Katherine Mansfield

Katherine Mansfield was a modernist writer of short fiction who was born and brought
up in New Zealand
Katherine Mansfield Beauchamp Murry was born in 1888, into a prominent family in
Wellington, New Zealand. She became one of New Zealand's best-known writers, using
the pen name of Katherine Mansfield. The daughter of a banker, and born into a middle-
class family, she was also a first cousin of Countess Elizabeth von Arnim, a
distinguished novelist in her time. Mansfield had two older sisters and a younger
brother. Her father, Harold Beauchamp, went on to become the chairman of the Bank of
New Zealand. In 1893, the Mansfield family moved to Karori, a suburb of Wellington,
where Mansfield would spend the happiest years of her childhood; she later used her
memories of this time as an inspiration for her Prelude story.
Her first published stories appeared in the High School Reporter and the Wellington
Girls7 High School magazine in 1898 and 1899. In 1902, she developed strong feelings
for a musician who played the cello, Arnold Trowell, although her feelings were not, for
the most past, returned. Mansfield herself was an accomplished cellist, having received
lesion from Trowell's father. Mansfied wrote in her journals of feeling isolated to some
extent in New Zealand, and, in general terms of her interest in the Maori people ( New
Zealand's native people), who were often portrayed in a sympathetic light in her later
stories, such as How Pearl Button was Kidnapped
She moved to London in 1903, where she attended Queen's college, along with her two
sisters. Manfield recommenced playing the cello, an occupation that she believed,
during her time at Queen's, she would take up professionally. She also began
contributing to the college newspaper, with such a dedication to it that she eventually
became its editor. She was particularly interested in the works of the French writers of
this period and on the 19th- century British writer, Oscar Wilde, and she was
appreciated amongst fellow students at Queen's for her lively and charismatic approach
to life and work. She met follow writer Ida Baker, a South African, at the college, and the
pair became lifelong friends. Mansfield did not actively support the suffragette
movement in the Uk. Women in New Zeland had gained the right to vote in 1893.
Mansfield first began journeying into the other parts of Europe in the period 1903-1906,
mainly to Belgium and Germany. After finishing her schooling in England, she returned
to her New Zealand home in 1906, only then beginning to write short stories in a serious
way. She had several works published in Australia in a magazine called Native
Comparison, which was her first paid writing work, and by this time she had her mind
set on becoming a professional writer. It was also the first occasion on which she used
the pseudonym "k.Mansfied".
Mansfield rapidly grew discontented with the provincial New Zealand lifestyle, and with
her family. Two years later she headed again in London. Her father sent her an annual
subsidy of €100 for the rest of her life. In later years, she would express both admiration
and disdain for New Zealand in her journals.
In 1911, Mansfield met John Middleton Murry, the Oxford scholar and editor of the
literary magazine Rhythm. They were later to marry in 1918. Mansfield became a co-
editor of Rhythm, which was subsequently called The Blue Review, in which more of her
works were published. She and Murry lived in various houses in England and briefly in
Paris. The Blue Review failed to gain enough readers and was no longer published.
Their attempt to set up as writers in Paris was cut short by Murry's bankruptcy, which
resulted from the failure of this and other journals. Life back in England meant
frequently changed addresses and very limited funds.
Between 1915 and 1918, Mansfield moved between England and Bandoi, France. She
and Murry developed close contact with other well-known writers of the time such as DH
Lawrence, Bertrand Russell and Aldous Huxley. By October 1918 Mansfield had
become seriously ill; she had been diagnosed with tuberculosis and was advised to
enter a sanatorium. She could no longer spend time with writers in London. In the
autumn of 1918 she was so ill that she decided to go to Ospedale in Italy. It was the
publication of Bliss and Other Stories in 1920 that was to solidify Mansfield's reputation
as a writer.
Mansfied also spent time in Menton, France, as the tenant of her father's cousin at "
The Villa Isola Bella". There she wrote she pronounced to be "...the only story that
satisfies me to any extent".
Mansfield produced a great deal of work in the final years of her life, and much of her
prose and poetry remained unpublished at her death in 1923. After her death, her
husband, Murry, took on the task of editing and publishing her works. His efforts
resulted in two additional volumes of short stories. The Doves' Nest and Something
Childish, published in 1923 and 1924 respectively, the publication of her Poems as well
as a collection of critical writings (Novels and Novelist) and a number of editions of
Mansfield's previously unpublished letters and journals.

