativity.
C  enhances creativity.
D  is a tyranny.
According to the author,

10 creativity
A  is common.
B  is increasingly common.
C  is becoming rarer and rarer.
D  is a rare commodity.
Questions 11-14
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer?
11
Rules and regulations are examples of parameters.
12
The truly creative mind is associated with the need for free
speech and a totally free society.
13
One problem with creativity is that people think it is impossible.
14
The act of creation is linked to madness.
READING PASSAGE 2
Passage 2 below.
LOCKED DOORS, OPEN ACCESS
The word, ‘security’, has both positive and negative connotations. Most of us would say
that we crave security for all its positive virtues, both physical and psychological – its
evocation of the safety of home, of undying love, or of freedom from need. More
negatively, the word nowadays conjures up images of that huge industry which has
developed to protect individuals and property from invasion by outsiders’, ostensibly
malicious and intent on theft or wilful damage.
Increasingly, because they are situated in urban areas of escalating crime, those buildings
which used to allow free access to employees and other users (buildings such as offices,
schools, colleges or hospitals) now do not. Entry areas which in another age were called
‘Reception’ are now manned by security staff. Receptionists, whose task it was to receive
visitors and to make them welcome before passing them on to the person they had come
to see, have been replaced by those whose task it is to bar entry to the unauthorized, the
unwanted or the plain unappealing.
Inside, these buildings are divided into ‘secure zones’ which often have all the trappings of
combination locks and burglar alarms. These devices bar entry to the uninitiated, hinder
circulation, and create parameters of time and space for user access. Within the spaces
created by these zones, individual rooms are themselves under lock and key, which is a
particular problem when it means that working space becomes compartmentalized.
To combat the consequent difficulty of access to people at a physical level, we have now
developed technological access. Computers sit on every desk and are linked to one
another, and in many cases to an external universe of other computers, so that messages
can be passed to and fro. Here too security plays a part, since we must not be allowed
access to messages destined for others. And so the password was invented. Now
correspondence between individuals goes from desk to desk and cannot be accessed by
colleagues. Library catalogues can be searched from one’s desk. Papers can be delivered
to, and received from, other people at the press of a button.
And yet it seems that, just as work is isolating individuals more and more, organizations
are recognizing the advantages of team-work’; perhaps in order to encourage employees
to talk to one another again. Yet, how can groups work in teams if the possibilities for
communication are reduced? How can they work together if e-mail provides a convenient
electronic shield behind which the blurring of public and private can be exploited by the
less scrupulous? If voice-mail walls up messages behind a password? If I can’t leave a
message on my colleague’s desk because his office is locked?
Team-work conceals the fact that another kind of security, ‘job security’, is almost always
not on offer. Just as organizations now recognize three kinds of physical resources: those
they buy, those they lease long-term and those they rent short-term – so it is with their
human resources. Some employees have permanent contracts, some have short-term
contracts, and some are regarded simply as casual labour.
Telecommunication systems offer us the direct line, which means that individuals can be
contacted without the caller having to talk to anyone else. Voice-mail and the answer-
phone mean that individuals can communicate without ever actually talking to one another.
If we are unfortunate enough to contact organizations with sophisticated touch-tone
systems, we can buy things and pay for them without ever speaking to a human being.
To combat this closing in on ourselves we have the Internet, which opens out
communication channels more widely than anyone could possibly want or need. An
individual’s electronic presence on the Internet is known as a Home Page’ – suggesting
the safety and security of an electronic hearth. An elaborate system of 3-dimensional
graphics distinguishes this very 2-dimensional medium of ‘web sites’. The nomenclature
itself creates the illusion of a geographical entity, that the person sitting before the
computer is travelling, when in fact the site’ is coming to him. ‘Addresses’ of one kind or
another move to the individual, rather than the individual moving between them, now that
location is no longer geographical.
An example of this is the mobile phone. I am now not available either at home or at work,
but wherever I take my mobile phone. Yet, even now, we cannot escape the security of
wanting to locate’ the person at the other end. It is no coincidence that almost everyone
we see answering or initiating a mobile phone-call in public begins by saying where he or
she is.
Questions 15-18

According to the author, one thing we long for
15 is
A  the safety of the home.
B  security
C  open access.
D  positive virtues.
Access to many
16 buildings
A  is unauthorised.
B  is becoming more difficult.
C  is a cause of crime in many urban areas.
D  used to be called ‘Reception’.
Buildings used to permit access to any

17 users
A  but now they do not.
B  and still do now.
C  especially offices and schools.
D  especially in urban areas.
18 Secure zones
A  do not allow access to the user.
B  compartmentalise the user.
C  are often like traps.
D  are not accessible to everybody.
Questions 19-24
Complete the summary below using words from the box.
The problem of physical access to buildings has now been 19

by technology. Messages are sent between 20 with
passwords not allowing 21 to read someone else’s messages.
But, while individuals are becoming increasingly 22 socially by
the way they do their job, at the same time more value is being put on
23 . However, e-mail and voice-mail have led to a
24 opportunities for person-to-person communication.
reducing of decrease in team-work similar
no different from solved overcame physical
computer computers combat developed
other people cut-off isolating
Questions 25-27
Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage 2.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
The writer does not like 25
An individual’s Home Page indicates their 26 on the Internet.
Devices like mobile phones mean that location is 27
READING PASSAGE 3
Passage 3 below.

A leap into history
A. Between the Inishowen peninsula, north west of Derry, and the Glens of Antrim, in the
east beyond the Sperrin Mountains, is found some of Western Europe’s most captivating
and alluring landscape.
B. The Roe Valley Park, some 15 miles east of Derry is a prime example. The Park, like
so many Celtic places, is steeped in history and legend. As the Roc trickles down through
heather bogs in the Sperrin Mountains to the South, it is a river by the time it cuts through
what was once called the ‘garden of the soul’ – in Celtic ‘Gortenanima’.
C. The castle of O’Cahan once stood here and a number of houses which made up the
town of Limavady. The town takes its name from the legend of a dog leaping into the river
Roe carrying a message, or perhaps chasing a stag. This is a wonderful place, where the
water traces its way through rock and woodland; at times, lingering in brooding pools of
dark cool water under the shade of summer trees, and, at others, forming weirs and leads
for water mills now long gone.
D. The Roe, like all rivers, is witness to history and change. To Mullagh Hill, on the west
bank of the River Roe just outside the present day town of Limavady, St Columba came in
575 AD for the Convention of Drumceatt. The world is probably unaware that it knows
something of Limavady; but the town is, in fact, renowned for Jane Ross’s song Danny
Roy, written to a tune once played by a tramp in the street. Limavady tow n itself and
many of the surrounding villages have Celtic roots but no one knows for sure just how old
the original settlement of Limavady is.
E. Some 30 miles along the coast road from Limavady, one comes upon the forlorn, but
imposing ruin of Dunluce Castle, which stands on a soft basalt outcrop, in defiance of the
turbulent Atlantic lashing it on all sides. The jagged-toothed ruins sit proud on their rock top

commanding the coastline to east and west. The only connection to the mainland is by a
narrow bridge. Until the kitchen court fell into the sea in 1639 killing several servants, the
castle was fully inhabited. In the next hundred years or so, the structure gradually fell into
its present dramatic state of disrepair, stripped of its roofs by wind and weather and robbed
by man of its caned stonework. Ruined and forlorn its aspect maybe yet, in the haunting
Celtic twilight of the long summer evenings, it is redolent of another age, another dream.
F. A mile or so to the east of the castle lies Port na Spaniagh, where the
Neapolitan Galleas, Girona, from the Spanish Armada went down one dark October night
in 1588 on its way to Scotland, of the 1500-odd men on board, nine survived.
G. Even further to the east, is the Giant’s Causeway stunning coastline with strangely
symmetrical columns of dark basalt – a beautiful geological wonder. Someone once said
of the Causeway that it was worth seeing, but not worth going to see. That was in thê days
of horses and carriages, when travelling was difficult. But it is certainly well worth a visit.
The last lingering moments of the twilight hours are the best lime to savour the full power
of the coastline s magic; the time when the place comes into its own. The tourists are
gone and if you are very lucky you will be alone. A fine circular walk will take you down to
the Grand Causeway, past amphitheatres of stone columns and formations. It is not
frightening, but there is a power in the place – tangible, yet inexplicable. The blackness of
some nights conjure up feelings of eeriness and unease. The visitor realises his place in
the scheme of the magnificent spectacle. Once experienced, it is impossible to forget the
grandeur of the landscape.
H. Beyond the Causeway, connecting the mainland with an outcrop of rock jutting out of
the turbulent Atlantic, is the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, when first constructed, the
bridge was a simple rope handrail with widely spaced slats which was used mainly by
salmon fishermen needing to travel from the island to the mainland. In time, the single
handrail was replaced with a more sturdy caged bridge, however, it is still not a crossing
for the faint- hearted. The Bridge swings above a chasm of rushing, foaming water that
seems to drag the unwary- down, and away. Many visitors who make the walk one way
are unable to return resulting in them being taken off the island by boat.
Questions 28-32
Looking at the following list of places (Questions28–32) from the paragraphs A-E of
reading passage 3 and their locations on the map.
Match each place with its location on the map

Write your answers m boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet.
28
The Sperrin Mountains
29
Dunluce Castle
30
Inishowen
31
The Glens of Antrim
32
Limavady
Questions 33-38
Do the following statements reflect the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
33
After 1639, the castle of Dunluce was not completely
uninhabited.
34
For the author, Dunluce Castle evokes another period of
history.
35
There were more than 1500 men on die Girona when it went
down.
36
The writer believes that the Giant’s Causeway is worth going
to visit.
37
The author recommends twilight as the best time to visit the
Giant’s Causeway.
38
The more study cage added to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope
Bridge has helped to increase the number of visitors to the area.
Questions 39-40
The writer feels that the Giant’s Causeway

39 is
A  an unsettling place.
B  a relaxing place.
C  a boring place.
D  an exciting place.

Which of the following would be a good title for the
40 passage?
A  The Roe Valley Park.
B  The Giant’s Causeway.
C  Going East to West.
D  A leap into history.

Solution:
1 E 2 C
3 A 4 D
5 B 6 C
7 C 8 A
9 A 10 D
11 YES 12 NOT GIVEN
13 YES 14 YES
15 B 16 B
17 A 18 D
19 solved 20 computers
21 other people 22 cut-off
23 team-work 24 decrease in
25 touch-tone systems 26 electronic presence
27 no longer geographical 28 E
29 C 30 A
31 D 32 B
33 NOT GIVEN 34 YES
35 YES 36 YES
37 YES 38 NOT GIVEN
39 A 40 D
Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
Passage 1 below.
Mammoth kill
A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus, proboscideans commonly
equipped with long, curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair. They
lived from the Pliocene epoch (from around 5 million years ago) into the Holocene at about
4,500 years ago, and were members of the family Elephantidae, which contains, along
with mammoths, the two genera of modern elephants and their ancestors.
A Like their modern relatives, mammoths were quite large. The largest known species
reached heights in the region of 4 m at the shoulder and weights of up to 8 tonnes, while
exceptionally large males may have exceeded 12 tonnes. However, most species of
mammoth were only about as large as a modern Asian elephant. Both sexes bore tusks. A
first, small set appeared at about the age of six months, and these were replaced at about
18 months by the permanent set. Growth of the permanent set was at a rate of about 2.5
to 15.2 cm per year. Based on studies of their close relatives, the modern elephants,
mammoths probably had a gestation period of 22 months, resulting in a single calf being
born. Their social structure was probably the same as that of African and Asian elephants,
with females living in herds headed by a matriarch, whilst bulls lived solitary lives or formed
loose groups after sexual maturity.
B MEXICO CITY – Although it’s hard to imagine in this age of urban sprawl and

automobiles, North America once belonged to mammoths, camels, ground sloths as large
as cows, bear-size beavers and other formidable beasts. Some 11,000 years ago,
however, these large-bodied mammals and others – about 70 species in all – disappeared.
Their demise coincided roughly with the arrival of humans in the New World and dramatic
climatic change – factors that have inspired several theories about the die-off. Yet despite
decades of scientific investigation, the exact cause remains a mystery. Now new findings
offer support to one of these controversial hypotheses: that human hunting drove this
megafaunal menagerie to extinction. The overkill model emerged in the 1960s, when it
was put forth by Paul S. Martin of the University of Arizona. Since then, critics have
charged that no evidence exists to support the idea that the first Americans hunted to the
extent necessary to cause these extinctions. But at the annual meeting of the Society of
Vertebrate Paleontology in Mexico City last October, paleoecologist John Alroy of the
University of California at Santa Barbara argued that, in fact, hunting-driven extinction is
not only plausible, it was unavoidable. He has determined, using a computer simulation,
that even a very modest amount of hunting would have wiped these animals out.
C Assuming an initial human population of 100 people that grew no more than 2 percent
annually, Alroy determined that if each band of, say, 50 people killed 15 to 20 large
mammals a year, humans could have eliminated the animal populations within 1,000
years. Large mammals in particular would have been vulnerable to the pressure because
they have longer gestation periods than smaller mammals and their young require
extended care.
D Not everyone agrees with Alroy’s assessment. For one, the results depend in part on
population-size estimates for the extinct animals – figures that are not necessarily reliable.
But a more specific criticism comes from mammalogist Ross D. E. MacPhee of the
American Museum of Natural History in New York City, who points out that the relevant
archaeological record contains barely a dozen examples of stone points embedded in
mammoth bones (and none, it should be noted, are known from other megafaunal
remains) – hardly what one might expect if hunting drove these animals to extinction.
Furthermore, some of these species had huge ranges – the giant Jefferson’s ground sloth,
for example, lived as far north as the Yukon and as far south as Mexico – which would
have made slaughtering them in numbers sufficient to cause their extinction rather
implausible, he says.
E MacPhee agrees that humans most likely brought about these extinctions (as well as
others around the world that coincided with human arrival), but not directly. Rather he
suggests that people may have introduced hyperlethal disease, perhaps through their
dogs or hitchhiking vermin, which then spread wildly among the immunologically naive
species of the New World. As in the overkill model, populations of large mammals would
have a harder time recovering. Repeated outbreaks of a hyperdisease could thus quickly
drive them to the point of no return. So far MacPhee does not have empirical evidence for
the hyperdisease hypothesis, and it won’t be easy to come by: hyperlethal disease would
kill far too quickly to leave its signature on the bones themselves. But he hopes that
analyses of tissue and DNA from the last mammoths to perish will eventually reveal
murderous microbes.
F The third explanation for what brought on this North American extinction does not
involve human beings. Instead its proponents blame the loss on the weather. The
Pleistocene epoch witnessed considerable climatic instability, explains paleontologist
Russell W. Graham of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. As a result, certain
habitats disappeared, and species that had once formed communities split apart. For
some animals, this change brought opportunity. For much of the megafauna, however, the
increasingly homogeneous environment left them with shrinking geographical ranges – a
death sentence for large animals, which need large ranges. Although these creatures
managed to maintain viable populations through most of the Pleistocene, the final major
fluctuation – the so-called Younger Dryas event – pushed them over the edge, Graham
says. For his part, Alroy is convinced that human hunters demolished the titans of the Ice
Age. The overkill model explains everything the disease and climate scenarios explain, he
asserts, and makes accurate predictions about which species would eventually go extinct.
“Personally, I’m a vegetarian,” he remarks, “and I find all of this kind of gross – but
believable.”
Questions 1-7
Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, usingNO
MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.
The reason why had big size mammals become extinct 11,000 years ago is
under hot debate. First explanation is that 1 of human
made it happen. This so called 2 began from 1960s
suggested by an expert, who however received criticism of lack of further
information. Another assumption promoted by MacPhee is that deadly
3 from human causes their demises. However his
hypothesis required more 4 to testify its validity. Graham
proposed a third hypothesis that 5 in Pleistocene epoch
drove some species disappear, reduced 6 posed a
dangerous signal to these giants, and 7 finally wiped them
out.
Questions 8-13
Use the information in the passage to match the people (listedA-C) with opinions or
deeds below.
Write the appropriate letters A-C in boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet.
NB you may use any letter more than once.
A John Alroy
B Ross D.E. MacPhee
C Russell W. Graham
8 Human hunting well explained which species would finally

disappear.
9 Further grounded proof needed to explain human’s indirect

impact on mammals
10
Over hunting situation has caused die-out of large mammals.
11
Illness rather than hunting caused extensive extinction.
12
Doubt raised through the study of several fossil records.
13
Climate shift is the main reason of extinction.
READING PASSAGE 2
Passage 2 below.

Stress of Workplace
A How busy is too busy? For some it means having to miss the occasional long lunch; for
others it means missing lunch altogether. For a few, it is not being able to take a “sickie”
once a month. Then there is a group of people for whom working every evening and
weekend is normal, and frantic is the tempo of their lives. For most senior executives,
workloads swing between extremely busy and frenzied. The vice-president of the
management consultancy AT Kearney and its head of telecommunications for the Asia-
Pacific region, Neil Plumridge, says his work weeks vary from a “manageable” 45 hours to
80 hours, but average 60 hours.
B Three warning signs alert Plumridge about his workload: sleep, scheduling and family.
He knows he has too much on when he gets less than six hours of sleep for three
consecutive nights; when he is constantly having to reschedule appointments; “and the
third one is on the family side”, says Plumridge, the father of a three-year-old daughter,
and expecting a second child in October. “If I happen to miss a birthday or anniversary, I
know things are out of control.” Being “too busy” is highly subjective. But for any individual,
the perception of being too busy over a prolonged period can start showing up as stress:
disturbed sleep, and declining mental and physical health. National workers’ compensation
figures show stress causes the most lost time of any workplace injury. Employees
suffering stress are off work an average of 16.6 weeks. The effects of stress are also
expensive. Comcare, the Federal Government insurer, reports that in 2003-04, claims for
psychological injury accounted for 7% of claims but almost 27% of claim costs. Experts
say the key to dealing with stress is not to focus on relief – a game of golf or a massage –
but to reassess workloads. Neil Plumridge says he makes it a priority to work out what has
to change; that might mean allocating extra resources to a job, allowing more time or
changing expectations. The decision may take several days. He also relies on the advice
of colleagues, saying his peers coach each other with business problems. “Just a fresh
pair of eyes over an issue can help,” he says.
C Executive stress is not confined to big organisations. Vanessa Stoykov has been
running her own advertising and public relations business for seven years, specialising in
work for financial and professional services firms. Evolution Media has grown so fast that it
debuted on the BRW Fast 100 list of fastest-growing small enterprises last year – just after
Stoykov had her first child. Stoykov thrives on the mental stimulation of running her own
business. “Like everyone, I have the occasional day when I think my head’s going to blow
off,” she says. Because of the growth phase the business is in, Stoykov has to concentrate
on short-term stress relief – weekends in the mountains, the occasional “mental health”
day – rather than delegating more work. She says: “We’re hiring more people, but you
need to train them, teach them about the culture and the clients, so it’s actually more work
rather than less.”

D Identify the causes: Jan Elsnera, Melbourne psychologist who specialises in executive
coaching, says thriving on a demanding workload is typical of senior executives and other
high-potential business people. She says there is no one-size-fits-all approach to stress:
some people work best with high-adrenalin periods followed by quieter patches, while
others thrive under sustained pressure. “We could take urine and blood hormonal
measures and pass a judgment of whether someone’s physiologically stressed or not,” she
says. “But that’s not going to give us an indicator of what their experience of stress is, and
what the emotional and cognitive impacts of stress are going to be.”
E Eisner’s practice is informed by a movement known as positive psychology, a school

of thought that argues “positive” experiences – feeling engaged, challenged, and that one
is making a contribution to something meaningful – do not balance out negative ones such
as stress; instead, they help people increase their resilience over time. Good stress, or
positive experiences of being challenged and rewarded, is thus cumulative in the same
way as bad stress. Elsner says many of the senior business people she coaches are
relying more on regulating bad stress through methods such as meditation and yoga. She
points to research showing that meditation can alter the biochemistry of the brain and
actually help people “retrain” the way their brains and bodies react to stress. “Meditation
and yoga enable you to shift the way that your brain reacts, so if you get proficient at it
you’re in control.”
F The Australian vice-president of AT Kearney, Neil Plumridge, says: “Often stress is

caused by our setting unrealistic expectations of ourselves. I’ll promise a client I’ll do
something tomorrow, and then promise another client the same thing, when I really know
it’s not going to happen. I’ve put stress on myself when I could have said to the clients:
‘Why don’t I give that to you in 48 hours?’ The client doesn’t care.” Over-committing is
something people experience as an individual problem. We explain it as the result of
procrastination or Parkinson’s law: that work expands to fill the time available. New
research indicates that people may be hard-wired to do it.
G A study in the February issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology shows that
people always believe they will be less busy in the future than now. This is a
misapprehension, according to the authors of the report, Professor Gal Zauberman, of the
University of North Carolina, and Professor John Lynch, of Duke University. “On average,
an individual will be just as busy two weeks or a month from now as he or she is today. But
that is not how it appears to be in everyday life,” they wrote. “People often make
commitments long in advance that they would never make if the same commitments
required immediate action. That is, they discount future time investments relatively
steeply.” Why do we perceive a greater “surplus” of time in the future than in the present?
The researchers suggest that people underestimate completion times for tasks stretching
into the future, and that they are bad at imagining future competition for their time.

Questions 14-18
Use the information in the passage to match the people (listedA-D) with opinions or
deeds below.
Write the appropriate letters A-D in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
A Jan Elsnera
B Vanessa Stoykov
C Gal Zauberman
D Neil Plumridge
14
Work stress usually happens in the high level of a business.
15
More people’s ideas involved would be beneficial for stress
relief.
16
Temporary holiday sometimes doesn’t mean less work.
17
Stress leads to a wrong direction when trying to satisfy
customers.
18
It is not correct that stress in the future will be eased more than
now.
Question 19-21
19
Which of the following workplace stress is NOT mentioned according to Plumridge in
the following options
A  Not enough time spend on family
B  Unable to concentrate on work
C  Inadequate time of sleep

D  Alteration of appointment
20
Which of the following solution is NOT mentioned in helping reduce the work
pressure according toPlumridge
A  Allocate more personnel
B  Increase more time
C  Lower expectation
D  Do sports and massage
What is point of view of Jan Elsnera towards work

21 stress
A  Medical test can only reveal part of the data needed to cope with stress
B  Index somebody samples will be abnormal in a stressful experience
C  Emotional and cognitive affection is superior to physical one
D  One well designed solution can release all stress
Question 22–27
MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.
Statistics from National worker’s compensation indicate stress plays the most
important role in 22 which cause the time losses. Staffs take
about 23 for absence from work caused by stress. Not just
time is our main concern but great expenses generated consequently. An official
insurer wrote sometime that about 24 of all claims were
mental issues whereas nearly 27% costs in all claims, Sports Such as
25 as well as 26 could be a treatment to
release stress; However, specialists recommended another practical way out,
analyse 27 once again.
READING PASSAGE 3

Passage 3 below.
Unexpected Benefits to Human Brain

James Paul Gee, professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, played
his first video game years ago when his six-year-old son Sam was playing Pajama Sam:
No Need to Hide When It’s Dark Outside. He wanted to play the game so he could support
Sam’s problem solving. Though Pajama Sam is not an “educational game”, it is replete
with the types of problems psychologists study when they study thinking and learning.
When he saw how well the game held Sam’s attention, he wondered what sort of beast a
more mature video game might be.
Video and computer games, like many other popular, entertaining and addicting kid’s
activities, are looked down upon by many parents as time-wasters, and worse, parents
think that these games rot the brain. Violent video games are readily blamed by the media
and some experts as the reason why some youth become violent or commit extreme anti-
social behavior. Recent content analyses of video games show that as many as 89% of
games contain some violent content, but there is no form of aggressive content for 70% of
popular games. Many scientists and psychologists, like James Paul Gee, find that video
games actually have many benefits – the main one being making kids smart. Video games
may actually teach kids high-level thinking skills that they will need in the future.
“Video games change your brain,” according to University of Wisconsin psychologist

Shawn Green. Video games change the brain’s physical structure the same way as do
learning to read, playing the piano, or navigating using a map. Much like exercise can
build muscle, the powerful combination of concentration and rewarding surges of
neurotransmitters like dopamine, which strengthens neural circuits, can build the player’s
brain.

Video games give your child’s brain a real workout. In many video games, the skills
required to win involve abstract and high level thinking. These skills are not even taught at
school. Some of the mental skills trained by video games include: following instructions,
problem solving, logic, hand-eye coordination, fine motor and spatial skills. Research also
suggests that people can learn iconic, spatial, and visual attention skills from video games.
There have been even studies with adults showing that experience with video games is
related to better surgical skills. Jacob Benjamin, doctor from Beth Israel Medical Center
NY, found a direct link between skill at video gaming and skill at keyhole or laparoscopic
surgery. Also, a reason given by experts as to why fighter pilots of today are more skillful
is that this generation’s pilots are being weaned on video games.
The players learn to manage resources that are limited, and decide the best use of
resources, the same way as in real life. In strategy games, for instance, while developing a
city, an unexpected surprise like an enemy might emerge. This forces the player to be
flexible and quickly change tactics. Sometimes the player does this almost every second
of the game giving the brain a real workout. According to researchers at the University of
Rochester, led by Daphne Bavelier, a cognitive scientist, games simulating stressful
events such as those found in battle or action games could be a training tool for real-world
situations. The study suggests that playing action video games primes the brain to make
quick decisions. Video games can be used to train soldiers and surgeons, according to the
study. Steven Johnson, author of Everything Bad is Good For You: How Today’s Popular
Culture, says gamers must deal with immediate problems while keeping their long-term
goals on their horizon. Young gamers force themselves to read to get instructions, follow
storylines of games, and get information from the game texts.
James Paul Gee, professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says that
playing a video game is similar to working through a science problem Like students in a
laboratory, gamers must come up with a hypothesis. For example, players in some games
constantly try out combinations of weapons and powers to use to defeat an enemy. If one
does not work, they change hypothesis and try the next one. Video games are goal-driven
experiences, says Gee, which are fundamental to learning. Also, using math skills is
important to win in many games that involve quantitative analysis like managing resources.
In higher levels of a game, players usually fail the first time around, but they keep on trying
until they succeed and move on to the next level.
Many games are played online and involve cooperation with other online players in order
to win. Video and computer games also help children gain self-confidence and many
games are based on history, city building, and governance and so on. Such games
indirectly teach children about aspects of life on earth.
In an upcoming study in the journal Current Biology, authors Daphne Bavelier, Alexandre
Pouget, and C. Shawn Green report that video games could provide a potent training

regimen for speeding up reactions in many types of real-life situations. The researchers
tested dozens of 18- to 25-year-olds who were not ordinarily video game players. They
split the subjects into two groups. One group played 50 hours of the fast-paced action
video games “Call of Duty 2” and “Unreal Tournament,” and the other group played 50
hours of the slow-moving strategy game “The Sims 2.” After this training period, all of the
subjects were asked to make quick decisions in several tasks designed by the
researchers. The action game players were up to 25 percent faster at coming to a
conclusion and answered just as many questions correctly as their strategy game playing
peers.
Questions 28-31
What is the main purpose of paragraph

28 one
A  Introduction of professor James Paul Gee.
B  Introduction of the video game: Pajamas Sam.
C  Introduction of types of video games.
D  Introduction of the background of this passage
What does the author want to express in the second

29 paragraph
A  Video games are widely considered harmful for children’s brain.
B  Most violent video games are the direct reason of juvenile delinquency.
C  Even there is a certain proportion of violence in most video games;

scientists and psychologists see its benefits of children’s intellectual abilities.
D  Many parents regard video games as time-wasters, which rot children’s

brain.
What is correctly mentioned in paragraph

30 four
A  Some schools use video games to teach students abstract and high level
thinking.
B  Video games improves the brain ability in various aspects.

C  Some surgeons have better skills because they play more video games.
D  Skillful fighter pilots in this generation love to play video games.
What is the expectation of the experiment the three researchers

31 did
A  Gamers have to make the best use of the limited resource.
B  Gamers with better math skills will win in the end.
C  Strategy game players have better ability to make quick decisions.
D  Video games help increase the speed of players’ reaction effectively
Questions 32-35
Do the following statement with the information given in Reading Passage?
32
Most video games are popular because of their violent
content.
33
The action game players minimized the percentage of
making mistakes in the experiment.
34
It would be a good idea for schools to apply video games in
their classrooms.
35
Those People who are addicted to video games have lots of
dopamine in their brains.
Questions 36-40
Use the information in the passage to match the people (listedA-F) with opinions or
deeds below.
Write the appropriate letters, A-F, in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.

A The writer’s opinion
B James Paul Gee
C Shawn Green
D Daphne Bavelier
E Steven Johnson
F Jacob Benjamin
37
Brain is ready to make decisions without hesitation when
players are immersed in playing stressful games.
36
Video games as other daily life skills alter the brain’s physical
structure.
38
The purpose-motivated experience that video games offer plays
an essential role in studying.
39
Players are good at tackling prompt issues with future
intensions.
40
It helps children broaden their horizon in many aspects and
gain self-confidence.

Solution:
1 hunting 2 overkill model
3 (hyperlethal) disease 4 empirical evidence
5 (considerable) climatic instability 6 geographical ranges
7 Younger Dryas event 8 A
9 B 10 A
11 B 12 B
13 C 14 A
15 D 16 B
17 D 18 C
19 B 20 D
21 A 22 workplace injury
23 16.6 weeks 24 7%
25 golf 26 massage
27 workloads 28 D
29 C 30 B
31 D 32 NOT GIVEN
35 TRUE 36 C
37 D 38 B
39 E 40 A
Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based
on Reading Passage 1.
POLLUTING SOUNDS: IN SEARCH OF SILENCE

In a self-imposed solitary confinement, 22-year old Tom Wonnacott, a Princeton graduate
student, spent four days lying in a lightless, sound-proofed isolation chamber. Unable to
see or hear, he also wore thick gloves to restrict his sense of touch. Wonnacott
volunteered to undergo this experience to help US-based psychologists find out what
happens to people isolated from the outside world and deprived of the normal use of their
senses. While over a longer period of time such extremes of silence in conjunction with
sensory deprivation are harmful, there are many today who are in search of quieter areas.
An over-abundance of noise has always been a significant environmental issue for man. In
ancient Rome, rules existed to ensure that the noise emitted from the large iron wheels of
wagons which rolled over the stones on the pavements and caused disruption of sleep
and annoyance was minimised by allowing people to travel only during certain times. The
same rules existed in Medieval Europe. To ensure inhabitants were given the best chance
at a peaceful night’s sleep, in some cities, horse-drawn carriages and horseback riding
were not allowed at night time. However when today’s noise problems arc compared with
the noise pollution problems of the past they are almost incomparable.

