WE MASTER the ART cf NEC IELTS Reading is a very common type of exercise in the NEG as well as In the NEC tearn sel tniany provinces and cities. There are usually 10 to 16 quostions in this part. The difficully level of IELTS Reading is not high but you should not underestimate the exercises since some questions can be tricky. The topic of the reading passages can range from science to current news. Here are some of the tips for tackling the IELTS READING test: DO Skimming means quiekly reading the text to aet only its main idea. To skim effectively, you need to read only a part of the material. You have already encountered skimming: when reading a long chapter of a book, or doing a research on a long article. In such case, you would probably read the trst sentences of each parayraps, Uruppiing dower ty the end of the paragraph. = Read the first paragraph attentively to get an idea of what will be discussed in the text, - Read the first (and sometimes the second) sentence of each paragraph - they give the main idea of the paragraph ‘After you have read the firat contenooe, your eyes should drop dwn ta tha and of the paragraph. looking for Important places of information, such as dates and names. Read the last paragraph attentively as it may contain the summary. Scanning means acarohing for epecific phrases in the taxt ta answer some questions. Underline the important information while reading the text (dates, numbers, names etc.) Fb.comfiloveambrncia | 79LATTE ASTER Ih: ARTS! NEC Eel = When you read the question, identify the keyword and scan the text for il. This way you'l find the answer more auickyy 2. close reapING This is probably the most important skill because itis the ski that helps us decide which answer is correct. ‘There is no point in just skimming and scanning without using this skil, because skimming gives us general meaning and scanning gives us location, neither of which gives us the correct answer, Close reading is when we understand whole sentence or paragraph and we know exactly what ital means. In other words, you understand every word and the meaning of the whole sentence, It takes time and concentration and requires you to think carefully about meaning, 3. DEVELOPING VOCABULARY Leaming vocabulary is not just about earning the meaning of & word, itis about learning when you can or cannot use the word. It is also about what collocations can be use with words. Yau can da this by learning vocabulary from practice reading passages and vocabulary materials from IELTS and SAT. WW. EFFECTIVE TIME MANAGEMENT Bear in mind that IELTS Reading only accounts for no more than 1096 of the total score in the NEC. Accordingly, you need to set your line appropriately in order to move on to other parts. 5. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Like other tests, IELTS Reading requires students to practice regularly to master. 6. FinDING READING MATERIALS OUTSIDE THE BOOK ‘As mentioned above, IELTS Reading mainly focuses on science articles and current news in the world. Therefore, you should get yourself up-to-date by reading newspapers and articles, this will familiarize you with the real reading tos Read newspaper articles and practice the following: Dividing the content into facts and opinions Finding the topic sentences of paragraphs Writing summaries Interpreting any diagrams or tables Thinking of headings you could give to paragraphs Undertining the pronouns and working out what they refer to Underiining unknown words and seeing i you can work oul whal they eat Reading the first paraaraph and seeing if you can predict what will come next Meco licked cet 1. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS: can test both your global understanding of the text or ask you for specific information. This means you wil ave to make the decision yoursert wnetner to skim or scan the text. Here are seme atratagias for practicing: ‘Read the instructions carefully and check how many option leters you need to circle. + Skim all the questions and the answer choices quickly. As you do this: ~ Unlentns te hey (Ue wore ta ye you the rs rior, ~ Try to gat an idea of the topic you will be reading about fram the vneabuiary of the questinns Look at any ilustrations or diagrams that go with the text. ‘© Go back to the frst question. Decide if you are looking for specific information or whether the question requires {you to understand the whole text. Then either scan or skim the text, as appropriat, to find the answer ‘Read the relevant part of the text very carefully * Don't leave any questions unanswered, 2. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS: will usualy tell you to write your answers in NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS. So you can answer with one word, two words or three words but no more, However, this isnot always the ‘cave. 80 you should alwaya check what the queations ask you to do. | ere are some strategie for practicing: + Apply both skimmina and scannina techniques to be able to answer the questions in time. + Skim all the questions quickly. As you do this: 20 | fb.comfiloveambrocia.MMMM MASTER the ART of NEC Lndertine the keywords. decide what information you need to find in the text. ook out for question words such as ‘where’ and 'who" you should look for specific things like places and people, '¢ Go back to the first question and decide which part of the text you need to read. ‘© Read the part carefully o find the answer. © You may use your own words. You don’t have to write a complete sentence but it oes have to be grammatically correct, '* IFyou don't know the meaning of any of the words in the questions, find it using a dictionary, write it down in your notebook and try to reuse it over and over again. ‘® The answer could be oneword, two Words or three words but not four or more. If you think you need more than three words your answer is probably incorrect 3. SENTENCE COMPLETION: requires you to complete the end of a sentence. The questions generally appear in the same order as the information in the text. They will tell you to use words from the reading passage. Here are some strategies for practicing ‘© Skim all the questions quickly. As you do this: Underline the keywords. tty to work out vhat information you need + think about the grammatical form as well as the vocabulary that should follow immediately from the stem. Go back to the first sentence and decide what information you reed to corp i. + Find the place where the information should be in the text and raad it carefully ‘+ Look out for synonyms and parallel expressions because the questions are not likely to use the same words as ‘those in the text. ‘+ Make sure your sentences make sense both logically and grammatically UW. NoTeS/TABLE/SUMMARY FLOWCHART/DIAGRAM COMPLETIONS: ask for specific Information. ‘There are two types of these completion questions inthe IELTS reading exam. Type 1. With a solection of possible answers. # Type 2. Without a choice of possible answers. These questions require you to: insert a word or phrase in the middle of a sentence = Insert a word in the middle and another word at the end of a sentence or Iype 1 questions the words or phrases provided will be different from the words inthe text. There will be more words than gape Type 2 questions are similar to the short answer questions in that they wil tell you to write your answers in NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS. So you can answer with one word, two words or three words but no more. Here are some strategies tor practicing: Look at the table or form carefully: ~ examine any headings or subheadings. = tty to get an idea ofthe topic. decide what section ofthe passage the exercise covers. = anticinate grammatical form ae well ae uncahulary # Ifa box of answors is given, soe if you can guess any ofthe matches & eliminate unlikely answers. «the question isin the form of a table, work out which way itis best to read it - horizontally or vertically Hf the question isin tke foun Uf @ surat, read Unuuyl il fast ale see if you Gal YuUSs aly UF Ue msi words. TTake each gap one by one and search the text for the best word(s ofl the gap, It there is a box of answers, there will be at least two you don't need. Ir thore io ne box, the anewer could be one word, two words oF three words but net four oF more. Ifyou think you need more than three words your answer is probably incorrect. There may be alternative rubrics for these completion questions e.g. ‘complete the notice’ or ‘complete the explanation’ or ‘complete the news report fbcom/iloveambrosia | 61LE MASTER tho ART of NEC Mill 5. YES, NO, NOT GIVEN OR TRUE, FALSE, NOT GIVEN QUESTIONS tasks either ask you to identiy the writer's views or claims in the text or identity information inthe text. You will be given a list of statements which are either opinions or facts aid you have to decide - I they are opinions, whether they are the opinions of the writer or nat oF not given In the text. If they are facts, whether they are true, false or not given in the text, Here are some strategies fr practicing ‘© Read the instructions carefully Quickly read through all the statements to got an idea about the topic. Read the frst statement more careful. Undertin the Keywords so you understand the main point. Search for the section ofthe text which deals with the idea or fact. Once you have found the relevant section, read it careful 6. CLASSIFICATION QUESTIONS ask you to classity information given in the reading text. Classifications aro often according to the writer's opinion or according toa peril of time or place, You wil be asked to identity a latter which represents one ofthe classifications for each itam ina ist of statements. Here are some strategies for practicing «Read the instructions carefully Make sure you know how mary claecifications thera are and whet letters you hava to use, (Eg. US, J, @ & UK. in the exercise above.) Read the classifications carefuly and make sure you don't confuse the letters which represent each one Read the statements/phrases or words beside the question numbers end underline Keywords. {Stort withthe fic etatoment and work your way through them ana by one and search the text to find where the information is mentioned «© The questions wil not necessarily be in the same order as the text and the wording wil probably be cifterent in the text so look out for synonyms and parallel expressions. «© Whon you've located the roference inthe text ead it carefully and select your answer. ‘© Don't leave any statements without alter. 