(English by rosie) mock test for gifted high schools tudents

MOCK TEST 1 FOR GIFTED HIGH ENGLISH BY ROSIE SCHOOL STUDENTS I. LISTENING
Part 1: You are going to listen to a conversation between a man and a woman. For question 1-5, decide
whether the statements are True (T) or False (F). Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. The man is the deputy of the Media Studies Course.
2. The woman has been working for a local newspaper for 3 months.
3. The woman worked at the local radio station for the longest period of time.
4. The woman feels that she is likely to be promoted soon.
5. Doing the master usually takes at least one year and a half. Your answers: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Part 2: You are going to hear a report on climate change. For questions 6-13, fill in the blank with NO
MORE THAN THREE WORDS to complete the sentences.
IS IT TOO LATE TO STOP CLIMATE CHANGE?
For a long time, it has been common knowledge that rapid climate change results from the release of (6) ____________________.
CO2 emissions can be viewed as a product of four factors: population size, economic growth, (7)
____________________, and emissions per energy unit produced.
Population growth can only be slowed down by means of improved healthcare quality, as well as gained
access to (8) __________________ and education in developing countries.
The more fulfilling our lives become, the more emissions we produce: A programmer in the US has a higher
(9) ____________________ than 50 farmers in Uganda. Not to mention wealth discrepancies, economic growth has resulted in highest
(10) ____________________ and the largest eradication of poverty.
Both developed countries and developed ones not seeming to give up growing their economies, we can rest
assured that growth, as a (11)____________________, will stay with us for quite a long while.
Using a nuclear-powered (12) ____________________ to cook is way more efficient than using coal.
Upgrading the efficiency of our technology, together with devising ingenious ways to (13)
_____________________, is crucial in reducing our dependency on CO2.
Part 3: You are going to hear a radio discussion about buying a new car. For questions 14-18, choose the
answer (A, B, C, or D) which fits best to what you hear.
14. What point does Tessa make about salesmen?
A. They will be happy to help you calculate your budget.
B. Most of them won’t know what your current car is really worth.
C. They are likely to try to coax you to spend more than you want to.
D. A good one will help you avoid expensive mistakes.
15. What do Tessa and Paul agree about?
A. Financial considerations make buying a new car inadvisable for most people.
B. The majority of buyers should opt for a new car.
C. Borrowing money to buy a car is usually a bad idea.
D. The importance of warranties is often overstated.
16. When discussing used cars, Paul reveals _____.
A. a buyer must demand to know all of the car’s history.
B. the distance the car has been driven may not be accurately reflected.
C. recognized dealers will give you a wider range of cars to choose from.
D. very low prices should be treated with suspicion.
17. Why does Paul mention sunroofs?
A. as an example of an optional extra you can get on a new car.
B. something that may cause problems with a second-hand car
C. to explain why some features are more important than others.
D. to indicate one of the more expensive features of new cars.
18. Paul advises buyers _____.
A. not to try to negotiate with experienced salesmen.
B. to never buy the first car that they test drive.
C. to be willing to spend more if they are offered a good deal.
D. to fight hard to get the best possible deal. Your answers: 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
Part 4: For questions 19-25. listen to a radio news report on "Google". a popular search engine and fill
in the missing information. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the recording for each
answer in the space provided.
Influential as Bill Gates might be, he was unable to turn a product into a common word. It was Google that
earned (19) _________________________.
For its success, Google relied on (20) _________________________ which is a particularly oldfashioned way to market a product.
Google has been the default tool for people looking for anything they want to find online, from (21)
_________________________ to brass lambs.
Google is now the official search engine for top global (22) _________________________.
The professor mentioned by the reporter was searching the (23) _________________________ manner
looking for things to interest him.
The verb "to google" literally means searching for what is of use to you through a vast quantity of information,
which is another kind of (24) _________________________.