An immense number of vehicles of various shapes and sizes are regularly driven around
and through most of the world’s cities and countrysides. Loud, large diesel engines power
the enormous trucks that roll around highways day and night. Aircraft and trains add to the
environmental noise scenario. In industry, machinery emits high noise levels and
amusement parks and pleasure vehicles distract leisure time and relaxation. One hundred
years ago, environmental experts predicted that in the 21st century there would be a
shortage of water and silence. They were correct. Silence is scarce. More and more
silence is drowned out by sound.
A lack of knowledge about the effects of noise pollution on humans in comparison to other
pollutants has been lacking as an area of research. Although it has been generally
regarded that noise pollution is primarily a ‘luxury’ problem – for those developed countries
able to afford the purchase price of large quantities of loud, noisy machinery – it is actually
a fact that due to bad planning and poor construction of buildings, noise exposure is often
higher in developing countries. This means that regardless of the economic status of a
particular country, the effects of noise are just as widespread and the long-term
consequences for health the same. Therefore, practical action plans based upon proper
scientific evaluation of available data on the effects of noise exposure, with the express
purpose of limiting and controlling the exposure of people to environmental noise is a most
worthwhile undertaking.
It has been well established that exposure to loud noises for extended periods of time
causes trauma to the inner ear and often results in irreversible hearing loss. When it
initially receives sound, the human ear actually amplifies it by a factor of 20. In 1965, in a
remote part of Ghana, scientists went about studying the impact of ‘insignificant’ exposure
to industrial noise and transportation. In tandem, the Ghanese group was compared with a
control group in industrial USA. A number of startling conclusions were drawn from the
experiments. For example, both locations revealed that aging is an almost insignificant
cause of hearing loss. Instead it was show-n that chronic exposure to moderately high
levels of environmental noise led to hearing loss. Cardiovascular complaints also emerged
from among those with prolonged exposure to industrial noise above 70 dBA. In fact, over
a single eight-hour period, it was shown that participants experienced a rise in blood
pressure thus indicating noise pollution contributes to human stress levels. If this was not
alarming enough, also noted was an increase in the incidence of heart disease.
The findings from various noise studies had the effect of changing the perspectives of
many of the world’s governments. Whereas noise had been considered a ‘nuisance’ rather
than an environmental problem, laws were made to protect citizens against it. In the
United States and Ghana, federal standards for highway and aircraft noise were
introduced. State governments created noise regulations pertaining to building codes,
urban planning and road construction. In Canada and the EU, noise laws are the domain
of local governments. Activities in those countries deemed mandatory such as the
collection of rubbish or some medical services are the only allowed exceptions to what
otherwise are quiet local neighbourhood zones.
Typically, quiet times in neighbourhoods are between 6am and 10pm with restricted higher
decibel levels after these hours. What happens if these quite times are violated?
Unfortunately, the enforcement of noise laws has proven problematic for many local
governments with enforcement agencies often not following up on noise complaints. For
persistent nuisances, individuals may seek compensation through the local courts and in
some cities, police are authorised to impound such things as stereos and cars. These are
extreme cases; most issues are handled by negotiation between the emitter and the
receiver.
Questions 1-7
1 Noise pollution is a relatively new pollution.

2 Experts forecasted that water and noise pollution would be
major future problems.
3 Noise pollution seems to be a bigger problem in richer,
developed countries.
4 Noises that enter the human ear are actually heard louder than
they really are.
5 There is a strong relationship between hearing loss and age.
6 Loud noise exposure studies have caused government
changes.
7 In Canada, police monitor the level of noise in local
neighbourhoods.
Questions 8–9
Choose TWO letters, A-G.
The list of problems below can be caused by exposure to high noise levels.

Which TWO are mentioned by the writer of the text?
A  increased ear sensitivity

B  reduced reaction time
C  increased aging of the body
D  heart disease
E  stomach cancer
F  sleep apnea
G  increased blood pressure
Questions 10 – 13
Classify the following features as applying to
A people from the USA
B people from Ghana
C both people from the USA and Ghana
Write the correct letter A, B or C, in boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet.
10
individuals participated in a noise study
11
conducted a silence study
12
introduced air traffic regulations
13
the relationship between industrial noise and blood pressure
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14 – 26 which are based on Reading
Passage 2.

UNEARTHING JÓRVÍK
A. From 1976 to 1981 in what is now known as the city of York in North Yorkshire,
England, an archaeological dig was conducted in and around the street of Coppergate.
This excavation played a most significant part in bringing to life the Viking kingdom of
Jorvik.
B. Because most artifacts are made of materials which arc readily destroyed by Ore,
coming across an abundance of them after so many years is indeed a rare thing. The five-
year excavation in and around the street of Coppergate by the York Archaeological Trust,
managed to uncover some breathtakingly well-preserved remains of Jorvik. Due to the
unusual abundance of dense, anoxic wet clay, Jorvik’s mostly timber buildings, pits and
wells, work areas and animal pens were remarkably very much intact.
C. Most commonly, household items from long ago were made of organic material and
therefore tended to decompose completely in oxygen-rich soil. However, the complete lack
of oxygen in the earth meant that decay bacteria was unable to break down the embedded
Viking objects. An oxygen-free organic ‘cocoon’ comprising a mix of plant debris, including
remains of plants, wood chips, twigs, straw used for bedding and thatch used in building,
created an environment which enabled archaeologists to uncover an abundance of relics
left over from a period dating back to the 10th century. Excavations of up to nine meters
comprising numerous layers of deposits uncovered a number of household articles such
as pottery and eating utensils as well as items made of wood and leather – all remarkably
well-preserved. Many beautifully-decorated combs were among the most common items
found at Coppergate. Combs at various stages of production, from sawn off-cuts of antler
to the finished product, were all uncovered at the site.
D. The unusual number of combs found in the area indicated to archaeologists that there
had been significant head lice infestations during the period. Head lice continue to be a
menace in many parts of the world today and. excavations in the area revealed that such
was the case for the residents of Jorvik. Though probably not too harmful to their health,
also uncovered in the stomachs of many of the residents were parasitic worms, some of
them up to a third of a metre long. Given the close proximity of household waste (food
scraps, shells, bones) to houses, archaeologists deduced that sanitation in the area was
generally poor. This poor sanitation would have impacted upon life expectancy with
records indicating that most people did not live beyond the age of 50.
E. Archaeologists are concerned with studying the environment of a past civilisation and,
like a detective, try to reconstruct a picture of what life in a particular area must have been
like. Remains from the city of Jorvik told archaeologists a story about life in the Viking
kingdom. A cap made of silk which was uncovered indicated a connection with the
Byzantine Empire and beyond. Coins bearing inscriptions from the Uzbekistan city of
Samarkand and a cowrie shell indicated contact with the Persian Gulf or Red Sea tus
showing how far some of the inhabitants must have traveled. Also uncovered side-by-side
were Christian and pagan objects probably indicating that Christians were probably not in
power at the time.
F. It was clear from the wide range of everyday items uncovered that under the Vikings,
Jorvik excelled as an important manufacturing center. The name ‘Coppergate’ means ‘the
street of cup-makers’ in the old Norse language and further illustrated the manufacturing
nature of the area as hundreds of wooden cores – the waste or off-cuts from wooden
bowls and cups – were found in the area. This evidence points to a well-developed wood-
working industry with the mass production of household wooden items. Another excavated
area uncovered yet another manufacturing industry: metal work. Iron objects such as tools
and knives for everyday purposes as well as moulds for making various types of jewellry
were all uncovered. Shoemakers and repairers also were in significant number. Belts,
straps, pouches, knife sheaths and piles of leather off-cuts all evidenced a thriving leather-
craft trade. Balls of beeswax used to lubricate the needles as they passed through the
leather were all tell-tail signs of a flourishing industry. Textile making materials such as
needles and spindles to hold material were also uncovered.
G. Re-created from the excavation of just four Viking-Age house plots, the small Jorvik
Viking Centre which was opened in April 1984 reminds tourists and visitors of life long ago.
Using innovative interpretive methods, the York Archaeological Trust has recreated a
model of what they believe the city of Jorvik would have been like. Mid 10th century
single-storey homes with upright posts supporting thatched roofs, open fireplaces and
simple earthen floors have all been constructed.
Questions 14-15
Choose TWO letters, A-F.

Write the correct letters in boxes 14-15 on your answer sheet.
The list below gives some factors which may explain why the artifacts at Jorvik were
so well preserved.
Which TWO reasons are mentioned by the writer of the passage?
A  the complete absence of fires

B  the clay
C  the lack of oxygen in the soil
D  the organic composition of the artifacts
E  the abundance of decay bacteria
F  the combination of plants, wood chips and twigs in the area
Questions 16 -21
16
The archaeological findings in Jorvik are unusual.
17
The number of combs discovered evidence large-scale head
lice problems in J6rvik.
18
Poor standards in cleanliness resulted in shorter life-spans.
19
Most of the town of Jorvik has now been uncovered by
archaeologists.
20
Coins from Samarkand indicated that Jorvik had visitors from
other countries.
21
Coppergate was so called because many cups were made in
the area.
Questions 22-26
Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs, A-G.
Write the correct letter, A-G in boxes 22-26 on your answer sheet.
22
examples of the types of industries in Jorvik
23
a reference to the material used in mid-10th century bedding
in Jorvik
24
a reference to the number of Viking homes uncovered in
Jorvik
25
a simple job definition
26
an example of an annoying type of insect
READING PASSAGE 3
Passage 3.
Learning Languages
It is no small intellectual task that a child learns a language. In order to begin to
communicate, a young child must first gain an understanding of the internal structure of a
system that, in reality, contains tens of thousands of units, all generated from a small set

of basic building blocks. In the case of English, these basic building blocks’ are the
alphabet and the units’ are words. Although initially, a child may be able to grasp and
manipulate the basic letters of a language to form an infinite number of units’, he or she
must progress to another higher form of comprehension – the understanding that only a
subset of those combinations is correct – what are actual meaningful words. Somehow, a
young child must become familiar with the structure of a particular language system such
that he or she can use it to communicate with others.
Given the complexity of the process of language acquisition, the question of how infants
learn to speak in their native language so rapidly is an interesting one. Among linguists,
the answer to this question has been researched and debated for decades. Some
researchers think that the answer to the question – if indeed there is one – may unlock a
secret to faster language acquisition amongst older people. Over the years, experiments
where researchers have devised an artificial language that contained certain aspects of
natural language structure have been tried. The artificial language was presented to the
infants one ‘piece’ or ‘sample’ at a time. Once they became familiar with one piece of the
language, another piece from the same artificial language was introduced. Once the infant
appeared comfortable with this process, a piece of real or bona fide language was
introduced. The researchers then measured such things as surprise and interest shown in
the new language samples to determine whether or not the infant related to them as being
completely new or as being more of what had been previously learned. The infant’s
reactions to the new stimuli helped linguists to determine what mechanisms underpin the
first stages of language acquisition. Experiments like this have uncovered some
astonishing facts namely the rate at which an infant, even as young as 7 or 8 months, can
take on the new’ information. Some infants demonstrated the ability to process the new
information after as little as 3 minutes of exposure. Their young minds were able to
structure the linguistic input into relevant and ultimately meaningful units of information.
Much of a child’s future social and intellectual development hinges upon their ability to
acquire language. For this reason, language acquisition is one of the key milestones in
early childhood development. Many child development experts encourage parents to start
talking to their infant from the day of their birth. Some researchers maintain that the best
way for a child to learn is to simply hear language as those around them talk. Repetition of
structures seems to be a logical and academically defensible method of child language
acquisition. Quite a large body of research has shown that optimal language development
occurs when the same stories are read over and over again to young children. In one
experiment, a mother exposed her son to only one book for nearly two years. The results
were that the child spoke much earlier than his other siblings and was able to recite 90%
of the text on each page by the age of two. Other studies have revealed that a knowledge
of nursery rhymes among three-year-olds has been a significant predictor of later reading
skill.

These examples of language learning, processing and producing, represent just a few of
the many developments between birth and the eventual linguistic maturity that most
children naturally attain. It is during this early period that children discover the raw
materials in the sounds of their language, learn how they are assembled into longer
strings, and then used in meaningful contexts. These processes unfold simultaneously,
requiring children to organise the code of communication that surrounds them. Even
though each layer is complex, young children readily solve the linguistic puzzles they
encounter.
Regardless of the methods employed, the acquisition of a language is not an automatic

process but rather one that occurs as a result of a process of learning. If a child does not
take on a new language, then isolation and withdrawal often accompany learning
difficulties and poor academic performance.
Questions 27-31
Write the correct letter in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.
According to the writer, an ‘internal language

27 structure’
A  consists only of the alphabet.
B  is the starting point for communication.
C  comprises an infinite number of words.
D  is another term for linguistic comprehension.
The writer states that understanding a language

28 occurs
A  once the learner understands the ‘basic building blocks’.
B  once the learner grasps the ‘units’ of a language.
C  once the alphabet is learned.
D  naturally, as soon as a child is old enough.
An ‘artificial
29 language’
A  is a new form of communication amongst young children.
B  was used as a contrast with real language.

C  was devised slowly, over a considerable period of time.
D  is a mixture of real and artificial words.
According to the writer, infant surprise and

30 interest
A  indicated infant intelligence.
B  was greater amongst infants exposed to a bona fide language.
C  revealed how language is initially learned.
D  were the most dependable indicators of gauging infant reaction to new

stimuli.
What greatly surprised researchers of infant language acquisition

31 was
A  how readily participants demonstrated an ability to learn new languages.
B  how quickly the infants learned to verbally communicate.
C  how young the participants in the experiment were.
D  how quickly some infants learned new information.
Questions 32-35
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
If a child does not 32 in early childhood, he or she will be

greatly restricted in both the ability to interact with others and academic growth and
development.
To teach infants language, some researchers recommend that they

33 it, while others feel that 34 is the
most effective way for them to learn.
Regardless of which method of language acquisition is used, most children reach

35 as they grow and develop.
Questions 36-39

36
Understanding how children learn language may help
adults learn language.
37
The reactions of infants to artificial languages were quite
similar.
38
Learning about organising and then using sounds occurs
regularly among children.
39
Language learning ability impacts upon writing ability.
Question 40
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, D or E.
Write your answer in box 40 on your answer sheet.
What is the best title for Reading Passage

3?
40
A  Clues for adult language learning.
B  Language acquisition in infants and young children.
C  Measuring speaking ability amongst infants.
D  Acquiring language: The key to future learning.
E  Experiments in infant language acquisition

Solution:
1 FALSE 2 TRUE
3 FALSE 4 TRUE
5 FALSE 6 TRUE
7 NOT GIVEN 8-9 D,G
10 C 11 A
12 C 13 C
14
15
B,C 16 YES
17 YES 18 YES
19 NOT GIVEN 20 NO
21 YES 22 F
23 C 24 G
25 E 26 D
27 B 28 B
29 B 30 C
31 D 32 acquire/learn language
33 hear 34 repetition (of structures)
35 linguistic maturity 36 YES
37 NOT GIVEN 38 YES
39 NOT GIVEN 40 B

Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
DEPRESSION
A. It is often more difficult for outsiders and non-sufferers to understand
mental rather than physical illness in others. While it may be easy for us to
sympathise with individuals living with the burden of a physical illness or
disability, there is often a stigma attached to being mentally ill, or a belief that
such conditions only exist in individuals who lack the strength of character to
cope with the real world. The pressures of modern life seem to have resulted in
an increase in cases of emotional disharmony and government initiatives in
many countries have, of late, focussed on increasing the general public’s
awareness and sympathy towards sufferers of mental illness and related
conditions.
B. Clinical depression, or ‘major depressive disorder’, a state of extreme

sadness or despair, is said to affect up to almost 20% of the population at some
point in their lives prior to the age of 40. Studies have shown that this disorder
is the leading cause of disability in North America; in the UK almost 3 million
people are said to be diagnosed with some form of depression at any one time,
and experts believe that as many as a further 9 million other cases may go
undiagnosed. World Health Organisation projections indicate that clinical
depression may become the second most significant cause of disability’ on a
global scale by 2020. However, such figures are not unanimously supported, as
some experts believe that the diagnostic criteria used to identify՛ the condition
are not precise enough, leading to other types of depression being wrongly
classified as ‘clinical’.
C. Many of us may experience periods of low morale or mood and feelings of

dejection, as a natural human response to negative events in our lives such as
bereavement, redundancy or breakdown of a relationship. Some of us may
even experience periods of depression and low levels of motivation which have
no tangible reason or trigger. Clinical depression is classified as an on-going
state of negativity, with no tangible cause, where sufferers enter a spiral of
persistent negative thinking, often experiencing irritability, perpetual tiredness
and listlessness. Sufferers of clinical depression are said to be at higher risk of
resorting to drug abuse or even suicide attempts than the rest of the
population.
D. Clinical depression is generally diagnosed when an individual is observed to

exhibit an excessively depressed mood and/or ‘anhedonia’ – an inability to
experience pleasure from positive experiences such as enjoying a meal or
pleasurable social interaction – for a period of two weeks or more, in
conjunction with five or more additional recognised symptoms. These
additional symptoms may include overwhelming feelings of sadness; inability
to sleep, or conversely, excessive sleeping; feelings of guilt, nervousness,
abandonment or fear; inability to concentrate; interference with memory
capabilities; fixation with death or extreme change in eating habits and
associated weight gain or loss.
E. Clinical depression was originally solely attributed to chemical imbalance in

the brain, and while anti-depressant drugs which work to optimise levels of ‘feel
good’ chemicals – serotonin and norepinephrine – are still commonly prescribed
today, experts now believe that onset of depression may be caused by a
number, and often combination of, physiological and socio-psychological
factors. Treatment approaches vary quite dramatically from place to place and
are often tailored to an individual’s particular situation; however, some
variation of a combination of medication and psychotherapy is most commonly
used. The more controversial electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may also be
used where initial approaches fail. In extreme cases, where an individual
exhibits behaviour which Indicates that they may cause physical harm to
themselves, psychiatric hospitalisation may be necessary as a form of intensive
therapy.
F. Some recent studies, such as those published by the Archives of General

Psychiatry, hold that around a quarter of diagnosed clinical depression cases
should actually be considered as significant but none-the-less ordinary sadness
and maladjustment to coping with trials in life, indicating that in such cases,
psychotherapy rather than treatment through medication is required. Recovery
as a result of psychotherapy tends, in most cases, to be a slower process than
improvements related to medication; however, improvements as a result of
psychological treatment, once achieved, have been observed in some
individuals to be more long term and sustainable than those attained through
prescription drugs. Various counselling approaches exist, though all focus on
enhancing the subject’s ability to function on a personal and interpersonal
level. Sessions involve encouragement of an individual to view themselves and
their relationships in a more positive manner, with the intention of helping
patients to replace negative thoughts with a more positive outlook.
G. It is apparent that susceptibility to depression can run in families. However,

it remains unclear as to whether this is truly an inherited genetic trait or
whether biological and environmental factors common to family members may
be at the root of the problem. In some cases, sufferers of depression may need
to unlearn certain behaviours and attitudes they have established in life and
develop new coping strategies designed to help them deal with problems they
may encounter, undoing patterns of destructive behaviour they may have
observed in their role models and acquired for themselves.
Questions 1-5
Reading Passage 1 has seven sections A-G.
Write the correct letters A-G in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
1 Details of treatment alternatives for worst case scenario

depression.
2 Information regarding cases where drug treatment is

inappropriate.
3 Details of how those diagnosed with depression may be

more vulnerable than other members of society,
4 Information about society’s attitudes to depression and

similar illnesses.
5 Information regarding why estimates of incidence of

future growth in cases may be overly exaggerated.
Questions 6-8
Choose THREE letters A-G.
NB Your answers may be given in any order
Which THREE of the following statements are true of depression?
A  Governments have generally failed to take action to educate the

general public about the condition.
B  The highest reported number of cases are in the USA.

C  In Britain, it is likely that there are more individuals who live
with the condition without the help of a doctor than those being officially
treated.
D  Clinical depression may be triggered by divorce.

E  Lethargy may be one of the symptoms of depression.
F  Prescribed pharmaceuticals have radically changed over recent
years.
G  Approaches to treating depression are not universal.
Questions 9-13
Complete the summary of paragraphs F and G with the list of words A-
L below.
Write the correct letter A-L in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.
Whilst recovery through counselling rather than medicine may be more

10
9 , results once achieved may have more
with some patients.
Counselling sessions are geared towards improving the subject’s

11
relationship with others and their own , encouraging
12
sufferers of depression to take on a more outlook.
The extent to which genetic disposition and sociological factors impact on

13
state of mind is . Many people undergoing counselling
therapy do so with the purpose of unlearning negative behaviour and
reactions.

A gratifying
B longevity
C ambition
D optimistic
E pessimistic
F difficulty
G inconclusive
H self-image
I gradual
J unequivocal
K immediate
L categorical
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 .minutes on Questions 14-27, which are based on
THE FACE OF MODERN MAN?

A. In response to the emergence of the ‘metro-sexual’ male, In other words, an
urban, sophisticated man who is fashionable, well-groomed and unashamedly
committed to ensuring his appearance is the best it can be, a whole new
industry has developed. According to research conducted on behalf of a
leading health and beauty retailer in the UK, the market for male cosmetics
and related products has grown by 800% since the year 2000 and is expected
to continue to increase significantly. The male grooming products market has
become the fastest growing sector within the beauty and cosmetics industry,
currently equivalent to around 1.5 billion pounds per annum.
B. Over the last decade, a large number of brands and companies catering for
enhancement of the male image have been successfully established, such
operations ranging from male-only spas, boutiques, personal hygiene products,
hair and skin care ranges, and male magazines with a strong leaning towards
men’s fashion. Jamie Cawley, proprietor of a successful chain of London-based
male grooming boutiques, holds that his company’s success in this highly
competitive market can be attributed to the ‘exclusivity’ tactics they have
employed, in that their products and services are clearly defined as male-
orientated and distinctly separate to feminine products offered by other
organisations. However, market analyst, Kim Sawyer, believes that future
growth in the market can also be achieved through sale of unisex products
marketed to both genders, this strategy becoming increasingly easy to
implement as men’s interest in appearance and grooming has become more of
a social norm.
C. Traditionalists such as journalist Jim Howrard contend that the turn-around

in male attitudes which has led to the success of the industry w’ould have been
inconceivable a decade ago, given the conventional male role, psyche and
obligation to exude masculinity; however, behavioural scientist Professor Ruth
Chesterton argues that the metro-sexual man of today is in fact a modern
incarnation of the ‘dandy’ of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century.
British dandies of that period, who were often of middle class backgrounds but
imitated aristocratic lifestyles, were devoted to cultivation of their physical
appearance, development of a refined demeanour and hedonistic pursuits. In
France, she adds, dandyism, in contrast, was also strongly linked to political
ideology and embraced by youths wishing to clearly define themselves from
members of the working class revolutionary social groups of the period.
D. Over recent decades, according to sociologist Ben Cameron, gender roles

for both sexes have become less defined. According to research, he says,
achievement of status and success have become less important in younger
generations of men, as has the need to repress emotions. Cameron defines the
traditional masculine role within western societies – hegemonic masculinity –
as an expectation that males demonstrate physical strength and fitness, be
decisive, self-assured, rational, successful and in control. Meeting this list of
criteria and avoiding situations of demonstrating weakness, being overly
emotional or in any way ’inferior’, he says, has placed a great deal of pressure
on many members of the male population. So restrictive can society’s pressure
to behave in a ‘masculine’ fashion on males be, Professor Chesterton states
that in many situations men may respond in a way they deem acceptable to
society, given their perceived gender role, rather than giving what they may
actually consider to be the best and most objective response.
E. Jim Howard says that learning and acquiring gender identity makes up a
huge component of a child’s socialisation and that a child who exhibits non-
standard behavioural characteristics often encounters social and self image
difficulties due to the adverse reactions of their peers. According to Kim
Sawyer, media images and messages also add to pressures associated with the
male image, stating that even in these modern and changing times,
hegemonic masculinity is often idolised and portrayed as the definitive male
persona.
F. Whilst male stereotypes and ideals vary from culture to culture, according to
Professor Chesterton, a universal trait in stereotypical male behaviour is an
increased likelihood to take risks than is generally found in female behaviour
patterns. For this reason, she attributes such behaviour to the influence of
genetic predisposition as opposed to socially learned behaviour. Men, she says,
are three times more likely to die due to accident than females, a strong
indication he says of their greater willingness to involve themselves in
precarious situations. Ben Cameron also says that an attitude of invincibility is
more dominant in males and is a predominant factor in the trend for fewer
medical checkups in males and late diagnosis of chronic and terminal illness
than in their more cautious and vigilant female counterparts.
G. Jamie Cawley, however, remains optimistic that the metro-sexual culture will
continue and that what society accepts as the face of masculinity will continue
to change. He attributes this to a male revolt against the strict confines of
gender roles, adding that such changes of attitudes have led and will continue
to lead to establishment of greater equality between the sexes.
Questions 14-18
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-D and F-G from the list of
headings below.

Write the correct number i to viii in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i Basis and predictions
ii Revolution or recurrence?
iii Servicing a growing demand
iv The surfacing of a new phenomenon
v A long-held mindset and its downsides
vi Influence on minors
vii Hereditary predilection
viii Effects of external pressures
Example: Paragraph E; Answer: viii
14
Paragraph B
15
Paragraph C
16
Paragraph D
17
Paragraph F
18
Paragraph G
Questions 19-22
Passage 2?
19
Sales in the female health and beauty market have
slightly declined over recent years.
20
The rise of ‘dandyism’ in England and France is
attributed to similar factors.
21
Emotional reaction is contradictory to hegemonic
masculine behaviour.
22
There is a correlation between men’s belief that they
are indestructible and their decreased likelihood to seek medical advice.
Questions 23-27
Look at the following list of statements (Questions 23-27) based on
changes in male image and behavior.
Match each statement with the correct person A-E.
Write the correct letters A-E in boxes 23-27 on your answer sheet.
23
Male behaviour patterns have changed in a way that
would have been considered implausible in the past.
24
Traditional benchmarks of masculinity are often
exacerbated by the press.
25
Metro-sexual culture has developed as a response to
modern men’s dissatisfaction with traditional images.
26
The need to conform to society’s expectations of male
behaviour may impede men’s decision-making and judgement.
27
There is potential in a market which makes no
differentiation between products for males and females.
List of Contributors
A Jamie Cawley
B Kim Sawyer
C Jim Howard
D Professor Ruth Chesterton
E Ben Cameron

READING PASSAGE 3
CLINICAL TRIALS
A. The benefits of vitamins to our well-being are now familiar to most;
however, when the link between diets lacking in citrus fruits and the
development of the affliction ‘scurvy’ in sailors was first discovered by James
Lind in 1747, the concept of vitamins was yet to be discovered. Scurvy, which
causes softening of the gums, oral bleeding and, in extreme cases, tooth loss,
is now known to present as a result of lack of Vitamin C in the diet. Additional
symptoms include depression, liver spots on the skin – particularly arms and
legs – loss of colour in the face and partial immobility; high incidence of the
ailment aboard ships took an enormous toll on the crew’s ability to complete
essential tasks while at sea.
B. Suggestions that citrus fruit may lower the incidence or indeed prevent
scurvy had been made as early as 1600. It was Lind, however, who would
conduct the first clinical trial by studying the effect within scientific
experimental parameters. However, while the correlation between consuming
citrus fruit and avoidance of scurvy was established, the preventative
properties were attributed to the presence of acids in the fruit and not what
would later be identified as vitamin content.
C. Lind’s subjects for his trial consisted of twelve sailors already exhibiting
symptoms of scurvy. These individuals were split into six groups; each pair
common diet. Pair 1 were rationed a daily quart of cider, pair 2 elixir of vitriol,
pair 3 a given quantity of vinegar, pair 4 seawater, pair 5 oranges and a lemon
and pair 6 barley water. Despite the trial having to be aborted after day five,
when supplies of fruit were depleted, the findings of the interventional study
showed that only the control group who were given fruit supplements showed
any significant improvement in their condition (one had, in fact, recovered to
the extent that he was fit enough to return to work). The immediate impact on
sailors’ health and incidence of scurvy on board ship was, however, limited as
Lind and other physicians remained convinced that the curative effect was acid
based. Therefore, while consumption of citrus fruit was recommended, it was
often replaced by cheaper acid supplements. The preventative Qualities of
citrus fruit against scurvy were not truly recognised until 1800, though
throughout the latter part of the 1700s, lemon juice was increasingly
administered as a cure for sailors already afflicted.
D. Nowadays, the implementation of findings discovered in clinical trials into

mainstream medicine remains an arduous and lengthy process and the clinical
trials themselves represent only a small stage of the process of developing a
new drug from research stage to launch in the marketplace. On average, for
every thousand drugs conceived, only one of the thousand actually makes it to
the stage of clinical trial, other projects being abandoned for a variety of
reasons. Stages which need to be fulfilled prior to clinical trial – where the
treatment is actually tested on human subjects -include discovery, purification,
characterisation and laboratory testing.
E. A new pharmaceutical for treatment of a disease such as cancer typically

takes a period of 6 years or more before reaching the stage of clinical trial.
Since legislation requires subjects participating in such trials to be monitored
for a considerable period of time so that side-effects and benefits can be
assessed correctly, a further eight years typically passes between the stage of
a drug entering clinical trial and being approved for general use. One of the
greatest barriers to clinical trial procedures is availability of subjects willing to
participate. Criteria for selection is rigorous and trials where subjects are
required to be suffering from the disease in question, experience tremendous
recruitment difficulties as individuals already vulnerable due to the effects of
their condition, are often reluctant to potentially put their health at higher
levels of risk.
F. Clinical trials are conducted in line with a strict protocol and the stages of a
trial are generally defined by five distinct phases. A drug that is deemed safe
and effective enough to reach the end of stage three is most often, at that
point, approved for use in mainstream medicine. Phase 0 involves a first-in-
human trial (usually conducted using a small population often to fifteen
subjects) with the purpose of ascertaining that the drug’s effect is, in fact, the
same as predicted in pre-clinical studies. If no concerns are raised, the drug
then enters Phase 1 of trial where a modest selection (usually between twenty
and eighty subjects) of usually healthy volunteers, is exposed to the drug.
However, for HIV and cancer drugs, this stage is conducted using patients
suffering from the condition in question. There are two main variations of Phase
I testing, these being SAD (single ascending dose) and MAD (multiple
ascending dose). The former involves a single administration of a drug at a pre-
determined level to one group of subjects, and the second involves
administration of a pre-determined sequence of dosages.
G. Phases 0 and 1 are geared towards establishing the safety of a

pharmaceutical and once this has been confirmed, drugs pass into Phase II
testing where, while safety continues to be monitored, the drug’s effectiveness
is also assessed using a larger group of subjects, ranging from twenty up to
three hundred. In some trials, Phase II is regarded as involving two sub-stages,
in that Phase 11(a) may be concerned with establishing optimum dosage levels
and Phase 11(b) to evaluate effectiveness. Phase III is the most expensive,
time-consuming and complex stage of the trial process, often involving as
many as 3000 patients. At this stage, a new drug’s effectiveness is rigorously
tested and compared to that of the best of the existing alternatives already
approved and in common use. Where research indicates that a pharmaceutical
has passed all requirements of Phases 0, I, II and III, submissions to relevant
regulatory and licensing bodies are then made.
H. The final phase of clinical testing, Phase IV, is conducted over a lengthy
period of time post-launch for general usage. This stage is, in essence, a safety
net which involves continued monitoring of the drug, its properties and side-
effects through which any long term adverse reactions, which remained
undetected in the pre-launch clinical testing time frame can be discovered.
Identification of harmful effects at this stage, on occasion, has led to
withdrawal of a drug from the market; for example, as was the case with
cerivastin, a cholesterol-lowering drug, which was later found to have an
adverse effect on muscle reaction which, on occasion, had fatal consequences.
Questions 28-31
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each
answer.
In advanced cases of scurvy suffers may experience 28

along with numerous other symptoms.
Fruit adds were mistakenly heralded as having 29 in

incidents of scurvy prior to the identification of vitamins.
Lind’s subjects for the first clinical trial were seamen who were at the time
of 30 the condition in question.
All groups in Lind’s experiment were given a 31 along

with specific rations which were varied for each control group.
Questions 32-35
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D
Write your answers in boxes 32 – 35 on your answer sheet
32 The first clinical trial was conducted for only 5 days because
A  that period of time was the planned protocol.
B  the subjects in the relevant control group had already recovered.
C  resources fundamental to the experiment were used up.
D  those taking part in the trial were too sick to continue.
33
The impact of findings from the trial were not used to full potential
because
A  Lind failed to recommend consumption of citrus fruit.
B  ineffective substitutes were often made available.
C  other physicians were unconvinced by his evidence.
D  the trial was not conducted over a long enough period to be

valid.
One of the greatest hindrances to clinical testing today

34 is
A  low volunteer rates.