7. MATCHING QUESTIONS require you to match a list of opinions to sources mentioned in the text. These questions are used with texts which present a number of different people's opinions, The sources are usually numbered and the opinions are given alleter each. In the answer booklet, you write the etter) beside the numbers. ‘There could be more opinions than sources. If so, you will need to write more than one letter beside the question in the answer booklet. If there are more sources than opinions, then the opinions willbe used more than once. Here are some strategies for practicing © Read the instructions carefully ‘+ Takes tha narnaa of the soutreas one by one and find them in the text and underline them. ‘© When you have located a name, read carefully to see what is said about his/her opinions. ‘© Look at the lst of opinions and see if you can make a match ‘© Renratiber that the tent is not likely to uae the oamo worde as tho questions, eo look for synnnyme and parallel oxpressions. ‘© Also, be aware that the sources may be referred to in more than one place in the text. CHOOSING HEADINGS QUESTIONS require you to sum up the meaning of a paragraph in order to match it to a bank of possible headings. You may be asked to match every paragraph or section of the text ut just « seleuliun uf paraytaphis oF require you to aum up tho wholo toxt. Hore are some stratagiae far practicing ‘* Read the instructions carefully. ‘© Make sure you know which paragraphs or sections you have to sum up. ‘© Read the first paragraph or section and try to sum up, in your own Words, whl Is bul + Thon search through the bank of headings for the best answer Make sure the heading you have chosen sums up the entire paragraph and not just one idea within it © Ifyou have to sum up the entire text, Read the whole text before locking at the bank of headings. Try to think ot your own heading and tnen 100K at the options. 82 fb.com/iloveambrosiaMOE MASTER ts ART NEC AeA TAMAS 9, SCANNING AND IDENTIFYING LOCATION OF INFORMATION QUESTIONS require you to scan the text to find the location of information. You will be given a set of statements and you need to find the paragraph each ‘one comes from, Here are some strategies for practicing © Read the Instructions carefully Quickly read the statements to get an idea of what the text is about, ‘Take the statements one by one. Undertine the keywords, ‘Next, search the text to find where the information is mentioned, Remember to look for synonyms and parallel expressions because itis likely that tho statements express the ideas differently to the way they are expressed in the text TO. LABELLING A DIAGRAM WHICH HAS NUMBERED PARTS QUESTIONS: You will be siven a diagram and asked to label it with words from the text or labels given. Here are some tips for practicing: The information will be given in the same order as the numbers on the diagram. ‘Scat the text to find the information. If labels are not provided, make sure you use words from the text. IV, Exercises 1. wec20e ACQUIRING THE PRINCIPLES OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE ‘A. Ithas been pointed out that learning mathematics and science is not so much learning facts as learning ways of thinking, Ithas also been emphasised that in order to leam science, people often have to change the way they think. in ordinary situations. For example, in orcer to understand even simple concepts such as heat and temperature, ways of thinking af temperature as a measure of heat must be abandoned and a distinction between ‘temperature’ {and ‘heat’ must be learned. Thase changes in ways of thinking are often referred to as conceptual changes. But how do conceptual changes happen? How do young people change their ways of thinking as they develop and as they lear in school? B. Traditional instruction based on teling students how moder scientists think does not seer to be very successful ‘Students may learn the definitions, the formulae, the terminology, and yet sill maintain thir previous conceptions. This difficulty has been illustrated many times, for example, when instructed students are interviewed about heat and temperature It is often identified by teachers as a dificult in applying the concepts learned in the classroom: students may be able to repeat a formula but fal 1 use the CUnICEpL represented by he formula when they explain observed events, 6. The psychologist Playel suyyested an interesting hypothesis relating to the proocee of cognitive change in children. Cagnitive change was expected to result from the pupils’ own intellectual activity. When confronted with result that challenges their thinking - that is, when faced with conflict - pupils realise that they need to think again about their own ways of solving problems, regardless of whether the problem Is one in mathematics or In sclence. |e hypothesised that conflict brings about dioequilbrium, and thon triggore equilibration processes that \itimately produce coanitive chanae, For this reason, according to Piaget and his colleagues, in order for pupils to progress in their thinking they need to be actively engaged in solving problems that will challenge their current mode of reasoning. However, Piaget also pointed out that young children do not always discard thelr Ideas fn te fave of ‘contradiotory evidence. They may actually discard the evidence and keats their thacry 1. Plagers nypotnesis about now cognitive change ULcurs was ler Listed into an educational approach which is now termed ‘aiecavery learning’ Risnnuery learing initaly took what is now considered the Tone learner’ route ‘The role of the teacher was to select situations that challenged the pupils’ reasoning; and the pupils’ peers had no real role in this process. However, it was subsequently proposed that interpersonal conflict, especialy with poors, ‘ight play ar Important rok pruruling cognitive change. Thi hypothesia, originally advanood by Perret-Clerment (1980) andl Doise and Mugny (1984), has been investigated in many recent studies of science teaching and leaming. E, Christine | lowe and her colleaguca, for example, have compared children’s progress in undarstancling saveral types of science concepts when they are given the opportunity to observe relevant events. In one study, Howe compared the progress of 8 to 12-year-old children in understanding what influences motion down a slope. In order toascertain the role of contictn group work, they created two kinds of groups aecurdiny Wa pre-test one in which fhcom/ilaveambrosia | 83MASTER the ART of NEC ill he children had dissimilar views, and a Second in which the children had similar views. They found support for the idea that children in the groups with dissimilar views progressed more afer their training sessions than those who had been placed in groups with similar views. However, they found no evidence to support the idea that the children ‘worked out their new conceptions during their group discussions, because progress was not actually observed in ‘a post-test immediately after the sessions of group work, but rather in a second test given around four weeks after the group work. F. In another study, Howe set out to investigate whether the progress obtained through pair work could be a function of the exchange of ideas, They investigated the progress made by 12-15-year-old pupils in understanding the path of faling objects, a topic that usually involves conceptual difficulties. In order to create pairs of pupils with varying levels of dissimilarty in their intial conceptions, the pupils’ predictions and explanations of the path of falling objects wore assessed before they were engaged in pair work. The work sessions involved solving computer-presented problems, again about predicting and explaining the paths of falling objects. A post-test, given to individuals, assessed the progress made by pupils in their conceptions of what influenced the path of falling objects. Questions 1-5: There are six paragraphs marked A-F in the passage. In which paragraph is the following ‘mentioned? Write your answers in the corresponding numbered boxes provided. 1. aclaiin thal a perceived contradiction can assist mental development. 2. the problem of superficial understanding, —_ 3. evidence for the delayed benefits of disagreement between pupils. 4, an experiment to assess the benefits of exchanging views with a partner. _ 5. arejection of a widely held theory. Questions 6-11: Complete the following summary. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer. HOW CHILDREN LEARN ‘The instructional approach presently referred to as “discovery learning” was based on Piaget's hypothesis that changes in a child's mind were brought about by his! her own (6) . AS hypothesized by Piaget, isequilrium occurs when @ child is confronted with an idea that conflicts his/her curent belie, This initiates the processes of equilibration which result in cognitive change. Progress in learning, therefore, requires pupils’ active engagement in solving problems that contradict their existing (7) However, Piaget also drew attention to the possiblity that @ child might (8) the conflicting evidence and maintain his/her preconceived idea. While Piaget's hypothesis played down the roles of peers in the “lone leamer route, later studies put forward the importance of (9) ‘among friends in developing cognitive change. In an effort to (10) _ the significance of conflict in group work, Christine Howe and her colleagues collected findings in support ofthe claim that children in the group with (14) ‘made better progress, 2. (vec 2017 tadanted trom “Focus on Academic Skil for IELTS" A. Aecontury ago, the overwhelming majority of pooplo in dovolopod countrise workod with their hands: on farms, in domestic service, in small craft shops and in factories. There was not even a word for people who made their living other than by manual work. These days, the fastest-growing group in the developed world are “knowledge workers’ ~ people whose jobs require formal and advanced schooling. B. At present, this term is widely used to describe people witn considerable theoretical knowieage and learning: doctore, lawyora, teachore, aocountante, chemical engineers. But the most striking growth in the coming years will be in ‘knowledge technologists’: computer technicians, software designers, analysts in clinical labs, manufacturing technologists, and so on. These people are as much manual workers as they are knowledge workers; infact, they usually spend tar more time working with thelr hands than with thelr brains. But