Questions 1-6
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 1 - 6 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1 The name Katherine Mansfield, that appears on the writer's

book, was exactly the same as her origin name

2 Mansfield won a prize for a story she wrote for the High
School Reporter.
3 How Pearl Button Was Kidnapped portrayed Maori people
in a favorable way.

4 when Mansfield was at Queen's college, she planned to be

a professional writer.

5 Mansfield was unpopular with the other students at Queen's

college

6 In London, Mansfield showed little interest in politics.

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Questions 7-13
Complete the notes below
Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer
Write your answers in boxes 7-13 on your answer sheet
Katherine Mansfield's adult years

 7

- moved from England back to New Zealand

- first paid writing work was in a publication based in 8

- her 9 and the New Zealand way of life made her feel dissatisfied

 1908: returned to London

 1911-1919:
- Met John Middleton Murry in 1911

- 10 perverted.... Mansfield and Murry from staying together in Paris

- spent time with distinguished 11

- from 1916, tuberculosis restricted the time she spent in London

 1920
her 12 was consolidated when Bliss and Other Stories was published
wrote several stories at "Villa Isola Bella

 1923-1924

Mansfield's 13 published more of her works after her death

Answers Underground

Burying greenhouse gases to slow global warming

A. One way to slow global warming is to take the greenhouse gases that cause
it and bury them. That is the idea behind projects now under way to capture
emissions from power plants and factories and force them underground or deep
into the ocean. There, proponents argue, they could be trapped for thousands of
years.
B. This concept, known as carbon sequestration, is already being used by oil
companies to improve the efficiency of oil wells, and now engineers have begun
exploring ways to capture carbon dioxide emissions from power plants to reduce
their impact on the environment. At a recent conference, delegates from fourteen
industrialised and developing countries agreed to engage in cooperative
research into capturing and storing carbon dioxide.
C. The goal is to stabilise emissions of greenhouse gases that trap heat in the
atmosphere. Over the past century, airborne carbon dioxide concentrations have
risen by nearly a third, according to Scott Klara, sequestration manager at the US
National Energy Technology Laboratory. Unless emissions are slashed by two
thirds worldwide, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that
concentrations will rise to double the levels of the early 1700s, before the
Industrial Revolution. These increased levels of carbon-based compounds in the
atmosphere are believed to be the cause of rising temperatures and sea levels
around the world. Ignoring the problem is therefore not an option.
D. Limiting emissions, however, is not an easy undertaking since increased
energy consumption is a key to economic growth. Two thirds of the world's
power-generating capacity, expected to come into use by 2030, has not been
constructed yet, according to the International Energy Agency. The developing
world will be particularly important. China and India alone are expected to
account for two thirds of the global increase in coal usage over the next fifteen
years.
E. Solutions are being sought. Work is being undertaken with alternatives
to fossil fuels such as wind and solar energy, but it will be a long time before
 these alternative sources play a major role in fulfilling the world's energy needs.
Geophysicist Klaus Lackner points out that around 85% of the world's energy is
derived from fossil fuels, the cheapest and most plentiful energy source
available, and the developing world in particular is unlikely to give them up. That
is why many scientists support sequestration
F. However, several problems must be resolved before sequestration
plays a key role in a low-carbon future. One is the cost of capturing carbon
dioxide. A second is storing the gas safely once it's been captured. Today, it
costs about $US50 to extract and store a tonne of carbon dioxide from a power
plant, which raises the cost of producing electricity by 30-80%. Lackner argues
that it is too expensive to adapt existing plants to capture carbon dioxide.
Instead, he recommends that carbon- capturing capacity be built into future
plants. Economic incentives are needed to encourage companies to identify low-
cost carbon-sequestration solutions. A government-supported program in the US
has enabled some factories to partially capture carbon emissions, which they
then sell for various uses, including carbonating soft drinks. However, there are
no power plants ready for full carbon capture.

