PREPARATION FOR NEC 2021- No 33

I. LISTENING
Part 1. For questions 1-5, listen to a talk with the author of a book called The Dolphin Way and decide
whether these statements are True (T), False (F), or Not Given (NG). Write your answers in the
corresponding numbered boxes provided.
1. According to the author, Gen Z are very familiar with digital technology and computers because they
have grown up with them. T
2. Having a healthy diet will teach children how to find useful information and get rid of junk stuff on the
Internet. NG
3. Jellyfish and tiger parenting are opposite to each other and there cannot be any compromise between
them. F
4. Most Gen Z need a strong sense of purpose in what they do as they are highly public-spirited. T
5. The new era requires every Gen Z to optimally make use of Google by asking the right questions. NG
Part 2. For questions 6-10, listen to a talk about teeth. What is said about them? Choose FIVE letters
from A-J. Write the correct letter in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. Your answers can be
written in any order.
A. The accessories made from teeth that the Vikings put on were regarded as lucky charms.
B. Barbers and blacksmiths had a knack for dentistry.
C. Only after the complete formation of the child set of teeth can the presence of wisdom teeth be felt.
D. An average person has more adult teeth than milk teeth.
E. Grills and virtual filters can now serve to beautify teeth.
F. The majority of British mature people reported having dental filling at least seven times during their life.
G. The substitution of toothpaste for natural parts has resulted in a lucrative industry.
H. Sharks have the ability to replenish their teeth once they are lost.
I. A 7-year-old boy was found to have 536 teeth inside his mouth.
J. In the Middle East, children used to be instructed to burn their baby teeth in order to avoid hardship in the
afterlife.
Answer: (In any order): A – D – E – G - H
Part 3. For questions 11-16, listen to part of an interview with two students called Jolie and Alan about a
TV series they watch called ‘The Sensing Brain’ and choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which fits best
according to what you hear. Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided.

11. What point is made about a good sense of smell?

A It is a natural ability that is hard to improve.
B Some people have a far better one than others.
C It can be developed in a similar way to other abilities.
D Some people exaggerate how poor theirs is.

12. What does Jolie say about describing perfumes?

A Experts use a vocabulary that is hard for people to understand.
B Some perfumes are too complex to be described.
C Ordinary people sometimes fail to use words appropriately.
D Some perfumes require a particularly specialist vocabulary.

13. What does Alan say about synthetic smells?

A They are able to mislead people into believing they are natural.
B They have a greater effect on people than natural ones.
C They are seen as more unpleasant than natural ones.
D They vary in their popularity with the public.

14. When talking about smell and the brain, Alan reveals
A his belief that humans have superior smelling abilities to some animals.
B his doubts about whether humans and animals should be compared.
C his suspicion of those who report on experiments in the media.
D his awareness of the problems of conducting accurate studies.

15. Alan and Jolie agree that listening to music while studying
A is beneficial if the music chosen is not too emotional.
B has an undesirable effect on their powers of concentration.
C helps the mind to focus on things that are important.
D has different effects depending on the material being studied.

16. When talking about the next episode of the programme, Jolie shows that she
A is worried about the amount of information there is on the internet.
B has doubts about how good the internet is for people.
C believes the internet makes her own life more difficult.
D trusts in her brain’s capacity to evaluate information on the internet