thelr anual work is base on ‘uhstantial amount of theoretical knowledge which can ha acquired anly thrauigh formal adusation. They are not as a rule, much better paid than traditional skilled workers, but they see themselves as professionals. Just as unskilled manual workers in manufacturing were the dominant social and political force in the twentieth century, 84 | fh.com/iloveambrosiaWME MASTER the ART cf NEC knowledge technologists are likely to become the dominant social ~ and perhaps also political - force over the next decades. ©. Such workers have two main needs: formal education that enables them to enter knowledge work in the first place, and continuing education throughout their working lives to keep their knowledge up to date. For the old high= knowledge professionals such as doctors, clerics and lawyers, formal education has beon available for many centuries. But for knowledge technologists, only a few countries so far provide systematic and organised preparation. Over the next few decades, educational institutions to prepare knowledge technologists will grow rapidly in all developed and emerging countries, just as new institutions to meet new requirements have always ‘appeared in the past. D. What is different this time is the need for the continuing education of already well-trained and highly knowledgeable adults, Schooling traditionally stopped when work began. In the knowledge society it never stops. Continuing education of already highly educated adults will therefore become a big growth area in the next society. But most of it will be delivered in non-traditional ways, ranging trom weekend seminars to online training programmes, and in any number of places, from a traditional university to the student's home. The information revolution, which is expected to have an enormous impact on education and on traditional schools and universities, will probably have an even greater effect on the continuing education of knowisdge workers, allowing knowledge to spread near-instantly, and making it accessible to everyone, . All this has implications for the role of women in the labour force. Although women have always worked, since timo immemorial the jobs they have done have been different from men’s. Knowledge work, on the ather hand, is ‘unisex’, not because of feminist pressure, but because it can be done equally well by both sexes. Knowledge workers, whatever their sex, are professionals, applying the same knowledge, doing the same work, governed by the same standards and Judged by the same results. F. The knowledge society is the first human soclety where upward mobilly is potentially unlimited. Knowledge differs from all other means of production in that it cannot he inherited ar haquaathed fram ane generation to another. It has to be acquired anew by every individual, and everyone starts out with the same total ignorance. And nowadays It is assumed that everybody will be a ‘success’ ~ an idea that would have seemed ludicrous to earlier generations, Naturally, only a tiny number of people can reach outstanding levels of achievement, but a very large ‘umber of people assume they will reach adequate levels, 6. Tha inward mobility af tha knowiadgn saciaty, hawever, comes ata high price: the psychological pressures and ‘emotional traumas of the rat race. Schoolchildren in some countries may suffer sleep deprivation because they spend their evenings at a crammer to help them pass their exams. Otherwise they will not get into the prestige University OF their chive, anid thus into a good job. In many different parts of the world, schools arc becoming Viciously competitive. That this has happened over such a short time ~ no more than 30 or 40 vears ~ indicates how much the fear of failure has already permeated the knowledge society. H. Given this competitive struggle, a growing number of highly successful knowledge workers of both sexes business managers, university teachers, museum directors, doctors ~ ‘plateau’ in their 40s. They know they have achieved all they will achieve. Hf their work is all they have, they are in trouble. Knowledge workers thorofora need to develop. preferably while they are stil youna, a non-competitive life and community of their own, and some serious outside interest ~ be it working as a volunteer in the community, playing in a local orchestra or taking an active part in a small town’s local government. This outside interest will give them the opportunity for personai contribution and achievement. 4. According to the writer, a hundred yeare age in the developed world, manual workers ‘A. were mainly located in rural areas. B, were not provided with sufficient education, . were the largest single group of workers. . wore the faatest growing group in cooioty. 2. The writer suagests that the most significant difference between knowledge technologists and manual workers is AA. tha1r educational background. B. the pay they oan oxpest. Fbcom/iloveambrosia 1 05MASTER tHe ART of NEC ME their skil with their hands. . their attitudes to society. The writer predicts that in the coming years, knowledge technologists . wil have access to the same educational facilities as professional people, . will have more employment opportunities in educational institutions. . will require increasing mobilty in order to find sultable education, 9. will bo provided with appropriate education for their needs, ‘According to the writer, the most important change in education this century will be _ \. the way in which people learn. B, the sorts of things people learn about. . the use people make of their education. D. the type of people who provide education. '5. The writer says that changes in women's roles s ‘A. moan women are now judged by higher standards. BB. have led to greator equality with men in the workplace, ©. D. ce popreoo pe . are allowing women to use their traditional skills in new ways. ). may allow women to outperform men for the first time. ‘omplete the following statements. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each blank. 6. In the knowledge society, there is almost no end to 7. This kind of society emphasizes on individual acquisition of knowledge at the entry lovel of 8. Inthe past, people would find the assumption that each individual can reach a certain level of achievement 9, Success in the ‘comes at the expense of people's mental and emotional wellbeing, 10, Many students burn the midnight oil, working at for fear of failure in exams. 44. Obsession with academic success has. the whole society to such an extent that competition among ‘educational institutions worldwide is becoming more and more intense. 12. Competitive as the struggle may be, an increasing number of successful knowledge workers tend to when they reac their middle-age, 413, It is advisable that successful knowledge workers take up some genuine development. 3. (ambrosia's Practice Test August 2017) CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY A. An excellent definition was developed in tho 10800 by Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlen Rrinaitland and used by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development: “Meeting the needs of the present without ‘compromising the abilty of future generations to meet their own needs.” Nowadays, governments and companies need to account for the social consequences of tnelr actions. As a resull, Lurpuralz suvial responsibilty (CEN) hae become a priority for businoce loaders around the world. When a well-run husiness applies its vast resources and ‘expertise to social problems that it understands and in which it has a stake, it can have a greater impact than any other organization. The notion of license to operate derives from the fact that every company needs tacit or explicit permission trom governments, communtties, arid 1uierous Ulle stakeholders to justify CBN intiativoo to improve a company's image, strengthen its hrand, anliven morale and even raise the value of its stock. {for greater personal B. To advance CSR, we must 1UU! il in a broad understanding of tho intorrolationchip between a carnaratinn and snniaty Siiceassful comorations need a healthy society, Education, health care, and equal opportunity are essential loa productive workforce. Safe products and working conditions not only attract customers but lower the internal costs of accidents. Efficient utlization of land, water, energy, and other natural resources makes business more productive, Goud government, the rule of law, and praporty rights are essential far effiriany and innavation. Strona reaulatory standards protect both consumers and competitive companies from exploitation. Ultimately, a healthy society creates expanding demand for business, as more human needs are met and aspirations grow. Any business that pursues its ends at the expense ot the society In which It operates will find ily suocess to be illusory and ultimately temporary. At tho camo time, a healthy sociaty naads successfull companies. No social proaram can rival 86 | Fb.com/iloveambrosiaMME MASTER the ART cf NEC the business sector when it comes lo creating the jobs, wealth, and innovation that improve standards of living and social conditions over time. ©. A company's impact on society also changes over time, as social standards evolve and science progresses. ‘Asbestos, now understood as a serious health risk was thought to be safe in the early 1900s, given the scientific knowledge then available. Evidence of ite risks gradually mounted for more than 80 years before any company Was held liable for the harms it can cause. Many firms that failed to anticipated the consequences of this evolving body of research have been bankrupted by the results. No longer can companies be content to monitor only the obvious ‘social impacts of today. Without a careful pracess for identifying evolving social effects of tomorrow, fms may risk thoir very survival 'D. No business can solve all of society's problems or bear the cost of doing so. Instead, each company must select issues that intersact with its particular business. Other social agendas are best left to those companies in other industries, NGOs, or government institutions that are better positioned to address them. The essential test that ‘should guide CSR is not whether a cause is worthy but whether it presents an opportunity to create shared value ~ thal is, a meaningful benefit for society that is also valuable to the business. Each company can identity the particuiar sat of societal problems that its best equipped to help resolve