CONFIDENTIAL 1 LG/JULY 2022/ELC151/150 (BACKUP)

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

COURSE : INTEGRATED LANGUAGE SKILLS II

INTEGRATED LANGUAGE SKILLS: READING
COURSE CODE : ELC151/ELC150
ASSESSMENT : READING TEST
TIME : 2 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. This question paper consists of three (3) parts: PART A : 2 Questions

PART B : 1 Question
PART C : 2 Questions

2. Answer ALL questions from all parts in the Question Paper.

3. Fill in the details below:

UiTM STUDENT CARD NO : _____________________________________

PROGRAMME/CODE : _____________________________________

PART : _____________________________________

ENGLISH LANGUAGE GROUP : _____________________________________

NAME OF LECTURER : _____________________________________

4 You are allowed to refer to a print English-English dictionary.

5 Please check to make sure that this test pack consists of:

i) the Question Paper.

DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

This test paper consists of 13 printed pages

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PART A: READING COMPREHENSION (15 MARKS)

Read the passage below and answer all the questions that follow.

Rats!

I A rat is a rodent and is one of the most common mammals in the world. Its
scientific name is Rattus norvegicus, and it is one of approximately four hundred
different kinds of rodents. Rats are known by many names, each of which
describes a trait or sometimes a habitat, such as the migratory rat, the house
rat, the sewer rat, the alley rat, the common rat, and the brown rat. An average 5
brown rat is large and stocky; it can grow to be approximately sixteen inches
long from its nose to its tail to the size of a large adult human male’s foot and
weighs about 500 grams.

II The first use of rats in experiments began in the 1850s. Scientists purchased
their subjects from professional breeders known as ‘rat fanciers’ who prize the 10
creatures as pets for their unique coats and personalities. For decades, lab rats
and mice have been used to make great scientific and medical advances, from
cancer drugs and HIV antiretrovirals to the yearly flu vaccine. There are many
reasons why scientists prefer to use rats in research studies compared to other
types of animals. “They reproduce quickly,” says Manuel Berdoy, a zoologist 15
from Oxford University. “They are social, they are adaptable, and they are
omnivores, so they’ll eat pretty much anything.” As a result, rodents have all but
taken over scientific labs, making up nearly 95 percent of all laboratory animals.

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III Rats are often used to study behaviour in psychology experiments. Their brains
are larger than mice, and the animals are less timid and more intelligent. 20
Although rats do not ‘think’ like humans, some of their brain structure resembles
the more primitive elements of human brains, and hence they can be used to
model some human behaviours. For instance, through the study of rats,
researchers in the UK have found that addiction manifests itself differently in
different individuals and that compulsive cocaine-seeking behaviour may 25
continue despite adverse circumstances.

IV Additionally, most disease-linked human genes have counterparts in the rat.

Pinpointing these help researchers develop rat genetic models of human
disease. These models and studies of rats have made invaluable contributions
to cardiovascular medicine, neural regeneration, wound healing, diabetes, 30
transplantation, behavioural studies and space motion sickness research. Rats
have also been widely used to test drug efficacy and safety. Improved models
in all these areas of research are the result from our new knowledge of the rat
genome.

V Still, while rats may be incredibly useful in scientific discoveries, outside of the 35
lab, they are often pests that lurk in darkness, finding homes in residential areas
and underground sewers. A rat is capable of digging a two-inch wide hole on
concrete sidewalk slabs to create the entrance to its nest. Rat nests can be found
in the floorboards of apartments, waste-stuffed corners of subway stations,
sewers, or beneath old furniture in basements. Littered and untidy streets in cities 40
can also be the ideal rat habitat, especially those associated with food-serving
establishments. Sometimes there are networks of tunnels, which can stretch
beneath a few concrete squares on a sidewalk, a number of backyards, or even
an entire city block.

