EX 1:

In Praise of Amateurs

Despite the specialization of scientific research, amateurs still have an important role to play.

During the scientific revolution of the 17th century, scientists were largely men of private
means who pursued their interest in natural philosophy for their own edification. Only in the
past century or two has it become possible to make a living from investigating the workings
of nature. Modern science was, in other words, built on the work of amateurs. Today, science
is an increasingly specialized and compartmentalized subject, the domain of experts who
know more and more about less and less. Perhaps surprisingly, however, amateurs – even
those without private means – are still important.

A recent poll carried out at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science by astronomer Dr Richard Fienberg found that, in addition to his field of astronomy,
amateurs are actively involved in such fields as acoustics, horticulture, ornithology,
meteorology, hydrology and palaeontology. Far from being crackpots, amateur scientists are
often in close touch with professionals, some of whom rely heavily on their co-operation.

Admittedly, some fields are more open to amateurs than others. Anything that requires
expensive equipment is clearly a no-go area. And some kinds of research can be dangerous;
most amateur chemists, jokes Dr Fienberg, are either locked up or have blown themselves to
bits. But amateurs can make valuable contributions in fields from rocketry to palaeontology
and the rise of the Internet has made it easier than before to collect data and distribute results.

Exactly which field of study has benefited most from the contributions of amateurs is a
matter of some dispute. Dr Fienberg makes a strong case for astronomy. There is, he points
out, a long tradition of collaboration between amateur and professional sky watchers.
Numerous comets, asteroids and even the planet Uranus were discovered by amateurs.
Today, in addition to comet and asteroid spotting, amateurs continue to do valuable work
observing the brightness of variable stars and detecting novae- ‘new’ stars in the Milky Way
and supernovae in other galaxies. Amateur observers are helpful, says Dr Fienberg, because
there are so many of them (they far outnumber professionals) and because they are distributed
all over the world. This makes special kinds of observations possible:’ if several observers
around the world accurately record the time when a star is eclipsed by an asteroid, for
example, it is possible to derive useful information about the asteroid’s shape.

Another field in which amateurs have traditionally played an important role is palaeontology.
Adrian Hunt, a palaeontologist at Mesa Technical College in New Mexico, insists that his is
the field in which amateurs have made the biggest contribution. Despite the development of
high-tech equipment, he says, the best sensors for finding fossils are human eyes – lots of
them.

Finding volunteers to look for fossils is not difficult, he says, because of the near universal
interest in anything to do with dinosaurs. As well as helping with this research, volunteers
learn about science, a process he calls ‘recreational education’.

Rick Bonney of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York, contends that
amateurs have contributed the most in his field. There are, he notes, thought to be as many as
60 million birdwatchers in America alone. Given their huge numbers and the wide
geographical coverage they provide, Mr Bonney has enlisted thousands of amateurs in a
number of research projects. Over the past few years their observations have uncovered
previously unknown trends and cycles in bird migrations and revealed declines in the
breeding populations of several species of migratory birds, prompting a habitat conservation
programme.

Despite the successes and whatever the field of study, collaboration between amateurs and
professionals is not without its difficulties. Not everyone, for example is happy with the term
‘amateur’. Mr Bonney has coined the term ‘citizen scientist’ because he felt that other words,
such as ‘volunteer’ sounded disparaging. A more serious problem is the question of how
professionals can best acknowledge the contributions made by amateurs. Dr Fienberg says
that some amateur astronomers are happy to provide their observations but grumble about not
being reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses. Others feel let down when their observations
are used in scientific papers, but they are not listed as co-authors. Dr Hunt says some amateur
palaeontologists are disappointed when told that they cannot take finds home with them.

These are legitimate concerns but none seems insurmountable. Provided amateurs and
professionals agree the terms on which they will work together beforehand, there is no reason
why co-operation between the two groups should not flourish. Last year Dr S. Carlson,
founder of the Society for Amateur Scientists won an award worth $290,000 for his work in
promoting such co-operation. He says that one of the main benefits of the prize is the
endorsement it has given to the contributions of amateur scientists, which has done much to
silence critics among those professionals who believe science should remain their exclusive
preserve.

At the moment, says Dr Carlson, the society is involved in several schemes including an
innovative rocket-design project and the setting up of a network of observers who will search
for evidence of a link between low- frequency radiation and earthquakes. The amateurs, he
says, provide enthusiasm and talent, while the professionals provide guidance ‘so that
anything they do discover will be taken seriously’. Having laid the foundations of science,
amateurs will have much to contribute to its ever – expanding edifice.

