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READING PASSAGE 1
Is Science Dangerous? (1)The idea that scientific knowledge is dangerous is deeply embedded in our culture. Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, and in Milton's Paradise Lost the serpent addresses the tree as the 'Mother of Science'. Indeed the whole of western literature has not been kind to scientists and is filled with images of them meddling with nature with disastrous results. Just consider Shelley's Frankenstein, Goethe's Faust and Huxley's Brave New World. One will search with very little success for a novel in which scientists come out well - the persistent image is that of scientists as a soulless group unconcerned with ethical issues. And where is there a film sympathetic to science? (2)Part of the problem is the conflation of science and technology. The distinction between science and technology, between knowledge and understanding on the one hand and the application of that knowledge to making something, or using it in some practical way, is fundamental. (3)Science produces ideas about how the world works, whereas the ideas in technology result in usable objects. Technology is much older than anything one could regard as science and unaided by any science. Technology gave rise to the crafts of early humans, like agriculture and metalworking. It is technology that carries with it ethical issues, from motorcar production to cloning a human. (4)By contrast, reliable scientific knowledge is value-free and has no moral or ethical value. Science merely tells us how the world is. That we are not at the centre of the universe is neither good nor bad, nor is the possibility that genes can influence our intelligence or our behaviour. (5)The social obligations that scientists have as distinct from those responsibilities they share with all citizens comes from them having access to specialized knowledge of how the world works, not easily accessible to others. Their obligation is to both make public any social implications of their work and its possible applications and to give some assessment of its reliability. (6)It is not easy to find examples of scientists as a group behaving immorally or in a dangerous manner, the classic paradigm being the eugenics movement. The scientific assumptions behind this proposal are crucial; the assumption is that most desirable and undesirable human attributes are inherited. Not only was talent perceived of as being inherited, but so too were insanity and any kind of so-called feeblemindedness. They completely failed to give an assessment of the
reliability of their ideas. Quite the contrary, and even more blameworthy, their conclusions seem to have been driven by what they saw as the desirable social implications. By contrast, in relation to the building of the atomic bomb, scientists behaved morally and fulfilled their social obligations by informing their governments about the implications of atomic theory. It was an enormous engineering feat to build the bomb but the decision to do this was taken by politicians, not scientists. (7)The moralists have been out in force telling us of the horrors of cloning. Many others, national leaders included, have joined in a chorus of horror. But what horrors? What ethical issues? In all the righteous indignation not a single relevant new ethical issue has been spelled out. (8)Those who propose to clone a human are medical technologists not scientists. It is not, as the bio-moralists claim, that scientific innovation has outstripped our social and moral codes. Just the opposite is the case. Their obsession with the life of the embryo has deflected our attention away from the real issue, which is how children are raised and nurtured. The ills in our society have nothing to do with assisting or preventing reproduction but are profoundly affected by how children are treated. (9)So what danger does genetics pose? Gene therapy, introducing genes to cure a genetic disease like cystic fibrosis, carries risks, as do all new medical treatments. There may well be problems with the testing of new treatments, but are these difficulties any different from those related to trying out new drugs for AIDS? Anxieties about creating designer babies are at present premature as it is too risky, and we may have, in the first instance, to accept what has been called procreative autonomy, a couple's right to control their own role in reproduction unless the state has a compelling reason for denying them that control. Should the ethical issues relating to the applications of genetics, for example, lead to stopping research in this field? The individual scientist cannot decide, for science, like genetics, is a collective activity with no single individual controlling the process of discovery. It is ethically unacceptable and impractical to censor any aspect of trying to understand the nature of our world. Questions 1- Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1. In boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet, write YES if the statement agrees with the information NO if the statement contradicts with the information
H is more concerned with ethics than research 8) In literature - F (P1,sentence 3) 9) Technology - B (P3,sentence 3) 10) Science - D (P4,sentence 1) 11) Rarely do scientists - A (P6,sentence 1) Question 12 Choose the best answer А, В, С or D. 12) According to the writer, Science shows us A our position in the universe. B how intelligence affects our behavior. √ C what the world is really like. (P4,sentence 2) D scientists have special social obligations. READING PASSAGE 2: The people of corn
