UBI 3242

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY 4

SEMESTER 4 2021/2022

PROVIDED BY:

STUDENT'S NAME MATRIX NUMBER

NORHAYATI BINTI SHAMSHOL D20201094262
BAHAR

LECTURER'S NAME : DR. AMREET KAUR A/P JAGEER SINGH)

GROUP : J
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READING

Effective reading skills are crucial for academic, and it would be helpful to identify the skill
being tested in the questions to ensure a higher level of understanding of the passage

Recognising the structure of the passage

• The structure of the passage is the pattern how the author shaped the ideas.
• The passage can be organised in comparison, cause and effect, problem and solution,
sequence and description.

Recognising the organisation

•Comparison structure focussed on similarities and diffierences of the idea
•Cause and effect explain the repercussion of certain cause
•Problem and solution describe the issues and resolution for it.
•Sequence would be the chronological order of an event.
•Description covers the important explanation pertaining to the topic.

Task 1.1 Read the following passage and choose the best answer from the options given.

Passage 1

Back in 2007, a travel channel claimed that approximately 100 million people picked
the latest Seven Wonders of the World. The following presents the winners without
ranking and each is known for its global heritage.

GREAT WALL OF CHINA: China

The Great Wall of China is a man-made monument
built as a measure of defense to protect against the
Mongol tribe. The walls were built as early as the 7th
century BC. The walls were built by different
emperors of different dynasties and they were later
joined together to form the Great Wall. The Ming
Dynasty is the most famous as a major part of the
wall was from this dynasty. The wall is 21,196
kilometres long and is made from rammed earth,
stones and wood. It is one of the most famous
tourist spots in China.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Adapted from: http://www.history.com/topics/great-wall-of-china

Unit 1: What A Wonderful World!


Source: www.getourguide.com
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra
Source: www.chicenitza.com
3
MACHU PICCHU: Peru
The Incan Emperor Pachacútec built a city on the
mountain which is known as the city in the clouds.
Approximately 200 buildings were built on the city.
The city is located in the deep Amazon jungle and
above the Urubamba River. Later, it was
abandoned for three centuries due to an outbreak
of smallpox. Eventually, the fame of the city was
discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.
Adapted from: http://www.peru-machu-picchu.com
PETRA: Jordan
Petra was the capital of the Nabataean empire which
is located in the Arabian Desert. A number of
incredible structures were carved into stone including
an amphitheatre which was able to accommodate an
audience of 4,000 people. The Palace Tomb of Petra
is 42-metres high which portrays the Middle Eastern
Culture. Petra is also known as the Rose City
because of the colour of the stone out of which it was
carved. It was the major trading hub for Arabs in 312
BC. The site eventually faced threats which included
the collapse of the ancient structure, erosion and
unsustainable tourism.
Adapted from http://visitpetra.jo/#slide-2
PYRAMID AT CHICHEN ITZA: Yicatan
The pyramid was built during the Roman world and it
was meant to be a political and economic hub. In
fact, it is listed as the second most visited site in
Mexico till today. Some of its structures that can still
be viewed till to date are the Pyramid of Kukulkan,
the Temple of ChacMool, the Hall of the Thousand
Pillars and the Playing Field of the Prisoners. The
pyramid is 24 metres high including the upper
platform.
Adapted from: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-
Unit 1: What A Wonderful World!
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CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE: Rio De

Janeiro, Brazil
The statue is located at Mount Corcovado, Rio de
Janeiro and it is 98 feet tall. It took five years to be
completed and was inaugurated on 12th October
1931. It was designed by Heitor da Silva Costa and
was created by a French sculptor. Paul Landowski.
The reason behind the construction of this majestic
monument is to promote peace in the world.
Source: www.darpanmagazine.com
Adapted from: http://world.new7wonders.com

ROMAN COLOSSEUM: Rome, Italy

The Flavius amphitheatre is the largest in the Roman
world and the famous monument is the "Colosseum".
It was a project of the Vespasian Emperor of the
Flavia family. It was inaugurated by his son, Titus. It
was a place which staged great fights, shows and
hunts. This monument took a period of 10 years to be
built and it was one of the most extraordinary
architecture the world has witnessed.
Source: www.italyguide.it
Adapted from: http://www.italyguides.it/en/lazio/rome/ancient

TAJ MAHAL: Agra, India

This majestic piece of tomb took 22 years to be
completed. Shah Jahan, the King of the era,
dedicated Taj Mahal to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, as a
symbol of love to her. The name "Taj Mahal" literally
means the Crown of the Palace. The construction
required 20,000 workers at the cost of 32 million
rupees. After the birth of their 14th child in 1631,
Mumtaz Mahal died, but the tomb was completed only
in 1652. Taj Mahal stands strong as a symbol of true
love and devotion.
Source: http://www.tajmahal.com
Adapted from: http://www.tajmahal.org.uk/history.html

Unit 1: What A Wonderful World!

