Reading passage 1

A. Sunday afternoon in Santa Fe, may be 1976, or '78, or heck, any given Sunday into the early '80s: In a little adobe house on Caliente Road, a boy sits glued to his television set. He's captivated by a portly, soft-spoken movie detective, whose politely delivered barbs carry a whiff of fortunecookie wisdom. "In future, remember," says Charlie Chan, tapping his No. 1 son on the shoulder. "Tongue often hangs man quicker than rope." (Chan was forever carping at his son for too much talk: "You are like business end of waterspout -- always running off at mouth.") B. Chan was sort of Confucian, kind of koany. He found the answer to everything. And he was Asian -- at least enough to satisfy Dana Tai Soon Burgess, a Korean American child growing up in a Latino neighbourhood. No matter that Chan, in his decades as a celluloid solver of glamorous murders, was most popularly played by white actors. For Burgess, the Hollywood version of a Chinese sage offered an escape from the confusion of life. Chan was an avuncular guide for a kid who felt different in many ways: a new arrival in a deep-rooted community, not a Spanish speaker, not a Catholic and, as he was beginning to realize, not interested in girls. C. On Friday, Burgess -- chair of George Washington University's department of theatre and dance, and director of one of Washington's foremost dance troupes -- will unveil a work dedicated to Chan and the power of fantasy. Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company will perform "Charlie Chan and the Mystery of Love" at Dance Place, Friday through Sunday, along with Burgess's "Island," a piece created last year that delves into the internment of Chinese immigrants at Angel Island off the coast of California. D. Asian themes have long been fruitful territory for Burgess, 42. He moved here in 1988 to dance with various local troupes and founded his own company in 1992. In recent years, his works on the immigrant experience and cultural divides have propelled him around the world on State Department-sponsored tours. There's a distinctly Asian look and feel to his work, with its languid pacing, every move precisely sculpted and detailed. His pieces tend to be serious; "Island" is dark and violent. But "Charlie Chan and the Mystery of Love" is sophisticated and funny, just this side of camp -- rather like the movies that inspired it. At a recent rehearsal at Georgetown Day High School in Northwest Washington, the studio is littered with quintessential Chan props: a crystal ball, a notebook, a martini glass. Scenes from Chan movies flicker on a vintage TV. At one point in the 30-minute piece, there's a sance and a hypnotism. There's even a murder. E. It's Burgess's most autobiographical work, a treatment of how he became engrossed in Chan's world of clues and mystery, and how Chan's corny philosophy offered unexpected comfort. Often, the Burgess character, danced by Ricardo Alvarez, finds himself surrounded by glamour pusses in satiny 1930s-style gowns, like refugees from the set of "Charlie Chan in Paris" or "Charlie Chan's Murder Cruise." But in the midst of a swoony waltz, as Fred Astaire croons "Let's Face the Music and Dance" in the background, Alvarez locks eyes with another woman's partner and dances off with him. Cue the moon glow. F. Dream or reality? Burgess intermingles both in his new piece, but despite the affectionate spoofing of his boyhood hero and the pseudo-enlightened voiceover ("Man is clouded by mystery of love; Charlie Chan is guide"), he's making a point beyond being an outsider, beyond coming out. It's about something exquisitely simple: belonging. "So much of my work is about

finding a place where . . . people can find a place of love and safety," Burgess says in an interview after the rehearsal. "And so much of that has to do with how I grew up." G. Burgess's parents are artists. His Korean American mother is a textile designer; his father, of Scots-Irish descent, a painter. They moved from California to New Mexico to pursue their art. But it wasn't an easy change for their son. "Santa Fe was such a different place than it is today," Burgess says. He's self-possessed, tall, with enviable posture, though he retired from dancing a few years ago with a back injury. With his fine features, dimpled smile and deferential manners, he could charm a repo man. But not his peers in school. Source: The New York Times Questions You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1 to 14 which are based on Reading Passage 1 Questions 1 to 7 Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs A G. From the list of headings below, choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph. Write the appropriate numbers I ix in boxes 1 7 on your answer sheet.

i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. vii. viii. ix.

