Ielts Reading Practice Cambridge 15+13

WORKBOOK FOR IELTS READING
CAMBRIDGE IELTS ACADEMIC 15

(4 READING TESTS)
MAIN CONTENT OF EACH TEST
1. VOCABULARY BOOSTER
2. TEST QUESTIONS (IELTS paper-based format)
3. ANSWER SHEET (not the official version)
4. ANSWER
This workbook belongs to _____________________________________________
1
BOOST YOUR VOCABULARY – CAMBRIDGE IELTS 15
TEST 1
READING PASSAGE 1
T he nutmeg tree, Myristica fragrans, is a large

nutmeg= a brown powder made from the seed of a
tropical tree, which is used as a spice
valuable= important, beneficial, worthy #worthless
spice= a type of powder or seed, taken from plants,
that you put into food you are cooking to give it a
special taste
myristica fragrans= east indian tree widely
evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia. Until the late
cultivated in the tropics for its aromatic seed
evergreen= an evergreen tree or bush does not
18th century, it only grew in one place in the world: a lose its leaves in winter
native to= indigenous, local, aboriginal, resident
small group of islands in the Banda Sea, part of the #foreign
branch= split, fork, divide
Moluccas — or Spice Islands — in northeastern dense= thick, close together #transparent
foliage= leaves
Indonesia. The tree is thickly branched with dense tough= not easily broken or made weaker
oval= ovate, egg-shaped
foliage of tough, dark green oval leaves, and produces bell-shaped= shaped like a bell
pale= pallid, faint, weak #strong
small, yellow, bell-shaped flowers and pale yellow pear- pear-shaped= shaped like a pear
encase sth in sth= cover, enclose, wrap #uncover
shaped fruits. The fruit is encased in a fleshy husk. fleshy= having a soft thick inner part
husk= shell, pod, covering #kernel
When the fruit is ripe, this husk splits into two halves ripe= fully grown, mature
split into= divide, separate, break up, #united
along a ridge running the length of the fruit, inside is a ridge= edge, point
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2
purple-brown shiny seed, 2-3 cm long by about 2 cm shiny= glossy, gleaming, sparkly
seed= one of the small hard objects in a fruit such
as an apple or orange, from which new fruit trees
across, surrounded by a lacy red or crimson covering grow
surround= enclose, encircle, envelop
lacy= made of lace
called an ‘aril’. These are the sources of the two spices crimson= deep red in colour
aril= an extra seed covering, typically coloured and
nutmeg and mace, the former being produced from the hairy or fleshy
mace= a spice made from the dried shell of a
nutmeg
dried seed and the latter from the aril. former= previous, past, earlier, prior
latter= last, later, final #former, previous
prized= extremely important or valuable to

Nutmeg was a highly prized and costly ingredient in someone
costly= expensive, high, exorbitant
ingredient= element, component, part, item, thing
European cuisine in the Middle Ages, and was used as cuisine= food, cooking
middle ages= the period in european history
a flavouring, medicinal, and preservative agent. between about 1100 and 1500 ad
flavouring= a substance used to give something a
particular flavour or increase its flavour
Throughout this period, the Arabs were the exclusive medicinal= used for treating medical problems
preservative= conserving, preserving, protective
agent= a chemical or substance that is used for a
importers of the spice to Europe. They sold nutmeg for particular purpose or that has a particular effect
exclusive= sole, limited #partial
high prices to merchants based in Venice, but they importer= a person, company, or country that buys
goods from other countries so they can be sold in
their own country
never revealed the exact location of the source of this merchant= wholesaler, trader, dealer
be based in sth= to have your main place of work,
business etc in a particular place
extremely valuable commodity. The Arab-Venetian reveal= tell, expose, disclose #conceal
commodity= product, goods
dominance of the trade finally ended in 1512, when the dominance of= supremacy, domination, control,
power, ascendency #weakness
reach= arrive, go, move
Portuguese reached the Banda Islands and began exploit= use, utilize, make use of, take advantage
of
precious= valuable, treasurable, priceless
exploiting its precious resources. #worthless
resource= source, reserve, supply
be in danger of (doing) sth= risk, threat, hazard,

Always in danger of competition from neighbouring endangerment #safety
subcontract sth to sb= if a company subcontracts
Spain, the Portuguese began subcontracting their spice work, they pay other people to do part of their work
distribution to Dutch traders. Profits began to flow into for them
distribution= supply, spreading, delivery
the Netherlands, and the Dutch commercial fleet swiftly trader= dealer, merchant, seller
flow into sth= run, pour, flood
grew into one of the largest in the world. The Dutch commercial= business-related, for-profit #charitable
fleet= a group of ships, or all the ships in a navy
quietly gained control of most of the shipping and trading swiftly= quickly, speedily, rapidly #slowly
fall under= to be influenced or affected by
of spices in Northern Europe. Then, in 1580, Portugal fell (something)
under Spanish rule, and by the end of the 16th century rule= law, regulation, statute
lock sb out of sth= to prevent a person or
the Dutch found themselves locked out of the market. As organization from having or being able to take part
in something
prices for pepper, nutmeg, and other spices soared soar= climb, rocket, rise, increase, #decrease, drop,
plummet
3
across Europe, they decided to fight back. fight back= to work hard to achieve or oppose
something, especially in a situation where you
are losing
merchant= wholesaler, trader, dealer

In 1602, Dutch merchants founded the VOC, a trading found= start, create, establish, set up #close
corporation better known as the Dutch East India corporation= company, business, firm, organization
Company. By 1617, the VOC was the richest commercial army= large organized group of people trained to
operation in the world. The company had 50,000 fight on land in a war
plague= disease, epidemic, pandemic, illness
employees worldwide, with a private army of 30,000 men
contagious= transmissible, transmittable, infectious
and a fleet of 200 ships. At the same time, thousands of
desperate= anxious, worried, frantic, hopeless
people across Europe were dying of the plague, a highly
#calm
contagious and deadly disease. Doctors were desperate spread= if something spreads or is spread, it
for a way to stop the spread of this disease, and they becomes larger or moves so that it affects more
decided nutmeg held the cure. Everybody wanted people or a larger area
nutmeg, and many were willing to spare no expense to cure= treatment, therapy, medication
have it. Nutmeg bought for a few pennies in Indonesia spare no expense to do sth= to spend as much
could be sold for 68,000 times its original cost on the money or do everything necessary to make
streets of London. The only problem was the short supply. something really good or successful
And that’s where the Dutch found their opportunity. penny - pennies (plural) = a small unit of money in
britain. there are 100 pence in one pound
The Banda Islands were ruled by local sultans who rule= govern, reign, lead, control
sultan= a ruler in some muslim countries
insisted on maintaining a neutral trading policy towards insist on= require, enforce, oblige
foreign powers. This allowed them to avoid the presence neutral= unbiased, impartial #biased
power= authority, control, supremacy
of Portuguese or Spanish troops on their soil, but it also troop= crowd, flock, group
unprotected= defenseless, inseure, vulnerable
left them unprotected from other invaders. In 1621, the invader= attacker, assailant, intruder
take over= take control, take charge, come to
Dutch arrived and took over. Once securely in control of power
the Bandas, the Dutch went to work protecting their new concentrate= collect, mass, assemble #disperse
guarded= secured, protected, watched
investment. They concentrated all nutmeg production uproot= deracinate, pull up, dig up #plant
plantation= farm, agricultural estate, cultivated area
into a few easily guarded areas, uprooting and zone= area, region, sector
catch sb doing sth= to see someone doing
destroying any trees outside the plantation zones. something that they did not want you to know they
Anyone caught growing a nutmeg seedling or carrying were doing
seedling= sprout, sapling, plantlet
seeds without the proper authority was severely proper= appropriate, suitable, apt.
authority= permission, license, mandate
punished. In addition, all exported nutmeg was covered lime= a white substance obtained by burning
with lime to make sure there was no chance a fertile limestone, used for making cement, marking sports
fields etc
seed which could be grown elsewhere would leave the fertile= able to produce babies, young animals, or
new plants #infertile
islands. There was only one obstacle to Dutch obstacle= problem, difficulty, hindrance
domination= power, control, authority, supremacy,
domination. One of the Banda Islands, a sliver of land government
called Run, only 31cm long by less than 1 km wide, was sliver= a small pointed or thin piece that has been
cut or broken off something
under the control of the British. After decades of fighting under the control of sb= the power to make the
decisions about how a country, place, company etc
is organized or what it does
4
for control of this tiny island, the Dutch and British arrived arrive at a decision/solution/compromise etc=
to reach a decision, solution etc after a lot of effort
at a compromise settlement, the Treaty of Breda, in compromise= arrangement, agreement, deal
settlement= resolution, conclusion, decision,
1667. agreement
treaty= agreement, accord, pact, truce
Intent on securing their hold over every nutmeg- intent on= to be determined to do something or
achieve something
producing island, the Dutch offered a trade: if the British hold= control, power, influence
would give them the island of Run, they would in turn trade= when you exchange something you have for
give Britain a distant and much less valuable island in something that someone else has
in turn= as a result of something
North America. The British agreed. That other island was distant= remote, far, isolated #near
Manhattan, which is how New Amsterdam became New monopoly= if a company or government has a
York. The Dutch now had a monopoly over the nutmeg monopoly of a business or political activity, it has
complete control of it so that other organizations
trade which would last for another century. cannot compete with it
Then, in 1770, a Frenchman named Pierre Poivre smuggle= to take something or someone illegally
successfully smuggled nutmeg plants to safety in from one country to another
off the coast= the area where the land meets the
Mauritius, an island off the coast of Africa. Some of sea
these were later exported to the Caribbean where they thrive= flourish, grow well #fail
volcanic= relating to or caused by a volcano
thrived, especially on the island of Grenada. Next, in eruption= outbreak, explosion, emission
1778, a volcanic eruption in the Banda region caused a tsunami= tidal wave
wipe out= destroy, eradicate, devastate, remove
tsunami that wiped out half the nutmeg groves. Finally, #protect
in 1809, the British returned to Indonesia and seized the grove= plantation, copse, a piece of land with trees
growing on it
Banda Islands by force. They returned the islands to the seize= capture, conquer, take control of, take
Dutch in 1817, but not before transplanting hundreds of over
nutmeg seedlings to plantations in several locations by force= violent physical action used to get
what you want
across southern Asia. The Dutch nutmeg monopoly was transplant= relocate, resettle, uproot
over.
Today, nutmeg is grown in Indonesia, the Caribbean,

India, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka, and
estimate= guess, assess, appraise
world nutmeg production is estimated to average between
10,000 and 12,000 tonnes per year.
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6
7
8
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READING PASSAGE 2
A driverless= a driverless vehicle is controlled by

equipment in the vehicle, rather than by a human
driver
The automotive sector is well used to adapting to automotive= motorized, locomotive, relating to cars
sector= area, part, division
automation in manufacturing. The implementation of adapt to= acclimatize, adjust, modify
automation= the use of computers and machines
robotic car manufacture from the 1970s onwards led to instead of people to do a job
manufacture= production, making, construction
significant cost savings and improvements in the implementation= application, execution, enactment
onwards= forwards, ahead, straight on #backwards
significant= considerable, large, major #paltry
reliability and flexibility of vehicle mass production. A
cost saving= money that a company has saved by
deliberately spending less
new challenge to vehicle production is now on the reliability= dependability, consistency
flexibility= suppleness, elasticity
horizon and, again, it comes from automation. However, mass production= when products are made in large
numbers by machines so that they can be sold
this time it is not to do with the manufacturing process, cheaply
on the horizon= to seem likely to happen in the
but with the vehicles themselves. future
Research projects on vehicle automation are not new. self-driving = used to refer to a vehicle that drives
Vehicles with limited self-driving capabilities have been itself
capability= ability, capacity #inability
around for more than 50 years, resulting in significant
contribution= influence, involvement, impact
contributions towards driver assistance systems. But assistance= help, support, aid #hindrance
since Google announced in 2010 that it had been announce= publicize, declare, say
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trialling self-driving cars on the streets of California, trial= to thoroughly test something to see if it
works correctly or is effective
progress in this field has quickly gathered pace. progress= development, growth, improvement
#regression
gather pace= happen more quickly
B
advance= improve, develop, enhance
There are many reasons why technology is advancing cite= mention, refer to
motive= reason, cause, purpose, intention, aim
so fast. One frequently cited motive is safety; Indeed, indeed= certainly, actually, in fact
demonstrate= show, reveal, display #conceal
research at the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory has collision= crash, accident
involve= include, comprise, encompass
demonstrated that more than 90 percent of road human error= an error that is typical of humans
rather than machines
collisions involve human error as a contributory
contributory= related, causal, influential
factor, and it is the primary cause in the vast majority. primary= main, key, chief, crucial
great/vast/overwhelming majority of sth=
Automation may help to reduce the incidence of this. almost all of a group
incidence of= occurrence, prevalence, frequency,
Another aim is to free the time people spend driving for rate, numbers
aim= goal, purpose, objective, target, intention
other purposes. If the vehicle can do some or all of the free= release, set free, liberate
driving, it may be possible to be productive, to socialise productive= producing or achieving a lot
socialize= to spend time with other people in a
or simply to relax while automation systems have friendly way
responsibility for safe control of the vehicle. If the have responsibility for (doing) sth=
accountability, duty, charge
vehicle can do the driving, those who are challenged by existing= current, present, prevailing
existing mobility models — such as older or disabled mobility= movement, motion #immobility
model= type, sort, kind, brand, version
travellers — may be able to enjoy significantly greater autonomy= independence, self-sufficiency
#dependence
travel autonomy.
C
beyond= further than, away from
Beyond these direct benefits, we can consider the wider wider= broader, varied, wide-ranging #narrower
implication= effect, consequence, repercussion
implications for transport and society, and how
respond= react, act in, response #ignore
manufacturing processes might need to respond as a average= normal, regular, typical, standard
park= to put a car or other vehicle in a particular
result. At present, the average car spends more than 90
place for a period of time
percent of its life parked. Automation means that initiative= plan, idea, project, program
initiatives for car-sharing become much more viable, car-sharing= an arrangement in which a group of
people travel together in one car to work or school
particularly in urban areas with significant travel demand.
viable= feasible, practical, practicable #impossible
If a significant proportion of the population choose to use automated= automatic, robotic, computerized,
programmed #manual
shared automated vehicles, mobility demand can be met
by far= used to say that something is much better,
by far fewer vehicles. worse etc than anything else
11
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology investigated implement= carry out, put into operation, put
automated mobility in Singapore, finding that fewer than into action, apply
30 percent of the vehicles currently used would be this is the case= a situation that exists,
required if fully automated car sharing could be especially as it affects a particular person or
implemented. If this is the case, it might mean that we group
need to manufacture far fewer vehicles to meet demand. modelling= the process of making a scientific
However, the number of trips being taken would probably or computer model of something to show how
increase, partly because empty vehicles would have to it works or to understand it better
be moved from one customer to the next. ownership= possession, tenure,

proprietorship
Modelling work by the University of Michigan
mileage= the number of miles someone
Transportation Research Institute suggests automated
travels in a vehicle in a particular period of
vehicles might reduce vehicle ownership by 43 percent,
time
but that vehicles’ average annual mileage would double
intensively= in a way that involves a lot of
as a result. As a consequence, each vehicle would be
activity, effort, or careful attention in a short
used more intensively, and might need replacing
period of time
sooner. This faster rate of turnover may mean that
turnover= the rate at which a particular kind
vehicle production will not necessarily decrease.
of goods is sold
E
Automation may prompt other changes in vehicle prompt= stimulate, encourage , motivate #prevent
a range of= a variety of, a mixture of, diverse,
manufacture. If we move to a model where consumers various
freedom= liberty, self-determination,
are tending not to own a single vehicle but to purchase
independence, choice #restriction
access to a range of vehicles through a mobility provider, select= choose, pick, opt for, decide on
suit= fit match, go well with, be appropriate
drivers will have the freedom to select one that best
make a compromise= settlement, agreement,
suits their needs for a particular journey, rather than deal, bargain
unoccupied= vacant, empty, unused, unfilled
making a compromise across all their requirements.
#occupied
Since, for most of the time, most of the seats in most cars boost= increase, improve, enhance #reduce
efficient= if someone or something is efficient,
are unoccupied, this may boost production of a smaller, they work well without wasting time, money, or
more efficient range of vehicles that suit the needs of energy
individual= person, being
individuals. Specialised vehicles may then be available specialized= trained, designed, or developed for a
particular purpose, type of work, place etc
for exceptional journeys, such as going on a family exceptional
available= existing, free, untaken
camping trip or helping a son or daughter move to exceptional= unusual and likely not to happen
university. often
F
There are a number of hurdles to overcome in hurdle= obstacle, difficulty, problem, barrier, block
overcome= defeat, beat, conquer
delivering automated vehicles to our roads. These
12
include the technical difficulties in ensuring that the ensure= guarantee, confirm, make sure, make
certain
vehicle works reliably in the infinite range of traffic, reliably= in a way that can be trusted or believed
weather and road situations it might encounter; the infinite= boundless, limitless, vast #limited
encounter= face, confront, meet #avoid
regulatory challenges in understanding how liability and
regulatory= controlling, supervisory, monitoring
enforcement might change when drivers are no longer liability= obligation, responsibility, accountability
essential for vehicle operation; and the societal changes enforcement= when people are made to obey a
rule, law etc
that may be required for communities to trust and accept
essential= vital, important, crucial, critical,
automated vehicles as being a valuable part of the needed, necessary #unnecessary
mobility landscape. societal= social, shared, public, community
valuable= valued, precious, important
landscape= situation, circumstances
G
It’s clear that there are many challenges that need to be address= tackle, adopt, deal with #ignore
robust= a robust system, organization etc is
addressed but, through robust and targeted research, strong and not likely to have problems
targeted= aimed, pointed
these can most probably be conquered within the next conquere= dominate, seize, occupy
in association with sb/sth= made or done with
10 years. Mobility will change in such potentially another person, organization etc
telepresence= the use of virtual reality technology
significant ways and in association with so many other to operate machinery by remote control or to
create the effect of being at a different or
technological developments, such as telepresence and imaginary location
virtual reality= an environment produced by a
virtual reality, that it is hard to make concrete computer that looks and seems real to the person
experiencing it
predictions about the future. However, one thing is concrete= real, tangible, actual
prediction= forecast, guess, calculation
certain: change is coming, and the need to be flexible in flexible= adaptable, variable, open
in response to sth= something that is done as a
response to this will be vital for those involved in reaction to something that has happened or been
said
manufacturing the vehicles that will deliver future vital= critical, crucial, important #unimportant
involve in= engage, include
mobility. deliver= bring, send, transport
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14
15
16
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READING PASSAGE 3
W e are all explorers. Our desire to discover,

exploration= discovery, search
explorer= traveler, voyager
desire= wish, craving, aspiration
new-found= recently obtained, found, or achieved
indeed= actually, in fact, in reality
play a part/role= to have an effect or influence on
and then share that new-found knowledge, is part of something
species= class, type, kind, sort, group
what makes us human — indeed, this has played an caveman= someone who lived in a cave many
thousands of years ago
slump down= drop, fall, crash, collapse #rise
important part in our success as a species. Long grunt= mumble, murmur, make a sound
wildebeest= a large southern african animal with a tail
before the first caveman slumped down beside the and curved horns
yonder= over there – used to show or explain where
fire and grunted news that there were plenty of something or someone is
ancestor= forefather, antecedent #descendant
send out= to make a person or a group of people or
wildebeest over yonder, our ancestors had learnt things go from one place to various other places
scout= detective, spy
the value of sending out scouts to investigate the the unknown= things that you do not know or
understand
unknown. This questing nature of ours quest= search, hunt, seek #find
nature= someone's character
undoubtedly= certainly, unquestionably, undeniably,
undoubtedly helped our species spread around the without doubt #doubtfully
globe= world, earth
globe, just as it nowadays no doubt helps the last doubt= uncertainty, disbelief #certainty
nomadic= if someone leads a nomadic life, they travel
nomadic Penan maintain their existence in the from place to place and do not live in any one place for
very long
existence= life, presence, survival
depleted forests of Borneo, and a visitor negotiate depleted= reduced, drained, diminished
negotiate= pass, navigate, go around
the subways of New York. subway= a path for people to walk under a road or
railway
18
come to do sth= to begin to have a feeling or opinion

Over the years, we’ve come to think of explorers as a peculiar= strange, weird, unusual, abnormal #normal
breed= type, class, kind, sort
peculiar breed — different from the rest of us, the rest of= what is left after everything or everyone
else has gone, been used, dealt with, or mentioned
different from those of us who are merely ‘well merely= just, only, simply, purely
suited= suitable, appropriate, fit
travelled’, even; and perhaps there is a type of person seek out= to try to find someone or something,
especially when this is difficult
inclined= to be likely to do something or behave in a
more suited to seeking out the new, a type of particular way
risk= hazard, venture, take the risk of, take a chance
caveman more inclined to risk venturing out. That, venture out= to go somewhere that could be
dangerous
however, doesn’t take away from the fact that we all take away from= to spoil the good effect or success
that something has
enquiring= interested, curious, questioning
have this enquiring instinct, even today; and that in instinct= nature, character, predisposition
profession= job, career, vocation
all sorts of professions — whether artist, marine marine= relating to the sea and the creatures that live
there
biologist or astronomer — borders of the unknown astronomer= stargazer, starwatcher, astronomer,
border= edge, limit, boundary, margin
are being tested each day. test= examine, check, assess
fictional= imaginary, imagined, fantastic #real

uncultivated= fallow, unplanted, unfarmed #cultivated
Thomas Hardy set some of his novels in Egdon
landscape= scenery, land, site, scene
Heath, a fictional area of uncultivated land, and suggest= propose, recommend, put forward
used the landscape to suggest the desires and fears character= a person in a book, play, film etc
delve into= explore, research, examine, look into
of his characters. He is delving into matters we all
humanity= humankind, people, human race
recognise because they are common to humanity. remote= far, distant, faraway
This is surely an act of exploration, and into a world puny= a puny person is small, thin, and weak
irrelevant= immaterial #relevant
as remote as the author chooses. Explorer and
alien= extra-terrestrial, extraterrestrial, creature from
travel writer Peter Fleming talks of the moment when outer space, space invader
the explorer returns to the existence he has left crawl over= if an insect crawls, it moves using its legs
laboriously= arduously, strenuously, hard #easily
behind with his loved ones. The traveller ‘who has for
root= origin, derivation, foundation
weeks or months seen himself only as a puny and background= someone's family, education, previous
irrelevant alien crawling laboriously over a country work etc
encounter= meet, come across, bump into
in which he has no roots and no background,
relatively= quite, rather, comparatively
suddenly encounters his other self, a relatively solid= hard or firm, with a fixed shape, and not a liquid
solid figure, with a place in the minds of certain or gas
people’.
In this book about the exploration of the earth’s surface= outside, facade, exterior
confine yourself to (doing) sth= restrict, restrain, limit,
surface, I have confined myself to those whose
keep
travels were real and who also aimed at more than leave sb with sth= if an event, accident, illness etc
leaves you in a particular condition, you are in that
personal discovery. But that still left me with another
condition because of it
problem: the word ‘explorer’ has become associated associated= related, linked, connected
19
with a past era. We think back to a golden age, as if past= previous, earlier, preceding
era= age, period, time
exploration peaked somehow in the 19th century — golden age= period during which sth is very
as if the process of discovery is now on the decline, successful, especially in the past
as if= in a way that makes it seem that something is
though the truth is that we have named only one and true or that something is happening
a half million of this planet’s species, and there may peak= top, climax #dip
somehow= in some way, or by some means, although
be more than 10 million — and that’s not including you do not know how
bacteria. We have studied only 5 per cent of the bacteria= microorganisms, microbes, germs
scarcely= barely, hardly #fully
species we know. We have scarcely mapped the map= to discover or show information about something,
ocean floors, and how even less about ourselves; especially about its shape or arrangement, or how it
moves or works
we fully understand the workings of only 10 per cent ocean floor= the bottom of a sea or ocean
of our brains. the workings of sth= the way that an organization,
machine or organism operates
define= describe, state, explain