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1. The Great Wall of China is monument made by ____________.

A. men
B. tourists
C. dynasties
D. emperors

2. The author used ____________ strategy to organize the passage.

A. sequence
B. description
C. cause and effect
D. compare and contrast

3. The Seven Wonders of the World were nominated by ____________.

A. people
B. emperors
C. the Flavia family
D. a travel channel

4. Machu Picchu was abandoned for three centuries because of the ____________.
A. remote location
B. occurrence of smallpox
C. threats from the Mongol tribe
D. collapse of the ancient structure

5. Who rediscovered the city of Machu Picchu after many years?

A. Paul Landowski
B. Hiram Bingham
C. Heitor da Silva Costa
D. Incan Emperor Pachacútec

6. The Palace Tomb of Petra, Jordan symbolises the culture of the ____________.
A. Ming Dynasty
B. Roman world
C. Mayan civilisation
D. Middle Eastern culture

7. What was the reason behind the construction of Pyramid at Chichen Itza?
A. social and political
B. political and cultural
C. economic and cultural
D. economic and political

8. The word inaugurated is similar to ____________.

A. found
B. opened
C. initiated
D. installed

Unit 1: What A Wonderful World!

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9. When did the construction of Taj Mahal begin?

A. 1630
B. 1652
C. 1911
D. 1931

10. The best title for this passage is ____________.

A. The Wonders
B. The World Wonders
C. The Must Visit Places
D. The Seven Wonders of the World

Unit 1: What A Wonderful World!

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Task 1.2 Read the following passage and choose the best answer from the options given.

Passage 2

1 Decide in advance if you want to book an all-encompassing rail pass called the
Eurail or individual’s destination-to-destination’s tickets. Both have pros and cons.
Passes can be pan-European or just single-country and range in duration from five
days to one month. There is also an option of ‘Continuous’ passes, which cover a
set number of successive days of “Flexi” whereby you pick and choose days. If you 5
are going to rack up some serious mileage, then passes are better value. But for
trips, totally, say, ten train rides, destination-to-destination fares usually end up
costing less in total if booked in advance.

2 Bear in mind, you may be charged numerous other costs. In France, Italy and
Spain, most long-distance trips require passholders to pay additional reservation 10
fees of up to $70. Also, check your pass covers travelling on the Eurostar-the train
that travels through the Channel Tunnel from London to Paris. It is also
recommended to reserve seats two months in advance during the peak travel
periods of April to August and during December.

3 Sleeping on a train saves you the price of a hotel. It is also a rare, thrilling 15
experience. You could drift off in Dresden but wake up in Warsaw. Cabins, both
sleeper (private) and couchette (shared), offer flat beds, while many trains have
recliner seats. A nice bonus is that a direct overnight train uses up only one Flexi
pass travel day (not two), as long as you board after 7 p.m. and do not change
trains before 4 a.m. Cumbersome trunks and train carriages are not friends, 20
baggage racks inevitably fill up quickly and aisles always seem too narrow. The
trick is to have as little luggage as possible. Aim for a rucksack or wheelie suitcase
that is slim enough to fit every gangway or overhead rack. Double check your
station’s exact name as lots of platforms lack signs to ensure that you reach your
destination. 25

4 Dining in restaurant cars is a classic experience, especially if that sirloin steak and
glass of claret coincide with soaring Alpine vistas or a run along the Danube. It can
also be costly, as can marked-up café cars. So think about taking a packed lunch
or two. Besides that, learning vital vocabulary like ‘please’ and thank you’ will be
very useful for train travellers. You should also know a few other glossary terms 30
for emergencies. ‘Platform’ is a good one, as are ‘station’, ‘stop’ and ‘ticket’. These
phrases will be handy for you during the travel.