Asian themes. Dream or reality. The whaling lances and harpoons. Chan and the power of fantasy. Tongue often hangs man quicker than rope. Chan's corny philosophy. Burgess's parents. A sort of Confucian. The performance.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Paragraph A Paragraph B Paragraph C Paragraph D Paragraph E Paragraph F Paragraph G

Questions 8 10

Choose the correct letters, A, B, C or D Write your answers in boxes 8 10 on your answer sheet. 8 Burgess's Korean American mother is a A. B. C. D. 9 A. B. C. D. 10 A. B. C. D. Textile designer. Fashion designer. Tailor. Dancer. There's a distinctly Asian look and feel to His face. His work. His attire. His dance. Chan's corny philosophy offered unexpected Discomfort. Comfort. Balm. Pleasure.

Questions 11 14 Complete each of the following statements (questions 11 14) with the best endings A G from the box below Write the appropriate letters A G in boxes 11 14 on your answer sheet. 11 The studio is littered with 12 Burgess's parents moved from California to 13 Charlie Chan and the Mystery of Love" is 14 Dana Tai Soon Burgess is a Korean American child

A B C D E F G

Growing up in a Latino neighbourhood. Among early voters might be succeeding. New Mexico to pursue their art. At last was found imbedded in the hump. Quintessential Chan props. Sophisticated and funny. Idea would dart you through.

Reading passage 2 A. Shortly before an exclusive event promoting charity was to take place in late September, tension was running high in the local Chinese media. Rumours had been floating around for weeks that half of the 50 or so billionaires invited to the dinner, known as the "Ba-Bi" banquet, might not show up. The Chinese term "Ba-Bi" refers to Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, the two hosts of the much-hyped dinner event. B. In the end, the press's hand-wringing was for naught: More than two out of three invitees attended, the two Americans proudly announced at a subsequent press conference in Beijing that they found philanthropy among the country's ultra-rich to be alive and well. According to Rupert Hoogewerf, publisher of an influential Chinese rich list, China currently has 189 dollar billionaires, second in number only to the U.S. "All those people have made enough money for generations to come," says Hoogewerf. "Now is a good time to start thinking about giving." C. But for most Chinese people, the idea of charity seems a bit detached from daily life. Although total amount donated, according to the government, has risen from $1.5 billion (10 billion rmb) in 2006 to over $7.5 billion (50 billion rmb) last year, it's a negligible fraction of the $300 billion annually donated in the U.S. over 2% of the country's GDP. With the exception of 2008, when the disastrous Sichuan earthquake bumped up China's donations to an unprecedented $15 billion (100 billion rmb), "the awareness for philanthropy is still relatively low," says Deng Guosheng, director of Innovation and Social Responsibility Research Centre at Tsinghua University. Typically, only around 20% of China's annual donations come from individuals; the rest are made by private enterprises. In the U.S., that number is closer to 70%. D. Deng says China's breakneck economic growth has fostered widespread materialism in recent years, a trend intrinsically contrary to the notion of philanthropy. In 2009, China alone accounted for 25% of the world's total luxury consumption, making it the second largest luxury market after Japan, whose GDP per capita is more than 10 times higher. Despite their consumerism, the Japanese still appear more charitable in general than the Chinese. According to the 2010 World Giving Index, released by the Charities Aid foundation, 17% of the Japanese population has made charitable donations, compared to China's 11%. E. Historically, China's culture of giving can be traced back to Confucian preaching of benevolence as well as to Taoist and Buddhist principles, but all of them subsided as war and political turmoil dominated the country's more recent history. Today, even for China's nouveau riche who are willing to give, government policies often fail to encourage charitable actions. Tsinghua's Deng said that although there is officially a national tax deduction policy for charity donations, local governments often try to negate that in their own interest. Moreover, the policy only applies to donations made to the very few government-sanctioned charities, which are commonly blamed for lack of transparency or even corruption. F. "If my donation doesn't end up helping the needy, to me it's not a question of money," Cao Dewang, CEO of Fuyao Group, the biggest glass manufacturer in China, said in a recent interview with the state-run China Central Television. "I'd feel cheated." According to the CCTV, Cao pledged to donate $30 million (200 million rmb) to 100,000 low-income households via the