B  the poor success rate.
C  the strict protocol.
D  shortage of laboratory staff.
35
Clinical testing for HIV and cancer drugs differs from usual procedures
because
A  the clinical trial phase is much longer.
B  the MAD instead of the SAD approach is used during Phase I.
C  subjects exhibiting no symptoms of the illness are not used.
D  effectiveness is more rigorously tested than safety.
Questions 36-40
Complete the flowchart
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Phases of Clinical Testing
Phase 0
10-15 subjects tested to confirm assumptions made in the
36 stages were accurate.
Phase I
2 different approaches may be used. One involving one-off exposure to
the drug the other involving a 37
Phase II
May involve two sub-stages to establish 38 quantities
and usefulness.
Phase III
The most 39 , protracted and costly of all stages.
Submissions made post-testing at this stage of all is agreeable.
Phase IV
Precautionary monitoring continues post-launch. Any serious issues
uncovered can, on occasion, result in 40

Solution:
1 E 2 F
3 C 4 A
5 B 6-8 C,E,G
9 I 10 B
11 H 12 D
13 G 14 iii
15 ii 16 v
17 vii 18 i
19 NOT GIVEN 20 FALSE
21 TRUE 22 TRUE
23 C 24 B
25 A 26 D
27 B 28 tooth loss
29 preventative properties 30 exhibiting symptoms
31 common diet 32 C
33 B 34 A
35 C 36 Pre-clinical
37 Sequence 38 Optimum
39 Complex 40 withdrawal

Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1 -13, which are based
Cleaner, Abundant Fuels Attracting Record

Investment
A
Renewable energy captured from the wind, sun, Earth’s heat, tides, and from
small dams is drawing record levels of investment as poor villagers and entire
nations alike seek clean, abundant ways to fuel economic growth. Global
investment in renewable energy set a new record of $30 billion in 2004,
according to a new report from the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the
21st Century (REN21). Technologies such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal,
and small hydro now provide 160 gigawatts of electricity generating capacity –
about four per cent of the world total – the report said. They are growing at
rates of around 20-30 per cent per year, however, compared to two or three
per cent for oil and gas.
“Renewable energy has become big business,” said Eric Martinot, lead author

of the study, “Renewables 2005: Global Status Report”. Martinot, a senior
fellow at the Washington, DC-based think tank Worldwatch Institute and a
lecturer at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said renewable energy has attracted
some of the world’s largest companies, including General Electric, Siemens,
Sharp, and Royal Dutch Shell. The report estimated that nearly 40 million
households worldwide heat their water with solar collectors, most of them
installed in the last five years. Altogether, renewable energy industries provide
1.7 million jobs, most of them skilled and well paid.
Martinot and 100-plus researchers in more than 20 countries assessed several

renewable technologies: small hydro (meaning small dams), modem biomass
(agricultural waste, for example), wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels such as
ethanol and biodiesel. These technologies now compete with conventional fuels
in four distinct markets: power generation, hot water and space heating,
transportation fuels, and rural (off-grid) energy supplies.
Renewable energy is gaining in popularity because it is considered to be in

infinite supply – unlike oil, coal, and gas – and because it involves little or no
pollution compared to those fossil fuels. Scientists blame the burning of fossil
fuels for the release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that stoke
global climate changes, which in turn are intensifying droughts in some parts
of the world, floods and storms in others, and the spread of tropical diseases to
temperate zones.
Additionally, renewable energy could empower millions of poor and vulnerable

people who lack access to reliable, affordable, and clean modem energy
services, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said in a message to the Beijing
International Renewable Energy Conference, which opened Monday. Annan
said that rising oil prices have hit oil-importing developing countries especially
hard and underscore the need for alternative energy supplies. According to the
REN21 report, government support for renewable energy is growing rapidly. At
least 48 countries now have some type of renewable energy promotion policy,
including 14 developing countries. Typically, they include targets to ensure
that renewable sources generate 5-30 per cent of energy use in a given
country by around 2010-2012.
The renewable sector’s prospects appeared to receive a further boost Monday,

when China announced it was raising its target for reliance on renewable
energy even as it acknowledged that coal would remain its primary source for
electricity for decades to come. Renewable energy should account for 15 per
cent of national consumption by 2020. China had previously aimed to get 10
per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.
Mandates for blending biofuels into vehicle fuels have been enacted in 20-plus
states and provinces worldwide as well as in three key countries – Brazil,
China, and India – the report said. Government leadership has ensured market
success, according to REN21, which is composed of representatives of
governments and non-governmental organisations. Market leaders in
renewable energy in 2004 included Brawl in biofuels, China in solar hot water,
Germany in solar electricity, and Spain in wind power, the report said.
The fastest growing energy technology in the world is grid-connected solar

photovoltaic (PV), existing capacity of which blossomed by sixty per cent per
year from 2000-2004, to cover more than 400,000 rooftops in Japan, Germany,
and the United States, it found. Wind power came second, with generating
capacity growing by 28 per cent last year with almost seventeen gigawatts
installed as of 2004. Production of ethanol, biodiesel, and other biofuels
exceeded 33 billion litres in 2004, when ethanol displaced about three per cent
of the 1,200 billion litres of gasoline produced globally.
An estimated $500 million goes to developing countries each year as

development assistance for renewable energy projects, training, and market
support, with the German Development Finance Group (GDFG), the World Bank
Group, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) providing the majority of
these funds, and dozens of other donors and programmes providing the rest,
the report said. More than 4.5 million “green” power consumers in Europe, the
United States, Canada, Australia, and Japan purchased renewable electricity in
2004, it added. Asia is seen as a vast market for renewable energy as it seeks
to meet growing demand for power to feed rapid economic expansion amid
runaway oil prices.
Questions 1-4
The text has 9 paragraphs (A – I). Which paragraph contains each of the
following pieces of information?

1 Cases where the use of renewable fuels is in competition
with non-renewable ones
2 The membership of REN21
3 The rates at which the use of renewable fuels is growing

faster than the use of nonrenewable ones in the world
4 The sources of funding for renewable fuels in developing

countries
Questions 5-8
Complete the following sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS from the text for each gap.
Biomass technology can use 5
Governments with renewable energy policies usually set

6 for renewable energy use.
The most important source of energy for China in 2020 is expected to be

7
Economic expansion and high oil prices mean that Asian countries are
8 for renewable sources of energy.
Questions 9-13
Passage 1?
In boxes 9 -13 on your answer sheet, write
9 Eric Martinot advises large companies on investing in

renewable energy.
10
Eric Martinot has over 100 people working in his
team.

11
Increases in oil prices hurt developing economies
more than developed ones.
12
The use of solar power grew by 60% between the year
2000 and the year 2004.
13
“Green” power consumers only get part of their
electricity from alternative energy sources.
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14 – 26, which are based
A GUIDE TO WOMENOMICS
A
In rich countries, girls now do better at school than boys, more women are
getting university degrees than men arc, and females arc filling most new jobs.
Arguably, women are now the most powerful engine of global growth. In 1950,
only one third of American women of working age had a paid job. Today two
thirds do, and women make up almost half of America’s workforce. Since 1950,
men’s employment rate has slid by 12 percentage points, to 77%. In fact,
almost everywhere more women are employed and the percentage of men
with jobs has fallen – although in some countries, the feminisation of the
workplace still has far to go: in Italy and Japan, women’s share of jobs is still
40% or less.
The increase in female employment in developed countries has been aided by

a big shift in the type of jobs on offer. Manufacturing work, traditionally a male
preserve, has declined, while jobs in services have expanded. This has reduced
the demand for manual labour and put the sexes on a more equal footing. In
the developing world, too, more women now have paid jobs. In the emerging
East Asian economics, forever)’ 100 men in the labour force there are now 83
women, higher even than the average in OECD countries. Women have been
particularly important to the success of Asia’s export industries, typically
accounting for 60- 80% of jobs in many export sectors, such as textiles and
clothing.
Of course, it is misleading to talk of women’s “entry” into the workforce.

Besides formal employment, women have always worked in the home, looking
after children, cleaning or cooking, but because this is unpaid, it is not counted
in the official statistics. To some extent, the increase in female paid
employment has meant fewer hours of unpaid housework. However, the value
of housework has fallen by much less than the time spent on it, because of the
increased productivity afforded by dishwashers, washing machines and so
forth. Paid nannies and cleaners employed by working women now also do
some work that used to belong in the non-market economy.
The increase in female employment has also accounted for a big chunk of
global growth in recent decades. GDP growth can come from three sources:
employing more people; using more capital per worker, or an increase in the
productivity of labour and capital due to new technology’. Since 1970, women
have filled two new jobs for every’ one taken by a man. Back-of-the-envelope
calculations suggest that the employment of extra women has not only added
more to GDP than new jobs for men but has also chipped in more than either
capital investment or increased productivity. Carve up the world’s economic
growth a different way and another surprising conclusion emerges: over the
past decade or so, the increased employment of women in developed
economies has contributed much more to global growth. Women are becoming
more important in the global marketplace not just as workers, but also as
consumers, entrepreneurs, managers and investors. Women have traditionally
done most of the household shopping, but now they have more money of their
own to spend. Surveys suggest that women make perhaps 80% of consumers’
buying decisions – from health care and homes to furniture and food.
Women’s share of the workforce has a limit. In America it has already stalled.
However, there will still be a lot of scope for women to become more
productive as they make better use of their qualifications. At school, girls
consistently get better grades and in most developed countries, well over half
of all university degrees are now being awarded to women. In America 140
women enrol in higher education each year for every 100 men; in Sweden the
number is as high as 150. (There are, however, only 90 female Japanese
students for every 100 males.) In years to come, better educated women will
take more of the top jobs. At present, for example, in Britain more women than
men train as doctors and lawyers, but relatively few arc leading surgeons or
partners in law firms. The main reason why women still get paid less on
average than men is not that they are paid less for the same occupations, such
as nursing and teaching. This pattern is likely to change.
Making better use of women’s skills is not just a matter of fairness. Plenty of
studies suggest that it is good for business, too. Women account for only 7% of
directors on the worlds corporate boards – 15% in America, but less than 1% in
Japan. Yet a study by Catalyst, a consultancy, found that American companies
with more women in senior management jobs earned a higher return on equity
than those with fewer women at the top. This might be because mixed teams
of men and women are better than single-sex groups at solving problems and
spotting external threats. Studies have also suggested that women are often
better than men at building teams and communicating.
In poor countries too, the underutilisation of women stunts economic growth. A

study last year by the World Economic Forum found a clear correlation
between sex equality (measured by economic participation, education, health
and political empowerment) and GDP per head. Correlation does not prove the
direction of causation. However, other studies also suggest that inequality
between the sexes harms long-term growth. In particular, there is strong
evidence that educating girls boosts prosperity. It is probably the single best
investment that can be made in the developing world. Not only are better
educated women more productive, but they raise healthier, better educated
children. There is huge potential to raise income per head in developing
countries, where fewer girls go to school than boys. More than two thirds of the
world’s illiterate adults are women.
It is sometimes argued that it is short-sighted to get more women into paid

employment. The more women go out to work, it is said, the fewer children
there will be and the lower growth will be in the long run. Yet the facts suggest
otherwise. Data shows that countries with high female labour participation
rates, such as Sweden, tend to have the decline in fertility has been greatest in
several countries where female employment is low.
Questions 14-17
The text has 8 paragraphs (A – H). Which paragraph does each of the
following headings best fit?
14
New producers, new consumers
15
More work, fewer children?
16
A better educated workforce
17
Women in new, expanding industries
Questions 18-22
According to the text, FIVE of the following statements are true. Write the
corresponding letters in answer boxes 18 to 22 in any order.
A  A higher percentage of Italian women have jobs than Japanese

women.
B  More women than men work in Asia’s textile industries.

C  The value of housework is not included in official statistics.
D  Research shows that men make more purchasing decisions than

women.
E  Most surgeons in Britain are women.

F  Firms with more women in senior management offer higher
investment returns.
G  Most illiterate people in the world are women.

H  Some people think that lower birth rates lead to lower economic
growth.
Questions 23-26
According to the information given in the text, choose the correct
answer from the choices given.

Since 1950, the percentage
23 of
A  American women with jobs has increased.
B  American men with jobs has decreased.
C  Japanese and Italian women with jobs has remained stable.
24 Economics can get bigger by
A  increasing the size of companies.
B  giving shares to workers.
C  using more advanced technology.
25 Mixed teams of male and female managers are thought to be better at
A  building teams.
B  solving problems.
C  communicating.
Research by the World Economic Forum shows

26 that
A  sex equality leads to higher GDP.
B  there is a connection between sex equality and GDP.
C  higher education leads to higher GDP.
READING PASSAGE 3

A LIBRARY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
A few years ago, at the height of the dotcom boom, it was widely assumed that
a publishing revolution, in which the printed word would be supplanted by the
computer screen, was just around the corner. It wasn’t: for many, there is still
little to match the joy of cracking the spine of a good book and settling down
for an hour or two of reading. A recent flurry of activity by big technology
companies – including Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo! – suggests that
the dream of bringing books online is still very much alive.
The digitising of thousands of volumes of print is not without controversy. On

Thursday, November 3, Google, the world’s most popular search engine,
posted a first instalment of books on Google Print, an initiative first mooted a
year ago. This collaborative effort between Google and several of the world’s
leading research libraries aims to make many thousands of books available to
be searched and read online free of charge. Although the books included so far
are not covered by copyright, the plan has attracted the ire of publishers.
Five large book firms are suing Google for violating copyright on material that
it has scanned and, although out of print, is still protected by law. Google has
said that it will only publish short extracts from material under copyright unless
given express permission to publish more, but publishers are unconvinced.
Ironically, many publishers are collaborating with Google on a separate
venture, Google Print Publisher, which aims to give readers an online taste of
books that are commercially available. The searchable collection of extracts
and book information is intended to tempt readers to buy the complete books
online or in print form.
Not to be outdone, Amazon, the world’s largest online retailer, has unveiled

plans for its own foray into the mass e-book market. The firm, which began ten
years ago as an online book retailer, now sells a vast array of goods. No doubt
piqued that Google, a relative newcomer, should impinge upon its central
territory, Amazon revealed on Thursday that it would introduce two new
services. Amazon Pages will allow customers to search for key terms in
selected books and then buy and read online whatever part they wish, from
individual pages to chapters or complete works. Amazon Upgrade will give
customers online access to books they have already purchased as hard copies.
Customers are likely to have to pay around five cents a page, with the bulk
going to the publisher.
Microsoft, too, has joined the online-book bandwagon. At the end of October,
the software giant said it would spend around $200 million to digitise texts,
starting with 150,000 that are in the public domain, to avoid legal problems. It
will do so in collaboration with the Open Content Alliance, a consortium of
libraries and universities. (Yahoo! has pledged to make 18,000 books available
online in conjunction with the same organisation.) On Thursday, coincidentally
the same day as Google and Amazon announced their initiatives, Microsoft
released details of a deal with the British Library, the country’s main reference
library, to digitise some 25 million pages; these will be made available through
MSN Book Search, which will be launched next year.
These companies are hoping for a return to the levels of interest in e-books
seen when Stephen King, a best-selling horror writer, published “Riding the
Bullet” exclusively on the Internet in 2000. Half a million copies were
downloaded in the first 48 hours after publication. This proved to be a high-
water mark rather than a taste of things to come. While buyers were reluctant
to sit in front of a computer screen to read the latest novels, dedicated e-book
reading gadgets failed to catch on. Barnes and Noble, a leading American
bookshop chain, began selling e-books with fanfare in 2000 but quietly pulled
the plug in 2003 as interest faded.
The market for e-books is growing again, though from a tiny base. According to
the International Digital Publishing Forum, which collates figures from many of
the world’s top publishers, in the third quarter of 2004, worldwide sales were
25% higher than the year before. Unfortunately, this only amounted to a paltry
$3.2 million split between 23 publishers in an industry that made sales worth
over $100 billion that year.
Both retailers and publishers reckon they will eventually be able to persuade
consumers to do a lot more of their reading on the web. Some even hope they
can become to online books what Apple’s iTunes is to online music. There are
crucial differences between downloading fiction and downloading funk. Online
music was driven from the bottom up: illegal filesharing services became wildly
popular, and legal firms later took over when the pirates were forced (by a
wave of lawsuits) to retreat; the legal providers are confident that more and
more consumers will pay small sums for music rather than remain beyond the
law. The iPod music player and its like have proved a fashionable and popular
new way to listen to songs. The book world has no equivalent.
So the commercial prospects for sellers of online books do not yet look very
bright. They may get a lift from some novel innovations. The ability to
download mere parts of books could help, for instance: sections of manuals,
textbooks or cookery books may tempt some customers; students may wish to
download the relevant sections of course books; or readers may want a taste of
a book that they subsequently buy in hard copy. The ability to download
reading matter onto increasingly ubiquitous hand-held electronic devices and
3G phones may further encourage uptake. In Japan, the value of e-books
(mainly manga comic books) delivered to mobile phones has jumped, though it
will be worth only around ¥6 billion ($51 million) in 2005, according to
estimates.
Questions 27 – 30
For each question, only ONE of the choices is correct. Write the
corresponding letter in the appropriate box on your answer sheet.
A few years ago, it was widely thought

27 that
A  people would read fewer ‘paper’ books.
B  companies like Amazon would go bankrupt.
C  the dotcom boom would soon end.
28 Publishers are unhappy with Google because
A  Google is only publishing extracts, not complete books.
B  they think Google is in breach of copyright.
C  Google is co-operating with leading research libraries.
29 Amazon will
A  sell books that previously only Google sold online.
B  buy the copyright for many books it sells online.

C  allow people to buy only parts that they want to read from
books.
It is clear that most readers, if given the choice,

30 prefer
A  ‘paper’ books.
B  reading from computer screens.
C  using dedicated e-book readers.
Questions 31-35
Complete the following sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE
WORDS from the text for each gap.
If companies publish books online that are not covered by copyright, they
avoid 31
The 32 is very small but getting larger
The 33 expect that they will be able to convince more

people to read online.
The 34 has nothing similar to an iPod.
In Japan, most of the publications sent to mobile phones are

35
Questions 36-40
Do the statements on the next page agree with the information given in
Reading Passage 3? In boxes 36 – 40 on your answer sheet, write
36
Books that are out of print are not covered by
copyright law.
37
Amazon began by selling books online.
38
Microsoft signed a deal with the British Library on the
same day as Google and Amazon made their announcements.
39
Barnes and Noble published Riding the Bullet online.
40
The ability to sample a book online before buying it
might help sales.

Solution:
1 C 2 G
3 A 4 I
5 agricultural waste 6 targets
7 coal 8 a vast market
13 NOT GIVEN 14 D
15 H 16 E
18
17 B 22
B,C,F,G,H
23 B 24 C
25 B 26 B
27 A 28 B
29 C 30 A
31 legal problems 32 market for e-books
33 retailers and publishers 34 book world
35 manga comic books 36 FALSE
37 TRUE 38 FALSE
39 FALSE 40 TRUE

Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 , which are based on Reading
Passage 1 below.
Animal Minds: Parrot Alex

A In 1977 Irene Pepperberg, a recent graduate of Harvard University, did something very
bold. At a time when animals still were considered automatons, she set out to find what
was on another creature’s mind by talking to it. She brought a one-year-old African gray
parrot she named Alex into her lab to teach him to reproduce the sounds of the English
language. “I thought if he learned to communicate, I could ask him questions about how he
sees the world.”
B When Pepperberg began her dialogue with Alex, who died last September at the age
of 31, many scientists believed animals were incapable of any thought. They were simply
machines, robots programmed to react to stimuli but lacking the ability to think or feel.Any
pet owner would disagree. We see the love in our dogs’ eyes and know that, of course,
they has thoughts and emotions. But such claims remain highly controversial. Gut instinct
is not science, and it is all too easy to project human thoughts and feelings onto another
creature. How, then, does a scientist prove that an animal is capable of thinking – that it is
able to acquire information about the world and act on it? “That’s why I started my studies
withAlex,” Pepperberg said. They were seated – she at her desk, he on top of his cage – in

her lab, a windowless room about the size of a boxcar, at Brandeis University.
Newspapers lined the floor; baskets of bright toys were stacked on the shelves. They were
clearly a team – and because of their work, the notion that animals can think is no longer
so fanciful.
C Certain skills are considered key signs of higher mental abilities: good memory, a
grasp of grammar and symbols, self-awareness, understanding others’ motives, imitating
others, and being creative. Bit by bit, in ingenious experiments, researchers have
documented these talents in other species, gradually chipping away at what we thought
made human beings distinctive while offering a glimpse of where our own abilities came
from. Scrub jays know that other jays are thieves and that stashed food can spoil; sheep
can recognize faces; chimpanzees use a variety of tools to probe termite mounds and
even use weapons to hunt small mammals; dolphins can imitate human postures; the
archerfish, which stuns insects with a sudden blast of water, can learn how to aim its squirt
simply by watching an experienced fish perform the task.AndAlex the parrot turned out to
be a surprisingly good talker.
D Thirty years after the Alex studies began; Pepperberg and a changing collection of
assistants were still giving him English lessons. The humans, along with two younger
parrots, also served as Alex’s flock, providing the social input all parrots crave. Like any
flock, this one – as small as it was – had its share of drama. Alex dominated his fellow
parrots, acted huffy at times around Pepperberg, tolerated the other female humans, and
fell to pieces over a male assistant who dropped by for a visit. Pepperberg bought Alex in
a Chicago pet store where she let the store’s assistant pick him out because she didn’t
want other scientists saying later that she’d particularly chosen an especially smart bird for
her work. Given that Alex’s brain was the size of a shelled walnut, most researchers
thought Pepperberg’s interspecies communication study would be futile.
E “Some people actually called me crazy for trying this,” she said. “Scientists thought that
chimpanzees were better subjects, although, of course, chimps can’t speak.”
Chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas have been taught to use sign language and symbols
to communicate with us, often with impressive results. The bonobo Kanzi, for instance,
carries his symbol-communication board with him so he can “talk” to his human
researchers, and he has invented combinations of symbols to express his thoughts.
Nevertheless, this is not the same thing as having an animal look up at you, open his
mouth, and speak. Under Pepperberg’s patient tutelage, Alex learned how to use his vocal
tract to imitate almost one hundred English words, including the sounds for various foods,
although he calls an apple a “beanery.” “Apples taste a little bit like bananas to him, and
they look a little bit like cherries, Alex made up that word for them,” Pepperberg said.
F It sounded a bit mad, the idea of a bird having lessons to practice, and willingly doing
it. But after listening to and observing Alex, it was difficult to argue with Pepperberg’s

explanation for his behaviors. She wasn’t handing him treats for the repetitious work or
rapping him on the claws to make him say the sounds. “He has to hear the words over and
over before he can correctly imitate them,” Pepperberg said, after pronouncing “seven” for
Alex a good dozen times in a row. “I’m not trying to see if Alex can learn a human
language,” she added. “That’s never been the point. My plan always was to use his
imitative skills to get a better understanding of avian cognition.”
G In other words, because Alex was able to produce a close approximation of the
sounds of some English words, Pepperberg could ask him questions about a bird’s basic
understanding of the world. She couldn’t ask him what he was thinking about, but she
could ask him about his knowledge of numbers, shapes, and colors. To demonstrate,
Pepperberg carried Alex on her arm to a tall wooden perch in the middle of the room. She
then retrieved a green key and a small green cup from a basket on a shelf. She held up
the two items to Alex’s eye. “What’s same?” she asked. Without hesitation, Alex’s beak
opened: “Co-lor.” “What’s different?” Pepperberg asked. “Shape,” Alex said. His voice had
the digitized sound of a cartoon character. Since parrots lack lips (another reason it was
difficult for Alex to pronounce some sounds, such as ba), the words seemed to come from
the air around him, as if a ventriloquist were speaking. But the words – and what can only
be called the thoughts – were entirely his.
H For the next 20 minutes, Alex ran through his tests, distinguishing colors, shapes,
sizes, and materials (wool versus wood versus metal). He did some simple arithmetic,
such as counting the yellow toy blocks among a pile of mixed hues. And, then, as if to offer
final proof of the mind inside his bird’s brain, Alex spoke up. “Talk clearly!” he commanded,
when one of the younger birds Pepperberg was also teaching talked with wrong
pronunciation. “Talk clearly!” “Don’t be a smart aleck,” Pepperberg said, shaking her head
at him. “He knows all this, and he gets bored, so he interrupts the others, or he gives the
wrong answer just to be obstinate. At this stage, he’s like a teenager; he’s moody, and I’m
never sure what he’ll do.”
Questions 1-6
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?

1 Firstly, Alex has grasped quite a lot of vocabulary.
2 At the beginning of study, Alex felt frightened in the presence

of humans.
3 Previously, many scientists realized that animals possess the

ability of thinking.
4 It has taken a long time before people get to know cognition

existing in animals.
5 As Alex could approximately imitate the sounds of English

words, he was capable of roughly answering Irene’s questions regarding the world.
6 By breaking in other parrots as well as producing the incorrect

answers, he tried to be focused.
Questions 7-10
MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.
After the training of Irene, Parrot Alex can use his vocal tract to pronounce more
than 7 , while other scientists believe that animals have no
this advanced ability of thinking, they would rather teach 8
Pepperberg clarified that she wanted to conduct a study concerning

9 but not to teach him to talk. The store’s assistant picked
out a bird at random for her for the sake of avoiding other scientists saying that the
bird is 10 afterwards.
Questions 11-13
Answer the questions 11-13 below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBERfrom the passage

for each answer.
What did Alex reply regarding the similarity of the subjects showed to him?
11
What is the problem of the young parrots except Alex?

