True, False, Not Given: Stress-Busting Dogs in Schools

True, False, Not Given/Yes, No, Not Given
Question 1:
Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions.
Write the following beside each statement.
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
The life and work of Marie Curie
Marie Curie is probably the most famous woman scientist who has ever lived. Born
Maria Sklodowska in Poland in 1867, she is famous for her work on radioactivity,
and was twice a winner of the Nobel Prize. With her husband, Pierre Curie, and
Henri Becquerel, she was awarded the 1903 Nobel Prize for Physics, and was then
sole winner of the 1911 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. She was the first woman to win a
Nobel Prize. From childhood, Marie was remarkable for her prodigious memory,
and at the age of 16 won a gold medal on completion of her secondary education.
Because her father lost his savings through bad investment, she then had to take
work as a teacher. From her earnings she was able to finance her sister Bronia’s
medical studies in Paris, on the understanding that Bronia would, in turn, later help
her to get an education. In 1891 this promise was fulfilled and Marie went to Paris
and began to study at the Sorbonne (the University of Paris). She often worked far
into the night and lived on little more than bread and butter and tea. She came first
in the examination in the physical sciences in 1893, and in 1894 was placed second
in the examination in mathematical sciences. It was not until the spring of that year
that she was introduced to Pierre Curie.

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the text?
1. Marie Curie’s husband was a joint winner of both Marie’s Nobel Prizes.
2. Marie became interested in science when she was a child.
3. Marie was able to attend the Sorbonne because of her sister’s financial
contribution
Question 2:
London to Brighton Bike Ride
The start
The bike ride starts at Clapham Common tube station.
• Your Start Time is indicated by the colour of your body number in this
pack. It is also printed on the address label of the envelope. Please arrive
no earlier than 30 minutes before that time.
• We allocate an equal number of cyclists for each Start Time to ensure a
steady flow. Please keep to the time you've been given so we can keep to
our schedule and avoid delaying other riders and prevent 'bunching'
further down the route.
• An Information Point, toilets and refreshment stands will be open from
very early in the day.
Ride carefully
We put together as many facilities as possible to help ensure you have a

trouble-free day. But we also rely on you to ride safely and with due
consideration for other cyclists and road users. Although many roads are
closed to oncoming traffic, this is not always the case and you should be aware
of the possibility that there could be vehicles coming in the opposite direction.
Please do not attempt reckless overtaking whilst riding – remember it is NOT a race.
Follow all instructions
Every effort is made to ensure that the route is well signed and marshalled.
Please obey all directions from police and marshals on the route. If you hear a
motorcycle marshal blow his/her whistle three times, move left.
Wear a helmet
Every year we are delighted to see more riders wearing protective helmets, but
we would like to see every cyclist on the ride wearing one. More than half of
reported injuries in cycling accidents are to the head, and a helmet gives the
best protection when the head hits the ground.
Attracting assistance
If you have an accident, ask a marshal for help; they are in contact with the
support/emergency services. To call for help from our motorcycle marshals,
give a 'thumbs down' signal. The marshal will do all he/she can to help,
providing he/she is not already going to a more serious accident. If a
motorcycle marshal slows down to help you, but you have just stopped for a
rest and don't need help, please give a 'thumbs up' signal and he/she will carry
on. Remember – thumbs down means 'I need help'.
In case of breakdown
Refer to your route map and make your way to a Mechanics Point. Mechanical
assistance is free when you show your Rider Identity Card; you just pay for the
parts.
Refreshment stops
Look out for these along the route. Most are organised by voluntary clubs and
their prices give you real value for money. They are also raising money for their
local communities and the British Heart Foundation, so please give them your
support.
Rain or shine – be prepared
In the event of very bad weather, watch out for signs to wet weather stations en
route. Good waterproofs, like a cycle cape, are essential. Our first aid staff can
only supply bin liners and by the time you get one you may be very wet.
However, the English summer is unpredictable – it may also be hot, so don't
forget the sun protection cream as well!
If you have to drop out
We will try to pick up your bike for you on the day. Call Bike Events (01225
310859) no more than two weeks after the ride to arrange collection. Sorry, we
cannot guarantee this service nor can we accept liability for any loss or damage
to your bike. Bike Events will hold your bike for three months, after which it
may be disposed of. You will be charged for all costs incurred in returning your
cycle.
1. You should not arrive more than half an hour before your allocated starting
time.
2. Your Rider Identity Card will be sent to you before the event.
3. Some roads may have normal traffic flow on them.
4. Helmets are compulsory for all participants.
5. Refreshments are free to all participants during the ride.
6. If you need a rest you must get off the road.

7. First aid staff can provide cycle capes.
8. Bike Events will charge you for the return of your bike.
Question 3:
Every school 'needs dogs as stress-busters'
Every school should have a dog or another pet to reduce stress in the
classroom, says Sir Anthony Seldon.
The University of Buckingham vice-chancellor says it is "a powerfully cost-effective
way of helping children feel more secure at schools". Sir Anthony was speaking at a
conference about the need to improve young people's sense of wellbeing. The
University of Buckingham's Ultimate Wellbeing in Education Conference examined
how to respond to the stresses and anxieties facing young people. Education
Secretary Damian Hinds told the conference that the relentless presence of social
media made growing up "more pressurised". He said this could be all-pervasive for
teenagers, making them compare their own experiences with the "perfect lives"
on social media. It could also normalise exposure to harmful material on subjects
like self-harm or eating disorders". He also reported that more schools seem to
have "wellbeing dogs" and that he believed having pets in schools can really help.
Sir Anthony has been a longstanding advocate of the need for schools to pay much
more attention to mental health. He told the conference that it was no longer
possible for schools to focus solely on academic achievement without thinking