Choose from ONE to TWO words to complete the summary.

Summary

Prior to the 19th century, professional 1____________ did not exist and scientific research
was largely carried out by amateurs. However, while 2_____________ today is mostly the
domain of professionals, a recent US survey highlighted the fact that amateurs play an
important role in at least seven 3________________ and indeed many professionals are
reliant on their 4__________________ . In areas such as astronomy, amateurs can be
invaluable when making specific 5_________________ on a global basis. Similarly in the
area of palaeontology their involvement is invaluable and helpers are easy to recruit because
of the popularity of 6__________________ . Amateur bird watchers also play an active role
and their work has led to the establishment of a 7___________________ . Occasionally the
term 'amateur' has been the source of disagreement and alternative names have been
suggested but generally speaking, as long as the professional scientists
8___________________ the work of the non-professionals, the two groups can work
productively together.
Questions 9-13
Reading Passage 1 contains a number of opinions provided by four different scientists. Match each
opinion (Questions 9-13) with the scientists A-D.

NB You may use any of the scientists A-D more than once.
9 Amateur involvement can also be an instructive pastime.
10 Amateur scientists are prone to accidents.
11 Science does not belong to professional scientists alone.
12 In certain areas of my work, people are a more valuable resource than technology.
13 It is important to give amateurs a name which reflects the value of their work.

Name of scientists
A. Dr Fienberg
B. Adrian Hunt
C. Rick Bonney
D. Dr Carlson

EX 2:

Computer Games for Preschoolers: Nintendo’s Research and Design Process

Designing computer games for young children is a daunting task for game producers, who,
for a long time, have concentrated on more “hard core” game fans. This article chronicles
the design process and research involved in creating Nintendo DS for preschool gamers.
After speaking with our producers who have a keen interest in designing for the DS, we
finally agreed on three key goals for our project. First, to understand the range of physical
and cognitive abilities of preschoolers in the context of handheld system game play; second,
to understand how preschool gamers interact with the DS, specifically how they control the
different forms of play and game mechanics offered by the games presently on the market for
this platform; third, to understand the expectation of preschooler’s parents concerning the
handheld systems as well as the purchase and play contexts within which game play occurs.
The team of research decided that in-home ethnographies with preschoolers and their families
would yield comprehensive database with which to give our producers more information and
insights, so we start by conducting 26 in-home ethnographies in three markets across the
United States: an East coast urban/suburban area, a West coast urban/suburban area, and a
Midwest suburban/rural area.
The subject is this study included 15 girls and 11 boys ranging from 3 years and 3 months old
to 5 years and 11 months old. Also, because previous research had shown the effects of older
siblings on game play (demonstrated, for example, by more advanced motor coordination
when using a computer mouse), households were employed to have a combination of
preschoolers with and without elder peers. In order to understand both “experienced” and
“new” preschool users of the platform, we divided the sample so that 13 families owned at
least one Nintendo DS and the others did not. For those households that did not own a DS,
one was brought to the interview for the kid to play. This allowed us to see both the
instinctive and intuitive movements of the new players (and of the more experienced players
when playing new games), as well as the learned movements of the more experienced
players. Each of those interviews took about 60 to 120 minutes and included the preschooler,
at least one parent, and often siblings and another caregiver.
Three kinds of information were collected after each interview. From any older siblings and
the parents that were available, we gathered data about: the buying decisions surrounding
game systems in the household, the family’s typical game play patterns, levels of parental
moderation with regard to computer gaming, and the most favorite games play by family
members. We could also understand the ideology of gaming in these homes because of these
in-home interviews: what types of spaces were used for game play, how the system were
installed, where the handheld play occurred in the house (as well as on-the-go play), and the
number and type of games and game systems owned. The most important is, we gathered the
game-playing information for every single kid.
Before carrying out the interviews, the research team had closely discussed with the in-house
game producers to create a list of game mechanics and problems tied to preschoolers’ motor
and cognitive capabilities that were critical for them to understand prior to writing the games.
These ranged from general dexterity issues related to game controllers to the effectiveness of
in-game instructions to specific mechanics in current games that the producers were
interested in implementing for future preschool titles. During the interviews, the moderator
gave specific guidance to the preschooler through a series of games, so that he or she could
observe the interaction and probe both the preschooler and his or her parents on feelings,
attitudes, and frustrations that arose in the different circumstances.
If the subject in the experiment had previous exposure to the DS system, he or she was first
asked to play his or her favorite game on the machine. This gave the researchers information
about current level of gaming skill related to the complexity of the chosen one, allowing them
to see the child playing a game with mechanics he or she was already familiar with. Across
the 26 preschoolers, the Nintendo DS selections scope were very broad, including New Super
Mario Bros, Sonic Rush, Nintendogs, and Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground. The interview
observed the child play, noting preferences for game mechanic and motor interactions with
device as well as the complexity level each game mechanic was for the tested subject. The
researchers asked all of the preschoolers to play with a specific game in consultation with our
producers, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. The game was chosen for two
major reasons. First, it was one of the few games on the market with characters that appeal to
this young age group. Second, it incorporated a large variety of mechanics that highlighted
the uniqueness of the DS platform, including using the microphone for blowing or singing.
The findings from this initial experiment were extensive. After reviewing the outcomes and
discussing the implications for the game design with our internal game production team, we
then outlined the designing needs and presented the findings to a firm specializing in game
design. We worked closely with those experts to set the game design for the two preschool-
targeted DS games under development on what we had gathered.
As the two DS games went into the development process, a formative research course of
action was set up. Whenever we developed new game mechanics, we brought preschoolers
into our in-house utility lab to test the mechanics and to evaluate both their simplicity, and
whether they were engaging. We tested either alpha or beta versions of different elements of
the game, in addition to looking at overarching game structure. Once a full version of the DS
game was ready, we went back into the field test with a dozen preschoolers and their parents
to make sure that each of the game elements worked for the children, and that the overall
objective of the game was understandable and the process was enjoyable for players. We also
collected parent’s feedback on whether they thought the game is appropriate, engaging, and
worth the purchase.
Exploratory Research Project
Main Objectives:
● Determine the relevant 1___________ in the context
● Observe how preschoolers manage playing
● Investigate attitudes of 2___________ towards games
Subjects:
● 26 children from different US 3___________
● Age range: 3 years and 3 months to 5 years and 11 months
● Some children have older 4 ___________
● Equal number of new and 5 ___________ players
● Some households have Nintendo DS and some don’t
Length of Interviews: 1-2 hours