Little did the mathematician know that in the early 21st century, the use of the term "Google" would become
ubiquitous among professionals and (25) _________________________ alike. II. LEXICO - GRAMMAR
Part 1: For questions 1-20, choose the correct answer A, B, C, or D to each of the following questions and
write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
26. He held a monthly competition with a huge reward for the winner in order to increase his newspaper’s ______. A. dispersion B. circulation C. dissemination D. propagation
27. She kept ______ him about her classmate’s whereabouts, so he had no choice but to give in to her insistence. A. badgering B. hounding C. dogging D. croaking
28. Knowing that she is not _____ as innocent as her facade, he treats her coldly. A. rather B. very C. quite D. well
29. She has been in the ______ of despair since the earthquake that claimed her daughter’s life. A. heights B. width C. breadth D. depths
30. The intense pressure to feed such a large family seems to put ______ on Jane. A. wrinkles B. years C. ages D. creases
31. ‘Tom and Jerry’ is enthusiastically embraced by people from all ______ of life. A. strides B. hikes C. walks D. runs
32. Animals need to move from one reserve to another, which necessitates wildlife ______. A. aisles B. shortcuts C. corridors D. passages
33. They were ______ happy to see the girl coming around from the coma. A. delightfully B. merrily C. blissfully D. gleefully
34. We cannot know for sure whether these influential businessmen have a completely ______ slate. A. pure B. spotless C. blank D. clean
35. She was able to ______ easily again after her husband had been acquitted of murder. A. inhale B. breathe C. sigh D. respire
36. If it doesn’t clear up by weekend, the match will have to be ______ until next Tuesday. A. passed over B. moved over C. carried over D. changed over
37. Do you think their project will bear fruit? - To be honest, ______. A. I couldn’t care less
B. I know different C. I wouldn’t say no D. just think nothing of it 38. On
______ reflection, the attacker must have fled the scene before the police arrived. A. second B. sober C. lucid D. transparent
39. We were woken up by the monkeys ______ in the trees. A. whining B. chattering C. bleating D. grunting
40. Given only ______ training, it was understandable that she couldn’t handle the job well. A. rudimentary B. fundamental C. primary D. first-hand Your answers: 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
Part 2: For questions 21-30, write the correct form of each bracketed corresponding word in the
numbered boxes provided.
41. Some find it difficult to ________________ between ‘accent’ and ‘dialect’. AMBIGUITY
42. Unlike its literary ________________, ‘The Great Gatsby’ adaptation in 2013 met with NAME little success.
43. Interracial marriage used to be illegal in the US, but there were moves to CRIME ________________ it in 1967.
44. He made a few factual mistakes in his ________________ remarks, which stoked up JUDGE
further criticism from the public.
45. He is an opportunist businessman who always ________________ as a gentleman. MASK Your answers: 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. III. READING
Part 1: For questions 51-55, read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each gap.
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. A NEW DAY
Kurt watched the final weak glow of dying (51) ______, the sole remains of the previous evening’s blazing
campfire. It too was (52) ______ away, but not to leave him in utter darkness, for the dull pink of the
approaching dawn had been creeping relentlessly round the curve of the horizon, (53) ______ the imminent arrival of the sun.
For a short time, temporarily placed on (54) ______ by Kurt’s heightened awareness, faintly coloured
shadows took shape until the sun itself rose above the main portal of the primitive open-air stone temple,
filling its arena with life-giving rays. Back in the cities were the towering cathedrals and holy spires reaching
to the heavens, palaces to all-powerful but now forgotten gods, whereas here, in the prehistoric temple of his
sun-worshiping ancestors, Kurt stood (55) ______ by the awe-inspiring spectacle, this reconfirmation of
renewal by the primal life-force. 51. A. flashes B. embers C. sparks D. ashes
52. A. ebbing B. dwindling C. trickling D. fading 53. A. heralding B. hearkening C. heckling D. foretelling 54. A. call B. hold C. alert D. guard 55. A. infatuated B. incapacitated C. captivated D. encapsulated Your answers: 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.
Part 2: Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.
THE CASE FOR CYCLING TO SCHOOL
All parents want the very best for their children, particularly when it comes to schools and school life.
Of course, they not only expect the school to take care of the mental needs of their children but also and this
has been subject to great neglect in the last 20 years - their physical needs.
People appreciate that money is tight, and nobody enjoys paying taxes, but there is a growing feeling
that something needs to be done about children's health, and many believe that schools and the government
have a big responsibility. Twenty-five years ago, many children either cycled or walked to school. Very few
children were taken to school by mummy or daddy. The percentage today? Just 1% of primary pupils and 2%
of secondary pupils cycle to school. Many parents will say that roads these days are too dangerous, that they
HAVE to drive their children to school. The number of children being driven to school has doubled in the last
20 years. So one reason that the roads are dangerous is because so many parents drive their children to school
- the infamous 'school run'. Is this a vicious circle out of which we cannot escape? This is a hotly contested
topic, and if a solution is to be found, it will take the co operation of the government, local authorities, schools,
parents, and perhaps most importantly, school pupils.