about the emotional wellbeing of pupils. His campaigns have helped to raise
awareness about the prevalence of mental health problems in schools and on
university campuses - and he has argued for more recognition of the risks
from drug use.
The education secretary called for more attention to be paid to ways of building up
children's wellbeing, such as teaching emotional resilience and a sense of
'character'. But Sir Anthony suggested another more low-tech approach to reducing
anxiety - the soothing presence of animals such as dogs. "The quickest and biggest
hit that we can make to improve mental health in our schools and to make them
feel safe for children, is to have at least one dog in every single school in the
country," said Sir Anthony. "Because children can relate to animals when
they are hurt and anxious and sad in a way that they can't always with human
beings. It will be a powerfully cost-effective way of helping children feel more
secure at schools", he added.
The education secretary said that his visits to schools had certainly shown him how
common "wellbeing dogs" were becoming. "This is one of those things that wasn't
around when I was at school," said Mr Hinds. "l hadn't really realised the incidence
of it until I was education secretary". He said that he'd been surprised at the idea at
first but saw for himself that many children found the experience really uplifting,
particularly those that have different ways of
expressing themselves and coming out of themselves. He did, however, state that
although the dogs can really help, there were no plans for a "central dog policy".
1. Raising levels of literacy was the main theme of the conference.
2. Online platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can have a negative effect on
young people’s lives.

3. There is evidence that the presence of pets in schools helps kids with mental
health issues.
4. The government minister may introduce a national scheme promoting
well-being dogs in schools
Question 4:
YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
People of Corn
Maize is Mexico’s lifeblood – the country’s history and identity are entwined with it.
But this centuries-old relationship is now threatened by free trade. Laura Carlsen
investigates the threat and profiles a growing activist movement.
On a mountain top in southern Mexico, Indian families gather. They chant and
sprinkle cornmeal in consecration, praying for the success of their new crops, the
unity of their communities, and the health of their families. In this village in Oaxaca,
people eat corn tamales, sow maize plots and teach children to care for the plant.
The cultural rhythms of this community, its labors, rituals, and celebrations will be
defined – as they have been for millennia – by the lifecycle of corn. Indeed, if it
weren’t for the domestication of teocintle (the ancestor of modern maize) 9,000
years ago mesoamerican civilization could never have developed. In the Mayan
sacred book, the Popol Vuh, the gods create people out of cornmeal. The ‘people of
corn’ flourished and built one of the most remarkable cultures in human history.
But in Mexico and Central America today maize has come under attack. As a result
of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mexico has been flooded
with imported corn from north of the border in the US. The contamination of native
varieties with genetically modified imported maize could have major consequences
for Mexican Campesinos (farmers), for local biodiversity, and for the world’s genetic
reserves.
A decade ago Mexican bureaucrats and business people had it all figured out.
NAFTA would drive ‘uncompetitive’ maize farmers from the countryside to work in
booming assembly factories across the country. Their standard of living would rise
as the cost of providing services like electricity and water to scattered rural
communities would fall. Best of all, cheap imported maize from the US – the world’s
most efficient and most heavily subsidized producer – would be a benefit to
Mexican consumers.
Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way. There weren’t quite enough of those
factory jobs and the ones that did materialize continued to be along the US border,
not further in Mexico. And despite a huge drop in the price farmers received for
their corn, consumers often ended up paying more. The price of tortillas – the
country’s staple food – rose nearly fivefold as the Government stopped domestic
subsidies and giant agribusiness firms took over the market. Free trade defenders
like Mexico’s former Under-Secretary of Agriculture Luis Tellez suggest: ‘It’s not that
NAFTA failed, it’s just that reality didn’t turn out the way we planned it.’ Part of that
reality was that the Government did nothing to help Campesinos in the supposed
transition. Nor did NAFTA recognize inequalities or create compensation funds to

help the victims of free trade – unlike what occurred with economic integration in
the European Union.
Basically, Mexico adopted a sink-or-swim policy for small farmers, opening the
floodgates to tons of imported US corn. Maize imports tripled under NAFTA and
producer prices fell by half. The drop in income immediately hit the most
vulnerable and poorest members of rural society. While more than a third of the
corn grown by small farmers is used to feed their families, the rest is sold on local
markets. Without this critical cash, rural living standards plunged.
Maize is at the heart of indigenous and Campesino identity. José Carrillo de la Cruz,
a Huichol Indian from northern Jalisco, describes that relationship: ‘Corn is the
force, the life and the strength of the Huichol. If there were a change, if someone
from outside patented our corn, it would end our life and existence.’
The good news is that the free-trade threat to Mexico’s culture and food security
has sparked a lively resistance. ‘In Defence of Corn’, a movement to protect local
maize varieties, is not a membership organization but a series of forums and
actions led by Campesinos themselves. It’s a direct challenge to both free trade and
the dictums of corporate science.
The farmers’ tenacity and refusal to abandon the crop of their ancestors is
impressive. But larger economic conditions continue to shape their lives. Rural
poverty and hunger have soared under free trade – and placed a heavier burden on
women left to work the land. The battle for food sovereignty continues. Movement
leaders insist that the Government reassess its free trade policies and develop a
real rural development program.
1. After NAFTA, a lot of corn from the USA has been sold in Mexico.
2. Following NAFTA, Mexican business people tried to stop maize farmers from
working in factories throughout the country.
3. The Mexican farmers were paid a lot less for their corn after NAFTA.
4. Many Mexican farmers wanted to leave Mexico after the Free Trade
Agreement.
5. The Mexican farmers were not able to do anything to help themselves after
the Trade Agreement.
Question 5:
Helium's Future
A In recent years we have all been exposed to dire media reports concerning the
impending demise of global coal and oil reserves, but the depletion of another key
non-renewable resource continues without receiving much press at all. Helium – an
inert, odourless, monatomic element known to lay people as the substance that
makes balloons float and voices squeak when inhaled – could be gone from this
planet within a generation.

