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‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬

‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭Candidate name: ....................................‬ ‭Candidate number: .............‬

‭INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING SYSTEM‬

‭Academic Reading Test‬

‭Time‬ ‭Approximately 60 minutes (no transfer time)‬

‭INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES‬

‭Do not open this question paper until you are told to do so.‬

‭Write your name and candidate number in the spaces at the top of this page.‬

‭Listen to the instructions for each part of the paper carefully.‬

‭Answer all the questions.‬

‭While you are reading, write your answers on the answer sheet paper.‬

‭You‬‭will‬‭NOT‬‭have‬‭time‬‭at‬‭the‬‭end‬‭of‬‭the‬‭test‬‭to‬‭copy‬‭your‬‭answers‬‭onto‬‭the‬‭separate‬‭answer‬‭sheet.‬

‭Use a pencil.‬

‭At the end of the test, hand in this question paper and your answer sheet.‬

‭INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES‬

‭There are three parts to the test.‬

‭There are 40 questions.‬

‭Each question carries one mark.‬


‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭IE INTENSIVE KHOÁ 3 - READING - TEST 3 - W3‬


‭READING PASSAGE 1‬‭Passage 1 - Practice test plus 3‬‭- Test 2 (p.40->43) (T/F/NG)‬
‭ ou should spend about 20 minutes on question 1-13, which are based on‬
Y
‭reading passage from the loud​​‬
‭Why we need to protect polar bears‬
‭Polar‬ ‭bears‬‭are‬‭being‬‭increasingly‬‭threatened‬‭by‬‭the‬‭effects‬‭of‬‭climate‬‭change,‬‭but‬
‭their‬ ‭disappearance‬ ‭could‬ ‭have‬ ‭far-reaching‬ ‭consequences.‬ ‭They‬ ‭are‬ ‭uniquely‬
‭adapted‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭extreme‬ ‭conditions‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭Arctic‬ ‭Circle,‬ ‭where‬ ‭temperatures‬ ‭can‬
‭reach‬ ‭-40°C.‬ ‭One‬ ‭reason‬ ‭for‬ ‭this‬ ‭is‬ ‭that‬ ‭they‬ ‭have‬ ‭up‬ ‭to‬ ‭11‬ ‭centimetres‬ ‭of‬ ‭fat‬
‭underneath‬‭their‬‭skin.‬‭Humans‬‭with‬‭comparative‬‭levels‬‭of‬‭adipose‬‭tissue‬‭would‬‭be‬
‭considered‬‭obese‬‭and‬‭would‬‭be‬‭likely‬‭to‬‭suffer‬‭from‬‭diabetes‬‭and‬‭heart‬‭disease.‬‭Yet‬
‭the polar bear experiences no such consequences.‬
‭A‬ ‭2014‬ ‭study‬ ‭by‬ ‭Shi‬ ‭Ping‬ ‭Liu‬ ‭and‬ ‭colleagues‬ ‭sheds‬ ‭light‬ ‭on‬ ‭this‬ ‭mystery.‬ ‭They‬
‭compared‬ ‭the‬ ‭genetic‬ ‭structure‬ ‭of‬ ‭polar‬ ‭bears‬ ‭with‬ ‭that‬ ‭of‬ ‭their‬ ‭closest‬ ‭relatives‬
‭from‬‭a‬‭warmer‬‭climate,‬‭the‬‭brown‬‭bears.‬‭This‬‭allowed‬‭them‬‭to‬‭determine‬‭the‬‭genes‬
‭that‬ ‭have‬ ‭allowed‬ ‭polar‬ ‭bears‬ ‭to‬ ‭survive‬ ‭in‬ ‭one‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭toughest‬ ‭environments‬ ‭on‬
‭Earth.‬ ‭Liu‬ ‭and‬ ‭his‬ ‭colleagues‬ ‭found‬ ‭the‬ ‭polar‬ ‭bears‬ ‭had‬ ‭a‬ ‭gene‬ ‭known‬ ‭as‬ ‭APoB,‬
‭which‬ ‭reduces‬ ‭levels‬ ‭of‬ ‭low-density‬ ‭lipoproteins‬ ‭(LDLs)‬ ‭–‬ ‭a‬ ‭form‬ ‭of‬ ‭‘bad’‬
‭cholesterol.‬‭In‬‭humans,‬‭mutations‬‭of‬‭this‬‭gene‬‭are‬‭associated‬‭with‬‭increased‬‭risk‬‭of‬
‭heart‬‭disease.‬‭Polar‬‭bears‬‭may‬‭therefore‬‭be‬‭an‬‭important‬‭study‬‭model‬‭to‬‭understand‬
‭heart disease in humans.‬
‭The‬‭genome‬‭of‬‭the‬‭polar‬‭bear‬‭may‬‭also‬‭provide‬‭the‬‭solution‬‭for‬‭another‬‭condition,‬
‭one‬ ‭that‬ ‭particularly‬ ‭affects‬ ‭our‬ ‭older‬ ‭generation:‬ ‭osteoporosis.‬ ‭This‬ ‭is‬ ‭a‬ ‭disease‬
‭where‬ ‭bones‬ ‭show‬ ‭reduced‬ ‭density,‬ ‭usually‬ ‭caused‬ ‭by‬ ‭insufficient‬ ‭exercise,‬
‭reduced‬ ‭calcium‬ ‭intake‬ ‭or‬ ‭food‬ ‭starvation.‬ ‭Bone‬ ‭tissue‬ ‭is‬ ‭constantly‬ ‭being‬
‭remodelled,‬ ‭meaning‬ ‭that‬ ‭bone‬ ‭is‬ ‭added‬ ‭or‬ ‭removed,‬ ‭depending‬ ‭on‬ ‭nutrient‬
‭availability‬ ‭and‬ ‭the‬ ‭stress‬ ‭that‬ ‭the‬ ‭bone‬ ‭is‬ ‭under.‬ ‭Female‬ ‭polar‬ ‭bears,‬ ‭however,‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭undergo‬ ‭extreme‬ ‭conditions‬ ‭during‬‭every‬‭pregnancy.‬‭Once‬‭autumn‬‭comes‬‭around,‬