Part 4. For questions 17-25, listen to an interview with Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla on Covid-19 vaccine
manufacturing outlook and supply the blanks with the missing information. Write NO MORE THAN
THREE WORDS OR NUMBERS taken from the recording for each answer in the space provided.
Both Pfizer and Moderna may not suffer from intensified pressure in vaccine manufacturing despite a
soaring in the number of individuals who could become eligible to get the vaccine. Instead, a ramp-up in
alterations to administer more vaccines is considered the 17. main bottleneck ______________________ at
the moment. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla shared his confidence in the company’s ability to deliver the
vaccines on time thanks to the 18. Contacts ______________________ with the US government. This is
viewed as a(n) 19. Mind-boggling ______________________ contrast to the hitherto popular conception
that vaccine supply can be insufficient. For the time being, around 20. 33 million doses ________________
have been released. Because of a 21. Fortuitous finding ______________________ of an extra dose in the
vial and rising productivity in manufacturing, it is also possible to expect an increased pace of vaccine
output on a 22. Steady drumbeat ______________________ all year round. The six doses have been
submitted to all 23. Regulatory authorities ______________________ and already been approved by the
FDA, WHO, EU, Switzerland authorities, 24. Israeli ______________________ authorities etc. Pfizer’s
manufacturing team is now 25. Scaling up ______________________ in virtually impossible speeds.
READING and USE OF ENGLISH
Read the two passages from a scientific magazine, then answer the questions according to the
information given in each passage.
Text 1: Staying in the nest
Leaving the nest might be a traditional rite of passage, but trends demonstrate that young adults must be
entering adulthood through some other doorway, as more and more of them remain living with their parents,
even into their thirties. A recent study on social trends attempts to answer questions about why the nest has
become so hard to leave.
A variety of reasons are attributable to the fact that, in the last 15 years in the UK, there has been an increase
of around 300,000 young adults staying with their mum and dad. One is that many more young people are
enrolling at university, a circumstance which makes juggling the added burdens of utility bills and tuition
fees impossible on one's own. The difficulties don't cease once students graduate either because most end up
saddled with debt due to soaring expenses.
A further look at the figures reveals a more telling account of why more are staying put ... housing in the UK
is simply unaffordable whether you enter higher education or go directly into the workforce. A runaway
housing market has caused a spike in house prices and demand for living space has sent rents through the
roof as well. Forty-four per cent - nearly half of all surveyed 15 to 30-year-olds in Britain - complained that
housing costs weighed heavily on their decision to delay leaving home. Interestingly enough, 12 per cent
stated that the comforts of home were too sweet a deal to give up.
Coupled with the rise in nest-stayers is singledom. The number of marriages being recorded annually in the
past few years is as low as it was in 1895 and the average age for individuals' first-time marriage has jumped
by almost two years since 1996. Additionally, women are on average four years older at the birth of their
first child than they were in 1971. While researchers haven’t determined if the unaffordability of leaving the
nest has attributed to these changes, or if it's just a personal choice among the youth of today, it is noted that
living at home has become much easier due to the generation gap being less of an issue. As such, adult
children feel more comfortable around their parents than they used to, which means that, for whatever
reason, this changing trend is not causing much additional friction between the parties involved.
Text 2: a bed- living- bath- cooking- dining room
Demand for living space in London has reached epic proportions and laws enacted io protect renters from
unscrupulous landlords have barely made a dent in providing a reasonable quality of life in the British
capital. The latest housing act is a perfect example of lawmakers' indifference towards the subject; the
minimum space requirement for renting a studio flat is set at 110 square feet for two adult tenants and at 70
square feet for a single occupant. And be prepared to fork our upwards of 1,000 pounds a month for the
'shoebox' of a home that campaigners against the act label 'rabbit hutch properties'.
This, of course, is not the label used by landlords advertising the space. A 'dynamic studio flat' turns out to
be a unit of less than 88 square feet, an 'ear-in kitchen area' describes a room which is both a kitchen and a
shower, and 'mezzanine sleeping gallery' translates to a bed that’s more or less hung from the ceiling. The
descriptions also fail to mention the appalling conditions of the exorbitantly priced rentals.
Most of these studios – or 'semi' studios - are part of what was once a large, normal-sized flat. The modus
operandi is this: the owner of the flat will have it 're-sectioned' and rent our every single room in the flat as a
separate semi-studio, in order to maximise profits. Almost no room in a flat is spared; thus, not only do
bedrooms, living rooms and dining rooms become self-contained bedsits with tiny cooking areas, but so does
the kitchen. In one such case, the landlord didn’t even bother to remove the cupboards from the kitchen, so it
was obvious which of the half a dozen semi-studios in the flat was once the kitchen of the main flat.
As useful as the housing act can be, raising the legal minimum size of habitations is only one step in
