TOPIC: RESEARCH & STUDIES – LEVEL 2

PASSAGE 1
1.What is a bad habit? The most common definition is that it is something that we do regularly, almost without thinking
about it, and which has some sort of negative consequence. This consequence could affect those around us, or it could affect us
personally. Those who deny having bad habits are probably lying. Bad habits are part of what makes us human.
2.Many early habits, like sucking our thumb, are broken when we are very young. We are either told to stop doing it by
our parents, or we consciously or subconsciously observe that others do not have the same habit, and we gradually grow out of it.
It is when we intentionally or unintentionally pick up new habits in our later childhood or early adulthood that it becomes
a problem. Unless we can break that habit early on, it becomes a part of our life, and becomes' programmed' into our brain.
3.A recent study of human memory suggests that no matter how hard we try to change our habits, it is the old ways that
tend to win, especially in situations where we are rushed, stressed or overworked. Habits that we thought we had got rid of can
suddenly come back. During the study programme, the researchers showed a group of volunteers several pictures, and gave them
words to associate with them (for example, see a picture of tea, and associate it with 'breakfast'). They then showed the volunteers
the same pictures again, and gave them new words to associate with them (see a picture of tea, and say 'afternoon').
4.A few days later, the volunteers were given a test. The researchers showed them the pictures, and told them to respond
with one of the words they had been given for each one. It came as no surprise that their answers were split between the first set
of words and the second. Two weeks later, they were given the same test again. This time, most of them only gave the first set of
words. They appeared to have completely forgotten the second set. The study confirms that the responses we learn first are those
that remain strongest over time. We may try to change our ways, but after a while, the response that comes to mind first is usually
the first one we learned. The more that response is used, the more automatic it becomes and the harder it becomes to respond in
any other way.
5.The study therefore suggests that over time, our bad habits also become automatic, learned behaviour. This is not good
news for people who picked up bad habits early in life and now want to change or break them. Even when we try to put new, good
intentions into practice, those previously learned habits remain stronger in more automatic, unconscious forms of memory.

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 2?

A. We can only break bad habits if people tell us to do so. F
B. Bad habits are usually developed when we are very young. F
C. We learn bad habits from observing other people.
D. Bad habits learnt on purpose are more problematic.
2. The pronoun “them” refers to ______
A. volunteers B. words C. researchers D. pictures
3. The volunteers who took part in the study ______
A. shocked the researchers with the answers they gave in the first test. F
B. found the second test too hard to complete
C. did two different tests F
D. were given two sets of words to be used to respond to the same set of pictures.
4. The pronoun “those” refers to _____
A. responses B. habits C. people D. words
5. The study described in the passage was intended _____
A. to prove that bad habits would be hard to get rid of
B. to prove that people learn things more easily when young
C. to prove that habits learned when young are harder to break
D. to prove that we learn bad habits unconsciously

PASSAGE 2
1.Sleep may reduce mistakes in memory, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by a scientist at Michigan State
University. The findings, which appear in the September issue of the journal Learning El Memory, have practical implications for
many people, from students doing multiple-choice tests to elderly people confusing their medicine, says Kimberly Fenn, principal
investigator and assistant professor of psychology.
2.‘It’s easy to muddle things in your mind,’ Fenn says. This research suggests that after sleep, you’re better able to pick
out the incorrect parts of that memory.’ Fenn and colleagues from the University of Chicago and Washington University in St Louis
studied the presence of incorrect or false memory in groups of college students. While previous research has shown that sleep
improves memory, this study is the first one that looks at errors in memory, she said.
3.Study participants were ‘trained’ by being shown or listening to lists of words. Then, twelve hours later, they were shown
individual words and asked to identify which words they had seen or heard in the earlier session. One group of students was
trained at 10 am and tested at 10 p.m after the course of a normal sleepless day. Another group was trained at night and
tested twelve hours later in the morning, after about six hours of sleep. Three experiments were conducted. In each experiment,
the results showed that students who had slept did not have as many problems with false memory and choose fewer incorrect
words.
4.How does sleep help? The answer isn’t known, Fenn said, but she suspects it may be due to sleep strengthening the
source of the memory. The source, or context in which the information is acquired, is a vital element of the memory process. In
other words, it may be easier to remember something if you can also remember where you first heard or saw it. Or perhaps the
people who didn’t sleep as much during the study received so much other information during the day that this affected their
memory ability, Fenn said.
5.Further research is needed, she said, adding that she plans to study different population groups, particularly the elderly.
‘We know older individuals generally have worse memory performance than younger individuals. We also know from other research
that elderly individuals tend to be more prone to false memories,’ Fenn said. ‘Given the work we’ve done, it’s possible that sleep
may actually help them to reject this false information. And potentially this could help to improve their quality of life.’

