CONFIDENTIAL 1 LG/APR 2019/ELC231/230/SET 2

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

COURSE : INTEGRATED LANGUAGE SKILLS III /

INTEGRATED LANGUAGE SKILLS: WRITING

COURSE CODE : ELC231/230

ASSESSMENT : MID-SEMESTER TEST

TIME : 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. This question paper consists of ten (10) questions.

2. Answer ALL questions in the Question Paper.

3. Fill in the details below:

UiTM STUDENT CARD NO. : _________________________________________

PROGRAMME/CODE : _________________________________________

PART : _________________________________________

ENGLISH LANGUAGE GROUP : _________________________________________

NAME OF LECTURER : _________________________________________

4. You are allowed to refer to a print English-English dictionary.

5. Please check to make sure that this test pack consists of :

i) the Question Paper

DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

This test paper consists of 8 printed pages

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CONFIDENTIAL 2 LG/APR 2019/ELC231/230/SET 2

READING COMPREHENSION (25 MARKS)

Read the passage below and answer all the questions that follow.

Eyes in the Sky

I Drones or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) typically refer to pilotless

aircrafts that operate through a combination of technologies, including
computer vision, artificial intelligence, and object avoidance technology.
These ‘flying mini robots’ are rapidly growing in popularity as they can operate
autonomously on the ground, air or sea. Although they are still in the infancy 5
stage in terms of mass adoption and usage, drones have already broken
through rigid traditional barriers in industries which seemed impenetrable by
other technological innovations. Over the past years, drones have become
central functions of various businesses and governmental organizations,
and have pierced through areas where certain industries were either 10
stagnant or lagging behind. From quick deliveries at rush hour to scanning an
unreachable military base, drones are proven to be extremely beneficial in
places where man cannot reach or is unable to perform in a timely and
efficient manner. As more businesses started to realize its potential and scope
of global reach, adoption of drone technology across industries leapt fairly 15
quickly. Controlled by a remote or accessed via a smartphone application,
drones are now being adopted worldwide, namely in the military, future
technology, emergency, and conservation sectors.

II Drones have been around for more than two decades, but their roots date
back to World War I, when both the U.S. and France worked on developing 20
automatic, unmanned airplanes. In the military, drones have been used as
target decoys, for combat missions, research and development, and for
supervisions. It is estimated that global militaries will spend $70 billion on
drones by 2020, where drones will play a vital role in the resolution of future
conflicts and in the replacement of human pilots. Many drones are being 25
designed exclusively for surveillance, but others are for offensive operations
used by militaries around the world, including the U.S. Marines, the British
Army, the Australian Army, and Norway’s Armed Forces. The Royal

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Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), on the other hand, has sought for high
technology UAV to boost its air defence capabilities to monitor strategic areas 30
such as the South China Sea, the Straits of Malacca and the Sulu Sea near
Sabah. UAVs which are equipped with sophisticated technology with a wider
flying range would be suitable to the requirements of national security apart
from meeting the needs of other government agencies and departments. The
UAVs will continue to be applied in various military operations due to their 35
high convenience in reducing losses and enabling the execution of high profile
and time-sensitive missions.

III Innovations in camera technology have had significant impacts on the growing
use of drones during emergencies. UAVs outfitted with thermal imaging
cameras have provided emergency response teams with a way for identifying 40
victims who are difficult to spot with the naked eye. A special vehicle with a
roof-mounted, thermal imaging drone designed by the Land Rover Company
includes an integrated landing system which allows the drone to securely land
atop the vehicle while in motion. This vehicle, dubbed ‘Project Hero’, is hoped
to save lives by speeding up response times in confined areas with limited 45
lines of sight. By extending existing emergency infrastructure, drones may be
able to dramatically increase survival rates in both rural and urban areas
around the world, where quick access to modern medicine, blood, and
medical technology has been rather difficult. In addition, drones come in
handy during times of natural disaster. In the aftermath of hurricanes and 50
earthquakes, UAVs have been used to assess damages, locate victims, and
deliver aid. During forest fires, surveillance drones are deployed to detect
abnormal forest temperatures. By doing so, rescue teams are able to identify
areas most prone to forest fires or identify fires just three minutes after they
begin. While recreational drones are strictly prohibited in active forest fire 55
regions, they have been proven useful when operated by appropriate
authorities.

