Reading Passage 1
Recalling it
A Memory and recollection vary from person to
person. Take three average citizens with a similar degree of honesty and
integrity and ask them to make a statement concerning a bank raid that they all
witnessed. Whilst the three statements will contain a fair degree of
concurrence, there will also be areas of dissimilarity. When a person observes
an event, not only are cognitive (or thinking) powers involved but also
emotions are involved, especially when the incident observed is of an
unpleasant nature.
B In our primitive ancestors, emotional stress had
a survival value. It prepared us to face or flee a danger (‘flight or fight’
syndrome). Today’s stressors are more likely to be perceived threats to an individual’s
well-being and self-esteem rather than actual threats to survival. However, any
stressful situation, real or apparent, can trigger many of the same effects,
for example, increased blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety.
C ‘Pre-exam nerves’ is an anxiety state experienced by
candidates prior to an examination. It is perfectly natural to feel
apprehensive about an important test. Negative thoughts disappear quickly when
the candidate makes a promising start. On the other hand, a poor start
increases the stress felt by the individual who can then experience a
‘retrieval failure’. In this circumstance the information is held in the memory
but cannot be accessed. The knowledge has been forgotten temporarily to remain on
the ‘tip-of the-tongue’. In intensely stressful situations, panic sets in and
the relevant knowledge becomes blocked out completely by thoughts of failure.
D The ability to cope with stress is influenced by personality
(way of thinking and behaving) and social circumstances, so what one person
finds stressful another may find stimulating. Managing your own stress depends
in part upon becoming aware of what your own particular stressors are. You can then
confront each situation and try to change it and/or change your thoughts and
emotional reactions to the stressor, so as to lessen its impact. Emotional
support from family, friends and work colleagues leads to an improvement in
coping with long-term stress. When confronted with a potentially stressful examination,
one solution is to sit back, take a few deep breaths and relax to steady the
nerves. Relaxation techniques will improve the memory but they cannot help a
candidate to retrieve knowledge that they have yet to acquire. In this respect,
short-term memory improves if you repeat new information to yourself several
times, learning by rote.
E Clear and precise information is required when giving
instructions. How often, in an unfamiliar district, has the reader stopped a
passing stranger for simple and clear directions? How often also have the
replies been unclear, rambling accompanied by wild gesticulations? The route
may be clear in the eye of the director but the message is lost if salient
points are either omitted or out of sequence. Accurate recall of past events is
facilitated by note-taking and in particular by placing information under the
headings: who, what, where, when and how. When information is classified under
these headings it acts as a cue that enables the reader to construct partial
images of previous events or to recall details that might otherwise be
overlooked. It is important not to confuse facts with opinions and to clearly
preface opinions with ‘I believe’, ‘I think’, ‘In my view’ or similar words.
Memories can be triggered from several sources and it is useful to include both
visual and verbal aids when revising for an examination. Revision tools include
spider diagrams that expand on a central idea, coloured highlighting of related
topics, flash cards with questions and answers, as well as mnemonic devices
(small rhymes), such as ‘I before e except after c’, that aid spelling, for
example.
F Nerves play a big part in public speaking. Despite this, an
impromptu speech can be delivered effectively if the speaker is knowledgeable
in the subject matter and sounds enthusiastic. Slide presentations are a
popular means of delivering a speech. Typically, a 15-minute talk can be linked
to a sequence of 30 slides, lasting 30 seconds on average. Each slide contains
a few key elements that serve to cue the memory towards the necessary detail.
It is essential to make a solid start, in which case it is advisable to
memorize the opening lines of the speech by practicing it out loud several times.
The slides should link naturally so that the talk never sounds stilted. It is
not necessary to memorize the speech word for word. All that is necessary is
for the speaker to be familiar with the content of the slide and to develop the
speech from the key words. It is advisable
to
record the speech on a Dictaphone and then to play it back to check the
continuity and duration.
Questions 1 to 5
Reading Passage 1 has six paragraphs, A to F.
Which paragraph contains the following
information?
1. How early man benefited from stress.
2. How a person can reduce the effects
of stress.