G. Once the carbon has been captured it must be stored. Natural carbon sinks,
such as forests and wetlands, can remove some carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere, but not nearly enough. Carbon dioxide could be pumped to the
bottom of the ocean, where the pressure would keep it pinned to the seabed in
liquid form for decades, but that has serious long-term environmental risks. David
Hawkins, from the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington, warns that
the carbon dioxide could radically alter the chemical balance in the ocean, with
potentially harmful consequences for marine life. Others worry that the carbon
dioxide could escape back into the atmosphere.
H. A few promising attempts at underground carbon sequestration are
currently under way. In western Canada, an oil company is pumping liquefied
carbon dioxide into oil wells to force more oil to the surface and boost recovery
by 10-15%. The company gets the carbon dioxide via a pipeline from North
Dakota in the US, where the gas is captured from a synthetic-fuel plant. In
another instance in the North Sea, a Norwegian energy firm is injecting carbon
dioxide waste from its natural-gas operations into a saline aquifer 1,000 metres
beneath the ocean floor.
I. Clearly, storing large amounts of gas underground raises
environmental fears. Environmentalists argue that more research is needed on
potential storage sites, such as oil and gas reservoirs and coal seams unsuitable
for mining, to ensure that they offer long-term solutions. The World Wide Fund for
Nature Australia has argued that the primary risk of underground storage is that
dangerously large volumes of carbon dioxide might escape and people become
asphyxiated.
J. Little progress in slashing global greenhouse gases can be achieved
without involving developing countries, but for now carbon sequestration is not
their priority because of the increased costs this would add to energy production.
 Hawkins argues that, to encourage developing nations to use sequestration,
developed nations will have to provide assistance. He suggests a multilateral
initiative in which developed nations, perhaps by purchasing carbon credits from
poorer countries, finance the difference between the cost of a regular coal-fired
power plant and one that captures carbon emissions. That is, the rich - who will
remain the world's biggest polluters for years to come - would buy the right to
emit carbon from the poor, who would use the proceeds to build better plants.

Questions 1-6
Look at the following issues (Questions 1-6) and the list of people and organisations
below.
Match each issue with the correct person or organization, A-F.
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

1 The cost implications of fitting plants with the necessary

equipment.

2 The effects of sequestration could have on sea creatures.

3 The reasons why products such as oil and gas continue to be

popular energy sources.

4 The need for industrialised countries to give aid to less wealthy

countries.

5 The significant increase in carbon dioxide concentrations in the air

over the last 100 years.

6 The potential for sequestration to harm human life.

List of People and organisations
A Scott Klara
B Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
C International Energy Agency
D Klaus Lackner
E David Hawkins
F World Wide Fund for Nature Australia
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Questions 7- 9
Reading Passage has ten paragraphs, A-J.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-J, in boxes 7-9 on your answer sheet.

7 Examples of sequestration already in use in several parts of the world

8 An example of putting carbon dioxide emissions to use in the food and

beverage industry

9 Current examples of the environmental harm attributed to carbon dioxide in

the air
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Questions 10-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 10-13 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

10 Both developing and developed nations have decided to investigate

carbon dioxide sequestration.

