Examination texts

LEVEL 0: Spotify will not ban AI-made music (28th September 2023)

A.I. sites are less than a year old, but they have got people asking questions. One question
is if music made by A.I. is real music. Spotify answered this question. It said A.I. is OK for
making most music. Spotify has no plans to ban music created with A.I. It did not like
software that copies the voice of a singer.

Spotify said copying is a problem. It deleted a song that copied the voices of the singers
Drake, and The Weeknd. Spotify said copying is a problem because anyone can upload a
song and say they are Madonna. It is difficult to know if a song is sung by a bot or a human.
The future of music will be "tricky".

Possible questions:

1. What does Spotify not like about AI music?

2. What did Spotify say the future of music would be? Why?

LEVEL 0: Scrolling on the toilet can damage your body

(12th October 2023)

Many of us use our smartphone in the toilet. The habit of checking emails on the toilet could
damage our body. A doctor warned that bathroom bacteria contain health risks. He said
many people do not know about the dangers. He added that smartphone addiction could
have some serious results.

People wrongly think it is OK to use smartphones in the toilet. Doing this makes us sit down
for longer. This puts extra pressure on our stomach. Bacteria could damage the "toilet areas"
of our stomach. The doctor warned that smartphones are dirtier than toilet seats. He said we
shouldn't take phones into the toilet.

Possible questions:

1. How might using a smartphone in a toilet be dangerous?

2. What do people check out on their smartphone in the toilet?
3. What do many people wrongly believe about using phones in toilets?
4. How does using a smartphone affect how long we sit on a toilet?
LEVEL 1: The Beatles release the last song they recorded (2nd
November 2023)

The Beatles have released their last song, called "Now and Then". It was written by John
Lennon. Other Beatles members added to it over the years. Engineers used AI to bring the
song to life. It sounds like the Beatles recorded it in a studio. The song has been released as
a single. The other side of the single is a new mix of 1962's "Love Me Do". "Now and Then"
is the final track on a new edition of the Beatles' greatest hits "blue" album.

Paul McCartney said recording the new song was "emotional". He said: "It's a genuine
Beatles recording." He added: "To release a new song [in 2023] the public haven't heard is
an exciting thing." McCartney said John Lennon's voice was "crystal clear". Lennon was shot
dead by a fan in 1980. Beatles drummer Ringo Starr said the song was, "the closest we'll
ever come to having [John Lennon] back in the room".

Possible questions:

1. Who did Paul McCartney speak to?

2. What was Paul McCartney excited about hearing?
3. How excited do you get when an artist releases a new song?
4. What music makes you emotional?

LEVEL 1: Iceland's prime minister and women go on strike (26th

October 2023)

Women in Iceland went on strike on Tuesday for greater gender equality. The prime minister
also took part in the strike. She told reporters about the "Women's Day Off". She said: "We
have not yet reached our goals of full gender equality and we are still tackling the
gender-based wage gap, which is unacceptable in 2023." Women in Iceland stopped work to
show how important they are to society."

The strike was the seventh in Iceland's history and the first in 50 years. The last strike was in
1975. A year later, Iceland passed an equal pay law. In 1980, Iceland became the first
European country to have a woman leader. Iceland has had the smallest gender gap in the
world for 14 years. However, the prime minister wants to lower gender-based violence. She
said it was a top goal for her government.

1. Who joined women in Iceland in a strike? What did Iceland's leader say was
unacceptable in 2023?
2. What did women want to demonstrate their importance to?
3. How many times have women in Iceland now gone on strike? When did the previous
women's strike take place?
4. What did Iceland do in 1980?
5. For how many years in a row has Iceland had the smallest gender gap? What does it
mean?