5 Finally, you are sitting alone the whole time, so train travel can hardly be tiring,
right? Wrong: air pressure and momentum exert their own energy, causing a jet-
lag like effect. Mitigate this by allowing for ample time between journeys to rest up. 35
These simple guideline will surely ease your journey around Europe.

Adapted from: Readers Digest, September 2018

Unit 1: What A Wonderful World!

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1. What is the name of the train that one can take to travel around Europe?
A. Flexi
B. Eurorail
C. Warsaw
D. Eurostar

2. A continuous pass, covers ____________ days.

A. five
B. few
C. two
D. many

3. The Eurostar travels from London to ____________.

A. Italy
B. Paris
C. Spain
D. Dresden

4. Why did the author mention that one should consider travelling in an overnight train?
A. You can sleep in the cabins.
B. You will only use one Flexi pass.
C. You can board the train after 7 p.m.
D. You can save money by not renting a hotel room.

5. What type of luggage should one consider during train travels?

A. Rucksack.
B. Big luggage.
C. Thick suitcase.
D. Overhead rack.

6. How many tips did the author share in this article?

A. One
B. Five
C. Three
D. Seven

7. The phrase drift off (line 16) means to gradually start to ____________.
A. slide
B. drive
C. sleep
D. speed

8. Why did the author suggest to travellers to bring their own packed lunch?
A. To save cost.
B. To enjoy the view of cities.
C. To dine in a restaurant car.
D. To have sirloin steak and a glass of claret.

Unit 1: What A Wonderful World!

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9. The antonym of the word vital (line 29) is ____________.

A. dull
B. crucial
C. important
D. insignificant

10. What is the best title for this passage?

A. The Solo Traveller
B. A Luxurious Holiday
C. Travel Around Europe by Rail
D. Save Money and Travel Happily

Unit 1: What A Wonderful World!

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Task 2.1 Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

Passage 1

1 Using mobile phones while driving is the main reason for many accidents, and it
has cost billions of dollars’ worth of damages. However, with the advancement of
technology, mobile phone companies have invented mobile phones with futuristic
functions and numerous life-saving safety features. For example, some companies
provide headsets, speakerphones, and voice-activated dialling where telephone 5
numbers are spoken instead of being dialled by hand.

2 One new technology that promises to make driving safer for mobile phone users is
a piece of equipment that allows you to make and receive calls while your phone is
anywhere in your car - even in the trunk! The feature in these phones is wired, so
that calls come through the car's speaker, and you can speak through the car's 10
microphone. This way, calls are made and received without touching any buttons,
dials or even the phone itself.

3 If you think that mobile phones are fantastic, now wait a few more years. Scientists
and engineers predict that mobile phones called "smartphones" will interact with
other appliances in the home to turn appliances such as dishwashers on and off 15
even while you are not at home.

4 One university research group is developing "context-aware" mobile phones.

These phones will sense where the user is and act accordingly. For example, these
phones will not ring while you are having a face-to-face conversation with someone.
Instead, they will remind you of the best time to return an important phone call. 20
They will remember to ring if they are lying on the desktop and vibrate if they are in
your pocket or purse. They will ring loudly in a noisy place and softly if you are in a
quiet area.

5 In the next few years, it is predicted that mobile phones will have a small computer
that can scan anything in a store. Then with the push of a button, the desired store 25
products can be purchased. Mobile phone users can also look forward to having
disposable phones. These mobile phones will be made of paper and will be
extremely small and lightweight. They will cost about $20 and will include 60
prepaid minutes. When the battery dies and the minutes are used up, the phone
can be tossed away, or it may be recycled. 30

6 Another predicted mobile phone of the future is sensor phones. These phones will
contain a sensor device that lets you know if someone is tampering with your
luggage or breaking into your house. Fitness phones will help to keep you in shape.
They connect to a treadmill. If you run faster on the treadmill, the music plays faster.
If you slow down, the music slows down too. "Torture-proof" mobile phones will 35
withstand water, dust and will be shockproof. If dropped down a flight of stairs,
the phone will continue to operate as usual.

Adapted from: ©2006abcteach.com

Unit 2: Tech Talk

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1. What is the best title for the passage above?

A. Benefits of Mobile Phones
B. Functions of Mobile Phones
C. Mobile Phones of the Future
D. Disadvantages of Mobile Phones

2. Which mobile phones of the future can help to improve their users' health?
A. Smartphones.
B. Sensor phones.
C. Fitness phones.
D. Disposable phones.