China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, a non-profit charity overseen by the government but only after signing a detailed contract to ensure that his money falls into the right hands. G. Meanwhile, many smaller, grassroots NGOs are faced with the eternal conundrum of maintaining independence while coping with the Chinese government. Per Chinese law, private foundations are forbidden to independently accept and distribute donations, a situation that largely restricts their role and diminishes reputation. What's worse is that for those NGOs, gaining official ratifications and therefore being able to operate independently is practically impossible, largely because those who are in charge are not incentivized to do so. "I think the obstacles [to developing philanthropy in China] are similar to what everybody sees in the U.S., which is you want to make sure your gift can have the impact," Bill Gates said at the press conference last month. "Because the wealth here is so new... the notion of what is the role of the government versus philanthropy is still being developed." Source: The Economist Questions You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15 27 which are based on Reading Passage 2 Questions 15 19 Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2? In boxes 15 -19 in your answer sheet write TRUE FALSE NOT GIVEN 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. if the statement agrees with the information if the statement contradicts the information if there is no information on this

There was a rumour in the local Chinese media. Many grassroots NGOs are faced with the eternal conundrum of maintaining independence. Cao pledged to donate $300 million. Fuyao Group is the biggest glass manufacturer in China. The idea of charity does not seem a bit detached from daily life.

Question 20 23 Look at the following topics (questions 20 23) and the list of statements below. Match each topic to the correct statement. Write the correct letter A G in boxes 1 4 on your answer sheet. 20. Confucian preaching 21. Cao Dewang 22. Deng Guosheng 23. "Ba-Bi"

A B

Benevolence. Director of Innovation and Social Responsibility Research Centre. C Is a preacher. D Is a consulting firm. E Have obsessed about benevolence. F Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. G Is the CEO of Fuyao Group.

Questions 24 27 Complete the following statements with the correct alternative from the box. Write the correct letter A F in boxes 24 27 on your answer sheet. 24. 25. 26. 27. China's breakneck economic growth has fostered Private foundations are forbidden to China currently has 189 dollar billionaires, China's culture of giving can be traced back to

A Second in number only to the U.S. B Critical to the analysts. C Widespread materialism in recent years. D Pushed their donations into the red. E Confucian preaching of benevolence. F Independently accept and distribute donations.

Reading Passage 3 A. The 20072008 Nazko earthquakes were a series of small earthquakes measuring less than 4.0 on the Richter magnitude scale. They took place in the sparsely populated Nazko area of the Central Interior of British Columbia starting on Tuesday, October 9, 2007. Their epicentres were near the upper Baezaeko River, 30 km (19 mi) west of Nazko Cone, a small tree-covered cinder cone that last erupted about 7,200 years ago. The swarm of earthquakes is unique in that it is the only notable concentration of seismicity in the Canadian Cordillera away from the British Columbia Coast. B. No damages or casualties resulted from the Nazko earthquakes, which were too small to be felt by people, but local seismographs recorded them. The earthquake swarm occurred at the eastern end of a known volcanic zone called the Anahim Volcanic Belt. This is an east-west