11 A growing economy will use more power.

12 Capturing carbon dioxide has become financially attractive.

13 More forests need to be planted to improve the atmosphere.

Developmental Tasks of Normal Adolescence

Some years ago, Professor Robert Havighurst of the University of Chicago, USA,
proposed that stages in human development can best be thought of in terms of the
developmental ‘tasks’ that are part of the normal transition. He identified ten
developmental tasks associated with the adolescent transition. Each of the Havighurst
tasks can also be seen as elements of the overall sense of self that adolescents carry
with them as they move towards and into young adulthood. Adolescents do not
progress through these multiple developmental tasks separately; at any given time they
may be dealing with several.
The adolescent must adjust to a new physical sense of self. At no other time since birth
does an individual undergo such profound physical changes as during early
adolescence. Puberty is marked by sudden rapid growth in height and weight. Also, the
young person experiences the emergence and accentuation of those physical traits that
make the person a boy or a girl. The young person looks less like a child and more like
a physically mature adult. The effect of this rapid change is that mid-adolescents are
body-conscious, and their concerns are directed towards their opposite-sexed peers.
The adolescent must adjust to new intellectual abilities. In addition to a sudden spurt in
physical growth, adolescents experience a sudden increase in their ability to think about
their world. As a normal part of maturity, they are able to think more things. However,
they are also able to conceive of their world with awareness. Before adolescence,
children's thinking is dominated by a concrete example for any problem that they solve;
their thinking is constrained to what is real and physical. During adolescence, young
people begin to recognise and understand abstractions. The growth in ability to deal
with abstractions accelerates during the middle stages of adolescence.
The adolescent must adjust to increased cognitive demands at school. Adults see high
school in part as a place where adolescents prepare for adult roles and responsibilities
and in part as preparatory for further education. School curricula are frequently
dominated by the inclusion of more abstract, demanding material, regardless of whether
the adolescents have achieved formal thought. Since not all adolescents make the
intellectual transition at the same rate, demands for abstract thinking prior to the
achievement of that ability may be frustrating.
The adolescent must adopt a personal value system. During adolescence, as teens
develop increasingly complex knowledge systems, they also adopt an integrated set of
values and morals. During the early stages of moral development, parents provide their
child with a structured set of rules of what is right and wrong, what is acceptable and
unacceptable. Eventually the adolescent must assess the parent's values as they come
into conflict with values expressed by peers and other segments of society. To reconcile
differences, the adolescent restructures those beliefs into a personal ideology.
The adolescent must develop expanded verbal skills to accommodate more complex
concepts and tasks. Their limited language of childhood is no longer adequate. As their
conceptual development may outstrip their verbal development, adolescents may
appear less competent than they really are.
The adolescent must establish adult vocational goals. As part of the process of
establishing a personal identity, the adolescent must also begin the process of focusing
on the question, 'What do you plan to be when you grow up?1 Mid-adolescents must
identify, at least at a preliminary level, what their adult vocational goals are and how
they intend to achieve them.
The adolescent must develop a personal sense of identity. Prior to adolescence, one's
identity is an extension of one's parents' identity. During the early adolescent years a
young person begins to recognise their uniqueness and to establish themselves as
separate individuals, independent of their parents. As such, one must reconsider the
answer to the question, ‘what does it mean to be me?' or "who am l?"
The adolescent must establish emotional and psychological independence from his or
her parents, childhood is marked by strong dependence on one's parents. Adolescents
may yearn to keep that safe, secure, supportive, dependent relationship. Yet, to be an
adult implies a sense of independence, of autonomy, of being one's own person. In an
attempt to assert their need for independence and individuality, adolescents may
respond with what appears to be hostility and lack of cooperation.
The adolescent must develop stable and productive peer relationships. Although peer
interaction is not unique to adolescence, it seems to hit a peak of importance during
early adolescence. Certainly by late adolescence or early adulthood the need for peer
approval has diminished. This degree to which an adolescent is able to make friends
and have an accepting peer group, though, is a major indicator of how well the
adolescent will adjust in other areas of social and psychological development. Early
adolescence is also a period of intense conformity to peers.” Fitting in' not being
different, and being accepted seem somehow pressing to this age group. The worst
possibility, from the view of the young teen, is to be seen by peers as different.
The adolescent must develop increased impulse control and behavioural maturity. In
their shift to adulthood, most young people engage in one or more behaviours that place
them at physical, social, or educational risk. Risky behaviours are sufficiently pervasive
among adolescents to suggest that risk-taking may be a normal developmental process
of middle adolescence. Gradually adolescents develop a set of behavioural self-controls
through which they assess which behaviours are acceptable and adult-like.

Questions 1-6
Classify the following developments as characterising
A early adolescence
B middle adolescence
C late adolescence
Write the correct letter, A, B or C, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet

1 becoming interested in people of the other gender

2 beginning to choose a future career

3 needing to feel the same as one's friends

4 beginning to form a self-image separate from the family context

5 having less need for the good opinion of friends

6 exposing oneself to dangers

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Questions 7-10
Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-E, below.
Write the correct letter, A-E in boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet.

7 Havighurst proposed a set of tasks which

8 A course of study at high school

9 The speed of development of thinking ability during adolescence

10 Adolescence is a time when the young person

A reflects an adolescent's emerging self-perception.
B cannot solve a problem without an example.
C is designed to become more challenging.
D formulates a personal set of moral beliefs and values.
E varies according to the individual.

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Questions 11-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage?
In boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

11 Most pre-adolescent children are capable of abstract thought.

12 Adolescents ‘limited skills with words may give a false impression of

their ability.