(1)Maize is Mexico’s lifeblood – the country’s history and identity are entwined with it. But this centuries-old relationship is now threatened by free trade. Laura Carlsen investigates the threat and profiles a growing activist movement. (2)On a mountain top in southern Mexico, Indian families gather. They chant and sprinkle cornmeal in consecration, praying for the success of their new crops, the unity of their communities and the health of their families. In this village in Oaxaca people eat corn tamales , sow maize plots and teach children to care for the plant. The cultural rhythms of this community, its labours, rituals and celebrations will be defined – as they have been for millennia – by the lifecycle of corn. Indeed, if it weren’t for the domestication of teocintle (the ancestor of modern maize) 9,000 years ago mesoamerican civilization could never have developed. In the Mayan sacred book, the Popol Vuh , the gods create people out of cornmeal. The ‘people of corn’ flourished and built one of the most remarkable cultures in human history. (3)But in Mexico and Central America today maize has come under attack. As a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Mexico has been flooded with imported corn from north of the border in the US. The contamination of native varieties with genetically modified imported maize could have major consequences for Mexican campesinos (farmers) , for local biodiversity and for the world’s genetic reserves. (4)A decade ago Mexican bureaucrats and business people had it all figured out. NAFTA would drive ‘uncompetitive’ maize farmers from the countryside to work in booming assembly factories across the country. Their standard of living would rise as the cost of providing services like electricity and water to scattered rural communities would fall. Best of all, cheap imported maize from the US – the world’s most efficient and most heavily subsidized producer – would be a benefit to Mexican consumers. (5)Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way. There weren’t quite enough of those factory jobs and the ones that did materialize continued to be along the US border, not further in Mexico. And despite a huge drop in the price farmers received for their corn, consumers often ended up paying more. The price of tortillas – the country’s staple food – rose nearly fivefold as the Government stopped domestic subsidies and giant agribusiness firms took over the market. Free trade defenders like Mexico’s former Under-Secretary of Agriculture Luis Tellez suggest: ‘It’s not that
NOT GIVEN if there is no information 1) After NAFTA, a lot of corn from the USA has been sold in Mexico. YES (P3,sentence 2) 2) Following NAFTA, Mexican business people tried to stop maize farmers from working in factories throughout the country. NOT GIVEN 3) The Mexican farmers were paid a lot less for their corn after NAFTA. YES (P5,sentence 3) 4) Many Mexican farmers wanted to leave Mexico after the Free Trade Agreement. NOT GIVEN 5) The Mexican farmers were not able to do anything to help themselves after the Trade Agreement. NO (P6,sentence 3;P9,sentence 3) Questions 6- Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 6-10 on your answer sheet. For thousands of years, corn has been a very important 6 crop in the Mexican culture. After the North American Free Trade Agreement, 7 genetically modified corn has been imported from the USA in very large amounts. Mexican business people hoped that this would mean that Mexican farmers had to get jobs in factories and that their 8 standard of living would increase. Instead of this result, the farmers suffered from the low price of corn and people had to pay more for their corn. The farmers wish that the government had 9 helped them during this time. As a result of the hardship, the farmers have organised themselves by forming a 10 movement. READING PASSAGE 3: Chinese Stretch to Catch up with Teenage Model
The young in China are going to desperate lengths to add extra inches to their height in pursuit of celebrity and wealth. They are being urged on by a government shamed by the news that, for the first time in history, the Japanese now stand taller than the Chinese. There is constant pressure on Chinese adolescents to think tall. The government is encouraging them to drink milk as a way of promoting growth, while magazines and television are replete with the images of lanky supermodels and basketball stars. One of the greatest influences has been the astonishing success of Huang Xinye, a 14-year-old schoolgirl from a fishing village in southern China. She was whisked away by talent scouts for a modelling contest late last year. Until then, her 6ft 1in frame had marked her out as a gawky also-ran in the school playground. Having won the contest, Huang was spotted by the international modelling agency Elite and flown to Europe. The news of her glamorous new life and the £12,000 that she won in the modelling contest has inspired thousands to attempt to follow in her footsteps - even if they don't have her natural advantages. Teenagers are inundating hospitals that claim to be able to enhance their height with requests for leg-lengthening operations. Xia Hetao, a doctor whose clinics perform the operation said: "I have received many letters from people saying that, because they were born short, they have suffered and are looking for some solace." If they are accepted on Xia's waiting list, the aspiring patients are guaranteed only more pain in the short run. Xia slices the thigh bone in half and inserts a steel rod supported by a metal frame on the outside of the bone. The patient cranks the mechanism wider every day, forcing the leg to grow longer. Most can stand the pain only for the month that it takes to stretch an inch, but others persist. The record is held by a young man who gained 6.5 inches. Last year, The Telegraph highlighted the case of the British girl, Emma Richards, 16, from Wadebridge, Cornwall, who underwent a series of leg-lengthening operations to gain an extra five inches so that she could become an air stewardess. Even in successful cases in China, the lengthening and attendant physiotherapy and rehabilitation lasts months. Frequently, however, the result is disastrous - the bone never sets properly, but constantly breaks, eventually turning the patient into an invalid.