B Helium itself is not rare; there is actually a plentiful supply of it in the cosmos. In
fact, 24 per cent of our galaxy’s elemental mass consists of helium, which makes it
the second most abundant element in our universe. Because of its lightness,
however, most helium vanished from our own planet many years ago.
Consequently, only a minuscule proportion – 0.00052%, to be exact – remains in the
earth’s atmosphere. Helium is the by-product of millennia of radioactive decay from
the elements thorium and uranium. The helium is mostly trapped in subterranean
natural gas bunkers and commercially extracted through a method known as
fractional distillation.
C The loss of helium on Earth would affect society greatly. Defying the perception of
it as a novelty substance for parties and gimmicks, the element actually has many
vital applications in society. Probably the most well-known commercial usage is in
airships and blimps (non-flammable helium replaced hydrogen as the lifting gas du
jour after the Hindenburg catastrophe in 1932, during which an airship burst into
flames and crashed to the ground killing some passengers and crew). But helium is
also instrumental in deep-sea diving, where it is blended with nitrogen to mitigate
the dangers of inhaling ordinary air under high pressure; as a cleaning agent for
rocket engines; and, in its most prevalent use, as a coolant for superconducting
magnets in hospital MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanners.
D The possibility of losing helium forever poses the threat of a real crisis because its
unique qualities are extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible to duplicate (certainly,
no biosynthetic ersatz product is close to approaching the point of feasibility for
helium, even as similar developments continue apace for oil and coal). Helium is
even cheerfully derided as a “loner” element since it does not adhere to other
molecules like its cousin, hydrogen. According to Dr. Lee Sobotka, helium is the
“most noble of gases, meaning it’s very stable and non-reactive for the most part …
it has a closed electronic configuration, a very tightly bound atom. It is this coveting
of its own electrons that prevents combination with other elements’. Another
important attribute is helium’s unique boiling point, which is lower than that for any
other element. The worsening global shortage could render millions of dollars of
high-value, life-saving equipment totally useless. The dwindling supplies have
already resulted in the postponement of research and development projects in
physics laboratories and manufacturing plants around the world. There is an
enormous supply and demand imbalance partly brought about by the expansion of
high-tech manufacturing in Asia.
E The source of the problem is the Helium Privatisation Act (HPA), an American law
passed in 1996 that requires the U.S. National Helium Reserve to liquidate its
helium assets by 2015 regardless of the market price. Although intended to settle
the original cost of the reserve by a U.S. Congress ignorant of its ramifications, the
result of this fire sale is that global helium prices are so artificially deflated that few
can be bothered recycling the substance or using it judiciously. Deflated values also
mean that natural gas extractors see no reason to capture helium. Much is lost in
the process of extraction.
F As Sobotka notes: A number of steps need to be taken in order to avert a costly
predicament in the coming decades. Firstly, all existing supplies of helium ought to
be conserved and released only by permit, with medical uses receiving precedence
over other commercial or recreational demands. Secondly, conservation should be
obligatory and enforced by a regulatory agency. At the moment some users, such
as hospitals, tend to recycle diligently while others, such as NASA, squander
massive amounts of helium. Lastly, research into alternatives to helium must begin
in earnest.
1. Helium chooses to be on its own.
2. Helium is a very cold substance.
3. High-tech industries in Asia use more helium than laboratories and
manufacturers in other parts of the world.
4. The US Congress understood the possible consequences of the HPA.
Question 6:
SIX SPRINGS SKI RESORT INFORMATION
Are you interested in visiting Six Springs Ski Resort this Winter season? Browse our
options below and read up on all of our offers for the upcoming months. Do not
hesitate to contact us if you have any questions!
From October Holiday Specials From January
2020 to in December 2021 to March
December 2020 2020 2021
Lodging Choose from our Our holiday Catch our
best-selling specials are selling spectacular deals

options below: out quickly! Be during our most
sure to reserve popular time of
Townhouses your spot by year for visitors
November 1st, and tourists!
Featuring a 2020.
maximum of five Lakeside Estate
bedrooms, Log Cabins
fireplaces in each Catering
bedroom, The perfect specifically to
complete kitchen backdrop for the guests who seek
and dining areas, holiday season, relaxation rather
and two fully our log cabins are than adventurous
functioning available up until sports, our
bathrooms for the December 24th. properties along
price of $2500 per Contact the main with the water
week. office for offer just the right
information amount of
Studio regarding pricing seclusion and a
Apartments and availability. touch of elegance.
For an additional
Great for couples charge, a personal
or solo travellers. chef is available
They come for on-site cooking
equipped with a lessons.
loft area and
sunset view.
Prices start at
$500 per week.

Activities Wine and Cheese Breakfast with All-Inclusive
Tasting Santa Claus Meal Plans
For the first time Bring your Available for
ever, our resort is children and families of four or
proud to offer this family to this more. These plans
sophisticated popular event! include breakfast,
activities package Each family will lunch, and dinner
for our guests. receive a free gift as well as a snack
First, sample over upon arrival. throughout the
five different day.
types of wines and Holiday Light

discover which Show Yoga Classes
cheeses pair well
with these Drive through the This free service

flavours! residential area of will be available
Six Springs Resort on Monday

Additionally, our and take in the afternoons in our
new art expert will holiday heated, outdoor
take guests on a atmosphere and area in the
journey through a decorative lights Yorkshire
Painting throughout the Mountains.
Landscapes landscape.
tutorial. Let your Discounts are
imagination guide available upon
your artistic request.
endeavours!
1. Townhouses feature a minimum of two bedrooms.