13 Whether or not an adolescent is accepted by their age-group is an

important clue to other aspects of their social adjustment.

What is the secret of a long life?

This year, the number of retired pensioners in the UK exceeded the number of under 18
years old for the first time in history. That's remarkable in its own right, but the real
'population explosion' has been among the oldest of the old — the centenarians. In fact,
this imbalance is the fastest growing demographic in much of the developed world. In
the UK, the number of centenarians has increased by 60 per cent since the early 20th
century. And their ranks are set swell even further, thanks to the ageing baby-boomer
generation: by 2030 there will be about a million worldwide.
These trends raise social, ethical and economic dilemmas. Are medical advances
artificially prolonging life, with hide regard for the quality of that life? If growing numbers
of elderly people become dependent on state or familial support, society faces
skyrocketing costs and commitments. Yet researchers who study the oldest old have
made a surprising discovery that presents a less pessimistic view of the future than
many anticipate.
It is becoming clear that people who break through the 90-plus barrier represent a
physical elite. Far from gaining a longer burden of disability, their extra years tend to be
healthy ones. And supercentenarians, people aged 110 or over, are even better
examples of ageing well. The average supercentenarian had freely gone about their
daily life up until the age of 105 or so, some five to ten years longer even than
centenarians.
One of the most comprehensive studies comes from Denmark. In 1998 Kare
Christensen, at the University of Southern Denmark, contacted every single one of 3600
people born in 1905 who was still alive. Assessing their health over the subsequent
decade, he found that the proportion of people who managed to remain independent
throughout was constantly around one-third of the total. Each individual risked
becoming more infirm, but the unhealthiest ones passed away at earlier ages, leaving
the strongest behind. In 2005, only 166 of the people in Christensen's sample were still
alive, but one-third of those were still entirely self-sufficient.
Christensen's optimistic findings are echoed in studies all over the world. In the
MC, Carol Brayne at the University of Cambridge studied 958 people aged over 90, and
found that only one-quarter of them were living in accommodation specifically catering
for the needs of older people. Research in China reveals that centenarians and
nonagenarians spend fewer days ill and in bed than younger elderly groups. Of course,
people can live independently without being entirely healthy, and it is true that most
centenarians suffer from some kind of ailment. These range from osteoarthritis to simple
loneliness.
Not all the oldest old survive by delaying illness or disability, though. Many soldier
through it. Jessica Even of Ohio State University examined the medical histories of over
400 centenarians. She found that those who achieve extreme longevity tend to fall into
three categories. About 40 per cent were 'delayers', who avoided chronic diseases until
after the age of 80. Another 40 per cent were 'survivors', who suffered from chronic
diseases before the age of 80 but lived longer to tell the tale. The final 20 per cent were
'escapers', who reached their century with no sign of the most common chronic
diseases. Intriguingly, one-third of male centenarians were in this category, compared
with only 15 per cent of women. In fact, the two sexes fare very differently when it
comes to longevity. There are far more female centenarians, but the reasons for this are
unclear. Certainly, women tend to lead healthier lifestyles and experience fewer serious
accidents. They also go to their doctor more. Men are more prone to risky behaviour
and chronic illness, so it must be genetics which allows some men to reach extreme old
age. Evidence of this comes from longevity hotspots.
The Japanese island of Okinawa is the front runner. At 58 centenarians per 100,000
people, it has the world's highest proportion in this age group, with Sardinia and Iceland
not too far behind. All three are relatively isolated island communities, which leads to
less genetic variation amongst inhabitants. In these places, the result has been a
predisposition towards a longer life. Of
course, members of such communities usually share a particular environment, too, but
this alone cannot explain longevity. Gerontologists have emphasised the importance of
regular exercise, so anyone aiming to reach a century should not underestimate this.
They have also found that the influence on lifespan of social factors such as wealth
fades as we age. By comparing 10,000 pairs of Scandinavian twins, Christensen found
that genes are key, but that they only start exerting a strong influence on our lifespan
after the age of 60. Before then, those who are both identical and nonidentical have
largely independent chances of reaching a given age.
Longevity genes have also been found in abundance in other organisms, including over
70 in particular worms. Unfortunately, it's a different story in humans. While many genes
have been suggested to affect lifespan, very few have been consistently verified in
multiple populations.
Note:
1 .’’Centenarian”: someone who is 100 years or older.