Here is how some of today’s ‘explorers’ define the
dub= call, name, label
word. Ran Fiennes, dubbed the ‘greatest living scientifically= in a way that relates to science, or uses
explorer’, said, ‘An explorer is someone who has the methods of science
leading= famous, outstanding, well-known
done something that no human has done before — mountaineer= hiker, climber, walker, rock climber
and also done something scientifically useful.’ Chris in the act of doing sth=at the moment that you are
Bonington, a leading mountaineer, felt exploration doing something
campaigner= activist, supporter, promoter
was to be found in the act of physically touching the on behalf of= instead of someone, or as their
unknown: ‘You have to have gone somewhere new.’ representative
so-called= used to show that something or someone is
Then Robin Hanbury-Tenison, a campaigner on usually called a particular name
behalf of remote so-called ‘tribal’ peoples, said, ‘A tribal= ethnic, clannish
traveller simply records information about some far- far-off= far, remote, distant
cross= traverse, go across, cross over
off world, and reports back; but an explorer changes unmechanised= not performed with machines or
the world.’ Wilfred Thesiger, who crossed Arabia’s involving machines
camel= a large desert animal with a long neck and
Empty Quarter in 1946, and belongs to an era of either one or two humps (=large raised parts) on its
unmechanised travel now lost to the rest of us, told back
stunt= something that is done to attract people's
me, ‘If I’d gone across by camel when I could have attention, especially in advertising or politics
gone by car, it would have been a stunt.’ To him, bring back= to start to use something again that was
used in the past
exploration meant bringing back information from a regardless of= irrespective of, despite, no matter, in
remote place regardless of any great self- spite of, apart from #considering
self-discovery= the process of learning about yourself
discovery. and your beliefs
definition= explanation, description, meaning

slightly= marginally, vaguely #considerably
Each definition is slightly different — and tends to reflect= reveal, indicate, signal
endeavor= attempt, effort, try
reflect the field of endeavour of each pioneer. It was pioneer= innovator, inventor, developer, discoverer
prominent= famous, well-known, important,
the same whoever I asked: the prominent historian outstanding, renowned #obscure
historian= someone who studies history, or the history
would say exploration was a thing of the past, the of a particular thing
20
cutting-edge scientist would say it was of the cutting-edge= leading-edge, front-line, pioneering,
innovative, radical #old-fashioned
present. And so on. They each set their own scientist= someone who works or is trained in science
and so on/forth=used at the end of a list to show that
particular criteria; the common factor in their you could continue it in a similar way
criteria= standards, principles, measures, norms
approach being that they all had, unlike many of us approach= method, tactic, attitude
definite= sure, certain, fixed #uncertain, unsure
who simply enjoy travel or discovering new things, objective= object, purpose, aim, point, goal, intention
from the outset= from the beginning
both a very definite objective from the outset and finding= the information that someone has discovered
as a result of their study, work etc
also a desire to record their findings.
declare= state, announce, assert, say publicly
I’d best declare my own bias. As a writer, I’m bias= prejudice, partiality, favoritism, predisposition,
preference #impartiality
interested in the exploration of ideas. I’ve done a expedition= voyage, excursion, trip, journey
great many expeditions and each one was unique. unique= sole, exclusive, exceptional, distinctive
I’ve lived for months alone with isolated groups of #common
isolated= remote, lonely, cut off
people all around the world, even two ‘uncontacted uncontacted tribes= referred to lost tribes, are
tribes’. But none of these things is of the slightest communities who live, or have lived without significant
interest to anyone unless, through my books, I’ve contact with global civilization
slant= viewpoint, attitude, perspective
found a new slant, explored a new idea. Why? move on= progress, move ahead, go on
Because the world has moved on. The time has long continental= mainland, inland, interior, central, main
passed for the great continental voyages — another land
voyage= relating to a large mass of land
walk to the poles, another crossing of the Empty pole= the most northern or most southern point on a
Quarter. We know how the land surface of our planet planet, especially the earth
lies; exploration of it is now down to the details — microbe= bug, germ, bacteria, microorganism
graze= if an animal grazes, or if you graze it, it eats
the habits of microbes, say, or the grazing grass that is growing
aside from= besides, apart from, except for
behaviour of buffalo. Aside from the deep sea and underground= under the earth's surface
deep underground, it’s the era of specialists. specialist= expert, professional
disregard= ignore, discount, forget
However, this is to disregard the role the human convey= communicate, send, pass on, express
fresh= good or interesting because it has not been
mind has in conveying remote places; and this is done, seen etc before
interpretation= clarification, understanding,
what interests me: how a fresh interpretation, even explanation
of a well-travelled route, can give its readers new route= way, road, path
insight= vision, perception, awareness
insights.
21
22
23
24
25
CAMBRIDGE 15 / TEST 1 / READING
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
No. Keywords from question Synonym/Paraphrase from passage
answer answer
10
11
12
13
Important vocabulary:
26
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
28
29
30
TEST 2
READING PASSAGE 1
A major/significant/profound etc impact= the

major/significant/profound etc effect or influence
that an event, situation etc has on someone or
something
The way we travel around cities has a major impact on
sustainable= able to continue without causing
whether they are sustainable. Transportation is estimated damage to the environment
to account for 30% of energy consumption in most of the estimate= guess, approximate, assess
account for= comprise, make up, represent
world’s most developed nations, so lowering the need for consumption= the amount of energy, oil,
energy-using vehicles is essential for decreasing the electricity etc that is used
essential= vital, crucial, critical, important
environmental impact of mobility. But as more and more mobility= the ability to move easily from one job,
people move to cities, it is important to think about other area, or social class to another
physical= bodily, corporeal, corporal #mental
kinds of sustainable travel too. The ways we travel affect access= approach, the right to enter a place, use
our physical and mental health, our social lives, our something, see someone etc
breathe= respire, inhale, blow, take breaths
access to work and culture, and the air we breathe. be tasked with (doing) something= to give
Engineers are tasked with changing how we travel round someone the responsibility for doing something
cities through urban design, but the engineering industry assumption= supposition, hypothesis, guess
place value/importance/emphasis etc on sth=
still works on the assumptions that led to the creation of to decide that something is important
the energy-consuming transport systems we have now: the solely= only, exclusively
efficiency= the quality of doing something well
emphasis placed solely on efficiency, speed, and and effectively, without wasting time, money, or
quantitative data. We need radical changes, to make it energy
quantitative= measureable, measurable,
healthier, more enjoyable, and less environmentally numerical, quantifiable, calculable
radical= fundamental, essential, basic #minor
damaging to travel around cities.
31
B
hold= possess, keep, retain, own, maintain
Dance might hold some of the answers. That is not to suggest= propose, advise, recommend
technique= method, system, procedure, skill
suggest everyone should dance their way to work, choreographer= a person who is skilled at
combining movements into dances to be
however healthy and happy it might make us, but rather performed
experiment with= to try using various ideas,
that the techniques used by choreographers to methods etc to find out how good or effective they
are
experiment with and design movement in dance could stimulate= inspire, motivate, encourage
influential= having a lot of influence and therefore
provide engineers with tools to stimulate new ideas in city- changing the way people think and behave
urbanist= a person who studies and plans towns
making. Richard Sennett, an influential urbanist and and cities
sociologist who has transformed ideas about the way sociologist= someone who studies or is an expert
in sociology
cities are made, argues that urban design has suffered suffer from= undergo, experience, endure,
tolerate
from a separation between mind and body since the separation= division, partition, disconnection
architectural= relating to architecture
introduction of the architectural blueprint. blueprint= a photographic print of a plan for a
building, machine etc on special blue paper
C
whereas= while, however, although
Whereas medieval builders improvised and adapted medieval= primitive, out-of-date, old-fashioned
#modern
improvise= to make something by using whatever
construction through their intimate knowledge of you can find because you do not have the
equipment or materials that you need
materials and personal experience of the conditions on a adapt= adjust, alter, change
construction= building, structure, creation
intimate knowledge of sth= very detailed
site, building designs are now conceived and stored in knowledge of something as a result of careful
study or a lot of experience
site= location, spot, position, place
media technologies that detach the designer from the conceive= create, elaborate, form, invent
store in= keep, put in storage, put in safekeeping
physical and social realities they are creating. While the detach= separate, remove, disconnect, isolate
#attach
reality= actuality; what actually happens or is true,
design practices created by these new technologies are not what is imagined or thought
practice= custom, routine, tradition
essential for managing the technical complexity of the complexity of= complication, intricacy #simplicity
drawback= disadvantage, problem, negative,
modern city, they have the drawback of simplifying reality obstacle, block #advantage
simplify= make simpler, make things easier
#complicate
in the process. process= procedure, activity, course of action
D illustrate= demonstrate, exemplify, explain, clarify

peachtree= a tree that produces peaches
typical= characteristic, distinctive, representative
To illustrate, Sennett discusses the Peachtree Center in #uncharacteristic
modernist= relating to or a member of the
modern art movement
Atlanta, USA, a development typical of the modernist approach to= a method of doing something or
dealing with a problem
approach to urban planning prevalent in the 1970s. urban planning= the planning and designing of
buildings, roads, and services in a town
prevalent= common at a particular time, in a
Peachtree created a grid of streets and towers particular place, or among a particular group of
people
grid of= network, net, web, framework
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intended as a new pedestrian-friendly downtown for intended as= planned or designed for
somebody/something
pedestrian= walker, hiker, foot-traveler
Atlanta. According to Sennett, this failed because its -friendly= used at the end of words to mean
"suitable for particular people to use
downtown= center, inner city, city center #suburb
designers had invested too much faith in computer-aided faith in= trust, reliance, belief #disbelief
computer-aided design = the use of computers
to design objects
design to tell them how it would operate. They failed to take into account= take into consideration,
consider #ignore
purpose-built= designed and made for a
take into account that purpose-built street cafes could particular purpose
protective= defensive, caring, protecting
not operate in the hot sun without the protective awnings awning= a sheet of material outside a shop, tent
etc to keep off the sun or the rain
-consuming= using a lot of something such as
common in older buildings, and would need energy- time, energy, or space
air conditioning= air-cooling system, ventilation
system, air-circulation system #heating
consuming air conditioning instead, or that its giant car giant= huge, massive, enormous #miniature
unwelcoming= hostile, unfriendly #friendly
put sb off (doing) sth= to make you dislike
park would feel so unwelcoming that it would put people something or not want to do something
get out of sth= leave, exit #enter
entirely= completely, totally, wholly, fully
off getting out of their cars. What seems entirely predictable= foreseeable, expectable, expected
controllable= manageable, easy to deal with
predictable and controllable on screen has unexpected #uncontrollable
unexpected= unforceseen, unanticipated,
unpredicted
results when translated into reality. translate into= convert, transform, turn, change
E
predict= forecast, foresee, expect, guess
move through= make a passage or journey from
The same is true in transport engineering, which uses one place to another
built on= to use your achievements as a base for
models to predict and shape the way people move further development
specific= exact, precise, certain
through the city. Again, these models are necessary, but world-view= someone's opinions and attitudes
relating to the world and things in general
they are built on specific world views in which certain logical= plausible, reasonable, sensible,
understandable
forms of efficiency and safety are considered and other appear= seem, look like
counter-intuitive= something that is counter-
experiences of the city ignored. Designs that seem logical intuitive does not happen in the way you would
expect it to
in models appear counter-intuitive in the actual guard rail= a bar along the edge of something
steep, such as stairs or a cliff, to prevent people
experience of their users. The guard rails that will be from falling off
base sth on/upon sth= to use something as the
familiar to anyone who has attempted to cross a British thing from which something else is developed
prioritise= to put several things, problems etc in
road, for example, were an engineering solution to order of importance, so that you can deal with the
most important ones first
pedestrian safety based on models that prioritise the smooth= easy, effortless, efficient
flow of= movement, stream
smooth flow of traffic. On wide major roads, they often guide= direct, show, lead, conduct
crossing point= a place where people cross a
guide pedestrians to specific crossing points and slow road, border, or river
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down their progress across the road by using staggered progress= development, growth, improvement
staggered= arranged in such a way that not
access points to divide the crossing into two — one for everything happens at the same time
access point= a piece of computer equipment
each carriageway. In doing so they make crossings feel that allows computers to be connected together
without wires to share information
longer, introducing psychological barriers greatly divide= split, break up, separate #unite
crossing= a place where two lines, roads, tracks
impacting those that are the least mobile, and encouraging etc cross
carriageway= roadway, road, traffic, lane
others to make dangerous crossings to get around the in doing so= because of this
psychological= mental, emotional, inner, spiritual
guard rails. These barriers don’t just make it harder to #physical
barrier= obstacle, difficulty, impediment,
cross the road: they divide communities and decrease hindrance, obstruction, block
mobile= moveable, portable, active
opportunities for healthy transport. As a result, many are get around= avoid, bypass, evade
disruption= disturbance, commotion, trouble,
now being removed, causing disruption, cost, and waste. interruption, distraction
F
bring about= to make something happen
If their designers had had the tools to think with their bodies fundamental= important, central, essential, vital
- like dancers - and imagine how these barriers would feel, choreography= the art of arranging how dancers
should move during a performance
there might have been a better solution. In order to bring obvious= clear, understandable, noticeable,
about fundamental changes to the ways we use our cities, apparent
engineering will need to develop a richer understanding of tackle= confront, face
aim= goal, purpose, target
why people move in certain ways, and how this movement pattern= design, shape, form
affects them. Choreography may not seem an obvious limitation= inadequacy, shortcoming, weakness
choice for tackling this problem. Yet it shares with art form= a way of expressing ideas, for example
in a painting, dance, piece of writing
engineering the aim of designing patterns of movement try sth out= to test something such as a method
within limitations of space. It is an art form developed or a piece of equipment to see if it is effective or
almost entirely by trying out ideas with the body, and works properly
gain= get, achieve, acquire, obtain
gaining instant feedback on how the results feel. instant= immediate, instantaneous, rapid
Choreographers have deep understanding of the feedback= respone, comment, opinion
psychological, aesthetic, and physical implications of aesthetic= artistic, visual, appealing
implication= effect, consequence, repercussion
different ways of moving.
G
Observing the choreographer Wayne McGregor, cognitive cognitive= reasoning, mental, intellectual,
perceptive, rational, thinking
scientist David Kirsh described how he ‘thinks with the simulate= to make or produce something that is
body’. Kirsh argues that by using the body to simulate not real but has the appearance or feeling of being
real
outcomes, McGregor is able to imagine solutions that outcome= consequence, result, product,
would not be possible using purely abstract thought. This conclusion
kind of physical knowledge is valued in many areas of purely= only, merely, simply, solely
abstract= existing only as an idea or quality rather
expertise, but currently has no place in formal than as something real that you can see or touch
engineering design processes. A suggested method for #concrete
transport engineers is to improvise design solutions and value= to think that someone or something is
important
get instant feedback about how they would work from their expertise= skill, knowledge, proficiency
own experience of them, or model designs at full scale in have no place in= to be completely unacceptable
the way choreographers experiment with groups of improvise= contrive, invent, create
scale= level, size
dancers. Above all, perhaps, they might learn to design for functional= useful, practical, purposeful
emotional as well as functional effects. #worthless
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35
36
37
READING PASSAGE 2
A bring someone/sth back to life= to cause (someone

or something that has died) to begin living again
extinct= nonexistent, dead, vanished
species= class, type, kind, sort, group
The passenger pigeon was a legendary species.
passenger pigeon= a gregarious north american
pigeon, became extinct at the beginning of the 20th
Flying in vast numbers across North America, with century
legendary= famous, renowned, well-known
vast= massive, huge, enormous, gigantic #small
potentially many millions within a single flock, their potentially= possibly, hypothetically #actually
single= sole, only, solitary
migration was once one of nature’s great spectacles. flock= flight, group, herd
migration= relocation, passage, movement, journey
spectacle= sight, display, scene, exhibition
Sadly, the passenger pigeon’s existence came to an existence= survival, life#extinction
come to an end= to stop or end
specimen= example, sample, sampling
end on 1 September 1914, when the last living geneticist= a person who studies genetics
lead= chief, main top
specimen died at Cincinnati Zoo. Geneticist Ben ambitious= an ambitious plan, idea etc shows a desire
to do something good but difficult
aim= plan, intend, want
Novak is lead researcher on an ambitious project de-extinction= the production of an organism
belonging to or closely resembling an extinct species,
by methods such as cloning, gene editing, or the
which now aims to bring the bird back to life through selective breeding of closely related organisms.
premise= idea, ground, foundation
a process known as ‘de- extinction’. The basic involve= engage, include, comprise
clone= an animal or plant produced by scientists from
one cell of another animal or plant, so that they are
premise involves using cloning technology to exactly the same
38
turn the DNA of extinct animals into a fertilised turn (sb/sth) into sth= to become something different,
or to make someone or something do this
fertilize= to make new animal or plant life develop
embryo, which is carried by the nearest relative still embryo= an animal or human that has not yet been
born, and has just begun to develop
in existence — in this case, the abundant band-tailed carry= if a woman is carrying a child, she is pregnant
relative= a member of your family
in existence= existing, surviving, extant
pigeon — before being born as a living, breathing abundant= plentiful, copious, rich #scarce
band-tailed pigeon= wild pigeon of western north
animal. Passenger pigeons are one of the pioneering america; often mistaken for the now extinct passenger
pigeon
pioneering= introducing new and better methods or
species in this field, but they are far from the only ones ideas for the first time
far from= used to say that something very different is
true or happens
on which this cutting-edge technology is being trialled. trial= test, experiment, check
B
thylacine= a striped, meat-eating australian mammal
In Australia, the thylacine, more commonly known as about the size of a large dog.
creature= animal, organism, insect, living thing
the Tasmanian tiger, is another extinct creature which genetic= relating to genes or genetics
genetic scientists are striving to bring back to life. strive to do sth= struggle, endeavor, try, make every
effort
‘There is no carnivore now in Tasmania that fills the carnivore= flesh-eater, meat-eater, predator
niche which thylacines once occupied,’ explains fill a niche= to provide something that certain kinds of
people want to buy
Michael Archer of the University of New South Wales. occupy= inhabit, live in, reside in, dominate
point out= indicate, show, reveal
He points out that in the decades since the thylacine spread= range, extent, diffusion
went extinct, there has been a spread in debilitating= incapacitating, weakening, enervating
facial= on your face or relating to your face
a ’dangerously debilitating’ facial tumour syndrome tumour= a mass of diseased cells in your body that
which threatens the existence of the Tasmanian have divided and increased too quickly
syndrome= disease, disorder, set of symtoms
devils, the island’s other notorious resident. threaten= endanger, jeopardize, put at risk
notorious= infamous, disreputable #famous
Thylacines would have prevented this spread because resident= occupant, inhabitant, dweller
they would have killed significant numbers of contagious= a disease that is contagious can be
passed from person to person by touch
Tasmanian devils. ‘If that contagious cancer had pop up= arise, happen, appear
popped up previously, it would have burned out in burn out= exhaust, break down, fatigue
ensure= guarantee, confirm, make sure
whatever region it started. The return of thylacines to subject to= if someone or something is subject to
something, especially something bad, it is possible or
Tasmania could help to ensure that devils are never likely that they will be affected by it
again subjected to risks of this kind.’ risk= danger, jeopardy, hazard, threat
C
If extinct species can be brought back to life, can humanity= people, humankind
humanity begin to correct the damage it has caused to the natural/animal/plant world= all of nature, or all
animals or plants considered as a group
the natural world over the past few millennia? ‘The
millennium (plural: millennia)= a period of 1000 years
idea of de-extinction is that we can reverse this reverse= to change something, such as a decision,
process, bringing species that no longer exist back to judgment, or process so that it is the opposite of what it
life,’ says Beth Shapiro of University of California Santa was before
Cruz’s Genomics Institute. ‘I don’t think that we can do no longer= in the past but not now
this. There is no way to bring back something that is genomic= relating to all the genes that are found in one
type of living thing
100 per cent identical to a species that went extinct a
identical to= alike, same, same #different
long time ago.’ A more practical approach for long- practical= realistic, sensible, reasonable #impractical
extinct species is to take the DNA of existing species approach= method, tactic
39
as a template, ready for the insertion of strands of template= pattern, model

insertion= supplement, addition, insert, attachment
extinct animal DNA to create something new; a hybrid, strand of= element, component, constituent, part
hybrid= an animal or plant produced from parents of
based on the living species, but which looks and/or different breeds or types
base on/upon= to use something as the thing from
acts like the animal which died out. which something else is developed
die out= become extinct, disappear, vanish #survive
D
complicated= complex, difficult, intricate #simple
This complicated process and questionable outcome questionable= doubtful, dubious, disputed
outcome= consequence, result, conclusion
begs the question: what is the actual point of this beg= request, plead, ask for
actual= real, genuine, authentic
technology? ’For us, the goal has always been point of= aim, purpose, goal
replacement= substitute, substitution, alternate
replacing the extinct species with a suitable #original
breeding= propagation, reproduction
replacement,’ explains Novak. ’When it comes to scatter= spread, disperse, fly away #gather
nest= a place made or chosen by a bird to lay its eggs
breeding, band-tailed pigeons scatter and make in and to live in
hectare= a unit for measuring area, equal to 10,000
maybe one or two nests per hectare, whereas square metres
whereas= while
passenger pigeons were very social and would make disappearance= vanishing, fading #appearance
ecosystem= bionetwork, ecology, system, environment
10,000 or more nests in one hectare.’ Since the suffer= to become worse in quality because a bad
situation is affecting something or because nobody is
disappearance of this key species, ecosystems in the taking care of it
lack of= shortage, scarcity, unavailability #excess
eastern US have suffered, as the lack of disturbance disturbance= annoyance, interruption, intrusion
wreck= destroy, ruin, break
caused by thousands of passenger pigeons wrecking minimal= least, smallest, minimum #large
regrowth= the act of growing again; something that has
trees and branches means there has been minimal grown again
leave= to let something remain in a particular state,
need for regrowth. This has left forests stagnant and position, or condition
stagnant= not changing or making progress, and
therefore unwelcoming to the plants and animals continuing to be in a bad condition
unwelcoming= hostile, unfriendly, cold #friendly
which evolved to help regenerate the forest after a evolve to= change, grow, progress, develop #regress
regenerate= renew, revive, redevelop #degenerate
disturbance. According to Novak, a hybridised band- hybridize= to form a new type of plant or animal from
two existing types, so that the new type has some
tailed pigeon, with the added nesting habits of a qualities from each of the other types
nest= to build or use a nest
passenger pigeon, could, in theory, re-establish that in theory= hypothetically, theoretically, on paper
re-establish= to return something to an earlier good
forest disturbance, thereby creating a habitat condition or position
thereby= thus, so, in that way, by this means
necessary for a great many other native species to habitat= home, environment, territory
native= inhabitant, resident, local, citizen #foreigner
thrive. thrive= flourish, prosper, grow well #fail, deteriorate
E
Another popular candidate for this technology is the candidate= someone or something that is likely to
experience or get something
woolly mammoth. George Church, professor at woolly mammoth= a large extinct elephant
Harvard Medical School and leader of the Woolly revival= recovery, rebirth, stimulation
Mammoth Revival Project, has been focusing on cold focus on= direct, aim, concentrate
resistance= the natural ability of a person, animal, or
resistance, the main way in which the extinct woolly plant to stop diseases or difficult conditions from
mammoth and its nearest living relative, the Asian harming them
40
elephant, differ. By pinpointing which genetic traits differ= to be different from something in some way
pinpoint= locate, identify, determine
made it possible for mammoths to survive the icy trait= peculiarity, attribute, characteristic, feature
survive= live, endure, persist, stay alive #perish
climate of the tundra, the project’s goal is to return icy= freezing, frozen, ice-cold, cold, glacial
tundra= the large flat areas of land in the north of
mammoths, or a mammoth-like species, to the area. russia, canada etc, where it is very cold and there are
no trees
‘My highest priority would be preserving the -like= used after a noun to say that something is similar
to or typical of the noun
endangered Asian elephant,’ says Church, priority= importance, precedence, significance
preserve= protect, conserve, safeguard, save
‘expanding their range to the huge ecosystem of the endangered= threatened, put in danger #protected
expand= enlarge, increase, spread out
tundra. Necessary adaptations would include smaller range= span, scale, extent
adaptation= alteration, adjustment, modification
ears, thicker hair, and extra insulating fat, all for the insulating= protecting, isolating, shielding #exposing
repopulation= the action or process of repopulating
purpose of reducing heat loss in the tundra, and all boreal forest= the very large area of wet land in the far
northern parts of the world that is covered with conifer
traits found in the now extinct woolly mammoth.’ This trees
mammal= type of animal that drinks milk from its
repopulation of the tundra and boreal forests of mother's body when it is young. humans, dogs, and
whales are mammals.
Eurasia and North America with large mammals could emission= release, production, discharge #absorption
punch= to make a hole in something, using a metal tool
also be a useful factor in reducing carbon emissions or other sharp object
knock down= demolish, destroy, tear down #build
— elephants punch holes through snow and knock grass= a very common plant with thin leaves that
covers the ground in fields and gardens and is often
down trees, which encourages grass growth. This eaten by animals
mitigate= alleviate, lessen, ease, diminish #aggravate
grass growth would reduce temperatures, and mitigate melt= if something solid melts or if heat melts it, it
becomes liquid
emissions from melting permafrost. permafrost= a layer of soil that is always frozen in
countries where it is very cold
F
prospect= possibility, potential, chance
While the prospect of bringing extinct animals back to capture/catch sb’s imagination= to make people feel
life might capture imaginations, it is, of course, far very interested and excited
merely= used to emphasize that nothing more than
easier to try to save an existing species which is what you say is involved
be threaten with sth= endanger, jeopardize, imperil,
merely threatened with extinction. ‘Many of the put at risk #guard
technologies that people have in mind when they think have sb/sth in mind (for sth)= to have an idea about
who or what you want for a particular purpose
about de-extinction can be used as a form of "genetic rescue= when someone or something is rescued from
rescue”,’ explains Shapiro. She prefers to focus the danger
debate= discussion, argument, deliberation
debate on how this emerging technology could be emerging= in an early state of development
various= many, several, numerous
used to fully understand why various species went in the first place= used to introduce a series of points
extinct in the first place, and therefore how we could in an argument, discussion etc
modification= alteration, adjustment, change
use it to make genetic modifications which could mass= involving or intended for a very large number of
prevent mass extinctions in the future. ’I would also people
incredible= unbelievable, tremendous, enormous
say there’s an incredible moral hazard to not do moral= based on your ideas about what is right, rather
than on what is legal or practical
anything at all,’ she continues. ‘We know that what we hazard= risk, chance #protect
are doing today is not enough, and we have to be willing to= prepared, ready #unwilling
take a risk= to decide to do something even though
willing to take some calculated and measured risks.’ you know it may have bad results
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43
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45
READING PASSAGE 3
finding= discovery, conclusion, result, outcome
T
psychological= relating to the way that your mind works
and the way that this affects your behaviour
he findings of psychological scientists reveal the scientist= someone who works or is trained in science
reveal= expose, tell, make public, disclose #conceal
humour= the ability or tendency to think that things are
importance of humour funny, or funny things you say that show you have this
ability
sense of humour= someone who has a sense of

Humans start developing a sense of humour as early humour often finds things amusing, rather than being
serious all the time.
in response to sth= reply, answer, reaction
as six weeks old, when babies begin to laugh and smile stimulus (plural: stimuli) = something that makes
someone or something move or react
laughter= when people laugh, or the sound of people
in response to stimuli. Laughter is universal across laughing
universal= worldwide, widespread, general #local
all human cultures and even exists in some form in rats, exist= be present, happen, occur
rat= an animal that looks like a large mouse
chimp= chimpanzee, ape, primate
chimps, and bonobos. Lille other human emotions and bonobo= a small, intelligent african ape with black or
brown fur, similar to a chimpanzee
emotion= a strong human feeling such as love, hate, or
expressions, laughter and humour provide anger
expression= a look on someone's face that shows what
they are thinking or feeling
psychological scientists with rich resources for studying psychology= the study of the mind and how it influences
people's behaviour
range from sth to sth= to include a variety of different
human psychology, ranging from the development of things or people in addition to those mentioned
neuroscience= the scientific study of the brain
language to the neuroscience of social perception. perception= the way you think about something and
your idea of what it is like
46
Theories focusing on the evolution of laughter point theory= hypothesis, conjecture

focus on= center, concentrate on, target #ignore
to it as an important adaptation for social evolution= development, growth, progress,
point to= direct, aim, indicate
communication. Take, for example, the recorded adaptation= a film or television programme that is
based on a book or play
laughter in TV comedy shows. Back in 1950, US comedy show= a funny programme on tv or radio
deal with= cope with, handle, manage
sound engineer Charley Douglass hated dealing with unpredictable= erratic, changeable, unstable
the unpredictable laughter of live audiences, so started live= a live television or radio programme is seen or
heard on television or radio at the same time as it is
recording his own ‘laugh tracks’. These were intended actually happening
laugh track= recorded laughter that is used during a
to help people at home feel like they were in a social television show to make it sound as if people are
laughing during the performance
situation, such as a crowded theatre. Douglass even intend to= aim, propose, plan, anticipate, expect
crowded= too full of people or things
recorded various types of laughter, as well as mixtures various= many, several, numerous
mixture= combination, mix, assortment
of laughter from men, women, and children. In doing so,
in doing so= because of this
he picked up on a quality of laughter that is now pick up on sth= notice, point out, focus on #miss
communicate= convey, reveal, share
interesting researchers: a simple ‘haha’ communicates remarkable= extraordinary, amazing, outstanding,
relevant= directly relating to the subject or problem
a remarkable amount of socially relevant information. being discussed or considered
study= research, investigation, experiment