3. How candidates fear examinations.
4. How a speaker can make a confident
start.
5. How communication fails if important
facts are out of order.
Questions 6 to 10
Do the following statements agree with
the information given in Reading Passage 1?
Write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
6. Our primitive ancestors experienced higher levels of
stress.
7. A ‘retrieval failure’ is a permanent loss of knowledge.
8. Learning by rote is memorizing by repetition.
9. Relaxation techniques can help a candidate to gain new
knowledge.
10. Headings enable a complete image of
an event to be recalled.
Questions 11 to 14
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D for the questions based on Reading Passage 1.
11. To recall past
events from notes it is helpful
A) to place important points in sequence.
B) to group information under headings.
C) to construct partial images.
D) to include a range of revision tools.
12. When revising for
an examination it is helpful
A) to use a range of memory aids.
B) not to confuse facts with opinions.
C) to include a slide presentation.
D) to employ relaxation techniques.
13. A mnemonic is
A) a verbal revision aid.
B) an aural revision aid.
C) a visual revision aid.
D) a spelling revision aid.
14. A slide can help
a speaker
A) to make a confident start.
B) to memorize a talk word for word.
C) to recall essential information.
D) to check the length of the speech.
Reading Passage 2
Home-schooling
A Introduction
In developed countries,
compulsory education is the norm for children aged from around 6 to 16. Even
so, in most cases this does not mean that the child has to attend a school.
Increasing numbers of parents are choosing to educate their children at home.
In the UK it is estimated
that up to 100,000 pupils are being taught in this way, which equates to about
1% of the UK
B The reasons why parents elect to educate their
children at home are often linked to emotionally charged issues rather than
rational arguments that reflect the pros and cons of home-schooling. Typically,
a child is removed from a school following negative experiences, for example
bullying, or exposure to bad influences such as drugs, discrimination, bad
language, or falling in with the wrong crowd. Consequently, home-schooling is
ardently defended by its proponents who are not necessarily best placed to
consider its downsides dispassionately. Whilst the popularity of home-education
is on the increase, it remains an oddity, associated more with problems at
school rather than a positive decision to provide a real alternative.
C Whilst home-schooling of a child is unusual, learning from
parents is not, so formal teaching at home can be regarded as an extension of
the parents’ normal role. However, education in the home environment can have
its limitations; for example, when there are gaps in the parents’ knowledge in key
subject areas such as fractions or algebra. Moreover, teaching is not merely
the dispensing of knowledge acquired, but rather a skill that has to be taught,
practised and mastered. Parents are not professional teachers and if the
outcomes are poor then the parents can only blame themselves. Home-schooling is
both time-consuming and demanding. Parents can lose out financially and
socially
when they are obliged to spend the
entire day at home.
D Lack of socialization is perhaps the main criticism of
home-schooling. When children are taken out of school they cannot interact with
other pupils or engage in school activities, including team sports. Later, a
young person may find it difficult to integrate in ordinary social settings or
lack the coping skills to deal with the demands of everyday life. Socialization
outside of the home can negate some of these shortcomings, bearing in mind that
the home-educated child is likely to have more free time to engage in
recreational activities. Indeed, it might be argued that the socialization
experienced in the natural setting of a community is preferable to that within
the confines of a school.
E Whilst home-schooling has its shortcomings it also offers
several advantages. Tuition is on a one to- one basis so it can be personalized
to meet an individual child’s needs. There is no strict curriculum so the
teaching can be readily adapted for those with special educational needs or
learning disabilities. Children are allowed to develop at their own rate, and
attention can be focused on subjects that a child enjoys or has a particular
aptitude for. Parents can provide religious education and impart moral values
consistent with their own beliefs, and they can also include subjects that may not
be available in their local schools, for example Latin or Archaeology. The
timetable is entirely flexible with no time wasted travelling to and from
school, no lack of educational continuity when moving home, and no restrictions
on when to take family holidays. It should come as no surprise that with all
these benefits, home-educated children usually outperform their schooled
counterparts academically. However, this is not conclusive proof of the
effectiveness of home-schooling. Parents who home-school their children tend to
be well-educated and in a higher than average income bracket. Consequently,
these parents are more likely to show an interest in their child’s education, encouraging
compliance with homework and offering support, meaning that the child would
probably have performed well had they remained within the school system.
