READING 103
TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN – YES/NO/NOT GIVEN
IN CLASS
A – Skills Practice
TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN
EXAM INFORMATION
This type of question tests if you can identify whether information is correct or not.
You are given a factual statement and you have to check in a text if it is true. It is important
NOT to use your own knowledge to answer the questions; the answer MUST come from the text.
⚫ If the text confirms the statement, your answer should be 'TRUE'.
⚫ If the test contradicts the statement, your answer should be 'FALSE'.
⚫ If it is impossible to know from the text if the statement is true or not, your answer should be
'NOT GIVEN'.
The information in the text will be in the same order as the questions.
TECHNIQUE
• Read the questions carefully and underline the keywords in each of the statements.
• Scan the text for the keywords you have identified to find the relevant section in the text.
• Once you have located the relevant section of text, read it more carefully to decide if the
statement agrees, contradicts or does not give any information about the question.
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►1. Do the sentences on the left provide answers to the questions on the right? Put a tick
(✓) when they do, or write NOT GIVEN if they don't. Use only the information in the
statements.
Sentences Questions ✓ or NOT GIVEN
Fingerprints have been found 1. Do we have computers that help
that date back thousands of us determine how old fingerprints
years to the time of the ancient are?
Egyptians. 2. Did the ancient Egyptians live
thousands of years ago?
In 1910, Edmond Locard set up 3. Is Edmond Locard French?
what is thought to be the first 4. Is Lyons in France?
police crime laboratory in
Lyons in France.
DNA fingerprinting was first 5. Was DNA fingerprinting technically
used in the 1980s when it was possible in 1990?
used as evidence to convict 6. Did Colin Pitchfork commit
murderer Colin Pitchfork. murder?
►2. Read the statements below and write TRUE if the text next to it confirms the
information, FALSE if it contradicts the information, or NOT GIVEN if there is not enough
information.
Text Statements TRUE/FALSE/NOT
GIVEN
The Scenes of Crime Officers 1. SCOC means Scenes of
(SOCOs) that seal off (= stop people Crimes Officers
from entering), record and collect 2. Recording and collecting
evidence from crime scenes are evidence is important police
people employed by police forces work,
but not police officers themselves. 3. SOCOs analyze evidence
from crime scenes.
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SOCOs are called to crime scenes at 4. SOCOs have a difficult job
any time of the day or night, and to do.
may have to remain there for days 5. SOCOs work regular
or even weeks so that every piece of hours.
evidence is collected. 6. After a crime, the SOCO’s
work continues until the crime
is solved.
Many SOCOs now use photographic 7. SOCOs need to be able to
and surveying techniques to take photographs.
produce virtual reconstructions of 8. After a crime, the crime is
crime scenes that help with their sometimes ‘reconstructed’ by
recording and investigation of the actors.
scene. 9. SOCOs have to record and
investigate crime scenes.
►3. Read Part 1 as fast as you can, but make sure you understand what you read. Don't
stop for unknown vocabulary. Afterwards, check your understanding by answering the
questions. Make a note of the time when you finish.
Crime-fighting technology: a necessity?
PART 1:
Crime-fighting technology is getting more sophisticated and rightly so. The police need to be
equipped for the 21st century. In Britain we've already got the world's biggest DNA database.
By next year, the state will have access to the genetic data of 4.25m people: one British-based
person in 14. Hundreds of thousands of those on the database will never have been charged
with a crime.
• True or False? Most people in Britain are on the British DNA database.
Britain is also reported to have more than four million CCTV (closed circuit television) cameras.
There is a continuing debate about the effectiveness of CCTV. Some evidence suggests that it
is helpful in reducing shoplifting and car crime. It has also been used to successfully identify
terrorists and murderers. However, many claim that better lighting is just as effective to prevent
crime, and that cameras could displace crime. An internal police report said that only one crime
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was solved for every 1,000 cameras in London in 2007. In short, there is conflicting evidence
about the effectiveness of cameras, so it is likely that the debate will continue.
• True or False? CCTV has helped solve some small and large crimes.
Professor Mike Press, who has spent the past decade studying how design can contribute to
crime reduction, said that, in order for CCTV to have any effect, it must be used in a targeted
way.
• True, False or Not Given? Mike Press has been studying the link between design and
the amount of crime for ten years.
Now do the same for Part 2. Check if you managed to complete Part 2 faster than Part 1.
PART 2:
Most schemes that simply record city centres continually - often not being watched - do not
produce results. CCTV can also have the opposite effect of that intended, by giving citizens a
false sense of security and encouraging them to be careless with property and personal safety.
• True or False? CCTV can make people feel safe, which can put them in more danger.