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VI Rats seem to be attracted to wires such as computer wires, wires in vehicles, 45

and to gas and water pipes. According to a rat expert, wires may be attractive
to rats because of their resemblance to stalks of plants. It is estimated that 26
percent of all electric cable failures and 12 percent of all phone-cable disruptions
are caused by rats. According to one study, as much as 25 percent of all
unknown causes of fires are rat-caused. 50

VII Rats may damage our wires, dig into our trash, and make nests in our walls, yet
we must also not forget the contributions that various lab rats have made to
scientific and medical discoveries. So, if you are faced with a rat infestation,
overcoming it is rather simple – just make sure there is no discarded food that
they can get into and always be alert with their preference to the dark as there 55
could be one around the corner. They may not be the most pleasing of pests to
see in our residential areas, but it cannot be denied that they have also made
very significant contributions to improve our lives.

Retrieved and adapted from

https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/04/books/chapters/rats.html
and https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/research-at-cambridge/animal-
research/what-types-of-animal-do-we-use/rats#:~:text=The%20laboratory%20
rat%20has%20made,test%20drug%20efficacy%20and%20safety

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QUESTION 1 (11 MARKS)

a) What do the following words and phrases in the passage refer to?

i) it (line 6) : ________________________________________________
ii) their (line 11) : ________________________________________________
iii) these (line 28) : ________________________________________________
iv) those (line 41) : ________________________________________________
(4 marks)

b) Based on the passage, give two (2) reasons why rats are favoured over mice for
psychology experiments.
i) _______________________________________________________________
ii) _______________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

c) In what areas have rat genetic models of human disease been used in research?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

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d) Read the statements below carefully. Write T if the statement is TRUE and F if it is
FALSE.

i) The rats that are purchased from professional breeders are called
‘rat fanciers’.

ii) A rat enters its nest through a two-inch hole that they are able to
dig through on their own.

iii) According to one study, most unknown causes of fires are rat-caused.

(3 marks)

e) What is the topic sentence for Paragraph III?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

QUESTION 2 (4 MARKS)

a) Explain the following statement:

‘... while rats may be incredibly useful in scientific discoveries, outside of the lab, they are
often pests that lurk in darkness.’ (lines 35-36)
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

b) In your opinion, do the scientific contributions given by rats outweigh the damage that
they cause as pests? State one (1) reason to support your answer.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

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PART B: INTERPRETING VISUAL (5 MARKS)

Study the table below and answer the questions that follow.

Figure 1: The Accumulated Number of Bangtan Boys' (BTS) Music Albums Sold in
South Korea from 2015 to 2020 (in million copies)

2015 0.06

2016 0.23

2017 0.54

2018 1.45

2019 2.72

2020 5.15

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Number of sold albums in million copies

Table 1: Reasons for Bangtan Boys’ (BTS) Popularity Rankings

Reasons Rank

Good looking 3

Talented in singing/dancing 1

Unique personality 4

Catchy songs 2

Numerous charities 5

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QUESTION 1 (5 MARKS)

a) What do the graph and table describe?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

b) Identify the highest number of albums sold by Bangtan Boys from 2015 to 2020.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

c) What are the two (2) lowest reasons for Bangtan Boys’ popularity ranking?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

d) What is the difference in the number of Bangtan Boys’ music albums sold for the year 2017
and 2019?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

e) In your opinion, state one (1) possible reason which leads to Bangtan Boys’ success in
the international music markets.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

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PART C: READING COMPREHENSION (20 MARKS)

Read the passage below and answer all the questions that follow.

Stigmatisation of HIV Victims

I As a major transmittable disease, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is

one of the most significant health challenges that mankind has faced in the 21st
century. A statistic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on HIV shows that
about six million people are currently living with HIV in Asia. This figure is
disturbing when taking into consideration the modest Asian culture, norms, and 5
strict societal morality. Nevertheless, the behaviour of the Asian society in
dealing with this phenomenon and the HIV victims is worrying.