12
To some extent, through the way he behaved what we can call him
13
READING PASSAGE 2
Passage 2 below.
Developing Courtiers
A The Ecotourism Society defines ecotourism as “a responsible travel to natural areas
which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people”. It is
recognised as being particularly conducive to enriching and enhancing the standing of
tourism, on the basis that this form of tourism respects the natural heritage and local
populations and are in keeping with the carrying capacity of the sites.
B Cuba is undoubtedly an obvious site for ecotourism, with its picturesque beaches,
underwater beauty, countryside landscapes, and ecological reserves. An educated
population and improved infrastructure of roads and communications adds to the mix. In
the Caribbean region, Cuba is now the second most popular tourist destination.
Ecotourism is also seen as an environmental education opportunity to heighten both
visitors’ and residents’ awareness of environmental and conservation issues, and even to
inspire conservation action. Ecotourism has also been credited with promoting peace, by
providing opportunities for educational and cultural exchange. Tourists’ safety and health
are guaranteed. Raul Castro, brother of the Cuban president, started this initiative to
rescue the Cuban tradition of herbal medicine and provide natural medicines for its

healthcare system. The school at Las Terrazas Eco-Tourism Community teaches herbal
healthcare and children learn not only how to use medicinal herbs, but also to grow them
in the school garden for teas, tinctures, ointments and creams. In Cuba, ecotourism has
the potential to alleviate poverty by bringing money into the economy and creating jobs. In
addition to the environmental impacts of these efforts, the area works on developing
community employment opportunities for locals, in conjunction with ecotourism.
C In terms of South America, it might be the place which shows the shortcoming of
ecotourism. Histoplasma capsulatum, a dimorphic fungus, is the most common endemic
mycosis in the United States, and is associated with exposure to bat or bird droppings.
Most recently, outbreaks have been reported in healthy travelers who returned from
Central and South America after engaging in recreational activities associated with
spelunking, adventure tourism, and ecotourism. It is quite often to see tourists neglected
sanitation while travelling. After engaging in high-risk activities, boots should be hosed off
and clothing placed in airtight plastic bags for laundering. HIV-infected travelers should
avoid risky behaviors or environments, such as exploring caves, particularly those that
contain bat droppings.
D Nowhere is the keen eye and intimate knowledge of ecotourism is more amidst this
fantastic biodiversity, as we explore remote realms rich in wildlife rather than a nature
adventure. A sustainable tour is significant for ecotourism, one in which we can grow hand
in hand with nature and our community, respecting everything that makes us privileged.
Travelers get great joy from every step that take forward on this endless but exciting
journey towards sustainability. The primary threats to South America’s tropical forests are
deforestation caused by agricultural expansion, cattle ranching, fagging, oil extraction and
spills, mining, illegal coca farming, and colonization initiatives. Deforestation has shrunk
territories belonging to indigenous peoples and wiped out more than 90% of the
population. Many are taking leading roles in sustainable tourism even as they introduce
protected regions to more travelers.
E In East Africa, significantly reducing such illegal hunting and allowing wildlife
populations to recover would allow the generation of significant economic benefits through
trophy hunting and potentially ecotourism. “Illegal hunting is an extremely inefficient use of
wildlife resources because it fails to capture the value of wildlife achievable through
alternative forms of use such as trophy hunting and ecotourism,” said Peter Lindsey,
author of the new study. Most residents believed that ecotourism could solve this
circumstance. They have passion for local community empowerment, loves photography
and writes to laud current local conservation efforts, create environmental awareness and
promote ecotourism.
F In Indonesia, ecotourism started to become an important concept from 1995, in order to

strengthen the domestic travelling movement, the local government targeting the right

markets is a prerequisite for successful ecotourism. The market segment for Indonesian
ecotourism consists of: (i) “The silent generation”, 55-64 year-old people who are wealthy
enough, generally well-educated and have no dependent children, and can travel for four
weeks; (ii) “The baby boom generation”, junior successful executives aged 35-54 years,
who are likely to be travelling with their family and children (spending 2-3 weeks on travel)
– travelling for them is a stress reliever; and (iii) the “X generation”, aged 18-29 years, who
love to do ecotours as backpackers – they are generally students who can travel for 3-12
months with monthly expenditure of US$300-500. It is suggested that promotion of
Indonesian ecotourism products should aim to reach these various cohorts of tourists. The
country welcomes diverse levels of travelers.
G On the other hand, ecotourism provide as many services as traditional tourism. Nestled
between Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea is the country of Belize. It is the
wonderful place for Hamanasi honeymoon, bottle of champagne upon arrival, three meals
daily, a private service on one night of your stay and a choice of adventures depending on
the length of your stay. It also offers six-night and seven-night honeymoon packages. A
variety of specially tailored tours, including the Brimstone Hill Fortress, and a trip to a
neighboring island. Guided tours include rainforest, volcano and off-road plantation tours.
Gregory Pereira, an extremely knowledgeable and outgoing hiking and tour guide, says
the following about his tours: “All of our tours on St. Kitts include transportation by
specially modified Land Rovers, a picnic of island pastries and local fruit, fresh tropical
juices, CSR, a qualified island guide and a full liability insurance coverage for participants.
H Kodai is an ultimate splendor spot for those who love being close to mother nature.
They say every bird must sing its own throat while we say every traveller should find his
own way out of variegated and unblemished paths of deep valleys and steep mountains.
The cheese factory here exports great quantity of cheese to various countries across the
globe. It is located in the center of forest. Many travelers are attracted by the delicious
cheese. The ecotourism is very famous of this different eating experience.
Questions 14-18
Use the information in the passage to match the place (listedA-D) with opinions or
deeds below.
Write the appropriate letters, A-D, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
14
a place to improve local education as to help tourists
15
a place suitable for both rich and poor travelers

16
a place where could be easily get fungus
17
a place taking a method to stop unlawful poaching
18
a place where the healthcare system is developed
A Cuba
B East Africa
C South America
D Indonesia
Questions 19-22
Use the information in the passage to match the companies (listedA-C) with or
deeds below.
Write the appropriate letters A, B, C or D in boxes 19-22 answer sheet.
A eating the local fruits at the same time
B find job opportunities in community
C which is situated on the heart of jungle
D with private and comfortable service
19
Visiting the cheese factory
20
Enjoying the honeymoon
21
Having the picnic while
22
The residents in Cuba could
Questions 23-26
MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.
Ecotourism is not a nature 23 but a 24

tour. The reason why South America promotes ecotourism is due to the destruction
of 25
In addition, East Africa also encourages this kind of tourism for cutting the
26 in order to save wild animals.
READING PASSAGE 3
Passage 3 below.
Ancient Societies Classification

A Although humans have established many types of societies throughout history
sociologists and anthropologists tend to classify different societies according to the degree
to which different groups within a society have unequal access to advantages such as
resources, prestige or power, and usually refer to four basic types of societies. From least
to most socially complex, they are: clans, tribes, chiefdoms and states.
Clan
B These are small-scale societies of hunters and gatherers, generally of fewer than 100
people, who move seasonally to exploit wild (undomesticated) food resources. Most
surviving hunter – gatherer groups are of this kind, such as the Hadza of Tanzania or the
San of southern Africa. Clan members are generally kinsfolk, related by descent or
marriage. Clans lack formal leaders, so there are no marked economic differences or
disparities in status among their members.
C Because clans are composed of mobile groups of hunter-gatherers, their sites consist
mainly of seasonally occupied camps, and other smaller and more specialised sites.
Among the latter are kill or butchery sites – locations where large mammals are killed and

sometimes butchered – and work sites, where tools are made or other specific activities
carried out. The base camp of such a group may give evidence of rather insubstantial
dwellings or temporary shelters, along with the debris of residential occupation.
Tribe
D These are generally larger than mobile hunter – gatherer groups, but rarely number
more than a few thousand, and their diet or subsistence is based largely on cultivated
plants and domesticated animals. Typically, they are settled farmers, but they may be
nomadic with a very different, mobile economy based on the intensive exploitation of
livestock. These are generally multi-community societies, with the individual communities
integrated into the large society through kinship ties. Although some tribes have officials
and even a “capital” or seat of government, such officials lack the economic base
necessary for effective use of power.
E The typical settlement pattern for tribes is one of settled agricultural homesteads or
villages. Characteristically, no one settlement dominates any of the others in the region.
Instead, the archaeologist finds evidence for isolated, permanently occupied houses or for
permanent villages. Such villages may be made up of a collection of free-standing houses,
like those of the first farms of the Danube valley in Europe. Or they may be clusters of
buildings grouped together, for example, the pueblos of the American Southwest, and the
early farming village or small town of Catalhoyuk in modern Turkey.
Chiefdom
F These operate on the principle of ranking-differences in social status between people.

Different lineages (a lineage is a group claiming descent from a common ancestor) are
graded on a scale of prestige, and the senior lineage, and hence the society as a whole, is
governed by a chief. Prestige and rank are determined by how closely related one is to the
chief, and there is no true stratification into classes. The role of the chief is crucial.
G Often, there is local specialisation in craft products, and surpluses of these and of
foodstuffs are periodically paid as obligation to the chief. He uses these to maintain his
retainers, and may use them for redistribution to his subjects. The chiefdom generally has
a center of power, often with temples, residences of the chief and his retainers, and craft
specialists. Chiefdoms vary greatly in size, but the range is generally between about 5000
and 20,000 persons.
Early State
H These preserve many of the features of chiefdoms, but the ruler (perhaps a king or
sometimes a queen) has explicit authority to establish laws and also to enforce them by
the use of a standing army. Society no longer depends totally upon kin relationships: it is
now stratified into different classes. Agricultural workers and the poorer urban dwellers
form the lowest classes, with the craft specialists above, and the priests and kinsfolk of the
ruler higher still. The functions of the ruler are often separated from those of the priest:
palace is distinguished from temple. The society is viewed as a territory owned by the
ruling lineage and populated by tenants who have an obligation to pay taxes. The central
capital houses a bureaucratic administration of officials; one of their principal purposes is
to collect revenue (often in the form of taxes and tolls) and distribute it to government,
army and craft specialists. Many early states developed complex redistribution systems to
support these essential services.
I This rather simple social typology, set out by Elman Service and elaborated by William
Sanders and Joseph Marino, can be criticised, and it should not be used unthinkingly.
Nevertheless, if we are seeking to talk about early societies, we must use words and
hence concepts to do so. Service’s categories provide a good framework to help organise
our thoughts.
Questions 27-33
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
27
There’s little economic difference between members of a
clan.
28
The farmers of a tribe grow a wide range of plants.
29
One settlement is more important than any other settlements
in a tribe.
30
A member’s status in a chiefdom is determined by how much
land he owns.
31
There are people who craft goods in chiefdoms.
32
The king keeps the order of a state by keeping a military.
33
Bureaucratic officers receive higher salaries than other
members.

Questions 34-39
What are made at the clan work sites?
34
What is the other way of life for tribes besides settled farming?
35
How are Catalhoyuk’s housing units arranged?
36
What does a chief give to his subjects as rewards besides crafted goods?
37
What is the largest possible population of a chiefdom?
38
Which group of people is at the bottom of an early state but higher than the farmers?
39

Solution:
3 FALSE 4 TRUE
5 TRUE 6 FALSE
7 100 English words 8 chimpanzees
9 avian cognition 10 particularly chosen
11 color/colour 12 wrong pronunciation
13 teenager 14 A
15 D 16 C
17 B 18 A
19 C 20 D
21 A 22 B
23 adventure 24 sustainable
25 tropical forest 26 illegal hunting
27 TRUE 28 NOT GIVEN
29 FALSE 30 FALSE
31 TRUE 32 TRUE
33 NOT GIVEN 34 Tools
35 Nomadic 36 grouped(together)
37 foodstuffs 38 20,000
39 craft specialists
Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
THE LOCH NESS MONSTER

In the Scottish Highlands there, is believed to be a monster Jiving in the
waters of Loch Ness. The waters of Loch Ness are one mile wide and 24
miles long, the largest body of freshwater in the United Kingdom. To many
sceptics, this monster is only a modem day myth, but to others who claim
they have seen it, the monster exists and still lurks in the waters of Loch
Ness today.
Throughout Scotland, research has been done at several lakes but Loch
Ness Is the icon for monsters – Nessie, as the monster is affectionately
named, being the most popular of them all. Both professionals and
amateurs flock to this lake with their cameras in the hope of capturing a
brief glimpse of Nessie and possibly solving the mystery of the Loch Ness
monster.
The very first sighting of Nessie was as far back as 565 AD. It is believed
that she ate a local farmer and then dived back into the waters, with no
accounts of being seen again for over 100 years. However, since the turn
of the 20th century, several other people have claimed to see her. Some
people believe that old Scottish myths about water creatures such as
Kelpies and water horses have contributed to the idea of tills wondrous
monster lurking beneath.
2007 brought about the most recent sighting of Nessie. A tourist named
Gordon Holmes from Yorkshire visited the Loch Ness waters and claims lie
not only saw her, but has captured her on video. He claimed she was jet
black, about 15 metres long and travelling in a very straight line at about
6 miles per hour. Despite this supposed evidence, controversy still reigns
and opinion clearly divided about its existence. The video footage has
been discredited amid accusations of tampering, whilst others claim mat
the image caught by Holmes could be nothing more than a tree trunk or
even one of the otters that inhabit the loch.
Some scientists believe that the Loch Ness monster could a mirage or a
psychological phenomenon in as much as sometimes we see what we
want to see. Of course those who have seen her beg to differ, but many
experiments have been conducted to arrive at theories to explain what it
is that people could be witnessing. It has been suggested that Nessie
could be related to a prehistoric animal known as a Plesiosaur, an animal
that measured up to ten metres in length and is otherwise thought to be
extinct, although this theory is unsupported by any data, One scientist in
particular has been researching the lake itself to find out more about its
history, It seems that for such a large animal to Jive in this lake it would
require a vast food source, but for such an amount of fish to survive there
would need to be plenty of microscopic animals called zooplankton. The
only way to find out how much of this there is in the water is to measure
the amount of algae. Algae needs light to survive so by measuring just
how deep the daylight can penetrate the lake scientists can then start to
work out what kind of population can be sustained. Despite results that
suggest that the fish population was too small, the conclusions drawn
were inconclusive.
In the 1900s, a ten year observational study was carried out, recording an
average of 20 sightings of Nessie per year, The phenomenon exploded in
second half of the century, when photos were publicly released of a
‘flipper’, Submarines were sent into die Loch Ness to try to discover more
about this creature (and now are actually run as tourist attractions).
Another theory behind why Nessie rose to the top of the waters where she
was more likely to be seen, was that disruption from nearby road works in
the 1930s forced her to move to higher levels due to the amount of
vibration fell in the water. Another argument centres on the geographical
placement of the Loch, which sits on the Great Glen fault line formed over
400 million years ago. Some scientists have claimed that resulting seismic
activity in the lake could cause disturbances on its surface and people
could be mistaking this for Nessie.
Up until today, there is no convincing proof to suggest that the monster is

real, which, given the preponderance of digital cameras, webcams trained
on the loch and other technological advances in recording equipment,
suggests that the myth of Nessie may be just that – a myth. Nonetheless,
accommodation all over the Scottish Highlands offers tours of the lake
itself so tourists can try to catch their own glimpse of Nessie, In 2007, it
was estimated that related tourism brought in an estimated £6 million to
the region, thanks to the attention of the film industry.
Questions 1-6
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the
reading passage?
1 The first reported sighting of the Loch Ness monster

was in 1962.
2 It is believed the idea for the Loch Ness monster may

have been inspired by other stories of sea creatures.
3 The last person who claims to have seen the Loch Ness
monster has video footage.
4 There is evidence to suggest that the Loch Ness

monster is related to the plesiosaur.
5 Testing of algae in the loch proved that the food source

was insufficient to sustain Nessie.
6 Movement along a fault line could have caused Nessie

to rise to the surface.

Questions 7-13
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 7 -13 on your answer sheet.
When was the first recorded sighting of Nessie?
What was Cordon Holmes suspected of doing to the video footage?
What common animal may have been caught on camera and mistaken as
proof of Nessie?
Images of what, caused an increase in the number of Nessie enthusiasts?
10
What can visitors hoping to see Nessie travel in?
11
Disturbances caused by what could have caused the creature to surface?
12
What has promoted tourism in the Loch Ness area in recent years?
13
READING PASSAGE 2

Production line
A. The ‘production line’ system of creating and assembling goods was for many
years been the standard mode of operation for many industries. Cars,
electronic equipment, packaging – many diverse companies have employed
the same methods, and most have hit two main problems. The first is that
unscheduled maintenance required on essential machinery has often held up
production all along the line, and the second is the significant impact on
employee morale. This has given rise to the increasingly adopted method of
Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) – a maintenance program which governs
the maintenance of plants and equipment. The goal of the TPM program is to
markedly increase production while, at the same time, increasing employee
morale and job satisfaction.
B. The concept of TPM was first developed in Japan in the late 1970s, only
moving to the western world a decade later, initial success of the programme
in countries such as Australia was limited, but in the late 1990s a ‘westernised’
version of TPM was launched. TPM brings maintenance into focus as a
necessary and vitally important pan of the business. It is no longer regarded as
a non-profit activity. Down time for maintenance is scheduled as a part of the
manufacturing day and, in some cases, as an integral part of the
manufacturing process. The goal is to keep emergency and unscheduled
maintenance to a minimum.
C. TPM involves directing participating companies and industries to move away

from traditional methods of production to more efficient mechanisms. This is
evident in TPM’s operational focus on lea production rather than mass
production. The lean approach favours flexibility within a team, rather than the
specialisation of labour Introduced with mass production. It also involves a shift
away from being driven by the financial department of the company to a more
customer focused goal. Another goal of the TPM method is to introduce quality
control not by being overseen by managers, but rather by engendering a sense
if responsibility amongst all staff; a move from autocratic management to
empowerment. This shift means that shop floor workers are being able to take
a sense of pride in their work, and with that comes the desire to perform well
ultimately leading to higher productivity for the company.
D. In order to apply the concepts of TPM, a company will have to work through
a number of stages. First, there must be universal agreement that the system
has the potential to be successful within the company. Then a specific person
or team needs to be appointed to coordinate the changes required to apply
TPM methodologies, an aim that begins with training and education for all

employees. Once the coordinator is convinced that the work force is sold on
the TPM program and that they understand it and its implications, the first
action teams are formed. These teams are usually made up of people who have
a direct Impact on the problem being addressed. Operators, maintenance
personnel, shift supervisors, schedulers, and upper management might all be
included on a team. Each person becomes a stakeholder in the process and is
encouraged to do his or her best to contribute to the success of the team
effort. Usually, the TPM coordinator heads the teams until others become
familiar with the process and natural team leaders emerge.
E. The concept of TPM is built on what are referred to as the three pillars – work
area management, risk management and equipment management. An
illustration of these pillars is highlighted in the importance of recognising and
eliminating defects within the machinery used in a company, This refers to
issues such as the accumulation of dust and grime on equipment, gauges that
are broken or too dirty to read clearly and missing or loose bolts, nuts and
screws, Using a sample company, statistics collected from a three month
period indicate a substantial reduction in machine maintenance costs, felling
by $ 30,000 between 1996 and 1999. At the same time, the effectiveness of
the equipment increased significantly, with machine uptime rising by almost
2096 over the same period.
F. Many observers have identified similarities between TPM and an earlier

industry concept – total quality management (TQM), and in many respects,
TPM and TQM resemble each other. Both require total commitment to the
program by upper level management, and both promote the empowerment of
all employees to initiate corrective action, Additionally, both processes require
a long range outlook, as it may take a year or more to implement and is an
ongoing process, Changes in employee mind-set toward their job
responsibilities must take place as well, Indeed, initial results for at least the
first quarter may actually lead to reduced productivity while changes are put
into effect.
G. The difference between the two systems, however, becomes apparent in

when looking at what each system considers to be a priority. TQM is essentially
an output focused system, whereas TPM is singular in that it looks more at
input – the equipment used and the causes of real or potential maintenance
failures. Also, although both programme stress the need for complete
involvement of all parties, TPM stresses the equal importance of all levels of
employee, whereas TQM has a more traditional focus on management
structure, The main target of both is also slightly different; whereas TQM alms
to improve quality, TPM aims to reduce wastage and minimise losses.
Questions 14-20
Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A-G from the list of headings
below.
Write the correct number i-x in boxes 14-20.
List of Headings
i Unique focus of TPM
ii Common issues TPM was establish to combat
iii Statistical weakness of TPM
iv The introduction of TPM
v Parallels with a former concept
vi Types of TPM coordination and training
vii Implementing TPM
viii The guiding principles of TPM
ix The impact of staff involvement
x Efficiency through involving all employees
xi The value of mass production techniques
14
Paragraph A
15
Paragraph B
16
Paragraph C
17
Paragraph D
18
Paragraph E
19
Paragraph F
20
Paragraph G
Questions 21-24

Complete the flowchart.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from Reading Passage 2 for each
answer.
Agreement about the 21 offered

by implementing TPM
Nomination/ establish of 22
Education and training of workforce
Creation of 23
Emergence of 24 to head group
Questions 25-28
Label the diagram below using words from the box below. USE EACH
CHOICE ONCE ONLY
Write the correct letter A – I in boxes 25 – 28 on your answer sheet
A Overall equipment effectiveness
B % uptime
C $000s / quarter
D Machine maintenance costs
E % downtime
F $000s / month
G Employee costs
H Wasted resources
I Hours spent cleaning maintaining machinery

25
26
27
28
READING PASSAGE 3
CO- EDUCATIONAL VERSUS SINGLE SEX

CLASSROOMS
It seems that across the western world, an increasing number parents are
opting to return to more traditional divisions with regards their children’s
education, with a significant rise in most western countries of single sex
classrooms, in which the classroom set up involves the teacher working
with only boy’s or only girls. For many, the issue is whether to opt for a
mode of teaching that improves a child’s academic learning or to choose a
co-educational schooling offering a more ‘rounded’ education. There is no
doubt that boys and girls have a very different way of learning, with
research showing that boys learn better through movement, sound and
touch, whereas girls learn better through visual and oral means. One clear
advantage of a single sex educational setting is that the teacher fs able to
focus on specific styles of teaching to the gender they are teaching.
Naturally, the resurgence of single sex education has meant that many
teachers have had to undergo additional in appropriate techniques for the
environment.
There are many potential advantages for children studying in single sex
schools, Some children succeed in single sex schools because of the lack
of social pressure – children are more able to learn and grow at their own
pace without the pressure commonly found between the genders in co-
educational schools, Research done in a single sex school concluded that
students thrived in what often became a dose-knit environment with
closer interaction with teachers. In surveys of over 1000 single sex
schools, it was reported that not having the opposite sex around was
‘missed’, but the absence of boys or girls allowed students to have a more
direct and serious approach to their education.
In many western countries, the traditional way of thinking around thirty

years ago was that co-education would somehow break down gender
stereotypes, but this hasn’t always proved to be the case, The advocates
of single sex education argue that boys in coeducational settings are less
likely to study the arts or advanced academic subjects just to avoid the
social categorization of certain subjects as being more in the feminine
realm. Equally, girls may tend avoid the sciences and technology subjects
as this has traditional been more of a male domain. Single sex schools are
flourishing once again as parents realise that allowing their son or
daughter to learn in his or her own individual way is a very important
consideration in choosing a school.
For students attending single-sex secondary schools, there was a slight

tendency for males to outperform females. In contrast, for students
attending coeducational schools, there was a clear tendency for females
to outperform males. It was also noted that in single sex schools girls were
more likely to be involved in leadership activities such as student councils,
athletic associations, and other activities additional to the school
timetable. Accordingly, girls have reported to have favoured single sex
schools as co-educational environments tend to be dominated by males, a
situation often perpetuated by teaching staff.
Regardless of increased levels of academic performance and preference, a

small percentage of people concerned about gender equality have argued
against single-sex education as an ethical issue, in that forced separation
between the sexes is forced on students. In order for schools to run single-
sex classrooms, they must also offer parents the opportunity to enrol their
children in a traditional co-educational classroom.
In regards to those who may oppose gender segregation in schools, many

advocates of the idea believe single-sex classes actually negate gender
stereotypes, As mentioned earlier, in a mixed classroom, boys tend to
avoid tasks related to the arts while girls show Jack of interest in science
and technology. However, in single-sex environments, there is no existing
bias that “this is for boys” or “that is for girls”. In fact, a 2005 study
released by Cambridge University showed that in single-sex rooms, as
compared to to traditional settings, girls are more interested in math and
science, subjects generally preferred by boys in co-educational settings.
It is important to remember that coeducation is a modern concept,

introduced into mainstream education less titan fifty years ago, despite
being a change which has brought huge changes to the societies in which
this method is observed. It was first introduced in Switzerland, and swept
quickly around most western countries, and is certainly not without its
benefits. Parents have said that a coeducational classroom has been
excellent for their children’s confidence levels, has helped them to
overcome issues such as shyness and helped students to converse about
everyday topics with the opposite gender, surveys have also shown that a
higher percentage of girls in the classroom lower classroom disruption,
also creating a better relationship between the students and the teacher.
Which type of schooling is best comes down to what suits the individual
child and which environment they best thrive in, therefore parents are
recommended to seek advice and do their research before making that all
important decision.

Questions 29 – 31
Write your answers in boxes 29 – 31 on your answer sheet.
29 In single sex classes
A  girls learn faster than boys.
B  teachers need a wider variety of teaching styles than in a co-

education setting,
C  some children can thrive due to a more comfortable

environment.
D  the opposite sex was not missed
30 Co-education schools
A  allow boys and girls to get a more rounded picture of the

opposite sex.
B  may discourage males from studying certain subjects.
C  are falling in popularity.
D  have fewer people involved in extracurricular teams and groups.
31 Parents
A  must be offered the option of co-educational schools for their

children.
B  often push boys to succeed in language tasks.
C  have reported that single sex classrooms have helped their child
with confidence issues.
D  have been influential in the academic performance of single sex

schools.
Questions 32-36
Complete the notes below USING NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS .
Co-educational schools
intended to reduce gender 32 , but actually may not

be successful.
started in 33 but quickly spread.
allow students to 34 more easily with opposite sex

about general topic.
Single sex schools
girls have higher interest in traditionally male dominated

35
often have better relationship with 36
Questions 37-40
reading passage?
37
Single sex schools are becoming more popular again.
38
Girls do not learn as well as boys through speaking.
39
Surveys have found that coeducational schools are
preferred socially.
40
The majority of equal opportunity activists have
argued that forcing gender separation on children is unethical.

Solution:
1 FALSE 2 TRUE
3 TRUE 4 FALSE
5 FALSE 6 FALSE
7 565 A.D. 8 Tampering
9 Otter 10 A flipper
11 (A) submarines 12 (nearby) road works
13 (the) film industry 14 ii
15 iv 16 x
17 vii 18 viii
19 v 20 i
21 Potential 22 Coordinator
23 Action teams 24 Team leaders
25 B 26 A
27 C 28 D
29 C 30 B
31 A 32 Stereotypes
33 Switzerland 34 Converse
35 Subjects 36 Teachers
37 TRUE 38 FALSE

Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
Passage 1 below.
HOT AIR BALLOONING

The birth of the hot air balloon is largely contributed to the efforts of two French
brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier, who employed the fact that hot air was
lighter than cool air and using this, managed to lift a small silk balloon 32 metres into
the air. The brothers went on to elevate a balloon into the air ten thousand metres
before it started to descend and then exploded. Arguably limited success, but their
work came to the eye of the French Science Academy as the discovery of the
properties of hot air balloons helped scientists to study weather patterns and the
atmosphere.
It was not until some considerable time later that a balloon was launched that was
capable of carrying passengers. Initial flights were trialled by animals, but after the
success of these voyages, two passengers, Jean Francois Pilatre and Francois
Laurent d’Arlendes, were sent up in a balloon which travelled across Paris for 29
minutes. The men fuelled the fire in the centre of their wicker basket to keep the
balloon elevated and the trip across Paris was a great success.
The discovery of hydrogen-fuelled flights led to the death in 1785 of Pilatre, a

tragedy which caused a downfall in the popularity of hot air ballooning but an
increase in the popularity of hydrogen. Hot air ballooning lost further ground when
alternate modes of air travel were introduced» but in the 1950s, ballooning
experienced something of a revival as a leisure activity and sport. Today there are
balloons of all shapes and sizes, with many unique designs.
In 1987, British entrepreneur Richard Branson crossed the Atlantic in a balloon

named Virgin Atlantic Flyer. At the time, this balloon was the largest ever constructed
at 65 thousand cubic metres, but four years later, he and Per Lindstrand from
Sweden flew nearly 8000 kilometres from Japan to Northern Canada in their balloon
the Virgin Pacific Flyer, which was nearly 10 thousand cubic metres bigger and was
the longest flight in a hot air balloon ever made. The Pacific Flyer was designed to fly
in the trans-oceanic jet streams and recorded the highest ground speed for a
manned balloon at 394 kilometres per hour.
There are now a wide variety of designs and equipment available, from baskets with
room for two people right up to 35 or more, separated compartments and specially
designed flame resistant fabrics, but the basic parts of the balloon have remained
relatively unchanged. There is a basket, commonly made of wicker, inside which are
stored the propane fuel tanks. Immediately above the basket and partly wrapped
around by the skirt are the burners, attached on suspension wires. The balloon itself
is made of strips of fabric called gores which run from the skirt to the top of the
balloon; they are further broken into individual panels. This section of the craft is
referred to as the envelope. At the top of the envelope is a self closing flap that
allows hot air to escape at a controlled rate to slow ascents or cause the balloon to
descend descents. This is named the parachute valve, and is controlled by the vent
line – the cable that runs the length of the envelope and hangs just above the basket
so the pilot can open and close the parachute valve.
At the mercy of prevailing wind currents, piloting a balloon takes a huge amount of
skill but the controls used are fairly straight forward. To lift a balloon the pilot moves
the control which releases propane. The pilot can control the speed of the balloon by
increasing or decreasing the flow of propane gas, but they cannot control horizontal
direction. As a result, balloons are often followed by ground crew, who may have to
pick up the pilot, passengers and balloon from any number of landing sites. A pilot
who wants to fly a hot air balloon must have his commercial pilot’s license to fly and
must have at least 35 hours of flight instruction. There are no official safety
requirements for passengers onboard, but they should know whom they’re flying with
and what qualifications they may have. For safety reasons, hot air balloons don’t fly
in the rain because the heat in the balloon can cause water to boil on top of the
balloon and destroy the fabric.