stemming the tide of 'rabbit hutch properties' entering the marker each year; which one study stares is 20,000
annually in London alone. What would go further in remedying this crisis would be to build more housing to
accommodate demand. Sadly, as more individuals flood the city looking for a place to stay near their work,
a revolt against renting these types of properties altogether seems unlikely
Text 1 Text 2
1. What is the main purpose of this passage? 5. How can the author’s attitude throughout
a. to provide solutions to a problem the article best be described?
b. to explain a changing situation a. indignant b. complacent
c. to report on worrying trends c. indifferent d. puzzled
d. to outline a history of trends 6. Which of the following has resulted from
2. In the second sentence of paragraph 2, which the housing act described in the passage?
of these words could replace juggling? a. caps on maximum amounts of monthly rent
a. avoiding b. moving b. standards of cleanliness for living quarters
c. paying d. managing c. guaranteed minimum amount of space per flat
3 Which reason is a secondary cause of young d. straightforward reporting of rental adverts
people staying at home into adulthood? 7. In the second sentence of paragraph 3, how
a. obtaining higher education would you define modus operandi?
b. rising costs of housing a. a usual way of doing things
c. tendencies to remain unmarried b. a type of rental agreement
d. comforts afforded in the home c. a dishonest landlord
4. Why does the author mention the rise in the d. a legal requirement
average marrying age? 8. what solution does the author suggest for
a. to establish a connection with other factors improving the situation?
b. to report on another changing trend a. It is a matter of implementing stricter laws.
c. to describe a worry among young people’s parents b. Renters must shun semi- studios, forcing a change.
d. to discuss a result of changing personal choices c. Simply building more homes will solve the crisis.
d. A two- pronged solution is necessary.
VOCABULARY
A. Circle the correct words
1. The landlord / tenant is asking for the rent; it was due two weeks ago!
2. The kingdom had no intention participating in a regional war and remained neutral/ sovereign.
3. Let's dismiss / dispense with the pleasantries and get down to business, shall we?
4. Catalonia is a(n) autonomous / liberated region of Spain, meaning it largely governs itself but it must
still adhere to Spanish law.
5. To rent this flat, you must provide a list of utilities/ references that your past payment history can be
checked.
6. It's a spacious office, so spend some time obligating/ orientating so that you know where everything is.
7. I’m being called away on business for six months and I would like to sublet/ let my flat so that I’m not
paying rent for a place I’m not living in.
8. foreigners are often not emancipated/ enfranchised to vote in the elections of their host country
B. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in bold.
1. South Sudan gained its _________ from Sudan in 2011. DEPEND dependence  independence
2. The _________ notices states that you have ten days to vacate the property. EVICT eviction
3. Even though he was merely renting it, Henry has a sense of _________ to his flat that made him believe
he could do what he wanted with it. TITLE entitlement
4. When asked how the party was, Kelly smiled faintly and gave the_________ answer. OBLIGATE
obligatory
5. Mel was _________ so she sat down for a minute to correct her thoughts. ORIENTATE disorientated
6. Jeff wasn’t very sensitive to his employees’ needs and was often _________ of them. DISMISS-
dismissive
7. Louis’s supreme _________ was on display when he tossed a pile of paperwork up into the air and
stormed out of his office. MATURE immaturity
8. No one down here makes workplace decisions; they’re all made_________. HIERARCHY hierarchically
C. Complete the sentences using these words
fend lift pull settle stand step strike tend
1. After it was revealed that the executive lied on his CV he was asked to________ down from his post.
step
2. Helen managed to________ out on her own after years with the agency. strike
3. Don’t be so dramatic; just________ down and pull yourself together. settle
4. Mary broke her ankle, so could you________ in for her at Saturday night's performance? stand
5. I can't give you any more help on this project; I'm afraid you're just going to have to________ for
yourself. fend
6. If you can't________ your own weight around here, they're likely to find a replacement. pull
7. Don't waste your time asking Tom for assistance; he won't________ a finger to help you. lift
8. I suggest you________ to all your affairs before you decide to take a leave of absence from work. Tend
(deal with the problems)
D. Complete the text with one word in each gap.
Some simple wisdom
Being an adult means more than just being grown (1- up) ________ , but showing that you can make
responsible decisions. Here are some examples of irresponsible behavior in the context of work.
An employee who’s continually saddled (2- with) ________ frustrating tasks at work storms into their boss's
office and hands (3-in) ________ their resignation. On top of that, they've got no money saved and no other
job lined up. It sets off a chain of events in which they wind up flat broke, fall (4- _behind_______ ) back
on their rent and have to lean (5-on) ________ parents or friends for support. behind
Conversely, an employee who's bored at work, constantly misses deadlines, and is generally unhappy and
unpleasant to be around can be given their walking (6- papers) ________ or, if there's a downturn in the
company, wind up (find yourself in an unexpected and usually unpleasant situation) laid (7-off) ________ as
no employer would want to keep such an ineffective member of staff on board.
The responsible reaction is this: realise the situation you're in and do something about it – rationally! Either