2. ” Baby - boomer“: someone born just after the Second World War, a time which
saw a rapid increase in birth rate.
3. “Nonagenarian”: someone who is between 90 and 99 years old.
4. “Gerontologist”: a medical professional who specialises in aging and the
problems of aged Persons.
Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
In boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1 The greatest growth in the centenarian population across the world is

in the UK.

2 Fewer families today are looking after their elderly members.

3 People who live beyond 90 years old are likely to be in good health.

4 Centenarians tend to be in better physical health than

supercentenarians.

5 None of the oldest survivors in Christensen's study could take care of

themselves.

6 Research findings from Cambridge and China conflicted with

Christensen's findings in Denmark.

7 Centenarians may suffer from stronger feelings of isolation than people

a generation younger.
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Questions 8-13
Answer the questions below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer
Write your answers in boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet.
8. What name has Jessica Evert given to the category of centenarians who become 100

without suffering serious disease? 8

9. What factor is most likely to contribute to longevity in men? 9

10. Which place has the largest proportion of centenarians in the world? 10
11. According to gerontologists, what should people avoid neglecting if they wish to

reach old age? 11

12. What social influence on longevity decreases as people get older? 12

13. In which species, apart from humans, have longevity genes been reliably

identified? 13

Toxic Stress: A Slow Wear And Tear

A. Our bodies are built to respond when under attack. When we sense danger, our
brain goes on alert, our heart rate goes up, and our organs flood with stress
hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. We breathe faster, taking in more oxygen,
muscles tense, our senses are sharpened and beads of sweat appear. This
combination of reactions to stress is also known as the "fight-or-flight" response
because it evolved as a survival mechanism, enabling people and other
mammals to react quickly to life-threatening situations. The carefully orchestrated
yet near-instantaneous sequence of hormonal changes and physiological
responses helps someone to fight the threat off or flee to safety. Unfortunately,
the body can also overreact to stressors that are not life-threatening, such as
traffic jams, work pressure, and family difficulties.
B. That's all fine when we need to jump out of the way of a speeding bus, or when
someone is following us down a dark alley. In those cases, our stress is
considered "positive", because it is temporary and helps us survive. But our
bodies sometimes react in the same way to more mundane stressors, too. When
a child faces constant and unrelenting stress, from neglect, or abuse, or living in
chaos, the response stays activated, and may eventually derail normal
development. This is what is known as "toxic stress". The effects are not the
same in every child, and can be buffered by the support of a parent or caregiver,
in which case the stress is considered "tolerable". But toxic stress can have
profound consequences, sometimes even spanning generations. Figuring out
how to address stressors before they change the brain and our immune and
cardiovascular systems is one of the biggest questions in the field of childhood
development today.
C. In 1998, two researchers, Vincent Felitti and Robert Anda, pioneered in
publishing a study demonstrating that people who had experienced abuse or
household dysfunction as children were more likely to have serious health
 problems, like cancer or liver diseases, and unhealthy lifestyle habits, like
drinking heavily or using drugs as adults. This became known as the "ACE
Study," short for "adverse childhood experiences." Scientists have since linked
more than a dozen forms of ACEs - including homelessness, discrimination, and
physical, mental, and sexual abuse - with a higher risk of poor health in
adulthood.
D. Every child reacts to stress differently, and some are naturally more resilient than
others. Nevertheless, the pathways that link adversity in childhood with health
problems in adulthood lead back to toxic stress. As Jenny Anderson, senior
reporter at Quartz, explains, "when a child lives with abuse, neglect, or is witness
to violence, he or she is primed for that fight or flight all the time. The burden of
that stress, which is known as 'allostatic load or overload,' referring to the wear
and tear that results from either too much stress or from inefficient management
of internal balance, eg, not turning off the response when it is no longer needed,
can damage small, developing brains and bodies. A brain that thinks it is in
constant danger has trouble organising itself, which can manifest itself later as
problems of paying attention, or sitting still, or following instructions - all of which
are needed for learning".
E. Toxic is a loaded word. Critics say the term is inherently judgmental and may
appear to blame parents for external social circumstances over which they have
little control. Others say it is often misused to describe the source of stress itself
rather than the biological process by which it could negatively affect some
children. The term, writes John Devaney, centenary chair of social work at the
University of Edinburgh, "can stigmatise individuals and imply traumatic
happenings in the past".
Some paediatricians do not like the term because of how difficult it is to actually
fix the stressors their patients face, from poverty to racism. They feel it is too
fatalistic to tell families that their child is experiencing toxic stress, and there is
little they can do about it. But Nadine Burke Harris, surgeon general of California,
argues that naming the problem means we can dedicate resources to it so that
paediatricians feel like they have tools to treat "toxic stress".
F. The most effective prevention for toxic stress is to reduce the source of the
stress. This can be tricky, especially if the source of the stress is the child's own
family. But parent coaching, and connecting families with resources to help
address the cause of their stress (sufficient food, housing insecurity, or even the
parent's own trauma), can help. Another one is to ensure love and support from a
parent or caregiver. Young children's stress responses are more stable, even in
difficult situations, when they are with an adult they trust.
As Megan Gunnar, a child psychologist and head of the Institute of Child at the
University of Minnesota, said: "When the parent is present and relationship is
secure, basically the parent eats the stress: the kid cries, the parent comes, and
it doesn't need to kick in the big biological guns because the parent is the
protective system". That is why Havard's Center on the Developing Child
recommends offering care to caregivers, like mental health or addiction support,
because when they are healthy and well, they can better care for their children.
Question 1-6
The reading passage has six paragraphs, A-F.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number (i – vii) in boxes.
List of Headings
i The controversy around the word “toxic”
ii Effects of different types of stress
iii How to protect children from toxic stress
iv An association of adverse experience with health problems and unhealthy habits
v Body’s reactions in response to the perceived harmful event
vi Signs of being under sustained stress
vii Negative impacts of toxic stress on children’s mental health