Questions 6-9
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet, 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 One area of research is how far mothers and fathers controlled children’s playing after
school.
7 The researchers are allowed a free access to the subject’s houses.
8 The researchers regarded The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure as likely appeal
to preschoolers.
9 The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure is operated entirely by hand controls.

Complete the flow-chart below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answer in boxes on your answer sheet.
Using the results of the study
↓
Presentation of design requirements to a specialist 10 ___________
 ↓
Testing the mechanics of two new games in the Nintendo lab
(assess 11___________ and interest)
↓
A 12___________ of the games trailed be twelve children

↓
Collection of 13___________ from parents

EX 3:

Moles happy as homes go underground

A - An underground home is discovered

The first anybody knew about Dutchman Frank Siegmunds and his family was when
workmen tramping through a field found a narrow steel chimney protruding through the
grass. Closer inspection revealed a chink of sky-light window among the thistles, and when
amazed investigators moved down the side of the hill they came across a pine door complete
with leaded diamond glass and a brass knocker set into an underground building. The
Siegmunds had managed to live undetected for six years outside the border town of Breda, in
Holland. They are the latest in a clutch of individualistic homemakers who have burrowed
underground in search of tranquillity.

B - Homes sold before completion

Most, falling foul of strict building regulations, have been forced to dismantle their
individualistic homes and return to more conventional lifestyles. But subterranean suburbia,
Dutch-style, is about to become respectable and chic. Seven luxury homes cosseted away
inside a high earth-covered noise embankment next to the main Tilburg city road recently
went on the market for $296,500 each. The foundations had yet to be dug, but customers
queued up to buy the unusual part-submerged houses, whose back wall consists of a grassy
mound and whose front is a long glass gallery.

C - Developing underground services around the world

The Dutch are not the only would-be moles. Growing numbers of Europeans are burrowing
below ground to create houses, offices, discos and shopping malls. It is already proving a way
of life in extreme climates; in winter months in Montreal, Canada, for instance, citizens can
escape the cold in an underground complex complete with shops and even health clinics. In
Tokyo builders are planning a massive underground city to be begun in the next decade, and
underground shopping malls are already common in Japan, where 90 percent of the
population is squeezed into 20 percent of the landspace.
D - Some buildings do not require natural light

Building big commercial buildings underground can be a way to avoid disfiguring or

threatening a beautiful or “environmentally sensitive” landscape. Indeed many of the
buildings which consume most land - such as cinemas, supermarkets, theatres, warehouses or
libraries - have no need to be on the surface since they do not need windows.