talk to your boss about the work you're being given and the effect it's having on you, or line another job up
and resign (8- _from_______) on your post in a calm, respectable manner. In the end, you'll be very proud
of yourself for handling it this way
E. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence
1. Margaret will be on________ leave for several months after the baby is born.
a. parenthood b. paternity c. motherhood d. maternity
2. Companies are required to pay ________ for hourly employees who work more than 40 hours per week.
a. overtime b. flexitime c. downtime d. sometime
3. If you decide to take early________, you may find that your pension will be much lower.
a. resignation b. release c. retirement d. retreat
4. I’m here to ______my resignation because I've found a better-paying job elsewhere.
a. submit b. propose c. hand d. tender
5. Susie doesn't do a whole lot of work around the office because she's very good at________ her duties.
a. delegating b. assigning c. entrusting d. committing
6 This job doesn't require a lot of high-level skills as it’s mostly________ labour.
a. bodily b. manual c. brute d. unreferred
7. The________ costs I had to pay for this flat meant I had to save up for four months.
a. rising b. start-up c. forward d. upfront
8. The disgruntled employee was ________ from the property by force.
a. confiscated b. eliminated c. eradicated d. removed
Read the text below and decide which answer (a, b, c or d) best fits each gap.
The fulfilling gap year
Gap years are quite common in many parts of the world and most young people, upon leaving high school,
feel (1) ______ to one. It's plain to see how the idea would be (2) ______; taking a year off from studies to
travel the world and consider your future sounds like bliss. Adverts for gap years contain (3) ______ that
read 'The best year of my life' and 'Total adventure, Totally rewarding', and offer the newly (4) ______
student the opportunity to learn more about themselves while learning about the world.
Of course, a gap year shouldn't be (5) ______ as just a time to party, and as attractive as it may sound, one
must not get (6) ______ in by that notion. One way to make the most of this time is to get involved in some
inspiring voluntary work abroad. There is more than a (7) ______ of truth in the idea that immersion in a
new culture will teach you more about yourself than any classroom ever would. It will allow you to reach a
level of emotional (8) ______ that will stay with you for a lifetime.
1. a. permitted b. entitled c. designated d. allowed
2. a. teasing b. touting c. tempting d. taunting
3. a. captions b. billboards c. jingles d. editions
4. a. emancipated b. liberated c. independent d. sovereign
5. a. dismissed b. denied c. denounced d. dissuaded
6. a. pulled b. sucked c. forced d. swept
7. a. mark b. grade c. degree d. notch
8. a. wisdom b. ripeness c. adulthood d. maturity
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in bold.
Creative job security
One of the best way to avoid a (1- DISMISS- dismissal) ________ from work is to make yourself (2-
DISPENSE- indispensable) ________ around the office. If a company ever decides to lay people off,
managers often make emotional decisions. As such, hard-working yet (3- CHARISMA- ________)
(non)charismatic  uncharismatic________ individuals might be more likely to get the sack over those
who are lazy but have a more charming personality overall.
So how does one secure a position high up in the (4- HIERARCHY- hierarchical) ________ structure?
Some good advice is to generate a buzz about yourself. Talking to everyone in the company, from the post
room assistant to the CEO, can result in the (5- ACQUIRE- acquisition) _______ of valuable knowledge
about specific processes in the organization. Then, making the higher-ups believe you're the only one who
knows it - without seeming (6- MANIPULATE- manipulative) _______, of course - might just shield you
from a job loss. It takes months of the right moves to accomplish this, though, but if you genuinely like the
company you work for and are not doing it just to save your job, then there's nothing (7- HYPOCRITE-
hypocritical) _________ about building this kind of rapport with your superiors. If and when that fateful day
comes, they might feel they have a(n) (8- OBLIGATE- obligation) _______to keep you on board, lest the
company will suffer without the integral cog that is you.
Complete the text with one word in each gap.
Consumerism in Greenland
Storytelling was once (1- a) _______ rich tradition in Greenland, but sadly, it's being killed off by
consumerism. Whereas Greenlanders once used to gather round fires and tell stories to (2- each) _______
other, nowadays they sit in front of (3- the) _______ television watching Danish cartoons and American
films. (4- __Neither_____) Most None of these is subtitled in the local language, as Greenlander words are
too long to fit on the screen. As a result, their linguistic heritage is threatened. And (5- _what______) as
familiarized conflicting along with the lifestyle and behaviour portrayed in mainstream films, Greenlanders
are in danger of being sucked (6- __in_____) away by a decadent- lifestyle and wishing they (7-
themselves) _______ were leading these kinds of lives.
All of this has allowed a kind of extreme loneliness to take hold. Thankfully, in (8- order) _______ to
preserve their rich stories as well as their language, a linguist from the UK, Stephen Pax Leonard, has
chosen to station (9- himself) ______ in the region. He transcribes local languages (10- so) _______ that
they will live on for posterity, giving Greenlanders hope that their heritage will not be forgotten.
WRITING
Read the following extract and use your own words to summarise it. Your summary should be
between 100 and 120 words long
Nowadays we know a lot about the link between carbon dioxide (C02) emissions and global warming.
However, we seem to be unaware of one very dangerous pollutant, soot also called black carbon.