One of the largest hot air balloon organisations is the Balloon Federation of America.
Founded in 1961, membership in the BFA attracts those with a fascination with
ballooning (or ‘Lighter Than Air’ flight). With an active discussion forum, meetings
and displays all around the USA and beyond, the BFA runs on a number of guiding
principles, primarily that the future of ballooning is directly related to the safety of
enthusiasts. They run a number of training courses, from a novice who is interested
in getting a basic licence to pilot achievement courses. They even boast of a balloon
simulator, which although will not directly lead to a pilot’s license, it can give
participants a degree of the sensation enjoyed by professional balloon pilots.
Questions 1–4
Do the following statements agree with the given in the reading passage?
1 The Montgolfier brothers were the first people to fly in a hot air
balloon.
2 Hot air ballooning became less popular in the late eighteenth

century.
3 The largest hot air balloon had a capacity of over 75000 cubic
metres.
4 Membership of the BFA is only open to people in America.
Questions 5–7
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A
Write your answers in boxes 5- 7 on your answer sheet.
Who accompanied the entrepreneur on the longest balloon flight?
Who follows a hot air balloon’s flight to retrieve the craft when it lands?

What can give newcomers to the sport some idea of the feeling of flying a balloon?
Questions 8–11
Label the diagram below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage
for each answer.
10
11
READING PASSAGE 2
Passage 2 below.

ILLEGAL DOWNLOADS
A. Downloading music from the internet has become a simple, fast and easy thing to do.
The correct or legal way of going about it seems to be ignored by those who find it too
costly. Illegal music downloads have reached an all time high, and a recent survey of high
school students revealed an estimated 3.6 billion songs being downloaded per month.
There are now endless possibilities available to the public where music can be
downloaded for free and people are choosing to take this route even though it is illegal.
iTunes is one of the most well known sites where music can be bought legally for just over
51 per track. So when it is this cheap why are people still going to alternative unauthorized
sites? Or is the legal route still considered a costly way to go about it?
B. If you think that copying music results in simply a slap on the wrist, think twice. Under
government law, record companies are entitled to $750 to $30,000 per infringement but
the law allows the jury to increase that to as much as $150,000 per song if it finds the
infringements were deliberate. The music industry has threatened about 35,000 people
with charges of copyright Infringement over the past decade. In recent months there have
been more cases of music piracy heading to the courts. The industry estimates that more
than a hundred of these cases remain unsettled in court, with fewer than 10 offenders
actively arguing the case against them. The penalties for breaching the copyright act differ
slightly depending upon whether the infringing is for commercial or private financial gain,
with the latter punishment being far milder.
C. Nonetheless, the potential gain from illegal downloading versus the punitive measures
that can be taken are, in many cases, poles apart. Recently, an American woman shared
27 illegally downloaded songs with her friends and was ordered to pay $1.92 million to the
record company for deliberate infringement of the companies’ copyrights. More recently in
America a 12 year old girl was sued for downloading music illegally and could face a

penalty of $1150per song. The order of payment from the courts to the American woman
who shared the 27 tracks with her friends has spurred controversy as the public disagree
with the ordered Infringement. The woman shared 27 songs at $1.99 per song, so should
she be liable to pay such a large and impossible amount?
D. It has also been noted that of all measures that can be taken, fining is actually the least
likely method of preventing further abuse. With driving, for example, statistics have shown
that those that repeatedly drive over the speed limit are not discouraged by the loss of a
sum of money, but this attitude quickly changed when the penalty was possibly losing their
driving licence or even spending time in prison.
E. Being a difficult thing to police, the music industry has decided that it would be much
easier to go after the internet service provider than to try and track down each individual
case. The music industry feels internet piracy has decreased their artists’ sales
dramatically and is a danger to their business, although on the other hand, online music
sales promote individual tracks to be sold rather than albums, therefore increasing the
amount spent by the purchaser.
F. If there are so many issues around the downloading of music, you might wonder why
sales of MP3 players and CD burners are increasing rapidly The answer is simple – these
devices do have a legitimate purpose defined as ‘fair use’. You can choose to make your
personal back-up copy to use in a MP3 player, or you may visit one of many web sites, like
iTunes, which offers music that you pay for as you download. While some may wonder
why you would pay for something that can be had for free, those who do prefer to obey the
copyright protection laws have purchased over 150 million songs from the iTunes site
alone.
G. Online music sales are a business just like any other and music companies are fighting
to salvage their industry. Cary Sherman, the President of RIAA (Recording Industry
Association of America), stated that when your product is being regularly stolen, there
comes a time when you have to take appropriate action. At the same time, the RIAA has
offered amnesty to the illegal downloader who decide to come forward and agree to stop
illegally downloading music over the Internet. People who have already been sued are
obviously not eligible for amnesty.
H. When high school students were asked how they felt about the business of
downloading illegally from the net, they appeared to be divided on the issue. Some
seemed to think there was absolutely nothing wrong with it, others felt that it should be
thought of as a serious crime like any other form of theft.
Questions 12-16
The reading passage has eight paragraphs, A-H.

Type the correct letter A-H in boxes 12-16.
12
The disparity between fines and costs
13
The potential costs of piracy to the defendant
14
The number of songs illegally obtained from the internet
15
Ambivalence towards the problem
16
A reprieve for illegal downloaders
Questions 17-20
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A
The maximum fine that a record company can impose is 17
The penalty for breaking copyright laws is harsher when undertaken for
18 benefit.
The music industry targets each 19 rather than each specific

person downloading illegally.
Appliances used in connection with illegal downloads are sold under the term
20
Questions 21-23
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading
passage?
21
Most people sued for illegal downloading actively fight back

against the record company.
22
Illegal downloading can be difficult to monitor and control.
23
High school students are responsible for illegally downloading
the most music.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 24 – 40, which are based on Reading
Passage 3 below.
The natural world

A. The natural world is dominated by cycles that are constant and repeated – the moon’s
rotation around the earth, the changing of the seasons, the changes between night and
day. It is these cycles or rhythms that in part control changes in our metabolism, mood and
behaviour, and even the patterns of our sleep.
B. The circadian rhythm is the cycle that indicates when to be awake and when to be
asleep. This is a daily cycle that is controlled by changes in amplitude (highs and lows) of
light and temperature. As day turns to night, the sun sets and it becomes cooler. The
triggers of less light and lower temperatures signal to the body that it is time to slow and
begin the pattern of sleep. Of course, there may be many hours between sunset and the
time people actually go to bed, but it is from this time that we generally become
increasingly less alert and reaction times can be noticeably slower.
C. There are a number of factors that can affect our circadian rhythm. Working night shifts,
which requires people to act in contradiction to the body’s natural rhythm, is perhaps the
most damaging. Despite getting a good 8 hours sleep during the day, night shift workers
still tend to feel drowsy for at least some of the night. This is the main factor for the
increase in workplace accidents on this shift when compared to the day shift. The seasons

can also affect our natural rhythm, with people having less energy during winter months
when there is less sunlight and warmth to stimulate the brain. International travel, notably
when travelling in excess of 4 hours, can also have a significant effect; in extreme cases, it
can take up to 7 days for your rhythm to reset due to this, a phenomenon referred to as jet
lag. A similar, although milder, effect can be felt in countries with daylight savings time,
when the clocks are moved forward and backward depending on the season.
D. There are some tips for helping your body work with your circadian rhythm. First thing
in the morning take a short walk outside or open all the curtains to get as much light as
possible through the eyes and into the brain. Lighting levels that affect circadian rhythm in
humans are higher than the levels usually used in artificial lighting in homes. In addition to
the strength of the light, wavelength (or colour) of light is a factor, the best being that
present in sunlight. Plan your work and other activities around the highs and lows of your
temperature rhythm. For example, plan easier activities for first thing in the morning when
you’re not operating at your physical best. Late morning is better for challenging tasks.
After lunch you may feel like nodding off. Take scheduled breaks. The best time to
exercise is in the late afternoon – your body temperature reaches its daily high, it is
warmed up and stretched from spending your day at work. Avoid driving during sleep
times. Sleepy drivers should stop for a nap – playing loud music or leaving windows open
is an overrated misconception. At night, close the blinds and curtains and sleep in a dark
room. If you work the night shift, use bright lights and music in the workplace to keep your
brain alert. Wear an eye mask to block out the light when you want to go to sleep.
E. Every human – in fact, most non-nocturnal animals – follow the basic rules of the
circadian rhythm. However, we also have our own unique body clocks which control the
daily changes in how we think and feel, and oversee a number of our personal
characteristics such as sleep patterns. Your body clock dictates whether you are a night
owl, happy to work late into the night, an early bird who prefers the morning or a humming
bird, happy to work both ends of the day. Your body clock determines not only your
personal sleep patterns, but also whether or not you are grumpy before you have your
morning coffee, when and what you need to eat throughout the day, whether you work
better In the morning or the afternoon and the best time for you to do exercise. It also
affects physical performance, such as temperature, blood pressure, digestion, hormone
levels and brain activity (such as mood, behaviour, and alertness). Your body clock is what
causes you to gain a few kilograms in autumn and winter time and to make it easier to
lose weight in spring and summer.
F. Being aware of a few issues can help us maintain the best rhythms for our body docks,
but there are some tips and tools for that can help. Keeping to the same bedtime routine
and wake-up schedule, even on your days off, is particularly important – there should be
no more than a few hours difference in the time you go to bed. Avoiding interruptions to
your sleep is also very important. If there is intermittent, irregular noise, use a fan or any
white noise device that generates calming sounds. This is particularly important for night
shift workers, for whom daytime noises are generally louder; soft, background noise can
help drown out daytime activity noises. Eat small frequent meals to help stoke your
metabolism. This is not only helpful in weight maintenance, but reinforces the “day” phase
of your circadian clock. Eat most of your energy foods earlier in the day and avoid eating a
heavy meal near bedtime. Avoid all-nighters, like studying all night before an assessment.
Cutting back on sleep the night before may mean that you perform less well. Reduce
changes to your work shift, such as changing from night shift to day shift. Avoid alcohol
and cigarettes before sleep time. If you feel sleepy during the day, take a short nap. Set
an alarm so you sleep for no more than about 20 minutes. Anything more than just a
‘catnap’ and you will enter into Stage 3 (deep sleep) and find it harder to wake up from.
Questions 24–30
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading
passage?
24
Our reactions are at their slowest at sunset.
25
There are more accidents on the night shift because workers
tend to get less sleep.
26
Limited air travel has minimal effect on the body’s circadian
rhythm.
27
The circadian rhythm starts when light reaches the brain.
28
If a driver is tired, taking a short sleep, listening to music or
winding down the window are all equally effective measures for keeping awake.
29
Humans share the same trends with regards their body clocks.
30
Many people take a short rest just after eating lunch.
Questions 31-36
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the
Write your answers in boxes 31 – 36 on your answer sheet
As well as the intensity, what else is important in sunlight for our circadian rhythm?
31
What specific part of the day is the body at its warmest?
32
What should night shift workers use to help them sleep?
33
What type of person works equally well in the morning and the evening?
34
What does our body clock make it easier to do after the winter?
35
What should you avoid before bed to help you get a good night’s sleep?
36
Questions 37-40
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from Reading Passage 3 for each answer.
Keep a good 37 by following routines. Try to sleep and wake

at roughly the same times when working and on days off.
Use 38 noise to help you sleep if there are external

distractions.
Small and regular meals keep your 39 operating at its best.

Limit changes to your work shift, and if necessary take a short
40 during the day.

Solution:
1 FALSE 2 TRUE
3 FALSE 4 NOT GIVEN
5 Per Lindstrand 6 (the) ground crew
7 Balloon simulator 8 Parachute valve
9 Envelope 10 Panels
11 Gores 12 C
13 B 14 A
15 H 16 C
17 30,000/30000/30,000 dollars/30000 18 Commercial

dollars
19 internet service provider
20 Fair use 21 FALSE
24 FALSE 25 FALSE
26 TRUE 27 FALSE
28 FALSE 29 FALSE
30 NOT GIVEN 31 Wavelength / colour
32 late afternoon 33 an eye mask
34 a humming bird 35 Lose weight
36 Alcohol and cigarettes 37 Rhythm
38 White 39 Metabolism
40 Nap / sleep

Reading Practice
Reading Passage 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13. which are based on Reading
Passage 1 below.
In Praise of Amateurs
Despite the specialization of scientific research, amateurs still have an important role to
play.
During the scientific revolution of the 17th century, scientists were largely men of private
means who pursued their interest in natural philosophy for their own edification. Only in
the past century or two has it become possible to make a living from investigating the
workings of nature. Modern science was, in other words, built on the work of amateurs.
Today, science is an increasingly specialized and compartmentalized subject, the domain
of experts who know more and more about less and less. Perhaps surprisingly, however,
amateurs – even those without private means – are still important.
A recent poll carried out at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science by astronomer Dr Richard Fienberg found that, in addition to his field of
astronomy, amateurs are actively involved in such fields as acoustics, horticulture,
ornithology, meteorology, hydrology and palaeontology. Far from being crackpots, amateur
scientists are often in close touch with professionals, some of whom rely heavily on their
co-operation.
Access http://ieltsonlinetests.com for more practices page 1
Admittedly, some fields are more open to amateurs than others. Anything that requires
expensive equipment is clearly a no-go area. And some kinds of research can be
dangerous; most amateur chemists, jokes Dr Fienberg, are either locked up or have blown
themselves to bits. But amateurs can make valuable contributions in fields from rocketry to
palaeontology and the rise of the Internet has made it easier than before to collect data
and distribute results.
Exactly which field of study has benefited most from the contributions of amateurs is a
matter of some dispute. Dr Fienberg makes a strong case for astronomy. There is, he
points out, a long tradition of collaboration between amateur and professional sky
watchers. Numerous comets, asteroids and even the planet Uranus were discovered by
amateurs. Today, in addition to comet and asteroid spotting, amateurs continue to do
valuable work observing the brightness of variable stars and detecting novae- ‘new’ stars
in the Milky Way and supernovae in other galaxies. Amateur observers are helpful, says
Dr Fienberg, because there are so many of them (they far outnumber professionals) and
because they are distributed all over the world. This makes special kinds of observations
possible:’ if several observers around the world accurately record the time when a star is
eclipsed by an asteroid, for example, it is possible to derive useful information about the
asteroid’s shape.
Another field in which amateurs have traditionally played an important role is

palaeontology. Adrian Hunt, a palaeontologist at Mesa Technical College in New Mexico,
insists that his is the field in which amateurs have made the biggest contribution. Despite
the development of high-tech equipment, he says, the best sensors for finding fossils are
human eyes – lots of them.
Finding volunteers to look for fossils is not difficult, he says, because of the near universal
interest in anything to do with dinosaurs. As well as helping with this research, volunteers
learn about science, a process he calls ‘recreational education’.
Rick Bonney of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York, contends that
amateurs have contributed the most in his field. There are, he notes, thought to be as
many as 60 million birdwatchers in America alone. Given their huge numbers and the wide
geographical coverage they provide, Mr Bonney has enlisted thousands of amateurs in a
number of research projects. Over the past few years their observations have uncovered
previously unknown trends and cycles in bird migrations and revealed declines in the
breeding populations of several species of migratory birds, prompting a habitat
conservation programme.
Despite the successes and whatever the field of study, collaboration between amateurs
and professionals is not without its difficulties. Not everyone, for example is happy with the
term ‘amateur’. Mr Bonney has coined the term ‘citizen scientist’ because he felt that other
words, such as ‘volunteer’ sounded disparaging. A more serious problem is the question of
how professionals can best acknowledge the contributions made by amateurs.
Dr Fienberg says that some amateur astronomers are happy to provide their observations
but grumble about not being reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses. Others feel let down
when their observations are used in scientific papers, but they are not listed as co-
authors. Dr Hunt says some amateur palaeontologists are disappointed when told that
they cannot take finds home with them.
These are legitimate concerns but none seems insurmountable. Provided amateurs and
professionals agree the terms on which they will work together beforehand, there is no
reason why co-operation between the two groups should not flourish. Last year Dr S.
Carlson, founder of the Society for Amateur Scientists won an award worth $290,000 for
his work in promoting such co-operation. He says that one of the main benefits of the prize
is the endorsement it has given to the contributions of amateur scientists, which has done
much to silence critics among those professionals who believe science should remain their
exclusive preserve.
At the moment, says Dr Carlson, the society is involved in several schemes including an
innovative rocket-design project and the setting up of a network of observers who will
search for evidence of a link between low- frequency radiation and earthquakes. The
amateurs, he says, provide enthusiasm and talent, while the professionals provide
guidance ‘so that anything they do discover will be taken seriously’. Having laid the
foundations of science, amateurs will have much to contribute to its ever – expanding
edifice.
-------------------------------
Small Tip
Read through the summary at normal speed so that you have a fair idea of what it
is about.
Check the instructions: you can use a maximum of two words for each answer and
these words must be taken from the reading passage. If you use more than two
words or words that are not in the passage, the answer will be marked wrong.
Skim the passage and find out where the part that has been summarised begins.
Read the text around each gap carefully. See if you can predict the answer or
the kind of word(s) that you are looking for.
Select the best word from the text for each gap.
Re-read the summary, with the words you have selected for each gap, to make
sure that it makes sense both grammatically and in terms of meaning.
Questions 1-8
Complete the summary below. Choose ONE or TWO WORDS from the passage for
each answer.
Summary
Prior to the 19th century, professional 1 did not exist and
scientific research was largely carried out by amateurs. However, while
2 today is mostly the domain of professionals, a recent US
survey highlighted the fact that amateurs play an important role in at least seven
3 and indeed many professionals are reliant on their
4 . In areas such as astronomy, amateurs can be invaluable
when making specific 5 on a global basis. Similarly in the
area of palaeontology their involvement is invaluable and helpers are easy to
recruit because of the popularity of 6 . Amateur
birdwatchers also play an active role and their work has led to the establishment
of a 7 . Occasionally the term 'amateur' has been the source
of disagreement and alternative names have been suggested but generally
speaking, as long as the professional scientists 8 the work
of the non-professionals, the two groups can work productively together.
Questions 9-13
Reading Passage 1 contains a number of opinions provided by four different
scientists. Match each opinion (Questions 9-13) with the scientists A-D.
NB You may use any of the scientists A-D more than once.
Name of scientists
A Dr Fienberg
B Adrian Hunt
C Rick Bonney
D Dr Carlson
9 Amateur involvement can also be an instructive pastime.
10
Amateur scientists are prone to accidents.
11
Science does not belong to professional scientists alone.

12
In certain areas of my work, people are a more valuable
resource than technology.
13
It is important to give amateurs a name which reflects the
value of their work.
Tip
Read through the questions, underlining the key words
e.g. Question 10: accidents.
Scan the passage for the name of the first scientist.

Read the text around the name carefully.
Check for any opinions that are expressed by that person. Verbs like 'says',
'felt', 'contends' are used to express opinions.
Re-read the questions and see whether any of these express asimilar idea
to the opinions you have noted in the passage.
If you find an answer, skim the rest of the passage to see whether thesame
name occurs again.
If so, repeat the above procedure. (At least one name must be usedtwice in this
set as there are five questions and only four names.)
Reading Passage 2
Passage 2 below:
READING THE SCREEN

Are the electronic media exacerbating illiteracy and making our children stupid? On the
contrary, says Colin McCabe, they have the potential to make us truly literate.
The debate surrounding literacy is one of the most charged in education. On the one hand
there is an army of people convinced that traditional skills of reading and writing are
declining. On the other, a host of progressives protest that literacy is much more
complicated than a simple technical mastery of reading and writing. This second position
is supported by most of the relevant academic work over the past 20 years. These studies
argue that literacy can only be understood in its social and technical context. In
Renaissance England, for example, many more people could read than could write, and
within reading there was a distinction between those who could read print and those who
could manage the more difficult task of reading manuscript. An understanding of these
earlier periods helps us understand today’s ‘crisis in literacy’ debate.
There does seem to be evidence that there has been an overall decline in some aspects
of reading and writing - you only need to compare the tabloid newspapers of today with
those of 50 years ago to see a clear decrease in vocabulary and simplification of syntax.
But the picture is not uniform and doesn’t readily demonstrate the simple distinction
between literate and illiterate which had been considered adequate since the middle of the
19th century.
While reading a certain amount of writing is as crucial as it has ever been in industrial
societies, it is doubtful whether a fully extended grasp of either is as necessary as it was 30
or 40 years ago. While print retains much of its authority as a source of topical information,
television has increasingly usurped this role. The ability to write fluent letters has been
undermined by the telephone and research suggests that for many people the only use for
writing, outside formal education, is the compilation of shopping lists.
The decision of some car manufacturers to issue their instructions to mechanics as a

video pack rather than as a handbook might be taken to spell the end of any automatic link
between industrialisation and literacy. On the other hand, it is also the case that ever-
increasing numbers of people make their living out of writing, which is better rewarded
than ever before. Schools are generally seen as institutions where the book rules - film,
television and recorded sound have almost no place; but it is not clear that this opposition
is appropriate. While you may not need to read and write to watch television, you certainly
need to be able to read and write in order to make programmes.
Those who work in the new media are anything but illiterate. The traditional oppositions
between old and new media are inadequate for understanding the world which a young
child now encounters. The computer has re-established a central place for the written
word on the screen, which used to be entirely devoted to the image. There is even
anecdotal evidence that children are mastering reading and writing in order to get on to
the Internet. There is no reason why the new and old media cannot be integrated in
schools to provide the skills to become economically productive and politically
enfranchised.
Nevertheless, there is a crisis in literacy and it would be foolish to ignore it. To understand
that literacy may be declining because it is less central to some aspects of everyday life is
not the same as acquiescing in this state of affairs. The production of school work with the
new technologies could be a significant stimulus to literacy. How should these new
technologies be introduced into the schools? It isn’t enough to call for computers,
camcorders and edit suites in every classroom; unless they are properly integrated into
the educational culture, they will stand unused. Evidence suggests that this is the fate of
most information technology used in the classroom. Similarly, although media studies are
now part of the national curriculum, and more and more students are now clamouring to
take these course, teachers remain uncertain about both methods and aims in this area.
This is not the fault of the teachers. The entertainment and information industries must be
drawn into a debate with the educational institutions to determine how best to blend these
new technologies into the classroom.
Many people in our era are drawn to the pessimistic view that the new media are
destroying old skills and eroding critical judgement. It may be true that past generations
were more literate but - taking the pre-19th century meaning of the term - this was true of
only a small section of the population. The word literacy is a 19th-century coinage to
describe the divorce of reading and writing from a full knowledge of literature. The
education reforms of the 19th century produced reading and writing as skills separable
from full participation in the cultural heritage.
The new media now point not only to a futuristic cyber-economy, they also make our
cultural past available to the whole nation. Most children’s access to these treasures is
initially through television. It is doubtful whether our literary heritage has ever been
available to or sought out by more than about 5 per cent of the population; it has certainly
not been available to more than 10 per cent. But the new media joined to the old, through
the public service tradition of British broadcasting, now makes our literary tradition
available to all.
Questions 14-17
Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 14-17 on your answer
sheet.
Tip
The questions follow the order of information in the passage.

Read the first question and the four options A-D. One of these completes the
statement so that it expresses an idea that is also given in the passage.

Decide whether the question focuses on a detail in the passage or
a main idea.
Note the key words in the question. These will help you locate the area of
the passage where you will find the answer.
Read this part of the passage very carefully. You will find that some of the
vocabulary in options A-D also occurs in the passage but only one of the
options will complete the sentence correctly.
When discussing the debate on literacy in education, the writer notes

14 that
A  children cannot read and write as well as they used to.
B  academic work has improved over the last 20 years.
C  there is evidence that literacy is related to external factors.
D  there are opposing arguments that are equally convincing.
In the 4th paragraph, the writer’s main point is

15 that
A  the printed word is both gaining and losing power.
B  all inventions bring disadvantages as well as benefits.
C  those who work in manual jobs no longer need to read.
D  the media offers the best careers for those who like writing.
According to the writer, the main problem that schools face today
16 is
A  how best to teach the skills of reading and writing.
B  how best to incorporate technology into classroom teaching.
C  finding the means to purchase technological equipment.
D  managing the widely differing levels of literacy amongst pupils.
At the end of the article, the writer is suggesting

17 that
A  literature and culture cannot be divorced.
B  the term ‘literacy’ has not been very useful.
C  10 per cent of the population never read literature.

D  our exposure to cultural information is likely to increase.
Questions 18-23
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage
2?
18
It is not as easy to analyse literacy levels as it used to be.
19
Our literacy skills need to be as highly developed as they
were in the past.
20
Illiteracy is on the increase.
21
Professional writers earn relatively more than they used to.
22
A good literacy level is important for those who work in
television.
23
Computers are having a negative impact on literacy in
schools
Tip
Questions 18-23 test your understanding of what the writer believes; i.e. his/her
views or opinions. There are three choices: Yes - the writer believes this; No - the
writer believes the opposite of this; Not Given - the writer doesn't give any views on
this.

Start with the first question and note the key words.
Skim or scan the passage until you come to the part where the writer is
discussing his/her views on the topic or idea presented in the question. If you
cannot find any information on this, the answer may be 'not given'. Check this
carefully.
If you do find some information, decide whether the writer's views are the

same or the opposite of those given in the question.
Questions 24-26
In Renaissance England, the best readers were those able to read

24
The writer uses the example of 25 to illustrate the general

fall in certain areas of literacy.
It has been shown that after leaving school, the only things that a lot of people
write are 26
Tip

Check the instructions: you can use a maximum of three words for each
answer and these words must be taken from the reading passage. If you use
more than three words or words that are not in the passage, the answer will
be marked wrong.
Read the sentences and underline the key words.
Read the words around each gap carefully. See if you can predict the answer
or the kind of word(s) that you are looking for.
Scan or skim the passage until you come to the part that is relevant.
Re-read the sentence with the word you have chosen for the gap to check
that it makes sense both grammatically and in terms of meaning.
Reading Passage 3
Passage 3 below.

The Revolutionary Bridges of Robert Maillart
Swiss engineer Robert Maillart built some of the greatest bridges of the 20th
century. His designs elegantly solved a basic engineering problem: how to support
enormous weights using a slender arch.
A Just as railway bridges were the great structural symbols of the 19th century, highway
bridges became the engineering emblems of the 20th century. The invention of the
automobile created an irresistible demand for paved roads and vehicular bridges
throughout the developed world. The type of bridge needed for cars and trucks, however,
is fundamentally different from that needed for locomotives. Most highway bridges carry
lighter loads than railway bridges do, and their roadways can be sharply curved or steeply
sloping. To meet these needs, many turn-of-the-century bridge designers began working
with a new building material: reinforced concrete, which has steel bars embedded in it.
And the master of this new material was Swiss structural engineer, Robert Maillart.
B Early in his career, Maillart developed a unique method for designing bridges, buildings
and other concrete structures. He rejected the complex mathematical analysis of loads
and stresses that was being enthusiastically adopted by most of his contemporaries. At
the same time, he also eschewed the decorative approach taken by many bridge builders
of his time. He resisted imitating architectural styles and adding design elements solely for
ornamentation. Maillart’s method was a form of creative intuition. He had a knack for
conceiving new shapes to solve classic engineering problems] And because he worked in
a highly competitive field, one of his goals was economy - he won design and construction
contracts because his structures were reasonably priced, often less costly than all his
rivals’ proposals.
C Maillart’s first important bridge was built in the small Swiss town of Zuoz. The local
officials had initially wanted a steel bridge to span the 30-metre wide Inn River,

but Maillart argued that he could build a more elegant bridge made of reinforced concrete
for about the same cost. His crucial innovation was incorporating the bridge’s arch and
roadway into a form called the hollow-box arch, which would substantially reduce the
bridge’s expense by minimising the amount of concrete needed. In a conventional arch
bridge the weight of the roadway is transferred by columns to the arch, which must be
relatively thick. In Maillart’s design, though, the roadway and arch were connected by
three vertical walls, forming two hollow boxes running under the roadway (see
diagram). The big advantage of this design was that because the arch would not have to
bear the load alone, it could be much thinner - as little as one-third as thick as the arch in
the conventional bridge.
D His first masterpiece, however, was the 1905 Tavanasa Bridge over the Rhine river in
the Swiss Alps. In this design, Maillart removed the parts of the vertical walls which were
not essential because they carried no load. This produced a slender, lighter-looking form,
which perfectly met the bridge’s structural requirements. But the Tavanasa Bridge gained
little favourable publicity in Switzerland; on the contrary, it aroused strong aesthetic
objections from public officials who were more comfortable with old-fashioned stone-faced
bridges. Maillart, who had founded his own construction firm in 1902, was unable to win
any more bridge projects, so he shifted his focus to designing buildings, water tanks and
other structures made of reinforced concrete and did not resume his work on concrete
bridges until the early 1920s.
E His most important breakthrough during this period was the development of the deck-
stiffened arch, the first example of which was the Flienglibach Bridge, built in 1923. An
arch bridge is somewhat like an inverted cable. A cable curves downward when a weight is
hung from it, an arch bridge curves upward to support the roadway and the compression
in the arch balances the dead load of the traffic. For aesthetic reasons, Maillart wanted a
thinner arch and his solution was to connect the arch to the roadway with transverse walls.
In this way, Maillart justified making the arch as thin as he could reasonably build it. His
analysis accurately predicted the behaviour of the bridge but the leading authorities of
Swiss engineering would argue against his methods for the next quarter of a century.
F Over the next 10 years, Maillart concentrated on refining the visual appearance of the
deck-stiffened arch. His best-known structure is the Salginatobel Bridge, completed in
1930. He won the competition for the contract because his design was the least expensive
of the 19 submitted - the bridge and road were built for only 700,000 Swiss francs,
equivalent to some $3.5 million today. Salginatobel was also Maillart’s longest span, at 90
metres and it had the most dramatic setting of all his structures, vaulting 80 metres above
the ravine of the Salgina brook. In 1991 it became the first concrete bridge to be
designated an international historic landmark.
G Before his death in 1940, Maillart completed other remarkable bridges and continued to

refine his designs. However, architects often recognised the high quality
of Maillart’s structures before his fellow engineers did and in 1947 the architectural section
of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City devoted a major exhibition entirely to his
works. In contrast, very few American structural engineers at that time had even heard
of Maillart. In the following years, however, engineers realised that Maillart’s bridges were
more than just aesthetically pleasing - they were technically
unsurpassed. Maillart’s hollow-box arch became the dominant design form for medium
and long- span concrete bridges in the US. In Switzerland, professors finally began to
teach Maillart’s ideas, which then influenced a new generation of designers.
Questions 27-33
From the list of headings below choose the most suitable heading for each
paragraph.
Write the appropriate numbers (i—x) in boxes 27-33 on your answer sheet.
List of headings
i The long-term impact
ii A celebrated achievement
iii Early brilliance passes unrecognised
iv Outdated methods retain popularity
v The basis of a new design is born
vi Frustration at never getting the design right
vii Further refinements meet persistent objections
viii Different in all respects
ix Bridge-makers look elsewhere
x Transport developments spark a major change
27
Paragraph A
28
Paragraph B
29
Paragraph C
30
Paragraph D

31
Paragraph E
32
Paragraph F
33
Paragraph G
Tip
Although the instructions ask you to choose the 'most suitable'

heading, each heading will only fit one paragraph.
Read through the list of headings. Note that each heading expresses a main
idea.
There are ten headings and seven questions, so three of the headings do
not fit any of the paragraphs.
Skim through the whole passage so that you have a good idea of what it is
about.
Read each paragraph carefully, noting the main idea or theme.
Do not worry if there are words that you do not understand. Select the
heading that best describes the main idea of the paragraph.
Questions 34-36
Complete the labels on the diagrams below using ONE or TWO WORDS from the
reading passage. Write your answers in boxes 34-36 on your answer sheet.
34
35
36
Tip
Check the instructions for Questions 34-36: you can use a maximum of two
words for each answer and these words must be taken from the reading
passage. If you use more than two words or words that are not in the
passage, the answer will be marked wrong.
Skim/scan the passage until you come to the section that describes the two
types of bridge.
Read this part very carefully and select the words in the passage that fit the
labels.
Questions 37-40
Complete each of the following statements (Questions37-40) with the best ending
(A-G) from the box below.
Write the appropriate letters A-G in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.
37
Maillart designed the hollow-box arch in order to
38
Following the construction of the Tavanasa Bridge, Maillart failed
to
39
The transverse walls of the Flienglibach Bridge allowed Maillart to
40
Of all his bridges, the Salginatobel enabled Maillart to
A prove that local people were wrong.
B find work in Switzerland.
C win more building commissions.
D reduce the amount of raw material required.
E recognise his technical skills.
F capitalise on the spectacular terrain.
G improve the appearance of his bridges.
Tip
The part-statements or questions follow the order of information in the
passage.
There are four part- statements and seven endings so some of the endings
will not be used at all.
Many of the endings A-G will fit each question grammatically.
You have already read the passage at least once. Can you guess any of the
answers?
Do not re-read the whole passage. Underline the keywords in each statement
then scan the passage for these words, e.g. Question 37: the hollow-box
arch.
When you find the relevant part of the passage, read it very carefully.
Question 37: Which paragraph discusses the design of hollow-box arch?
Select the option that best completes each sentence.
Re-read the completed sentence and compare this for meaning with the
appropriate section of the passage.