1. Which of the following is the primary purpose of this passage?

A. To encourage students of all ages to sleep enough B. To report a study conducted into a value of sleep
C. To describe how a study can be conducted D. To address some unanswered questions about sleep
2. The word ‘implications’ means the same as ______
A. doubts B. values C. suggestions D. experiences
3. The word ‘muddle’ can be replaced by ______
A. commit B. retrieve C. confuse D. organize
4. What is the aim of the study described in the passage?
A. To see if sleep can help reduce errors in memory
B. To prove that sleep improves memory
C. To find out how long each group of people need to sleep for better memory
D. To find out what type of sleep would be best for college learners.
5. It can be inferred from the passage that _______
A. three groups of participants got involved in the experiment F B. the participants did three different types of tasks
C. the participants did the same tasks but at different times of day D. the participants got involved in one experiment.
6. Which of the following would Fenn NOT agree with?
A. The research findings would be useful for people of different age ranges.
B. Sleep improves memory.
C. Too much information may impact the ability to memorise things. T
D. The elderly forget things more easily than the younger. T
7. Which of the following is TRUE about the study described in this passage?
A. Other studies similar to it have been implemented before.
B. Among the participants were elderly college students.
C. Its findings are conclusive.
D. Based on its findings, students should learn new things before a course of sleep.

PASSAGE 3

1.A study was set up to examine the old marriage advice about whether it’s more important to be happy or to be right.
Couples therapists sometimes suggest that in an attempt to avoid constant arguments, spouses weigh up whether pressing the
point is worth the misery of marital discord. The researchers from the University of Auckland noticed that many of their patients
were adding stress to their lives by insisting on being right, even when it worked against their well-being.
2.The researchers then found a couple who were willing to record their quality of life on a scale of 1 to 10. They told the man,
who wanted to be happy more than right, about the purpose of the study and asked him to agree with every opinion and request
his wife had without complaint, even when he profoundly didn’t agree. The wife was not informed of the purpose of the study and
just asked to record her quality of life.
3.Things went rapidly downhill for the couple. The man’s quality-of-life scores fell, from 7 to 3, over the course of the
experiment. The wife’s scores rose modestly, from 8 to 8.5, before she became hostile to the idea of recording the scores. Rather
than creating harmony, the husband’s agreeableness led to the wife becoming increasingly critical of what he did and said (in the
husband’s opinion). After 12 days he broke down, and the study was called off because of “severe adverse outcomes.”
4.The researchers concluded, shockingly, that humans need to be right and acknowledged as right, at least some of the time,
to be happy. They also noted this was further proof that if given too much power, humans tend to “assume the alpha position and,
as with chimpanzees, they become very aggressive and dangerous.” It is often said that there can be no peace without justice, and
that’s true of domestic sphere.
5.Obviously the results are to be taken with extreme caution, since this was just one couple with who-knows-what underlying
issues beforehand. But the study’s chief author, Dr. Bruce Arroll, maintains that the question of happiness vs. rightness,
theoretically, could be settled by scientific inquiry with a wider sample. “This would include a randomized controlled trial,” he says.
“However, we would be reluctant to do the definitive study because of the concern about divorce.”
(Adapted from https://healthland.time.com)
1. Which best serves as the title for the passage?
A. Expert Advice: It Pays to be Kind rather than to be Right B. It’s Worth Listening to Experts for a Happy Marriage
C. Marriage Experiment: It’s Better to be Right than Happy D. It Makes Sense to Avoid Marriage Conflicts
2. The word “discord” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______.
A. disagreement B. status C. understanding D. disloyalty
3. In paragraph 1, the study was conducted in order to _______.
A. illustrate how to live a happier life B. test an old piece of advice on marriage
C. find out the best advice for couples D. see if people are happy in their marriage
4. The word “critical” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to _______.
A. agreeable B. disapproving C. unequal D. encouraging
5. The word “They” in paragraph 4 refers to _______.
A. researchers B. results C. chimpanzees D. humans
6. Which of the following is NOT true, according to the passage?
A. The woman in the study was kept in the dark about its aim. T
B. It was anticipated that people need to be regarded as right to be happy.
C. Having too much power in hand may lead to aggression among people. T
D. In domestic sphere, peace can hardly be maintained without justice. T
7. Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 5?
A. The findings of the study are inconclusive due to its limited sample.
B. Studies of this kind will ultimately lead to divorce among the subjects.
C. Further research on the issue will definitely be conducted with a larger sample.
D. The researchers are willing to continue the study despite its bad influence.