Very few people are suggesting that the government should ban parents from driving their children to
school. What many would like to see is a lot more effort put into promoting cycling. The government should
build networks of cycle paths radiating out from schools and suitable cycle-parking facilities at school.
Organizations like Sustrans, a UK charity supporting sustainable transport by encouraging people to travel
on foot, by bike or by public transport, do their best to help schools, but not all schools want to co-operate.
This sometimes goes to bizarre extremes. In Portsmouth, a woman wanted her son to cycle to school, but the
school really didn't want him to; however, agreement was successfully reached - on the condition that his
mother drove behind him and picked up his bike when he reached school and took it home again, reversing the process in the afternoon.
But if the case is to be won, it is not good enough to rely on anecdotal evidence. So what are the relevant
facts in this issue? Well, let's take a look at children's health for a start. In 1995, around 10.9% of boys and
12% of girls between the ages of two and 15 were obese. By 2007, those figures had jumped to 16.8 % and
16.1% respectively. By 2050, scientists have predicted that 70% of girls and 55% of boys will be obese.
True, diet has an effect on this, but physical exercise not only helps you maintain a healthy body weight,
but also leads to healthy bone development, a strong muscle and cardiovascular system and improved co-
ordination. Interestingly, a study in California showed a direct link between children's fitness levels and
academic scores in literacy and numeracy. Those in the fittest category scored twice as high as those in the lowest fitness category.
Not only can cycling make you fitter and smarter, it also gives you a great sense of independence. You
decide when you cycle home, whether you stop on the bridge to look at the fish, whether you go past the
bakery with the fantastic smells or whether you just go straight home and read a good book. Children who
are driven to and from school don't have these options. They are dependent on an adult not something many children want.
Providing safe cycle routes and encouraging children to cycle will not only improve their physical and
mental well-being and their sense of independence, it will also lead to a reduction in congestion and pollution
in the area where they live. Children will not be the only ones to benefit, as the cycle routes would not just
be for children. Anyone could use them to travel around, go shopping, visit friends, etc. without needing a
car (which could save families thousands of pounds a year).
Sustrans has started developing such cycle routes and they have had great success with the work they've
done. For example, in the town of Market Harborough, they added 17 miles of cycle routes. But the big
question is, are the residents of Market Harborough actually getting on their bikes? The answer is a resounding
'yes'. There are 400,000 trips a year on the path, 50,000 of these trips made by children not bad for a town
with a population of just 21,000. Interestingly, 38% of the people using the path could have made the same
journey by car, but chose not to.
So what of the future? Will we allow the vicious circle to continue so that more and more children are
driven to work because of the congested, polluted and dangerous roads? Or will we give our children the
opportunity to ride a bike to school along uncongested, unpolluted and, most of all, safe cycle paths? The
answer appears blindingly obvious, but whether we as a society have the willpower to carry out the necessary work remains to be seen.
For questions 56-60, decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG).
Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.
56. Schools have given insufficient attention to the physical well-being of children
57. Sustrans could work harder to ensure the co-operation of schools.
58. The case of the mother following her child in her car is not untypical.
59. Cycling can help children develop a degree of responsibility for themselves.
60. Society in general will clearly encourage more children to cycle to school. Your answers: 56. 57. 58. 59. 60.
For questions 61-64, fill in the blank with NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage to complete the sentences.
61. According to the writer , schools are guilty of the ______ of certain needs of children in recent times.
62. Twice as many children are ______ to school compared to 20 years ago.
63. There has been a massive increase in the number of ______ children.
64. Research indicates there is a strong connection between ______ and achievement at school. Your answers: 61. 62. 63. 64. For questions 65-68, complete each sentence with its
correct ending so that it fits
the information extracted from the passage. 65. A school in Portsmouth 66. A study in California
67. The population of Market Harborough 68. A team of scientists
A. expects to see high levels of overweight children in the future.
B. is not keen to see children cycling.
C. has suggestions for improving literacy and numeracy.
D. supports and develops cycle routes for children.
E. enjoys the benefits of new cycle routes.
F. does not rely on anecdotal evidence. Your answers: 65. 66. 67. 68.
Part 3: This article consists of 15 paragraphs. Seven of them have been removed. For questions 69-75,
choose from the paragraphs A - H the one that fits each gap. There is one extra paragraph that does not
fit and which you do not need to use.