F Parents who educate their children at home may choose to
shun school completely. Despite this, local schools should offer parents and
children support and guidance, extending access to school trips, library
resources, recreational facilities, syllabus information, assessments and
examinations. The future of home-schooling and its position in the education
system are uncertain. Nevertheless, it is the duty of the state and the parents
to ensure that home-educated children are given an education that affords them
opportunities in life and equips them for the world of work.
Questions 15 to 19
Reading Passage 8 has six paragraphs, A to F.
Choose the correct heading for the paragraphs B, C, D, E and F from the list of
headings below.
List
of headings
i) Disadvantages
ii) Range of benefits
iii) Problems at school
iv) Main advantage
v) Overcoming a weakness
vi) No bad influences
vii) Introduction
viii) Shared responsibility
ix) Parents as teachers
Questions 20 to 26
Do the following statements agree with
the information given in Reading Passage 2?
Write:
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
20. In the USA
there are four times as many home-educated children as in the UK
21. There is much disagreement about
the merits of home-schooling.
23. There is nothing unusual about
children learning from their parents at home.
24. Only children who attend school can
be favourably socialized.
25. Pupils in school achieve higher
grades than home-school children.
26. Children from better-off homes are
more likely to complete their homework.
Reading Passage 3
Biofuels backlash
A Bio diesel and bio-ethanol are cleaner,
sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels, which continue to deplete.
Bio fuels can be grown repeatedly from crops making them 100% renewable. Bio-ethanol
is made in a similar way to ‘moonshine’ by fermenting cereals like corn and
maize and then distilling the brew to evaporate the ethanol. Bio diesel is
manufactured from the vegetable oils
found in sunflower seeds,
rapeseed and the oil palm. Gasoline (petrol) engines can be tuned to run on\ 90%
ethanol blended with 10% petroleum and bio diesel is a direct replacement for
existing road diesel.
B Carbon-dioxide is the principal man-made
greenhouse gas. It traps heat in the atmosphere and increases global warming,
causing polar ice to recede and sea-levels to rise. Energy crops offer one solution
to the deleterious effects of carbon-dioxide emitted from vehicle exhausts. Bio
fuels are 100% carbon-neutral, which means that there is no net gain or loss of
carbon to the environment when the fuels are burnt. The carbon-dioxide does not
add to the total amount in the atmosphere because the crops absorb the
equivalent amount of carbon-dioxide by photosynthesis as they grow.
Consequently, the ‘carbon footprint’ of gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles
can be reduced by switching to bio ethanol or bio diesel. The latter burns more
efficiently than petroleum diesel leaving less unburned hydrocarbons,
carbon-monoxide and particulates, which means less atmospheric pollution as
well as less global warming. Bio fuels are less toxic than fossil fuels and
biodegrade if spilt on the ground.
C Not everybody believes that bio fuels are the ideal
alternative to fossil fuels. The status of bio fuels as environmentally
friendly can be challenged on several counts. Firstly, to provide space for
energy crop plantations, trees are felled and burnt which creates a surplus of
carbon-dioxide. Secondly, in tropical rainforests the loss of trees threatens
biodiversity by destroying habitat. Thirdly, deforestation increases the
evaporation of water from the ground, which can lead to extensive droughts.
These deficits can be discounted if the energy crops are planted on existing
agricultural land, but if this is done it reduces the supply of food crops,
creating a surge in food prices. Furthermore, in developing countries people
have barely sufficient food to eat and switching to fuel crops could threaten
their meager food supplies.