In one study conducted in 2016, samples of laughter conduct= do, perform, accomplish, carry out
sample= example, model
from pairs of English-speaking students were recorded pair of= couple, duo, twosome
make up= form, comprise, constitute, join up
at the University of California, Santa Cruz. A team made anthropologist= someone who scientifically studies
humans and their customs, beliefs, and relationships
up of more than 30 psychological scientists, biologist= someone who studies or works in biology
diverse= different, distinct #similar
anthropologists, and biologists then played these society= a particular large group of people who share
laws, organizations, customs etc
recordings to listeners from 24 diverse societies, from indigenous= native, original, aboriginal #foreign
tribe= people, community, society, population
indigenous tribes in New Guinea to city-dwellers in city-dweller= a person who lives in a city
participant= someone who is taking part in an activity
India and Europe. Participants were asked whether or event
on average= based on a calculation about how many
they thought the people laughing were friends or times something usually happens, how much money
someone usually gets, how often people usually do
strangers. On average, the results were remarkably something etc
remarkably= extraordinarily, amazingly, outstandingly
consistent: worldwide, people’s guesses were correct consistent= continuing to happen or develop in the
same way
approximately 60% of the time. worldwide= universal, international, global #local
approximately= about, around, nearly #exactly
serve as= to be useful or helpful for a particular

Researchers have also found that different types of purpose or reason
laughter serve as codes to complex human social code= a set of numbers, letters, or symbols that
shows what something is or gives information about it
hierarchies. A team led by Christopher Oveis from the complex= complicated, difficult #simple
University of California, San Diego, found that high- hierarchy= a system of organization in which people
or things are divided into levels of importance
status individuals had different laughs from low-status status= your social or professional rank or position,
individuals, and that strangers’ judgements of an considered in relation to other people
judgement= view, opinion, feeling, assessment
47
individual’s social status were influenced by the influence= affect, inspire, shape
dominant= controlling or trying to control other
dominant or submissive quality of their laughter. In people or things - used to show disapproval
their study, 48 male college students were randomly submissive= always willing to obey someone and
never disagreeing with them, even if they are unkind
assigned to groups of four, with each group composed to you
of two low-status members, who had just joined their randomly= accidentally, by chance #deliberately
assign sb to sth= allocate, give, dispense
college fraternity group, and two high-status members, be composed of sth= comprise, constitute, combine,
unite, make up, put together, consist of
older students who had been active in the fraternity for fraternity= all the people who work in a particular
at least two years. Laughter was recorded as each profession or share a particular interest
active= involved, working
student took a turn at being teased by the others, take a turn= to go for a short walk or ride
involving the use of mildly insulting nicknames. tease= joke, laugh
involve= include, contain, comprise, consist of
Analysis revealed that, as expected, high-status mildly= slightly, a little, a bit #considerably
individuals produced more dominant laughs and fewer insulting= abusive, offensive, rude #polite
analysis= study, examination, investigation
submissive laughs relative to the low-status individuals. as expected= in the way that was planned or thought
Meanwhile, low-status individuals were more likely to likely to happen
relative to= in relation to, compared with
change their laughter based on their position of power; base on= to use something as the thing from which
that is, the newcomers produced more dominant laughs something else is developed
newcomer= novice, beginner, amateur, apprentice
when they were in the ‘powerful’ role of teasers. teaser= tease, joker, clown
Dominant laughter was higher in pitch, louder, and pitch= how high or low a note or other sound is
loud= noisy, shrill #quiet
more variable in tone than submissive laughter. variable= changeable, erratic, fluctuating #constant
tone= the way your voice sounds, which shows how
you are feeling or what you mean
A random group of volunteers then listened to an equal
number of dominant and submissive laughs from both volunteer= someone who does a job willingly without
being paid
the high- and low-status individuals, and were asked to equal= equivalent, identical, alike, the same #unequal
estimate the social status of the laugher. In line with estimate= guess, assess, reckon
predictions, laughters producing dominant laughs were laugher= a person who laughs
in line with sth= if something changes in line with
perceived to be significantly higher in status than something else, it changes in the same way and at
laughers producing submissive laughs. ‘This was the same rate as it
particularly true for low-status individuals, who were perceive sth/sb to be sth= understand, comprehend,
realize, become aware of
rated as significantly higher in status when displaying a particularly= especially, specifically
dominant versus submissive laugh,’ Oveis and rate= value, evaluate, assess, rank, measure
colleagues note. ‘Thus, by strategically displaying more display= show, present, demonstrate, expose
versus= against, as opposed to, contrasted with
dominant laughter when the context allows, low-status strategically= in a way that helps to achieve a plan,
individuals may achieve higher status in the eyes of for example in business or politics
others.’ However, high-status individuals were rated as context= situation, environment, setting
achieve= attain, realize, accomplish, reach, get #fail
high-status whether they produced their natural in the eyes of somebody= according to a particular
dominant laugh or tried to do a submissive one. person or group)
hypothesis= theory, supposition, assumption, guess

Another study, conducted by David Cheng and Lu Wang respite from= interval, break
of Australian National University, was based on the tedious= boring, dull, uninteresting #interesting
hypothesis that humour might provide a respite from break= a period of time when you stop working in
order to rest, eat etc
tedious situations in the workplace. This ‘mental break’ facilitate= ease, enable, help #impede
might facilitate the replenishment of mental replenishment= refill; to put new supplies into
resources. To test this theory, the researchers something, or to fill something again
resource= reserve, supply, store, source
48
recruited 74 business students, ostensibly for an recruit= hire, employ #lay off
ostensibly= apparently, supposedly, seemingly,
experiment on perception. First, the students allegedly #truly
experiment= test, research, trial
performed a tedious task in which they had to cross perform= do, make, implement
cross sth out= delete, remove, erase
out every instance of the letter ‘e’ over two pages of text. elicit= provoke, cause, produce, stimulate
The students then were randomly assigned to watch a contentment= gladness, satisfaction, happiness,
pleasure #discontent
video clip eliciting either humour, contentment, or neutral= unbiased, impartial #biased
comedy= a play, film, or television programme that is
neutral feelings. Some watched a clip of the BBC intended to make people laugh
comedy Mr. Bean, others a relaxing scene with scene= part of a play during which there is no change
in time or place
dolphins swimming in the ocean, and others a factual factual= truthful, realistic, real, based on fact
management= organization, running, administration,
video about the management profession. supervision
profession= occupation, job, career, work
The students then completed a task requiring complete= accomplish, fulfill, finish
persistence in which they were asked to guess the persistence= determination, perseverance, tenacity
potential performance of employees based on provided profile= a short description that gives important
details about a person, a group of people, or a place
profiles, and were told that making 10 correct
make an assessment= judgement, review,
assessments in a row would lead to a win. However, consideration, evaluation
the software was programmed such that it was nearly in a row= consecutively, one after the other,
impossible to achieve 10 consecutive correct answers. successively, uninterruptedly
Participants were allowed to quit the task at any point. consecutive= successive, uninterrupted, sequential
Students who had watched the Mr. Bean video ended end up doing sth= to be in a particular situation,
state, or place after a series of events, especially
up spending significantly more time working on the task,
when you did not plan it
making twice as many predictions as the other two
groups.
replicate= if you replicate someone's work, a

Cheng and Wang then replicated these results in a scientific study etc, you do it again, or try to get the
second study, during which they had participants same result again
complete long multiplication questions by hand. Again, multiplication= a method of calculating in which you
participants who watched the humorous video spent add a number to itself a particular number of times
significantly more time working on this tedious task and by hand= done or made by a person rather than a
machine
completed more questions correctly than did the humorous= funny, amusing, entertaining, hilarious
students in either of the other groups. either of= one or the other of two things or people
‘Although humour has been found to help relieve stress relieve= release, discharge, get rid of
and facilitate social relationships, the traditional view of stress= pressure, strain, anxiety, tension, trauma
imply= suggest, infer, indicate, hint at
task performance implies that individuals should avoid
distract sb/th from sth= divert, sidetrack
things such as humour that may distract them from the accomplishment= completion, achievement,
accomplishment of task goals,’ Cheng and Wang attainment

conclude= end, finish, close
conclude. ‘We suggest that humour is not only
energizing= the activity of causing to have energy
enjoyable but more importantly, energising.’ and be active
49
50
51
52
53
54
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
10
11
12
13
55
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
56
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
57
58
TEST 3
READING PASSAGE 1
T he British sculptor Henry Moore was a leading

sculptor= someone who creates sculptures
leading= important, foremost, chief, top
figure= person, celebrity, individual
figure in the 20th-century art world
Henry Moore was born in Castleford, a small town near interest in= attention, notice, curiosity
Leeds in the north of England. He was the seventh child hope= want, expect, wish
of Raymond Moore and his wife Mary Baker. He studied comply with= obey, fulfill, stick to #disobey
at Castleford Grammar School from 1909 to 1915, where
train= teach, instruct, guide
his early interest in art was encouraged by his teacher
Alice Gostick. After leaving school, Moore hoped to abandon= cancel, end, stop
become a sculptor, but instead he complied with his the First World War= the big war fought in europe
father’s wish that he train as a schoolteacher. He had to between 1914 and 1918, which involved many
abandon his training in 1917 when he was sent to
Finance to fight in the First World War. different countries
After the war, Moore enrolled at the Leeds School of enroll= join, register, sign up
Art, where he studied for two years. In his first year, he sculpture= the art of making objects out of stone,
spent most of his time drawing. Although he wanted to
study sculpture, no teacher was appointed until his wood, clay etc
second year. At the end of that year, he passed the appoint = employ, hire, assign
sculpture examination and was awarded a scholarship
to the Royal College of Art in London. In September award= give, present
59
1921, he moved to London and began three years of

advanced study in sculpture.
alongside= beside, together with, combined with
Alongside the instruction he received at the Royal instruction= training, education
College, Moore visited many of the London museums, particularly= especially, specifically
wide-ranging= including a wide variety of subjects,
particularly the British Museum, which had a wide- things, or people
ranging collection of ancient sculpture. During these ancient= antique, early, prehistoric, primeval
visits, he discovered the power and beauty of ancient #modern, contemporary
primitive= ancient, prehistoric, original #modern
Egyptian and African sculpture. As he became turn away from = to stop supporting someone, or
increasingly interested in these ‘primitive’ forms of art, stop using or being interested in something, or to
he turned away from European sculptural traditions. make someone do this
impress= excite, amaze, influence

After graduating, Moore spent the first six months of cast= a mould into which you pour liquid metal,
plastic etc in order to make an object of a particular
1925 travelling in France. When he visited the Trocadero shape, or the object made in this way
recline= to lie or lean back in a relaxed way
Museum in Paris, he was impressed by a cast of a draw your knees up= to bring your legs closer to
your body
Mayan sculpture of the rain spirit. It was a male angle= position, viewpoint
fascinated= extremely interested by something or
reclining figure with its knees drawn up together, and someone
originality= innovation, novelty, uniqueness
its head at a right angle to its body. Moore became #unoriginality
possess= own, have, hold #lack
fascinated with this stone sculpture, which he thought carve= sculpt, cut, slice, shape
a variety of sth= a lot of things of the same type that
had a power and originality that no other stone are different from each other in some way
subject= the thing or person that you show when you
sculpture possessed. He himself started carving a paint a picture, take a photograph etc
depiction= representation, picture, illustration,
variety of subjects in stone, including depictions of drawing
mask= something that covers your face, and has
reclining women, mother-and-child groups, and masks. another face painted on it, which is used for
ceremonies or special occasions
Moore’s exceptional talent soon gained recognition, exceptional= excellent, brilliant, special #ordinary
gain= achieve, acquire, obtain, get
recognition= credit, acknowledgement,respect
and in 1926 he started work as a sculpture instructor at
aim= goal, purpose, intention, objective, target
convince= persuade, sway, talk into #dissuade
the Royal College. In 1933, he became a member of a merit= value, worth, virtue #worthlessness
emerging= in an early state of development
group of young artists called Unit One. The aim of the modern art= art that was produced in the late 1860s
through the 1970s and that rejected traditionally
group was to convince the English public of the merits accepted forms and emphasized individual
experimentation and sensibility.
of the emerging international movement in modern art architecture= building, construction, planning,
structural design
and architecture.
move away from= to change from one opinion or
way of thinking to another
Around this time, Moore moved away from the human experiment= test, try out, conduct test
figure to experiment with abstract shapes. In 1931, he abstract= abstract paintings, designs etc consist of
shapes and patterns that do not look like real people
held an exhibition at the Leicester Galleries in London. or things
exhibition= display, presentation, show
60
His work was enthusiastically welcomed by enthusiastically= feeling or showing a lot of interest
and excitement about something
fellow sculptors, but the reviews in the press were welcome= accept, appreciate #reject
fellow= colleague, companion, partner, coworker
extremely negative and turned Moore into a notorious press= media, newspapers
turn (sb/sth) into sth= become, change into
figure. There were calls for his resignation from the notorious= infamous, disreputable #famous
call for= request, order, demand
resignation= an occasion when you officially
Royal College, and the following year, when his announce that you have decided to leave your job or
an organization, or a written statement that says you
contract expired, he left to start a sculpture will be leaving
contract= agreement, deal, bond
department at the Chelsea School of Art in London. expire= finish, end, run out
department= section, branch, sector
Throughout the 1930s, Moore did not show any throughout= during, in
inclination= a tendency to think or behave in a
inclination to please the British public. He became
particular way
interested in the paintings of the Spanish artist Pablo please= satisfy, delight, content #displease
inspire= motivate, encourage, arouse
Picasso, whose work inspired him to distort the human distort= change, alter
body in a radical way. At times, he seemed to abandon radical= essential, fundamental, profound
at times= sometimes
the human figure altogether. The pages of his altogether= completely, entirely, totally
sketchbook/sketchpad= a number of sheets of
sketchbooks from this period show his ideas for
paper fastened together and used for drawing
abstract sculptures that bore little resemblance to the bear a (close/striking/uncanny etc)
resemblance to sb/sth= look like
human form.
In 1940, during the Second World War, Moore stopped farmhouse= the main house on a farm, where the
farmer lives
teaching at the Chelsea School and moved to a a shortage of= lack of, scarcity, deficiency,
unavailability #excess
farmhouse about 20 miles north of London. A shortage material= a solid substance such as wood, plastic, or
of materials forced him to focus on drawing. He did metal
force= compel, oblige, make, drive, impose
numerous small sketches of Londoners, later turning numerous= many, plentiful, #few
sketch= a simple, quickly-made drawing that does
these ideas into large coloured drawings in his studio. In not show much detail
series= several books, articles etc that deal with the
1942, he returned to Castleford to make a series of
same subject or tell stories about the same characters
sketches of the miners who worked there. miner= mineworker, coalminer
offer= propose, suggest, put forward

commission= a request for an artist, designer, or
In 1944, Harlow, a town near London, offered Moore a musician to make a piece of art or music, for which
they are paid
commission for a sculpture depicting a family. The depict= describe, illustrate, draw
signify= indicate, show, denote
resulting work signifies a dramatic change in Moore’s dramatic= striking, remarkable, impressive,
extraordinary, amazing
style, away from the experimentation of the 1930s away from= further than, outside
experimentation= testing
61
towards a more natural and humanistic subject matter. humanistic= relating to humanism (= the idea that
people do not need a god or religion to satisfy their
spiritual and emotional needs)
subject matter= what is being talked about in speech
He did dozens of studies in clay for the sculpture, and or writing, or represented in art
dozens of sth= a lot of
study= experiment, research, examination
these were cast in bronze and issued in editions of clay= a type of heavy sticky earth that can be used
for making pots, bricks etc
cast= mold, form, shape
seven to nine copies each. In this way, Moore’s world bronze= a hard metal that is a mixture of copper and
tin
issue= publish, release
edition= version, publication, printing
became available to collectors all over the world. The available= accessible, existing, presented
collector= someone who collects things that are
interesting or attractive
boost to his income enabled him to take on ambitious boost= improvement, increase, enhancement
income= revenue, salary, profits #expenditure
enable sb to do sth= allow, permit, assist #prevent
projects and start working on the scale he felt his take on sth= to begin to have, use, or do something
ambitious= an ambitious plan, idea etc shows a
sculpture demanded. desire to do something good but difficult
work on sth= improve, develop
scale= level, range, degree, amount
demand= require, need, want
critic= reviewer, commentator, evaluator, reporter,

Critics who had begun to think that Moore had become journalist
revolutionary= innovative, radical #conventional
less revolutionary were proven wrong by the prove= show, demonstrate, verify, confirm #disprove
appearance= emergence, arrival, beginning
#disappearance
appearance, in 1950, of the first of Moore’s series of series= sequence, chain, string, progression
harsh= ugly and unpleasant to look at
standing figures in bronze, with their harsh and angular angular= having sharp and definite corners #rounded
pierce= to make a small hole in or through
pierced forms and distinct impression of menace. something, using an object with a sharp point
distinct= different, dissimilar, separate
Moore also varied his subject matter in the 1950s with impression= feeling, idea, though, sense
menace= a threatening quality, feeling, or way of
behaving
such works as Warrior with Shield and Falling Warrior. vary= change, alter, modify
warrior= soldier, fighter
These were rare examples of Moore’s use of the male shield= a piece of equipment made of strong plastic,
used by the police to protect themselves against
figure and owe something to his visit to Greece in 1951, angry crowds
rare= few, odd, unique
when he had the opportunity to study ancient works of owe sth to sb= to achieve something because of
what someone else has done
art.
foundation= organization, charity, institute
In his final years, Moore created the Henry Moore promote= encourage, endorse, support
appreciation= understanding, awareness, grasp
Foundation to promote art appreciation and to display= show, exhibit, present
display his world. Moore was the first modern English achieve= attain, accomplish, get #fail
critical= according to critics who give judgments
sculptor to achieve international critical acclaim and he about art, films, theatre, and books
is still regarded as one of the most important sculptors acclaim= praise, approval, commendation
#disapproval
of the 20th century. regard sb/sth as sth= consider, think
62
63
64
65
66
READING PASSAGE 2
A to be impressed with= excite, amaze, astonish

rooftop= the upper surface of a roof
Travelling around Thailand in the 1990s, William solar= using the power of the sun’s light and heat
heating= a system for making a room or building warm
Janssen was impressed with the basic rooftop absorb= something absorbs light, heat, energy, or noise, it
solar heating systems that were on many homes, takes it in
plate= a flat and usually round dish that you eat from or
where energy from the sun was absorbed by a
serve food on
plate and then used to heat water for domestic use. heat= warm, boil, cook, heat up #cool
Two decades later Janssen developed that basic domestic= home, family, house, household #public
decade= a period of 10 years
idea he saw in Southeast Asia into a portable portable= moveable, transportable, transferrable #fixed
device that uses the power from the sun to purify purify= clean, disinfect, sanitize, decontaminate, refine
#contaminate
water.
operate= function, work, run, control, use

B mobile= moveable, portable, transportable #fixed
desalination= the process of removing salt from sea water
The Desolenator operates as a mobile so that people can use it
unit= a single complete product made by a company
desalination unit that can take water from different borehole= a deep hole made using special equipment,
especially in order to get water or oil out of the ground
places, such as the sea, rivers, boreholes and rain, consumption= ingesting, feasting, feeding, eating,
ingestion
and purify it for human consumption. It is particularly= especially, specifically
particularly valuable in regions where natural valuable= helpful, useful, beneficial #worthless
groundwater= water that is below the ground
groundwater reserves have been polluted, or reserve= store, stock, supply
pollute= dirty, spoil, contaminate #clean
67
where seawater is the only water source available. seawater= salty water from the sea
source= supply, fund
Janssen saw that there was a need for a available= accessible, existing, presented, open
#unavailable
sustainable way to clean water in both the sustainable= ecological, environmental, green, organic
#unsustainable
developing and the developed countries when he large-scale= using or involving a lot of effort, people,
supplies etc #small-scale
moved to the United Arab Emirates and saw large- process= to make food, materials, or goods ready to be
used or sold, for example by preserving or improving them
scale water processing. ‘I was confronted with in some way
be confronted with sth= face, encounter, deal with #avoid
the enormous carbon footprint that the Gulf enormous= huge, vast, massive, giant #tiny
carbon footprint= the amount of carbon dioxide that a
nations have because of all of the desalination that person or organization produces by the things they do,
used as a way of measuring the amount of harm they do to
they do,’ he says. the environment
C
drinking water= water that is pure enough for you to drink
The Desolenator can produce 15 litres of drinking sustain= nourish, support, feed, nurture
selling point= a particular quality that something has which
water per day, enough to sustain a family for will make people want to buy it
technique= method, system, procedure, practice
cooking and drinking. Its main selling point is that generate= make, produce, create
transport= convey, bring, carry, transfer
unlike standard desalination techniques, it doesn’t flow= run, pour, flood, stream
film= a very thin layer of liquid, powder etc on the surface
require a generated power supply: just sunlight. It of something
sheet= piece, page, pane
measures 120 cm by 90 cm, and is easy to double glazing= glass on a window or door in two
separate sheets with a space between them, used to keep
transport, thanks to its two wheels. Water enters noise out and heat in
surface= side, top, shell, exterior #inside
through a pipe, and flows as a thin film between a panel= board, piece, pane, sheet, plate
boiler= a container for boiling water that is part of a steam
sheet of double glazing and the surface of a solar
engine, or is used to provide heating in a house
panel, where it is heated by the sun. The warm powered= working or moving using a means of power such
as electricity, a motor etc
water flows into a small boiler (heated by a solar- convert sth to/into sth= change, alter, transform
steam= the hot mist that water produces when it is boiled
powered battery) where it is converted to steam. distilled water= water that has been made purer by being
heated until it becomes a gas and then cooled until it
When the steam cools, it becomes distilled water. becomes a liquid again
filter= something that you pass water, air etc through in
The device has a very simple filter to trap particles, order to remove unwanted substances and make it clean or
suitable to use
and this can easily be shaken to remove them. trap= catch, entrap, confine
particle= a very small piece of something
There are two tubes for liquid coming out: one for shake= to move suddenly from side to side or up and
down, usually with a lot of force, or to make something or
the waste — salt from seawater, fluoride, etc. — someone do this
come out= if something comes out, it is removed from a
and another for the distilled water. The performance place
fluoride= a chemical which is believed to help protect teeth
of the unit is shown on an LCD screen and against decay
performance= functioning, working, operation, running
transmitted to the company which provides
transmit to= convey, transfer
servicing when necessary. servicing= when a machine or vehicle is examined and
things are done to keep it working well
68
D
analysis= study, investigation, examination
A recent analysis found that at least two-thirds of two-thirds= two-thirds of something is an amount that is
the world’s population lives with severe water two out of three equal parts of it
scarcity for at least a month every year. Janssen severe= acute, serious, dangerous, awful, terrible
says that by 2030 half of the world’s population will scarcity= a situation in which there is not enough of
be living with water stress — where the demand something
exceeds the supply over a certain period of time. ‘It stress= pressure, anxiety, tension, worry
is really important that a sustainable solution is demand= requirement, need, necessity
brought to the market that is able to help these exceed= surpass, outstrip, outdo
people,’ he says. Many countries ‘don’t have the period= phase, interval, time, stage
plant= a factory or building where an industrial process
money for desalination plants, which are very
happens
expensive to build. They don’t have the money to
maintenance= conservation, preservation, protection
operate them, they are very maintenance
intensive= involving a lot of activity, effort, or careful
intensive, and they don’t have the money to buy the
attention in a short period of time
diesel to run the desalination plants, so it is a really
diesel= a type of heavy oil used instead of petrol in
bad situation.’
engines, especially in trucks, buses, and trains
E
aim at= target, aim for, focus on
The device is aimed at a wide variety of users — variety= type, kind, class
homeowner= someone who owns their home
from homeowners in the developing world who do constant= stable, steady, regular
live off sb/sth= rely on, depend on
grid= the network of electricity supply wires that connects
not have a constant supply of water to people living power stations and provides electricity to buildings in an
area
off the grid in rural parts of the US. The first rural= country, countryside #urban
commercial= business, business-related, for profit, trade
commercial versions of the Desolenator are version= type, kind, sort
in operation= the way the parts of a machine or system
expected to be in operation in India early next year, work together, or the process of making a machine or
system work
field= work or study that is done in the field is done in the
after field tests are carried out. The market for the real world rather than in a class or laboratory
carry out= do, perform, complete, accomplish #neglect
self-sufficient devices in developing countries is market= the total amount of trade in a particular kind of
goods
twofold — those who cannot afford the money for self-sufficient= able to provide all the things you need
without help from other people
the device outright and pay through microfinance, twofold= having two important parts
afford= have enough money, pay for, meet the expense of
outright= completely, entirely, totally, fully #partially
and middle- income homes that can lease their microfinance= a system that allows people in poor
countries to borrow small amounts of money to help them
own equipment. ‘People in India don’t pay for a start a small business
middle-income= middle-income people have incomes that
fridge outright; they pay for it over six months. They are not high and not low
lease= rent, hire, charter
would put the Desolenator on their roof and hook it equipment= kit, tools, gear
hook up= connect, link up #disconnect
municipal= relating to or belonging to the government of a
up to their municipal supply and they would get town or city
reliable= dependable, consistent, trustworthy
very reliable drinking water on a daily basis,’ #undependable
on a regular/daily/weekly etc basis= every day, week etc
69
Janssen says. In the developed world, it is aimed at niche market= a small area of trade within the economy,
often involving specialized products
niche markets where tap water is unavailable —
tap water= water that comes out of a tap rather than a
for camping, on boats, or for the military, for bottle
instance. military= army, armed forces, navy
F
vary= change, alter, fluctuate, modify #standardize
Prices will vary according to where it is bought. In depend on= rely on, hinge on, rest on
deal= contract, transaction, agreement
the developing world, the price will depend on what aid= help, support, relief
negotiate= bargain, discuss, consult, confer, reach a deal
deal aid organisations can negotiate. In developed come in at= to cost a particular amount
venture= a new business activity that involves taking risks
countries, it is likely to come in at $1,000 (£685) a mission= purpose, goal, aim, objective, duty
aware= conscious, mindful, cognizant #unaware,
unit, said Janssen. ‘We are a venture with a social unconscious
envision= imagine, visualize, foresee, predict
mission. We are aware that the product we have application= practical purpose for which a machine, idea
etc can be used, or a situation when this is used
envisioned is mainly finding application in the humanitarian= concerned with improving bad living
developing world and humanitarian sector and that conditions and preventing unfair treatment of people
sector= part, segment
proceed= continue, ensue, keep on, progress, go on
this is the way we will proceed. We do realise, viable= a viable idea, plan, or method can work
though, that to be a viable company there is a successfully
the bottom line= used to tell someone what the most
bottom line to keep in mind,’ he says. important part of a situation is, or what the most important
thing to consider is
keep in mind= bear in mind, remember, consider
G
The company itself is based at Imperial College base= construct, establish, build, found
London, although Janssen, its chief executive, still chief executive= the person with the highest rank in a
company or an organization
lives in the UAE. It has raised £340,000 in funding raise= to collect money that you can use to do a particular
so far. Within two years, he says, the company aims job or help people
to be selling 1,000 units a month, mainly in the funding= money that is provided by an organization for a
particular purpose
humanitarian field. They are expected to be sold in so far= until now
areas such as Australia, northern Chile, Peru, Texas field= area, topic
and California.
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71
72
73
74
READING PASSAGE 3
S
fairy tale= a children’s story in which magical things
happen
ome people think that fairy tales are just stories amuse= entertain, interest, fascinate #bore
universal= worldwide, widespread, general
enduring= lasting, continuing, long-term #short-lived
to amuse children, but their universal and enduring appeal= attractiveness, attraction, influence, fascination
appeal may be due to more serious reasons #repulsion
due to= because of, owing to, thanks to
serious= thought-provoking, important, significant
People of every culture tell each other fairy tales but a variety of sth= a lot of things of the same type that are
the same story often takes a variety of forms in different from each other in some way
hood= a part of a coat, jacket etc that you can pull up to
different parts of the world. In the story of Little Real cover your head
Riding Hood that European children are familiar be familiar with sth= to have a good knowledge or
understanding of something
with, a young girl on the way to see her grandmother wolf= a wild animal that looks like a large dog and lives
meets a wolf and tells him where she is going. The and hunts in groups
run on= go on, continue, keep going #stop
wolf runs on ahead and disposes of the
dispose of= kill, murder, assassinate
grandmother, then gets into bed dressed in the get into= to enter a place, especially when this is difficult
dress in= put on, wear #take off
grandmother’s clothes to wait for Little Red Riding
version= type, kind, form, style
Hood. You may think you know the story —but which swallow up sb/sth= to take someone or something in so
version? In some versions, the wolf swallows up the that it is destroyed or no longer independent
lock sb in (sth)= to prevent someone from leaving a
grandmother, while in others it locks her in a room or building by locking the door
cupboard. In some stories Red Riding Hood gets cupboard= storeroom, closet
get the better of somebody= to defeat someone or deal
the better of the wolf on her own, while in others a successfully with a problem
on one’s own= without anyone’s help
75
hunter or a woodcutter hears her cries and comes hunter= a person who hunts wild animals, or an animal
that hunts other animals for food
woodcutter= someone whose job is to cut down trees in
to her rescue. a forest
come to the rescue/somebody’s rescue= to save
someone who is in a dangerous situation
The universal appeal of these tales is frequently tale= a story about exciting imaginary events
attribute sth to sb/sth= to believe or say that a situation
attributed to the idea that they contain cautionary or event is caused by something
cautionary= warning, deterrent, advisory
messages: in the case of Little Red Riding Hood, to in the case of sth= an example of a particular situation
or of something happening
listen to your mother, and avoid talking to strangers. ‘It survival= existence #death
relevant= related, applicable # irrelevant
anthropologist= someone who scientifically studies
might be what we find interesting about this story is
humans and their customs, beliefs, and relationships
suggest/say/think/decide etc otherwise= to say, think,
that it’s got this survival-relevant information in it,’
or decide something different
huge= enormous, vast, gigantic, massive, giant #tiny
says anthropologist Jamie Tehrani at Durham gap= a big difference between two situations, amounts,
groups of people etc
University in the UK. But his research suggests prehistory= the time in history before anything was
written down
otherwise. ‘We have this huge gap in our knowledge storytelling= the activity of writing, telling, or reading
stories
about the history and prehistory of storytelling, genre= type, sort, kind, category, field
incredibly= extremely, unbelievably, extraordinarily
despite the fact that we know this genre is an ancient= very old, prehistoric, primeval #modern,
contemporary
incredibly ancient one,’ he says. That hasn’t stopped folklorist= someone who studies folklore
academic= educational, scholastic
anthropologists, folklorists and other academics devise= invent, create, think up
theory= concept, scheme, idea, belief
devising theories to explain the importance of fairy borrow sth from sb= to take or copy someone's ideas,
words etc and use them in your own work, language etc
tales in human society. Now Tehrani has found a way technique= method, system, procedure
evolutionary= relating to the way in which ideas or
to test these ideas, borrowing a technique from situations gradually change and develop over a long
period of time
evolutionary biologists. biologist= someone who studies or works in biology
work sth out= understand, comprehend, make sense of