3. The word wired (line 9) can be best replaced with ____________.

A. produced
B. connected
C. assembled
D. dismantled

4. The sensor phones help their users by ____________.

A. alerting break-ins
B. sensing a presence
C. keeping them in shape
D. scanning something in the store

5. The antonym for the word operate (line 37) is____________.

A. idle
B. work
C. perform
D. function

6. Based on the passage, which of the future-featured mobile phones can be

considered environmental-friendly?
A. Smartphones.
B. Sensor phones.
C. Fitness phones.
D. Disposable phones.

7. Some of the safety features of using a mobile phone in the car are as follows except
____________.
A. Bluetooth connection
B. voice-activated dialling
C. headsets and speakerphones
D. phones wired to the care system

Unit 2: Tech Talk

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8. What does the author imply by saying, "Torture-proof" mobile phones will
withstand water, dust, and shockproof? (lines 35 - 36)?
A. The phones will be impenetrable and unbreakable.
B. The phones will not be affected by water, dust and shock.
C. The phones will be able to handle any torture from the users.
D. The phones will be very resistant and not be easily broken.

9. What does the author mean when he mentions 'context aware' (line 17) mobile
phones?
A. It can multi-task.
B. It can be self-aware on its own.
C. It can understand the content of the phone and user.
D. It can self-adjust its functions according to the user's needs and settings.

10. Why do you think disposable phones have minimal talk time and are not
rechargeable?
A. Because they are minimal and lightweight.
B. Because the need for the phones is only temporary.
C. Because they are cheap and can be obtained easily.
D. Because the phones do not support many stylish features.

Unit 2: Tech Talk

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Task 2.2 Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

Passage 2

1 I ask a teenage girl, how often do you text? "250 times a day, or something," she
tells me. Shocking! The digital lives of teenagers have become the target of weekly
attacks. In a recent essay for the Guardian, the novelist Jonathan Franzen
bemoaned online socialising, arguing that it was creating a uniquely shallow and
trivial culture, making children unable to socialise face-to-face. 5

2 There's also the scientist and writer Susan Greenfield's famously apocalyptic
warnings: "We could be raising a hedonistic generation who live only in the thrill
of the computer-generated moment and are in distinct danger of detaching
themselves from what the rest of us would consider the real world."

3 Newspapers are constantly filled with frightening accounts of pornography 10

addiction and aggression supposedly caused by violent video games. But even
when these titillating accounts touch on fundamental concerns, they do not reflect
the great mass of everyday teenage social behaviour: the online chat, the texting,
the surfing, and the emergence of a new adolescent sphere conducted digitally.

4 That trend is real. Is it, as Franzen and the others fear, turning kids into emoticon- 15
addled zombies, unable to connect, unable to think, form a coherent thought or
even make eye contact? Could this be true?

5 I don't think so. Let's go back to that girl who texts 250 times a day. The truth is,
she is an extreme case I cherry-picked to startle you – because when I interviewed
her, she was in a group of friends with a much more comprehensive range of 20
experiences. Two others said they texted only ten times a day. One was a
Facebook foe ("I'm all Instagram, pictures of what I'm doing in the city, with my
friends. We're visual people"). A few were devotees of Snapchat, the app that lets
you send a picture or text that, like a cold-war communiqué, is destroyed after one
viewing. 25

6 New technologies always provoke generational panic, which usually has more to
do with adult fears than with the lives of teenagers. In the 1930s, parents fretted
that television and radio gained an invincible hold of their children. In the 80s, the
great danger was the Sony Walkman – producing the teenager who "throbs with
orgasmic rhythms", as philosopher Allan Bloom claimed. However, when you look 30
at today's digital activity, the facts are much more positive than you might expect.

7 Indeed, social scientists who study young people have found that their digital use
can be inventive and even beneficial. This is true not just in terms of their social
lives, but their education too. So if you use a tonne of social media, do you become
unable or unwilling to engage in face-to-face contact? The evidence suggests 35
not. The study by Amanda Lenhart of the Pew Research Centre, a US think-tank,
found that the most avid texters are also the children most likely to spend time with
friends in person. One form of socialising doesn't replace the other. It augments it.

Unit 2: Tech Talk

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8 They have to be on Facebook to know what's going on among friends and family.
Still, they are ambivalent about it, says Rebecca Eynon, a research fellow at the 40
Oxford Internet Institute. As they gain experience living online, they begin to adjust
their behaviour, wrestling with new communication skills, as they do in the real
world.