‭these‬‭females‬‭will‬‭dig‬‭maternity‬‭dens‬‭in‬‭the‬‭snow‬‭and‬‭will‬‭remain‬‭there‬‭throughout‬
‭the‬ ‭winter,‬ ‭both‬ ‭before‬ ‭and‬ ‭after‬ ‭the‬ ‭birth‬ ‭of‬ ‭their‬ ‭cubs.‬ ‭This‬ ‭process‬ ‭results‬ ‭in‬
‭about‬ ‭six‬ ‭months‬ ‭of‬ ‭fasting,‬ ‭where‬ ‭the‬ ‭female‬‭bears‬‭have‬‭to‬‭keep‬‭themselves‬‭and‬
‭their‬ ‭cubs‬ ‭alive,‬ ‭depleting‬ ‭their‬ ‭own‬ ‭calcium‬ ‭and‬ ‭calorie‬ ‭reserves.‬ ‭Despite‬ ‭this,‬
‭their bones remain strong and dense.‬
‭Physiologists‬ ‭Alanda‬ ‭Lennox‬ ‭and‬ ‭Allen‬ ‭Goodship‬ ‭found‬ ‭an‬ ‭explanation‬ ‭for‬ ‭this‬
‭paradox‬ ‭in‬ ‭2008.‬ ‭They‬ ‭discovered‬ ‭that‬ ‭pregnant‬ ‭bears‬ ‭were‬ ‭able‬ ‭to‬ ‭increase‬ ‭the‬
‭density‬ ‭of‬ ‭their‬ ‭bones‬ ‭before‬ ‭they‬ ‭started‬ ‭to‬ ‭build‬ ‭their‬ ‭dens.‬ ‭In‬ ‭addition,‬ ‭six‬
‭months‬‭later,‬‭when‬‭they‬‭finally‬‭emerged‬‭from‬‭the‬‭den‬‭with‬‭their‬‭cubs,‬‭there‬‭was‬‭no‬
‭evidence‬ ‭of‬ ‭significant‬ ‭loss‬‭of‬‭bone‬‭density.‬‭Hibernating‬‭brown‬‭bears‬‭do‬‭not‬‭have‬
‭this‬ ‭capacity‬‭and‬‭must‬‭therefore‬‭resort‬‭to‬‭major‬‭bone‬‭reformation‬‭in‬‭the‬‭following‬
‭spring.‬ ‭If‬ ‭the‬ ‭mechanism‬ ‭of‬ ‭bone‬ ‭remodelling‬ ‭in‬ ‭polar‬ ‭bears‬ ‭can‬ ‭be‬ ‭understood,‬
‭many bedridden humans, and even astronauts, could potentially benefit.‬
‭The‬‭medical‬‭benefits‬‭of‬‭the‬‭polar‬‭bear‬‭for‬‭humanity‬‭certainly‬‭have‬‭their‬‭importance‬
‭in‬ ‭our‬ ‭conservation‬ ‭efforts,‬ ‭but‬ ‭these‬ ‭should‬ ‭not‬ ‭be‬ ‭the‬ ‭only‬ ‭factors‬ ‭taken‬ ‭into‬
‭consideration.‬ ‭We‬ ‭tend‬ ‭to‬ ‭want‬ ‭to‬ ‭protect‬ ‭animals‬ ‭we‬ ‭think‬ ‭are‬ ‭intelligent‬ ‭and‬
‭possess‬ ‭emotions,‬ ‭such‬ ‭as‬ ‭elephants‬‭and‬‭primates.‬‭Bears,‬‭on‬‭the‬‭other‬‭hand,‬‭seem‬
‭to‬ ‭be‬ ‭perceived‬ ‭as‬ ‭stupid‬ ‭and‬ ‭in‬ ‭many‬ ‭cases‬ ‭violent.‬ ‭And‬ ‭yet‬ ‭anecdotal‬ ‭evidence‬
‭from‬ ‭the‬ ‭field‬ ‭challenges‬ ‭those‬ ‭assumptions,‬ ‭suggesting‬ ‭for‬ ‭example‬ ‭that‬ ‭polar‬
‭bears‬ ‭have‬ ‭good‬ ‭problem-solving‬ ‭abilities.‬ ‭A‬ ‭male‬ ‭bear‬ ‭called‬ ‭GoGo‬ ‭in‬ ‭Tennoji‬
‭Zoo,‬ ‭Osaka,‬ ‭has‬ ‭even‬ ‭been‬ ‭observed‬ ‭making‬ ‭use‬ ‭of‬ ‭a‬ ‭tool‬ ‭to‬ ‭manipulate‬ ‭his‬
‭environment.‬‭The‬‭bear‬‭used‬‭a‬‭tree‬‭branch‬‭on‬‭multiple‬‭occasions‬‭to‬‭dislodge‬‭a‬‭piece‬