MOTORCYCLE MENACE IN NATIONAL PARKS
Motorcyclists riding at high speeds in national parks and terrorising other road users in unofficial time trials
' have become such a menace that a police helicopter is being deployed to catch offenders. 69.
In the Peak District National Park , Derbyshire Police have deployed the force helicopter for the first time
above winding stretches of roads to catch speeding bikers. Notorious sections include the A6 between Buxton
and Matlock Bath, where motorcyclists participate in time trials. Notices have now been posted along the
road warning riders that the helicopter is monitoring their movements. 70.
This attitude was underlined by an article in a magazine for bikers which has even road-tested high
performance machines in Snowdonia and extolled the virtues of using them between isolated beauty spots.
The pleas of wardens not to promote the area for high-speed riding were ignored and the article referred with
pride to 'sheep fleeing for their lives' and to the engine noise 'shattering the serenity.' 71.
In the Yorkshire Dales, hundreds of riders follow an unofficial timed run known as the 'Dales TT’ from Leeds
and Bradford to Devil's Bridge. Police using radar traps last month booked up to 150 motorcycles speeding
on the A65 Settle by-pass as part of the time trials. 72.
Residents in the Dales have complained that the tranquillity of the area is being ruined as the motorcyclists
ride at great speeds along winding roads through villages in Ribblesdale and Wensleydale. Speeding is also
a serious problem on the road between Garsdale Head and Kirkby Stephen, where farmers have complained
that the raucous machines are frightening animals and deterring tourists. 73.
The route the riders have chosen not only angers residents but takes a gruesome toll of the riders themselves.
An increasing number of small shrines, decked with flowers, mark the spots where riders have been killed. 74.
Mr Fenten also wants the police to use more radar speed guns on minor roads. 'Bikers are ruining the peace
and quiet of the area but nobody is actively discouraging them from riding through the park.’ 75.
Residents wonder whether it will have any more effect than the Bike 2000 Campaign the police introduced
to persuade motorcyclists to ride more responsibly. Accidents were reduced slightly but it had only limited
effects on speeds and noise levels.
Missing paragraphs: A.
It is utterly horrendous,' he said. “Many tourists have decided against staying in the Horton area. We
want tougher moves to discourage bikers from travelling at speed, including a stronger police presence, and
we want them kept on peripheral trunk roads.’ B.
Many more might have been caught but to avoid detection, riders are taking minor roads through the
Dales and alerting each other with mobile telephones to sightings of the police. C.
Other problem areas include roads from Buxton to Macclesfield and Ashbourne, where the helicopter
will be used to alert ground patrols to dangerous driving. A police motorcyclist from the area said: ‘These
roads are winding and hilly and bikers get pleasure from that kind of road.' D.
The problem has grown rapidly in the past decade with the rise in the popularity of motorcycles. It is
worst at weekends but many motorcycle clubs ride out from the cities on summer evenings. In consequence,
Horton in Ribblesdale's parish council decided last week to press for urgent talks with the police, demanding
a 40 mph (64 km/h) speed limit on all non-trunk roads in the Dales. E.
On the Isle of Wight, joyriders on motorcycles are terrorising a tiger sanctuary. The sanctuary's owner
said he was regularly kept awake into the early hours of the morning by the animals moaning in fear after
being terrified by the illegal racing and revving of engines. F.
Riders are attracted to mountain roads in the Peak District, Snowdonia and the Yorkshire Dales, where
they enjoy the thrill of putting motorcycles capable of speeds of up to 150 miles per hour (240 km/h) through their paces. G.
According to Wilf Fenten, a parish councillor for Horton in Ribblesdale, at least 700 motorcycles
were counted on a single Saturday passing through the village. In the last week of June, up to 200 riders were
recorded in the village on one morning alone. H.
Park officials have complained to the magazine about the article, pointing out that 13 motorcyclists
were killed, 49 seriously injured and 151 slightly injured in 1999 on the same roads. The park also alerted
the police to the article. The police have now issued speed warning notices on a notorious 30- mile (48 km)
stretch in the south of the park but, according to wardens , the notices have had little effect. Your answers: 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75.