Professor Press said: 'All the evidence suggests that CCTV alone makes no positive impact on
crime reduction and prevention at all. The weight of evidence would suggest the investment is
more or less a waste of money unless you have lots of other things in place. He believes that
much of the increase is driven by the marketing efforts of security companies who promote the
crime-reducing benefits of their products. He described it as a 'lazy approach to crime
prevention' and said that authorities should instead be focusing on how to alter the environment
to reduce crime.
• True or False? Professor Press believes that CCTV can help reduce crime but only if
there are also changes to the environment.
But in reality, this is not what is happening. Instead, police are considering using more
technology in the future. Police forces have recently begun experimenting with cameras in their
helmets. The footage will be stored on police computers, along with the footage from thousands
of CCTV cameras and millions of pictures from number plate recognition cameras used
increasingly to check up on motorists.
• True, False or Not Given? The police are already using more technology than before.
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YES/NO/NOT GIVEN
EXAM INFORMATION
In the exam, you may be asked to demonstrate that you understand the points of view expressed
in a text. You will be given a list of statements which each represents an opinion. You have to
read the text to find out if the writer expresses these opinions or not.
⚫ If the writer shares the opinion in the statement, your answer will be ‘YES’.
⚫ If the writer contradicts the statement, your answer will be ‘NO’.
⚫ If it is impossible to know from the text what the writer's opinion is about that subject, your
answer will be ‘NOT GIVEN’.
The information in the text will be in the same order as the list of statements.
NOTE
Throughout the exam, you need to make sure you rely on the information
in the passages, not on your own ideas. This is especially important with
this type of question: never be tempted to reflect your own opinion,
always consider only what is in the text.
►1. It is important to understand the difference between facts and opinions. An opinion
does not have to be based on fact or knowledge and we cannot prove it right or wrong.
Are the following statements facts or opinions?
1. The distance between Birmingham and Cheltenham is about 40 miles.……….
2. There are currently two areas with roadworks between Birmingham and
Cheltenham………
3. Cheltenham has music, literature and horseracing festivals, a historic promenade and
award-winning gardens......….
4. Cheltenham is well worth a visit....………
5. Birmingham is sometimes compared to Venice because of its many canals….…….
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6. You can't get from Birmingham to Cheltenham in less than half an hour unless you break
the speed limit…….…….
7. Frankley service station, on the M5 near Birmingham, has shops that provide good value
for money.....………..
►2. Read the texts and the statements that follow them. Write YES if the opinion is
expressed in the text (the writer agrees) and NO if the writer disagrees.
Britain never used to have armed police, but when major events are being held, such as
the recent London Olympics, there is a visible presence of armed police in train stations.
Do people using public transport feel reassured when they see armed police? Possibly.
But most of them, especially visitors to the UK, may feel that there is something to worry
about, especially as they would expect British police not to be armed. And if we think about
it, the police, armed or not, cannot protect us from bombers. But what the police can, and
sometimes does do, is make mistakes, and these are always worse when there are
firearms involved. So in the end, arming police may do more harm than good.
1. Most travellers feel protected when they see armed police in train stations…….…
2. Even police with guns cannot protect us from bombers.......…
3. The police might shoot somebody by accident...........
4. It is better not to have armed police in Britain.........…
Instead of complaining about roadworks, the cost of petrol, the price of cars, etc. we need
to think about other options. And I don't mean car sharing or building more motorways. I
say we try to save our environment by campaigning for better bus and train networks and
for different types of transport, such as trams.
5. We should complain about car-related problems.........
6. The environment is not really in danger……..
7. Public transport needs to be improved........…
The rise in fuel prices is a very worrying trend. Here are just some examples of the
consequences.
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Elderly people cannot afford to heat their houses, people lose their jobs because they can
no longer afford to commute to work, or because they are made redundant from their jobs
in transport-based businesses such as airlines, Self-employed people often rely on their
own transport for work, e.g. delivery people, florists and taxi drivers, so they may be forced
to close their business. The prices of some food and raw materials also increase as a
direct result of the cost of oil, e.g. the prices of beef and cotton. Against all of that, there
is one possible advantage: car manufacturers are employing more people to design fuel-
efficient cars, which will benefit the environment. But surely, this is not enough. What we
need is international cooperation and political goodwill, to reduce fuel prices and/ or
financially support those who are being affected.
8. We need to be concerned about the increase in the price of fuel....…
9. There are more problems caused by increasing fuel prices than the ones mentioned in
the passage...........
10. The price of beef is closely related to the price of oil.........
11. The rise of fuel prices is not a big problem as the environment is benefitting from it.........
12. If we cannot lower the price of fuel then we need more money so that people can cope
with it. .......…
►3. Look back at the third passage in Exercise ►2. Are the following opinions in the text
TRUE or are they NOT GIVEN?