and from which it can gain the greatest competitive benefit. E. The best corporate citizenship initiatives involve far more than writing a check: They specify clear, measurable goals and track results over time, A good example is General Electronics's program to adopt underperforming public high schools near several ot its major U.S. facilties, The company contributes between $250,000 and $1 million over a five-year period to each school and makes in-kind conations as well. GE managers and employees take an active role by working with school administrators to assess needs and mentor or tutor students. In an independent study of lon schools in the program between 1989 and 1999, nearly all showed significant improvement, while the {graduation rate in four of the five worst performing schools doubled from an average of 809% to 60%. Effective corporate citizenship initiatives stich as this ane eranta goodwill and improve relations with local governments and other important constituencies. What's more, GE's employees feel great pride in their participation. Their effect is inherently limited, however. No matter how beneficial (he program is, it remains incidental to the company’s businwss, and the direc effect on GE's recruiting and retention is modest. F. Microsoft s Working Connections partnership with the American Association of Community Culleges (ACO) is @ {geod example of a shared-value opportunity arcing from investments in context Tha shortage of information technology workers isa significant constraint on Microsot’s growth; currenty, there are more than 450,000 unfiled IT positions in the United States alone. Community colleges, with an enrollment of 11.6 milion students, representing 45% of all U.S. undergraquates, could be @ major suluiun, Miciosull recognizes, however, that community colleges fa0o cpecial challenges: IT curricula ara nat standardized. tachnology used in classrooms is often outdated, and there are no systematic professional development programs to keep faculty up to date. Microsoft's $50 milion five-year initiative was aimed at all three problems. In adcition to contributing money ana products, Microsort sent employee volunteers to Luiteyes Lv assess needs, contribute to ourioulum development, and create faculty development institites Miarnsatt has achiaved resuits that have benefited many communities while having a direct-and potentially signficant-impact on the company. G. At tha heart of any strategy Is a uniaue value proposition: a set of needs a company can meet for its chosen customers that others cannot. The most strategic CSR occurs when a company adds a social dimension to its value proposition, making social impact integral to the overall strategy. Consider Wnole Foods Mutkel, whose value proposition is to sell organie, natural and healthy food products to eustemers wha are passinnate about food and the environment. The company’s sourcing emphasises purchases from local farmers through each store's procurement process. Buyers screen out foods containing any of nearly 100 common ingredients that the company considers unhealthy or environmentally damaging. The same standards apply lw products made internally. Whole Foode' commitment to natural and environmentally friandly oparating practices extends well beyond sourcing. Stores are constructed using a minimum of virgin raw materials. Recently, the company purchased renewable wind energy credits equal to 100% of its electricity use in all of its stores and facies, the only Fortune 500 company to offset its electricity consumption entirely. Spulled produce aid biodegradable waste aro trucked to ragional contere {for composting. Whole Foods’ vahiclag arr haing converted to run on biofuels. Even the cleaning produots used in f.com/iloveambrosia | 87ASTER | ARTO NEC MD Its stores are environmentally friendly. And through its philanthropy, the company has created the Animal Compassion Foundation to develop more natural and humane ways of raising farm animals. In short, neatly every ‘aspect of the company's value chain reinforces the social dimensions of its value proposition, distinguishing Whole Foods from its competitors. Choose the correct heading for paragraph A-G. There are TWO extra headings that you do not need to use. List of Headings Your answors i. How CSR may help one business to expand Paragraph A ji, CSR in many aspects of a company's business fil, A CSR initiative without a financial gain [eit dle Iv. Lack of action by the state of social issues Paragraph © _ ¥. Drives or pressures motivate companies to address CSR Paragraph D___ vi, The past illustrates business are responsible for future outcomes Paragraph E vii. Companies applying CSR should be selective oad Paragraph F vill. Reasons that business and society benefit each other ix, The history of applying CSR Complete the sentences, using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS taken from the passagt 1. Promotion of CSR requires the understanding of _ __ between business and society. 2. Corporations workers! productivity generally needs health care, education, and given a ______ imposed by government and companies both protect consumers from being treated unfairly. 4. Improvement of the safety standard can reduce the of accidents in the workplace. 5. Similarly society becomes a pool of more human needs and 6. According to the passage, Whole Foods Market has established the to promote the optimal methods of nurturing animals. HE. (iets mentor- IELTS Academie Roading Sample 24) You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on the Reading Passage below. MEASURING ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE ‘There is clear-cut evidence that, for a period of at least one year, supervision which increases the direct pressure for productivity can achieve significant increases in production. However, such short-term increases are ‘obtained only at a substantial and sorious cost to the organisation. To what extent can a manager make an impressive earnings record over a short period of one to three years by exploiting the company's investment in the human organisation in his plant or division? To what extent will he uaiity of nis organisation sutter it ne does so Ine tollowing 1s a description of an important study Conducted by {he Instituto for Social Rosearch designed to answer these questions ‘The study covered 500 clerical employees in four parallel divisions. Each division was organised in exactly tho same way, used the same technology, did exactly the same kind of work, and had employees of comparable aptitudes. Productivity in all four af the divisinns danandad an the niimhar af clerks involved. The work entailed the processing of accounts and generating of invoices. Although the volume of work was considerable, the nature of the business was such that it could only be processed as it came along, Consequently, the only way in which pruuuuivily Gould be increased wes Wy change the size ofthe workgroup. The four divisions ware assigned to two exberimental programmes on a random basis. Each programme ‘was assigned at random a division that had been historically high in productivity and a division that had been below average in productivity. No attempt was made to place a division in the programme that would best tit ts habitual methods of supervision used by the menager, assiatant managers, supervisora and aosiotant aupervicore. ‘The experiment at the clerical level lasted for one year. Beforehand, several months were devoted to planning, and there was also training period of approximately six months. Productivity was measured continuously and computed weekly throughout the year. Ihe altitudes ot employees and superusory statt towards their work ‘wore moacured just boforo and after the period, 88 | fh.com/iloveambrosia.eee e TERR MASTER ches ART cf NEC ign oneS eRASE “Turning now to the heart of the study, in two divisions an attempt was made to change the supervision so that the decision levels were pushed down and detailed supervision of the workers reduced. More general supervision of the clerks und their supervisors was introduced. In addition, the managers, assistant managers, supervisors and assistant supervisors of these two divisions were trained in group methods of leadership, wich they endeavoured to use as much as their skill would permit during the experimental year. For easy reference, the experimental changes in these two divisions wil be labelled the ‘participative programme! Result of the Experiment Inthe other two divisions, by contrast, the programme called for modifying the supervision so as to increase the closeness of supervision and move the decision levels upwards, This willbe labelled the ‘hierarchically controlled programme. These changes were accomplished by a further extension ofthe scienttio management approach. For example, one of the major changes made Was to have tho jobs timed and to have standard times computed, This showed that these divisions were overstaffed by about 30%. The general manager then ordered the managers of these two divisions to cut staff by 25%. This was done by transfers without replacing the persons who let; no one was to be dismissed. ‘Changes in Productivity Figure 1 shows the changes in salary costs per unit of work, which reflect the change in productivity that ‘occurred in the divisions, As willbe observed, the hierarchically controlled programmes increased productivity by about 25%, Ihis was a result of the direct orders from the general manager to reduce staf by that amount, Direct pressure produced a substantial increase in production. A significant increase in productivity of 20% was also achieved in the participative programme, but this was not as great an inerease asin the hierarchically controlled programme. To bring about this improvement, the clerks themselves participated in tho decision to reduce the size of the work group. (They were aware of course that procluctivity increases wore sought by management in conducting these experiments.) Obviously, deciding to reduce the size of a workgroup by eliminating some ofits members is probably one of the most itficut decisions for a workgroup to make. Yet the clerks made it. n fact, one division in the participative programme increased its broductivily by about tne sasie aniunl €s each ofthe two divisions in the hierarchically controlled programme. Tho other participative division, which historically had been the poorest of all the divisions, did not do so well and increased productivity by only 15%. Changes in Attitude ‘Although both programmes had similar effects on productivity, they had significantly cifferent results in other respects. The productivity increases in the hierarchically controlled programme were accompanied by shifts in an adverse direction in such factors as loyalty, attitudes, interest, and involvement in the work. But just the opposite was true inthe participative programme. For oxample, Figure 2 chows that whon more general supervision and increased particination were provided, the employees’ feeling of responsibilty to see that the work got done increased. Again, when the supervisor was away, they Kept on working. In the hierarchically controled programme, however, the feeling of responsibilty decreased, ana wnen the supervisor was absent, work tended to stop. ‘As Figuro 3 chows, the employees in the participative prageamma at the end of the year flt that theit manager and assistant manager were ‘closer to them’ than at the beginning of the year. The opposite was true in ‘the hiorarchical programme. Moreover, as Figure 4 shovis, employees in the participative programme felt that their supervisors were more likely t0 ‘pull for tet, OF fo Ue Lumpy and them, and not be solely intereated in tho campany, while inthe hisaechically enntrolled programme. the opposite trend occurred. Frcomfiloveambrosia | 89 | | AB tn PEAT: ORCA i) perenne sitoA STER 1 ART of NEC Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 1-9 on your answer sheet. 