Part 4: Read the following extract and choose the best answer A, B, C or D to questions 76-85.
In orbit high above Earth, a multi-billion-dollar formation of communications satellites stands ready to
instantly connect pilots, seamen and navigators of all kinds to every available aid when they find themselves
in an emergency. But what if the communication computers on board these ships and aircraft started acting
up or even broke down? The world could go silent, and leave travellers groping around for directions. Not to
worry. There is a backup plan, using technology that was invented in 1835. It’s Morse code, the language of
dots and dashes that has survived the assault of higher technology for a century and a half.
Named after its inventor, Samuel F B Morse, the code is a series of combinations of short and long tones
(dots and dashes) representing letters of the alphabet that can be transmitted manually by a key operator. A
telegrapher combines the dots and dashes to form letters and words. It is a seemingly tedious procedure, but
skilled operators can transmit and receive faster than most secretaries can type. The fastest Morse
transmission ever recorded is an amazing 84 words per minute, sent by an operator named T L McElroy in 1951.
Morse telegraphy may seem like a quaint anachronism, with its brass sounder and key operated by the
world’s most basic tool, the human finger. However, it is sometimes vital to worldwide communications.
When the Mexico City earthquake occurred in 1985 and all the power went off, calls for help were transmitted
in Morse by an amateur radio operator. “We see the Morse code as a dying art, but we refuse to let it die
completely,” says Major General Leo M Childs, the US Army’s Chief Signal Officer. “Newer is not always
better. Even though it is old and slow, Morse is still the most reliable in difficult conditions.”
Every merchant vessel bearing the US flag must carry a radio officer who can both transmit and receive
Morse code. Under US law, the officer must spend eight hours at sea every day monitoring the radio for
Morse distress signals. Should you ever find yourself adrift at sea in a lifeboat launch from a sink passenger
cruise ship, it will be equipped with a single communications device: a Morse transmitter that automatically
signals a distress call, but is also equipped with a keyboard in case you happen to know Morse code. Perhaps
the best-known bit of Morse code is the call for help - SOS. In the code, these letters form a distinctive pattern
(dot dot dot, dash dash dash, dot dot dot) easily recognised in an emergency.
The enduring use of Morse telegraphy is the legacy of a burst of industrialisation in 19th-Century
America, when the railway and telegraph developed side by side. Most of those railway telegraph lines were
used well into the mid-20th century, well after radio, television and computers became commonplace. Until
1985, the Milwaukee Road had a Morse telegraph line between Milwaukee and La Crosse that was routinely
used to relay orders to train crews. This Milwaukee operation was shut down quietly in the late Eighties. In
many other countries, however, Morse railway is still used.
The military services continue to be the most serious users of Morse telegraphy. While billion-dollar
satellites and sophisticated ground networks are good in theory, such communication systems can break down
on the battlefield. As a matter of prudence, the Army keeps a functional Morse capability. Morse code signals
require much less power to transmit broadcasting than voice messages. In addition, even an unclear Morse
signal can be interpreted, whereas a distorted voice transmission is virtually useless. The Army annually trains
about 2,800 men and women in Morse code for a variety of signal jobs in infantry, artillery, intelligence and
even Special Forces. A Morse transmission will get through when all else fails, and especially in military
conflicts, “he who communicates first, no matter how primitively, will come out on top,” says Major General Childs.
In that case, retired railway telegraph operators will probably take over the world. Each evening, the
amateur radio waves come alive with the Morse transmissions of the retired operators known among
themselves as ‘old heads’. “I get on the air and use the code every night to chat to other old heads,” says Craig
Becker, the retired Milwaukee telegraph operator who received the railway’s final telegraph message in 1985.
“There are a lot of telegraphers around. Every night you hear them pecking.” Experienced Operators say the
Morse code is not so much a clatter of sounds as a language, because operators do not hear dots and dashes.
“You can sit back and hear a conversation,” says Becker.
When Morse inaugurated the telegraph service in 1844, he wired from Baltimore to Washington the now-
famed message: “What hath God wrought!” Ever since, the death of Morse code has been regularly predicted.