To work out the evolutionary history, development
organism= creature, living thing
and relationships among groups of organisms, compare= evaluate, judge, assess
characteristic= trait, feature, quality
biologists compare the characteristics of living species= class, type, kind, sort
species in a process called ‘phylogenetic analysis’. process= procedure, progression, course of action
phylogenetic= based on natural evolutionary
Tehrani has used the same approach to compare relationships
analysis= examination, study, investigation
related versions of fairy tales to discover how they
evolve= change, grow, progress, develop #regress
have evolved and which elements have survived element= part, section, component
survive= live, continue, last, persist #perish
longest.
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Tehrani’s analysis focused on Little Red Riding Hood variant= alternative, variation, modification
similar= alike, comparable #dissimilar
in its many forms, which include another Western fairy end up with sth= to be in a particular situation, state, or
tale known as The Wolf and the Kids. Checking for place after a series of events, especially when you did not
variants of these two tales and similar stories from plan it
oral tradition= a system for preserving a group's beliefs,
Africa, East Asia and other regions, he ended up customs, and history, in which parents tell their children
with 58 stories recorded from oral traditions. Once about them, and the children tell their children, and so on
his phylogenetic analysis had established that they establish= found, start, create, begin, launch, set up
indeed= really, certainly, definitely
were indeed related, he used the same methods to explore= search, study, investigate, survey
explore how they have developed and altered over alter= change, modify, vary #maintain
time.
First he tested some assumptions about which test= examine, assess, investigate, analyze
assumption= supposition, hypothesis, theory
aspects of the story alter least as it evolves, aspect= feature, part, characteristic, piece, trait
least= less than anything or anyone else
indicating their importance. Folklorists believe that indicate= signify, imply, suggest, reveal, show
central= crucial, main, most important #unimportant
what happens in a story is more central to the story character= a person in a book, play, film etc
relative= a member of your family
than the characters in it — that visiting a relative, scary= frightening, creepy, terrifying #reassuring
only to be met by a scary animal in disguise, is more in disguise= pretending to be somebody else,
undercover, incognito
fundamental than whether the visitor is a little girl or fundamental= important, essential, vital, major,
necessary
three siblings, or the animal is a tiger instead of a sibling= brother, sister, family member
wolf.
However, Tehrani found no significant difference in significant= considerable, large, major, big #paltry
rate= proportion, amount, percentage, ratio
the rate of evolution of incidents compared with that evolution= development, growth, progress #regression
of characters. ‘Certain episodes are very stable incident= occurrence, happening, episode, event
episode= occurrence, incidence, event
because they are crucial to the story, but there are stable= steady, unchanging, constant #changeable
lots of other details that can evolve quite freely,’ he crucial= vital, critical, central, essential, important,
necessary #trivial
says. Neither did his analysis support the theory that freely= easily, spontaneously, without restrictions
the central section of a story is the most conserved support= if results, facts, studies etc support an idea or
view, they show or prove that it is correct
part. He found no significant difference in the section= unit, segment, sector, fragment, part #whole
flexibility of events there compared with the conserve= preserve, save, keep, maintain #destroy
flexibility= the ability to change or be changed easily to
beginning or the end. suit a different situation
surprise= amazement, astonishment, shock

But the really big surprise came when he looked at study= research, report, findings
the cautionary elements of the story. ‘Studies on hunter-gatherer= a member of a group of people that
lives by hunting and looking for plants that can be eaten,
hunter-gatherer folk tales suggest that these rather than by keeping animals for food or by growing
crops
narratives include really important information about folk tale= a story that parents have passed on to their
children through speech over many years
the environment and the possible dangers that may narrative= story, tale
be faced there — stuff that’s relevant danger= risk, peril, threat, endangerment #safety
face= confront, encounter, meet, tackle, handle #avoid
stuff= things, objects, matter
77
to survival,’ he says. Yet in his analysis such elements flexible= a person, plan etc that is flexible can change or
be changed easily to suit any new situation
were just as flexible as seemingly trivial details. #inflexible
seemingly= apparently, outwardly #really
What, then, is important enough to be reproduced trivial= unimportant, small, minor, insignificant, slight,
negligible #crucial
from generation to generation? reproduce= copy, replicate, duplicate, imitate, mimic
generation= all people of about the same age
The answer, it would appear, is fear — blood-thirsty appear= seem, look, look like
fear= terror, dread, horror, anxiety, distress, panic
and gruesome aspects of the story, such as the #assurance
blood-thirsty= describing or showing violence
eating of the grandmother by the wolf, turned out to gruesome= horrible, dreadful, frightening, grisly
#pleasant
be the best preserved of all. Why are these details turn out to be sth= end up, become
retained by generations of storytellers, when other preserve= maintain, keep, sustain, save, conserve
#destroy
features are not? Tehrani has an idea: ‘In an oral retain= hold, preserve, maintain, save, keep
storyteller= teller, narrator, teller of tales
context, a story won’t survive because of one great feature= characteristic, aspect, element
teller. It also needs to be interesting when it’s told by oral= spoken, verbal #written
context= setting, situation, framework, circumstance
someone who’s not necessarily a great storyteller,’ swallow= ingest, consume, eat
cut out of sth= remove, take away, take out
Maybe being swallowed whole by a wolf, then cut gripping= a gripping film, story etc is very exciting and
interesting
out of its stomach alive is so gripping that it helps remain= continue, persist, keep on, go on #stop
the story remain popular, no matter how badly it’s no matter how/whether/what etc= used to say that
something is true or that something happens whatever
told. the situation is
unconvinced= not persuaded that something is true or

Jack Zipes at the University of Minnesota, good
Minneapolis, is unconvinced by Tehrani’s views on view= opinion, viewpoint, idea
fairy tales. ‘Even if they’re gruesome, they won’t stick stick= if something sticks, it becomes fixed in one
position and is difficult to move
unless they matter,’ he says. He believes the
matter= to be important, especially to be important to
perennial theme of women as victims in stories like you, or to have an effect on what happens
Little Red Riding Hood explains why they continue to perennial= recurrent, constant, regular #occasional
feel relevant. But Tehrani points out that although theme= subject, topic, idea, thesis
this is often the case in Western versions, it is not victim= someone who has been attacked, robbed, or
always true elsewhere. In Chinese and Japanese murdered
point out= indicate, show, reveal, identify
versions, often known as The Tiger Grandmother, the
case= example, illustration, instance
villain is a woman, and in both Iran and Nigeria, the villain= the main bad character in a film, play, or story
victim is a boy.
finding= discovery, result, coclusion
Mathias Clasen at Aarhus University in Denmark isn’t
moral= ethical, good, honest, principled #immoral
surprised by Tehrani’s findings. ‘Habits and morals
scare= frighten, terrify, panic #reassure
change, but the things that scare us, and the fact that
seek out= look for, seek, search for, hunt for
we seek out entertainment that’s designed to scare
constant= staying the same
us — those are constant,’ he says. Clasen believes
build up= boost, bolster, increase, develop
that scary stories teach us what it feels like to be
resistance= the natural ability of a person, animal, or
afraid without having to experience real danger, and
plant to stop diseases or difficult conditions from harming
so build up resistance to negative emotions.
them
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79
80
81
82
83
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
10
11
12
13
84
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
85
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
86
87
TEST 4
READING PASSAGE 1
T
huarango= The huarango tree (Prosopis pallida) is
native to semi-arid areas of Colombia, Ecuador and
he arid valleys of southern Peru are welcoming the Peru
arid= dry, parched, waterless, scorched #humid
return= reappearance, reoccurrence
return of a native plant native= indigenous, local, aboriginal, resident #foreign
narrow= thin, slim, slender #wide

The south coast of Peru is a narrow, 2,000-kilometre- strip= a long narrow area of land
desert= a large area of land where it is always very
long strip of desert squeezed between the Andes and hot and dry, and there is a lot of sand
squeeze= to try to make something fit into a space
the Pacific Ocean. It is also one of the most fragile
that is too small, or to try to get into such a space
ecosystems on Earth. It hardly ever rains there. and fragile= frail, weak, feeble #strong
ecosystem= bionetwork, ecology, environment
the only year-round source of water is located tens of year-round= happening through the whole year
source= supply, fund, resource
metres below the surface. This is why the huarango surface= exterior, shell, top, face
suited to= suitable, well-matched, appropriate, fit
tree is so suited to life there: it has the longest roots of
stretch= reach, extend, reach out
any tree in the world. They stretch down 50-80 metres suck= to take air, liquid etc into your mouth by making
your lips form a small hole and using the muscles of
and, as well as sucking up water for the tree, they bring your mouth to pull it in
subsoil= the layer of soil between the ground’s
it into the higher subsoil, creating a water source for surface and the lower layer of hard rock
other plant life. create= make, generate, produce #destroy
88
Dr David Beresford-Jones, archaeobotanist at archaeobotanist= A person engaged in

archaeobotany
Cambridge University, has been studying the role of study= examine, investigate, analyze
landscape= scenery, scene, surroundings
the huarango tree in landscape change in the Lower ancient= antique, prehistoric, primeval, age-old
#modern, contemporary
Ica Valley in southern Peru. He believes the huarango diet= eating habits, pattern of eating, food and drink
reach= get, stretch to, touch
was key to the ancient people’s diet and because it withstand= endure, survive, bear
drought= a long period of dry weather when there is
could reach deep water sources, it allowed local people not enough water for plants and animals to live
crop= a plant such as wheat, rice, or fruit that is grown
to withstand years of drought when their other crops by farmers and used as food
gradually= slowly, progressively, steadily #rapidly
failed. But over the centuries huarango trees were replace sth with sth= exchange, substitute, use
instead
gradually replaced with crops. Cutting down native cut down= reduce, decrease #increase, expand
woodland= forest
woodland leads to erosion, as there is nothing to keep lead to= cause, bring about, result in
erosion= the process by which rock or soil is gradually
the soil in place. So when the huarangos go, the land destroyed by wind, rain, or the sea
in place= in the correct position
turns into a desert. Nothing grows at all in the Lower go= die, pass away #live
turn into= turn out to be, become, develop into
Ica Valley now.
vital= critical, crucial, necessary, important
#unimportant
For centuries the huarango tree was vital to the people neighbouring= near the place where you are or the
place you are talking about; nearby
of the neighbouring Middle lca Valley too. They grew seed= a small hard object produced by plants, from
which a new plant of the same kind grows
vegetables under it and ate products made from its pod= a long narrow seed container that grows on
various plants, especially peas and beans
seed pods. Its leaves and bark were used for herbal bark= the outer covering of a tree
herbal remedy= a medical treatment made with herbs
remedies, while its branches were used for charcoal branch= a part of a tree that grows out from the trunk
(=main stem) and that has leaves, fruit, or smaller
for cooking and heating, and its trunk was used to build branches growing from it
charcoal= a black substance made of burnt wood that
houses. But now it is disappearing rapidly. The can be used as fuel
trunk= the thick central woody stem of a tree
disappear= vanish, withdraw #appear
majority of the huarango forests in the valley have rapidly= quickly, fast, speedily #slowly
majority= most of the people or things in a group
already been cleared for fuel and agriculture — fuel= petroleum, oil, coal, gas, energy, gasoline
agriculture= farming, cultivation, crop growing
initially, these were smallholdings, but now they’re initially= firstly, originally, at first #finally
smallholding= a piece of land used for farming, that is
huge farms producing crops for the international smaller than an ordinary farm
huge= enormous, vast, gigantic, giant, colossal #tiny
market.
botanist= someone whose job is to make scientific

'Of the forests that were here 1,000 years ago, 99 per studies of wild plants
together with= in cooperation with, in company with
cent have already gone,’ says botanist Oliver Whaley ethnobotanist= a scholar or researcher in the field of
ethnobotany (ethnobotany= the scientific study of the
from New Gardens in London, who, together with traditional knowledge and customs of a people
concerning plants and their medical, religious, and
ethnobotanist Dr William Milliken, is running a other uses).
run= manage, lead, organize, control
pioneering project to protect and restore the rapidly pioneering= new, innovative, revolutionary
restore= reinstate, return, bring back
89
disappearing habitat. In order to succeed, Whaley habitat= environment, habitation, home

on board= involved with something or working for an
needs to get the local people on board, and that has organization
meant overcoming local prejudices. ‘Increasingly overcome= beat, defeat, triumph over
prejudice= bias, preconception, prejudgment
aspirational communities think that if you plant food
aspirational= ambitious, aspiring, motivated
trees in your home or street, it shows you are poor, and #unambitious
still need to grow your own food,’ he says. In order to encourage= urge, persuade, promote
process= procedure, progression, course of action
stop the Middle Ica Valley going the same way as the resuscitation= revival, recovery
Lower Ica Valley, Whaley is encouraging locals to love set up= establish, launch
the huarangos again. ‘It’s a process of cultural reinstate= restore, return, reestablish, recall
a sense of pride= satisfaction, pleasure, delight,
resuscitation,’ he says. He has already set up a enjoyment
huarango festival to reinstate a sense of pride in their eco- = relating to the environment
heritage= the traditional beliefs, values, customs etc
eco-heritage, and has helped local schoolchildren plant
of a family, country, or society
thousands of trees.
restoration= reinstatement, return
‘In order to get people interested in habitat restoration, attempt to do sth= try, endeavor, struggle
sustainable= able to continue for a long time
income= revenue, salary, profits
you need to plant a tree that is useful to them,’ says foodstuff= food - used especially when talking about
the business of producing or selling food
Whaley. So, he has been working with local families to boil sth up= to heat food or a liquid until it begins to
boil
attempt to create a sustainable income from the syrup= a thick sticky sweet liquid, eaten on top of or
mixed with other foods
molasses= a thick dark sweet liquid that is obtained
huarangos by turning their products into foodstuffs. from raw sugar plants when they are being made into
sugar
‘Boil up the beans and you get this thick brown syrup stew= a hot meal made by cooking meat and
vegetables slowly in liquid for a long time
grind sth into sth= to press something onto a surface
like molasses. You can also use it in drinks, soups or and rub it with a strong twisting movement
flour= a powder that is made by crushing wheat or
stews.’ The pods can be ground into flour to make other grain and that is used for making bread, cakes
etc
cakes, and the seeds roasted into a sweet, chocolatey roast= bake, cook
chocolatey= tasting or smelling of chocolate
pack= package, wrap
‘coffee’. ‘It’s packed full of vitamins and minerals,’ mineral= a natural substance such as iron that is
present in some foods and is important for good health
Whaley says.
owner= someone who owns something

And some farmers are already planting huarangos.
certify= confirm, verify, declare
Alberto Benevides, owner of Ica Valley’s only certified organic= natural, unrefined, pure, raw #artificial
organic farm, which Whaley helped set up, has been relatively= comparatively, quite, fairly
planting the tree for 13 years. He produces syrup and live on sth= to have a particular amount of money to
flour, and sells these products at an organic farmers’ buy food and other necessary things
market in Lima. His farm is relatively small and doesn’t grow= expand, extend, develop #shrink
yet provide him with enough to live on, but he hopes invest sth in sth= to buy shares, property, or goods
this will change. ‘The organic market is growing rapidly because you hope that the value will increase and you
in Peru,’ Benevides says. ‘I am investing in the future.’ can make a profit
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But even if Whaley can convince the local people to even if= whether or not
convince= persuade, sway #dissuade
fall in love with= a strong feeling of liking someone a
fall in love with the huarango again, there is still the lot combined with sexual attraction
threat of= menace, intimidation, risk
cut across= to go straight from one side of an area to
threat of the larger farms. Some of these cut across another instead of going around
break up= disperse, separate, split up #unite
corridor= a narrow area of land between cities or
the forests and break up the corridors that allow the countries that has different qualities or features from
the land around it
essential= important, crucial, critical #unnecessary
essential movement of mammals, birds and pollen up mammal= a type of animal that drinks milk from its
mother’s body when it is young. Humans, dogs, and
and down the narrow forest strip. In the hope of whales are mammals
pollen= a fine powder produced by flowers, which is
carried by the wind or by insects to other flowers of the
counteracting this, he’s persuading farmers to let him same type, making them produce seeds
up and down somewhere= everywhere in a particular
area, especially an area that stretches from north to
plant forest corridors on their land. He believes the extra south:
in the hope of= because you hope that you will do
something
woodland will also benefit the farms by reducing their counteract= counter, lessen, reduce
persuade= convince, encourage, sway
usage= management, control, handling, use
water usage through a lowering of evaporation and evaporation= if a liquid evaporates, or if heat
evaporates it, it changes into a gas
providing a refuge for bio-control insects. refuge= sanctuary, shelter, protection
bio-= relating to or using living things
insect= bug, pest, creature
‘If we can record biodiversity and see how it all works, biodiversity= the variety of plants and animals in a
particular place
then we’re in a good position to move on from there.
be in a position to do something= to be able to do
Desert habitats can reduce down to very little,’ Whaley something because you have the ability, money, or
power to do it
explains. ‘It’s not like a rainforest that needs to have
move on from= to develop in your life, and change
this huge expanse. Life has always been confined to your relationships, interests, activities etc
rainforest= a tropical forest with tall trees that are very
corridors and islands here. If you just have a few trees
close together, growing in an area where it rains a lot
left, the population can grow up quickly because it’s expanse= area, region
be confined to somewhere/sth= to exist only in a
used to exploiting water when it arrives.’ He sees his
particular area or group of people
project as a model that has the potential to be rolled grow up= grow, develop
exploit= use, utilize #waste
out across other arid areas around the world. ‘If we can
potential= if people or things have potential, they
do it here, in the most fragile system on Earth, then have a natural ability or quality that could develop to
make them very good
that’s a real message of hope for lots of places,
roll sth out= to make a new product available for
including Africa, where there is drought and they just people to buy or use
afford to do sth= to have enough time to do
can’t afford to wait for rain.’
something
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93
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95
READING PASSAGE 2
whistle= a high sound made by blowing a whistle, by
L a Gomera is one of the Canary Islands situated

blowing air out through your lips, or when air or steam is
forced through a small opening
situate= position, place, locate
coast= shore, seaside #interior
volcanic= relating to or caused by a volcano
in the Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of mountainous= a mountainous area has a lot of mountains
steep= a road, hill etc that is steep slopes at a high angle
Africa. This small volcanic island is mountainous, rocky= covered with rocks or made of rock
slope= a piece of ground or a surface that slopes
with steep rocky slopes and deep, wooded wooded= woody, forested, timbered
ravines, rising to 1,457 metres at its highest peak. ravine= a deep narrow valley with steep sides
rise= to be very tall
It is also home to the best known of the world’s peak= top, summit, apex #base
means= method, way
whistle ‘languages’, a means of transmitting transmit= convey, spread, transfer
adapt to= adjust, change, modify
information over long distances which is perfectly extreme west/end/left etc=the part furthest to the west,
nearest the end etc
adapted to the extreme terrain of the island. terrain= land, territory, ground
This ‘language’, known as ‘Silbo’ or Silbo Gomero’ - throw/shed/cast light on something=

to provide new information that makes a difficult subject or
from the Spanish word for ‘whistle’ - is now problem easier to understand
activate= trigger, make active, start #stop
shedding light on the language-processing abilities normally= usually, typically, generally
of the human brain, according to scientists. be associated (with somebody/something)= to be
related to a particular subject, activity etc
Researchers say that Silbo activates parts of the
remarkably= extraordinarily, amazingly, outstandingly,
brain normally associated with spoken language, astonishingly #unremarkably
suggesting that the brain is remarkably flexible in flexible= adaptable, elastic #rigid
96
its ability to interpret sounds as language. interpret sth as sth= to believe that something someone
does or something that happens has a particular meaning
dedicate to= to use a place, time, money etc only for a

‘Science has developed the idea of brain areas that particular purpose
scope of= range of, scale of
are dedicated to language, and we are starting to signal= sign, hint, indication
recognize= acknowledge, understand, comprehend
understand the scope of signals that can be co-author= one of two or more people who write a book,
article, report, etc. together
recognised as language,’ says David Corina, co- associate professor= a professor at an american
university whose job is above the level of assistant
author of a recent study and associate professor professor and below the level of professor
psychology= the study of the mind and how it influences
of psychology at the University of Washington in people's behaviour
Seattle.
substitute for= alternative, replacement, surrogate
recode= put (something, especially a computer program)
Silbo is a substitute for Spanish, with individual into a different code
words recoded into whistles which have high- and frequency= the number of radio waves, sound waves etc
that pass any point per second
low-frequency tones. A whistler — or silbador — tone= pitch, sound
puts a finger in his or her mouth to increase the whistler= a person or thing that whistles
pitch= tone, note
whistle’s pitch, while the other hand can be cupped cup= to hold something in your hands, so that your hands
to adjust the direction of the sound. ‘There is much form part of a circle around it
adjust= change, modify, amend
more ambiguity in the whistled signal than in the ambiguity in= the state of being unclear, confusing, or not
spoken signal,’ explains lead researcher Manuel certain, or things that produce this effect
lead= chief, main, principal
Carreiras, psychology professor at the University of distinguish= recognize, perceive, understand
La Laguna on the Canary island of Tenerife. rely on= depend on
repetition= repeat, duplication, recurrence
Because whistled ‘words’ can be hard to awareness of= the ability to notice something using your
distinguish, silbadores rely on repetition, as well senses
context= the situation, events, or information that are
as awareness of context, to make themselves related to something and that help you to understand it
understood.
shepherd= someone whose job is to take care of sheep
The silbadores of Gomera are traditionally isolated= remote, inaccessible, lonely #nearby
mountain folk= generally people who live in mountainous
shepherds and other isolated mountain folk, and
areas
their novel means of staying in touch allows them novel= new, innovative, unusual, unique
to communicate over distances of up to 10 means of= a way of doing or achieving something
stay in touch (with sth)= to have the latest information or
kilometres. Carreiras explains that silbadores are knowledge about something
able to pass a surprising amount of information via pass= deliver, spread
their whistles. ‘In daily life they use whistles to surprising= astonishing, amazing, extraordinary
#expected
communicate short commands, but any Spanish via= through, by, by means of, by the use of
sentence could be whistled.’ Silbo has proved command= an order that should be obeyed
particularly useful when fires have occurred on the prove= show, demonstrate
occur= happen, appear
97
island and rapid communication across large areas vital= critical, crucial, important #unimportant
has been vital.