E - Demands on space and energy are reduced

There are big advantages, too, when it comes to private homes. A development of 194 houses
which would take up 14 hectares of land above ground would occupy 2.7 hectares below it,
while the number of roads would be halved. Under several metres of earth, noise is minimal
and insulation is excellent. “We get 40 to 50 enquiries a week,” says Peter Carpenter,
secretary of the British Earth Sheltering Association, which builds similar homes in Britain.
"People see this as a way of building for the future." An underground dweller himself,
Carpenter has never paid a heating bill, thanks to solar panels and natural insulation.

F - A designer describes his houses

In Europe the obstacle has been conservative local authorities and developers who prefer to
ensure quick sales with conventional mass produced housing. But the Dutch development
was greeted with undisguised relief by South Limburg planners because of Holland's chronic
shortage of land. It was the Tilburg architect Jo Hurkmans who hit on the idea of making use
of noise embankments on main roads. His two- floored, four-bedroomed, two- bathroomed
detached homes are now taking shape. "They are not so much below the earth as in it," he
says. "All the light will come through the glass front, which runs from the second floor
ceiling to the ground. Areas which do not need much natural lighting are at the back. The
living accommodation is to the front so nobody notices that the back is dark."

G - Worldwide examples of underground living accommodation

In the US, where energy-efficient homes became popular after the oil crisis of 1973, 10,000
underground houses have been built. A terrace of five homes, Britain's first subterranean
development, is under way in Nottinghamshire. Italy's outstanding example of subterranean
architecture is the Olivetti residential centre in Ivrea. Commissioned by Roberto Olivetti in
1969, it comprises 82 one-bedroomed apartments and 12 maisonettes and forms a house/
hotel for Olivetti employees. It is built into a hill and little can be seen from outside except a
glass facade. Patnzia Vallecchi, a resident since 1992, says it is little different from living in a
conventional apartment.

H - Simulating a natural environment

Not everyone adapts so well, and in Japan scientists at the Shimizu Corporation have
developed "space creation" systems which mix light, sounds, breezes and scents to stimulate
people who spend long periods below ground. Underground offices in Japan are being
equipped with "virtual" windows and mirrors, while underground departments in the
University of Minnesota have periscopes to reflect views and light.

I - How an underground family home developed

But Frank Siegmund and his family love their hobbit lifestyle. Their home evolved when he
dug a cool room for his bakery business in a hill he had created. During a heatwave they took
to sleeping there. "We felt at peace and so close to nature," he says. "Gradually I began
adding to the rooms. It sounds strange but we are so close to the earth we draw strength from
its vibrations. Our children love it; not every child can boast of being watched through their
playroom windows by rabbits.

Questions 1-8
Reading Passage has nine paragraphs (A-I).
Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the appropriate numbers (i-xii) in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.
Paragraph A has been done for you as an example.
NB There are more headings than paragraphs so you will not use all of them.
List of Headings
i A designer describes his houses
ii Most people prefer conventional housing
iii Simulating a natural environment
iv How an underground family home developed
v Demands on space and energy are reduced
vi The plans for future homes
vii Worldwide examples of underground living accommodation
viii Some buildings do not require natural light
ix Developing underground services around the world
x Underground living improves health
xi Homes sold before completion
xii An underground home is discovered
Example Answer
Paragraph A xii
1 Paragraph B
2 Paragraph C
3 Paragraph D
4 Paragraph E
5 Paragraph F
6 Paragraph G
7 Paragraph H
8 Paragraph I
Questions 9-14
Complete the sentences below with words taken from the reading passage.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 9-14 on your answer sheet.
9 Many developers prefer mass-produced houses because they ____________
10 The Dutch development was welcomed by ____________
11 Hurkmans’ houses are built into ____________
12 The Ivrea centre was developed for ____________
13 Japanese scientists are helping people ____________ underground life.
14 Frank Siegmund’s first underground room was used for ____________

EX 4:

The Intersection of Health Sciences and Geography

A While many diseases that affect humans have been eradicated due to improvements in
vaccinations and the availability of healthcare, there are still areas around the world where
certain health issues are more prevalent. In a world that is far more globalised than ever
before, people come into contact with one another through travel and living closer and
closer to each other. As a result, super-viruses and other infections resistant to antibiotics
are becoming more and more common.