2. The majority of guests prefer visiting Six Springs Ski Resort from January to
March.
3. The Studio Apartments are only available to people travelling on their own.
4. Six Springs Resort is not open from April 2021 to September 2021.
5. It would not be possible for a guest to rent a log cabin during the last five
days of December.
6. Featured activities from October 2020 to December 2020 were popular
among guests in previous years.
7. Guests who ski are not allowed to stay at the Lakeside Estate.
Question 7:
Life Without Death
Until recently, the thought that there might ever be a cure for ageing seemed
preposterous. Growing older and more decrepit appeared to be an inevitable and
necessary part of being human. Over the last decade, however, scientists have
begun to see ageing differently. Some now believe that the average life expectancy
may soon be pushed up to 160 years; others think that it may be extended to 200
or 300 years. A handful even wonders whether we might one day live for a
millennium or more.
Behind this new excitement is the theory that the primary cause of ageing lies in
highly reactive molecules called free radicals, left behind by the oxygen we breathe.
Free radicals react with the molecules in our bodies, damaging DNA, proteins, and
other cell tissues, and are known to be implicated in diseases as diverse as
cataracts, cancer, and Alzheimer's. The body does its best to protect itself against
free radicals by producing its own chemicals to prevent ageing, such as vitamins E
and C, but it is always fighting a losing battle.
A year ago Gordon Lithgow of the University of Manchester discovered a way to
help combat free radicals. Using one of these anti-ageing chemicals. he managed to
increase the lifespan of one species of earthworm by 50 per cent. Despite
cautionary words from the scientists, many welcomed this as the first step towards
a drug that would extend life. Research involving the mutation of genes has also
thrown up fascinating results: after identifying two of the genes that appear to
control how long the earthworm lives, similar genes were found in organisms as
various as fruit-flies, mice, and human beings. When one considers the vast
evolutionary distances that separate these species, it suggests that we may have
discovered a key to how ageing is regulated throughout the entire animal kingdom.
In June last year, a small American company called Eukarion sought permission to
carry out the first trials of an anti-ageing drug, SCS, on human beings. Although it
will initially be used to treat diseases associated with old age, Eukarion said, that 'if
the effect of treating diseases of old age is to extend life, everyone's going to be
happy.'
Some scientists, however, are quick to discourage extravagant speculation. 'There is
no evidence whatsoever that swallowing any chemical would have an effect on
mammals', says Rich Miller of the University of Michigan. 'And those people who
claim it might need to go out and do some experimenting'. Some research,
moreover, has produced alarming results. As well as controlling ageing, these,
genes also partly control the hormones which regulate growth. The upshot of this is
that although the lives of mutant mice can be extended by up to 80 per cent, they
remain smaller than normal.
Quite apart from these sorts of horrors, the ethical implications of extending the
human lifespan are likely to worry many people. Even if the falling birth rates
reported in the world's developed nations were to be repeated throughout the
world, would this be sufficient to compensate for massively extended life
expectancy, and would we be willing to see the demographic balance of our society
change out of all recognition? David Gems, the head of the Centre for Research into
Ageing at University College, London, is enthusiastic about the opportunities
opened up by extended life, but even he observes, 'If people live much longer, the
proportion of children would. of course, be very small. It strikes me that it might
feel rather claustrophobic: all those middle-aged people and very few children or
young people.'
The philosopher John Polkinghorne emphasizes that any discussion of the merits of
life-extending therapies must take into account the quality of the life that is lived:
'One would not wish to prolong life beyond the point it had ceased to be creative
and fulfilling and meaningful,' he says. 'Presumably, there would have to come to a
point at which life ceased to be creative and became just repetition. Clearly, there
are only so many rounds of golf one would want to play.'
But Polkinghorne, a member of the Human Genetics Commission, also observes
that so far our experience of extended life-expectancy has not resulted in
world-weariness. Throughout the last century, life expectancy rose consistently,
thanks to improved diet, better hygiene, continuous medical innovation, and the
provision of free or subsidized healthcare. In 1952 the Queen sent out 225
telegrams to people on their 100th birthday; in 1996 she sent out 5218. 'Consider
also, the lives of our Roman and Anglo-Saxon ancestors' he says. By and large, the
doubling of human lifespan we have seen since then has not been a bad thing. Life
has not become frustrating and boring. For example, we now live to see our
children's children, and this is good.'
1. Scientific predictions about how much it will be possible to lengthen human
life vary greatly.
2. Research into extending life involves both new drugs and changes to genes.
3. Scientific experiments have not succeeded in making any animals live longer.
4. Most people in the future will decide not to have children.
5. Life expectancy has improved partly because people eat better.
Question 8:
Succession and Ecosystems
A Ecologists use the term “succession” to refer to the changes that happen in plant
communities and ecosystems over time. In the early twentieth century, the
American ecologist Frederic Clements pointed out that a succession of plant
communities would develop after a disturbance such as a volcanic eruption, heavy
flood, or forest fire. An abandoned field, for instance, will be invaded successively
by herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees, eventually becoming a forest.