Solution:
1 scientists 2 science
3 (scientific) fields 4 co-operation/collaboration
5 observations 6 dinosaurs
7 conservation programme 8 acknowledge
9 B 10 A
11 D 12 B
13 C 14 C
15 A 16 B
17 D 18 YES
19 NO 20 NOT GIVEN
21 YES 22 YES
23 NO 24 manuscript
25 (the) (tabloid) newspapers 26 shopping lists
27 x 28 viii
29 v 30 iii
31 vii 32 ii
33 i 34 columns
35 vertical walls 36 hollow boxes
37 D 38 C
39 G 40 F

Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based
on Reading Passage 1.
AUSTRALIA’S PLATYPUS
Of all the creatures on the earth, the Australian platypus,Omithorbynchusparadoxus, is
perhaps one of the most mysterious and reclusive. Derived from the Latin platys meaning
‘flat and broad’ and pous meaning ‘foot’, the platypus has long been an iconic symbol of
Australia. Upon being discovered in Australia in the 1700s, sketches of this unusual
creature were made and sent back to England whereupon they were considered by
experts to be a hoax. Indeed, the incredible collection of its body parts – broad, flat tail,
rubbery snout, webbed feet and short dense fur – make it one of the world’s most unusual
animals.
Officially classified as a mammal, the egg-laying platypus is mostly active during the night,
a nocturnal animal. As if this combination of characteristics and behaviours were not
unusual enough, the platypus is the only Australian mammal known to be venomous. The
male platypus has a sharply pointed, moveable spur on its hind foot which delivers a
poison capable of killing smaller animals and causing severe pain to humans. The spur –
about 2 centimetres in length – is quite similar to the fang of a snake and, if provoked, is
used as a means of defence. Those who have been stung by a platypus’ spur report an
immediate swelling around the wound followed by increased swelling throughout the
affected limb. Excruciating, almost paralysing pain in the affected area accompanies the

sting which, in some victims has been known to last for a period of months. One report
from a victim who was stung in the palm of the hand states that “…the spur could not be
pulled out of the hand until the platypus was killed.” During the breeding season, the
amount of venom in the male platypus increases. This has led some zoologists to theorise
that the poisonous spur is primarily for asserting dominance amongst fellow-males. To be
stung by a male platypus is a rare event with only a very small number of people being on
the receiving end of this most reclusive creature.
In the same area of the hind foot where the male has the poisonous spur, the female
platypus only develops two buds which drop off in their first year of life never to appear
again. The female platypus produces a clutch of one to three eggs in late winter or spring,
incubating them in an underground burrow. The eggs are 15-18 millimetres long and have
a whitish, papery shell like those of lizards and snakes. The mother is believed to keep the
eggs warm by placing them between her lower belly and curled-up tail for a period of
about 10 or 11 days as she rests in an underground nest made of leaves or other
vegetation collected from the water. The baby platypus drinks a rich milk which is secreted
from two round patches of skin midway along the mother’s bell)’. It is believed that a baby
platypus feeds by slurping up milk with rhythmic sweeps of its stubby bill. When the
juveniles first enter the water at the age of about four months, they are nearly (80-90%) as
long as an adult. Male platypus do not help to raise the young.
In Australia, the platypus is officially classified as ‘Common but Vulnerable’. As a species,

it is not currently considered to be endangered. However, platypus populations are
believed to have declined or disappeared in many catchments 1, particularly in urban and
agricultural landscapes. In most cases, the specific underlying reasons for the reduction in
numbers remain unknown. Platypus surveys have only been carried out in a few
catchments in eastern Australia. It is therefore impossible to provide an accurate estimate
of the total number of platypus remaining in the wild. Based on recent studies, the average
platypus population density along relatively good quality streams in the foothills of
Victoria’s Great Dividing Range is only around one to two animals per kilometre of
channel. Because platypus are predators near the top of the food chain and require large
amounts of food to survive (up to about 30% of a given animal’s body weight each day), it
is believed that their numbers are most often limited by the availability of food, mainly in
the form of bottom-dwelling aquatic invertebrates such as shrimps, worms, yabbies, pea-
shell mussels, and immature and adult aquatic insects. Small frogs and fish eggs are also
eaten occasionally, along with some terrestrial insects that fall into the water from
overhanging vegetation.
1:Catchments are an area of land drained by a creek or river system, or a place set aside
for collecting water which runs off the surface of the land.
Until the early twentieth century, platypus were widely killed for (heir fur. The species is

now protected by law throughout Australia. Platypus are wild animals with specialised
living requirements. It is illegal for members of the public to keep them in captivity. A
platypus which has been accidentally captured along a stream or found wandering in an
unusual place should never be taken home and treated as a pet, even for a brief time. The
animal will not survive the experience. Only a small number of Australian zoos and
universities hold a permit to maintain platypus in captivity for legitimate display or research
purposes. Current Australian government policy does not allow’ this species to be taken
overseas for any reason.
Questions 1-5
1 The appearance of the platypus caused experts to doubt it

was real.
2 The amount of venom in a male platypus changes during

the year.
3 Most platypus live in Eastern Australia.
4 Snake venom and platypus venom are very similar.
5 Because their environment is specialised, platypus cannot

be kept as pets.
Questions 6-9
Male and Female Platypus
Platypus are unique Australian animals. Although all platypus share many

similarities, the male and female are somewhat different from each other. For
example, on the hind feet, the male has a 6 while the young
female has 7 .
In the 8 the mother keeps her eggs warm and, once born,
supplies her 9 . On the other hand, the male platypus does
not help raise the young at all.
Questions 10-13
Even though the platypus is not endangered, it is considered 10
Platypus numbers in 11 areas have declined in many

catchments.
Platypus numbers are low which is probably due to a lack of 12
Platypus captivity for research and study purposes requires a

13
READING PASSAGE 2
Passage 2.
Creature sleeps
A. Almost every living creature sleeps. For humans, it is typically something we dislike
doing when we are younger and, as we age, something we increasingly look forward to at
the end of each day. On the one hand, it is something that we absolutely need to sustain
our life and on the other, we tend to feel guilty if we spend more time in bed than we
should. Sleep researcher Professor Stanley Limpton believes that 7 hours – the average
amount of sleep most people get per night – is not enough. Limpton points out that the
average person is now getting 2 hours less sleep than those who lived 100 years ago and
contends that this lack of sleep is one of the main reasons so many people are often
clumsy, unhappy, irritable and agitated. Other scientists share Limpton’s thinking. Many
other researchers feel that we are not getting enough sleep and the negative impacts are
being regularly felt around the world in the workplace and in the home.
B. The first experiments in recorded scientific history on the effects of people not getting
enough sleep took place in the late 1800s. According to records, three volunteers were
deprived of sleep for a total of 90 hours. Later on, in 1920 more experiments in sleep
deprivation were conducted by scientists where several people were deprived of sleep for
a period of 60 hours. The results of many sleep deprivation experiments have been
recorded and conducted by American ‘sleep scientist’ Nathaniel Kleitman. Often referred
to as ‘the father of modern sleep research’, Kleitman’s work has formed the foundation for
many areas of current sleep research. In one experiment, Kleitman examined thirty five
volunteers who had been awake for 60 hours and also conducted an experiment on
himself, remaining awake for a total of 100 hours. It was revealed that people who are
sleep-deprived for periods of more than 60 hours try to fall asleep in any environment and
show- signs of mental disturbances, visions and hallucinations. As the length of sleep
deprivation increases, so too does the mental decline in an individual. Having studied a
group of 3 sleep deprived people, sleep researcher Dr. Tim Oswald, concluded that
chronic sleep deprivation often leads to drastic consequences. Oswald’s experiments
reinstated the necessity of sleep for proper human functioning.
C. Studies of sleep patterns in some of the more remote areas of the world have also
been a subject of interest amongst sleep researchers. It is well-known that during the
summer months in both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles the phenomenon known as the
midnight sun occurs. Given fair weather conditions, the sun is visible for a continuous 24
hours. One summer, Dr. Peter Suedfeld traveled to the Arctic and conducted a series of
research projects. All participants were required to get rid of all clocks, watches and any
other timekeeping devices and conduct work and sleep according to their own ‘body dock’.
Those involved in the experiment were required to note down when they- had a nap and
when they actually went to bed. The results were that most people slept around 10 hours
per day and all participants reported feeling completely invigorated and refreshed.
D. The affect of sleep interruptions have also been a focal point of some sleep research.
In urban societies, traffic and aircraft noise are often referred to as ‘the bane of urban
existence’. Tom Grimstead took people who were classified as ‘good sleepers’ from quiet
neighbourhoods and introduced into their bedrooms and night the noise equivalents of a
major urban road. An actimeter – a device which measures the amount of movement in
sleep – was used to gauge the quality of the participant’s sleep. The participants emerged
from the experiment in a depressed-like state after four days. Grimstead reported that
participants had depression and mood scores similar to people with clinical depression…a
reduction in certain performance tasks was also noted’.
E. Another area of interest in the field of sleep study involves such famous people as
Thomas Edison and Winston Churchill who, reportedly, were known to be and have been
classified as short sleepers. A short sleeper is one who claims to be able to get by with
only 4 or 5 hours of sleep per night. Dr David Joske. secretary’ of the British Sleep
Association believes that ‘genetically short sleepers may have some natural resistance to
the effects of sleep deprivation but it is not entirely certain why some people seem to
require more and others less՝. Determining what makes up the differences between short
and long sleepers has been difficult for researchers. Says Joske, ‘When we brought long
and short sleepers into controlled environments which were dark and soundproof we found
that all participants slept between nine and ten hours, which seemed to preclude the short
sleeper category.’
F. A study in Norway was undertaken on a number of bus drivers. They were hooked up to
various computers which monitored their states of being awake. The study revealed that
bus drivers were asleep for as much as 25% of the time they were driving the bus. What
the drivers w ere having was a series of ‘micro-sleeps’ – short periods of time of 10 to 20
seconds where they would be classified as being asleep. In the micro-sleep state, the
individual may appear awake, even with their eyes open but in fact they are actually
sleeping.
Questions 14-18
Reading Passage 2 has 6 paragraphs, A-F.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number i-ix in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings
i Research into short periods of sleep
ii Famous people, short sleepers
iii Measuring sleep movement
iv Sleep experiments over the past century
v Monitoring the effects of sleep deprivation
vi Antarctic and Arctic sleep means quality sleep
vii Challenging research in reduced normal sleeping hours
viii Are we getting enough sleep?
ix The impact of noise on sleep
x Sleep experiments in an isolated area
Example: Paragraph A; Answer: viii
14
Paragraph B
15
Paragraph C
16
Paragraph D
17
Paragraph E
18
Paragraph F
Questions 19-23
Look at the following list of statements (Questions19-23) and the list of people
below.
Match each statement with the correct company.
Write the correct letter A-D in boxes 19-23 on your answer sheet.

List of Researchers
A David Joske
B Stanley Limpton
C Tim Oswald
D Dr. Peter Suedfeld
19
People need to increase their average amount of sleep.
20
Extended periods of no sleep causes serious health
problems.
21
Some need more sleep and others seem to get by with less
sleep.
22
The quality of sleep can be measured by an individual’s
sleep activity.
23
Most people need to sleep the same number of hours.
Questions 24-25
Choose TWO letters A-F.
The list below lists some health issues associated with lack of sleep.
Which TWO of these health issues are mentioned by the writer?
A  heart problems
B  nervous disorders
C  dizziness
D  depression
E  problems with mental state
F  increased blood pressure
Question 26
Choose the correct letter, A-E
Write the correct letter in box 26 on your answer sheet.
Which of the following is the most suitable title for Reading Passage
26 2?
A  The importance of sleep
B  Studies in sleep
C  How much sleep we need
D  The effect of sleep patterns
E  Modern perspectives on sleep
READING PASSAGE 3
Passage 3.
THE SEARCH FOR FRESH WATER

The assertion that water has always been the essence of life is nothing new. Water comes
in many forms: spring water, sea and river water, rainwater, and fog and dew water. Yet
water is becoming scarce and this scarcity is becoming a very real worry for governments
all around the world. The reality is that one of the main obstacles to the economic
development of a particular country is its lack of an adequate supply of fresh water.
Current figures show that an inhabitant of a wealthy, modern town consumes 100-400
litres of water daily. In some developing countries the amount of water consumed does

not exceed 20-30 litres per day. Rich or poor, annual water consumption has continued to
grow, increasing fourfold over the last 50 years.
The world’s fresh water supplies are drawn from a number of sources. The largest cache
of the estimated 35 million km3 fresh water reserve is located in glaciers and snow. The
amount contained in these ‘storehouses’ has been estimated to be around 24 million km3.
Ground water is also a big contributor to the world’s fresh water supplies amounting to an
estimated 10.5 million km3. Considering that the total volume of water, salt and fresh, is
estimated to be around 400 million km3 it can be clearly seen that the amount of fresh
water available in the world is only the proverbial ‘drop in the bucket՝. Artesian wells, rivers
and lakes only account for about 0.1 and 0.5 million km3 respectively, all of which include
atmospheric precipitation such as rain and snow.
Since water is such an important commodity, various attempts to acquire stores of it have
been tried with varying degrees of success. The question of what are the alternative water
sources available to us today is not an easy one to answer but is certainly worthy of our
best efforts to find one. One such area of interest has been desalination – the turning of
salt water into drinkable water. As there is much more salt water on the earth than dry
land, the idea of using desalinated seawater seems a logical one. However, some
estimates put the annual quantity of desalinated water at only around ten cubic kilometres
– a tiny amount given the amount of sea water available. In parts of Senegal, for example,
the greenhouse effect has been one way to desalinate seawater whereby the salt in the
water is separated from the water through a process of evaporation. As part of the
process, water vapour forms on large panes of glass at outside air temperature and is
transported via gravity into drums. This method yields only a few cubic meters per day of
fresh water but is surprisingly energy efficient. In larger scale production however, the
energy efficiency plummets. The best systems bum at least a tonne of fossil fuel to
produce approximately one hundred cubic metres of fresh water. This amounts to almost $
1 per cubic metre – a considerable cost.
Although there are several different areas from which water can be sourced, paradoxically
the most extensive are the most difficult to tap. The atmosphere, for example, contains
vast amounts of fresh water composed of 2% condensed water in the form of clouds and
98% water vapour. The vastness of this water source is comparable to the renewable
liquid water resources of all inhabited lands. The amounts are easy to calculate, but being
able and knowing how to economically obtain this water in liquid form is most challenging.
One approach in drawing water from the atmosphere is fog nets. Places such as the
coastal desens of West Africa and areas of Chile and Peru have favourable condensation
conditions. In these areas, ocean humidity condenses in the form of fog on the mid-range
mountains (over 500m). This fog composed of droplets of suspended water can be
collected in nets. In the 1960s, a University in Northern Chile conducted the first major
experiments with fog nets. Drawing on the knowledge gained from these experiments,
further testing was done which culminated in one village using fog nets to yield a healthy
daily average of 11,000 litres of water. On a smaller scale, fog-collecting nets have
recently been used in the Canary Islands and Namibia.
Unfortunately, due to its need for a combination of several factors, fog is not readily
available. Dew however appears far more frequently and is less subject to the constraints
of climate and geography. In order for dew to form there needs to be some humidity in the
air and a reasonably clear sky. Many hot areas of countries that suffer from a lack of water
such as the Sahel region of Northern Africa for example, experience significant quantities
of dew. When the temperature is lowered over a short space of time by ten degrees or so,
the water-harvesting possibilities from the air yield an amazing ten grams of water from
each cubic meter of air – significant drops in air temperature make for greater yields.
Unlike fog, dew formation can occur even in a relatively dry atmosphere, such as a desert.
All it takes is for the right mix of temperatures between the earth and the air to combine
and dew formation occurs.
Questions 27-29
Choose the correct letter, A, B. C or D
As a method of obtaining fresh water,

27 fog
A  forms best when the air is dry.
B  is easier to collect than dew.
C  is being tried in a large-scale way in Senegal.
D  is not easy to collect.
Small-scale ‘greenhouse effect’

28 desalination
A  uses a considerable amount of energy.
B  is the most effective way to obtain larger water reserves.
C  uses very little energy.
D  burns quite a lot of fossil fuel.
One of the largest stores of fresh water in the world

29 is

A  rivers and lakes.
B  atmospheric rain and snow.
C  ground water.
D  artesian wells
Questions 30-34
Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-F from the box below.
Write the correct letter A-F in boxes 30-34 on your answer sheet.
A is quite popular due to it not being too affected by temperature and location.
B is being tried via an evaporation process.
C is not energy efficient.
D is best for poorer countries.
E is made up of both clouds and water vapour.
F is increased when temperatures fall rapidly.
30
Turning salt water into drinking water
31
Large-scale fresh water production through evaporation
32
Water available in the atmosphere
33
The use of dew as a water source
34
The amount of water collected from dew
Questions 35-40

35
The amount of water consumed by wealthier countries is just
as much as poorer countries.
36
Glaciers, rivers, artesian wells and ground water are all
sources of fresh water.
37
Large bodies of water, such as the sea, have yielded the most
fresh water.
38
The collection of water through the use of fog nets is
becoming increasingly more popular around the world.
39
If the sky is cloudy, dew will not form.
40
Dew and fog are major sources of water in smaller villages
and isolated areas.

Solution:
1 NO 2 YES
5 YES 6 (movable/moveable) spur
7 two buds 8 (underground) nest
9 (rich) milk 10 common but vulnerable
11 urban and agricultural 12 food
13 permit/permission 14 v
15 x 16 ix
17 vii 18 i
19 B 20 C
21 A 22 D
24
23 A 25
D,E
26 B 27 D
28 C 29 C
30 B 31 C
32 E 33 A
34 F 35 FALSE
36 FALSE 37 FALSE
40 NOT GIVEN
Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
FLIGHT OF THE HONEY

Honeybees are characterised by their ability to produce liquefied sugar
(honey) and a propensity to construct colonial nests using wax, two tasks
that necessitate a significant level of social integration among members.
As a result, they maintain strict divisions of labour, based on sex, with all
males functioning as drones to fertilize and care for the eggs, and all
females, with the exception of the single fertile queen, responsible for
fetching nectar for the colony’s progeny. In addition, honeybees have
devised a sophisticated system of communication to relay important
information from member to member.
Perhaps the most intriguing feature of honeybee communication is a

series of flight moves only performed by a female worker bee that has
returned to the nest with nectar and needs to tell the rest of her colony
that she has discovered food supplies and where they can be found. This
so-called honeybee dance was first interpreted by German zoologist Karl
von Frisch in the early 1970s. To facilitate observation, von Frisch and his

students built several glass walled hives and marked a collection of worker
bees, or foragers, with paint. He then trained those foragers to find nectar
at designated sources at various distances from the hives, and when the
bees returned he carefully recorded their movements, the angle and
direction of their flight, and any additional visual cues offered to the
colony. What von Frisch discovered was that each aspect of the dance
indicated certain details about the location of the nectar reserves and
recruited others to return to the site.
The first piece of information conveyed by dancing bees is the distance of

the field to the hive, and they do this in one of three ways. If it is less than
50 meters from the colony’s nest the bee will fly around in narrow circles,
and then suddenly fly in the opposite direction. She will repeat this
pattern, which von Frisch’s team called the round dance, until she has
recruited several other workers to return with her to the field. When the
distance is greater than 50 meters, but less than 150 meters, she will
perform a sickle dance, a crescent shaped flight course. If the field is
farther than 150 meters, the forager will act out a waggle dance in which
she will run straight ahead briefly before returning to her original position
in a semi-circular movement. Then, she will run forward again and return
from the opposite side. The length of the forward run coincides with the
distance of the food supplies; for example, a 2.5 second run indicates that
the nectar was found about 2500 meters way.
Recruits also need to know the direction in which they should fly to arrive
at the appropriate foraging location, and this information is communicated
via the bee’s angular orientation to the hive. It, however, is not a direct
connection to the position of the food supplies from the hive, but its
location relative to the sun. Therefore if the food is situated directly
opposite from the sun, the bee will fly a straight run vertically downward;
if it is in the same direction as the sun, it will fly directly upward from the
colony nest. A position 60 degrees to the right of the sun will prompt the
bee to fly downwards at a 60 degrees angle toward the right of the nest.
Moreover, because the sun is in constant motion throughout the day, the
bee’s orientation will shift depending on the time at which the dance is
performed. Sceptics of von Frisch’s findings, however, claim that visual
cues are not enough to provide all the clues necessary to convey the
location of a food resource. Several scientists, among them Adrian
Wenner, believe that the dance is only one component of honeybee
communications; odour is the second key element. Using robotic bees to
perform the same dances, Wenner was unable to attract new recruits to

the foraging activities; however, when he added a bit of nectar to the
robot, workers quickly followed. He also discovered that the odors must be
representative of the actual flowers containing the food source; otherwise
the bees will arrive at the site, but not know which ones will be profitable.
Questions 1-3
1 Honeybees
A  have a rudimentary ability to convey information.
B  have clearly segregated roles.
C  are found in equal numbers of male and female.
D  often relocate to areas with certain types of flower.
2 Research conducted in the 1970s
A  was undertaken using traditional hives.
B  determined that forager bees had special markings.
C  closely studied the phenomenon of the honeybee body

language.
D  concluded that there was no discernible pattern to the

movement of the bees
To identify that the source of nectar is close, forager

3 bees
A  will repeatedly fly the same direction.
B  will begin to move only when other bees are watching.
C  will run straight forward.
D  will repeat a pattern of flying in one direction then abruptly

reversing direction.
Questions 4-8
Complete the sentences below USING NO MORE THAN TWO AND/OR A
NUMBER.
Von Frisch focussed on a number of 4 clues to deduce

how bees communicated.
The bee will move forward for 5 for every 1000 metres
away the food source is.
To locate the direction of the nectar, the forager will base its movements
on the position of 6
For food sources over 150 metres away, the forager will indicate distance
with a 7 dance.
It has been argued that 8 as well as movement may

help to locate food sources.
Questions 9-12
reading passage?
9 Drone bees communicate using a complicated set of

movements.
10
The honeybee dance is performed until a number of
other bees join in the collection of the nectar.
11
The honeybee dance is only performed when the sun
is visible.
12
Wenner concluded that a matching smell will help
bees find the rough area of the nectar but not the specific source.
READING PASSAGE 2