B Geography can often play a very large role in the health concerns of certain populations.
For instance, depending on where you live, you will not have the same health concerns as
someone who lives in a different geographical region. Perhaps one of the most obvious
examples of this idea is malaria-prone areas, which are usually tropical regions that foster a
warm and damp environment in which the mosquitos that can give people this disease can
grow. Malaria is much less of a problem in high-altitude deserts, for instance.

C In some countries, geographical factors influence the health and well-being of the
population in very obvious ways. In many large cities, the wind is not strong enough to
clear the air of the massive amounts of smog and pollution that cause asthma, lung
problems, eyesight issues and more in the people who live there. Part of the problem is, of
course, the massive number of cars being driven, in addition to factories that run on coal
power. The rapid industrialisation of some countries in recent years has also led to the
cutting down of forests to allow for the expansion of big cities, which makes it even harder
to fight the pollution with the fresh air that is produced by plants.

D It is in situations like these that the field of health geography comes into its own. It is an
increasingly important area of study in a world where diseases like polio are re-emerging,
respiratory diseases continue to spread, and malaria-prone areas are still fighting to find a
better cure. Health geography is the combination of, on the one hand, knowledge regarding
geography and methods used to analyse and interpret geographical information, and on the
other, the study of health, diseases and healthcare practices around the world. The aim of
this hybrid science is to create solutions for common geography-based health problems.
While people will always be prone to illness, the study of how geography affects our health
could lead to the eradication of certain illnesses, and the prevention of others in the future.
By understanding why and how we get sick, we can change the way we treat illness and
disease specific to certain geographical locations.

E The geography of disease and ill health analyses the frequency with which certain
diseases appear in different parts of the world, and overlays the data with the geography of
the region, to see if there could be a correlation between the two. Health geographers also
study factors that could make certain individuals or a population more likely to be taken ill
with a specific health concern or disease, as compared with the population of another area.
Health geographers in this field are usually trained as healthcare workers, and have an
understanding of basic epidemiology as it relates to the spread of diseases among the
population.

F Researchers study the interactions between humans and their environment that could lead
to illness (such as asthma in places with high levels of pollution) and work to create a clear
way of categorising illnesses, diseases and epidemics into local and global scales. Health
geographers can map the spread of illnesses and attempt to identify the reasons behind an
increase or decrease in illnesses, as they work to find a way to halt the further spread or re-
emergence of diseases in vulnerable populations.

G The second subcategory of health geography is the geography of healthcare provision.

This group studies the availability (of lack thereof) of healthcare resources to individuals
and populations around the world. In both developed and developing nations, there is often
a very large discrepancy between the options available to people in different social classes,
income brackets, and levels of education. Individuals working in the area of the geography
of healthcare provision attempt to assess the levels of healthcare in the area (for instance, it
may be very difficult for people to get medical attention because there is a mountain
between their village and the nearest hospital). These researchers are on the frontline of
making recommendations regarding the policy to international organisations, local
government bodies and others.

H The field of health geography is often overlooked, but it constitutes a huge area of need
in the fields of geography and healthcare. If we can understand how geography affects our
health no matter where in the world we are located, we can better treat disease, prevent
illness, and keep people safe and well.

Questions 1-6
Reading Passage has eight sections, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet
NB You may use any letter more than once.
1 ____an acceptance that not all diseases can be totally eliminated
2 ____ examples of physical conditions caused by human behaviour
3 ____ a reference to classifying diseases on the basis of how far they extend
geographically
4 ____reasons why the level of access to healthcare can vary within a country
5 ____ a description of health geography as a mixture of different academic fields
6 ____a description of the type of area where a particular illness is rare
Questions 7-13
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
7 Certain diseases have disappeared, thanks to better________________ and healthcare.
8 Because there is more contact between people, ________________ are losing their
usefulness.
9 Disease-causing ________________ are most likely to be found in hot, damp regions.
10 One cause of pollution is ________________ that burn a particular fuel.
11 The growth of cities often has an impact on nearby ________________
12 ________________ is one disease that is growing after having been eradicated.
13 A physical barrier such as a ________________ can prevent people from reaching a
hospital.

EX 5:
 Collecting as a hobby
Collecting must be one of the most varied of human activities, and it's one that many of us
psychologists find fascinating.