However, although the surface has receded from public view, experts say that they cannot envision an end to
its use any time soon. “I can carry a very small Morse key in my pocket and transmit around the world,” says
Burke Stinson, a public relations man for American Telephone & Telegraph Co. “I do not think you will ever
see Morse code die. It is going to be difficult to find another method that is as flexible and reliable.”
76. The reason the writer mentions the possibility of satellite–based communication systems failing is to
A. underline the importance of a reliable alternative.
B. suggest that satellite communications are unreliable.
C. emphasise the drawbacks of satellite communications.
D. compare Morse to communication satellites.
77. The process of communicating using Morse code
A. involves more than transmitting tones.
B. is tedious even for experienced users.
C. is not as laborious as people think.
D. is simple enough for anyone who can type
78. In the third paragraph, the writer implies that the use of Morse code is
A. old-fashioned, but attracts many enthusiasts.
B. only useful to the armed forces and some hobbyists.
C. being revived by amateur radio operators.
D. often the only way to communicate during a crisis.
79. In the fifth paragraph, the writer
A. implies that Morse telegraphy developed faster than the railway.
B. implies that Morse has survived for so long because of the railway.
C. suggests that the railway developed because of Morse telegraphy.
D. explains why Morse telegraphy eventually became redundant. 80. The American military
A. needs simple communication methods
B. has recently neglected its Morse capability.
C. allows its forces some Morse equipment.
D. offers training for recognising distorted Morse.
81. The first message to be transmitted in Morse code
A. symbolised the code’s flexibility.
B. was used for commercial purposes.
C. took a long time to reach its destination.
D. was sent by Samuel Morse himself.
82. What does the writer mean by saying that Morse code “has survived the assault of higher technology
for a century and a half” in the first paragraph?
A. Even though in the last 150 years newer and more sophisticated ways of doing things have been invented, Morse is still used.
B. As modern communication systems have progressed rapidly, it is surprising that Morse telegraphy could survive for 150 years.
C. Thanks to the backup plan, Morse telegraphy has survived for 150 years in the face of technology.
D. Morse code could not have survived for 150 years without the support of modern technology.
83. What does the word “It” in paragraph 2 refer to? A. a series of combinations
B. sending a message in Morse code
C. representing letters of the alphabet
D. the transmission sent by McElroy
84. The phrase “quaint anachronism” in paragraph 3 refers to _______. A. unimportant thing
B. monotonous cycle C. old-fashioned tool D. irrelevant invention
85. Which is the best title for the passage?
A. Morse Code – a Revolutionary Invention
B. Dots and Dashes Still Alive
C. The Comeback of a Forgotten Name
D. The Applications of Morse Telegraphy
Part 5: The passage below consists of five paragraphs marked A, B, C, and D. For questions 8695, match
each of them with one correct paragraph so that it fits the given information.
THE BOOK IS DEAD - LONG LIVE THE BOOK
Electronic books are blurring the line between print and digital A.
A lot of ink has been spilled on the supposed demise of the printed word. Ebooks are outselling paper
books. Newspapers are dying. To quote one expert: ‘The days of the codex as the primary carrier of
information are almost over.’ This has inspired a lot of hand-wringing from publishers, librarians, archivists
- and me, a writer and lifelong bibliophile who grew up surrounded by paper books. I've been blogging since
high school, I'm addicted to my smartphone and, in theory, I should be on board with the digital revolution -
but when people mourn the loss of paper books, I sympathise. Are printed books really going the way of the
dodo? And what would we lose if they did? Some commentators think the rumours of the printed word's
imminent demise have been rather overstated. Printed books will live on as art objects and collector's items,
they argue, rather in the way of vinyl records. People may start buying all their beach novels and periodicals
in ebook formats and curating their physical bookshelves more carefully. It is not about the medium, they
say, it is about people. As long as there are those who care about books and don't know why, there will be books. It's that simple. B.
Meanwhile artists are blending print with technology. Between Page and Screen by Amaranth Borsuk
and Brad Bouse is a paper book that can be read only on a computer. Instead of words, every page has a
geometric pattern. If you hold a printed page up to a webcam, while visiting the book's related website, your
screen displays the text of the story streaming, spinning and leaping off the page. Printed books may need to
become more multi-faceted, incorporating video, music and interactivity. A group at the MIT Media Lab
already builds 60 electronic pop-up books with glowing LEDS that brighten and dim as you pull paper tabs,
and authors have been pushing the boundaries with 'augmented reality' books for years.