neuroimaging= a clinical specialty concerned with
The study team used neuroimaging equipment to producing images of the brain by noninvasive techniques
(such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance
contrast the brain activity of silbadores while imaging)
contrast= compare, distinguish, differentiate
temporal= (anatomy) near the temple(s) at the side of the
listening to whistled and spoken Spanish. Results
head
lobe= a round part of an organ in your body, especially in
showed the left temporal lobe of the brain, which is
your brain or lungs
engage= involve, participate, take part
usually associated with spoken language, was region= area, section, zone
frontal lobe= the anterior division of each cerebral
engaged during the processing of Silbo. The hemisphere (anterior= front, forward; cerebral= relating to
or affecting your brain; hemisphere= one of the two
researchers found that other key regions in the halves of your brain)
respond to= react to, reply
brain’s frontal lobe also responded to the whistles, in response to sth= reply, answer, reaction
sign language= a language that uses hand movements
including those activated in response to sign instead of spoken words, used by people who cannot hear
well
language among deaf people. When the deaf= physically unable to hear anything or unable to hear
well
experiments were repeated with non-whistlers, experiment= test, research
activation= the act of making something start or making it
however, activation was observed in all areas of start working
observe= perceive, see, watch
the brain.
evidence= proof, data
‘Our results provide more evidence about the flexibility= the ability to change or be changed easily to
suit a different situation
flexibility of human capacity for language in a capacity= ability, capability, aptitude #inability
a variety of sth= a lot of things of the same type that are
variety of forms,’ Corina says. ‘These data suggest different from each other in some way
form= type, kind, way
that left-hemisphere language regions are uniquely
hemisphere= one of the two halves of your brain
adapted for communicative purposes, independent uniquely= exclusively, distinctively, #commonly
independent= separate, unconnected, unrelated
of the modality of signal. The non- Silbo speakers modality= a particular way of doing or experiencing
something
were not recognising Silbo as a language. They had non- =used to say that someone or something is not a
nothing to grab onto, so multiple areas of their particular thing, or does not do a particular thing
grab= grasp, take
brains were activated.’ multiple= numerous, many, various #few
origin= the country, race, or type of family which someone

Carreiras says the origins of Silbo Gomero remain comes from
obscure, but that indigenous Canary Islanders, obscure= unclear, ambiguous, vague #clear
who were of North African origin, already had a indigenous= native, original, aboriginal #foreign
whistled language when Spain conquered the conquer= capture, occupy, take control of #surrender
volcanic islands in the 15th century. Whistled
survive= live, continue, last #perish
languages survive today in Papua New Guinea,
Mexico, Vietnam, Guyana, China, Nepal, Senegal, pocket= a small area or amount of something that is
and a few mountainous pockets in southern different from what surrounds it
98
Europe. There are thought to be as many as 70 be in use= a machine, place etc that is in use is being
whistled languages still in use, though only 12 have used
been described and studied scientifically. This form
scientifically= methodically, systematically, logically,
of communication is an adaptation found among
cultures where people are often isolated from each adaptation= version, edition, variation
other, according to Julien Meyer, a researcher at the dense= thick
Institute of Human Sciences in Lyon, France. ‘They
represent= signify, characterize, symbolize
are mostly used in mountains or dense forests,’ he
says. ‘Whistled languages are quite clearly defined #misrepresent
and represent an original adaptation of the spoken original= fundamental, primary, earliest #last
language for the needs of isolated human groups.’
But with modern communication technology now widely= extensively, generally, commonly #narrowly
available= accessible, obtainable, existing #unavailable
widely available, researchers say whistled threaten= endanger, jeopardize, put at risk #guard
extinction= death, disappearance #survival
languages like Silbo are threatened with dwindle= decline, decrease, diminish, fall
fluent= someone who speaks fluent french etc speaks it
extinction. With dwindling numbers of Gomera like a person from that country
authority= an official organization or a government
islanders still fluent in the language, Canaries’ department that has the power to make decisions, and has
particular responsibilities
authorities are taking steps to try to ensure its step= one of a series of things that you do in order to deal
with a problem or to succeed
survival. Since 1999, Silbo Gomero has been ensure= guarantee, confirm, make sure
survival= existence, persistence #death
taught in all of the island’s elementary schools. In elementary school= a school in the us where basic
subjects are taught for the first six years of a child's
addition, locals are seeking assistance from the education
locals= residents, citizens, natives #strangers
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural seek (sb's) advice/help/assistance etc= to ask someone
for advice or help
Organization (UNESCO). ‘The local authorities are local= native, indigenous, resident #foreign
the authorities= the people or organizations that are in
trying to get an award from the organisation to charge of a particular country or area
declare [Silbo Gomero] as something that should be declare= announce, assert, affirm, proclaim
preserve= protect, conserve, save #destroy
preserved for humanity,’ Carreras adds. humanity= humankind, people, civilization
99
100
101
102
103
READING PASSAGE 3
practice= habit, custom, way, method

business= company, corporation, organization
The environmental practices of big businesses are shape= influence, affect, form
fundamental= basic, primary, elementary
offend= to seem bad or unacceptable to someone
shaped by a fundamental fact that for many of us sense of= a feeling about something
justice= fairness in the way people are treated
depend on= rely on, count on #mistrust
offends our sense of justice. Depending on the circumstance= context, situation, condition
maximize= increase, expand, raise #minimize
short term= continuing for only a short time, or
circumstances, a business may maximize the amount relating only to the period that is not very far into the
future
it is the case (that)= a situation that exists,
of money it makes, at least in the short term, by especially as it affects a particular person or group
fishermen= someone who catches fish as a sport
or as a job
damaging the environment and hurting people. That is unmanaged= not controlled or regulated
fishery= a part of the sea where fish are caught in
large numbers
still the case today for fishermen in an unmanaged quota= an official limit on the number or amount of
something that is allowed in a particular period
logging company= a company that fells trees and
fishery without quotas, and for international logging sells timber
lease= rent, hire, charter
tropical rainforest = thick forest that grows in hot
parts of the world
companies with short-term leases on tropical rainforest in places= if something has particular
characteristics or features in places, it has them at
several points within an area.
land in places with corrupt officials and corrupt= using your power in a dishonest or illegal
way in order to get an advantage for yourself
official= administrator, representative, officer
104
unsophisticated landowners. When government unsophisticated= unexperienced, inexperienced,

ingenuous, simple #sophisticated
regulation is effective, and when the public is landowner= property-owner, landlord, owner,
proprietor #tenant
environmentally aware, environmentally clean big regulation= rule, law
effective= efficient, successful, helpful #ineffective
businesses may out-compete dirty ones, but the reverse environmentally= ecologically, globally,
biologically, naturally
is likely to be true if government regulation is ineffective out-compete= to be more successful than someone
or something
and if the public doesn’t care. the reverse= contrary, opposite
blame= criticize, condemn #praise

ignore= disregard, overlook, pay no attention to
It is easy for the rest of us to blame a business for charity= an organization that gives money, goods,
or help to people who are poor, sick etc
helping itself by hurting other people. But blaming alone is profit-making= a profit-making organization or
business makes a profit
publicly owned companies= businesses that are
unlikely to produce change. It ignores the fact that owned by many people who have bought shares in
them
businesses are not charities but profit-making shareholder= someone who owns shares in a
company or business
under obligation to= duty, responsibility
companies, and that publicly owned companies with profit= income, revenue, return #loss
provided that= used to say that something will only
shareholders are under obligation to those be possible if something else happens or is done
legal= lawful, permissible, authorized #illegal
shareholders to maximize profits, provided that they do means= way, method
director= manager, leader, boss
legally= lawfully, officially, validly #illegally
so by legal means. US laws make a company’s liable= accountable, legally responsible
term= call, name, label
directors legally liable for something termed ‘breach of breach= an action that breaks a law, rule, or
agreement
fiduciary= someone who is responsible for the
fiduciary responsibility’ if they knowingly manage a assets of people, organizations etc and, by law,
must protect their interests
company in a way that reduces profits. The car responsibility= duty, accountability
knowingly= intentionally, deliberately, consciously
manufacturer Henry Ford was in fact successfully sued sue= to make a legal claim against someone,
especially for money, because they have harmed
you in some way
by shareholders in 1919 for raising the minimum wage of minimum= least, smallest, lowest #maximum
wage= salary, income, earnings
his workers to $5 per day: the courts declared that, while court= the place where a trial is held, or the people
there, especially the judge and the jury who
examine the evidence and decide whether someone
Ford’s humanitarian sentiments about his employees is guilty or not guilty
declare= announce, assert, state, proclaim
were nice, his business existed to make profits for its humanitarian= concerned with improving bad living
conditions and preventing unfair treatment of people
stockholders. sentiment= feeling, attitude
stockholder= shareholder, owner, investor
Our blaming of businesses also ignores the ultimate ultimate= fundamental, essential, basic
condition= something that must exist or happen
responsibility of the public for creating the conditions
first, before something else can happen
that let a business profit through destructive destructive= harmful, negative, damaging
105
environmental policies. In the long run, it is the public, policy= strategy, rule, procedure, program
in the long run= at a time that is far away in the
either directly or through its politicians, that has the future
politician= someone who works in politics,
power to make such destructive policies unprofitable especially an elected member of the government
unprofitable= making no profit
and illegal, and to make sustainable environmental illegal= unlawful, banned, illegitimate #legal
sustainable= able to continue without causing
policies profitable. damage to the environment
profitable= producing a profit or a useful result
the public= ordinary people who do not work for the

The public can do that by suing businesses for harming government or have any special position in society
harm= damage, injure, destroy #help
them, as happened after the Exxon Valdez disaster, in disaster= calamity, tragedy, catastrophe
spill= fall, drop, leak
which over 40,000 m3 of oil were spilled off the coast of coast= shore, coastline, seaside #interior
prefer= favor, desire, choose
Alaska. The public may also make their opinion felt by sustainably= in a way that causes little or no
damage to the environment and therefore able to
continue for a long time
preferring to buy sustainably harvested products; by poor= substandard= worse than usual
track record= all of a person’s or organization’s
making employees of companies with poor track past achievements, successes, or failures, which
show how well they have done something in the
records feel ashamed of their company and complain past and how well they are likely to do in the future
ashamed of= feeling uncomfortable because
someone does something that embarrasses you
to their own management; by preferring their complain to= to say that you are annoyed, not
satisfied, or unhappy about something or someone
governments to award valuable contracts to businesses award= give, grant
valuable= important, valued #worthless
with a good environmental track record; and by pressing contract= agreement, deal
press= pressure, force, urge, oblige
their governments to pass and enforce laws and pass= to officially accept a law or proposal,
especially by voting
enforce= apply, impose, implement, carry out
regulations requiring good environmental practices. require= oblige, force, demand
in turn= one after another, sequentially

In turn, big businesses can exert powerful pressure on exert= use, apply, utilize
powerful= influential, controlling, dominant
any suppliers that might ignore public or government pressure on= an attempt to persuade someone by
using influence, arguments, or threats
pressure. For instance, after the US public became supplier= provider, contractor, seller #consumer
concerned about= anxious, worried
concerned about the spread of a disease known as spread of= expansion, growth, mushrooming
transmit= transfer, spread, pass on
BSE, which was transmitted to humans through infected infected= contaminated, polluted
introduce= to formally present a possible new law
meat, the US government’s Food and Drug to be discussed
rule= law, regulation, instruction
Administration introduced rules demanding that the demand= require, command
abandon= discard, dispose of #keep
meat industry abandon practices associated with the associated with= related, connected
risk= danger, jeopardy, peril, threat #safety
risk of the disease spreading. But for five years the meat packer= a person whose job is wrapping or tying
items or putting them in containers
packers refused to follow these, claiming that they refuse to= reject, say no #accept
claim (that)= to state that something is true, even
would be too expensive to obey. However, when a major though it has not been proved
obey= follow, submit #disobey
major= main, key, chief #minor
106
fast-food company then made the same demands after fast-food= food such as hamburgers which is
prepared quickly and that you can take away with
you
customer purchases of its hamburgers plummeted, the purchase of= buy, acquire #sell
plummet= fall, drop, crash #climb
meat industry complied within weeks. The public’s task comply= obey, submit #disobey
task= job, duty, mission
identify= recognize, find, detect
is therefore to identify which links in the supply chain supply chain= the system of people and things that
are involved in getting a product from the place
are sensitive to public pressure: for instance, fast-food where it is made to the person who buys it
sensitive= easily affected or damaged by
chains or jewelry stores, but not meat packers or gold something such as a substance or temperature
chain= a number of shops, hotels, cinemas etc
owned or managed by the same company or person
miners. miner= mineworker, coalminer
disappointed= dissatisfied, upset #pleased

Some readers may be disappointed or outraged that I outraged= annoyed, irritated, angry #calm
place the ultimate responsibility for business practices necessity= requirement, must, essential
harming the public on the public itself. I also believe that cover= include, comprise, contain
the public must accept the necessity for higher prices for added= additional, extra, supplementary #less
sound= complete and thorough
products to cover the added costs, if any, of sound
in accordance with= according to a rule, system
environmental practices. My views may seem to ignore etc
the belief that businesses should act in accordance with moral= ethical, right #immoral
moral principles even if this leads to a reduction in their principle= rule, law
lead to= cause, bring about, result in
profits. But I think we have to recognize that, throughout
politically= in a political way
human history, in all politically complex human complex= compound, multifaceted #simple
societies, government regulation has arisen precisely arise= happen, occur, appear
because it was found that not only did moral principles precisely= exactly, correctly, accurately
explicit= clear, precise, exact #vague
need to be made explicit, they also needed to be
enforced.
behavior= manner, action, performance
To me, the conclusion that the public has the ultimate empower= to give someone official or legal
responsibility for the behavior of even the biggest authority, or the freedom or confidence to do
something
businesses is empowering and hopeful, rather than hopeful= promising, positive #hopeless
moralistic= with very strong beliefs about what is
disappointing. My conclusion is not a moralistic one right and wrong, especially when this makes you
about who is right or wrong, admirable or selfish, a good judge other people’s behaviour
admirable= having many good qualities that you
guy or a bad guy. In the past, businesses have changed respect and admire
when the public came to expect and require different selfish= caring only about yourself and not about
other people - used to show disapproval
behavior, to reward businesses for behavior that the come to do sth= to begin to have a feeling or
opinion
public wanted, and to make things difficult for businesses expect= anticipate, look forward to, demand
practicing behaviors that the public didn’t want. I predict reward= to officially give someone something such
as a prize or money to reward them for something
that in the future, just as in the past, changes in public they have done
attitudes will be essential for changes in businesses’ predict= forecast, foresee, envisage, expect
attitude= mindset, viewpoint, thought
environmental practices. essential= key, main, critical
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WORKBOOK FOR IELTS READING
CAMBRIDGE IELTS ACADEMIC 13

(4 READING TESTS)
MAIN CONTENT OF EACH TEST
1. VOCABULARY BOOSTER
2. TEST QUESTIONS (IELTS computer-based format)
(http://study4.com)
3. ANSWER SHEET (use website function)
4. ANSWER (use website function)
5. Table of synonyms and paraphrases
This workbook belongs to _____________________________________________
1
BOOST YOUR VOCABULARY 13 4
TEST 1
READING PASSAGE 1
N ew Zealand is a small country of four million

Inhabitant= resident = dweller
inhabitants, a long-haul flight from all the major tourist-
Long-haul= travelling a long distance
generating markets of the world. Tourism currently
makes up 9% of the country’s gross domestic product, Gross domestic product (GDP)=
and is the country’s largest export sector. Unlike the total value of goods and services
produced by a country in one year
other export sectors, which make products and then sell
them overseas, tourism brings its customers to New Launch= start, begin, initiate
Zealand. The product is the country itself - the people,
the places and the experiences. In 1999, Tourism New Scenic= picturesque, beautiful
Zealand launched a campaign to communicate a new
Exhilarating= thrilling, exciting,
brand position to the world. The campaign focused on stimulating, energizing
New Zealand’s scenic beauty, exhilarating outdoor
activities and authentic Maori culture, and it made Authentic= genuine, original, real # fake
Biên tập cuốn sách Boost your vocabulary này được thực hiện bởi Đinh Thắng & IELTS Family-Các nhóm tự học IELTS
2
New Zealand one of the strongest national brands in the Potential= possible, likely, prospective,
world. probable
Tourism-related business= business

A key feature of the campaign was the based on travel to make money, such as
website www.newzealand.com, which provided hotel, tour guides, etc.
potential visitors to New Zealand with a single gateway
Access to= the right to enter a place, use
to everything the destination had to offer. The heart of
something, see someone etc
the website was a database of tourism services
operators, both those based in New Zealand and those On a regular basis= often, regularly,
based abroad which offered tourism services to the frequently
country. Any tourism-related business could be listed
Scheme= plan, project, programme,
by filling in a simple form. This meant that even the strategy
smallest bed and breakfast address or specialist activity
provider could gain a web presence with access to an Undergo= go through, experience,
engage in
audience of long-haul visitors. In addition, because
participating businesses were able to update the details Evaluation= assessment
they gave on a regular basis, the information provided
remained accurate. And to maintain and Consider= think about, examine
improve standards, Tourism New Zealand organised a
scheme whereby organisations appearing on the
website underwent an independent evaluation against Interactive= involving communication
a set of agreed national standards of quality. As part of between people
this, the effect of each business on the environment Blockbuster film= a film that is very
was considered. successful
To communicate the New Zealand experience, the site tunning= impressive, amazing,
marvelous, breathtaking
also carried features relating to famous people and
Scenery= the general appearance of
places. One of the most popular was an interview with
the natural environment, especially when it
former New Zealand All Blacks rugby captain Tana is beautiful
Umaga. Another feature that attracted a lot of attention Backdrop= the view behind something
was an interactive journey through a number of the
Devise= come up with, form, design,
locations chosen for blockbuster films which had made invent, create, produce
use of New Zealand’s stunning scenery as Customize= to make or change
a backdrop. As the site developed, additional features something according to the buyer's or
user's needs
were added to help independent travellers devise their
Itinerary= a detailed plan or route of
own customised itineraries. To make it easier to plan a journey
motoring holidays, the site catalogued the most popular
Catalogue= list
3
driving routes in the country, highlighting different Highlight= underline, stress, emphasize
routes according to the season and indicating distances Indicate= demonstrate, show
and times.
Later, a Travel Planner feature was added, which Accommodation= housing, lodging
allowed visitors to click and ‘bookmark’ places or
Register= enrol, enter, sign up
attractions they were interested in, and then view the
results on a map. The Travel Planner offered suggested Inclusion= the act of including someone
routes and public transport options between the chosen or something in a larger group or set, or
the fact of being included in one
locations. There were also links to accommodation in
the area. By registering with the website, users could
save their Travel Plan and return to it later, or print it out
to take on the visit. The website also had a ‘Your Words’
section where anyone could submit a blog of their New
Zealand travels for possible inclusion on the website.
The Tourism New Zealand website won two Webby Achievement= attainment,
accomplishment
awards for online achievement and innovation. More
importantly perhaps, the growth of tourism to New Innovation= revolution, transformation,
modernization
Zealand was impressive. Overall tourism expenditure
Expenditure= spending, expenses
increased by an average of 6.9% per year between 1999
and 2004. From Britain, visits to New Zealand grew at an
average annual rate of 13% between 2002 and 2006,
compared to a rate of 4% overall for British visits abroad. Set up= start, establish
Geographical= relating to a particular
The website was set up to allow both individuals and area or place
travel organisations to create itineraries and travel
Driver= something that has
packages to suit their own needs and interests. On the an important influence on other things
website, visitors can search for activities not solely by
Satisfaction= content, pleasure,
geographical location, but also by the particular nature fulfilment, happiness, enjoyment
of the activity. This is important as research shows that #dissatisfaction, discontent
activities are the key driver of visitor satisfaction, Contribute smt to sb/smt= give smt
contributing 74% to visitor satisfaction, while transport to sb/smt
and accommodation account for the remaining 26%. Account for= make up = constitute
4
The more activities that visitors undertake, the more Undertake= engage in, be involved in,
take part in, participate in
satisfied they will be. It has also been found that visitors
enjoy cultural activities most when they are interactive,
such as visiting a marae (meeting ground) to learn about
traditional Maori life. Many long-haul travellers enjoy
such learning experiences, which provide them with
stories to take home to their friends and family. In
addition, it appears that visitors to New Zealand don’t
want to be ‘one of the crowd’ and find activities that Typical= normal, average, ordinary,
standard #unusual, abnormal
involve only a few people more special and meaningful.
Be composed of= consist of = comprise
It could be argued that New Zealand is not a typical
Perceive= recognize, understand, see,
destination. New Zealand is a small country with a visitor realize
economy composed mainly of small businesses. It is Reliable= dependable, trustworthy, good
generally perceived as a safe English-speaking country #unreliable, untrustworthy
with a reliable transport infrastructure. Because of the Infrastructure= the basic systems
and structures that a country or
long-haul flight, most visitors stay for longer (average 20 organization needs in order to work
days) and want to see as much of the country as properly, for example roads, railways,
banks etc
possible on what is often seen as a once-in-a-lifetime
Once-in-a-lifetime= very special because
visit. However, the underlying lessons apply anywhere
you will probably only have it once
– the effectiveness of a strong brand, a strategy based
Underlying= real but not immediately
on unique experiences and a comprehensive and user- obvious
friendly website.
Comprehensive= thorough, in-depth,
complete #partial, limited
5
READING PASSAGE 2
T his most common of emotions is turning out to be

more interesting than we thought
Stimulating= exciting= invigorating,
energizing, refreshing, vitalizing
Keep sb’s mind on smt= pay attention to
A. We all know how it feels - it’s impossible to keep Lab (laboratory)= a room or building used for
scientific research, experiments, testing, etc.
your mind on anything, time stretches out, and all the Mental= relating to the mind and thinking
State= condition, situation
things you could do seem equally unlikely to make Frustration= the feeling of being annoyed,
upset, or impatient, because you cannot
you feel better. But defining boredom so that it can be control or change a situation
studied in the lab has proved difficult. For a start, it can Apathy= lack of interest, lack of enthusiasm,
lack of concern
include a lot of other mental states, such as #enthusiasm, interest, passion
Depression= sadness, unhappiness
frustration, apathy, depression and indifference. # cheerfulness
Indifference= unconcern, disinterest, apathy#
There isn’t even agreement over whether boredom is
concern, interest.
6
always a low-energy, flat kind of emotion or whether Agitated= upset, anxious, worried,
nervous # calm
feeling agitated and restless counts as boredom, too.
Restless= unable to keep still or stay
In his book, Boredom: A Lively History, Peter Toohey where you are, especially because you are
nervous or bored # calm
at the University of Calgary, Canada, compares it to
Disgust= strong dislike = disapproval
disgust - an emotion that motivates us to stay away Infection= the act or process of causing or
getting a disease.
from certain situations. ‘If disgust protects
humans from infection, boredom may protect them
from “infectious" social situations,’ he suggests.
B. By asking people about their experiences of

Identify= classify, characterize, categorize
boredom, Thomas Goetz and his team at the
University of Konstanz in Germany have recently Distinct= separate, different
identified five distinct types: indifferent, calibrating, Reactant= a person who react when
searching, reactant and apathetic. These can be something happens.
plotted on two axes - one running left to right, which Plot= mark, draw
measures low to high arousal, and the other from top
Axes= fixed lines for the measurement of
to bottom, which measures how positive or negative
the feeling is. Intriguingly, Goetz has found that while coordinates (including vertical and
people experience all kinds of boredom, they tend to horizontal lines).
specialise in one. Of the five types, the most Arousal= excitement, stimulation
damaging is ‘reactant’ boredom with its explosive Intriguingly= in a way that is very
combination of high arousal and negative emotion.
interesting because it is unusual or does
The most useful is what Goetz calls ‘indifferent’
boredom: someone isn’t engaged in anything not have an obvious answer.
satisfying but still feels relaxed and calm. However, it Specialise in= to spend most of your time
remains to be seen whether there are any character doing a particular thing
traits that predict the kind of boredom each of Explosive= easily to explode
us might be prone to.
Engage in= participate in, take part in,
C Psychologist Sandi Mann at the University of Central become involved in

Lancashire, UK, goes further. All emotions are there
Trait= characteristic, feature
for a reason, including boredom,’ she says Mann has
found that being bored makes us more creative. ‘We're Be prone to= susceptible, vulnerable,
all afraid of being bored but in actual fact it can lead to inclined, likely to get, likely to have
all kinds of amazing things,’ she says. In
7
experiments published last year, Mann found that Come up with smt= to think of an
people who had been made to feel bored by copying idea, answer etc
numbers out of the phone book for 15 minutes came
up with more creative ideas about how to use a Allow the mind to wander= you stop
thinking about the subject that you should
polystyrene cup than a control group. Mann
be giving your attention to and start
concluded that a passive, boring activity is best for
thinking about other matters
creativity because it allows the mind to wander. In
fact, she goes so far as to suggest that we should seek
out more boredom in our lives.
D. Psychologist John Eastwood at York University in Convince= persuade

by definition= because of its own features.
Toronto, Canada, isn’t convinced. ‘If you are in a state
Undesirable= unwanted, bad, unpleasant =
of mind-wandering you are not bored,’ he says. ‘In my unfavorable
view, by definition boredom is an undesirable state.’ # desirable, pleasant, preferable
That doesn't necessarily mean that it isn’t adaptive, he Adaptive= having an ability to change or suit
adds. 'Pain is adaptive - if we didn’t have physical different conditions
Evolve= develop, progress, grow, alter,
pain, bad things would happen to us. Does that mean
change, transform
that we should actively cause pain? No. But even if
boredom has evolved to help us survive, it can still be Toxic= poisonous, dangerous, destructive,
toxic if allowed to fester.’ For Eastwood, the central harmful, unsafe
Fester= if an unpleasant feeling or
feature of boredom is a failure to put our ‘attention
problem festers, it gets worse because it has
system’ into gear. This causes an inability to focus on not been dealt with
anything, which makes time seem to go painfully Put smt into gear= turn on= activate= switch
slowly. What's more, your efforts to improve the on.
situation can end up making you feel worse. ‘People End up= to be in a particular place or situation,
state after a series of events, especially when
try to connect with the world and if they are not you did not plan it.
successful there’s that frustration and irritability,’ he Irritability= the state of getting annoyed
says. Perhaps most worryingly, says Eastwood, quickly or easily
repeatedly failing to engage attention can lead to a Engage attention= to attract someone’s
state where we don’t know what to do any more, and attention and keep them interested
no longer care.
Come down to smt= to be able to be
explained by a single important point
E Eastwood’s team is now trying to explore why the Motivate= inspire, stimulate, encourage,
attention system fails. It’s early days but they think that excite
at least some of it comes down to personality. Suffer= endure, live through, go through,
Boredom proneness has been linked with a variety of sustain, bear
traits. People who are motivated by pleasure seem to Be associated with= related, connected,
suffer particularly badly. Other personality traits, such linked
as curiosity, are associated with a high boredom Boredom threshold= the brink at which
threshold. More evidence that boredom people start to feel bored.
has detrimental effects comes from studies of people Detrimental= harmful, damaging, adverse,
who are more or less prone to boredom. It seems undesirable, unfavourable
8
those who bore easily face poorer prospects in # beneficial

education, their career and even life in general. But of Prospects= chances of future success
course, boredom itself cannot kill - it’s the things we do Alleviate= reduce, ease, relieve, diminish,
to deal with it that may put us in danger. What can we lessen, weaken
do to alleviate it before it comes to that? Goetz’s
Get stuck in= unable to escape from a
group has one suggestion. Working with teenagers,
they found that those who ‘approach’ a boring situation bad or boring situation
- in other words, see that it’s boring and get stuck in Distraction= interruption, disturbance,
anyway - report less boredom than those who try to
avoid it by using snacks, TV or social media for intrusion, interference
distraction.
Speculate= guess
F. Psychologist Francoise Wemelsfelder speculates
that our over-connected lifestyles might even be a Over-connected= Excessively connected;
new source of boredom. ‘In modern human society having too many connections.
there is a lot of overstimulation but still a lot of
Overstimulation= to stimulate in an
problems finding meaning,’ she says. So instead
of seeking yet more mental stimulation, perhaps we excessive degree
should leave our phones alone, and use boredom to
motivate us to engage with the world in a
more meaningful way.
9
READING PASSAGE 3
C an computers really create works of art? Artificial= fake, man-made # natural