B The first community in a succession is called a pioneer community, while the
established community at the end of succession is called a climax community.
Pioneer and successional plant communities are said to change over periods of 1 to
500 years. These changes—in plant numbers and the mix of species is cumulative.
Climax communities themselves change but over periods of time greater than
about 500 years. The final stage of succession is not predictable or of uniform
composition. There is usually a good deal of turnover in species composition, even
in a mature community. The nature of the climax community is influenced by the
same factors that influence succession. Nevertheless, mature natural environments
are usually in equilibrium. They change relatively little through time unless the
environment itself changes. Clements and other early ecologists saw an almost
lawlike regularity in the order of succession, but that has not been substantiated. A
general trend can be recognized, but the details are usually unpredictable.
Succession is influenced by many factors: the nature of the soil, exposure to sun
and wind, regularity of precipitation, chance colonization, and many other arbitrary
processes.
C For Clements, the climax community was a "superorganism," an organic entity.
Even some authors who accepted the climax community concept rejected
Clements' characterization of it as a superorganism, and it is indeed a misleading
metaphor. An ant colony may be legitimately called a superorganism because its
communication system is so highly organized that the colony always works as a
whole and appropriately according to the circumstances. But there is no evidence
for such an interacting communicative network in a climax plant formation. Many
authors prefer the term "association" to the term "community" in order to stress
the looseness of the interaction.

D Even less fortunate was the extension of this type of thinking to include animals
as well as plants. This resulted in the "biome," a combination of coexisting flora and
fauna. Though it is true that many animals are strictly associated with certain
plants, it is misleading to speak of a "spruce-moose biome," for example, because
there is no internal cohesion to their association as it would be with an organism.
The spruce community is not substantially affected by either the presence or
absence of moose. Indeed, there are vast areas of the spruce forest without moose.
The opposition to the Clementsian concept of plant ecology was initiated by
Herbert Gleason, soon joined by various other ecologists. Their major point was
that the distribution of a given species was controlled by the habitat requirements
of that species and that therefore the vegetation types were a simple consequence
of the ecologies of individual plant species.
E With "climax," "biome," "superorganism," and various other technical terms for
the association of animals and plants at a given locality being criticized, the
term"ecosystem" was more and more widely adopted for the whole system of
associated organisms together with the physical factors of their environment.
Eventually, the energy-transforming role of such a system was emphasized. An
ecologist is concerned primarily with the quantities of matter and energy that pass
through a given ecosystem, and with the rates at which they do so. Today one
speaks of the ecosystem when referring to a local association of animals and
plants, usually without paying much attention to these energy aspects.
F At one time, ecologists believed that species diversity made ecosystems stable.
They believed that the greater the diversity the more stable the ecosystem. Support
for this idea came from the observation that long-lasting climax communities
usually have more complex food webs and more species diversity than pioneer
communities. Ecologists concluded that the apparent stability of climax ecosystems
depended on their complexity. To take an extreme example, farmlands dominated
by a single crop are so unstable that one year of bad weather or the invasion of a
single pest can destroy the entire crop. In contrast, a complex climax community,
such as a temperate forest, will tolerate considerable damage from weather to
pests.
G The question of ecosystem stability is complicated, however. Stability can be
defined as simply a lack of change. In that case, the climax community would be
considered the most stable, since, by definition, it changes the least over time.
Alternatively, stability can be defined as the speed with which an ecosystem returns
to a particular form following a major disturbance, such as a fire. This kind of
stability is also called resilience. In that case, climax communities would be the
most fragile and the least stable, since they can require hundreds of years to return
to the climax state.
H Even the kind of stability which is defined as simple lack of change is not always
associated with maximum diversity. At least in temperate zones, maximum
diversity is often found in mid-successional stages, not in the climax community.
Once a redwood forest matures, for example, the kinds of species and the number
of individuals growing on the forest floor are reduced. In general, diversity, by itself,
does not ensure stability. Mathematical models of ecosystems likewise suggest that
diversity does not guarantee ecosystem stability—just the opposite, in fact.

I Many ecologists now think that the relative long-term stability of climax
communities comes not from diversity but from the “patchiness” of the
environment, an environment that varies from place to place supports more kinds
of organisms than an environment that is uniform. A local population that goes
extinct is quickly replaced by immigrants from an adjacent community. Even if the
new population is of a different species, it can approximately fill the niche vacated
by the extinct population and keep the food web intact.
1. Areas that are recovering from serious disturbances like volcanic eruptions
provide opportunities to observe the development of plant communities.
2. Climax communities last longer than any other type of community.
3. According to Clements, the development of plant communities proceeds in a
lawlike fashion and results in unstable climax communities.
4. Climax communities are the most resilient communities, as they change the
least over time.
5. Redwood forests are found in temperate zones.
Question 9:
The largest thing in the universe

More than ten years ago while taking the temperature of the universe, astronomers
found something odd. They discovered that a patch of sky, spanning the width of 20
moons, was unusually cold.
The astronomers were measuring the thermal radiation that bathes the entire
universe, a glowing relic of the big bang. To gaze at this cosmic microwave
background, or CMB is to glimpse the primordial1 universe, a time when it was less
than 400,000 years old.
The CMB blankets the sky and looks pretty much the same everywhere, existing at a
feebly cold temperature of 2.725 kelvins - just a couple of degrees warmer than
absolute zero. But armed with the newly launched WMAP satellite, the astronomers
had set out to probe temperature variations as tiny as one part in 100,000. Born
from the quantum froth that was the universe a half-moment after the big bang,
those random fluctuations help scientists understand what the cosmos is made of
and how it all came to be.
And standing out amidst those fluctuations was a cold spot. Over the years,
astronomers have come up with all sorts of ideas to explain it, ranging from
instrumental error to parallel universes. But now, they're homing in on a prime
suspect: an enormous cavern of emptiness called a cosmic supervoid, so big that it
might be the largest structure in the universe.
According to theory, such a vast void, in which nary a star or galaxy exists, can leave
a frigid imprint on the CMB. The answer to the mystery, then, might simply be a
whole lot of nothing. Yet puzzles remain, and the case is far from closed.
1. Astronomers often find something odd in the sky.
2. The CMB is the thermal radiation across the entire universe.
3. The CMB varies from extremely low to very high temperatures.