‭of‬ ‭meat‬ ‭hung‬ ‭out‬ ‭of‬‭his‬‭reach.‬‭Problem-solving‬‭ability‬‭has‬‭also‬‭been‬‭witnessed‬‭in‬
‭wild‬‭polar‬‭bears,‬‭although‬‭not‬‭as‬‭obviously‬‭as‬‭with‬‭GoGo.‬‭A‬‭calculated‬‭move‬‭by‬‭a‬
‭male‬ ‭bear‬ ‭involved‬ ‭running‬ ‭and‬ ‭jumping‬ ‭onto‬ ‭barrels‬ ‭in‬ ‭an‬ ‭attempt‬ ‭to‬ ‭get‬ ‭to‬ ‭a‬
‭photographer standing on a platform four metres high.‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭In‬ ‭other‬ ‭studies,‬ ‭such‬ ‭as‬ ‭one‬ ‭by‬ ‭Alison‬ ‭Ames‬ ‭in‬ ‭2008,‬ ‭polar‬ ‭bears‬ ‭showed‬
‭deliberate‬ ‭and‬ ‭focused‬ ‭manipulation.‬ ‭For‬ ‭example,‬ ‭Ames‬ ‭observed‬ ‭bears‬ ‭putting‬
‭objects‬ ‭in‬ ‭piles‬ ‭and‬ ‭then‬‭knocking‬‭them‬‭over‬‭in‬‭what‬‭appeared‬‭to‬‭be‬‭a‬‭game.‬‭The‬
‭study‬ ‭demonstrates‬ ‭that‬ ‭bears‬ ‭are‬ ‭capable‬ ‭of‬ ‭agile‬ ‭and‬ ‭thought-out‬ ‭behaviours.‬
‭These‬‭examples‬‭suggest‬‭bears‬‭have‬‭greater‬‭creativity‬‭and‬‭problem-solving‬‭abilities‬
‭than previously thought.‬
‭As‬‭for‬‭emotions,‬‭while‬‭the‬‭evidence‬‭is‬‭once‬‭again‬‭anecdotal,‬‭many‬‭bears‬‭have‬‭been‬
‭seen‬‭to‬‭hit‬‭out‬‭at‬‭ice‬‭and‬‭snow‬‭–‬‭seemingly‬‭out‬‭of‬‭frustration‬‭–‬‭when‬‭they‬‭have‬‭just‬
‭missed‬ ‭out‬ ‭on‬ ‭a‬ ‭kill.‬ ‭Moreover,‬ ‭polar‬ ‭bears‬ ‭can‬ ‭form‬ ‭unusual‬ ‭relationships‬ ‭with‬
‭other‬ ‭species,‬ ‭including‬ ‭playing‬ ‭with‬ ‭the‬ ‭dogs‬ ‭used‬ ‭to‬ ‭pull‬ ‭sleds‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭Arctic.‬
‭Remarkably,‬ ‭one‬ ‭hand-raised‬ ‭polar‬ ‭bear‬ ‭called‬ ‭Agee‬ ‭has‬ ‭formed‬ ‭a‬ ‭close‬
‭relationship‬ ‭with‬ ‭her‬ ‭owner‬ ‭Mark‬ ‭Dumas‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭point‬ ‭where‬ ‭they‬ ‭even‬ ‭swim‬
‭together.‬ ‭This‬ ‭is‬ ‭even‬ ‭more‬ ‭astonishing‬ ‭since‬ ‭polar‬ ‭bears‬ ‭are‬ ‭known‬ ‭to‬ ‭actively‬
‭hunt humans in the wild.‬
‭If‬‭climate‬‭change‬‭were‬‭to‬‭lead‬‭to‬‭their‬‭extinction,‬‭this‬‭would‬‭mean‬‭not‬‭only‬‭the‬‭loss‬
‭of‬ ‭potential‬ ‭breakthroughs‬ ‭in‬ ‭human‬ ‭medicine,‬ ‭but‬ ‭more‬ ‭importantly,‬ ‭the‬
‭disappearance of an intelligent, majestic animal.‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭Questions 1-7‬

‭Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage‬
‭1?‬
‭In boxes‬‭1-7‬‭on your answer sheet, write‬

‭TRUE‬ ‭if the statement agrees with the information‬


‭FALSE‬ ‭if the statement contradicts the information‬
‭NOT‬‭GIVEN‬ ‭if there is no information on this‬

‭1‬ ‭Polar bears suffer from various health problems‬‭due to the build-up of fat under‬
‭their skin.‬
‭2‬ ‭The study done by Liu and his colleagues compared‬‭different groups of polar‬
‭bears.‬
‭3‬ ‭Liu and colleagues were the first researchers‬‭to compare polar bears and brown‬
‭bears genetically.‬
‭4‬ ‭Polar bears are able to control their levels of‬‭‘bad’ cholesterol by genetic means.‬
‭5‬ ‭Female polar bears are able to survive for about‬‭six months without food.‬
‭6‬ ‭It was found that the bones of female polar bears‬‭were very weak when they‬
‭came out of their dens in spring.‬
‭7‬ ‭The polar bear’s mechanism for increasing bone‬‭density could also be used by‬
‭people one day.‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭Questions 8-13‬

‭Complete the table below.‬


‭Choose‬‭ONE WORD ONLY‬‭from the passage for each answer.‬
‭Write your answers in boxes‬‭8-13‬‭on your answer sheet.‬

‭Reasons why polar bears should be protected‬

‭People think of bears as unintelligent and‬‭8‬‭……………….‬‭.‬

‭However, this may not be correct. For example:‬

‭● In Tennoji Zoo, a bear has been seen using a branch as a‬‭9‬


‭………………. . This allowed him to knock down some‬‭10‬‭……………….‬‭.‬

‭● A wild polar bear worked out a method of reaching a platform where a‬‭11‬
‭………………. was located.‬

‭● Polar bears have displayed behaviour such as conscious manipulation of‬


‭objects and activity similar to a‬‭12‬‭………………. .‬

‭Bears may also display emotions. For example:‬

‭● They may make movements suggesting‬‭13‬‭……………….‬‭if‬


‭disappointed when hunting.‬

‭● They may form relationships with other species.‬


‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭READING PASSAGE 2‬‭Passage 2 - Simulation tests - Test‬‭9 (p.124->127)‬


‭(matching headings, sentence completion)‬
‭You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading‬
‭Passage 2 on the following pages.‬
‭Questions 14-19‬
‭Reading Passage 2 has six sections A-F.‬
‭Choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings below. Write the‬
‭correct number‬‭i-ix‬‭in boxes 14-19 on your answer‬‭sheet.‬

‭A‬ ‭Academia‬ ‭is‬ ‭often‬‭thought‬‭of‬‭as‬‭an‬‭occupation‬‭with‬‭immense‬‭job‬‭security.‬‭The‬


‭traditional‬‭image‬‭is‬‭one‬‭of‬‭a‬‭middle-aged‬‭professor‬‭with‬‭his‬‭own‬‭once,‬‭his‬‭own‬‭car‬
‭park,‬‭and‬‭a‬‭cozy‬‭job‬‭with‬‭a‬‭middle-class‬‭salary‬‭that‬‭remains‬‭unaffected‬‭by‬‭upturns‬
‭and‬‭downturns‬‭in‬‭the‬‭‘real’‬‭business‬‭economy.‬‭But‬‭in‬‭the‬‭United‬‭States‬‭today‬‭only‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭a‬ ‭minority‬ ‭of‬ ‭professors‬ ‭have‬ ‭anything‬ ‭resembling‬ ‭this‬ ‭lifestyle.‬ ‭For‬ ‭the‬ ‭vast‬
‭majority, the actual conditions of their employment are very different.‬
‭They‬ ‭scrape‬ ‭by‬ ‭with‬ ‭low‬ ‭pay,‬ ‭short-term‬ ‭contracts,‬ ‭and‬ ‭few‬ ‭or‬ ‭no‬ ‭employee‬
‭benefits.‬ ‭Many‬‭even‬‭qualify‬‭for‬‭food‬‭stamps.‬‭This‬‭shift‬‭in‬‭employment‬‭conditions‬
‭has‬‭far-reaching‬‭consequences‬‭not‬‭only‬‭for‬‭academics,‬‭but‬‭also‬‭for‬‭students‬‭and‬‭the‬
‭quality of education they receive, and for academic freedom more generally.‬