Exam tips
To help you determine if something is NOT GIVEN, look for synonyms and
paraphrases. If none appear, the answer will probably be NOT GIVEN. But
even if you do find paraphrases, be careful: it may be that the topic is
mentioned but not in relation to the statement.
1. Old people may die because they cannot keep warm.........……
2. There is more unemployment when fuel prices rise..........……..
3. People who deliver goods may use their personal vehicles to do this………….
4. The price of corn and corn-based foods are related to the price of oil........…..
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5. There already exist some fuel-efficient cars............….
6. Politicians are not working hard enough now to solve fuel price problems………...
B – Exam Practice
► READING 1
Questions 1-7
Do the statements agree with the information given in the passage? Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information about this
1. At the time of his voyage, Mau had unique navigational skills.
2. Mau was familiar with the sea around Tahiti.
3. Mau thought it would be difficult to use a compass and charts.
4. Mau's grandfather was his only teacher.
5. Mau used stones to learn where each star was situated in the sky.
6. The first inhabitants of Hawaii could read and write.
7. Mau expected his students to memorise the positions of the stars.
Mau Piailug, ocean navigator
Mau sailed from Hawaii to Tahiti using traditional methods.
In early 1976, Mau Plailug, a fisherman, led an expedition in which he sailed a traditional
Polynesian boat across 2,500 miles of ocean from Hawaii to Tahiti. The Polynesiar Voyaging
Society had organised the expedition. Its purpose was to find out if seafarers in the distant
past could have found their way from one island to the other without navigational instruments,
or whether the islands had been populated by accident. At the time, Mau was the only man
alive who knew how to navigate just by observing the stars, the wind and the sea. He had
never before sailed to Tahiti, which was a long way to the south. However, he understood
how the wind and the sea behave around islands, so he was confident he could find his way.
The voyage took him and his crew a month to complete and he did it without a compass or
charts.
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His grandfather began the task of teaching him how to navigate when he was still a baby. He
showed him pools of water on the beach to teach him how the behaviour of the waves and
wind changed in different places. Later, Mau used a circle of stones to memorise the positions
of the stars. Each stone was laid out in the Sand to represent a star.
The voyage proved that Hawaii's first inhabitants came in small boats and navigated by
reading the sea and the stars. Mau himself became a keen teacher, passing on his traditional
secrets to people of other cultures so that his knowledge would not be lost. He explained the
positions of the stars to his students, but he allowed them to write things down because he
knew they would never be able to remember everything as he had done.
► READING 2
Questions 1-6
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in the reading passage?
Write
YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
1. Teenagers are more ready to have new experiences than young adults.
2. Grandparents usually encourage their grandchildren to get a well-paid job.
3. Life demands are different depending on which country you live in.
4. Some toddlers find repetitive activities boring.
5. Children who dislike new experiences become more adventurous than others as adults.
6. If you want to change something in your life, you should avoid delay.
Making a Change
How easy is it for us to change our lives - and why?
In 1990, a young American named Christopher McCandless gave up his career plans, left
behind everyone he knew, including his family and went off on an adventure. He was 22 at
the time. In an act of kindness, he donated all his savings to the famous charity, Oxfam
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International, and hitchhiked his way through America to Alaska. His decisions were so
unusual for his age that Jon Krakauer wrote a book about them called into the Wild, and Sean
Penn directed a film that had the same title.
Of course, this is an unusual story. Most college graduates would not do quite the same thing.
However, studies do show that in teenage years, people are more likely to try out new
experiences. Instead of following the family career path, for example, and working his way up
the same organisation like his grandfather did, a 15-year-old may dream about becoming a
traveller-only to find in his early 20s that this fascination with new places is declining and
change is less attractive. This age-related trend can be observed in all cultures.
The reason why people all over the world become less keen to change as they get older may
be because people's lives generally follow similar patterns and involve similar demands. Most
people, wherever they are, aim to find a job and a partner. As they get older, they may have
young children to look after and possibly elderly family members. These responsibilities
cannot be achieved without some degree of consistency, which means that new experiences
and ideas may not have a place in the person's life. New experiences may bring excitement
but also insecurity, and so most people prefer to stay with the familiar.
However, not every individual is the same. One toddler may want to play a different game
every day and get fed up if nothing changes at the nursery. Another may seek out and play
with the same children and toys on every visit. Young children who avoid new experiences
will grow up to be more conventional than others. Psychologists argue that those who have
more open personalities as children are more open than others might be when they are older.
They also suggest that young men have a greater interest in novelty than women, although,
as they age, this desire for new experiences fades more quickly than it does in women.
The truth is that as we get older, we prefer the things we know. We tend to order the same
meals in restaurants, sit on the same side of the train when we commute to work, go on
holiday to the same places and construct our day in the same way. If you are older than 20,
remember that your openness to new experiences is slowly declining So you are better off
making a new start today than postponing it until later.
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