PASSAGE 4
1.Science plays a crucial role in identifying problems related to how natural systems function and deteriorate, particularly
when they are affected by an external factor.  In turn, scientific findings shape the policies introduced to protect such systems
where necessary. Experts are frequently called upon by politicians to provide evidence which can be used to make scientifically
sound, or at least scientifically justifiable policy decisions.
 2.Issues arise as there are frequent disagreements between experts over the way data is gathered and interpreted. An
example of the former is the first scientific evidence of a hole in the ozone layer by the British Antarctic Survey. The findings were
at first greeted by the scientific community with skepticism, as the British Antarctic Survey was not yet an established scientific
community. Moreover, it was generally believed that satellites would have picked up such ozone losses if they were indeed
occurring. It was not until the methodology of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center was reviewed that it became apparent that data
had been overlooked. This was because of the way their computers had been programmed to discard any readings which appeared
anomalous.
3.With regards to the latter, controversy between scientists may arise where data analysis appears to support one policy
over another. In 1991, the World Resource Institute (WRI) published estimates of net emissions and sinks of greenhouse gases for
a number of countries, including India. The report provoked criticisms among Indian scientists who argued that the figures had
failed to take some significant factors into account, leading to overestimated emission values. The WRI was accused of blaming less
economically developed countries for global warming; a stance which, if accepted, could impede industrialisation and sustain, even
widen, the wealth gap.
4.Problems regarding the scientific method are well documented and it is widely accepted by the scientific community that,
however consistent scientists are in their procedures, the results born under different circumstances can vary markedly. A number
of factors influence research, among them the organisation of a laboratory, the influence of prevailing theories, financial constraints
and the peer review process. Consequently, scientists tend to believe they are not in a position to bear universal truths but to
reveal tendencies.
 5.However, this is countered by two factors. Firstly, certain scientific institutions wish to maintain a degree of status as
‘bearers of truth’. Further, policy makers uphold this understanding by requesting scientific certainties in order to legitimise their
policy decisions. According to a number of authors who have documented this process, decision makers do not necessarily try to
obtain all the information which is or could be made available regarding an issue. Rather, they select that information which is
necessary to fulfil their goals, information termed as ‘half-knowledge’. Attempts to underplay transboundary issues such as water
provision and pollution are cases in point. Politicians clearly cannot pretend that certain data do not exist if they are well-known in
scientific communities or national borders, but some discretion is evident, especially where there is controversy and uncertainty.
 6.It is important to note that policies regarding scientific issues are influenced in no small part by societal factors. These
include the relative importance of certain environmental issues, the degree of trust in the institutions conducting the research, and
not least the social standing of those affected by the issue. In other words, environmental problems are in many ways socially
constructed according to the prevailing cultural, economic and political conditions within a society. It has been suggested, for
example, that contemporary 'post-materialist' Western societies pay greater attention to 'quality' - including environmental quality –
than 'quantity'. This theory does not necessarily assume that people of low-income countries have no interest in environmental
protection, as the example of the Chipko movement in India clearly demonstrates, but demonstrates that the way a resource is
valued varies widely among different communities.
 7.Finally, it cannot be denied that the ‘issue of the day’ changes constantly. One issue becomes more or less urgent than
another, based on current events. Concurrently, new issues enter the political agenda. It has been noted that it often takes a 'policy
entrepreneur', someone who dedicates time, energy and financial resources to a certain issue, to raise its profile. Furthermore,
whether an issue is taken up by political, environmental or media groups, depends very much on the degree to which it suits their
particular agenda, not to mention budget.