‭B‬ ‭Originally,‬‭almost‬‭all‬‭professors‬‭were‬‭in‬‭full-time‬‭positions‬‭and‬‭employed‬‭under‬
‭a‬‭system‬‭known‬‭as'‬‭life‬‭tenure'.‬‭Tenure‬‭all‬‭but‬‭guarantees‬‭professors‬‭a‬‭well-paid‬‭job‬
‭until‬ ‭retirement;‬ ‭their‬ ‭position‬ ‭can‬ ‭only‬ ‭be‬ ‭terminated‬ ‭with‬ ‭"just‬ ‭cause'.‬ ‭Proving‬
‭just‬ ‭cause‬ ‭is‬ ‭a‬ ‭lengthy,‬ ‭difficult‬ ‭process‬ ‭that‬ ‭happens‬ ‭rarely‬ ‭-‬ ‭only‬ ‭around‬ ‭50‬ ‭of‬
‭280,000‬‭tenured‬‭professors‬‭lose‬‭their‬‭status‬‭every‬‭year.‬‭The‬‭purpose‬‭of‬‭tenure‬‭is‬‭to‬
‭provide‬‭shelter‬‭for‬‭researchers‬‭who‬‭dissent‬‭from‬‭dominant‬‭opinions,‬‭disagree‬‭with‬
‭the‬‭authorities‬‭of‬‭universities,‬‭donors‬‭or‬‭political‬‭authorities,‬‭or‬‭choose‬‭to‬‭research‬
‭topics‬ ‭that‬ ‭may‬ ‭have‬ ‭social‬ ‭importance‬ ‭but‬ ‭seem‬ ‭unimportant‬ ‭or‬ ‭unnecessary‬ ‭to‬
‭others.‬ ‭In‬ ‭this‬ ‭way‬ ‭it‬ ‭seeks‬ ‭to‬ ‭keep‬ ‭intellectual‬ ‭pursuits‬ ‭'pure'‬ ‭rather‬ ‭than‬ ‭at‬ ‭the‬
‭whim‬‭of‬‭external‬‭interests.‬‭Without‬‭tenure,‬‭professors‬‭might‬‭prefer‬‭uncontroversial‬
‭research‬ ‭on‬ ‭popular‬ ‭topics,‬ ‭and‬ ‭draw‬ ‭dishonest‬ ‭conclusions‬ ‭in‬ ‭a‬ ‭bid‬ ‭to‬ ‭please‬
‭authorities and keep their jobs.‬

‭C‬ ‭In‬‭an‬‭era‬‭of‬‭perpetual‬‭cost-cutting‬‭and‬‭budget-tightening,‬‭however,‬‭guaranteeing‬
‭large‬ ‭numbers‬ ‭of‬ ‭academics‬ ‭lifetime‬ ‭employment‬ ‭with‬ ‭related‬ ‭benefits‬ ‭is‬
‭increasing‬ ‭untenable.‬ ‭The‬ ‭proportion‬ ‭of‬ ‭university‬ ‭teachers‬ ‭with‬ ‭tenure‬ ‭has‬ ‭slid‬
‭from‬‭75‬‭percent‬‭in‬‭1960‬‭to‬‭just‬‭27‬‭percent‬‭today.‬‭Rising‬‭in‬‭their‬‭place‬‭are‬‭'professor‬
‭adjuncts'.‬‭Adjuncts‬‭are‬‭temporary,‬‭part-time‬‭employees‬‭who‬‭were‬‭initially‬‭brought‬
‭in‬ ‭only‬ ‭occasionally‬ ‭as‬ ‭special‬ ‭guest‬ ‭lecturers‬ ‭or‬ ‭to‬ ‭provide‬ ‭cover‬ ‭for‬ ‭tenured‬
‭professors‬ ‭on‬ ‭parental‬ ‭or‬ ‭research‬ ‭leave.‬ ‭Adjuncts‬ ‭teach‬ ‭individual‬ ‭classes‬ ‭and‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭have‬‭no‬‭research‬‭or‬‭administrative‬‭responsibilities,‬‭and‬‭their‬‭contracts‬‭typically‬‭run‬
‭for‬‭a‬‭single‬‭semester,‬‭after‬‭which‬‭they‬‭might‬‭be‬‭renewed.‬‭Over‬‭the‬‭last‬‭few‬‭decades‬
‭their‬‭use‬‭has‬‭been‬‭extended‬‭beyond‬‭these‬‭temporary‬‭exigencies,‬‭and‬‭adjuncts‬‭have‬
‭become a permanent, institutionalized aspect of academic employment.‬