Possess= own, have, be the owner of, be
born with
The Painting Fool is one of a growing number of
computer programs which, so their makers claim, Enrapture= to give someone very great
pleasure.
possess creative talents. Classical music by an
artificial composer has had audiences enraptured, Trick sb into Ving= deceive, mislead,
cheat
and even tricked them into believing a human was
Score= a piece of written music
behind the score. Artworks painted by a robot have
sold for thousands of dollars and been hung in Prestigious= reputable, distinguished,
honoured, acclaimed, well known,
prestigious galleries. And software has been built
renowned, famous
which creates art that could not have been imagined
Sophisticated= advanced, highly
by the programmer.
developed, complex, complicated,
elaborate
Human beings are the only species to perform
Break st down= to seperate st into
sophisticated creative acts regularly. If we can break smaller parts.
this process down into computer code, where does
10
that leave human creativity? This is a question at the Core= the basic, the most important part
very core of humanity,’ says Geraint Wiggins,
Scare= fright, shock
a computational creativity researcher at Goldsmiths,
University of London. ‘It scares a lot of people. They
are worried that it is taking something special away
from what it means to be human.’
To some extent, we are all familiar with computerised Computerised art= the arts in which
computer play a role in production as an
art. The question is: where does the work of the artist
artist
stop and the creativity of the computer begin?
Consider one of the oldest machine artists, Aaron, a Realise= fulfil, achieve, accomplish, make
robot that has had paintings exhibited in London's real, make happen, actualize
Tate Modern and the San Francisco Museum of
Modern Art. Aaron can pick up a paintbrush and paint
on canvas on its own. Impressive perhaps, but it is still
little more than a tool to realise the programmer’s own
Criticism= remarks that say what you
creative ideas.
think is bad about someone or something
Simon Colton, the designer of the Painting Fool, is # praise
keen to make sure his creation doesn’t attract the Minimal= slightest, least # maximal
same criticism. Unlike earlier ‘artists’ such as Aaron, Material= information or ideas used in
the Painting Fool only needs minimal direction and books, films, drawings, etc
Trawl through smt= to search through a
can come up with its own concepts by going online
lot of documents, lists etc to find out
for material. The software runs its own web searches
information
and trawls through social media sites. It is now
Create smth from scratch= create smth
beginning to display a kind of imagination too,
from the beginning, without using anything
creating pictures from scratch. One of its original
that already exists
works is a series of fuzzy landscapes, depicting trees Depict= show, illustrate, represent
and sky. While some might say they have a Mechanical= automatic, machine-like
mechanical look, Colton argues that such reactions Arise from= be caused by
arise from people’s double standards towards Double standard= a rule, principle, etc
software-produced and human-produced art. After all, that is unfair because it treats one group of
he says, consider that the Painting Fool painted the people more severely than another in the
same situation= bias= prejudice.
landscapes without referring to a photo. ‘If a child
Refer to= to look at a book, photo, piece
painted a new scene from its head, you’d say it has
of paper etc for information
11
a certain level of imagination,’ he points out. The same Bug= a fault in the system of instruction
that operates a computer
should be true of a machine.’ Software bugs can also Glitch= a small fault in a machine or piece
lead to unexpected results. Some of the Painting of equipment, that stops it working
Fool’s paintings of a chair came out in black and white, Renowned= famous, well known, notable
thanks to a technical glitch. This gives the work an Laud= praise, acclaim, admire
eerie, ghostlike quality. Human artists like the
Palette= the colours that an artist uses
renowned Ellsworth Kelly are lauded for limiting their
colour palette - so why should computers be any
different?
Millennia= a period of 1,000 years
Researchers like Colton don't believe it is right to Be fascinated by= be attracted to

measure machine creativity directly to that of humans Prospect= likelihood, chance, possibility
who ‘have had millennia to develop our skills’. Others,
Original= authentic, genuine, actual, real
though, are fascinated by the prospect that a # fake
computer might create something as original and Subtle= skilful, artful, delicate
subtle as our best artists. So far, only one has come
So far= until now
close. Composer David Cope invented a program
Composition= a work of music
called Experiments in Musical Intelligence, or EMI, Not
only did EMI create compositions in Cope’s style, but Revere= respect, admire, think highly of,
have a high opinion of, look up to
also that of the most revered classical composers,
including Bach, Chopin and Mozart. Audiences were Be moved to tears= cry
moved to tears, and EMI even fooled classical music Fool= deceive, trick, mislead
Genuine= authentic, real, original # fake
experts into thinking they were hearing genuine Blast= criticize
Bach. Not everyone was impressed however. Some,
Pseudo- = false, fake, unreal # genuine
such as Wiggins, have blasted Cope's work as
Condemn= criticize, attack, blame
pseudoscience, and condemned him for his
deliberately vague explanation of how the software Deliberately= intentionally, on purpose,
# by mistake, accidentally
worked. Meanwhile, Douglas Hofstadter of Indiana
Vague= unclear # clear, precise
University said EMI created replicas which still rely
completely on the original artist’s creative impulses. Replica= copy, duplicate, reproduction
When audiences found out the truth they were often Impulse= a sudden strong wish to do st
12
outraged with Cope, and one music lover even tried to Be outraged by= feel angry and shocked
punch him. Amid such controversy, Cope destroyed Amid= during, in the middle of
EMI's vital databases.
Yet= but, however, despite that
But why did so many people love the music, yet recoil Recoil= to feel such a strong dislike of
when they discovered how it was composed? A study a particular situation that you want
by computer scientist David Moffat of Glasgow to avoid it
Caledonian University provides a clue. He asked both Clue= hint, indication, signal, suggestion
expert musicians and non-experts to assess six
Assess= evaluate, judge, measure
compositions. The participants weren't told
beforehand whether the tunes were composed by eforehand= in advance= before
something else happens or is done
humans or computers, but were asked to guess, and
then rate how much they liked each one. People who Tune= melody
thought the composer was a computer tended to Rate= assess, evaluate, judge, measure
dislike the piece more than those who believed it was
Objective= fair, impartial, unbiased,
human. This was true even among the experts, who unprejudiced, neutral, uninvolved #
might have been expected to be more objective in biased, partial, prejudiced
their analyses.
Where does this prejudice come from? Paul Bloom of Prejudice= bias, discrimination,
Yale University has a suggestion: he reckons part of unfairness, inequality
the pleasure we get from art stems from the creative Reckon= believe, think, be of the opinion,
assume
process behind the work. This can give it an
Stem from= arise from, be caused by, be
‘irresistible essence’, says Bloom. Meanwhile, brought about by, be produced by
experiments by Justin Kruger of New York University
Irresistible= tempting, attractive,
have shown that people’s enjoyment of an artwork appealing
increases if they think more time and effort was Essence= the most basic and important
needed to create it. Similarly, Colton thinks that when quality of something
people experience art, they wonder what the artist Wonder= ponder, ask oneself, think
might have been thinking or what the artist is trying to about, be curious about
tell them. It seems obvious, therefore, that with Speculation= guess, prediction, forecast
computers producing art, this speculation is cut short Cut sb/st short= to stop or interrupt sb/st
- there's nothing to explore. But as technology Tap into= to manage to use something in
becomes increasingly complex, finding those greater a way that brings good results
depths in computer art could become possible. This is Inspiration= a person, experience, place
precisely why Colton asks the Painting Fool to tap into etc that gives you new ideas for something
you do
online social networks for its inspiration: hopefully this
Theme= subject, topic, subject matter
way it will choose themes that will already be
matter, idea, concept
meaningful to us.
13
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
10
11
12
13
14
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
15
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
16
Test 2
READING PASSAGE 1
C innamon is a sweet, fragrant spice produced

Fragrant= having a pleasant smell
Spice= a type of powder or seed, taken
from plants, that you put into food you
are cooking to give it a special taste
from the inner bark of trees of the genus Native= growing, living, produced etc in
Cinnamomum, which is native to the Indian sub- one particular place = indigenous
Mix with= blend with, combine with, add
continent. It was known in biblical times, and is to
mentioned in several books of the Bible, both as an Anoint=to make someone holy in
a religious ceremony by putting holy water
ingredient that was mixed with oils for anointing or oil on them
people’s bodies, and also as a token indicating Token= signal, mark, evidence
friendship among lovers and friends. In ancient Rome, Mourner= a person who attends a funeral
as a relative or friend of the dead person.
mourners attending funerals burnt cinnamon Funeral= a ceremony for burying or
cremating (=burning) a dead person
17
to create a pleasant scent. Most often, however, the Scent= smell, fragrance
spice found its primary use as an additive to food and Additive= a substance that is added to
food to improve its taste, appearance etc
drink. In the Middle Ages, Europeans who could afford Flavour= to give something a particular
the spice used it to flavour food, particularly meat, and taste or more taste
to impress those around them with their ability to Purchase= buy

Condiment= spice, seasoning, flavoring
purchase an expensive condiment from the exotic’
Exotic= foreign, non-native
East. At a banquet, a host would offer guests a plate
Banquet= formal meal
with various spices piled upon it as a sign of the wealth
At someone’s disposal= available to sb
at his or her disposal. Cinnamon was also reported Cure= heal, treat, alleviate
to have health benefits, and was thought to cure Ailment= illness, sickness, disease
various ailments, such as indigestion. Indigestion= pain or discomfort in the
stomach associated with difficulty in
Toward the end of the Middle Ages, the European
digesting food
middle classes began to desire the lifestyle of the Desire= to want something, especially
elite, including their consumption of spices. This led strongly.
Elite= the richest, most powerful in a
to a growth in demand for cinnamon and other spices.
society
At that time, cinnamon was transported by Consumption= the act of eating, drinking
Arab merchants, who closely guarded the secret of or using products
the source of the spice from potential rivals. They took Demand for something= need, desire,
wish, want
it from India, where it was grown, on camels via an Merchant= dealer, buyer and seller,
overland route to the Mediterranean. Their journey tradesman
ended when they reached Alexandria. Guard= protect, defend

Rival= competitor, opponent, enemy, foe #
partner, ally
European traders sailed there to purchase their supply Overland= across the land, not by sea or
of cinnamon, then brought it back to Venice. The spice by air
Have monopoly of= have exclusive
then travelled from that great trading city to markets all
possession, have control over something
around Europe. Because the overland trade route Virtual= almost, nearly
allowed for only small quantities of the spice to Exorbitantly= to a very high degree that
does not seem reasonable
reach Europe, and because Venice had a virtual
Couple something with something=
monopoly of the trade, the Venetians could set the to consider one thing along with or
price of cinnamon exorbitantly high. These prices, in addition to something else
coupled with the increasing demand, spurred the Spur = encourage, stimulate, boost
18
search for new routes to Asia by Europeans eager to Eager = enthusiastic, excited
take part in the spice trade.
Seeking the high profits promised by the cinnamon Cultivation= the preparation and use of
market, Portuguese traders arrived on the island of land for growing plants or crops
Ceylon in the Indian Ocean toward the end of the 15th Ethnic group= a group of people from a
century. Before Europeans arrived on the island, the particular culture or of a particular race
state had organized the cultivation of Peel= to remove the skin of fruit and
cinnamon. People belonging to the ethnic group vegetables
called the Salagama would peel the bark off young
Pliable= easily bent, flexible
shoots of the cinnamon plant in the rainy season,
when the wet bark was more pliable. During the Curl= to form or cause to form into a
peeling process, they curled the bark into the ‘stick’ curved or spiral shape
shape still associated with the spice today. The Associate with= link with, connect with ,
Salagama then gave the finished product to the king relate to
as a form of tribute. When the Portuguese arrived, Tribute= something that you say, do, or
they needed to increase production significantly, and give in order to express your respect or
so enslaved many other members of the Ceylonese admiration for someone
native population, forcing them to work in cinnamon
Enslave= to make somebody a slave
harvesting. In 1518, the Portuguese built a fort on
Ceylon, which enabled them to protect the island, so Harvest= to gather crops from the fields
helping them to develop a monopoly in the cinnamon Generate profits= earn, gain money
trade and generate very high profits. In the late 16th
century, for example, they enjoyed a tenfold profit
when shipping cinnamon over a journey of eight days
from Ceylon to India. Set your sights on something= to decide
When the Dutch arrived off the coast of southern Asia to achieve something
Displace somebody= replace = to take
at the very beginning of the 17th century, they set
the place or position of something or
their sights on displacing the Portuguese as kings of someone
cinnamon. The Dutch allied themselves with Kandy, Ally yourself to/with somebody= to start
to support someone
an inland kingdom on Ceylon. In return for payments
Inland= center, inner, domestic
of elephants and cinnamon, they protected the native
In return for= as an exchange for
king from the Portuguese. By 1640, the Dutch broke something
the 150-year Portuguese monopoly when Overrun= invade, spread
they overran and occupied their factories. By 1658, Occupy= take possession of, invade
Expel somebody from somewhere= to
they had permanently expelled the Portuguese from
force someone to leave a place
19
the island, thereby gaining control of the lucrative Lucrative= profitable, money-making
cinnamon trade. # unprofitable
Hold= control, power, influence

In order to protect their hold on the market, the Dutch,
like the Portuguese before them, treated the native Treat sb harshly= to behave towards
somebody sb in an unkind or cruel way
inhabitants harshly. Because of the need to boost
production and satisfy Europe's ever-increasing Boost= spur, stimulus, increase
appetite for cinnamon, the Dutch began to alter Satisfy somebody’s appetite= supply
the harvesting practices of the Ceylonese. Over time, enough food or goods in order to satisfy
the high demand of someone
the supply of cinnamon trees on the island became
Ever-increasing= increasing all the time
nearly exhausted, due to systematic stripping of the
bark. Eventually, the Dutch began cultivating their own Alter= change, convert
cinnamon trees to supplement the diminishing Practice= custom, procedure, tradition,
number of wild trees available for use. habit, method, system
Then, in 1796, the English arrived on Ceylon, thereby Exhausted= depleted, used up, run out,
displacing the Dutch from their control of the cinnamon spent, finished
monopoly. By the middle of the 19th century, Strip off/of= to remove, pull or tear the
production of cinnamon reached 1,000 tons a year, covering, or outer layer from something.
after a lower grade quality of the spice Bark= the hard outer covering of a tree
became acceptable to European tastes. By that time, Supplement= add to, enhance, increase,
cinnamon was being grown in other parts of the Indian make bigger
Ocean region and in the West Indies, Brazil, and Diminish= decrease, decline, reduce,
Guyana. Not only was a monopoly of cinnamon lessen, shrink
becoming impossible, but the spice trade overall was # increase
diminishing in economic potential, and was eventually Supersede= to take the place of
superseded by the rise of trade in coffee, something/somebody that is considered to
tea, chocolate, and sugar. be old-fashioned or no longer the best
available
20
READING PASSAGE 2
T he positive and negative effects of the

chemical known as the ‘love hormone’
A Oxytocin is a chemical, a hormone produced in the

Reinforce= strengthen, consolidate
pituitary gland in the brain. It was through various
# weaken
studies focusing on animals that scientists first became
Prairie= plain, grassland, savannah
aware of the influence of oxytocin. They discovered
Vole= a small animal like a mouse
that it helps reinforce the bonds between prairie or rat that lives in fields or near rivers
voles, which mate for life, and triggers the motherly Mate= if animals mate, they have sex to
produce babies
behaviour that sheep show towards their newborn
Trigger= cause, generate # stop, halt
21
lambs. It is also released by women in childbirth, Release= to allow a substance to move

or flow freely
strengthening the attachment between mother and Attachment= bond, closeness,
baby. Few chemicals have as positive a reputation as relationship, intimacy

Reputation= fame, renown
oxytocin, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘love Sniff= inhale, breathe
hormone’. One sniff of it can, it is claimed, make a Trusting= willing to believe that other
people are good and honest
person more trusting, empathetic, generous and Empathetic= having the ability to
imagine how someone else feels
cooperative. It is time, however, to revise this
Generous= willing to give money, spend
time etc, in order to help people or give
wholly optimistic view. A new wave of studies has
them pleasure # mean, selfish
shown that its effects vary greatly depending on the Cooperative= willing to work with
someone else to achieve something that
person and the circumstances, and it can impact on you both want
Revise= adjust, change, correct,modify.
our social interactions for worse as well as for better.
Optimistic= positive, bright # pessimistic
A new wave of= a new trend, a new
B Oxytocin’s role in human behaviour first emerged in movement
2005. In a groundbreaking experiment, Markus Vary= differ, be different
Heinrichs and his colleagues at the University of Social interaction= is the way people
talk and act with each other and various
Freiburg, Germany, asked volunteers to do an activity structures in society
in which they could invest money with an anonymous Emerge= come out, appear # disappear
person who was not guaranteed to be honest. The Groundbreaking= unprecedented,
team found that participants who had sniffed oxytocin revolutionary, innovative, pioneering
via a nasal spray beforehand invested more money Anonymous= nameless, unknown,
unidentified # named
than those who received a placebo instead. The Guarantee= assure, ensure, warrant.
study was the start of research into the effects of Nasal= related to the nose
Placebo= a substance given to someone
oxytocin on human interactions. ‘For eight years,
who is told that it is a particular medicine
it was quite a lonesome field,’ Heinrichs recalls. 'Now, as a physiological test, but it has no
everyone is interested.’ These follow-up studies have actual effects (just for experiments)
Lonesome= lonely, solitary, isolated
shown that after a sniff of the hormone, people Charitable= giving, generous,
become more charitable, better at reading emotions benevolent, open-handed
22
on others’ faces and at communicating constructively Constructively= usefully, beneficially,

helpfully # destructively
in arguments. Together, the results fuelled the view
Argument= disagreement
that oxytocin universally enhanced the positive
Fuel (the view that)= increase,
aspects of our social nature. stimulate, fire
Universally= everywhere, worldwide,
C Then, after a few years, contrasting findings began globally, internationally
to emerge. Simone Shamay-Tsoory at the University Enhance= improve, boost, enrich,

Increase
of Haifa, Israel, found that when volunteers played a
aspects of our social nature= social
competitive game, those who inhaled the hormone features of human.
showed more pleasure when they beat other players, Contrasting = conflicting, opposing
and felt more envy when others won. What's # similar
Inhale= breathe in, take in, sniff in
more, administering oxytocin also has sharply
Envy= jealousy # goodwill
contrasting outcomes depending on a person’s
Administer= manage, control
disposition. Jennifer Bartz from Mount Sinai School Outcome= result, consequence, effect,
of Medicine, New York, found that it improves people’s aftermath
ability to read emotions, but only if they are not very Disposition= nature, character,
personality
socially adept to begin with. Her research also shows
Adept= expert, skillful, proficient,
that oxytocin in fact reduces cooperation in subjects talented # inept
who are particularly anxious or sensitive to rejection. Cooperation= collaboration
Subject= a person that participates in a
D Another discovery is that oxytocin’s effects vary test.
Sensitive= easily offended, easily
depending on who we are interacting with. Studies
upset, easily hurt
conducted by Carolyn DeClerck of the University Rejection= refusal, denial # acceptance
of Antwerp, Belgium, revealed that people who had Conduct= carry out, organize
received a dose of oxytocin actually became less Reveal= make public, publish, divulge,
disclose, unveil # hide, conceal
cooperative when dealing with complete
A dose of= a measured amount of
strangers. Meanwhile, Carsten De Dreu at the something such as medicine
University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands discovered Favouritism= the act of unfairly treating
one person better than others because
that volunteers given oxytocin showed favouritism:
you like them better
Dutch men became quicker to associate positive Associate smt with smt= link with,
words with Dutch names than with foreign ones, for connect with, relate to
23
example. According to De Dreu, oxytocin drives Drive somebody to do something=

to strongly influence someone to do
people to care for those in their social circles and
something
defend them from outside dangers. So, it appears Social circle= a group of people who are
that oxytocin strengthens biases, rather than socially connected
Defend (from)= protect, guard, secure,
promoting general goodwill, as was previously shield
thought. Bias= the action of supporting or
opposing a particular person in unfair
way, because of allowing personal
E There were signs of these subtleties from the
opinions to influence your judgment=
start. Bartz has recently shown that in almost half of prejudice, partiality.
Promote= encourage, foster, develop,
the existing research results, oxytocin influenced only boost, stimulate # obstruct, impede
Goodwill= kindness
certain individuals or in certain circumstances. Where
Subtlety= a small but important detail
once researchers took no notice of such findings, Take no notice of= not to give st
attention, ignore
now a more nuanced understanding of oxytocin’s
Nuanced= made slightly different in
effects is propelling investigations down new lines. appearance, meaning or sound, etc
Propel smth down= push/force/boost/
To Bartz, the key to understanding what the hormone drive smth down.
Investigation= examination, study,
does lies in pinpointing its core function rather than inspection
Pinpoint= locate, identify, find
in cataloguing its seemingly endless effects. There
Core= central, key, basic, fundamental,
are several hypotheses which are not mutually principal, primary, main, chief, crucial #
minor
exclusive. Oxytocin could help to reduce anxiety and Catalogue= list, classify
Hypothesis= theory, assumption
fear. Or it could simply motivate people to seek out Mutually exclusive= not possible at the
same time
social connections. She believes that oxytocin acts
Motivate= encourage, stimulate
as a chemical spotlight that shines on social clues - a Seek out= look for smt using a lot of
effort.
shift in posture, a flicker of the eyes, a dip in the Spotlight= attention, focus
Posture= gesture, position, pose
voice - making people more attuned to their social Flicker= glimmer
A dip of voice= a soften voice
environment. This would explain why it makes us
Attuned to= familiar with
24
more likely to look others in the eye and improves our Identify= recognize, single out, pick out,
spot, point out, know
ability to identify emotions. But it could also make Overly= too, very.
things worse for people who are overly sensitive or Prone to= likely to get, likely to have,
susceptible, vulnerable
prone to interpreting social cues in the worst light. Interpret= understand, comprehend,
make sense of, explain
Social cues= Verbal/Nonverbal hints
F Perhaps we should not be surprised that the
which can be negative or positive. These
oxytocin story has become more perplexing. The cues guide the conversation—(ex: vocal
hormone is found in everything from octopuses to tone, facial expression, body
language,...)
sheep, and its evolutionary roots stretch back half a
In the worst light= in a negative way=
billion years. ‘It’s a very simple and ancient molecule negatively.
that has been co-opted for many different functions,’ Perplexing= complex, complicated
says Sue Carter at the University of Illinois, Chicago, Molecule= the simplest unit of a
chemical substance, usually in a group of
USA. ‘It affects primitive parts of the brain like the two or more atoms.
amygdala, so it’s going to have many effects on just Co-opt= include in a group.
about everything.’ Bartz agrees. ‘Oxytocin probably Primitive= prehistoric, ancient, earliest
does some very basic things, but once you add higher-order thinking= think at a level
that is higher than memorizing facts or
our higher-order thinking and social situations, these
telling something back to someone
basic processes could manifest in different ways exactly the way it was told to you.
depending on individual differences and context.’ Manifest= display, show, reveal, express
25
READING PASSAGE 3
E xperts from Harvard Business School

give advice to managers
Most managers can identify the major trends of the Make the most of sth= to take full
day. But in the course of conducting research in a advantage of sth because it may not last
number of industries and working directly with long.
companies, we have discovered that managers often In the course of= while, during
fail to recognize the less obvious but profound ways Conduct= carry out, organize
Recognize= realize, be aware of, identify
these trends are influencing consumers' aspirations,
Profound= intense, extreme, great
attitudes, and behaviors. This is especially true of
Aspiration= desire, wish, aim
trends that managers view as peripheral to their core
Peripheral= outer, external # central
markets.
26
Ignore= take no notice of/pay no attention

Many ignore trends in their innovation strategies or to
adopt a wait-and-see approach and let competitors Innovation= revolution, modernization
Adopt a wait-and-see approach= accept
take the lead. At a minimum, such responses mean formally a method that it must wait to see
missed profit opportunities. At the extreme, they can Take the lead= to be the first to start doing
something or be most active in doing
jeopardize a company by ceding to rivals the something
opportunity to transform the industry. The purpose of Response= reaction, reply
Miss= fail to grasp, fail to take, let go
this article is twofold: to spur managers to think Jeopardize= threaten, risk, put in danger
more expansively about how trends could engender Cede= give up, leave
Transform= alter, convert, change
new value propositions in their core markets, and to Twofold= having two parts.
provide some high-level advice on how to make Spur smb to= urge, push, stimulate, drive
Expansively= broadly, widely, thoroughly
market research and product development Engender= produce, cause, create
personnel more adept at analyzing and exploiting Value proposition= the benefits that a
product or service provides to customers,
trends. especially by being different to or better
than a competitor’s products/services.
One strategy, known as ‘infuse and augment', is to Personnel= worker, staff, employee
Adept at= expert, skillful, talented
design a product or service that retains most of the
Infuse= inspire
attributes and functions of existing products in the Augment= supplement, enhance, boost,
category but adds others that address the needs and increase
desires unleashed by a major trend. A case in point Retain= keep, hold, maintain
is the Poppy range of handbags, which the firm Attribute= quality, characteristic, trait,
Coach created in response to the economic feature, element
downturn of 2008. The Coach brand had been a Unleash= release, set free # control
Downturn= decline, downward,
symbol of opulence and luxury for nearly 70 years,
recession
and the most obvious reaction to the downturn would
Opulence= wealth, affluence, richness
have been to lower prices. However, that would have
Cheapen= reduce, lower, lower in price
risked cheapening the brand's image. Instead, they
Initiate= start, begin, commence
initiated a consumer-research project which revealed
Eager= enthusiastic, excited, keen
that customers were eager to lift themselves and the Insight= perception, awareness,
country out of tough times. Using these understanding, comprehension
insights, Coach launched the lower-priced Poppy Launch= introduce, start, begin
handbags, which were in vibrant colors, and Vibrant= vivid, lively, colorful
27
looked more youthful and playful than conventional Conventional= normal, regular,
traditional
Coach products. Creating the sub-brand
Sub-brand= a secondary brand within a
allowed Coach to avert an across-the-board price main brand
cut. In contrast to the many companies that Avert= prevent, stop, avoid
Across-the-board= affecting everyone
responded to the recession by cutting prices, Coach or everything in a situation
or organization
saw the new consumer mindset as an opportunity Recession= downturn, decline, collapse
for innovation and renewal. Mindset= a set of attitudes or fixed ideas
that somebody has and that are often
difficult to change
A further example of this strategy was supermarket Renewal= reform
Tesco's response to consumers' growing concerns
about the environment. With that in mind, Tesco, one
of the world's top five retailers, introduced its Retailer= a person or business that sells
Greener Living program, which demonstrates the goods to customers in a shop
company’s commitment to protecting the
Demonstrate= show, indicate, prove
environment by involving consumers in ways that
produce tangible results. For example, Tesco Commitment= responsibility, promise
customers can accumulate points for such activities Tangible= visible, obvious, apparent,
as reusing bags, recycling cans and printer clear
cartridges, and buying home-insulation materials. Accumulate= gather, collect
Like points earned on regular purchases, these green
Redeem= exchange, convert
points can be redeemed for cash. Tesco has not
Abandon= leave, give up
abandoned its traditional retail offerings but
augmented its business with these innovations, Offering= product or service
thereby infusing its value proposition with a green Augment (with)= to increase the value,
streak. amount, effectiveness of something.
A more radical strategy is 'combine and transcend'.