The lines between print and digital books are blurring, and interesting things are happening at the interface. C.
Beyond the page, ebooks may someday transform how we read. We are used to being alone with our
thoughts inside a book but what if we could invite friends or favourite authors to join in? A web tool called
SocialBook offers a way to make the experience of reading more so collaborative. Readers highlight and
comment on text, and can see and respond to comments that others have left in the same book. ‘When you
put text into a dynamic network a book becomes a place where readers and sometimes authors can congregate
in the margin,’ said Bob Stein, founder of the Institute for the Future of the Book, a think tank New York.
Stein showed how a high-school class is using SocialBook to read and discuss Don Quixote, how an author
could use it to connect with readers, and how he and his collaborators have started using it instead of email.
Readers can open their books to anyone they want, from close friends to intellectual heroes. 'For us, social is
not a pizza topping. It's not an add-on,’ Stein says. It's the foundational cornerstone of reading and writing going into the future.’ D.
The tools might be new, but the goal of SocialBook is hardly radical. Books have found ways to be
nodes of human connection ever since their inception. That's why reading a dog-eared volume, painstakingly
annotated with thoughts and impressions is unfailingly delightful - akin to making a new like-minded
acquaintance. The MIT Rare Books collection has kept a copy of John Stuart Mill's 1848 book Principles of
Political Economy, not for its content but for the lines and lines of tiny comments a passionate but unknown
user scrawled in the margins. Maybe ebooks are taking us where print was trying to go all along.
In which paragraph is each of the following mentioned?
an example of superseded technology that still has a certain appeal? 86. ______
an analogy used to emphasize how seriously an idea is taken? 87. ______
an anxiety she shares with other like-minded people? 88. ______
a development that questions our assumptions about what reading actually entails? 89. ______
the willingness of writers to experiment with new ideas? 90. ______
the idea that books have always been part of an ongoing interactive process? 91. ______
a seeming contradiction in her own attitudes? 92. ______
a belief that the fundamental nature of reading will change? 93. ______
find pleasure in another reader’s reactions to a book? 94. ______
a view that a prediction is somewhat exaggerated? 95. ______ IV. WRITING
Part 1: Read the following passage and use your own words to summarise it. Your summary should be
between 100 and 120 words long.
Today, the majority of the world’s population may not be vegetarians, but vegetarianism is rapidly
gaining popularity. People who decide to become vegetarians generally have very strong feelings about the
issue and may choose a vegetarian diet for different reasons. Health issues, awareness of environmental
problems and moral issues are three common arguments in favor of vegetarianism that are quite convincing.
Many non-vegetarians claim that a vegetarian diet does not give a person the necessary vitamins and
proteins that their body needs. However, doctors and medical associations say that a vegetarian diet is able to
satisfy the nutritional needs of people of all ages. All the nutrients and proteins one’s body needs can be found
in vegetables, nuts and grains, as well as in dairy products. Eating meat may be an easy way to get the proteins
one needs, but it is not the only way.
Vegetarians also argue that the meat industry is the source of many environmental problems that could
be eliminated if people ate less meat or even stopped eating it altogether. Raising livestock for the meat
industry takes a huge toll on the world's natural resources; for example forests are cut down to clear land for
crops to feed livestock or for pastureland. This in turn leads to an increase in global warming, loss of topsoil
and loss of plant and animal life.
Finally, many people refrain from eating meat for ethical reasons. They object to taking the life of another
living creature in order to satisfy their hunger. Moreover, they argue that we inflict great pain and suffering
on animals that are raised for meat. Poultry and livestock raised on factory farms are kept under abominable
conditions, confined in areas that hardly allow them to move, fed with antibiotics and, in the end, they are cruelly slaughtered.
Becoming a vegetarian might not appeal to everyone, but it is a choice that is gaining popularity as our
awareness of health and environmental issues as well as our concern for animal welfare is growing. It is also
becoming more feasible as restaurants and supermarkets increasingly cater for the vegetarian market.
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Part 2: The bar chart below gives information about the percentage of the population living in urban areas
in the world and in different continents.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
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Part 3: Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic.
With the increasing use and development of new technology, many machines are now able to do the work
which people used to perform.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience.
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