‭D‬ ‭This‬‭has‬‭created‬‭several‬‭problems‬‭for‬‭adjunct‬‭professors,‬‭who‬‭are‬‭considered‬‭by‬
‭some‬ ‭to‬ ‭make‬ ‭up‬ ‭a‬ ‭growing‬ ‭'academic‬ ‭underclass.‬ ‭Firstly,‬ ‭because‬ ‭contracts‬ ‭are‬
‭always‬‭temporary,‬‭adjuncts‬‭rarely‬‭qualify‬‭for‬‭insurance‬‭and‬‭health‬‭benefits,‬‭such‬‭as‬
‭time‬ ‭off‬ ‭with‬ ‭remuneration‬ ‭for‬ ‭illness,‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭same‬ ‭way‬ ‭as‬ ‭tenured‬ ‭professors.‬
‭Secondly,‬ ‭recompense‬ ‭for‬ ‭adjuncts‬ ‭is‬ ‭often‬ ‭very‬ ‭low.‬ ‭In‬ ‭order‬ ‭to‬ ‭make‬ ‭a‬ ‭living‬
‭from‬‭their‬‭work,‬‭adjuncts‬‭typically‬‭need‬‭to‬‭win‬‭contracts‬‭with‬‭multiple‬‭universities.‬
‭As‬ ‭a‬ ‭consequence‬ ‭of‬ ‭this‬ ‭high‬ ‭teaching‬ ‭workload‬ ‭and‬ ‭the‬ ‭lack‬ ‭of‬ ‭paid‬ ‭research‬
‭opportunities‬ ‭adjuncts‬ ‭tend‬ ‭to‬ ‭find‬ ‭it‬ ‭hard‬ ‭to‬ ‭publish‬ ‭articles‬ ‭and‬ ‭win‬ ‭research‬
‭grants,‬ ‭therefore‬ ‭making‬ ‭promotion‬ ‭increasingly‬ ‭unlikely‬ ‭with‬ ‭every‬ ‭year‬ ‭that‬
‭passes‬
‭(academic promotion is governed by what is known as a publish or perish' culture)‬
‭E‬‭The‬‭culture‬‭of‬‭using‬‭adjuncts‬‭also‬‭has‬‭flow-on‬‭effects‬‭for‬‭the‬‭quality‬‭of‬‭teaching‬
‭that‬ ‭students‬ ‭receive.‬‭Because‬‭adjuncts‬‭come‬‭in‬‭only‬‭for‬‭classes,‬‭they‬‭do‬‭not‬‭have‬
‭offices‬‭or‬‭office‬‭hours‬‭on‬‭campus,‬‭and‬‭usually‬‭do‬‭not‬‭have‬‭the‬‭time‬‭to‬‭meet‬‭up‬‭with‬
‭students‬ ‭in‬ ‭small‬ ‭groups‬ ‭or‬ ‭for‬ ‭one-on-one‬ ‭sessions.‬ ‭The‬ ‭disengagement‬‭between‬
‭students‬‭and‬‭teachers‬‭can‬‭make‬‭it‬‭difficult‬‭for‬‭struggling‬‭students‬‭to‬‭find‬‭guidance‬
‭outside‬‭of‬‭lectures.‬‭Adjuncts‬‭are‬‭also‬‭less‬‭'tied'‬‭to‬‭the‬‭universities‬‭they‬‭teach‬‭at‬‭and‬
‭fail‬‭to‬‭accumulate‬‭reputations‬‭over‬‭time‬‭in‬‭the‬‭same‬‭way‬‭as‬‭full-time‬‭professors.‬‭As‬
‭such,‬ ‭they‬ ‭are‬ ‭not‬ ‭as‬ ‭personally‬ ‭invested‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭quality‬ ‭and‬ ‭outcome‬ ‭of‬ ‭their‬
‭teaching.‬ ‭Finally,‬ ‭it‬ ‭has‬ ‭been‬ ‭reported‬ ‭that‬ ‭many‬ ‭adjuncts‬ ‭practice‬‭grade‬‭inflation‬
‭raising‬ ‭grades‬ ‭higher‬ ‭than‬ ‭deserved‬ ‭in‬ ‭order‬ ‭to‬ ‭maintain‬ ‭their‬ ‭job‬ ‭security‬ ‭by‬
‭keeping‬‭students‬‭pleased.‬‭These‬‭outcomes‬‭are‬‭not‬‭because‬‭adjuncts‬‭are‬‭malfeasant‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭or‬ ‭incompetent‬ ‭professors,‬ ‭but‬ ‭rather‬ ‭because‬ ‭of‬ ‭the‬ ‭structural‬‭pressures‬‭this‬‭type‬