Soot comes from the incomplete combustion or coal, oil, wood and other fuels. In other words diesel
engines, vehicle exhaust pipes, farming machines, construction equipment, or simply fires in grills,
fireplaces, and stoves are potential sources of soot. It appears in our daily life and can easily affect every one
of us.

Soot like all black things absorbs sunlight and heats up the atmosphere. According to recent research, it is
the second most damaging greenhouse gas after C02, and twice as harmful to the climate. Although black
carbon remains in the atmosphere for no more than seven days it is particularly damaging to frozen areas.
Soot emissions might be responsible for the quick melting of the Arctic. Controlling black carbon can help
to slow down global warming.

Soot does not only have an impact on globs warming and climate change, but is also unhealthy. A soot
particle is very tiny – smaller than dust and mould, and about 1/30 the width of a human hair. It can easily
go into our bloodstream and lungs via the nose and throat. As a result, breathing in the tiny particles car
cause asthma attacks, heart disease, bronchitis and many other respiratory illnesses.

Large quantities of man-made soot enter the atmosphere every year. The effects are most damaging
regionally, especially in South and East Asia, Latin America and parts of Africa. In developing countries,
reducing soot emissions can be achieved by replacing traditional stoves with clean, alternative fuel cookers
and heaters. Installation of filters to remove black carbon from diesel vehicles can also reduce soot.
Changing to electric or hydrogen vehicles will also reduce the impact on the environment.

In conclusion, reducing black carbon will have immediate benefits in slowing down global warming and the
melting of the Arctic snow and ice. It would also prevent many soot-related deaths and illnesses.