1. The experiment was designed to ‘A. establish whether increased productivity should be sought at any cost. show that four divisions could use the same technology. perfect a system for processing accounts, ‘exploit the human organisation of a company in order to increase profits. The four divisions each employed a staff of 500 clerks B. each had equal lovels of productivity. had identical pattems of organisation. ‘wore randomly chosen for the experiment Before the experiment the four divisions were carefully selected to suit a specific programme. each division was told to reduce its level of productivity the staff involved spent a number of months preparing for the study. . the employees were questioned about their feelings towards the study. ‘Questions 4-9 Complete the summary below. Choose ONE word {rom Reading Passage 24 for each answer. Write your ‘answers in boxes 31-36 on your answer sheet. ‘This experiment involved an organisation comprising four divisions, which were divided into two programmes: the hierarchically controlled programme and the participative programme. For a period of one year a differont method of (4)__was used in each programme. Throughout this tine (5) was calculated on a weekly basis. During the course of the experiment, the following changes were made in an attempt to improve performance. In the participative programme: + supervision of all workers was (6) + supervisory staff ware given training in (7) In the hierarchically controlled programme: + supervision of all workers was increased. + workgroups were found to be (8) by 20%. + the workforce was (@)__ by 25%. Questions 10-13 Look at Figures 1, 2, 9 and 4 in Reading Passage 24. Choose the most appropriate label, A=I, for each Figure from the box below. Write your answers in hoxes 37-40 on your answer sheet. ‘A. Employees’ interest in the company B. Cost increases for the company ©. Changes in prouuctiviy DD. Fmplaynns’faslings of responsibilty towards completion of work E, Changes in productivity when the supervisor was absent F, Employees’ opinion as to extent of personal support from management G. Employees feel closer to their supervisors H. Fmplayane’ fastings towneris inareased supervision |. Supervisors’ opinion as to closeness of workgroup '5. (ELS mentor -IEL7S Academic Reading Sample 166) You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on the Reading Passage below. JUMPING SPIDERS Peter Aldhons examines how Portia spiders catch their prey A. For a stalking predator, the elect uf surprise is Ur uLial. And for jumping spiders that sneak onto other spiders! webs to prey an their owners, it can be the difference between having lunch and becoming it, Now zooloaists have discovered the secret of these spiders’ tactics: creeping forward when their prey's web is vibrating. prpop pomreoo 00 | Fb.com/iloveambrocia,BE MASTER (he ART cf NEC B. The fifteon known species of Portia jumping spiders are relatively small, with adults being about two centimeters jong (that's smaller than the cap on most pens). They habitually stay in the webs of other spiders, and in an area of these webs that is as out-of-the-way as possible. Portia spiders live mostly in tropical forests, where the climate is hiot and humid, They hunt a range of other spiders, some of which could easily turn the tables on them. ‘They will attack something about twice thelr own size if they are really hungry,’ says Stimson Wilcox of Binghamton University in New York State, Wilcox and his colleague, Kristen Gentile of the University of Canterbury in Christehuren, New Zealand, wanted to find out how Portia spiders keep the upper hand. .Allumping spiders have large eyes that look like binocular lenses, and they function pretty much the same way. Most jumping spiders locate their prey visually, and then jump and capture from one centimeter to over ten centimeters away. Only a few species of jumping spiders invade the webs of other spiders, and the Portia spider is ‘among them. Jumping spiders, including Portia spiders, prey on insects and other arthropods by stalking, ‘Sometimes the spiders lure their victims by vibrating the web to mimic the struggles of a trapped insoct. But many web-weaving spiders appear to be wise to these tricks, so stalking is often a better strategy. Sometimes, the researchers found, Portia spiders take advantage of the vibrations created in the web by a gentle breeze. But if necessary, they will make their own vibrations. D. The researchers allowed various prey spiders to spin webs in the laboratory and then introduced Portia spiders. To simulate the shaking effect of a breeze the zoologists used elther a model aircraft propeller or attached a tiny magnet to the centre of the web which could be vibrated by applying a varying electrical field, The researchers noticed that the stalking Portia spiders moved more when the webs were shaking than when they were stitt and they were more likely to capture their prey during tosts in which the webs were penornoally shaken than in those ‘where the webs were undisturbed. I the spiders were placed onto unoccupied webs, they would make no attempt ‘to change their movements, E. Is the Portia spider's tactic of making its vietims' webs shake that has most intrigued the researchers, They noticed that the spiders would sometimes shake their quary's web violently, then creep forwards up to five rmilimeters before the vibrations died down. ‘They'd make a big pluck with one of their hind legs.’ says Wilcox. ‘These twangs were much more powerful than the gentler vibrations Portia spiders use to mimic a trapped insect, land the researchers wore initially surprised that the prey spiders did not respond to them in any way. But they have ‘since discovered that the violent twanging produces a pattern of vibrations that match those caused by @ twig falling onto the web, F. Other predators make use of natural 'smokescreens' or ‘disguises’ to hide from their prey: lions hunting at night, for example, move in on their prey when clouds obscure the moon. ‘But this is the first example of an animal making its own smokescreen that we know of, eaye Wilcox. 'Partia cpidlars are clearly intelligent and they often learn from their prev as they are trving to capture it, They do this by making different signals on the web of their prey unt the prey spider makes a movement. In general, Portia spiders adjust their stalking strategy according to their prey and what the prey is doing, Thus, Portia spiders use tlal-artl-errur learning in stalking. Gometimoo thoy will even take ‘an indiroct route to roach a prey epider thay ean sae from a distance, This can sometimes take one to two hours {following a predetermined route. When it does ths, the Portia spider is actually solving problems and thinking ahead ‘about its actions." Questions 1-9 ‘The Reading Passage has six paragraphs labelled A-F. the correct letter A-T in your anowor cheet. NB You may use any letter more than once. 4. the reaction of the Portia spider's prey to strong web vibrations 2. a description of how the researchers set up thelr experinient 9. a comparison between Portia epidere and anather animal species 4, an explanation of how the researchers mimicked natural conditions 5. a comparison between Portia spiders and their proy 6 5 a 9. 1 parayrajsh contains the following information? Write the reason why concealment is important to Porta sper ‘a description of the Portia epidore! habitat the number of species of Portia spiders an example of the Portia spider's cleverness fbcom/ilovenmbrosia 191LE MASTER tho ART of NEC Mi Questions 10-13 Choose the corract letter, A, B, C or D and write in your answer sheet. 