‭of work involves precisely what the tenure system sought to overcome.‬
‭F‬ ‭The‬ ‭rising‬ ‭use‬ ‭of‬ ‭adjunct‬ ‭professors‬ ‭also‬ ‭has‬ ‭implications‬ ‭for‬ ‭the‬ ‭research‬ ‭and‬
‭pedagogical‬ ‭autonomy‬ ‭of‬ ‭teachers.‬ ‭Because‬‭adjuncts‬‭do‬‭not‬‭have‬‭tenure,‬‭they‬‭can‬
‭be‬‭fired‬‭with‬‭the‬‭simplest‬‭of‬‭explanations.‬‭Furthermore,‬‭administrators‬‭who‬‭do‬‭not‬
‭want‬‭to‬‭give‬‭any‬‭reason‬‭at‬‭all‬‭can‬‭choose‬‭to‬‭simply‬‭not‬‭renew‬‭an‬‭adjunct's‬‭contract‬
‭after‬‭the‬‭semester‬‭finishes.‬‭As‬‭such,‬‭there‬‭is‬‭immense‬‭pressure‬‭on‬‭adjuncts‬‭to‬‭teach‬
‭in‬‭ways‬‭that‬‭please‬‭those‬‭who‬‭employ‬‭them.‬‭While‬‭only‬‭50‬‭tenured‬‭professors‬‭lose‬
‭their‬ ‭jobs‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭USA‬ ‭every‬ ‭year,‬ ‭reports‬ ‭emerge‬ ‭every‬ ‭day‬ ‭about‬ ‭adjuncts‬ ‭who‬
‭have‬ ‭been‬ ‭fired‬ ‭or‬ ‭not‬ ‭had‬ ‭contracts‬ ‭renewed‬ ‭after‬ ‭disputes‬ ‭with‬ ‭faculty‬ ‭or‬
‭administrators‬ ‭over‬‭course‬‭design,‬‭teaching,‬‭or‬‭employment‬‭issues.‬‭As‬‭the‬‭pool‬‭of‬
‭growing‬ ‭numbers‬ ‭of‬ ‭adjuncts‬ ‭compete‬ ‭desperately‬ ‭for‬ ‭the‬ ‭shrinking‬ ‭amount‬ ‭of‬
‭tenure-track‬ ‭positions,‬ ‭intellectual‬ ‭conformity‬ ‭can‬ ‭grow‬ ‭as‬ ‭candidates‬ ‭position‬
‭themselves‬ ‭as‬ ‭safe,‬ ‭mainstream‬ ‭choices.‬ ‭As‬ ‭theoretical‬ ‭physicist‬ ‭Lee‬ ‭Smolin‬ ‭has‬
‭written,‬‭"..it‬‭is‬‭practically‬‭career‬‭suicide‬‭for‬‭young‬‭theoretical‬‭physicists‬‭not‬‭to‬‭join‬
‭the field of string theory.‬
‭The‬ ‭rising‬ ‭use‬ ‭of‬ ‭adjunct‬ ‭professors‬‭is‬‭mainly‬‭rooted‬‭in‬‭a‬‭need‬‭for‬‭cost‬‭efficiency‬
‭in‬ ‭education,‬ ‭but‬ ‭it‬ ‭has‬ ‭more‬ ‭diffuse‬ ‭effects‬ ‭on‬ ‭the‬ ‭wellbeing‬ ‭of‬ ‭academic‬
‭professionals‬‭and‬‭students,‬‭the‬‭quality‬‭of‬‭the‬‭education‬‭they‬‭receive,‬‭and‬‭academic‬
‭freedom‬‭in‬‭general.‬‭Everyone‬‭who‬‭is‬‭concerned‬‭about‬‭more‬‭than‬‭the‬‭fiscal‬‭'bottom‬
‭line' needs to follow this trend carefully.‬