9 Parents are wrong to worry that children don't care about privacy. To minimise their
traces, they spend hours tweaking Facebook settings or using quick-delete sharing 45
tools, such as Snapchat. Or they post a photograph on Instagram, have a pleasant
conversation with friends and then delete it so that no traces remain.

10 This is not to say that children always use good judgment. Like everyone else, they
make mistakes – sometimes serious ones. But working out how to behave online
is a new social skill. While there's plenty of drama and messiness online, it is not, 50
for most teens, a cycle of non-stop abuse: a Pew study found only 15% of teens
said someone had been mean or cruel to them online in the last 12 months.
As wrenching as the worst-case scenarios of bullying are, and as urgently as those
need to be addressed, they are not, thankfully, a daily occurrence for most kids.

11 But, surely all this short-form writing is eroding literacy? Indeed, teachers worry. 55
Pew Centre surveys have found that teachers say that children use overly casual
language and text speak in writing and do not have as much patience for extended,
immersive reading and complex arguments. Yet studies of first-year college papers
suggest these anxieties may be partly based on misguided nostalgia. For example,
when Stanford University scholar Andrea Lunsford gathered data on the rates of 60
errors in undergraduate composition papers from 1917, she found that they were
virtually identical to today.

12 But even as error rates stayed stable, student essays have blossomed in size and
complexity. They are now six times longer and, unlike older "what I did this summer"
essays, they offer arguments buttressed by evidence. Why? Computers have 65
vastly increased the ability of students to gather information, sample different points
of view and write more fluidly.

13 So what's the best way to cope? The same boring old advice applies to everything
in parenting. "Moderation," Lenhart says. Rebecca Eynon argues that it's key to
model good behaviour. Parents who stare non-stop at their phones and don't read 70
books are likely to breed children who do the same. As ever, we ought to scrutinise
our behaviour. As for young people, they are perfectly capable of considering the
richness, and the contradictions, of their own experience. Tavi Gevinson knows
there is a dark side to online life: "That's very sad to me, and I wish it weren't true."
Yet, she sees powerful advantages. "For a lot of people my age, it's not like we 75
meet online and only talk online. The goal is to meet in person and to forge that
connection."

Adapted from: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/oct/05/teens-social-networking-good-for-them

Unit 2: Tech Talk

 45

1. According to the author, it is shocking to know that teenagers ____________.

A. text more than 250 times a day
B. are the target of weekly attacks
C. are unable to socialise face-to-face
D. have a uniquely shallow and trivial culture

2. The word hedonistic (line 7) can be best replaced with ____________.

A. passive
B. energetic
C. pampered
D. thrill-seeking

3. Which of the following is a trend Franzen and others do not fear?

A. Teenagers are unable to think clearly.
B. Teenagers are not being able to connect.
C. Teenagers cannot even form a coherent thought.
D. Teenagers can make eye contact with others.

4. Based on Paragraph 5, how many teenagers used only Instagram as their means of
online socialising?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. A few

5. Among the people mentioned in the passage, who suggested that one form of
socialising does not replace another?
A. Rebecca Eynon
B. Amanda Lenhart
C. Susan Greenfield
D. Jonathan Franzen

6. Which of the following statements is not true about teenagers and their social
media?
A. They do not care about privacy.
B. They often use using quick-delete sharing tools.
C. They spend hours tweaking the Facebook settings.
D. They delete conversations so that no traces remain.

7. The word augments (line 38) can be best replaced with ____________.
A. amplifies
B. weakens
C. strengthens
D. discourages

Unit 2: Tech Talk

 46

8. What does the author mean by 'short-form writing is eroding literacy' (line 55)?
A. Short-form writing is a casual way of writing.
B. Short-form writing is most common among teenagers.
C. Short-form writing helps to expand language use.
D. Short-form writing reduces one’s ability to read and write accurately.

9. What was the advice given by Rebecca Eynon regarding online socialising?
A. Engage in moderation.
B. Change one's parenting styles.
C. Model good behaviour to children.
D. Restrict forming social connections online.

10. What is the best title for the passage above?

A. Social Media
B. Benefits of Online Socialising
C. Teenagers' Social Media Addictions
D. Online Socialising among Teenagers

Unit 2: Tech Talk