Radical= revolutionary, progressive
This entails combining aspects of the product s Transcend= go further, go beyond,
existing value proposition with attributes addressing exceed
Entail= require, need, demand
changes arising from a trend, to create a novel Address= solve, tackle, deal with
experience - one that may land the company in an Arise from= be caused/produced by
A novel experience= a new experience,
entirely new market space. not like anything seen before.
At first glance= when you first look at or
think about something, often rather
At first glance, spending resources to incorporate
quickly
elements of a seemingly irrelevant trend into one’s Incorporate= integrate, combine
Irrelevant= unconnected, unrelated
28
core offerings sounds like it's hardly worthwhile. But Worthwhile= valuable, useful,
consider Nike's move to integrate the digital beneficial,
revolution into its reputation for high-performance # worthless, useless

Move= initiative, step, action, measure
athletic footwear. In 2006, they teamed up with
Integrate= combine, incorporate
technology company Apple to launch Nike+, a digital
Athletic= relating to sports
sports kit comprising a sensor that attaches to the
Team up with= to join with another
running shoe and a wireless receiver that connects to
partners to do something together
the user's iPod. By combining Nike’s original value Comprise= include, consist of # exclude
proposition for amateur athletes with one for digital Amateur= non-professional, non-
consumers, the Nike+ sports kit and web interface specialist
moved the company from a focus on athletic apparel Engagement with= the fact that you
to a new plane of engagement with its customers. becoming involved with someone or
A third approach, known as 'counteract and something in order to understand them
reaffirm', involves developing products or services Counteract= to do smt to reduce or
that stress the values traditionally associated with prevent the bad or harmful effects of smt
the category in ways that allow consumers to oppose Reaffirm= to state something again in
– or at least temporarily escape from – the aspects of order to emphasize that it is still true
trends they view as undesirable. A product that Stress= emphasize, underline,
underscore
accomplished this is the ME2, a video game created
Oppose= be against, object to, disagree
by Canada's iToys. By reaffirming the toy category's
with, disapprove of # support, in favor of
association with physical play, the ME2 counteracted Undesirable= unpleasant, unwelcome,
some of the widely perceived negative impacts of unwanted # desirable, pleasant,
digital gaming devices. Like other handheld preferable
games, the device featured a host of exciting Accomplish= achieve, complete
interactive games, a full-color LCD screen, and Perceive= become aware of, recognize,
advanced 3D graphics. What set it apart was that it Feature= to show something as a
incorporated the traditional physical component of special or important part of something
children's play: it contained a pedometer, which Interactive= involving communication
tracked and awarded points for physical activity between people
Virtual= Something that is virtual can be
(walking, running, biking, skateboarding, climbing
done or seen using a computer and
stairs). The child could use the points to enhance
therefore without going anywhere or
various virtual skills needed for the video game. The talking to anyone.
ME2, introduced in mid-2008, catered to kids' huge Cater= serve, satisfy, provide, supply,
desire to play video games while countering the offer.
negatives, such as associations with lack of exercise Obesity= fatness, overweightness
and obesity.
29
Perspective= viewpoint, outlook,

Once you have gained perspective on how trend-
standpoint
related changes in consumer opinions and behaviors
impact on your category, you can determine which of Determine=decide on, come to a
our three innovation strategies to pursue. When your decision about, choose
category's basic value proposition continues to be Category= a category in retailing is a
meaningful for consumers influenced by the trend,
group of the same products (ex: soft
the infuse-and-augment strategy will allow you to
drinks, detergents,etc)
reinvigorate the category. If analysis reveals an
increasing disparity between your category and Reinvigorate= to make something
consumers' new focus, your innovations need to stronger, or more exciting or successful
transcend the category to integrate the two worlds. again= refresh, revive, recover.
Finally, if aspects of the category clash with
Analysis= examination, study,
undesired outcomes of a trend, such as associations
evaluation
with unhealthy lifestyles, there is an opportunity to
counteract those changes by reaffirming the Disparity= difference, gap, discrepancy
core values of your category. Clash= conflict, fight
Undesired= unexpected, unwanted
Trends - technological, economic, environmental,
social, or political - that affect how people perceive
the world around them and shape what they expect Shape (v)= form
from products and services present firms with unique
opportunities for growth.
30
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
10
11
12
13
31
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
32
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
33
Test 3
READING PASSAGE 1
F or millennia, the coconut has been central to the

Palm= a tree growing in warm regions
lives of Polynesian and Asian peoples. In the western and having a tall, straight trunk, no
world, on the other hand, coconuts have always been branches, and a mass of long, pointed
exotic and unusual, sometimes rare. The Italian leaves at the top
People= a society
merchant traveller Marco Polo apparently saw
Exotic= unusual, different, nonnative
coconuts in South Asia in the late 13th century, and
# native, familiar
among the mid-14th-century travel writings of Sir John Merchant= dealer, tradesman
Mandeville there is mention of ‘great Notes of Ynde’ Apparently= actually, evidently,
(great Nuts of India). Today, images of palm-fringed obviously.
tropical beaches are clichés in the west to sell Palm-fringed= with palm trees along the
holidays, chocolate bars, fizzy drinks and even edge
romance. Cliché= an idea or phrase that has been
used so much that it is not effective or
does not have any meaning any longer
34
Typically, we envisage coconuts as brown cannonballs Envisage= imagine, expect, think of

Flesh= the soft part of a fruit or vegetable
that, when opened, provide sweet white flesh. But we that can be eaten
Slender= thin, small
see only part of the fruit and none of the plant from Trunk= a thick main stem of a tree, from
which they come. The coconut palm has a smooth, which the branches grow
Timber= a long piece of wood used for
slender, grey trunk, up to 30 metres tall. This is an building
Endangered= rare, scarce, threatened, in
important source of timber for building houses, and is danger of extinction
increasingly being used as a replacement for Hardwood= the strong, heavy wood of
particular trees such as oak, used esp. to
endangered hardwoods in the furniture construction make furniture
Surmount= to be placed on top of
industry. The trunk is surmounted by a rosette of something
Rosette = a thing that has the shape of
leaves, each of which may be up to six metres a rose
long. The leaves have hard veins in their centres Vein= one of the thin lines on a leaf
Strip away= to remove a layer from
which, in many parts of the world, are used as brushes somthing
Immature= young # mature
after the green part of the leaf has been stripped Cluster together/around= form a small
away. Immature coconut flowers are tightly clustered group
Stem= the main long thin part of a plant
together among the leaves at the top of the trunk. The above the ground from which the leaves or
flowers grow
flower stems may be tapped for their sap to produce Be tapped for= be extracted for
Sap= the liquid in a plant or tree that
a drink, and the sap can also be reduced by boiling to carries food to all its parts
produce a type of sugar used for cooking. Reduce= decrease, cut, lessen # increase
Coconut palms produce as many as seventy fruits per Fibre= threads when they are in mass
year, weighing more than a kilogram each. The wall of that can be used for making products
the fruit has three layers: a waterproof outer layer, a such as cloth and rope.
fibrous middle layer and a hard, inner layer. The thick
Rope= very strong thick string made by
fibrous middle layer produces coconut fibre, ‘coir’, twisting thinner strings
which has numerous uses and is particularly important
in manufacturing ropes. The woody innermost layer, Innermost= nearest to the centre or
the shell, with its three prominent ‘eyes’, inside of smt
surrounds the seed. An important product obtained Prominent= noticeable, obvious,
from the shell is charcoal, which is widely used in important
various industries as well as in the home as a cooking
fuel. When broken in half, the shells are also used as Charcoal=a hard, black substance
similar to coal that can be used as fuel
bowls in many parts of Asia.
Inside the shell are the nutrients (endosperm) needed Nutrient= a substance that is needed to
keep a living thing alive and to help it to
by the developing seed. Initially, the endosperm is a grow
35
sweetish liquid, coconut water, which is enjoyed as a Yield= the amount of profits, crops etc that
drink, but also provides the hormones which encourage something produces
Solidify= to become solid
other plants to grow more rapidly and produce higher
Brilliant= bright, vivid
yields. As the fruit matures, the coconut water
Edible= fit or suitable to be eaten
gradually solidifies to form the brilliant white, fat-rich, Meat= the edible white flesh of coconut,
edible flesh or meat. Dried coconut flesh, ‘copra’, is often shredded for use in cake or curries.
made into coconut oil and coconut milk, which are Cosmetics= substances put on the face or
widely used in cooking in different parts of the world, as body to improve its quality
well as in cosmetics. A derivative of coconut fat, Derivative= smt made from smt else
Acquire= obtain, gain, get, attain
glycerine, acquired strategic importance in a quite
Sphere= field, area of study, domain
different sphere, as Alfred Nobel introduced the world
Dynamite=a powerful explosive
to his nitroglycerine-based invention: dynamite.
Their biology would appear to make coconuts the great Maritime= marine = relating to the sea
maritimevoyagers and coastal colonizers of the plant Voyager= someone who has journeys
world. The large, energy-rich fruits are able to float in on the sea
water and tolerate salt, but cannot remain viable
Colonizer= settler, inhabitant
indefinitely; studies suggest after about 110 days at
Float in water= to stay on the surface of
sea they are no longer able to germinate. Literally cast
onto desert island shores, with little more than sand to water and not sink
grow in and exposed to the full glare of the tropical Tolerate= bear, endure, put up with
sun, coconut seeds are able to germinate and root. Viable= capable of developing and
The air pocket in the seed, created as the endosperm
surviving independently
solidifies, protects the embryo. In addition, the fibrous
Indefinitely= for an unlimited period
fruit wall that helped it to float during the voyage stores
moisture that can be taken up by the roots of Germinate= to start growing
the coconut seedling as it starts to grow. Expose smt to smt= to show something
that is usually covered or hidden
There have been centuries of academic debate over
Glare= unpleasantly bright or strong
the origins of the coconut. There were no coconut
light
palms in West Africa, the Caribbean or the east coast Embryo= a young plant in the very early
of the Americas before the voyages of the European stages of development before coming out
explorers Vasco da Gama and Columbus in the late of its seed
15th and early 16th centuries. 16th century trade and Fibrous= made of fibres, or like fibre
human migration patterns reveal that Arab traders and Voyage= a long journey on the sea.
European sailors are likely to have moved coconuts Moisture= humidity, damp, wetness #
dryness
from South and Southeast Asia to Africa and then
Reveal= tell, divulge, disclose # conceal
36
across the Atlantic to the east coast of America. But Diametrically= completely different
the origin of coconuts discovered along the west coast Propose= suggest, offer, submit,
of America by 16th century sailors has been the recommend

Degree= the amount or level of smt
subject of centuries of discussion. Two
Diversity= variety, range, multiplicity
diametrically opposed origins have been proposed:
Relative= trees that belong to the same
that they came from Asia, or that they were native to
group.
America. Both suggestions have problems. In Asia,
Indigenous= native, original, local #
there is a large degree of coconut diversity and foreign, exotic
evidence of millennia of human use - but there are no Intriguing= fascinating, interesting,
relatives growing in the wild. In America, there are exciting
close coconut relatives, but no evidence that Originate= to appear for the first time in
coconuts are indigenous. These problems have led to a particular place
the intriguing suggestion that coconuts originated on Disperse= to spread or to make
coral islands in the Pacific and were dispersed from something spread over a wide area
there.
37
READING PASSAGE 2
T he typical way of talking to a baby - high-pitched,

Baby talk= the special language adults
sometimes use when talking to babies
Boost= improvement, enhancement
High-pitched= (of sounds) higher than usual
Exaggerated= being described as better,
exaggerated and repetitious - is a source of larger etc than it really is
fascination for linguists who hope to understand how Repetitious= involving something that is
often repeated, in a way that becomes boring
‘baby talk’ impacts on learning. Most babies start Fascination= a very strong attraction, that
developing their hearing while still in the womb, makes something very interesting
Linguists= a person who studies languages
prompting some hopeful parents to play classical or linguistics
Womb= the organ in women and female
music to their pregnant bellies. Some research even
animals in which babies develop before they
suggests that infants are listening to adult speech as are born
Prompt= make, cause, motivate
early as 10 weeks before being born, gathering the Pregnant= (of women) having an
basic building blocks of their family’s native tongue. unborn baby growing inside her body
Infant= a baby or very young child
Native tongue= first language
38
B Early language exposure seems to have benefits to Exposure= the fact of experiencing
something or being affected by it
the brain - for instance, studies suggest that babies Bilingual= able to use two languages equally
well
raised in bilingual homes are better at learning how to Prioritize= to put tasks, problems, etc. in
order of importance, so that you can deal
mentally prioritize information. So how does the sweet with the most important first
if sometimes absurd sound of infant-directed speech Absurd= completely ridiculous; not logical
and sensible
influence a baby’s development? Here are some recent Infant- directed speech= a powerful tool
that parents instinctively use to aid language
studies that explore the science behind baby talk. development in their infant's first months and
years of life.
C Fathers don't use baby talk as often or in the same Equipped sb with smt= to provide sb
ways as mothers - and that’s perfectly OK, according to with st
a new study. Mark Van Dam of Washington Interact with smb= communicate
State University at Spokane and colleagues equipped Pitch= how high or low a sound is
parents with recording devices and speech-recognition Fundamental= basic, essential
software to study the way they interacted with their Frequency= the rate at which something
occurs or is repeated over a particular
youngsters during a normal day. ‘We found that moms
period of time
do exactly what you’d expect and what's been described
Be rooted in something= to have
many times over,' VanDam explains. ‘But we found that developed from something and be
dads aren’t doing the same thing. Dads didn’t raise their strongly influenced by it
pitch or fundamental frequency when they talked to Bridge= a thing that provides a
kids.' Their role may be rooted in what is called the connection between two different things
bridge hypothesis, which dates back to 1975. It Hypothesis= theory, assumption
suggests that fathers use less familial language Date back (to)= to have existed since a
to provide their children with a bridge to the kind of particular time in the past
speech they’ll hear in public. The idea is that a kid gets Familial= related to or typical of a family
Speech= spoken language
to practice a certain kind of speech with mom and
Repertoire of smt= the total number of
another kind of speech with dad, so the kid then has a
things that someone knows and is able to
wider repertoire of kinds of speech to practice,’ says
do= range, list, collection.
VanDam.
D Scientists from the University of Washington and the Fit sb with= put somebody in
University of Connecticut collected thousands of 30- Audio-recording vest= a kind of sound
second conversations between parents and their recording tool which covers the upper part of
babies, fitting 26 children with audio-recording vests the body.
that captured language and sound during a typical Capture= record
eight-hour day. The study found that the more baby Babble= (of a baby) to make sounds in a
talk parents used, the more their youngsters began to
way that is difficult to understand before
babble. And when researchers saw the same babies
beginning to say actual words
at age two, they found that frequent baby talk had
39
dramatically boosted vocabulary, regardless of Socioeconomic status= the social

socioeconomic status. Those children who listened standing or class of an individual or
group. It is often measured as a
to a lot of baby talk were talking more than the babies combination of education, income and
that listened to more adult talk or standard speech,’ occupation.
says Nairan Ramirez-Esparza of the University of
Connecticut. ‘We also found that it really matters Matter= be important
whether you use baby talk in a one-on-one context,’ One-on-one= between two people only
she adds. The more parents use baby talk one-on-one,
the more babies babble, and the more they babble, the
more words they produce later in life.'
E Another study suggests that parents might want to Pair smb up= to work together to do
pair their youngsters up so they can babble more with something
their own kind. Researchers from McGill University and Universal= popular, common,
widespread
Université du Quebec à Montréal found that babies
Play= to (cause a machine to) produce a
seem to like listening to each other rather than to
sound
adults – which may be why baby talk is such a Synthesize= to produce sound
universal tool among parents. They played repeating electronically
vowel sounds made by a special synthesizing device Mimic -mimicked= copy, imitate
that mimicked sounds made by either an adult woman Auditory= connected with hearing
or another baby. This way, only the impact of the Cue= signal, sign, clue, indication
auditory cues was observed. The team then Measure= evaluate, calculate, assess
measured how long each type of sound held the Hold sb’s attention=make someone
infants’ attention. They found that the ‘infant’ sounds stay interested and keep reading,
held babies’ attention nearly 40 percent longer. listening, watching etc
Induce= cause, create, generate
The baby noises also induced more reactions in the
Approximate= to be similar to but not
listening infants, like smiling or lip moving, which
exactly the same as something
approximates sound making. The team theorizes that Theorize= speculate, hypothesize
this attraction to other infant sounds could help launch Launch= start, begin, open, initiate
the learning process that leads to speech. ‘It may be Property= a quality or characteristic that
some property of the sound that is just drawing their something has
attention,’ says study co-author Linda Polka. ‘Or Draw/Catch sb’s attention= to make
maybe they are really interested in that particular type people notice and be concerned or think
of sound because they are starting to focus on their about something
own ability to make sounds. We are speculating here Speculate= guess, consider, think,
but it might catch their attention because anticipate
Recognize= know, realize, identify
they recognize it as a sound they could possibly
make.’
F In a study published in Proceedings of the National

Academy of Sciences, a total of 57 babies from two
40
slightly different age groups - seven months and Syllable= a word or part of a word
eleven and a half months - were played a number of which contains a single vowel sound
syllables from both their native language (English) and Activation= the act of making something
a non-native tongue (Spanish). The infants were start or making it start working
placed in a brain-activation scanner that recorded
activity in a brain region known to guide the Motor= relating to muscles that produce
movement, or the nerves and parts of the
motor movements that produce speech. The results brain that control these muscles.
suggest that listening to baby talk prompts infant brains
to start practicing their language skills. Finding Significant= important, essential,
activation in motor areas of the brain when infants are meaningful # insignificant.
simply listening is significant, because it means the Engage in= involve in, participate in
baby brain is engaged in trying to talk back right from
the start, and suggests that seven-month-olds’ brains Figure out (how/why/what)= to
are already trying to figure out how to make the right understand or solve something
movements that will produce words,’ says co-author
Patricia Kuhl. Another interesting finding was that while Regardless of= without being affected
the seven-month-olds responded to all speech sounds or influenced by something
regardless of language, the brains of the older infants
Uncover= discover, find out
worked harder at the motor activations of non-native # hide, conceal, cover up
sounds compared to native sounds. The study
may have also uncovered a process by which babies
recognize differences between their native language
and other tongues.
41
READING PASSAGE 3
N ew research sheds light on the disappearance

Civilisation= human society with its well
developed social organizations, or the culture
of an ancient society
and way of life of a society or country at a
particular period in time
A The Harappan Civilisation of ancient Pakistan and Shed light on= to explain a situation
India flourished 5,000 years ago, but a thousand Disappearance= loss, vanishing
Flourish=grow, thrive, prosper
years later their cities were abandoned. The Abandon= leave
Sophisticated= developed to a high degree
Harappan Civilisation was a sophisticated Bronze
of complexity
Age society who built ‘megacities’ and traded Megacity= a very large city, usually one with
a population of over 10 million people
internationally in luxury craft products, and yet Luxury= very great comfort and pleasure,
seemed to have left almost no depictions of such as you get from expensive food,
beautiful houses, cars etc
themselves. But their lack of self-imagery – at a time Depiction= picture, portrait, image, painting,
when the Egyptians were carving and painting illustration
self-imagery= the use of words or picture to
describe about his or her personality or
achievements,...
42
representations of themselves all over their temples Representation= picture, painting, drawing,
picture, illustration
– is only part of the mystery. Mystery= something that is difficult to
understand or to explain
B ‘There is plenty of archaeological evidence to tell Archaeological= related to the study of

us about the rise of the HarappanCivilisation, but ancient societies by examining what remains
of their buildings, tools etc
relatively little about its fall,’ explains archaeologist Dr Alleyway= a narrow street between
Cameron Petrie of the University of Cambridge. ‘As or behind buildings
Well= a deep hole in the ground from which
populations increased, cities were built that had great people take water
baths, craft workshops, palaces and halls laid out in Drainage= the system of water or waste
distinct sectors. Houses were arranged in blocks, with liquids flowing away from somewhere into the
ground or down pipes
wide main streets and narrow alleyways, and many Thriving= flourishing, prosperous, growing,
had their own wells and drainage systems. It was developing, successful
very much a “thriving”civilisation.’ Then around 2100 Transformation= change, alteration
Ritual= a set of actions or words performed in a
BC, a transformation began. Streets went uncleaned, regular way, often as part of a religious
buildings started to be abandoned, and ritual ceremony
Fall/Go/Be out of use= a machine, place etc
structures fell out of use. After their final demise, a that goes out of use or is out of use is not being
millennium passed before really large-scale used
Demise= the end of something that was
cities appeared once more in South Asia. previously considered to be powerful
C Some have claimed that major glacier-fed rivers Glacier= a large mass of ice that moves
slowly
changed their course, dramatically affecting the water
Course= flow, direction
supply and agriculture; or that the cities could not
Cope with= deal with, face
cope with an increasing population, they exhausted Exhaust= run out, use up, deplete
their resource base, the trading economy broke down Succumb to smt= give in = to stop
or they succumbed to invasion and conflict; and yet opposing someone or something that is
others that climate change caused an environmental stronger than you, and allow them to take
change that affected food and water provision. ‘It is control
Invasion= an occasion when an army or
unlikely that there was a single cause for the decline
country uses force to enter and take
of the civilisation. But the fact is, until now, we have
control of another country
had little solid evidence from the area for most of the Provision= the act of providing smt
key elements,’ said Petrie. ‘A lot of the archaeological Solid= strong, certain, firm, concrete
debate has really only been well-argued speculation.’ Speculation= assumption, theory
D A research team led by Petrie, together with Dr