4. Investigation of fluctuations of temperature in space help scientists to
understand what the cosmos is made of.
5. The cosmic supervoid is the largest structure in the universe.
Question 10:
The hottest month
According to the Met Office, the UK had its warmest July day ever on July 1, when
temperatures hit 36.7 C near London. There were record heat waves in many
countries including Spain, while the African continent had the second-warmest July
on record.
While the impact of increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a key
driver of rising temperatures, another important factor is El Nino. This natural
phenomenon, which appears as a large swathe of warm water in the Pacific every
few years, is known to push up global temperatures.
In recent days there have been reports that this year's El Nino will be particularly
intense. As a result, many experts believe that 2015 will be the warmest year on
record by some margin.
The seas have also been soaking up a large amount of heat, the NOAA said, with
record warming in large expanses of the Pacific and Indian Oceans
Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring and attribution at the UK Met Office, said: "A
strong El Nino is underway in the tropical Pacific and this, combined with the
long-term global warming trend, means there is the potential to see some very
warm months throughout this year - as the new figures for July appear to show.
1. Africa had the warmest July day ever on July 1.
2. The temperature is rising due to the increased level of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
3. 2015 might be the hottest year in history.
4. Record warming was recorded in various seas, such as the Black and Azov
Sea.
5. The year 2015 might very well consist of a number of very warm months.
Question 11:
Is there such a thing as Canadian English? If so, what is it?
The standard stereotype among Americans is that Canadians are like Americans,
except they say ‘eh’ a lot and pronounce ‘out and about as ‘oot and aboot’. Many
Canadians, on the other hand, will tell you that Canadian English is more like British
English, and as proof will hold aloft the spellings colour and centre and the name
zed for the letter Z.
Canadian does exist as a separate variety of British English, with subtly distinctive
features of pronunciation and vocabulary. It has its own dictionaries; the Canadian
Press has its own style guide; the Editors’ Association of Canada has just released
the second edition of Editing Canadian English. But an emblematic feature of
Editing Canadian English is comparison tables of American versus British spellings
so the Canadian editor can come to a reasonable decision on which to use… on
each occasion. The core of Canadian English is a pervasive ambivalence.
Canadian history helps to explain this. In the beginning, there were indigenous
people, with far more linguistic and cultural variety than in Europe. They’re still
there, but Canadian English, like Canadian Anglophone society in general, gives
them little more than desultory token nods. Fights between European settlers
shaped Canadian English more. The French, starting in the 1600s, colonised the St
Lawrence River region and the Atlantic coast south of it. In the mid-1700s, England
got into a war with France, concluding with the Treaty of Paris in 1763, which ceded
‘New France’ to England. The English allowed any French to stay who were willing to
become subjects of the English King.
At the time of the Treaty of Paris, however, there were very few English speakers in
Canada. The American Revolution changed that. The founding English-speaking
people of Canada were United Empire Loyalists – people who fled American
independence and were rewarded with land in Canada. Thus Canadian English was,
from its very beginning, both American – because its speakers had come from the
American colonies – and not American, because they rejected the newly
independent nation.
Just as the Americans sought to have a truly distinct, independent American version
of English, the loyalists sought to remain more like England… sort of. These were
people whose variety of English was already diverging from the British and vice
versa: when the residents of London and its environs began to drop their r’s and
change some of their vowels people in certain parts of the United States adopted
some of these changes, but Canadians did not.