10. In their laboratory experiments, the researchers found that the Portia spiders moved most when the web was A. vibrating, B. motionless. C. undisturbed. D. unoccupied. ‘11. What discovery did the researchers make about Portia spiders? ‘They make very strong vibrations with one leg. They move 5 mm at atime ona still web. They move slowly when vibrations stop. They use energetic vibrations to mimic a trapped insect, Portia spiders are the only kriown arial (0 Use the weather to disguise themselves. mimic other prey-eating animals. create their own smokescreen, stalk using ‘tial and error’. ‘The Portia spider demonstrates ‘thinking ahead’ when it ‘chooses prey that Is a short distance away. takes a longer route to reach its prey. reaches its prey in a short tine. solves the problem of locating its prey. BEER PePrgoom> (Real IFLTS reading test ~ 10/09/2018) You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on the Reading Passage below. THE SECRET OF THE YAWN ‘A. When a scientist began to study yawning in the 1980s, it was difficult to convince some of his research students, of the merits of “yawning science”. Although it may appear quirky, his decision to study yawning was a logical extension to human beings of my research in developmental neuroscience, reported in such papers as “Wing flapping during Development and Evolution”. As a neurobehavioral problem, there is not much difference between the wing-flapping of birds and the face- and body-flapping of human yawners. BB. Yawning is an ancient, primitive act. Humans do it even before they are born, opening wide in the womb. Some enakes unhinge their jaws to do it. One species of penguins yawns as part of mating. Only now are researchers beginning to understand why we yawn, when we yawn and why we vawn back. A professor of coanitive neuroscience at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Steven Platek, studies the act of contagious yawning, something done only by people and other primates. . In hie firot experiment, ho uscd a poyohelogical toot to rank people on their empathic feclingo. He found that participants who did not score high on compassion did not yawn back. We literally had people saying, “Why am | looking at people yawning?” Professor Platek said. "It just had no effect.” . For nis second expenment, ne put 10 students in a magnetic resonance imaging machine as they watched Videotapes of people yawning, When the students watched the videos, the part of the brain which reacted wae the part scientists believe controls empathy - the posterior cingulate, in the brain's middle rear. | don't know if it's necessarily that nice people yawn more, but | think it's a good indicator of a state of mind,” said Professor Platek “Is also a good inaleator If you're empathizing with me and paying attention E. His third eypetiment is studying yawning in those with brain disorders, such ae auitiem and schizophrenia, in which victims have difficulty connecting emotionally with others. A psychology professor at the University of Maryland. Robert Provine, is one of the few other researchers into yawning. He found the basic yawn lasts about ‘ik seconds anu they cone it Luuts will ai interval of about 8 sevunus, Meri ati women yawer OF Hall-yeurt equally often. but men are significantly less likely 1o cover their mouths which may indicate camplex distinction in genders. "A watched yawner never yavins.” Professor Provine said. However, the physical root of yawning remains ‘a mystery. Some researchers say it's coordinated within the hypothalamus of the brain, the area that also controls, breathing. 02. fl.com/iloveambrociaMMMM MASTER the ART of NEC F. Yawning and stretching also share properties and may be performed together as parts of a global motor ‘complex. But they do not always accur-people usually yawn when they stretch, but we don’t always stretch when "we yawn, especially before bedtime, Studies by J. I. P, G. H.A. Visser and H. F. Procht! in the early 1980s, charting ‘movement in the developing fetus using ultrasound, observed not just yawning but a link between yawning and stretching as early as the end of the first prenatal trimester. G. The most extraordinary demonstration of the yawn-stretch linkage occurs in many people paralyzed on one side of their body because of brain damage caused by a stroke, The prominent British neurologist Sir Francis Walshe noted in 1923 that when these hemiplegics yawn, they are startled and mystified to observe that their otherwise paralyzed arm rises and flexes automatically in what neurologists term an “associated response". Yawning apparently activates undamaged, unconsciously controlled connections between the brain and the cord imotor system innervating the paralyzed limb. It is net known whether the associated response is a positive pragnasis for recovery, nor whether yawning is therapeutic for reinnervation or prevention of muscular atrophy. H. Clinical neurology offers other surprises. Some patients with “locked-in” syndrome, who are almost totaly deprived of the ability to move voluntarily, can yawn normally. The neural circuits for spontanevus yawning must exist in the brain stom near other respiratory and vasomotor centers, bacause yawning is performed by anencephalia who possess only the medulla oblongata. The multiplicity of stimuli of contagious yawning, by contrast, implicates many higher brain regions. Question 1-5 ‘Complete the summary below. In boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet, write the correct answer with NO MORE. ‘THAN THREE WORDS ‘psychology professor drew a conclusion after observation that it takes about six seconds to complete an average yawning which needs (1) bbefore the following yavming comes. Itis almost at the same frequency that malo and female yawn ar half, yet behavior accompaniad with yawning showing a(2)____in genders. ‘Some parts within the brain may affect the movement which also have something to do with (3) __. Another finding also finds there is a link between yawning and (4) before a baby was born, which two can be ‘automatically co-operating even among people wnose (6) 's damaueu. Question 6-10 Read paragraph A:H. Which paragraph contains the following information. Write the correct letter A-H for question 6-10 NB You may use any letter more than once 16. The rate for yawning shows come regular pattorn 7. Yawning is an inherent abilty that appears in both animals and humans 8. Stretching and yawning are not always going together 1. Yawning may suggest peopie are naving positive notice or response In communicating 40. Some superior in tho brain may desl with the infectious feature of yawning ‘Question 11-13, Do the following statement agree with the information given in Reading Passage 3? In boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet, write ‘TRUE ifthe statement ie true FALSE if the statement is false NOT GIVEN if the information is net given in the passage 11, Several students in Platok’s expenment ala not comprehend why their tutor ask therm to yew bach. 42. Some resuite from cartain experiments indizate the link hetween yawning and enmnassinn 13. Yawning can show an affirmative impact on the recovery from brain damage brought by a stroke, 71. (LTS mentor -1EL7S Academic Reading Sample 151) You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on the Reading Passage below. Questions 1-7 Roading Paccage | has seven paragraphe, A-@. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list af headings below. Write the correct number, ix, in boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet. List of Headings Your answers Fheamiiloveambrosia | 956A STER Se ART oi NEC Ml Not all doctors are persuaded Choosing the best offers Paragraph A__ iil, Who is responsible for the increase in promotions? Paragraph B___ lv. Fighting the drug companies Paragraph C__ v. An example of what doctors oxpect from drug companies es vi. Gifts include financial incentives 'areqraph D__ vil, Research shows that promotion works Paragraph E __ villi, The high costs of research Paragraph F ix, The positive side of drugs promotion x. Who really pays for doctors’ free gifts? DOCTORING SALES Pharmaceuticals is one of the most profitable industries in North America. But do the drugs industry's sales and marketing strategies go too far? ‘A.A few months ago kim Schaefer, sales representative of a minor global pharmaceutical company, walked into a medical center in New York to bring information and free samples of her company's latest products, That day she ‘was lucky- a doctor was available to see her, ‘The last rep offered me a trip to Florida. What do you have? the physician asked. He was only half joking. B. What was on offer that day was a pair of tickets for a New York musical. But on any given day what Schaefer can offer is typical for today's drugs rep -a car trunk full of promotional gifts and gadgets, a budget that could buy lunches and dinners for a small country hundreds of free drug samples and the freedom to give a physician $200 to prescribe her riew product to the next six patients who fit the drug's profile. And she also has a few $ 1,000 honoraria to offer in exchange for doctors’ attendance at her company's next educational lecture. ©. Selling Pharmaceuticals is a daily exercise in ethical jucigment. Salespeople like Schaefer walk the line between the common practice of buying a prospect's time with a free meal, and bribing doctors to prescribe their drugs. “They work in ai industry highly criticized for ita aalee and marketing practices, but find thamselvas in the middle. of the age-old chicken-or-eag question - businesses won't use strategies that don't work, so are doctors to blame {or the escalating extravagance of pharmaceutical marketing? Ors it the industry's responsibilty to decide the boundaries? . The explosion in the sheer number of salespeople in the Reid- and the amount of funding used to promote their causes: [urGes Lluse eaaimination of the pressures, influence and rolationehips between drug reps and doctors. ‘Salespeople provide much-needed information and education to physicians. In many cases the glossy brochures, article reprints and prescriptions they deliver are primary sources of drug education for healthcare givers. With the huge investment the industry has placed in tace-to-tace seling, sales people have essentially Levine specialists in one drug or group of drugo a tremondoue advantage in getting the attentinn af huisy dlontors in need of auick information. . Rut the salas push rarely stops in the office. The flashy brochures and pamphlets left by the sales reps are often followed up with meals at expensive restaurants, meetings in warm and sunny places, and an inundation of promotional gadgets. Rarely do patients watch a doctor wnte with a pen that isn't emblazoned with druy's ame, oF S66 a nutse use a tablet not bearing a pharmaceutical company’ logo. Millans af collars ara spent by pharmaceutical companies on promotional products like coffee mugs, shirts, umbrellas, and goff balls. Money well spent? It's hard to tall I've been the recipient of golf balls from one company and | use them, but it doesn't make me prescribe their medicine,’ says one doctor.’ | tend to think I'm not influenwed Ly wha they give me. F. Free samples of new and expensive drugs might be the single most ettective way of getting doctors at patizils tu Levumie loyal to a product, Caleopeople hand out hundred of daliars' worth of samples each week- $7.2 billion worth of them in one year. Though few comprehensive studies have been conducted, one by the University of Washington investigated how drug sample availabilty affected what physicians prescribe. A total of 131 doctors self-reported their prescning pattems-tne conclusion was that the avelabilily uf samples fed them to dispense and preseribe druge that diffored from thelr preferred drug chaica 8. The Lottur tie is that phanmaceutical companice ao a whele invaet more in markating than thay dn in research andi davelopment. And patients are the ones who pay-in the form of skyrocketing prescription prices-for 04 | fl.com/iloveambratiaMEE MASTER the ART 0 NC every pen that's handed out, every free theatre ticket, and every steak dinner eaten. In the end the fact remains that pharmaceutical companies have every right to make a profit and will continue to find new ways to increase sales. But as the medical world continues to grapple with what's acceptable and what's not, itis clear that companies must continue to be heavily scrutinized for their sales and marketing strategies. Questions 8-13 ‘Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 17” In boxes 8-19 on your answer sheet, write YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer No ifthe statement contradicts the views of the writer NOT GIVEN if itis impossible to say what the writer thinks 8. Sales representatives like Kim Schaefer work to a very limited budget. 9. Kim Schaefer's marketing technique may be open to criticism on moral grounds. 10. The information provided by drug companies Is of little use to doctors, 44. Evidence of drug promotion is clearly visible in the healthcare environment. 412. The drug companies may give free drug samples to patients without doctors’ prescriptions. 13, tis legitimate for drug companies to make money. 1B. (ELTS mentor - IELTS Academie Reading Sample 19) ‘You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-19 which are based on the Reading Passage below. CREATING ARTIFICIAL REEFS In the coastal waters of the US, a nation's leftovers have been ciscarded. Derelict ships, concrete blocks, sorapped cars, army tanks, tyres filed with concrete and redundant planes iter the sea floor. However, this is not waste disposal, but part of a coordinated, state-run programme. To revently arrived fish, plants and other eos ‘organisms, these artfcial reefs are an ideal home, offering food and! shatter. ‘Sea-dumoina incites widespread condemnation. Little surprise when oceans are seen as ‘convenient’ dumping grounds forthe rubbish we have created but would rather forget. However, scientific evidence suggests that if we dump the right things, sealife can actually be enhanced. And more recently, purpose-built structures of stool or conorete have been employed - some the size of small apartment blocks -principally to increase fish harvests, ‘Strong currents, for example, the choice of design and materials for an artiticial reef dapends on where itis going to be placed. In areas of a Sold cuintete structure will be moro appropriate than ballasted tyras It also Goponds on what species are to he attracted. Its pointless creating high-rise structures for fsh that prefer flat or loverelef habitat. But the most important consideration is the purpose of the reef in the US, where there Is a national ref plan using cleaned up rigs and tanks, artical vfs ave mainly been used to attract fish for recrealinal fishing oF aport diving. But there are many other ways in which they can be used ta manage the marine habitat, For as well as protecting existing habitat, providing purpose-built ‘accommodation for commercial species (such as lobsters and octopi) and acting as sea defences, they can be an effective way of improving fish harvests. “Japa, for vxaniple, has ereated vaot aroae of artificial habitat - rather than isolated reefs - to increase its fish stocks. In fact. the cultural and historical importance of seafood in Japan is reflected by the fact that itis a world leader in reef technology; what's more, these who construct and deploy reefs have sole rights to the harvest. in Europe, aificial reets have been mainly empioyed to protect liaLita, Particularly 20 in the Mediterranoan ‘where reefs have been dunk ae phycioal obstacles to ston ilagal trawling. which is destroying seagrass beds and the marine life that depends on them. if you want to protect areas of the seabed, you need something that wil stop trawlers dead in ther tracks,’ says Dr Antony Jensen ofthe Southampton Oceanography Centre. italy boasts considerable articlal reef scivly. I Usployed its frst scientifically planned reef using conerate euboo ascombled in pyramid forms in 1974 to enhance fisheries and stop trawling. And Spain has built nearly 60 reels in its waters, mainly to discourage trawling and enhance the productivity of fisheries. Meanwhile, Britain established its first quarried rock artificial reef in 1984 off the Scottish coast, to assess Its potential for allrauting commerciai species. ‘But while the sciatic tidy of these structures a litle over a quarter of a century old artificial reefs made ut of readily available materials such as bamboo and coconuts have been used by fishermen for centuries. And the benefits have been enormous. By placing reefs close to nome, nshermen can save (ints and fue. Dut unloos fheamflaveambrosia | 95AAT MASTER: ART ct NEC BL they are carefully managed, these areas can become overfished. In the Philippines, for example, where urilicial reef programmes have been instigated in response to declining fish populations, catches are often allowed to exceed ‘the maximum potential new production of the artifical reef because there is no proper management control There is no doubt that artificial reefs have lots to offer. And while purpose-built structures are effective, the real challenge now is to dovelop environmentally safo ways of using recycled waste to inerease marine diversity. This will require more scientific research. For example, the leachates from one of the most commonly used reef ‘materials, tyres, could potentially be harmful to the creatures and plants that they are supposed to attract. Yet few extensive studies have been undertaken into the long- term effects of disposing of tyres at sea, And at the moment, there is litle consensus about what is environmentally acceptable to dump at sea, especially when it comes to oil and gas rigs. Clearly, the challenge is to develop environmentally acceptable ways of disposing of our rubbish while enhancing marine life too, What we must never be allowed to do is have an excuse for dumping anything we lke at Questions 1-3 ‘The list below gives some of the factors that must be taken into account when deciding how to construct an artificial reef. Which THREE of those factors are mentioned by the writer of the article? Write the appropriate lelters A-F in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet The fishing activity in the area Your answers; The intended location of the reef _ ‘The oxisting reef structures 2 ‘The type of marine life being targeted 3. The function of the reef The cultural importance of the arest Questions 4-8 Complete the table below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS trom the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 4-8 on your answer sheet. ‘Area/Country ‘Type of Reef Purpose Us; Made using old (4) To aitract fish for lelsure activities Japan’ Forms large area of artificial habitat To improve (6) Europe Ties deep down to form (6) To act as a sea defence Taly Consists of pyramid shapes of (7) to prevent trawling’ Britain ‘made of rock to encourace (8) Fish species Using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, complete the following sentences. Write your answers in boxes 9-12 on your answer shoot, tn @) people who build reafe are logally ontitled to all tho fioh they attract. Trawling inhibite the development of marine life because it damages the (10)__. In the past, both (11) were used to make reefs. To ensure that reefs are not overfished, good (12)____———_is required. ‘Question 135 Choose the appropriate letter A-D and write it in box 13 on your anewor choot. 13. According to the writer the next step in the oreation of artificial reefs is A. to produce an international agreement. B. to expana tetr use in the manne environment. €. tn examine their dangors to marine if. D. to improve on purpose-built structures. 96 | Fheam/ileveambrosia.BE MASTER TART fC AA Tips and note Gapped text is commonly referred to as the most challenging part in the CAE/CPE reading section, or even in the whole test. It bothers many students who sits for the exam since getting no correct answer is nota rare thing, ‘The special thing about gapped text s that, only in recent years has it made its way into exams in Vietnam, especially NEC. The first time this brain-teaser jolted NEC's examinees was in 2016. Since then, the focus has been shifted to CAE/GPE reading part and students are more committed lo filiny in lefl-out paragraphs than ever. {A stack ot photocopied material, all about gapped text, is a testament to the hardship Involved in practicing. Normally there will be 6 or 7 gaps that wait for the smartest and mast patient student to fil in. The number of gaps varies according to difficulty. CAE has 6 blanks while CPE boasts a total of 7. In the National English Exam, the number of gaps is mostly 7, which means the difficulty level is that of CPE. Moreover, there is usually no modification to the paragraphs that are left out. People keep the original content, which was adapted trom newspapers such as the Guardian, the Economist,... Sometimes, they may add ‘some multiple-choice questions to diversity the way in which students are tested. These questions, mare aften than, not, requires knowledge of vocabulary and collocations extracted from the passage. The number of questions can be up to 6, which adds up to a total of 1,3/20 points in this part. Yet in NEC 2017 and 2018, gapped text only covers gap filing, excluding the multiple-choice add-ons. Here are some tips to conquer this part focomfiloveambrosia | 97MASTER the ART of NEC Mi reeked ec When doing gapped text, ane golden rule must not be forgotten: the fruit always stems from the root, which is practice. Those with less practice willbo at a disadvantage as their chance will be greatly reduced. The question is how much practice is adequate? There can be no definite answer, but one thing is certain: the amount ot time: spent vorresponds wih the number of conclusions one can draw. Gapped toxt finally boils down to the art of reading, which can only be imparted to individuals through hands-on experience. In NEC 2016, the passage ‘Art for all’ was originally adapted from the article named ‘Getting the knowledge’ posted on The Guardian in 2001. In 2017, ‘Against the grain’ was taken from CPE Practice Tests for the Revised 3 ‘and was also newspaper-based. In 2018, ‘Blooms with a view’ had its origins in The Guardian too but was adapted in Objective Proficiency Workbook. These