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

trending 600 km (370 mi) long line of volcanoes that extends from just north of Vancouver Island to near the small city of Quesnel. The 20072008 Nazko earthquake swarm is interpreted to have originated 25 km (16 mi) below the surface. The character of the seismic waves indicate that the swarm originated from a magmatic source. It could have formed as a result of rock fracturing at the tip of a dike and/or by movement along fault planes due to changes in the local stress field by the expansion and movement of magma. This magmatic activity is potentially linked to the hypothesized Anahim hotspot, a mantle plume that is likely responsible for older volcanism throughout the Anahim Volcanic Belt. This volcanic belt includes the Rainbow, Ilgachuz and Itcha range shield volcanoes west of the Nazko swarm. Individual Anahim volcanoes generally become older to west of the Nazko swarm, indicating that the North American Plate is moving in a westerly direction with respect to the hotspot, carrying the volcanoes along with it at a rate of 2 cm (0.79 in) to 3.3 cm (33 mm) per year. Because the area where the 20072008 Nazko earthquake swarm originated is at the eastern end of the volcanic belt, it likely represents the youngest portion of the hotspot track. This suggests any future volcanic earthquakes will occur in the Nazko region or further to the east. Before the Nazko earthquake swarm began in 2007, the Anahim hotspot was not known to be an earthquake zone. On October 10 of the following year, a swarm of earthquakes occurred. These earthquakes were normally no more than magnitude 1.0 on the Richter magnitude scale, but at least one earthquake was as strong as magnitude 3.9. Since the appearance of the Nazko swarm, the Natural Resources Canada has expressed interest in the adjacent 7,200 year old Nazko Cone. Even though earthquake swarms can be dangerous, scientists are able to model such events to analyze their structure. During the earthquake swarm in 2007, a group of scientists investigated the possibility that a volcanic eruption would occur. Five additional seismographs were placed in the earthquake zone, and scientists closely monitored the seismic activity. After additional data were gathered, scientists with the United States Geological Survey, the University of Washington, and other organizations, agreed that the Nazko earthquakes likely originated from movement of magma beneath the surface near Nazko Cone. However, because of the number and small size of the Nazko earthquakes, no volcanic eruption is likely. Other recent earthquakes in North America that have been attributed to magma but did not result in a volcanic eruption include the 2003 earthquakes under Lake Tahoe in the U.S. state of California and a 2004 earthquake swarm at Jordan Craters in the U.S. state of Oregon. More than 1,000 earthquakes were recorded by regional seismic networks within three weeks of October 20, 2007. Because the seismometers that recorded the Nazko swarm were more than 25 km (16 mi) away from where the earthquakes took place, the locations of the hypocentres were measured with poor resolution. Following the earthquake, five seismometers were placed by the Geological Survey of Canada from September 2007 to June 2008 close to the hypocentre. Analysis of the data recorded by these seismometers indicates a much larger total number of earthquakes. For example, at least 597 earthquakes were recognized during a period of only six hours. At least two episodes of earthquakes constitute the Nazko swarm. In the first seismic phase from October 29 to November 1, 2007, a total of 153 earthquakes took place. During the second seismic phase between September 25, 2007 and June 12, 2008, 4,428 earthquakes occurred. These two seismic episodes were cross-correlated by scientists to understand changes in the development of the earthquake swarm. Correlation coefficients were around 1.0 for the beginnings of the periods of activity, indicating almost identical situations, and then decayed to around 0.5, indicating a decrease in similarity between the later stages of the two events.

Source: Wikipedia.com Questions You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28 40 which are based on Reading Passage 3. Questions 28 32 The passage has seven paragraphs labelled AG. Which paragraph contains the following information? Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet. NB: You may use any letter more than once. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. The Nazko earthquakes were too small to be felt by people. The locations of the hypocentres were measured with poor resolution. Scientists are able to model earthquake swarms to analyze their structure. Because of the number and small size of the Nazko earthquakes, no volcanic eruption is likely. Analysis of the data recorded by the seismometers indicates a much larger total number of earthquakes.

Questions 33 36 Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage 3. Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.

33. 34. 35. 36.

Correlation coefficients were around 1.0 for the beginnings of the . Before 2007, the Anahim hotspot was not known to be . Other recent earthquakes in North America did not result in a . Five seismometers were placed by the Geological .

Questions 37 40 Complete the summary of the paragraphs A C below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet. The 20072008 Nazko earthquakes were a series of small earthquakes measuring 37 . The earthquake swarm occurred at the eastern end of a known volcanic zone called 38 . The swarm originated from 39 Individual Anahim volcanoes generally become older to west 40 ..