Many forms of collecting have been dignified with a technical name: an archtophilist collects teddy
bears, a philatelist collects postage stamps, and a deltiologist collects postcards. Amassing hundreds or
even thousands of postcards, chocolate wrappers or whatever, takes time, energy and money that could
surely to much more productive use. And yet there are millions of collectors around the world. Why do
they do it?

There are the people who collect because they want to make money - this could be called an
instrumental reason for collecting; that is, collecting as a means to an end. They'll look for, say, antiques
that they can buy cheaply and expect to be able to sell at a profit. But there may well be a psychological
element, too - buying cheap and selling dear can give the collector a sense of triumph. And as selling
online is so easy, more and more people are joining in.

Many collectors collect to develop their social life, attending meetings of a group of collectors and
exchanging information on items.

This is a variant on joining a bridge club or a gym, and similarly brings them into contact with like-
minded people. Another motive for collecting is the desire to find something special, or a particular
example of the collected item, such as a rare early recording by a particular singer.

Some may spend their whole lives in a hunt for this. Psychologically, this can give a purpose to a life
that otherwise feels aimless.

There is a danger, though, that if the individual is ever lucky enough to find what they're looking for,
rather than celebrating their success, they may feel empty, now that the goal that drove them on has
gone.

If you think about collecting postage stamps another potential reason for it - Or, perhaps, a result of
collecting is its educational value. Stamp collecting opens a window to other countries, and to the plants,
animals, or famous people shown on their stamps.

Similarly, in the 19th century, many collectors amassed fossils, animals and plants from around the
globe, and their collections provided a vast amount of information about the natural world. Without
those collections, our understanding would be greatly inferior to what it is.

In the past - and nowadays, too, though to a lesser extent - a popular form of collecting, particularly
among boys and men, was trainspotting. This might involve trying to see every locomotive of a
particular type, using published data that identifies each one, and ticking off each engine as it is seen.
Trainspotters exchange information, these days often by mobile phone, so they can work out where to
go to, to see a particular engine. As a by-product, many practitioners of the hobby become very
knowledgeable about railway operations, or the technical specifications of different engine types.

Similarly, people who collect dolls may go beyond simply enlarging their collection, and develop an
interest in the way that dolls are made, or the materials that are used. These have changed over the
centuries from the wood that was standard in 16th century Europe, through the wax and porcelain of
later centuries, to the plastics of today's dolls. Or collectors might be inspired to study how dolls reflect
notions of what children like, or ought to like.

Not all collectors are interested in learning from their hobby, though, so what we might call a
psychological reason for collecting is the need for a sense of control, perhaps as a way of dealing with
insecurity. Stamp collectors, for instance, arrange their stamps in albums, usually very neatly, organising
their collection according to certain commonplace principles-perhaps by country in alphabetical order,
or grouping stamps by what they depict -people, birds, maps, and so on.

One reason, conscious or not, for what someone chooses to collect is to show the collector's
individualism. Someone who decides to collect something as unexpected as dog collars, for instance,
may be conveying their belief that they must be interesting themselves. And believe it or not, there is at
least one dog collar museum in existence, and it grew out of a personal collection.

Of course, all hobbies give pleasure, but the common factor in collecting is usually passion: pleasure is
putting it far too mildly. More than most other hobbies, collecting can be totally engrossing, and can
give a strong sense of personal fulfilment. To non-collectors it may appear an eccentric, if harmless,
way of spending time, but potentially, collecting has a lot going for it.

Questions 1-8
Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.
1 The writer mentions collecting ________________ as an example of collecting in order
to make money.
2 Collectors may get a feeling of ________________ from buying and selling items.
3 Collectors’ clubs provide opportunities to share ________________
4 Collectors’ clubs offer ________________ with people who have similar interests.
5 Collecting sometimes involves a life-long ________________ for a special item.
6 Searching for something particular may prevent people from feeling their life is
completely________________
7 Stamp collecting may be ________________ because it provides facts about different
countries.
8 ________________ tends to be mostly a male hobby.

Questions 9-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
In boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet, 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

9 The number of people buying dolls has grown over the centuries
10 Sixteenth century European dolls were normally made of wax and porcelain.
11 Arranging a stamp collection by the size of the stamps is less common than other
methods.
12 Someone who collects unusual objects may want others to think he or she is also
unusual.
13 Collecting gives a feeling that other hobbies are unlikely to inspire.