Recent research
A. Recent research in Hong Kong indicates that staying in bed after a long
week at school is just what children need to avoid becoming obese, The
research, which focused on children aged five to fifteen, discovered that those
who slept late on Saturdays and Sundays decreased the probability of having
weight problems as they grew up. Published in the journal Paediatrics, the
findings add to previous research that indicated a connection between regular
sleep deprivation and obesity.
B. The scientists involved believe the weekend lie-in is vital for school-age
children to catch up on the sleep they lose during a busy week at school. This
catch up sleep helps the children to regulate calorie consumption by cutting
down on eating snacks during waking hours, Scientists and others in the
medical fields have long known that a lack of sleep and irregular sleep patterns
causes obesity as this combination affects the body’s natural metabolism and
tends to also encourage snacking to reduce the feeling of tiredness. However,
this is thought to be the first time researchers have found sleeping in at
weekends to be a key factor in helping ‘reset’ children’s sleeping patterns.
C. Since the 1980s, obesity rates among children in the UK and in the United
States have been on the rise and medical and childcare experts fear a diabetes
and heart disease epidemic is developing. Although estimates for obesity rates
have recently been lowered, current expectations are that close to one in three
boys aged from two to eleven are likely to be overweight or obese by the year
2020. The prediction for girls is slightly over one in four, a much lower
prediction than ten years ago when forecasts were that almost half would be
overweight.
D. The relationship between sleep deficiency and obesity has been drawing
much attention in the past several years with studies showing that sleeping
just a few hours a night can seriously disturb the body’s natural metabolism,
leading to an increase in overall calorie intake and a much greater danger of
weight-related illnesses. Yun Kwok Wing of Hong Kong University and other
experts investigated the possibility that catching up on sleep at the weekends
would help youngsters to overcome such disruption of the bodies metabolism.
They questioned the parents of over 5,000 schoolchildren and accumulated
data on diet, lifestyle, weight and sleeping habits. During school time, the
average amount of sleep was a little over nine hours on average. However, a
surprising number of kids slept well under eight hours a night.
E. What the researchers found most interesting was that those children who
managed to catch up on missed sleep on the weekend actually remained
relatively slim while those who did not had a higher probability of putting on
weight (as measured by body mass index, or BMI). A report the researches
published revealed: “Overweight and obese children tended to wake up earlier
and had shorter sleep durations throughout weekdays, weekends and holidays
than their normal-weight peers. Our study suggests sleeping longer on
weekends or holidays could lower the risk of being overweight or obese.”
F. The study authors mentioned that reduced sleep duration has become a
hallmark of modern society, with people generally sleeping one to two hours
less than a few decades ago and children were no exception to this. However,
the researchers were not quite sure why obese and overweight children were
less likely to sleep late on weekends, but indicated that they tended to spend
more time doing their homework and watching television than their normal-
weight peers. Still, the researchers urged caution in the interpretation of their
findings, acknowledging that “an irregular sleep-wake schedule and insufficient
sleep among school-aged children and adolescents has been documented with
a variety of serious repercussions, including increased daytime sleepiness,
academic difficulties, and mood and behavioral problems.”
G. The precise nature of the link between short sleep duration and obesity
remains unclear, said Mary A. Jackson, Professor of Psychiatry and Human
Behavior at Brown University’s Alpert Medical School in Providence, and
Director of Chronobiology at Bradley Hospital in East Providence. “Evidence has
shown that there are changes in satiety and in levels of the hunger hormones
leptin and ghrelin,” Jackson said. “But there’s also evidence that kids who are
not getting enough sleep get less physical activity, perhaps simply because
they’re too tired. It’s just not cut-and-dried.” The findings could be of help in
slowing down the ongoing increase in childhood obesity, but for the time being,
parents should be observant of their children’s wake-sleep cycles, and take
steps to ensure they are getting enough sleep, the researchers advised.
Perhaps this is a reminder to us all that despite school, homework,
extracurricular activities, and family time, sleep still needs to be a priority in a
child’s life.
Questions 13-15
Choose THREE letters A-G.
NB Your answers may be given in any order.
Which THREE of the following statements are true of the research in Hong
Kong?
A  Researchers discovered that overweight children tend to sleep

more.
B  The researchers believe the weekend lie-in is very important for

busy children.
C  The findings show that overweight children tend to wake up

earlier and sleep less.
D  Obesity in children may be triggered by a fluctuation in sleep

patterns.
E  The researchers do not know the reasons why obese children

are less likely to sleep late on weekends.
F  The researchers interviewed the children’s teachers to gain

information.
G  All children investigated slept more than eight hours a day.
Questions 16-21
Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 16-21.
16
Predictions on rates of obesity in children.
17
An outline of the most notable research finding.
18
Ideas on why overweight children don’t sleep in on
weekends.
19
How sleeping in on weekends can help a child keep slim.
20
A study looking into sleep deprivation and the affect on
body metabolism.
21
Advice for parents concerned about their children
becoming overweight.
Questions 22-25
Complete the summary with the list of words A-L below.
Write the correct letter A-L in boxes 22-25 on your answer sheet.
A recent
B past
C lost
D gain
E put
F difficulty
G inconclusive
H reveal
I remain
J future
K immediate
L poor
The main findings of the research showed that children who were able to
22
catch up on sleep stayed fairly slim whereas children
23
who did not were much more likely to weight.
24
The researchers mentioned that in times a reduction in
sleep time has become common with most people sleeping an hour or
two less than in the past. However, the reasons why overweight children
tended to sleep less on weekends than their slimmer peers
25
a mystery.
READING PASSAGE 3
TEAM BUILDING
Particularly in times of economic downturn, efficiency is of supreme
importance across all industry bases; whilst companies may be looking to
cut their costs, many still invest in staff motivation, training and
development programmes, having developed an understanding of just
how crucial strong internal relationships can be for success.
Louise Edwards of HR Success says that one of the barriers she comes
across time and time again is that corporate heads often seem to
understand that ‘team building’ is important but are not quite sure what it
is or how to achieve it. In the terms of a sports club, she says, the team
(i.e. what it is and how it is defined) is obvious and easy to identify. In
contrast, she says, within a company – particularly a multi-layered, larger
organisation, definitions may become more confused. Many define a
business ‘team’ as the group of people who report to the same boss – a
department, for example. However, according to Edwards, it is more
productive to define a team as a group of people working towards a
common goal. In training terms, therefore, this group could be members
of a department with the same roles and responsibilities, such as a sales
team with the common goal of selling or even the organisation as a whole,
whose ‘goal’ in this case is the continued success of the organisation, their
many different skills and roles all contributing to this in a number of ways.
Brenda Durham of Corporate Trouble-Shooters believes it inevitable that

to some extent conflict will exist in a successful workplace since the
necessary diversity of skills and personalities required for success will also
unavoidably lead to misunderstandings and disharmony from time to time.
A cohesive unit that minimises friction, she believes, can however be
developed in any organisation committed to investment in its people.
Whilst the taking on of external expertise for staff training and team
building programmes can be costly, a number of companies, particularly
those with a robust human resources department, are undertaking the
training themselves. Liaison Wizards, established in 2001 and headed by
Jeff Blackshaw, offers free training and development advice to companies
wishing to offer motivation seminars designed in house, in the belief that
contextualised training is always more effective. The company’s own
business model is based upon generating revenue from advertising on
their popular website – a great success, so far, having surpassed financial
projections for each year it has been in operation to date.
Blackshaw likens the key to successful corporate team building to the

tactics employed in a less formal sporting environment. He says that
bonds, connections and empathy developed between members of a rugby
team, for example, can also be developed within a department in the
business world or even at company level. He says that good team work is
fostered by respect, encouragement, shared enthusiasm and a caring and
supportive workplace. Trying to exploit or dictate to personnel is sure to
lead to failure, Blackshaw says.
Brian Osbourne, Human Resources Director of Opmax Inc, believes that

programmes developed in house are inherently more likely to be of
greater success than external offerings for two main reasons. Most
importantly, he says, people are much easier to motivate if they
themselves can be involved in designing and deciding activities – this
level of consultation at the planning stage being much easier to achieve
for an internal department than an external consultant. Of only slightly
less importance, says Osbourne, training activities must be perceived by
participants as providing outcomes geared towards developing the
individuals’ potential, Once again, programmes developed by people with
an insight into the personalities and culture at hand can be more easily
tailored to suit the distinctive needs of that particular audience.
According to Osbourne, one of the biggest barriers to successful staff

training is the perception that activities are too game-focussed, with no
real objectives; many professionals, believing that such games are trite or
patronising, are unable to appreciate the hidden benefits of building
understanding and camaraderie within the group. If presented correctly,
within the correct context and in conjunction with other, more staid
approaches, Louise Edwards holds that games can be an enormous asset
in staff training. In simple terms, Edwards defines the objectives of team
building activities as a process, starting with the first stage – the
clarification of the collective goals. This leads to the identification of the
inhibitors preventing achievement of those goals and the introduction of
enablers which will assist in goal achievement. This is followed by stage
four – the final stage, where outcomes are measured and from that point
on are monitored to ensure that goals are achieved and continue to be
achieved. In stages 2 and 3 (identifying barriers and introducing positive
alternatives) Edwards believes that the use of humour goes a long way
towards relationship building on a personal level through development of
empathy and removal of antipathy, ultimately fostering cooperation and
support on a more formal level.
Alan Kidman, HR Manager of Tellam Industries agrees that the use of

humour and games within a training context can go a long way towards
helping an organisation achieve its goals. He has recently designed a two
month long in house team building programme for senior management
and will soon be delivering the first of a series of 8 workshops and
activities. The goal of the project, he says, was to strengthen
communication and support within the extremely diverse departments of
the organisation. Heads of six departments, collectively responsible for
over 200 staff members, are to be involved in the series of seminars. The
programme, Kidman says, is experimental and if it proves to be a success
is also intended for use in the organisation’s branches overseas.
Previously the organisation has taken a more formalised approach to staff
development training relying on methods such as psychometric testing
discussions, motivational conferences and formal appraisals. The new, and
as yet untried, approach will challenge participants in, by comparison,
rather radical ways. One initiative, for example, requiring the writing,
organisation and delivery of a theatrical performance to which all staff
members will be invited to view.

Team building and motivational approaches include a wide variety of
methodologies, techniques, theories and tools. Experts generally agree
that different options may succeed or fail depending upon the culture of
the organisation in which they are implemented. A fit with the
personalities involved in crucial to success. Not only is delivery of
appropriate training sessions themselves important but professional and
measurable follow up is also a must.
Questions 26-30
reading passage?
26
Typical stresses of working with different people are
removed with the correct training.
27
Liaison Wizards claims that training has increased
their income every year since the company started..
28
Many companies are unsuccessful because they are
dogmatic and take advantage of staff..
29
In house training is more successful primarily because
employees feel more involved in the planning..
30
The value of games as a training tool can be
misunderstood..
Questions 31-35
Look at the following list of statements based on Reading Passage 3.
Match the statement with the correct person A-E. You can use each letter
more than once.

A Louise Edwards
B Brenda Durham
C Jeff Blackshaw
D Brian Osborne
E Alan Kidman
31
Many companies will experience friction between staff.
32
Training specifically tailored to a company is more
efficient than generic training.
33
Modern methods of training, although still only being
piloted, can bring people from different perspectives together.
34
Successful team relationships are formed in a positive
work environment.
35
A lack of clarity as to what the term ‘team building’
means.
Questions 36-40
Complete the summary USING NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from
Reading Passage 3 for each answer.
Team building can be considered to have 36 clear

stages. Initially, it is essential to be clear as to the 37
of the entire team or company.
Those barriers which are preventing the team from achieving these aims
are identified as 38 , and are addressed by introducing
enablers. Here the use of 39 can be used to help build
a cooperative relationship. Finally, success can be quantified and
continually 40

Solution:
1 B 2 C
3 D 4 visual
5 1/one second 6 the sun
7 waggle 8 odour
9 FALSE 10 TRUE
13
15
B,C,E 16 C
17 E 18 F
19 B 20 D
21 G 22 C
23 D 24 A
25 I 26 FALSE
29 TRUE 30 TRUE
31 B 32 C
33 E 34 C
35 A 36 four/4
37 collective goals 38 inhibitors
39 humour 40 monitored

Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13. which are based on Reading
Passage 1 below.
Reducing electricity consumption on the Isle of

Eigg
Background
The Isle of Eigg is situated off the West Coast of Scotland, and is reached by ferry from the
mainland. For the island community of about a hundred residents, it has always been
expensive to import products, materials and skilled labour from the mainland, and this has
encouraged a culture of self-sufficiency and careful use of resources. Today, although the
island now has most modern conveniences, CO2 emissions per household are 20 percent
lower than the UK average, and electricity use is 50 percent lower.
When Eigg designed its electricity grid, which was switched on in February 2008, it quickly
became apparent that in order to keep the capital building costs down, it would be
necessary to manage demand. This would also allow the island to generate most of its
electricity from renewable sources, mainly water, wind and solar power. This goal was
overseen by the Eigg Heritage Trust (EHT).
The technology

Eigg manages electricity demand mainly by capping the instantaneous power that can be
used to five kilowatts (kW) for a household and ten kW for a business. If usage goes over
the limit, the electricity supply is cut off and the maintenance team must be called to come
and switch it back on again. All households and businesses have energy monitors, which
display current and cumulative electricity usage, and sound an alarm when consumption
reaches a user-defined level, usually set a few hundred watts below the actual limit. The
result is that Eigg residents have a keen sense of how much power different electrical
appliances use, and are careful to minimise energy consumption.
Demand is also managed by warning the entire island when renewable energy generation
is lower than demand, and diesel generators are operating to back it up - a so-called ‘red
light day’, as opposed to ‘green light days’ when there is sufficient renewable energy.
Residents then take steps to temporarily reduce electricity demand further still, or
postpone demand until renewable energy generation has increased.
Energy use on the island has also been reduced through improved wall and loft insulation
in homes, new boilers, solar water heating, carsharing and various small, energy-saving
measures in households. New energy supplies are being developed, including sustainably
harvested forests to supply wood for heating.
Eigg Heritage Trust has installed insulation in all of its own properties at no cost to the
tenants, while private properties have paid for their own insulation to be installed. The
same applies for installations of solar water heating, although not all Trust properties have
received this as yet. The Trust also operates a Green Grants scheme, where residents can
claim 50 percent of the cost of equipment to reduce carbon emissions, up to a limit of
£300. Purchases included bikes, solar water heating, secondary glazing, thicker curtains,
and greenhouses to grow food locally, rather than importing it.
Environmental benefits
Prior to the installation of the new electricity grid and renewable energy generation, most
households on Eigg used-diesel generators to supply electricity, resulting in significant
carbon emissions. Homes were also poorly insulated and had old, inefficient oil-burning
boilers, or used coal for heating.
The work by the Eigg Heritage Trust to reduce energy use has resulted in significant
reductions in carbon emissions from the island’s households and businesses. The average
annual electricity use per household is just 2,160 kilowatt hours (kWh), compared to a UK
average in 2008 of 4,198 kWh. Domestic carbon emissions have fallen by 47 percent, from
8.4 to 4.45 tonnes per year. This compares to average UK household emissions of 5.5 to
6 tonnes per year. The emissions should fall even further over the next few years as the
supply of wood for heating increases.
Social benefits

The completion of Eigg’s electricity grid has made a significant difference to the island’s
residents, freeing them from dependence on diesel generators and providing them with a
stable and affordable power supply. A reliable electricity supply has brought improvements
in other areas, for example, better treatment of drinking water in some houses, and the
elimination of the constant noise of diesel generators. Improved home insulation and
heating has also yielded benefits, making it more affordable to keep homes at a
comfortable temperature. One of the incentives for capping electricity use, rather than
charging different amounts according to usage, was to make access to energy equitable.
Every household has the same five kW cap, irrespective of income, so distributing the
available resources equally across the island’s population.
Economic and employment benefits
Eigg’s electricity grid supports four part-time maintenance jobs on the island, and residents
have also been employed for building work to improve Trust-owned houses and other
buildings. Likewise, the start of organised harvesting of wood for heating has created
several forestry jobs for residents. A part-time ‘green project manager’ post has also been
created. A wider economic impact has come from having a reliable and affordable
electricity supply, which has enabled several new businesses to start up, including
restaurants, shops, guest houses and self-catering accommodation. As Eigg has become
known for cutting carbon emissions and protecting the environment, an increasing number
of visitors have come to the island to learn about its work, bringing a further economic
benefit to the residents.
Questions 1-7
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage
for each answer.
Approximately how many people live on Eigg?
What proportion of a UK household’s electricity consumption does an Eigg

household consume?
Apart from wind and sun, where does most of Eigg’s electricity come from?
What device measures the amount of electricity Eigg’s households are using?
4
When renewable energy supplies are insufficient, what backs them up?
What has EHT provided free of charge in all the houses it owns?
Which gardening aid did some Eigg inhabitants claim grants for?
Questions 8-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage
1? Write
8 Electricity was available for the first time on Eigg when a

new grid was switched on.
9 Eigg’s carbon emissions are now much lower than before.
10
Wood will soon be the main source of heating on Eigg.
11
Eigg is quieter as a result of having a new electricity supply.
12
Well-off households pay higher prices for the use of extra
electricity.
13
The new electricity grid has created additional employment
opportunities on Eigg.

READING PASSAGE 2
Passage 2 below:
Change in business organisations

A The forces that operate to bring about change in organisations can be thought of as
winds which are many and varied - from small summer breezes that merely disturb a few
papers, to mighty howling gales which cause devastation to structures and operations,
causing consequent reorientation of purpose and rebuilding. Sometimes, however, the
winds die down to give periods of relative calm, periods of relative organisational stability.
Such a period was the agricultural age, which Goodman (1995) maintains prevailed in
Europe and western societies as a whole until the early 1700s. During this period, wealth
was created in the context of an agriculturally based society influenced mainly by local
markets (both customer and labour) and factors outside people’s control, such as the
weather. During this time, people could fairly well predict the cycle of activities required to
maintain life, even if that life might be at little more than subsistence level.
B To maintain the meteorological metaphor, stronger winds of change blew to bring in the
Industrial Revolution and the industrial age. Again, according to Goodman, this lasted for a
long time, until around 1945. It was characterised by a series of inventions and innovations
that reduced the number of people needed to work the land and, in turn, provided the
means of production of hitherto rarely obtainable goods; for organisations, supplying these
in ever increasing numbers became the aim. To a large extent, demand and supply were
predictable, enabling . companies to structure their organisations along what Burns and
Stalker (1966) described as mechanistic lines, that is as systems of strict hierarchical
structures and firm means of control.
C This situation prevailed for some time, with demand still coming mainly from the
domestic market and organisations striving to fill the ‘supply gap’. Thus the most disturbing
environmental influence on organisations of this time was the demand for products, which
outstripped supply. The saying attributed to Henry Ford that ‘You can have any colour of
car so long as it is black’, gives a flavour of the supply-led state of the market. Apart from
any technical difficulties of producing different colours of car, Ford did not have to worry
about customers’ colour preferences: he could sell all that he made. Organisations of this
period can be regarded as ‘task-oriented’, with effort being put into increasing production
through more effective and efficient production processes.
D As time passed, this favourable period for organisations began to decline. In the neo-
industrial age, people became more discriminating in the goods and services they wished
to buy and, as technological advancements brought about increased productivity, supply
overtook demand. Companies began, increasingly, to look abroad for additional markets.
E At the same time, organisations faced more intensive competition from abroad for their
own products and services. In the West, this development was accompanied by a shift in
focus from manufacturing to service, whether this merely added value to manufactured
products, or whether it was service in-its own right. In the neo-industrial age of western
countries, the emphasis moved towards adding value to goods and services - what
Goodman calls the value-oriented time, as contrasted with the task- oriented and
products/services-oriented times of the past.
F Today, in the post-industrial age, most people agree that organisational life is becoming
ever more uncertain, as the pace of change quickens and the future becomes less
predictable. Writing in 1999, Nadler and Tushman, two US academics, said: ‘Poised on
the eve of the next century, we are witnessing a profound transformation in the very
nature of our business organisations. Historic forces have converged to fundamentally
reshape the scope, strategies, and structures of large enterprises.’ At a less general level
of analysis, Graeme Leach, Chief Economist at the British Institute of Directors, claimed in
the Guardian newspaper (2000) that: ‘By 2020, the nine-to-five rat race will be extinct and
present levels of self-employment, commuting and technology use, as well as age and sex
gaps, will have changed beyond recognition.’ According to the article, Leach anticipates
that: ‘In 20 years time, 20-25 percent of the workforce will be temporary workers and many
more will be flexible, ... 25 percent of people will no longer work in a traditional office and
... 50 percent will work from home in some form.’ Continuing to use the ‘winds of change’
metaphor, the expectation's of damaging gale-force winds bringing the need for rebuilding
that takes the opportunity to incorporate new ideas and ways of doing things.
G Whether all this will happen is arguable. Forecasting the future is always fraught with
difficulties. For instance, Mannermann (1998) sees future studies as part art and part
science and notes: ‘The future is full of surprises, uncertainty, trends and trend breaks,
irrationality and rationality, and it is changing and escaping from our hands as time goes

by. It is also the result of actions made by innumerable more or less powerful forces.’ What
seems certain is that the organisational world is changing at a fast rate - even if the
direction of change is not always predictable. Consequently, it is crucial that organisational
managers and decision makers are aware of, and able to analyse the factors which trigger
organisational change.
Questions 14-18
Reading Passage 2 has SEVEN paragraphs, A-G.
Write the correct letter, A-G.
14
some specific predictions about businesses and working
practices
15
reference to the way company employees were usually managed
16
a warning for business leaders
17
the description of an era notable for the relative absence of
change
18
a reason why customer satisfaction was not a high priority
Questions 19-23
Look at the following characteristics (Questions 19-23) and the list of periods below.
Match each characteristic with the correct period, A, B or C.
Write the correct letter, A, B or C.
19
a surplus of goods.
20
an emphasis on production quantity.
21
the proximity of consumers to workplaces.
22
a focus on the quality of goods.

23
new products and new ways of working.
List of periods
A The agricultural age.
B The industrial age.
C The neo-industrial age.
Questions 24-26
Complete the summary below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Businesses in the 21st century
It is generally agreed that changes are taking place more quickly now, and that
organisations are being transformed. One leading economist suggested that by
2020, up to a quarter of employees would be 24 and half of all
employees would be based in the 25 . Although predictions can

be wrong, the speed of change is not in doubt, and business leaders need to
understand the 26 that will be influential.

READING PASSAGE 3
Passage 3 below.
The creation of lasting memories

Many studies of the brain processes underlying the creation of memory consolidation
(lasting memories) have involved giving various human and animal subjects treatment,
while training them to perform a task. These have contributed greatly to our understanding.
In pioneering studies using goldfish, Bernard Agranoff found that protein synthesis
inhibitors injected after training caused the goldfish to forget what they had learned. In
other experiments, he administered protein synthesis inhibitors immediately before the fish
were trained. The remarkable finding was that the fish learned the task completely
normally, but forgot it within a few hours - that is, the protein synthesis inhibitors blocked
memory consolidation, but did not influence short-term memory.
There is now extensive evidence that short-term memory is spared by many kinds of
treatments, including electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), that block memory consolidation.
On the other hand, and equally importantly, neuroscientist Ivan Izquierdo found that many
drug treatments can block short-term memory without blocking memory consolidation.
Contrary to the hypothesis put forward by Canadian psychologist Donald Hebb, in 1949,
long-term memory does not require short-term memory, and vice versa.
Such findings suggest that our experiences create parallel, and possibly independent
stages of memory, .each with a different life span. All of this evidence from clinical and
experimental studies strongly indicates that the brain handles recent and remote memory
in different ways; but why does it do that?

We obviously need to have memory that is created rapidly: reacting to an ever and rapidly
changing environment requires that. For example, most current building codes require that
the heights of all steps in a staircase be equal. After taking a couple of steps, up or down,
we implicitly remember the heights of the steps and assume that the others will be the
same. If they are not the same, we are very likely to trip and fall. Lack of this kind of
rapidly created implicit memory would be bad for us and for insurance companies, but
perhaps good for lawyers. It would be of little value to us if we remembered the heights of
the steps only after a delay of many hours, when the memory becomes consolidated.
The hypothesis that lasting memory consolidates slowly over time is supported primarily
by clinical and experimental evidence that the formation of long-term memory is influenced
by treatments and disorders affecting brain functioning. There are also other kinds of
evidence indicating more directly that the memories consolidate over time after learning.
Avi Kami and Dov Sagi reported that the performance of human subjects trained in a visual
skill did not improve until eight hours after the training was completed, and that
improvement was even greater the following day. Furthermore, the skill was retained for
several years.
Studies using human brain imaging to study changes in neural activity induced by learning
have also reported that the changes continue to develop for hours after learning. In an
innovative study using functional imaging of the brain, Reza Shadmehr and Henry
Holcomb examined brain activity in several brain regions shortly after human subjects
were trained in a motor learning task requiring arm and hand movements. They found that
while the performance of the subjects remained stable for several hours after completion
of the training, their brain activity did not; different regions of the brain were predominantly
active at different times over a period of several hours after the training. The activity
shifted from the prefrontal cortex to two areas known to be involved in controlling
movements, the motor cortex and cerebellar cortex. Consolidation of the motor skill
appeared to involve activation of different neural systems that increased the stability of the
brain processes underlying the skill.
There is also evidence that learning-induced changes in the activity of neurons in the
cerebral cortex continue to increase for many days after the training. In an extensive
series of studies using rats with electrodes implanted in the auditory cortex, Norman
Weinberger reported that, after a tone of specific frequency was paired a few times with
footshock, neurons in the rats’ auditory cortex responded more to that specific tone and
less to other tones of other frequencies. Even more interestingly, the selectivity of the
neurons’ response to the specific tone used in training continued to increase for several
days after the training was terminated.
It is not intuitively obvious why our lasting memories consolidate slowly. Certainly, one can
wonder why we have a form of memory that we have to rely on for many hours, days or a

lifetime, that is so susceptible to disruption shortly after it is initiated. Perhaps the brain
system that consolidates long-term memory over time was a late development in
vertebrate evolution. Moreover, maybe we consolidate memories slowly because our
mammalian brains are large and enormously complex. We can readily reject these ideas.
All species of animals studied to date have both short and long-term memory; and all are
susceptible to retrograde amnesia. Like humans, birds, bees, and molluscs, as well as fish
and rats, make long-term memory slowly. Consolidation of memory clearly emerged early
in evolution, and was conserved.
Although there seems to be no compelling reason to conclude that a biological system

such as a brain could not quickly make a lasting memory, the fact is that animal brains do
not. Thus, memory consolidation must serve some very important adaptive function or
functions. There is considerable evidence suggesting that the slow consolidation is
adaptive because it enables neurobiological processes occurring shortly after learning to
influence the strength of memory for experiences. The extensive evidence that memory
can be enhanced, as well as impaired, by treatments administered shortly after training,
provides intriguing support for this hypothesis.
Questions 27-31
Experiments by Bernard Agranoff described in Reading Passage 3

27 involved
A  injecting goldfish at different stages of the experiments.
B  training goldfish to do different types of task.
C  using different types of treatment on goldfish.
D  comparing the performance of different goldfish on certain tasks.
Most findings from recent studies suggest

28 that
A  drug treatments do not normally affect short-term memories.
B  long-term memories build upon short-term memories.
C  short and long-term memories are formed by separate processes.
D  ECT treatment affects both short-and long-term memories.
29

In the fifth paragraph, what does the writer want to show by the example of
staircases?
A  Prompt memory formation underlies the performance of everyday tasks.
B  Routine tasks can be carried out unconsciously.
C  Physical accidents can impair the function of memory.
D  Complex information such as regulations cannot be retained by the

memory.
Observations about memory by Kami and

30 Sagi
A  cast doubt on existing hypotheses.
B  related only to short-term memory.
C  were based on tasks involving hearing.
D  confirmed other experimental findings.
What did the experiment by Shadmehr and Holcomb

31 show?
A  Different areas of the brain were activated by different tasks.
B  Activity in the brain gradually moved from one area to other areas.
C  Subjects continued to get better at a task after training had finished.
D  Treatment given to subjects improved their performance on a task.
Questions 32-36
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage
3?
Write
32
The training which Kami and Sagi’s subjects were given was
repeated over several days.
33
The rats in Weinberger’s studies learned to associate a
certain sound with a specific experience.
34
The results of Weinberger’s studies indicated that the
strength of the rats’ learned associations increases with time.
35
It is easy to see the evolutionary advantage of the way lasting
memories in humans are created.
36
Long-term memories in humans are more stable than in
many other species.
Questions 37-40
Complete the summary using the list of words,A-l, below
Long-term memory
Various researchers have examined the way lasting memories are formed.
Laboratory experiments usually involve teaching subjects to do something
37
and treating them with mild electric shocks or drugs.
Other studies monitor behaviour after a learning experience, or use sophisticated
equipment to observe brain activity.
The results are generally consistent: they show that lasting memories are the result
38
of a and complex biological process.
The fact that humans share this trait with other species, including animals with
39 40
brains, suggests that it developed in our
evolutionary history.

A early
B easy
C large
D late
E lengthy
F new
G recently
H small
I quick

Solution:
1 100/a hundred 2 50%/50 percent
3 (mainly) water 4 energy monitors
5 diesel generators 6 insulation
7 greenhouses 8 FALSE
9 TRUE 10 NOT GIVEN
11 TRUE 12 FALSE
13 TRUE 14 F
15 B 16 G
17 A 18 C
19 C 20 B
21 A 22 C
23 B 24 temporary
25 home 26 factors
27 A 28 C
29 A 30 D
31 B 32 NOT GIVEN
33 YES 34 YES
35 NO 36 NOT GIVEN
37 F 38 E

39 H 40 A

Reading Practice
Reading Passage 1
Snow-makers
Skiing is big business nowadays. But what can ski resort owners do if
the snow doesn't come?
A In the early to mid twentieth century, with the growing popularity of skiing,
ski slopes became extremely profitable businesses. But ski resort owners were
completely dependent on the weather: if it didn't snow, or didn’t snow enough,
they had to close everything down. Fortunately, a device called the snow gun
can now provide snow whenever it is needed. These days such machines are
standard equipment in the vast majority of ski resorts around the world,
making it possible for many resorts to stay open for months or more a year.
B Snow formed by natural weather systems comes from water vapour in the
atmosphere. The water vapour condenses into droplets, forming clouds. If the
temperature is sufficiently low, the water droplets freeze into tiny ice crystals.
More water particles then condense onto the crystal and join with it to form a
snowflake. As the snow flake grows heavier, it falls towards the Earth.
C The snow gun works very differently from a natural weather system, but it
accomplishes exactly the same thing. The device basically works by combining
water and air. Two different hoses are attached to the gun. one leading from a
water pumping station which pumps water up from a lake or reservoir, and the
other leading from an air compressor. When the compressed air passes
through the hose into the gun. it atomises the water - that is, it disrupts the
stream so that the water splits up into tiny droplets. The droplets are then
blown out of the gun and if the outside temperature is below 0°C, ice crystals
will form, and will then make snowflakes in the same way as natural snow.
D Snow-makers often talk about dry snow and wet snow. Dry snow has a
relatively low amount of water, so it is very light and powdery. This type of
snow is excellent for skiing because skis glide over it easily without getting
stuck in wet slush. One of the advantages of using a snow-maker is that this
powdery snow can be produced to give the ski slopes a level surface. However,
on slopes which receive heavy use, resort owners also use denser, wet snow
underneath the dry snow. Many resorts build up the snow depth this way once
or twice a year, and then regularly coat the trails with a layer of dry snow
throughout the winter.
E The wetness of snow is dependent on the temperature and humidity outside,

as well as the size of the water droplets launched by the gun. Snow-makers
have to adjust the proportions of water and air in their snow guns to get the
perfect snow consistency for the outdoor weather conditions. Many ski slopes
now do this with a central computer system that is connected to weather-
reading stations all over the slope.
F But man-made snow makes heavy demands on the environment. It takes

about 275,000 litres of water to create a blanket of snow covering a 60x60
metre area. Most resorts pump water from one or more reservoirs located in
low-lying areas. The run-off water from the slopes feeds back into these
reservoirs, so the resort can actually use the same water over and over again.
However, considerable amounts of energy are needed to run the large air-
compressing pumps, and the diesel engines which run them also cause air
pollution.
G Because of the expense of making snow, ski resorts have to balance the cost
of running the machines with the benefits of extending the ski season, making
sure they only make snow when it is really needed and when it will bring the
maximum amount of profit in return for the investment. But man-made snow
has a number of other uses as well. A layer of snow keeps a lot of the Earth’s
heat from escaping into the atmosphere, so farmers often use man-made snow
to provide insulation for winter crops. Snow-making machines have played a
big part in many movie productions. Movie producers often take several
months to shoot scenes that cover just a few days. If the movie takes place in a
snowy setting, the set decorators have to get the right amount of snow for
each day of shooting either by adding man-made snow or melting natural
snow. And another important application of man-made snow is its use in the
tests that aircraft must undergo in order to ensure that they can function
safely in extreme conditions.
Questions 1-5
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings
below.
Write the correct number (i-x) in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i Considering ecological costs
ii Modifications to the design of the snow gun
iii The need for different varieties of snow
iv Local concern over environmental issues
v A problem and a solution
vi Applications beyond the ski slopes
vii Converting wet snow to dry snow
viii New method for calculating modifications
ix Artificial process, natural product
x Snow formation in nature
Example Answer
Paragraph
v
A
Paragraph
x
B
Paragraph
C 1
Paragraph
D 2
Paragraph
E 3
Paragraph
F 4
Paragraph
G 5
Questions 6-8
Label the diagram below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the

Questions 9-13
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each
answer.
Dry snow is used to give slopes a level surface, while wet snow is used
to increase the 9 on busy slopes.
To calculate the required snow consistency, the 10 of

the atmosphere must first be measured.
The machinery used in the process of making the snow consumes a lot of
11 which is damaging to the environment.
Artificial snow is used in agriculture as a type of 12 for

plants in cold conditions.
Artificial snow may also be used in carrying out safety checks on

13
Reading Passage 2
Reading Passage 2 below:
Why are so few tigers man-eaters?

A. As you leave the Bandhavgarh National Park in central India, there is a
notice which shows a huge, placid tiger. The notice says, ‘You may not have
seen me, but I have seen you.’ There are more than a billion people In India
and Indian tigers probably see humans every single day of their lives. Tigers
can and do kill almost everything they meet in the jungle, they will kill even
attack elephants and rhino. Surely, then, it is a little strange that attacks on
humans are not more frequent.
B. Some people might argue that these attacks were in fact common in the
past. British writers of adventure stories, such as Jim Corbett, gave the
impression that village life in India in the early years of the twentieth century
involved a stage of constant siege by man-eating tigers. But they may have
overstated the terror spread by tigers. There were also far more tigers around
in those days (probably 60.000 in the subcontinent compared to just 3000
today). So in proportion, attacks appear to have been as rare then as they are
today.
C. It is widely assumed that the constraint is fear; but what exactly are tigers
afraid of? Can they really know that we may be even better armed than they
are? Surely not. Has the species programmed the experiences of all tigers with
humans its genes to be inherited as instinct? Perhaps. But I think the
explanation may be more simple and, in a way, more intriguing.
D. Since the growth of ethology in the 1950s. we have tried to understand

animal behaviour from the animal’s point of view. Until the first elegant
experiments by pioneers in the field such as Konrad Lorenz, naturalists wrote
about animals as if they were slightly less intelligent humans. Jim Corbett’s
breathless accounts of his duels with a an-eaters in truth tell us more about Jim
Corbett than they do about the animals. The principle of ethology, on the other
hand, requires us to attempt to think in the same way as the animal we are
studying thinks, and to observe every tiny detail of its behaviour without
imposing our own human significances on its actions.
E. I suspect that a tiger’s afraid of humans lies not in

some preprogramed ancestral logic but in the way he actually perceives us
visually. If you think like a tiger, a human in a car might appear just to be a
part of the car, and because tigers don’t eat cars the human is safe-unless the
car is menacing the tiger or its cubs, in which case a brave or enraged tiger
may charge. A human on foot is a different sort of puzzle. Imagine a tiger sees
a man who is 1.8m tall. A tiger is less than 1m tall but they may be up to 3m
long from head to tail. So when a tiger sees the man face on, it might not be
unreasonable for him to assume that the man is 6m long. If he meet a deer of
this size, he might attack the animal by leaping on its back, but when he looks
behind the mind he can’t see a back. From the front the man is huge, but
looked at from the side he all but disappears. This must be very disconcerting.
A hunter has to be confident that it can tackle its prey, and no one is confident
when they are disconcerted. This is especially true of a solitary hunter such as
the tiger and may explain why lions-particularly young lionesses who tend to
encourage one another to take risks are more dangerous than tigers.
F. If the theory that a tiger is disconcerted to find that a standing human is

both very big and yet somehow invisible is correct, the opposite should be true
of a squatting human. A squatting human is half he size and presents twice the
spread of back, and more closely resembles a medium-sized deer. If tigers
were simply frightened of all humans, then a squatting person would be no
more attractive as a target than a standing one. This, however appears not to
be the case. Many incidents of attacks on people involving villagers squatting
or bending over to cut grass for fodder or building material.
G. The fact that humans stand upright may therefore not just be something
that distinguishes them from nearly all other species, but also a factor that
helped them to survive in a dangerous and unpredictable environment.
Note:
Ethology = the branch of zoology that studies the behaviour of animals in

their natural habitats
Questions 14-18
Reading Passage 2 has seven paragraphs labelled A-G
Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
14
a rejected explanation of why tiger attacks on
humans are rare
15
a reason why tiger attacks on humans might be
expected to happen more often than they do
16
examples of situations in which humans are more
likely to be attacked by tigers
17
a claim about the relative frequency of tiger attacks
on humans

18
an explanation of tiger behaviour based on the
principles of ethology
Questions 19-23
Passage 2?
19
Tigers in the Bandhavgarh National Park are a
protected species.
20
Some writers of fiction have exaggerated the
danger of tigers to man.
21
The fear of humans may be passed down in a
tiger's genes.
22
Konrad Lorenz claimed that some animals are
more intelligent than humans.
23
Ethology involves applying principles of human
behaviour to animals.
Questions 24-26
Choose the correct answer, A. B C or D
24 Why do tigers rarely attack people in cars?
A  They have learned that cars are not dangerous.
B  They realise that people in cars cannot be harmed.
C  They do not think people in cars are living creatures.