II HIV is transmitted through sexual intercourse and is generally believed to be

prevalent among those who participate in unusual or unnatural sexual
activities. Due to the nature of its spread, people with HIV infections are not 10
socially acceptable in most Asian countries. They are considered as
unpleasantly different from the general public and are perceived as a threat.
They are labelled as outcasts, and their social status is often degraded and
insulted. In the end, these people are faced with unfair prejudice and are
pushed out of the community, a phenomenon now known as ‘HIV stigma’. 15

III HIV stigma is rooted in a fear of HIV. Many ideas about HIV come from the HIV
images that first appeared in the early 1980s. There are still misconceptions
about how HIV is transmitted and what it means to live with HIV today. As a
result, this has translated into unfair treatments to those suffering from the
disease. For instance, families who misunderstand HIV transmission often 20
refuse to touch HIV-infected family members or share their dinner plates with
them. Some would even bleach the items in the house that the victims had
touched. The HIV-infected individuals would also lose their friends because
they do not want to have personal contact with people with such disease.

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IV The terrible treatment from the public, including the stigma and discrimination 25
associated with HIV, is the greatest challenge faced by HIV-infected
individuals. They are frequently held back from getting access to medications
and care. Some health care professionals have also openly refused to provide
care and services to a person living with HIV. As a result, many victims
shy away from disclosing their illnesses. Some also become afraid of seeking 30
medical, emotional and moral support. Many believe that delaying or refusing
treatment and hiding their disease from others is the best option, which results
in even worse health consequences.

V The stigma and discrimination in society have caused alarming emotional and
mental damage to HIV-infected individuals. Studies reveal that “internalized 35
stigma” or “self-stigma” happens when a person takes in the negative ideas
and stereotypes about people living with HIV and start to apply them to
themselves, causing denial, secrecy, depression, and shame. They believe
that disclosing their status may not only create neglect and isolation but also
result in a more stressful emotional condition. Eventually, the fear of losing 40
family support and health care provisions has forced them to keep their status
a secret.

VI There is only one solution to overcome HIV stigma. All parties concerned
should be more participative and committed to educating the impact and
consequences of the disease and dispel the myths and stigma surrounding 45
HIV-infected people. This awareness should be created not only for the public,
but also for the infected individuals. The media and the government should
work hand-in-hand in this task of educating and instilling positive awareness of
the causes, the nature of the disease, the plight of the infected, and the role of
society in not only helping them manage the disease but also stopping the 50
stigma altogether.

Adapted from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4537784/

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QUESTION 1 (10 MARKS)

a) Give the meaning of the words as they are used in the passage.

i) prevalent (line 9) : _______________________________________________

ii) personal (line 24) : _______________________________________________
iii) shy away (line 30) : _______________________________________________
iv) status (line 41) : _______________________________________________
(4 marks)

b) Based on the passage, how is HIV transmitted to other people?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

c) What do self-stigma individuals believe will happen if they tell others of their HIV status?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

d) State the main idea of Paragraph IV.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

e) Explain the meaning of the statement below.

‘Eventually, the fear of losing family support and health care provisions has forced them
to keep their status a secret.’ (lines 40-42)
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

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QUESTION 2 (10 MARKS)

a) Indicate whether each statement below is a Fact (F) or an Opinion (O).

i) A statistic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on HIV shows that about
six million people are currently living with HIV in Asia (lines 3-4).

ii) HIV is transmitted through sexual intercourse and is generally believed to be

prevalent among those who participate in unusual or unnatural sexual
activities (lines 8-10).

iii) Studies reveal that “internalized stigma” or “self-stigma” happens when a

person takes in the negative ideas and stereotypes about people living with
HIV and start to apply them to themselves (lines 35-38).

iv) All parties concerned should be more participative and committed to

educating the impact and consequences of the disease and dispel the myths
and stigma surrounding HIV-infected people (lines 43-46).
(4 marks)

b) ‘Nevertheless’ in line 6 links two (2) ideas. What are they?

i) ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
ii) ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

c) Which of the following best describes the tone of the article?

i) Serious
ii) Sarcastic
iii) Optimistic
iv) Humorous
(1 mark)

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d) What is the main purpose of this article?

i) To inform
ii) To instruct
iii) To entertain
iv) To persuade
(1 mark)

e) In your opinion, do you think that you would be able to be in the same classroom with a
diagnosed HIV patient? Give a reason for your answer.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

END OF QUESTION PAPER

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