1 Paragraph A

2 Paragraph B

3 Paragraph C

4 Paragraph D

5 Paragraph E

6 Paragraph F
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Question 7-9

Choose TRUE if the statement agrees with the information given in the text, choose
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information, or choose NOT GIVEN if there is no
information on this.
7 Felitti and Anda were the first to show that ACEs create impacts
regarding health and habits later on in life.

8 Some children have the same level of vulnerability to stressful events.

9 Several paediatricians consider poverty and racism the primary

contributors to toxic stress.
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Question 10-13

Look at the following people and the list of statements below.

Match each person with the correct statement, A-E.
Write the correct letter A-E in boxes.
List of statements
A Traumatic experiences in childhood might lead to poor self-management.
B Supportive and responsive relationships with caring parents can prevent or reverse
the damaging effects of toxic stress responses.
C Properly naming a type of stress can facilitate its treatment process.
D The real name of a particular form of stress could denounce a number of people.
E Toxic stress can cause the next generations to suffer from negative consequences on
both mental and physical health problems.

10 Megan Gunnar

11 Jenny Anderson

12 John Devaney

13 Nadine Burke Harris

Why Do We Touch Strangers So Much? A History

Of The Handshake Offers Clues
For thousands of years, the handshake has been used for different purposes.
A. There is a lot that can be conveyed in a handshake, a kiss, or a hug. Throughout
history, such a greeting was used to signal friendship, finalize a business
transaction, or indicate religious devotion. Touching strangers, however, can also
transmit other, less beneficial shared outcomes—like disease outbreaks.
As fears about COVID-19, or coronavirus, mount, France has warned its citizens
to pause their famous cheek kisses, and across the world, business deals are
being sealed with an elbow bump. But with histories tracing back thousands of
years, both greetings are likely too entrenched to be so easily halted.
B. A popular theory on the handshake’s origin is that it began as a gesture of peace.
Grasping hands proved one was not holding a weapon—and shaking them was a
way to ensure a partner had nothing hiding up their sleeve. So far, there has not
been any reliable evidence to prove this assumption. Throughout the ancient
world, the handshake appears on vases, gravestones, and stone slabs in scenes
of weddings, gods making deals, young warriors departing for war, and the newly
dead’s arrival to the afterlife. In the literary canon, it stretches to the Iliad and the
Odyssey.
The handshake’s catch-all utility, used in friendship, romance, and business
alike, makes interpretation difficult. “The handshake continues to be a popular
image today because we too see it as a complex and ambiguous motif,” writes
art historian Glenys Davies in an analysis of its use in classical art.
C. In America, it is likely that the handshake’s popularity was propelled by 18th
century Quakers. In their efforts to eschew the hierarchy and social rank, they
found the handshake a more democratic form of greeting to the then-common
bow, curtsy, or hat doffing. “In their place, Quakers put the practice of the
handshake, extended to everyone regardless of station, as we still do,” writes
historian Michael Zuckerman.
There may be a scientific explanation for its lasting power. In a 2015 study,
researchers in Israel filmed handshakes between hundreds of strangers and
found nearly a quarter of participants sniffed their hands afterwards. They
theorized that a handshake might be unconsciously used to detect chemical
signals, and possibly as a means of communication—just as other animals do by
smelling each other.
D. The kiss-as-greeting has a similarly rich history. It was incorporated into early
Christianity and used in religious ceremonies. “In his Epistle to the Romans, St.