D  They do not want to put their cubs at risk
25
The writer says that tigers rarely attack a man who is standing up
because
A  they are afraid of the man s height.
B  they are confused by the man's shape.
C  they are puzzled by the man s lack of movement.
D  they are unable to look at the man directly.
26 A human is more vulnerable to tiger attack when squatting because
A  he may be unaware of the tiger's approach.
B  he cannot easily move his head to see behind him.
C  his head becomes a better target for the tiger.
D  his back appears longer in relation to his height
Reading Passage 3
Keep taking the tablets

The history of aspirin is a product of a rollercoaster ride through time,
of accidental discoveries, intuitive reasoning and intense corporate
rivalry.
In the opening pages of Aspirin: The Remarkable Story of a Wonder

Drug, Diarmuid Jeffreys describes this little white pill as ‘one of the most
amazing creations in medical history, a drug so astonishingly versatile that it
can relieve headache, ease your aching limbs, lower your temperature and
treat some of the deadliest human diseases’.
Its properties have been known for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian
physicians used extracts from the willow tree as an analgesic, or pain killer.
Centuries later the Greek physician Hippocrates recommended the bark of the
willow tree as a remedy for the pains of childbirth and as a fever reducer. But it
wasn't until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that salicylates the
chemical found in the willow tree became the subject of serious scientific
investigation. The race was on to identify the active ingredient and to replicate
it synthetically. At the end of the nineteenth century a German company,
Friedrich Bayer & Co. succeeded in creating a relatively safe and very effective
chemical compound, acetylsalicylic acid, which was renamed aspirin.
The late nineteenth century was a fertile period for experimentation, partly
because of the hunger among scientists to answer some of the great scientific
questions, but also because those questions were within their means to
answer. One scientist in a laboratory with some chemicals and a test tube
could make significant breakthroughs whereas today, in order to map the
human genome for instance, one needs ‘an army of researchers, a bank of
computers and millions and millions of dollars’.
But an understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry is not

enough on its own to explain how society innovates. In the nineteenth century,
scientific advance was closely linked to the industrial revolution. This was a
period when people frequently had the means, motive and determination to
take an idea and turn it into reality. In the case of aspirin that happened
piecemeal - a series of minor, often unrelated advances, fertilised by the
century’s broader economic, medical and scientific developments, that led to
one big final breakthrough.
The link between big money and pharmaceutical innovation is also a significant
one. Aspirin is continued shelf life was ensured because for the first 70 years of
its life, huge amounts of money were put into promoting it as an ordinary
everyday analgesic. In the 1070s other analgesics, such as ibuprofen
and paracetamol, were entering the market, and the pharmaceutical
companies then focused on publicising these new drugs. But just at the same

time, discoveries were made regarding the beneficial role of aspirin in
preventing heart attacks, strokes and other afflictions. Had it not been for
these findings, this pharmaceutical marvel may well have disappeared.
So the relationship between big money and drugs is an odd one. Commercial
markets are necessary for developing new products and ensuring that they
remain around long enough for scientists to carry out research on them. But
the commercial markets are just as likely to kill off' certain products when
something more attractive comes along. In the case of aspirin, a potential
‘wonder drug* was around for over 70 years without anybody investigating the
way in which it achieved its effects, because they were making more than
enough money out of it as it was. If ibuprofen or paracetamol had entered the
market just a decade earlier, aspirin might then not be here today. It would be
just another forgotten drug that people hadn't bothered to explore.
None of the recent discoveries of aspirin's benefits were made by the big
pharmaceutical companies; they were made by scientists working in the public
sector. 'The reason for that is very simple and straightforward,' Jeffreys says in
his book. 'Drug companies will only pursue research that is going to deliver
financial benefits. There's no profit in aspirin any more. It is incredibly
inexpensive with tiny profit margins and it has no patent any more, so anyone
can produce it.' In fact, there's almost a disincentive for drug companies to
further boost the drug, he argues, as it could possibly put them out of business
by stopping them from selling their more expensive brands.
So what is the solution to a lack of commercial interest in further exploring the

therapeutic benefits of aspirin? More public money going into clinical trials,
says Jeffreys. ‘If I were the Department of Health. I would say “this is a very
inexpensive drug. There may be a lot of other things we could do with it." We
should put a lot more money into trying to find out.'
Jeffreys' book which not only tells the tale of a 'wonder drug' but also explores
the nature of innovation and the role of big business, public money and
regulation reminds us why such research is so important.
Questions 27-32
Complete each sentence with the correct ending A-H from the box below.

A the discovery of new medical applications.
B the negative effects of publicity.
C the large pharmaceutical companies.
D the industrial revolution.
E the medical uses of a particular tree
F the limited availability of new drugs.
G the chemical found in the willow tree.
H commercial advertising campaigns.
27
Ancient Egyptian and Greek doctors were aware of
28
Frederick Bayer & Co were able to reproduce
29
The development of aspirin was partly due to the
effects of
30
The creation of a market for aspirin as a painkiller was
achieved through
31
Aspirin might have become unavailable without
32
The way in which aspirin actually worked was not
investigated by
Questions 33-37
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in
Reading Passage 3?
33
For nineteenth-century scientists, small-scale
research was enough to make important discoveries.

34
The nineteenth-century industrial revolution caused
a change in the focus of scientific research.
35
The development of aspirin in the nineteenth
century followed a structured pattern of development.
36
In the 1970s sales of new analgesic drugs overtook
sales of asprin.
37
Commercial companies may have both good and
bad effects on the availability of pharmaceutical products.
Questions 38-40
Complete the summary below using the list of words A-l below.
Write the correct letter A-l in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet
Research into aspirin

38
Jeffreys argues that the reason why did not find out
39
about new uses of aspirin is that aspirin is no longer a
40
drug. He therefore suggests that there should be support
for further research into the possible applications of the drug.
A useful
B cheap
C state
D international
E major drug companies
F profitable
G commercial
H public sector scientists
I health officials

Solution:
1 ix 2 iii
3 viii 4 i
5 vi 6 compressed
7 (tiny) droplets 8 ice crystals
9 depth 10 temperature and humidity
11 energy 12 insulation
13 aircraft 14 C
15 A 16 F
17 B 18 E
23 FALSE 24 C
25 B 26 D
27 E 28 G
29 D 30 H
31 A 32 C
33 YES 34 NOT GIVEN
35 NO 36 NOT GIVEN
37 YES 38 E
39 F 40 C
Reading Practice
READING PASSAGE 1
The Rise and Fall of the British Textile Industry

Textile production in Britain can be said to have its roots as an industry at the beginning of
the 18th century, when Thomas Crotchet and George Sorocold established what is thought
to be the first factory built in Britain. It was a textile mill with a waterwheel as its source of
power, the latest machinery, and even accommodation for the workers. As well as possibly
being the first sweatshop in the modern sense, it was the beginning of the end for
traditional textile production.
For hundreds of years the spinning and weaving of cloth had been done manually by men,
women and children in their own homes.The yarn would be combed and spun using a
spindle, then woven on a hand loom, and what they produced would be mainly for local
consumption.Technology far more sophisticated than the spindle and hand-loom would
change all that.
The demand for cotton textiles had been growing since the Middle Ages, fostered by the
importation of high quality cotton fabrics from the Middle East and India. So how were
local producers to fight off the com petition? The imported fabrics were of course
expensive, so textile makers (not just in Britain but throughout Europe) produced mixed

fabrics and cotton substitutes.They also had foreign textiles banned. But the key to the
increased productivity needed to meet the demand, was machine production. It would be
faster, cheaper and the finished products would be consistent in quality. Not least of the
advantages was that it would allow manufacturers to market their goods on a large, if not
yet global, scale.
The story of the growth of the British textile industry from about 1733 and for the next two
hundred years is one of constant technological innovation and expansion. In 1733 John
Kay invented the fly-shuttle, which made the hand-loom more efficient, and in 1764 James
Hargreaves came up with the spinning jenny, which among other things had the effect of
raising productivity eightfold. The next great innovator was Richard Arkwright, who in 1768
employed John Kay (of the fly-shuttle) to help him build more efficient machinery. He was
a man with a vision – to mechanise textile production – and by 1782 he had a network of
mills across Britain. As the water-powered machinery, though not yet fully mechanised,
became more complex, Kay began to use steam engines for power. The first power-loom,
however, which was invented in 1785 by Dr Edmund Cartwright, really did mechanise the
weaving stage of textile manufacture.
The pace of growth quickened with the expansion of Britain’s influence in the world and
the acquisition of colonies from which cheap raw materials could be imported. For
example, in a single decade, from 1781 to 1791, imports of cotton into Britain quadrupled,
going on to reach 100 million pounds in weight in 1815 and 263 million in 1830.The
increase in exports is equally impressive; in 1751 £46,000 worth of cloth was exported and
by the end of the century this had risen to £5.4 million. By the end of the 19th century the
figure had soared to close on £50 million. Britain was now supplying cheaper and better
quality clothing to a global market. Yet during the course of the 20th century Britain lost its
position as a major textile manufacturer.
So what happened? There are a number of views on this question, not all of them
conflicting, and where there is disagreement it is usually about when the decline began.
Whether it began before the First World War (1914-18), or during the inter-war years
(1919—1939), or after 1945, most economists would give roughly the same reasons. To
start with, there was competition from abroad, especially from developing countries in the
Far East, notably Japan. It was thought by manufacturers that the best way to combat this
increased competition was to modernise. However, management and the labour unions
were unable to agree on how to handle this situation.
Modernisation would mean people losing their jobs and possibly a change in labour
practices. Such changes as were made served only to slow down the industry’s decline
rather than help regain its predominant position. Economically less developed countries,
on the other hand, had the advantage of being able to provide low wage competition,
without the problem of powerful labour unions.

There are, of course, many other reasons for the textile industry’s decline, two of which
became particularly noticeable in the late twentieth century and are related. The first is
outsourcing, when manufacturers establish factories in countries where there is cheap
labour. This obviously leads to less demand for locally-produced goods. Related to this,
the textile and clothing industries have acquired a bad reputation for exploiting workers,
often illegal immigrants, in sweatshops where they are forced to work long hours and are
paid far less than the minimum wage.
We seem to be back with Crotchet and Sorocold and their first live-in factory. The
globalising trend of out-sourcing, however, was a rational response to the growing
competition from overseas, which, it goes without saying, does not excuse the exploitation
of workers. The British industry itself, while no longer holding a key place in the global
textile market has adapted itself and now concentrates more on the world of fashion and
design, where it seems to be doing quite well.
Questions 1-6
Complete the notes below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Textile Manufacture
Early history
Begins as a cottage industry
Products hand-woven and made for 1
Local producers face 2 from overseas
Ways found to deal with situation
Imported fabrics 3 , mixed cottons produced
Early technology
Machine production needed to 4 for cotton fabrics
Improved technology (such as the fly-shuttle) more 5 and

productive
Machinery begins to be powered by 6

Questions 7-9
Which of the following innovations increased productivity by

7 800%?
A  the power-loom
B  the steam engine
C  the spinning jenny
D  the fly-shuttle
During which period was the British textile industry at its

8 peak?
A  1733-1785
B  1781-1791
C  1791-1830
D  1830-1900
Which of the following was a major cause of the British textile industry’s
9 decline?
A  the expansion of foreign textile industries
B  the loss of overseas markets
C  there being no demand for products
D  labour becoming too expensive
Questions 10-13
10
Foreign textiles were banned because of their inferior quality.
11
Richard Arkwright built the first fully-mechanised textile mill.
12
In less developed countries, the industry could rely on cheap
labour.
13
Out-sourcing was one method used to compete with foreign
manufacturers.
READING PASSAGE 2
Passage 2 below.
What is an ASBO?
Ask somebody to make a list of crimes and they will probably come up with the usual
suspects that you or I would: murder, robbery, assault burglary and so on. They might
even include acts which are merely’against the law’ like parking on a double yellow line.
But if you ask them to make a list of anti-social behaviours, you are getting into an area
where there is going to be considerable disagreement. This didn’t stop the UK
government which introduced Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, or ASBOs, in 1998 as part of
the Crime and Disorder Act – legislation designed to deal with practically all aspects of
criminal activity and disorderly behaviour.
A subjective definition of anti-social behaviour permits you to cast your net wide and
include anything you find personally disagreeable; the legal definition is also widely
inclusive. To quote the Crime and Disorder Act it is behaviour which ’causes or is likely to
cause harassment alarm or distress to one or more people who are not in the same
household as the perpetrator’.This includes, among many other things, foul and abusive
language, threatening behaviour, shouting, disorderly conduct, vandalism, intimidation,
behaviour as the result of drug or alcohol misuse, graffiti and noise which is excessive,
particularly at night.

The idea is that ASBOs are sanctions designed to deal with issues that affect everyone in
the community and as such are civil sanctions, not criminal ones, and need the
cooperation of the community to be effective. For example, a private individual cannot
apply for an ASBO; he or she must make a complaint to the police or local authority, who
will then work together to gather more information and build up evidence. This involves
getting witnesses, among whom will no doubt be neighbours and acquaintances, to make
statements to the authorities. When the authorities are satisfied that they have enough
evidence, the local council applies to the magistrates’court to have an ASBO imposed.
We still haven’t decided what constitutes anti-social behaviour. It doesn’t have to be

physical violence, of course, but is far easier to identify and deal with if it is. What about
threatening behaviour? We’re not talking here about direct threats such as ‘lf you come
round here again, I’ll beat you up!’, but situations perceived as threatening. Let’s say a
pensioner or a person of timid disposition is on their way home and they run into a group
of young people who are shouting, swearing and kicking a ball about and who happen to
make a few unkind . remarks as the person passes. Let’s say the person is alarmed or
feels threatened by the situation. Does it merit getting the ASBO process going?
In fact, young people merely hanging out in public places, however boisterous their
behaviour might seem to be to some people, are not considered to be indulging in anti-
social behaviour. However, there is a proviso. Such behaviour in its own right is not
considered anti-social unless it is thought it is being done with other, more serious,
behavioural attitudes involved. This, of course, can be very subjective.
A person faced with an ASBO can argue in their defence that their behaviour was
reasonable and unthreatening. This too is subjective, and both sides’ claims are open to
wide interpretation. Something else that has to be taken into account here is that ASBOs
are made on an individual basis even if that person is part of a group of people committing
anti-social behaviour. If a case reaches the magistrates’court, witnesses can be called to
provide further evidence for or against the defendant. However, the magistrate, as well as
considering the complaints made against the defendant, will take into account his or her
family situation, welfare issues, and whether or not he or she has been victimised or
discriminated against It is worth bearing in mind, though, that witnesses can be intimidated
or otherwise persuaded not to appear in court and give evidence.
When the Crime and Disorder Act came into force, ASBOs were generally intended to be
a measure to deal with adult anti-social behaviour, yet within the Act it states that an order
can be applied for against any individual over the age often years old. It is a striking fact
that the majority of ASBOs imposed since the law was enacted have been handed out to
young people and children.
The question is, have they been effective? The government, naturally, claims that they
have brought about a real improvement in the quality of life in communities around the
country. Nay-sayers, such as civil rights campaigners, claim the measures are far too
open to abuse. Some say they go too far and some that they don’t go far enough and lack
bite. However, a genuine impediment to their effectiveness is that to impose an ASBO
takes a lot of time and paperwork, involving the cooperation of community, police and local
council, and they are very expensive to implement- One estimate is that an ASBO can
cost in excess of £20,000. What all this means is that ASBOs are being used very rarely in
many parts of the country. So the jury is still out as to how effective they really are.
Questions 14-16
Choose THREE letters A-H.
NB Your answers may be given in any order.
Which THREE of the following statements are true of ASBOs, according to the text?
A  They were introduced to deal with specific crimes.

B  Parking on a double yellow line could get you served with an ASBO.
C  Swearing is one of the offences referred to in the Crime and Disorder Act.
D  As a private householder you can apply for an ASBO against a noisy
neighbour.
E  It is not illegal for young people to gather in groups in public places.

F  An ASBO cannot be served on a group of people behaving in a disorderly
manner.
G  A large proportion of those served with ASBOs are over the age of
H  Most people agree that ASBOs have been effective all over the country.
Questions 17-19
17 The writer suggests that
A  anti-social behaviour should be seen as a crime.
B  few people agree on how to define a crime.
C  anti social behaviour is difficult to define.
D  the legal definition of crime is too exclusive.

What surprised the writer about the imposition of
18 ASBOs?
A  the number of ten-year-olds that had been given one
B  that very few adults had been served with ASBOs
C  that most of those served with ASBOs were youngsters
D  how few ASBOs had been imposed since 1998
In the writers opinion, how effective have ASBOs

19 been?
A  There isn’t enough evidence to decide.
B  They are too expensive to be effective.
C  They are ineffective because they are not strict enough.
D  Being open to abuse renders them ineffective.
Question 20-26
Complete the sentences.
The official 20 says that anti social behaviour is behaviour

which can cause alarm or distress.
Along with swearing and destruction of public or private property, making

21 noise is considered anti-social behaviour.
ASBOs are considered to be part of 22 law rather than criminal

law.
Citizens have to 23 to either the local council or the police

before any action can be taken.
In their efforts to collect evidence the authorities may call on 24

to get more information.
ASBOs are issued at a 25
26 is the most straightforward form of anti social behaviour to

determine.

READING PASSAGE 3
Passage 3 below.
The Climate Changers

The romantic notion that early humans lived in harmony with their environment has taken
quite a battering lately. Modem humans may have started eliminating other species right
from the start; our ancestors stand accused of wiping out mega fauna – from giant
flightless birds in Australia to mammoths in Asia and the ground sloth of North America –
as they spread across the planet.
Even so, by around 6,000 years ago there were only about 12 million people on earth –
less than a quarter of the current population of Great Britain. That’s a far cry from today’s
6.6 billion, many of us guzzling fossil fuels, churning out greenhouse gases and messing
with our planet’s climate like there’s no tomorrow. So it may seem far-fetched to suggest
that humans have been causing global warming ever since our ancestors started burning
and cutting forests to make way for fields at least 7,000 years ago.
Yet that’s the view of retired climate scientist William Ruddiman, formerly of the University
of Virginia, Charlottesville. Ancient farmers were pumping climate-warming carbon dioxide
and methane into the atmosphere long before recorded history began, he says. Far from
causing catastrophe, however, early farmers halted the planet’s descent into another ice
age and kept Earth warm and stable for thousands of years.
Could a few primitive farmers really have changed the climate of the entire globe? If you
find this hard to believe, you’re not the only one. Ruddiman’s idea has been hugely
controversial ever since he proposed it in 2003. ‘Most new ideas, especially controversial
ones, die out pretty fast. It doesn’t take science long to weed them out,’ he says. Yet five

years on, his idea is still not dead. On the contrary, he says the latest evidence
strengthens his case. ‘It has become clear that natural explanations for the rise in
greenhouse gases over the past few thousand years are the ones that are not measuring
up, and we can reject them,’he claims.
There is no doubt that the soaring levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
that we see in the atmosphere today – causing a 0.7° C rise in average global
temperature during the 20thcentury – are the result of human activities. In the late 1990s,
however, Ruddiman started to suspect that our contribution to the global greenhouse
began to become significant long before the industrial age began. This was when an ice
core drilled at the Vostok station in Antarctica revealed how atmospheric C02 and
methane levels have changed over the past 400,000 years. Bubbles trapped in the ice
provide a record of the ancient atmosphere during the past three interglacials.
What we see is a regular pattern of rises and falls with a period of about 100,000 years,
coinciding with the coming and going of ice ages. There are good explanations for these
cycles: periodic changes in the planet’s orbit and axis of rotation alter the amount of
sunlight reaching the Earth. We are now in one of the relatively brief, warm interglacial
periods that follow an ice age.
Within this larger pattern there are regular peaks in methane every 22,000 years that
coincide with the times when the Earth’s orbit makes summers in the northern hemisphere
warmest. This makes sense, because warm northern summers drive strong tropical
monsoons in southern Asia that both encourage the growth of vegetation and cause
flooding, during which vegetation rotting in oxygen-poor water will emit methane. Around
the Arctic, hot summers thaw wetlands for longer, again promoting both vegetation growth
and methane emission.
In recent times, however, this regular pattern has changed. The last methane peak
occurred around 11,000 years ago, at about 700 parts per billion (ppb), after which levels
began to fall. But instead of continuing to fall to what Ruddiman says should have been a
minimum of about 450 ppb today, the atmospheric methane began to climb again 5,000
years ago.
Working with climate modellers Stephen Verves and John Kutzbach, Ruddiman has
shown that if the levels of these gases had continued to fall rather than rising when they
did, ice sheets would now cover swathes of northern Canada and Siberia. The world
would be heading into another ice age.
So why did both methane and C02 rise over the past few thousand years? In other words,
why has this interglacial period been different from previous ones? Could humans be to
blame?
Agriculture emerged around the eastern Mediterranean some 11,000 years ago, then

shortly afterwards in China and several thousand years later in the Americas. Farming can
release greenhouse gases in various ways: clearing forests liberates lots of stored carbon
as the wood rots or is burned, for instance, while flooded rice paddies release methane
just as wetlands do.
To find out more about early farming, Ruddiman began to dig around in studies of
agricultural history.These revealed that there was a sharp rise in rice cultivation in Asia
around 5,000 years ago, with the practice spreading across China and south-east Asia.
Here at least was a possible source for the unexpected methane rise.
Questions 27-29
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D
One of the claims Ruddiman makes is

27 that
A  population growth is responsible for global warming.
B  people have affected the climate for thousands of years.
C  his ideas are not in the least bit controversial.
D  so far scientists have been wrong about global warming.
What information did the research at Vostok reveal for the first
28 time?
A  that methane levels stabilised about 11,000 years ago
B  that Antarctic ice contains methane bubbles
C  that the methane levels increased about 5,000 years ago
D  that we are now living in a warm interglacial period
The climate changers of the title

29 are
A  modern humans.
B  climate modellers.
C  primitive farmers.
D  natural causes.
Questions 30-34
To many people the controversial idea that our 30 were

responsible for global warming appears 31 . Yet Ruddiman
believes that high levels of carbon dioxide and methane – both
32 , or greenhouse, gases – were being released into the
Earth’s atmosphere in times prior to 33 . However,
Ruddiman claims that this
had a positive effect, as it may well have saved us from another
34
Questions 35-40
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage
3?
35
Some mega fauna have been eliminated by humans in the
past 100 years.
36
Agriculture is considered a primary cause of global warming
today.
37
Ruddimans idea caused a great deal of argument among
scientists.
38
New scientific evidence proves for certain that Ruddimans
theory is correct.
39
The 20th century has seen the greatest ever increase in

global temperatures.
40
Changes in the Earths orbit can affect global temperatures.

Solution:
1 local consumption 2 competition
3 banned 4 meet (the) demand
5 efficient 6 steam (engines)
7 C 8 D
9 A 10 FALSE
14
13 TRUE 16
C,E,F
17 C 18 C
19 A 20 definition
21 excessive 22 civil
23 make a complaint 24 witnesses/neighbours and

acquaintances
25 magistrates' court 26 physical violence
27 B 28 C
29 C 30 ancestors
31 far-fetched 32 climate-warming
33 recorded history 34 ice age
37 TRUE 38 FALSE

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Reading Practice

Reading Practice Test 1

Ancient Chinese Chariots

B The Tomb of Fu Hao is an archaeological site at Yinxu, the ruins of the

D Excavation of ancient Chinese chariots has conﬁrmed the descriptions of

E Within a millennium, however, Chinese chariot-makers had developed a

TRUE if the statement is true

FALSE if the statement is false

NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage

1 When discovered, the written records of the grave

2 Human skeletons in Anyang tomb were identified as

3 The Terracotta Army was discovered by people lived

4 The size of the King Tutankhamen’s tomb is bigger than

Choose ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 5-10 on your answer sheet.

The hub is made of wood from the tree of 5

The number of spokes varied from 18 to 7

Access https://ieltsonlinetests.com for more practices page 3

Two 9 was used to strengthen the wheel

Leather wrapped up the edge of the wheel aimed to remain

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the

Access https://ieltsonlinetests.com for more practices page 4

D. To reﬁne these recommendations and provide ﬁne-scale, quantitative

H. By 2004, the number of booming male bitterns in the UK had increased to

i research findings into habitats and decisions made

ii fluctuation in bittern number

iii protect the young bittern

iv international cooperation works

v Began in calculation of the number

vii Research has been successful.

viii research into the reedbed

ix reserve established holding bittern in winter

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the

When did the birth of bitten reach its peak of number?

What does the author describe the bittern’s character?

What is the main cause for the chick bittern’s death?

What is the main food for chick bittern?

What system does it secure the stability for bittern’s population?

Write your answers in box 27 on your answer sheet.

27 What is the main purpose of this passage?

A  Main characteristic of a bird called bittern.

B  Cooperation can protect an endangered species.

C  The difficulty of access information of bittern’s habitat and diet.

D  To save wetland and reedbed in UK.

Access https://ieltsonlinetests.com for more practices page 8

B In addition to generally positive economic beneﬁts, other advantages such as

C Much of the discussion about implementing e-learning has focused on the

D On the other hand, nobody said E-training technology would be cheap. E-

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F While few people debate the obvious advantages of e-learning, systematic

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i overview of the benefits for the application of E-training

ii IBM’s successful choice of training

iii Future direction and a new style of teaching

iv learners achievement and advanced teaching materials

v limitations when E-training compares with traditional class

vi multimedia over the Internet can be a solution

vii technology can be a huge financial burden

ix other advantages besides economic consideration

x Training offered to help people learn using computer

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write your answers in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.

A  Technical facilities are hardly obtained.

C  It is ineffective imparting a unique corporate value to fresh