1. Canadian English is considered more like British English by Canadians.
2. According to the second paragraph, Canadian English is pretty similar to
British, with some minor differences.
3. The St Lawrence River was colonised by Canadians in 1600.
4. Canadian English is considered neither American nor not American.
5. The fifth paragraph states that many English-speaking countries adopted
changes in pronunciation.
Question 12:
Aphantasia: A life without mental images
Close your eyes and imagine walking along a sandy beach and then gazing
over the horizon as the Sun rises. How clear is the image that springs to mind?
Most people can readily conjure images inside their head - known as their mind's
eye. But this year scientists have described a condition, aphantasia, in which some
people are unable to visualise mental images.
Niel Kenmuir, from Lancaster, has always had a blind mind's eye. He knew he was
different even in childhood. "My stepfather, when I couldn't sleep, told me to count
sheep, and he explained what he meant, I tried to do it and I couldn't," he says. "I
couldn't see any sheep jumping over fences, there was nothing to count."
Our memories are often tied up in images, think back to a wedding or first day at
school. As a result, Niel admits, some aspects of his memory are "terrible", but he is
very good at remembering facts. And, like others with aphantasia, he struggles to
recognise faces. Yet he does not see aphantasia as a disability, but simply a
different way of experiencing life.
Mind's eye blind
Ironically, Niel now works in a bookshop, although he largely sticks to the
non-fiction aisles. His condition begs the question what is going on inside his
picture-less mind. I asked him what happens when he tries to picture his fiancee.
"This is the hardest thing to describe, what happens in my head when I think about
things," he says. "When I think about my fiancee there is no image, but I am
definitely thinking about her, I know today she has her hair up at the back, she's
brunette. But I'm not describing an image I am looking at, I'm remembering
features about her, that's the strangest thing and maybe that is a source of some
regret."
The response from his mates is very sympathetic: "You're weird." But while Niel is
very relaxed about his inability to picture things, it is often a cause of distress for
others. One person who took part in a study into aphantasia said he had started to
feel "isolated" and "alone" after discovering that other people could see images in
their heads. Being unable to reminisce about his mother years after her death led
to him being "extremely distraught".
The super-visualiser
At the other end of the spectrum is children's book illustrator, Lauren Beard, whose
work on the Fairytale Hairdresser series will be familiar to many six-year-olds. Her
career relies on the vivid images that leap into her mind's eye when she reads text
from her author. When I met her in her box-room studio in Manchester, she was
working on a dramatic scene in the next book. The text describes a baby perilously
climbing onto a chandelier.
"Straightaway I can visualise this grand glass chandelier in some sort of French kind
of ballroom, and the little baby just swinging off it and really heavy thick curtains,"
she says. "I think I have a strong imagination, so I can create the world and then
keep adding to it so it gets sort of bigger and bigger in my mind and the characters
too they sort of evolving. I couldn't really imagine what it's like to not imagine, I
think it must be a bit of a shame really."
Not many people have mental imagery as vibrant as Lauren or as blank as Niel.
They are the two extremes of visualisation. Adam Zeman, a professor of cognitive
and behavioural neurology, wants to compare the lives and experiences of people
with aphantasia and its polar-opposite hyperphantasia. His team, based at the
University of Exeter, coined the term aphantasia this year in a study in the journal
Cortex.
Prof Zeman tells the BBC: "People who have contacted us say they are really
delighted that this has been recognised and has been given a name because they
have been trying to explain to people for years that there is this oddity that they
find hard to convey to others." How we imagine is clearly very subjective - one
person's vivid scene could be another's grainy picture. But Prof Zeman is certain
that aphantasia is real. People often report being able to dream in pictures, and
there have been reported cases of people losing the ability to think in images after
a brain injury.
He is adamant that aphantasia is "not a disorder" and says it may affect up to one
in 50 people. But he adds: "I think it makes quite an important difference to their
experience of life because many of us spend our lives with imagery hovering
somewhere in the mind's eye which we inspect from time to time, it's a variability of
human experience."
1. Aphantasia is a condition, which describes people, for whom it is hard to
visualise mental images.
2. Niel Kenmuir was unable to count sheep in his head.
3. People with aphantasia struggle to remember the personal traits and clothes
of different people.
4. Niel regrets that he cannot portray an image of his fiancee in his mind.
5. Inability to picture things in someone's head is often a cause of distress for a
person.
6. All people with aphantasia start to feel 'isolated' or 'alone' at some point in
their lives.
7. Lauren Beard's career depends on her imagination.
8. The author met Lauren Beard when she was working on a comedy scene in
her next book.
Question 13:
Britain needs strong TV industry

Comedy writer Armando Iannucci has called for an industry-wide defence of the
BBC and British programme-makers. "The Thick of It" creator made his remarks in
the annual MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
"It's more important than ever that we have more strong, popular channels... that
act as beacons, drawing audiences to the best content," he said. Speaking earlier,
Culture Secretary John Whittingdale rejected suggestions that he wanted to
dismantle the BBC.
'Champion supporters'
Iannucci co-wrote "I'm Alan Partridge", wrote the movie "In the Loop" and created
and wrote the hit "HBO" and "Sky Atlantic show Veep". He delivered the 40th
annual MacTaggart Lecture, which has previously been given by Oscar winner Kevin
Spacey, former BBC director general Greg Dyke, Jeremy Paxman and Rupert
Murdoch. Iannucci said: "Faced with a global audience, British television needs its
champion supporters."
He continued his praise for British programming by saying the global success of
American TV shows had come about because they were emulating British
television. "The best US shows are modelling themselves on what used to make
British TV so world-beating," he said. "US prime-time schedules are now littered
with those quirky formats from the UK - the "Who Do You Think You Are"'s and the
variants on "Strictly Come Dancing" - as well as the single-camera non-audience
sitcom, which we brought into the mainstream first. We have changed international
viewing for the better."
With the renewal of the BBC's royal charter approaching, Iannucci also praised the
corporation. He said: "If public service broadcasting - one of the best things we've
ever done creatively as a country - if it was a car industry, our ministers would be
out championing it overseas, trying to win contracts, boasting of the British jobs
that would bring." In July, the government issued a green paper setting out issues
that will be explored during negotiations over the future of the BBC, including the
broadcaster's size, its funding and governance.
Primarily Mr Whittingdale wanted to appoint a panel of five people, but finally, he
invited two more people to advise on the channel renewal, namely former Channel
4 boss Dawn Airey and journalism professor Stewart Purvis, former editor-in-chief
of ITN. Iannucci bemoaned the lack of "creatives" involved in the discussions.
"When the media, communications and information industries make up nearly 8%
our GDP, larger than the car and oil and gas industries put together, we need to be
heard, as those industries are heard. But when I see the panel of experts who've
been asked by the culture secretary to take a root and branch look at the BBC, I
don't see anyone who is a part of that cast and crew list. I see executives, media
owners, industry gurus, all talented people - but not a single person who's made a
classic and enduring television show."
'Don't be modest'
Iannucci suggested one way of easing the strain on the licence fee was "by pushing
ourselves more commercially abroad".
"Use the BBC's name, one of the most recognised brands in the world," he said.
"And use the reputation of British television across all networks, to capitalise
financially oversees. Be more aggressive in selling our shows, through advertising,
through proper international subscription channels, freeing up BBC Worldwide to
be fully commercial, whatever it takes.