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IV Illegal poaching and climate change have a dramatic impact on the health of
wildlife worldwide. Fortunately, conservationists are adopting the use of drones
to monitor and track animals. The innovation has allowed them to conduct 60
research without disturbing natural habitats. The Ocean Alliance is an example
of an organisation that has used drones to collect samples from animals,
specifically, mucus from whales. In addition, tracking animals also allows
researchers to track disease. Drones with thermal imaging cameras have been
used by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to track macaque 65
movements in the province of Palawan in the Philippines - a region where
malaria is an active threat. The ability to follow these animals has provided
further insight into the possible movement of infections from animals to humans.
In a similar vein, Microsoft is also leveraging drone technology to capture and
test mosquitoes for infectious disease. Ideally, this intelligence could be used to 70
protect local residents, and in the future could be used to prevent epidemics
before they begin. While drones have successfully served the noble mission of
animal protection and conservation efforts, these devices have been expanded
to trace unlawful animal hunting and trapping activities, as well as to track and
incarcerate poachers. 75

V Despite all the benefits, why do people still have a negative perception of
drones? According to a recent report, the main concern people have is with the
consumers themselves. Drone users tend to neglect security hazards; showing
a lack of common sense and displaying recklessness in drone use, which pose
serious negative consequences for the entire drone industry. Crashing a drone 80
into a neighbour’s yard does not make you look good, but putting national
security at risk is worse. In a September 2014 incident, a drone attack on
Angela Merkel, a German politician, during her public speech, has resulted in a
significant discussion of using drones for security issues. The risk of drone
technology interfering with navigational tools, like crashing into a plane, is also 85
high. In 2016, a commercial drone slipped through under the radar at the
Heathrow Airport and nearly hit the British Airways vessel. The number of such
occurrences has quadrupled in recent years with as many as 23 near collisions
registered by the airport authorities. Drones can also be a great nuisance
during emergency operations, if operated by amateurs. During a wildfire in 90

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Southern California, five commercial drones recorded mobilising in the air, have
delayed the response time of fire fighters’ helicopters by around 15-20 minutes -
a time which could have been spent on pacifying the fire. In 2016, a drone was
caught carrying 6 pounds of synthetic drugs at the US/Mexican border, and
another was caught with 28 pounds of heroin when trying to pass over the 95
border close to San Diego. Clearly, there should be persistent concerns and
rulings on the use of these unmarked commercial vessels.

VI The next generation of drones, Generation 7, is already underway,

as 3DRobotics announced the world’s first all-in-one Smart Drone called Solo.
Smart drones with built-in safeguards and compliance technology, smart 100
accurate sensors, and self-monitoring are the next big revolution in drone
technology that would provide new opportunities in transport, military, logistics,
and commercial sectors. As these technologies continue to evolve and grow,
drones will become safer and more dependable. This would allow for their
subsequent mass adoption, provided that strict legislations surrounding drone 105
technology and usage is tightened to some degree.

Adapted from https://www.cbinsights.com/research/drone-impact-society-uav/

https://www.businessinsider.com/drone-technology-uses-2017-
7/?IR=TExploring the latest drone technology for commercial,
industrial and military drone uses

QUESTION 1
State whether the following statements are TRUE (T) or FALSE (F).

i. Drones are particularly designed for surveillance use in the military.

ii. Global militaries plan to spend $70 billion to replace human pilots.

iii. Drone technology could be used to prevent epidemic outbreaks.

iv. 23 plane collisions have been recorded at the Heathrow Airport since
2016.

(4 marks)

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QUESTION 2
What do the following words mean as used in the passage?
a) stagnant (line 11) : ___________________________________________

b) outfitted (line 39) : ___________________________________________

c) poaching (line 58) : ___________________________________________

d) nuisance (line 89) : ___________________________________________

(4 marks)

QUESTION 3
All of the following statements are FALSE on the use of drones except
(Circle two (2) answers.)

i. Drones have been used in the military since World War I.

ii. Quick access to medicine, and medical technology through drones increases
survival rates.
iii. Camera drones could track the movement of infections from animals to humans.
iv. Surveillance drones could detect forest fires three minutes before they occur.
(2 marks)

QUESTION 4
How do drones used at other countries’ arm forces differ from those used in the Royal
Malaysian Air Force?
_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

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QUESTION 5

Why would the military sector continue to apply the UAVs in various military operations?

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

QUESTION 6
Explain what the writer means by the following statement.
‘This vehicle, dubbed ‘Project Hero’, is hoped to save lives by speeding up response times in
confined areas with limited lines of sight.’ (lines 44-46)
_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

QUESTION 7
What are the benefits of the innovation of drones on animal conservations?
_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

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QUESTION 8
‘Crashing a drone into a neighbour’s yard does not make you look good, but putting national
security at risk is worse.’ (lines 80-82)
What can you infer from the statement?
_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

QUESTION 9

State two (2) positive consequences if drone users are more alert and cautious in the use of
drones?
i) _____________________________________________________________________

ii) _____________________________________________________________________

(2 marks)

QUESTION 10
Based on the passage, do you think drones should be allowed for an individual’s private
use?
Provide two (2) reasons to justify your answer.
_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

(3 marks)

END OF QUESTION PAPER

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