D To judge whether or not bio fuels are genuinely a greener
alternative to fossil fuels it is necessary to scrutinize the manufacturing
steps. Whilst in theory, the carbon released by bio fuels is equivalent to that
removed from the atmosphere by the growing plants this does not reflect the
true energy picture. Substantial amounts of nitrogen-based fertilizers are
added to the soil to increase crop production. The process of manufacturing
fertilizers consumes large amounts of energy in a process that burns natural
gas and releases carbon-dioxide. What’s more, when fertilizers are added to the
land the soil releases nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. As an agent of
global warming, nitrous oxide is about 300 times more potent than
carbon-dioxide, and surplus nitrates can leach into nearby rivers and streams
where they kill the fish. The ethanol industry generates additional
carbon-dioxide because many of its manufacturing plants use coal-fired boilers,
and fossil fuels are also consumed by the vehicles that transport materials to
and from manufacturing sites. Whilst the transportation of
petroleum-based fuels also burns fossil
fuels, bio fuels are supposed to offer a greener alternative to the fuels they
intend to replace.
E Bio fuels may not be a panacea for global warning but they
can play a part in a sustainable energy program. To reinforce their green
credentials, energy crops should not be planted on land that was being used to
produce food. New technologies can produce ethanol from the inedible parts of
plants, or from grasses grown on wasteland that is unsuitable for food.
Genetically modified plants may be the answer to increasing bio fuel crop
yields without the need for further land grab. Plant strains can be developed
that require little in the way of fertilizers or irrigation. Bio diesel
consumption may, in
the future, extend beyond
transportation to include heating oils for domestic boilers. Developing countries
that grow bio fuels should be allowed to benefit from the premium prices that
fuel crops command, enabling farmers and their communities to reap economic and
social benefits. Whatever the advantages and disadvantages of fuel crops it is
clear that fossil fuels are a limited resource and cannot remain the mainstay
of our economies indefinitely.
Questions 27 to 31
Reading Passage 3 has five sections, A to E.
Choose the correct heading for the sections A, B, C, D and E from the list of
headings below.
List of headings
i) Biofuels
ii) Fossil fuel
replacements
iii) Advantages
iv) The way
forward
v) Man made
vi) Environmentally
friendly
vii) Too much
carbon
viii) Adverse
effects
ix) Unsustainable
x) Thorough
examination
Questions 32 to 36
Do the following statements agree with the information given
in Reading Passage 3?
Write:
TRUE if the
statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the
statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there
is no information on this.
32. Bio-ethanol is a non-renewable fuel source.
33. Burning bio diesel instead of petroleum diesel generates
less pollution.
34. Food prices fall when fuel crops are planted on land
used to grow food.
35. Fuel crops outnumber food crops in developing countries.
36. The eco-friendly nature of bio
fuels cannot be disputed.
Questions 37 to 40
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A to J, below.
37. Excess fertilizer can be deadly to fish
38. The green status of energy crops is strengthened
39. It may not be necessary to acquire more land
40. Farmers in poorer countries will
benefit from fuel crops
A if it is released
from the soil into the atmosphere.
B when they play a part
in a sustainable energy programme.
C if they are not
planted on agricultural land.
D if they are planted
on land used to produce food.
E if nitrogen-based
fertilizers are added to the soil.
F when new technologies
are employed.
G if it drains into the
surrounding watercourses.
H if they can keep the
profits they make.
I when fossil fuels
eventually run out.
J if yields are improved with genetically modified crops.
Academic reading 3
Recalling it
1. B
2. D
3. C
4. F
5. E
6. NOT GIVEN
7. FALSE
8. TRUE
9. FALSE
10. FALSE
11. B
12. A
13. D
14. C
Home-schooling
15. Section B iii) Problems at school
16. Section C ix) Parents as teachers
17. Section D v) Overcoming a weakness
18. Section E ii) Range of benefits
19. Section F viii) Shared responsibility
20. FALSE
21. TRUE
22. NOT GIVEN
23. TRUE
24. FALSE
25. FALSE
26. TRUE
Biofuels backlash
27. Section A ii) Fossil fuel replacements
28. Section B vi) Environmentally friendly
29. Section C viii) Adverse affects
30. Section D x) Thorough examination
31. Section E iv) The way forward
32. FALSE
33. TRUE
34. FALSE
35. NOT GIVEN
36. FALSE
37. G
38. C
39. J
40. H
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