Investigation= study, inspection
Ravindanath Singh of Banaras Hindu University in
India, found early in their investigations that many of Be supposed to be= be expected to be
the archaeological sites were not where they were
Inhabit= live in, settle in, dwell in, reside in
supposed to be, completely altering understanding of
the way that this region was inhabited in the past.
When they carried out a survey of how the larger area
43
was settled in relation to sources of water, they found In relation to= in connection with something
inaccuracies in the published geographic locations of Inaccuracy= a situation in which a fact or
measurement is not completely correct or
ancient settlements ranging from several hundred
exact
metres to many kilometres. They realised that any Settlement= a group of houses and
attempts to use the existing data were likely to be buildings where people live, especially in a
fundamentally flawed. Over the course of several place where few people have lived before
seasons of fieldwork they carried out new Flaw= faulty, imperfect, shoddy # flawless,
perfect.
surveys, finding an astonishing 198 settlement sites Fieldwork= the testing of scientific theories
that were previously unknown. in real situations
Astonishing= amazing, surprising, shocking
E. Now, research published by Dr Yama Dixit and
Professor David Hodell, both from Cambridge’s
Definitive= conclusive, final, ultimate
Department of Earth Sciences, has provided the first Plain= a large area of flat land
definitive evidence for climate change affecting the Shell= the hard outer covering of
plains of north-western India, where hundreds of something, especially nuts, eggs, and
Harappan sites are known to have been situated. The some animals
researchers gathered shells of Sediment= the solid material that settles
Melanoidestuberculata snails from the sediments of at the bottom of a liquid
an ancient lake and used geochemical analysis as a A means of Ving= a way of doing smt
means of tracing the climate history of the region. ’As Trace= find, discover
today, the major source of water into the lake is likely Monsoon= rainy season.
Abrupt=sudden, unexpected # gradual
to have been the summer monsoon,' says Dixit. ‘But
Evaporation= the process of a liquid
we have observed that there was an abrupt change
changing or being changed into a gas
about 4,100 years ago, when the amount of Exceed= to be greater than a particular
evaporation from the lake exceeded the rainfall - number or amount
indicative of a drought.’ Hodell adds: ‘We estimate Indicative= a sign that something exists,
that the weakening of the Indian summer monsoon is true, or is likely to happen
climate lasted about 200 years before recovering to Drought= a long period when there is
the previous conditions, which we still see today.' little or no rain
Estimate= calculate, approximate,
F. It has long been thought that other great Bronze guess, evaluate
Age civilisations also declined at a similar time, with a
global-scale climate event being seen as the cause. Variable= likely to change often # fixed
While it is possible that these local-scale processes
were linked, the real archaeological interest lies in Obtain= get, acquire, earn, achieve
understanding the impact of these larger-scale events
on different environments and different populations.
'Considering the vast area of the Harappan Civilisation
with its variable weather systems,’ explains Singh, ‘it
is essential that we obtain more climate data from
44
areas close to the two great cities at Mohenjodaro and Grain= a seed or seeds from a plant,
Harappa and also from the Indian Punjab.’ especially a plant like a grass such as rice
or wheat
Cultivate=to prepare land and grow crops
G. Petrie and Singh’s team is now examining
on it, or to grow a particular crop
archaeological records and trying to understand Work out= to find the answer to something
Extreme= severse, intense, excessive,
details of how people led their lives in the region five
harsh
millennia ago. They are analysing grains cultivated Stress= force
at the time, and trying to work out whether they were Adjust=modify, adapt
Pottery= objects that are made out of clay
grown under extreme conditions of water stress, and by hand
whether they were adjusting the combinations of Distinctive= easy to recognize because it
is different from other things
crops they were growing for different Specific= exact, precise, detailed, explicit
weather systems. They are also looking at whether the # vague
Insight (into something)= an
types of pottery used, and other aspects of their understanding of what something is like
material culture, were distinctive to specific regions Interactive= involving communication
or were more similar across larger areas. This gives

us insight into the types of interactive networks that Unique= sole, exclusive # common
Investigate= examine, explore, study,
the population was involved in, and whether those research
changed. Respond to smt= react = to do something
as a reaction to something that has been
said or done
H. Petrie believes that archaeologists are in a unique Threat= danger, risk
position to investigate how past societies Administrative= relating to the
arrangements and work that is needed to
responded to environmental and climatic control the operation of a plan or
change. ’By investigating responses to environmental organization
Body= group of people who joined
pressures and threats, we can learn from the past together for a particular reason
to engage with the public, and the relevant Proactive= taking action by causing
change and not only reacting to change
governmental and administrative bodies, to be when it happens # passive
more proactive in issues such as the management Preserve= protect, conserve, save,
sustain, maintain, keep # destroy
and administration of water supply, the balance of Heritage= the history, traditions and
urban and rural development, and the importance qualities that a country or society has had
for many years and that are considered an
of preserving cultural heritage in the future.’ important part of its character
45
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
10
11
12
13
46
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
47
Passage title: ______________________________
Your Correct
answer answer
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
48
TEST 4
READING PASSAGE 1
T he nineteenth century was a period of great shipping= the delivery of goods, especially
by ship
commercial= related to business and
technological development in Britain, and for shipping the buying and selling of goods and
the major changes were from wind to steam power, and services
from wood to iron and steel. vessel= boat, sailing boat, ship, craft
clipper= a fast sailing ship used in the past
transport= carry, transfer, move
The fastest commercial sailing vessels of all time goods= merchandise, stock, products,
were clippers, three-masted ships built to transport commodities
passenger= someone who is travelling in
goods around the world, although some also took
a vehicle, plane, boat etc, but is not driving
passengers. From the 1840s until 1869, when the it or working on it
Suez Canal opened and steam propulsion was propulsion= the force that drives a
replacing sail, clippers dominated world trade. vehicle forward
dominate= control, influence
Although many were built, only one has survived more intact= complete, unbroken, undamaged,
or less intact: CuttySark, now on display in unharmed # broken, damaged
Greenwich, southeast London. on display= on show= something that is
on display is in a public place where
people can look at it
49
CuttySark's unusual name comes from the poem Tam unusual= uncommon, unfamiliar, strange
O’Shanter by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Tam, a chase= to quickly follow someone or
something in order to catch them
farmer, is chased by a witch called Nannie, who is witch= a woman who is believed to have
wearing a 'cuttysark’ – an old Scottish name for a short magic powers, especially to do evil things
nightdress. The witch is depicted in depict= describe, illustrate, show,
represent
CuttySark's figurehead – the carving of a woman figurehead= a wooden model of a woman
typically at the front of old sailing ships. In legend, and
that used to be placed on the front of ships
in Burns's poem, witches cannot cross water, so this carving= an object or pattern made by
cutting a shape in wood or stone for
was a rather strange choice of name for a ship.
decoration
legend= myth, folk tale, traditional story
CuttySark was built in Dumbarton, Scotland, in 1869, carry out= to do something that needs to
be organized and planned
for a shipping company owned by John Willis. To carry construction= building, assembly,
out construction, Willis chose a new ship building erection
firm= company, business, enterprise
firm, Scott & Linton, and ensured that the contract with contract= an official agreement between
two or more people, stating what each will
them put him in a very strong position. In the end, the do
be out of business= stops operating,
firm was forced out of business, and the ship was especially because of financial problems=
finished by a competitor. bankrupt
competitor= rival, opponent
Willis’s company was active in the tea trade between

active= involved in a activity and doing lots
China and Britain, where speed could bring shipowners of practical things to achieve your aims
both profits and prestige, so CuttySark was designed prestige= reputation, fame, honour
to make the journey more quickly than any other ship. maiden voyage= the first journey
On her maiden voyage, in 1870, she set sail from set sail= to begin a journey by boat or ship
London, carrying large amounts of goods to China. She be laden with smth= heavily loaded with
returned laden with tea, making the journey back to something
live up to somebody’s expectations= do
London in four months. However, CuttySark never
as well as it was expected to
lived up to the high expectations of her owner, as a misfortune= bad luck
result of bad winds and various misfortunes. On one rival= competitor
occasion, in 1872, the ship and a rival clipper, gain a lead= to be the first to do smt
Thermopylae, left port in China on the same day. rudder= a flat part at the back of a ship or
Crossing the Indian Ocean, CuttySark gained a lead of aircraft that can be turned in order to
over 400 miles, but then her rudder was severely control the direction in which it moves
severely= very badly
damaged in stormy seas, making her impossible to
steer= to control the direction a vehicle is
steer. The ship's crew had the daunting task of going, for example by turning a wheel
repairing the rudder at sea, and only succeeded at the crew= sailors, seamen, mariners
second attempt. CuttySark reached London a week daunting task = a difficult task
after Thermopylae.
50
Steam ships posed a growing threat to clippers, as pose a threat to smt/smb= cause
their speed and cargo capacity increased. In addition, danger to st/smb
the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, the same year cargo= freight = the goods that are being
that CuttySark was launched, had a serious impact. carried in a ship or plane
While steam ships could make use of the quick, direct capacity= volume, size
route between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. launch= initiate, introduce, open
The canal was of no use to sailing ships, which make use of smt= to use something that
needed the much stronger winds of the oceans, and so is available in order to achieve something
had to sail a far greater distance. Steam ships reduced or get an advantage for yourself
the journey time between Britain and China by be of no use= to be completely useless
approximately two months. prestigious= reputable, respected,
honoured, acclaimed
By 1878, tea traders weren't interested in aboard= on or onto a ship, plane, or train
CuttySark, and instead, she took on the much less replacement= when you get something
that is newer or better than the one you
prestigious work of carrying any cargo between any had before
two ports in the world. In 1880, violence aboard the incompetent= unskilful, unprofessional,
incapable, unqualified # competent, skilful
ship led ultimately to the replacement of the captain
drunkard= someone who often gets drunk
with an incompetent drunkard who stole the crew’s
wage= money you earn that is paid
wages. He was suspended from service, and a new according to the number of hours, days, or
weeks that you work.
captain appointed. This marked a turnaround and the
suspend smb from smt= to make
beginning of the most successful period in someone leave their job for a short time,
especially because they have broken
CuttySark's working life, transporting wool from the rules
Australia to Britain. One such journey took just under appoint= to choose someone for a position
or a job
12 weeks, beating every other ship sailing that year by
turnaround= a complete change from a
around a month. bad situation to a good one
The ship's next captain, Richard Woodget, was an navigator= an officer on a ship or aircraft
who plans which way it should go when it
excellent navigator, who got the best out of both his is travelling from one place to another
ship and his crew. As a sailing ship, CuttySark get the best out of sb/st= encourage
depended on the strong trade winds of the southern someone or make use of something to
achieve the greatest output of
hemisphere, and Woodget look her further south than
work/production
any previous captain, bringing her dangerously close to hemisphere= a half of the Earth, especially
icebergs off the southern tip of South America. His one of the halves above and below
gamble paid off, though, and the ship was the fastest the equator
vessel in the wool trade for ten years. gamble= an action or plan that involves a
risk but that you hope will succeed
pay off= be successful or have a good result
51
As competition from steam ships increased in the competition= a situation in which people
or organizations try to be more
1890s, and CuttySark approached the end of her life successful than other people or organizations
expectancy, she became less profitable. approach= move toward, come close to
life expectancy= life span = longevity
She was sold to a Portuguese firm, which
profitable= beneficial, useful, valuable,
renamed her Ferreira. For the next 25 years, she again advantageous, productive, worthwhile
miscellaneous= various, varied, mixed,
carried miscellaneous cargoes around the world. diverse
Badly damaged in a gale in 1922, she was put into gale=a very strong wind
Falmouth harbour in southwest England, for repairs.
recognise= remember, recall, recollect #
Wilfred Dowman, a retired sea captain who owned a forget
training vessel, recognised her and tried to buy her,
but without success. She returned to Portugal and was determined= having a strong desire to
do something, so that you will
sold to another Portuguese company. Dowman was
not let anyone stop you
determined, however, and offered a high price: this
was accepted, and the ship returned to Falmouth the original=first, earliest, initial
following year and had her original name restored.
restore=to make something return to
its former state or condition
Dowman used CuttySark as a training ship, and she
continued in this role after his death. When she was no transfer something to somewhere= to
longer required, in 1954, she was transferred to dry move something to a place
dock at Greenwich to go on public display. The ship
suffer from= to experience something
suffered from fire in 2007, and again, less seriously, in unpleasant
2014, but now CuttySark attracts a quarter of a million
visitors a year.
52
READING PASSAGE 2
M ore than a third of the Earth’s top layer is at risk. be at risk= in a situation where you may
be harmed
Is there hope for our planet's most precious resource?
precious= valued, cherished, treasured
# worthless, cheap
A More than a third of the world’s soil is endangered,
according to a recent UN report. If we don’t slow the resource= something such
decline, all farmable soil could be gone in 60 years. as useful land, or minerals such
as oil or coal, that exists in a country and
Since soil grows 95% of our food, and sustains human can be used to increase its wealth
life in other more surprising ways, that is a huge
problem. endangered= being put at risk = being in
danger
B Peter Groffman, from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem
sustain= support, help, assist,
Studies in New York, points out that soil scientists have encourage
been warning about the degradation of the world’s
soil for decades. At the same time, our understanding degradation (n)= the process by which
something changes to a worse condition
of its importance to humans has grown. A single gram
of healthy soil might contain 100 million bacteria, as microorganism= a living thing that is so
well as other microorganisms such as viruses and small that it cannot be seen without
a microscope
53
fungi, living amid decomposing plants and various fungus (sing) – fungi (plural)= a simple
minerals. type of plant that has no leaves or flowers
and that grows on plants or other surfaces
That means soils do not just grow our food, but are the decompose= to destroy something by
breaking it into smaller parts.
source of nearly all our existing antibiotics, and could
mineral= a substance that is formed
be our best hope in the fight against antibiotic-resistant naturally in the earth and can be dug out of
bacteria. Soil is also an ally against climate change: as the ground
microorganisms within soil digest dead animals and antibiotics= a drug that is used to kill
plants, they lock in their carbon content, holding three bacteria and cure infections
times the amount of carbon as does the entire resistant= unaffected by, immune to,
# susceptible to
atmosphere. Soils also store water, preventing flood
ally= friend, partner, supporter
damage: in the UK, damage to buildings, roads and
# enemy, opponent
bridges from floods caused by soil degradation costs digest= eat, consume, process
£233 million every year.
C. If the soil loses its ability to perform these functions, property= a quality that a substance,
the human race could be in big trouble. The danger is plant has
not that the soil will disappear completely, but that recover= get better, get well # worsen
the microorganisms that give it its special properties
will be lost. And once this has happened, it may take remove= take out, draw out, extract
the soil thousands of years to recover. nutrient= a chemical/food that provides
what is needed for plants/animals to
grow
Agriculture is by far the biggest problem. In the wild,
decay= to be destroyed gradually by
when plants grow they remove nutrients from the soil,
natural processes= decompose
but then when the plants die and decay these nutrients harvest= to gather crops from the fields
are returned directly to the soil. Humans tend not to enrich= improve, upgrade# impoverish
return unused parts of harvested crops directly to the fertile= fruitful, productive, high-yielding
soil to enrich it, meaning that the soil gradually get around smt= to avoid something
becomes less fertile. In the past we developed that is difficult or causes problems for
strategies to get around the problem, such as regularly you
varying the types of crops grown, or leaving fields vary=be different
uncultivated for a season. uncultivated= (of land) not used for
growing crops.
D But these practices became inconvenient as practice= habit, custom
populations grew and agriculture had to be run on run on commercial lines= be involved in
more commercial lines. A solution came in the early the buying and selling of goods/services
20th century with the Haber-Bosch process for synthetic= artificial, man-made, unnatural
manufacturing ammonium nitrate. Farmers have fertiliser= a natural/ chemical substance
been putting this synthetic fertiliser on their fields ever that is spread on the land or given to
since. plants, to make plants grow well
54
But over the past few decades, it has become clear this release= discharge, free, flow out, leave #
hold
wasn’t such a bright idea. Chemical fertilisers can excess= a larger amount of something
release polluting nitrous oxide into the atmosphere than is allowed or needed
wash away= if water washes something
and excess is often washed away with the rain, away, it carries it away with great force
releasing nitrogen into rivers. More recently, we have indiscriminate= an indiscriminate action is
done without thinking about what harm it
found that indiscriminate use of fertilizers hurts the might cause
soil itself, turning it acidic and salty, and degrading the acidic= containing acid
salty= containing salt
soil they are supposed to nourish.
be supposed to= used to say what was or
is expected or intended to happen,
E One of the people looking for a solution to this especially when it did not happen
problem is Pius Floris, who started out running a tree- nourish= nurture, cultivate, strengthen,
care business in the Netherlands, and now advises enrich
some of the world's top soil scientists. He came to start out= to begin to do something,
especially in business or work
realise that the best way to ensure his trees flourished
flourish= grow quickly= thrive,proliferate
was to take care of the soil, and has developed a
a cocktail of= a mixture of several things
cocktail of beneficial bacteria, fungi and humus to do
humus= soil made of decayed plants,
this. Researchers at the University of Valladolid leaves etc that is good for growing plants
in Spain recently used this cocktail on soils destroyed plot= a small piece of land
by years of fertiliser overuse. When they applied emerge= appear, occur, arise
Floris’s mix to the desert-like test plots, a good crop of surface= the top layer of an area of water
plants emerged that were not just healthy at the or land
surface, but had roots strong enough to pierce dirt as pierce= pass through
hard as rock. The few plants that grew in the control feed plants with smt= to give plants a
plots, feed with traditional fertilisers, were small and special substance to make them grow
weak.
F However, measures like this are not enough to solve assess= evaluate, judge, rate, calculate.
the global soil degradation problem. To assess our
scale= extent, size, scope, magnitude
options on a global scale we first need an accurate
picture of what types of soil are out there, and the classify= categorize, group, put into
problems they face. That’s not easy. For one thing, group
there is no agreed international system for classifying
unify= unite, bring together, integrate
soil. In an attempt to unify the different approaches, the
UN has created the Global Soil Map database= large amount of data stored
project. Researchers from nine countries are working in a computer system
together to create a map linked to a database that can
be fed measurements from field surveys, drone measurement= evaluation, assessment
surveys, satellite imagery, lab analyses and so on to
55
provide real-time data on the state of the soil. Within state= condition, situation, state of affairs
the next four years, they aim to have mapped soils aim to= to try or intend to achieve smt
worldwide to a depth of 100 metres, with the results map= to make a map of a particular area
freely accessible to all. accessible= reachable, approachable
G But this is only a first step. We need ways of present= demonstrate, show
presenting the problem that bring it home to bring smt home to smb= to make
someone understand something much
governments and the wider public, says Pamela more clearly than they did before,
Chasek at the International Institute for Sustainable especially something unpleasant
vice versa= used to say that the opposite
Development, in Winnipeg, Canada. 'Most scientists of a situation you have just described is
also true
don't speak language that policy-makers can
propose= put forward, suggest, offer
understand, and vice versa.’ Chasek and her carbon neutrality= a term used to
colleagues have proposed a goal of 'zero net land describe the action of organizations/
individuals taking action to remove as
degradation'. Like the idea of carbon neutrality, it is an much CO2 from the atmosphere as each
put in to it
easily understood target that can help shape
shape= form, build, define
expectations and encourage action. expectation= what you hope will happen
For soils on the brink, that may be too late. Several be on the brink= be in a point when you
researchers are agitating for the immediate creation are almost in a new situation, usually a bad
one
of protected zones for endangered soils. One
agitate for= to argue strongly in public for
difficulty here is defining what these areas should something you want, especially a political
conserve: areas where the greatest soil diversity is or social change
present? Or areas of unspoilt soils that could act as a immediate= instant, prompt, rapid, quick
future benchmark of quality? define= determine, establish, decide
conserve= preserve, protect, maintain,
Whatever we do, if we want our soils to survive, we save, safeguard
need to take action now. diversity= variety, mixture, range, array
unspoilt= preserved, intact, as good as
before= pristine, unharmed, undamaged,
untouched, unaffected
benchmark= standard, criterion
56
READING PASSAGE 3
T he Happiness Industry: How the Government and ultimate goal= main and most important
aim
Big Business Sold Us Well-Being self-evident= clear, obvious without

needing any proof or explanation
By William Davies
matter= to be important
‘ Happiness is the ultimate goal because it is self-
external= outer, outside # internal
evidently good. If we are asked why happiness
matters we can give no further external reason. It just pronouncement= an official public
obviously does matter.’ This pronouncement by statement
Richard Layard, an economist and advocate of advocate= supporter, promoter,

‘positive psychology’, summarises the beliefs of many upholder
people today. For Layard and others like him, it is
57
obvious that the purpose of government is to promote promote= encourage, foster, develop, boost,
stimulate # obstruct, impede
a state of collective well-being. The only question
collective= shared or made by every
is how to achieve it, and here positive psychology - a
member of a group or society
supposed science that not only identifies what makes well-being= a feeling of being comfortable,
people happy but also allows their happiness to be healthy, and happy
measured – can show the way. Equipped with this psychology= the study of the mind and how
it influences people’s behaviour
science, they say, governments can secure happiness
identify= determine, find out, decide
in society in a way they never could in the past.
secure= assure, ensure, guarantee, warrant,
protect
It is an astonishingly crude and simple-minded way of
astonishingly= surprisingly, shockingly
thinking, and for that very reason increasingly popular. crude= simple, basic, undeveloped
Those who think in this way are oblivious to the vast be oblivious to smt= be unaware of smt
philosophical literature in which the meaning and philosophical literature= all the
books, articles related to the study of
value of happiness have been explored and the nature and meaning
questioned, and write as if nothing of any importance of existence, truth, good and evil etc
had been thought on the subject until it came to absence= lack, non-existence#
presence
their attention. It was the philosopher Jeremy Bentham self-realisation= fulfillment of one's own
(1748-1832) who was more than anyone potential
else responsible for the development of this way of struggle to= to try hard to achieve smt,
even though it is very difficult
thinking. For Bentham it was obvious that the human reconcile smt with smt= find a way in
good consists of pleasure and the absence of pain. which two ideas/situations can both be
true or acceptable.
The Greek philosopher Aristotle may have identified
pursuit of smt= the act of trying to get or
happiness with self-realisation in the 4th century BC, find something in a determined way
and thinkers throughout the ages may have struggled metaphysics= the part
of philosophy that is concerned with
to reconcile the pursuit of happiness with other
trying to understand and describe
human values, but for Bentham all this was mere the nature of truth, life, and reality
metaphysics or fiction. Without knowing anything moral= ethical= relating to the principles
of what is right and wrong behaviour, and
much of him or the school of moral theory he with the difference between good
established – since they are by education and and evil
intellectual conviction illiterate in the history of ideas – conviction= strong belief or opinion
illiterate= knowing little or nothing about
our advocates of positive psychology follow in his a particular subject
58
tracks in rejecting as outmoded and irrelevant pretty reject= refuse, say no to #accept
outmoded= out of date, old-fashioned,
much the entirety of ethical reflection on outdated # fashionable, modern
human happiness to date. irrelevant= not useful or not relating to a
particular situation
reflection= thought, thinking, pondering
But as William Davies notes in his recent book The to date= up to now
Happiness Industry, the view that happiness is the only
self-evident good is actually a way of limiting moral inquiry= a question you ask in order to
inquiry. One of the virtues of this rich, lucid and get information
arresting book is that it places the current cult of virtue= good point, strong point, strength
happiness in a well-defined historical framework. lucid= clear, understandable # confusing
Rightly, Davies begins his story with Bentham, noting arresting= striking, noticeable,
that he was far more than a philosopher. Davies writes, impressive

cult of smt= a fashionable belief, idea,
‘Bentham's activities were those which we might
or attitude that influences people’s lives
now associate with a public sector management
unforgeable= unable to imitate/copy
consultant’. In the 1790s, he wrote to the Home
(handwriting, a signature,...)
Office suggesting that the departments of government
draw up a plan= to prepare a plan
be linked together through a set of ‘conversation tubes’, provision= supply
and to the Bank of England with a design for a printing celebrated= acclaimed, honoured,
device that could produce unforgeable banknotes. He eminent, famous, renowned, well known
drew up plans for a “frigidarium” to keep provisions solitary= isolated, lonely, unreachable
such as meat, fish, fruit and vegetables fresh. His # accessible
celebrated design for a prison to be known as confinement= imprisonment, captivity
“Panopticon”, in which prisoners would be kept in # liberty

visible= seeable, observable, noticeable,
solitary confinement why being visible at all times to
easily seen # invisible, hidden
the guards, was very nearly adopted. (Surprisingly,
adopt= choose, select # reject
Davies does not discuss the fact that Bentham means
his Panopticon not just as a model prison but also as
an instrument of control that could be applied to
schools and factories.)
59
Benthem was also a pioneer of the “science of pioneer of smt= someone who is important
in the early development of something, and
happiness”. If happiness is to be regarded as a whose work or ideas are later developed by
science, it has to be measured, and Bentham other people
pleasurable= pleasant, enjoyable, delightful,
suggested two ways in which this might be done. nice # unpleasant
sensation= feeling
Viewing happiness as a complex of pleasurable
quantify= to calculate the value of something
sensations, he suggested that it might be quantified and express it as a number or an amount
measure= calculate, estimate, count
by measuring the human pulse rate. Alternatively,
pulse rate= the number of heart beats per
money could be used as the standard of quantification: minute
if two different goods have the same price, it can be inner= internal, interior, inside, innermost #
claimed that they produce the same quantity of external, outer
set the stage for smt= to prepare for
pleasure in the consumer. Bentham was more attracted something or make something possible
by the latter measure. By associating money so closely entangle= involve smb/smt in a difficult or
complicated situation
to inner experience, Davies writes, Bentham ‘sets the
capitalism= an economic and political
stage for the entangling of psychological research system in which businesses belong mostly
to private owners, not to the government.
and capitalism that would shape the business
shape= form, build
practices of the twentieth century’.
The Happiness Industry describes how the project of a be integral to smt= essential, vital,
indispensable, necessary
science of happiness has become integral to
capitalism. We learn much that is interesting about how redefine= to change the nature or limits
economic problems are being redefined and treated as of something; to make people consider
something in a new way
psychological maladies. In addition, Davies shows how
the belief that inner states of pleasure and displeasure malady= a serious problem in society
can be objectively measured has objectively= if you do something

informed management studies and advertising. The objectively, you try to do it based on the
facts, and not be influenced by your
tendency of thinkers such as J B Watson, the
own feelings or opinions
founder of behaviourism*, was that human beings could
be shaped, or manipulated, by policymakers manipulate= control
and managers. Watson had no factual basis for his

view of human action. When he became president of
the American Psychological Association in 1915,
60
he ’had never even studied a single human being’: his confine smt to smt= restrict = limit
research had been confined to experiments on while
reductive= crude = considering or
rats. Yet Watson’s reductive model is now widely presenting something in a simple way,
applied, with ‘behaviour change’ becoming the goal of especially a way that is too simple
governments: in Britain, a ‘Behaviour Insights Team’ minimum= lowest level # maximum

has been established by the government to study how
purse= wallet
people can be encouraged, at minimum cost to the
public purse, to live in what are considered to desirable= attractive, valuable
# undesirable
be socially desirable ways.
Modern industrial societies appear to need the ever-increasing= increasing all the time
possibility of ever-increasing happiness to motivate
motivate sb to do smt= inspire,
them in their labours. But whatever its intellectual encourage, stimulate
pedigree, the idea that governments should be pedigree= background = the history and
responsible for promoting happiness is always a achievements of something or someone,
especially when they are good and
threat to human freedom.
should be admired
61
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answer answer
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answer answer
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answer answer
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64

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WORKBOOK FOR IELTS READING

CAMBRIDGE IELTS ACADEMIC 15

MAIN CONTENT OF EACH TEST

This workbook belongs to _____________________________________________

T he nutmeg tree, Myristica fragrans, is a large

prized= extremely important or valuable to

be in danger of (doing) sth= risk, threat, hazard,

merchant= wholesaler, trader, dealer

Today, nutmeg is grown in Indonesia, the Caribbean,

A driverless= a driverless vehicle is controlled by

be moved from one customer to the next. ownership= possession, tenure,

W e are all explorers. Our desire to discover,

come to do sth= to begin to have a feeling or opinion

fictional= imaginary, imagined, fantastic #real

define= describe, state, explain

definition= explanation, description, meaning

A major/significant/profound etc impact= the

D illustrate= demonstrate, exemplify, explain, clarify

A bring someone/sth back to life= to cause (someone

as a template, ready for the insertion of strands of template= pattern, model

finding= discovery, conclusion, result, outcome

sense of humour= someone who has a sense of

Theories focusing on the evolution of laughter point theory= hypothesis, conjecture

study= research, investigation, experiment

serve as= to be useful or helpful for a particular

hypothesis= theory, supposition, assumption, guess

replicate= if you replicate someone's work, a

accomplishment of task goals,’ Cheng and Wang attainment

T he British sculptor Henry Moore was a leading

1921, he moved to London and began three years of

impress= excite, amaze, influence

offer= propose, suggest, put forward

critic= reviewer, commentator, evaluator, reporter,

A to be impressed with= excite, amaze, astonish

operate= function, work, run, control, use

instance. military= army, armed forces, navy

work sth out= understand, comprehend, make sense of

surprise= amazement, astonishment, shock

unconvinced= not persuaded that something is true or

narrow= thin, slim, slender #wide

Dr David Beresford-Jones, archaeobotanist at archaeobotanist= A person engaged in

botanist= someone whose job is to make scientific

disappearing habitat. In order to succeed, Whaley habitat= environment, habitation, home

owner= someone who owns something

whistle= a high sound made by blowing a whistle, by

L a Gomera is one of the Canary Islands situated

This ‘language’, known as ‘Silbo’ or Silbo Gomero’ - throw/shed/cast light on something=

dedicate to= to use a place, time, money etc only for a

has been vital.

origin= the country, race, or type of family which someone

practice= habit, custom, way, method

unsophisticated landowners. When government unsophisticated= unexperienced, inexperienced,

blame= criticize, condemn #praise

the public= ordinary people who do not work for the

in turn= one after another, sequentially

disappointed= dissatisfied, upset #pleased

CAMBRIDGE IELTS ACADEMIC 13

MAIN CONTENT OF EACH TEST