examples are strong evidence suggesting that gapped texts are derived, {rom non-authentic sources. Therefore, with enough practice, students can totally achieve their goal in this section Recommended sources are CAF/GPE textbooks such as CAE 1-6, CPE 1-5, CPE Practice Tests for the Revised 1, 2, 3, Proficiency Expert, Proficiency Masterclass, Upstream Proficiency, Proficiency Testbuilder, ‘As mentioned above, whether erie can Uo well or not in this part is contingent on lessons that he/she ‘accumulates through intensive reading. Personally, after a long time delving into gapped text, | have several tips regarding the order in which this part should be done as well as scanning technique. ‘As far as order is concerned, to kick off, | read the first paragraph in the passage and identify key words at the beginning as well as the end. Then | browse through the left-out paragraphs from A to H to get the main ideas of these unit paragraphs. Then | re-read the passage and fil in the first gap. If | cannot fil in the first gap or ||am not 100% cure my anewer is correct, | wll mave-on ta the next gap because 1 incorrect answer equals 2. At the end of the passage, | will check how many gaps are left. If the number of remaining gaps is § or higher, | will read the passage and try the exercise again. Ifitis less than 6, | will try tofilin these gaps again without having to start over. With regard to scanning technique, it helps when | read carefully the beginning and end of any paragraph, Wnetner itis a paragrapn in the passage or the one Ua is umilleU. While reading, | identify such words a0 ‘inventione’, ‘Peter and Ford! winter, er citing’ ‘sacred’. Wiliam Shakespeare’... Hf they are at the end of a paragraph in the passage, | will ry to find corresponding words in paragraphs A-H. Examples are illustrated in the following table: ‘Words/phrases at the end of | _ Words/phrases expected al the beyinniny of paragraphs from A to H a paragraph in the passage inventions ingenious ideas, extraordinary man-made structure, thanks to these innovations, these unimaginable devices are a tribute to, It cost a Jot to make them in tne pas, Potor and Ford The couple, these individuals, a= @ group, they ara hath ineinimental in, should they live in today’s society, they co-author on a scientific journal published later this month, winter ‘cold Season, ond oT year, CTristmas, Takes, permalrost, Peuple wslv oul lu see ‘enow fall for the first time, Christmas ie just arauind the: corner, layers of permatrost,. 90 | fbecom/tloveambrosie:MASTER hc ART NC SL Taser cutting calting-edge technology, 27" century "s way of eradicating weeds, state-of-the art, forthe technophiles, a green solution, an increase in productivity ensues, ‘sacred ‘divine, a git rom God, religious bales, these powers, spt, spituals, it gives vent to depression among those upset beings, many has tuned to this, otherworldly force as a last resort, William Shakespeare penmanship, a prolific author, an eminent playwright, endowed with a sixth Sense of words, he was bom just to write, most of his works remain intact until today, there are those who discredit him as a playwright, however, Similarly, when | scan the end of the paragraphs from A to H, | can easily identify words that interrelate with those at the beginning of paragraphs in the passage. In addition, itis advisable that students mind the tenses as well. The passage will always follow a logical order, so do the tenses. Any story that is told willbe either in chronological order or as a continuous shift between the prasenl and the past, Any abrupt change in tense should be considered carefully Whether these tips may be helpful or not, practice is always the first and foremost priority if you detest to the idea of rolling a die just to fine-tune your ad luck this time (and many times ago}! L. (Adpted trom GPE Practice Tests) Seven paragraphs have been removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraph A-H the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to us Whether or not open-plan offices, where employees have thelr own enclosed space, create a productive working environment for employees has been the subject of much debate, but there is a strong argument thatthe benefits of an open-plan working enviroment yo Leyond te purely financial once had the chance to visit New Yorl’a City Hall, during the period when Michael Bloomberg, the former trader-tumned-fiancial-information-mogul -now works as mayor. As | entered his empire, | experionced a smal shock. 0 The man himself sal n/a vast, sry, open-plan room, surrounded by officals and banks of giant data screens {showing information on things such as traffic flows or public satisfaction with the police). Anybody holding a meeting was encouraged to sit on a central, raised dais, rather than scuttle into a private hole; the idea, as one ‘employee explained, being to encourage a cimate of transparency and collaboration. @ is the open-plan spirt associated with those environments appropriate to other work contexts? Its a fascinating and important question. Many of us spend an inordinate amount of time in the ofice, and ~ as anthropologists, architects and psychologists often note, the way we are physically organized shapes now we work and think in a profound way. @ So it was that the quasi-cubicle system was born, but it wes as much a reflection of natural human instincts as i Was dictated by the practicalities of the work ise. What gradually emerged were ‘offices’ where Su mucl pape had to be doalt with that a tradition of piling it high around individual desks hecame the norm —a feaing of nrivacy being the not unwelcome by-product (4) ‘Consequently, ‘tat top’ desks protteratea, to permit oversight even though bosses continued Lv retreat Iu private offices away from the etal whenever the apparturity arase. Then, in tha 19ANa, an industrial clesignar called Robert Propst hit on the ingenious idea of the cubicle office system, and it became fashionable to divide office workers, again to preserve privacy. ° ‘There's some evidence that removing nhysienl haere and bringing peopl closer to one another does promote cagual interactions, This was the conclusion in an utterly fascinating piece in the Harvard Business Review in 2011 This should be required reading for any bosses planning an office design. But there's a roughly equal amount ot {b.comfileveambrncia | 00ASTER the ART of NEC il evidence that because open spaces reduce privacy, they don't foster informal exchanges and may actually inhibit thom. @)___ Moreover, to promote collaboration, office bosses must not only approve informal debate, but also promote shared activities within a semi-private space. Congregaliny around photocopiers and coffee machines helps employees bond and share creative ideas, whereas cresting formal ‘lounges’ does not. Scandinavian Airlines is apparently a wonderful case study for how to get things wrong, bp BBut, as someone who has worked in both at rabbil warren and an open-plan environment, | strongly favour the latter, and wish that more governments would adopt the system. Afterall, anything that promotes greater transparency and egalitarianism seems a thoroughly good idea, Knocking down walls may seem like mere symbolism; but, liko all symbols, it can be a powerful place to start. A. But in the past decade, that pendulum has swung back: most large companies have ~ like Bloomberg - embraced the idea of open-plan space in the hope of promating collaboration. In truth, corporate experiences of this arrangement are very mixed, as two decades of research by management consultants shows. B. During my career as a journalist, | have often walked through government buildings, and become accustomed to seeing a rabbit warren. Across the westem world, senior officials typically work from offices interconnected by corridors, guarded by secretaries in ante-chambers. The building, though, was different, C. How Bloomberg's open-plan design at City Hall stacks up, on these criteria, is tough to assess trom the outside, ‘The employees whom | spoke to seemed pretty happy, but it may have been early days. Received wisdom suggests that open-plan tends to become less attractive as people got older, and may not be equally suited to all kinds of business. D. In theory, in other words, anyone in the mayor's office can see ~ and yell at ~ everyone else; much as they can ‘on a modern financial trading floor or at a newspaper. This, of course, is no accident given that Bloomberg spent most of his career building the financial information giant that bears his name. It was the changing nature of work itsell and the emergence of mobile technology that led to that evolution. Companies started experimenting with a mix of cubicles, open workstations, private offices and group ‘workstations. In some cases, these were not assigned to one particular individual, but were available to any ‘employee of the company on either a reservable or first-come, first-served basis. F. The key issue, apparently, is whether employees feel any sense of control. People must feel confident that they ‘can converse without being Interrupted or overteard arid niust also Le able ly avuid interacting when they want to, Without that possibilty, etaff willinetaad change to condunt important business out of the office. or retreat into private ‘cyber caves’, doing their work entirely online. G. This trend towards separation intensified, as clerks started to surround their desks with more papers and machines, and bosses expressed hierarchies by retreating to a superior enclave, But in the early 20th century, a new idea spread in American companies: that top raayers shiuuld walcl Ines workers Lu keep productivity high, H. Yet, generally, we barely even notice our surrouncings. Except, that is, when somebogy such as Bloomberg ttieo to shake thingo up. But the idea of an ‘office et alone ite layout ~ has not heen canstant It first erapnadt iin in Roman times, when magistrates worked in temples and palaces. These typically included a place for storing sorolls, where the scribes actually worked For questions 8-13, choose the best answer A, B, C or D. Write your answer in the corresponding numbered space. 10. The word ‘mogul in the first paragraph moat likely moane a poreon whe fe A. influential B. conservative C. ambitious D. knowledgeable 9. The phrase ‘not unwelcome by-product implies AA. the emergence of private working environments 1. the convention on how offices should bo organized C. the philosophy behind privacy 100 | fb.comn/tloveu