"Frankly, don't be icky and modest about making money, let's monetise the
bejeesus Mary and Joseph out of our programmes abroad so that money can come
back, take some pressure off the licence fee at home and be invested in even more
ambitious quality shows, that can only add to our value."
Mr Whittingdale, who was interviewed by ITV News' Alastair Stewart at the festival,
said he wanted an open debate about whether the corporation should do
everything it has done in the past. He said he had a slight sense that people who
rushed to defend the BBC were "trying to have an argument that's never been
started".
"Whatever my view is, I don't determine what programmes the BBC should show,"
he added. "That's the job of the BBC." Mr Whittingdale said any speculation that the
Conservative Party had always wanted to change the BBC due to issues such as its
editorial line was "absolute nonsense".
1. Armando Iannucci expressed a need of having more popular channels.
2. John Whittingdale wanted to dismantle the BBC.
3. Iannucci delivered the 30th annual MacTaggart Lecture.
4. Ianucci believes that British television has contributed to the success of
American TV shows.
5. There have been negotiations over the future of the BBC in July.
Question 14:

Hours of Work
There are no prescribed hours of attendance for office managers. The main office
hours comprise a 37½ hour week worked from 8.30 am to 5.00 pm on Monday to
Friday, with one hour for lunch. All sections work a flexitime scheme of attendance
which features core hours from 9.30 am to 4.00 pm with a lunch break of between
30 minutes and two hours’ duration, with the opportunity to work from 7.30 am to
6.00 pm daily, at which time the premises are locked. Office managers do not
qualify for overtime rates for any additional hours worked, but time off may be
taken for any hours required to be worked at weekends.
In one calendar year, a total of 5 weeks’ holiday may be taken. Staff are reminded
that they may not take more than two consecutive weeks of holiday.
1. Office managers must work from 8.30 am to 5 pm with one hour for lunch.
2. All employees must work between 9.30 am and 4 pm, except for lunch time.
3. The building shuts at 5 pm.
4. All employees who are not office managers are paid overtime if they work
later than 5 pm.
5. Office managers are paid extra money for working at weekends.
6. It is possible to have a two-week holiday in summer and a two-week holiday
in winter.
Question 15:
English courses
LearnEnglish courses are a great way to learn because they’re so flexible. All our
courses are taken online using a computer, so you can work through the course at
your own speed, and go back to any session whenever you want to. For some
courses there are workbooks, in addition to the computer course, to provide extra
written practice.
We offer hundreds of courses in a whole range of subjects from reading, writing,
and maths to business and management. Many of these are specially designed for
people whose first language isn’t English.
Step one: have a chat with a friendly member of staff in one of our 1,500
LearnEnglish centres around the country. They can advise you on the most suitable
course. They’ll also work out whether you qualify for funding so that you won’t have
to pay the full fee for the course.
You might want to try a taster lesson first. This is a single computer session in any
subject of your choice, and it will show you what learning with LearnEnglish is like.
When you’ve made your final decision, step two is to register for your course. Once
you’ve done this, a staff member will show you how to get started, whether you’re
using a computer at home, at work, or at a LearnEnglish centre.
That’s all you need to do! When you start your course, you can contact your
LearnEnglish centre by phone (we’re open during normal office hours) or email if
you need help.
1. You can work through parts of a course more than once.
2. The number of courses offered by LearnEnglish has increased enormously.
3. Many staff members have worked through a LearnEnglish course
themselves.
4. You may have to pay to take a LearnEnglish course.
5. Everybody takes the same taster lesson.
6. LearnEnglish centres are open seven days a week.

True, False, Not Given: Stress-Busting Dogs in Schools

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True, False, Not Given/Yes, No, Not Given

Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions.

Write the following beside each statement.

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

The life and work of Marie Curie

that she was introduced to Pierre Curie.

2. Marie became interested in science when she was a child.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions.

Write the following beside each statement.

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

London to Brighton Bike Ride

The bike ride starts at Clapham Common tube station.

no earlier than 30 minutes before that time.

• We allocate an equal number of cyclists for each Start Time to ensure a

further down the route.

• An Information Point, toilets and refreshment stands will be open from

very early in the day.

We put together as many facilities as possible to help ensure you have a

Follow all instructions

motorcycle marshal blow his/her whistle three times, move left.

best protection when the head hits the ground.

support/emergency services. To call for help from our motorcycle marshals,

providing he/she is not already going to a more serious accident. If a

on. Remember – thumbs down means 'I need help'.

Rain or shine – be prepared

However, the English summer is unpredictable – it may also be hot, so don't

forget the sun protection cream as well!

If you have to drop out

3. Some roads may have normal traffic flow on them.

4. Helmets are compulsory for all participants.

5. Refreshments are free to all participants during the ride.

6. If you need a rest you must get off the road.

Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions.

Write the following beside each statement.

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

Every school 'needs dogs as stress-busters'

classroom, says Sir Anthony Seldon.

The University of Buckingham vice-chancellor says it is "a powerfully cost-effective

University of Buckingham's Ultimate Wellbeing in Education Conference examined

on social media. It could also normalise exposure to harmful material on subjects

possible for schools to focus solely on academic achievement without thinking

awareness about the prevalence of mental health problems in schools and on

from drug use.

children's wellbeing, such as teaching emotional resilience and a sense of

beings. It will be a powerfully cost-effective way of helping children feel more

secure at schools", he added.

particularly those that have different ways of

1. Raising levels of literacy was the main theme of the conference.

young people’s lives.

4. The government minister may introduce a national scheme promoting

well-being dogs in schools

Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions.

Write the following beside each statement.

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

investigates the threat and profiles a growing activist movement.