1. The word ‘sound’ in paragraph 1 means the same as _______

A. audio B. healthy C. reasonable D. complete
2. With reference to paragraph 1, which of the following pieces of research would be NOT be relevant to this article?
A. the effect of climate change on weather patterns in Africa
B. whether or not low level radiation increases the risk of cancer
C. how acid rain impacts species within a lake ecosystem
D. a comparison of the species present in two areas of woodland
3. The word ‘former’ refers to ______
A. issues B. disagreements
C. data gathering ways D. date interpreting ways
4. The word ‘anomalous’ can be replaced by _____
A. important B. abnormal C. crucial D. fatal
5. What is the purpose of the example of ozone data given in paragraph 2?
A. to show that NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center used unreliable methods of gathering scientific data
B. to show how data gathering methods and the status of scientists may affect the way data is regarded
C. to prove that it is wrong to dismiss evidence which comes from a non-established source
D. to show how NASA and the British Antarctic Survey disagreed over the correct way to gather ozone data.
6. The word ‘impede’ means the same as _____
A. constrain B. advance C. facilitate D. spur
7. Paragraph 3 gives an example of a dispute over______
A. which country was most responsible for producing greenhouse gases
B. the pollution caused by multinational companies in India.
C. how statistics were interpreted and presented.
D. erroneous data which resulted from a poorly-funded experiment.
8. The word ‘consistent’ can be replaced by _____
A. wavering B. erratic C. hesitant D. constant
9. Which sentence best sums up the ideas in paragraph 4? 
A. Scientists are aware that their work cannot present incontrovertible facts.
B. If scientists were more consistent, they could create more reliable evidence.
C. Variations in how research is conducted often affect its validity.
D. Scientists spend more time documenting problems than conducting research.
10. In paragraph 5, ‘this’ refers to ______
A. the scientific method and its inherent problems. B. the belief that scientists cannot reveal universal truths.
C. the variation in scientific results under different circumstances. D. the list of factors which influence scientific research.
11. The word ‘legitimise’ means the same as ______
A. disapprove B. remove C. legalize D. abolish
12. Why are ‘transboundary issues such as water provision and pollution’ referred to in paragraph 5?
A. to illustrate situations in which politicians pretend that certain data does not exist
B. to illustrate situations in which incorrect information is given by scientific institutions keen to maintain their status.
C. to illustrate situations in which politicians are selective with regards to what data they gather
D. to illustrate situations in which policy makers request scientists to present them with scientific certainties, even though none
exist.
13. The word ‘prevailing’ can be replaced by ______
A. prevalent B. rampant C. perpetual D. eminent
14. What can be inferred about the Chipko movement?
A. It was an example of how people in low-income countries have little interest in environmental protection.
B. It was an example of how different people within a community valued a resource differently.
C. It was an example of how people in a low-income community showed interest in protecting the environment.
D. It was an example of how people in a low-income community valued quantity over quality.
15. Which of the following arguments is NOT presented in paragraph 7?
A. An issue only get political or media attention if someone with a high profile is supporting it.
B. Politicians are only interested in environmental issues if it benefits them.
C. Issues don’t get public attention unless a particular person advocates it strongly.
D. Issues may be overlooked if there are other significant events happening at the time.