Paul instructed followers to ‘salute one another with a holy kiss,’” writes Andy
Scott in the book One Kiss or Two: In Search of the Perfect Greeting. In the
Middle Ages, a kiss was used as a sign of fidelity and to seal agreements like
property transfers.
E. Today, a swift kiss on the cheek known in French as “la bise,” is a standard
greeting in much of the world. The word may have originated with the Romans,
who had a different term for each type of kiss and called the polite version
“basium.” In Paris, two kisses are common. In Provence expect three, and four is
the norm in the Loire Valley. The cheek kiss is also common in countries like
Egypt, where three kisses is customary, Latin America, and the Philippines. It is
thought that during the plague in the 14th century, la bise may have stopped and
was not revived again until 400 years later, after the French Revolution. In 2009,
 la bise was temporarily paused as swine flu became a concern. At the end of
February, the French Health Minister advised against it as the coronavirus cases
increased. “The reduction in social contacts of a physical nature is advised,” he
said. “That includes the practice of the bise.”
F. In her book Don’t Look, Don’t Touch, behavioural scientist Val Curtis of the
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says that one possible reason
for the kiss and handshake as a greeting is to signify that the other person is
trusted enough to share germs with. Because of this, the practice can go in and
out of style depending on public health concerns.
In a 1929 study, a nurse named Leila Given wrote an article in the American
Journal of Nursing lamenting the loss of the last generation’s “finger-tipping and
the high handshake” customs in favour of a handshake. She warned that hands
“are agents of bacterial transfer” and cited early studies showing that a
handshake could easily spread germs. In conclusion, she recommended that
Americans adopt the Chinese custom at the time of shaking one’s own hands
together when greeting a friend. “At least our bacteria would then stay at home,”
she wrote.

Question 1-7
Choose TRUE if the statement agrees with the information given in the text, choose
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information, or choose NOT GIVEN if there is no
information on this.

1 Shaking hands is an indicator of hospitality.

2 Evidence showed that the handshake started as a sign of peace.

3 When shaking hands, people often rolled up their sleeves.

4 The use of a handshake in different situations can be unpredictable.

5 In America, handshakes became prevalent because they represented
equality and freedom.

6 A research conducted in 2015 showed that exactly 25% of participants

smelled their hands after a handshake.

7 People often smell their hands to spot poisonous chemicals.

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Question 8-12

Complete the summary below.

Choose no more than THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for
each answer.
Write your answer in boxes.

The history of cheek kissing

In the past, Christian used cheek kisses in 8 . In the Middle Age, the kiss-as-

greeting was used to show 9 or used in making agreements. At present, it is

a norm for people almost all over the world to greet each other. In Rome, people named
different types of kisses in different ways. It is common for people in Paris to

exchange 10 . The standard is three in Provence and four in the Lore Valley.
A kiss on the cheek is also popular among people of Egypt, Latin America and the
Philippines. People believe that in the 14th century, the cheek kiss might have been

paused and it remained so for 11 . In 2009, due to 12 , cheek

kisses were also stopped for a while.
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Question 13-14

Answer the question below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes.
13 What did French Health Minister advise people to avoid to prevent the spread of

coronavirus? 13

14 What can be transferred from a handshake? 14