‭Questions 20-22‬
‭Choose the correct letter,‬‭A, B, C‬‭or‬‭D.‬
‭Write your answers in boxes‬‭20-22‬‭on your answer sheet‬‭.‬
‭20‬‭What was the motivation behind the tenure system?‬
‭A‬ ‭To allow professors to pursue their research without‬‭outside influence.‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭B‬ ‭To prevent academic positions from being used for research that is not useful.‬
‭C‬ ‭To discipline professors who make claims that arenot‬‭true.‬
‭D‬ ‭To provide professors with a secure income so that‬‭they can focus on research.‬
‭21‬‭Which of the following is NOT a feature of adjunct‬‭employment?‬
‭A‬ ‭Contracts that expire after a limited period‬
‭B‬ ‭Paid sick leave‬
‭C‬ ‭Lecturing responsibilities‬
‭D‬ ‭Difficulty securing funding for research‬
‭22‬‭Why do adjuncts have low prospects for improving‬‭their academic position?‬
‭A‬ ‭They are unable to receive medical care.‬
‭B‬‭They do not have enough time for writing articles.‬
‭C‬‭They work at more than one institution.‬
‭D‬‭They are under-qualified.‬

‭Questions 23-26‬
‭Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage 2.‬
‭Use‬‭NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS‬‭foreachanswer.‬
‭Write your answers in boxes‬‭23-26‬‭on your answer sheet.‬
‭23‬‭Because‬‭adjuncts‬‭are‬‭paid‬‭only‬‭to‬‭teach,‬‭they‬‭cannot‬‭always‬‭provide‬‭support‬‭for‬
‭…………………‬
‭24‬ ‭Adjuncts‬ ‭do‬ ‭not‬ ‭have‬ ‭the‬ ‭same‬ ‭bonds‬ ‭with‬ ‭one‬ ‭particular‬ ‭institution‬ ‭as‬
‭permanent staff do so they do not ………………… in the same way.‬
‭25‬‭Giving Better marks than warranted enhances adjuncts'‬‭…………………‬
‭26‬‭Adjuncts‬‭do‬‭not‬‭deliver‬‭quality‬‭education,‬‭not‬‭because‬‭they‬‭are‬‭bad‬‭lecturers‬‭but‬
‭as a result of …………………‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭READING PASSAGE 3‬‭Passage 3 - Simulation tests - Test‬‭8 (p.112 -> 114) (matching‬
‭information)‬
‭You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on‬
‭Reading Passage 3 below.‬
‭Employment, Underemployment and Unemployment‬
‭The last few decades have been turbulent for the global employment market,‬
‭particularly in post- industrial countries. Around one third of the OECD labour‬
‭force is unemployed, and global‬
‭unemployment figures reached a historical peak of 185.9 million workers in 2003.‬
‭Beyond this, a phenomenon known as "underemployment" is becoming the‬
‭normative practice in many industries.‬
‭Once considered a passing aberration, underemployment is now an entrenched and‬
‭seemingly intractable feature of the economy that involves people scraping by in‬
‭precarious and temporary forms of work-typically casual, seasonal, or fixed-term‬
‭work and often on part-time contracts. Many scholars have offered their own‬
‭theorisations of the employment crisis and put forward some possible solutions.‬
‭Certainly, almost all of these understandings differ over the finer analytical details,‬
‭but more significantly there is almost no consensus around what anchors the‬
‭disruptive changes to employment patterns. A majority of theorists stick to‬
‭traditional models of unemployment, and argue that policy-makers in the West‬
‭should now focus on finding salvation in the 'knowledge economy', but others find‬
‭this to be a mythical possibility. Broadly, it is too soon to say who is the closest to‬
‭being correct, but history is sure to pick a winner.‬
‭One common denominator amongst nearly every scholar is an unwillingness to‬
‭reflect adequately upon work as an existing social practice, and as such solutions‬
‭are put forward that are overly derived from possibilities ( that may not even be‬
‭feasible) further down the track. Andre Gorz, for example, emphasises the need for‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭governments to shift the locus of work away from the abstracted labour that‬
‭characterises private employment and towards social labour that involves more‬
‭public activities such as communal childcare, artistic exploration, community‬
‭work, charities and so on. This, he suggests, strengthens and integrates human‬
‭relationships while supporting people in finding outlets for their own creative and‬
‭personal needs. Similarly, Ulrich Beck suggests that global employment markets‬
‭are now riddled with risk and a precariousness that demands alleviation. The‬
‭solution, he suggests, is activating paid civil labour within national voluntary‬
‭sectors while activating this labour internationally as well. Both of these sound like‬
‭good ideas, but are they plausible given the present constraints upon governments‬
‭and people? Neither Gorz nor Beck says.‬
‭Another problem with analyses of the crisis tends to be a narrow sectoral focus that‬
‭fails to problematise existing notions of work and employment. Jeremy Rifkin, for‬
‭example, argues that the employment crisis is a result of accelerated technological‬
‭growth that in turn displaces the labour intensitivity of some work practices. This‬
‭process is not itself unprecedented, he suggests in the early 20th century, for‬
‭example, more efficient technologies in agriculture displaced farm labour in the‬
‭south of the United States. At that time, however, new opportunities in the‬
‭industrialising north of the country were able to absorb these surpluses. Rifkin's‬
‭thesis posits that this is no longer happening - technological growth is making‬
‭labour redundant without new opportunities emerging.‬
‭Gorz builds on this theorisation to advocate policies, not of generating 'new'‬
‭employment, but rather of distributing employment so that everyone can access a‬
‭job. In doing so, he suggests, we can use the labour-saving gains of technology to‬
‭free up time for other more socially meaningful pursuits. The problem with‬
‭Rifkin's and Gor's approaches, however, is that they assume the divisions between‬
‭employment and non-employment are still pertinent and ultimately determinative‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭of working practices. As Hasmet M. Uluorta indicates, however, the employment‬


‭crisis may not be so much a crisis of jobs (or the number of jobs), technologies or‬
‭tensions between paid and unpaid work, but rather a crisis of social reproduction -‬
‭that is, the ways in which we sustain or perpetuate our social structure.‬
‭Whereas most scholars look to a renewed labour market for answers, or suggest‬
‭that we need to bolster the voluntary sector as a supportive mechanism, Uluorta‬
‭implores us to return to the drawing board and think about what really constitutes‬
‭"work". It is not, he argues, solely the domain of employment geared towards‬
‭production and consumption, but is characterised by production in a broader sense‬
‭for the purposes of social reproduction as well. We should no longer be asking‬
‭'How is it possible to generate employment?' but rather How is it possible to‬
‭(re)produce our social existence?' The answers to the crisis, Uluorta argues, are‬
‭already being constituted as people renegotiate work even in the absence of labour‬
‭market employment, but legal and institutional mechanisms have yet to respond to‬
‭these changes.‬
‭We are ultimately left with a situation in which almost everyone agrees that there is‬
‭a global crisis of employment, but there is widespread divergence of opinions over‬
‭its nature. For some, the solution requires simply encouraging new forms of‬
‭employment in the knowledge economy. Others believe that we need to balance‬
‭employment with increased emphasis on voluntary and civil sector projects. Yet‬
‭others believe that the crisis has no part come about because of a valorisation of‬
‭employment over other forms of work, namely the work of social reproduction.‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬
‭IE 2406 - LUYỆN ĐỀ IELTS INTENSIVE‬
‭Solid English -‬‭Where the future begins‬

‭KEY READING TEST 3‬


‭READING PASSAGE 1‬

‭ EADING PASSAGE 2‬
R
‭14 viii‬ 2‭ 1 B‬
‭15 iv‬ ‭22 B‬
‭16 ix‬ ‭23 (struggling) students‬
‭17 iii‬ ‭24 accumulate reputations‬
‭18 vi‬ ‭25 job security‬
‭19 i‬ ‭26 structural pressures‬
‭20 A‬

‭ EADING PASSAGE 3‬
R
‭27 NO‬ 3‭ 4 C‬
‭28 NO‬ ‭35 B‬
‭29 YES‬ ‭36A‬
‭30 YES‬ ‭37D‬
‭31 YES‬ ‭38 A‬
‭32 NOT GIVEN‬ ‭39 B‬
‭33 D‬ ‭40 C‬

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