necessary evil if modern Chinese people are to achieve the greater goal of a taller nation. Height and beauty, though, are not always enough, as Huang Xinye is discovering. "When I have enough money, I will buy a place in Beijing for my family," she said as she boarded a plane for Geneva late last year. Sadly, her parents are still in their fishing village as Huang is struggling to make her name on the international modelling circuit. Questions 1- Choose the correct letter, A , B , C or D. Write your answres in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
- Which of the following is the Chinese government using to stimulate their citizens to grow? A Huang Xinye. B Magazines and television. C Dozens of products. D Milk. (P1, the last sentence)
- How much taller does the average patient grow after having the bone stretching operation? A 6.5 inches B 1 inch (P4, sentence 4 ) C 5 inches D 16 inches
- Generally, the Chinese are motivated to have the operation because of the possibility of A being taller than their Japanese counterparts. B being world class athletes. C becoming rich and famous. D overcoming an inferiority complex. (P9, the last sentence) 4) The main problem with the government’s strategies is that: A the operation is too expensive. B many of the growth stimulating products do not work.
C the recovery process puts the patients’ health at risk. D the Chinese race cannot digest milk properly. (P10, sentence 4 ) 5) The Chinese government adopted the new policy because it: ( B it is embarrassed. (P10, the last sentence) C wants to promotes a better quality of life for its citizens. D is trying to stimulate the growth of new industries. READING PASSAGE 4: Unmasking skin
G This is starting to sound very confusing until Bolanowski says: "In simple terms people perceive three basic things via skin: pressure, temperature, and pain." And then I'm sure he's wrong. "When I get wet, my skin feels wet," I protest. "Close your eyes and lean back," says Bolanowski. H Something cold and wet is on my forehead – so wet, in fact, that I wait for water to start dripping down my cheeks. "Open your eyes." Bolanowski says, showing me that the sensation comes from a chilled, but dry, metal cylinder. The combination of pressure and cold, he explains, is what makes my skin perceive wetness. He gives me a surgical glove to put on and has me put a finger in a glass of cold water. My finger feels wet, even though I have visual proof that it's not touching water. My skin, which seemed so reliable, has been deceiving me my entire life. When I shower or wash my hands, I now realize, my skin feels pressure and temperature. It's my brain that says I feel wet. I Perceptions of pressure, temperature and pain manifest themselves in many different ways. Gentle stimulation of pressure receptors can result in ticklishness; gentle stimulation of pain receptors, in itching. Both sensations arise from a neurological transmission, not from something that physically exists. Skin, I'm realizing, is under constant assault, both from within the body and from forces outside. Repairs occur with varying success. J Take the spot where I nicked myself with a knife while slicing fruit. I have a crusty scab surrounded by pink tissue about a quarter inch long on my right palm. Under the scab, epidermal cells are migrating into the wound to close it up. When the process is complete, the scab will fall off to reveal new epidermis. It's only been a few days, but my little self-repair is almost complete. Likewise, we recover quickly from slight burns. If you ever happen to touch a hot burner, just put your finger in cold water. The chances are you will have no blister, little pain and no scar. Severe burns, though, are a different matter. Questions 1- The passage has 10 paragraphs A–J. Which paragraph contains the following information? Answer the questions below by writing the correct letters, A-J , in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet. 1 ) the features of human skin, on and below the surface B (main meaning of three last sentences)
2) an experiment in which the writer can see what is happening H (main meaning of five first sentences) 3) advice on how you can avoid damage to the skin J (main meaning of 7-8 sentence) 4) cruel research methods used in the past D (main meaning of first sentence) Questions 5 and 6 Choose the correct letter, A , B , C or D. 5) How does a lack of affectionate touching affect children? A It makes them apathetic. B They are more likely to become violent adults. (Paragraph E, the second sentence) C They will be less aggressive when they grow up. D We do not really know. 6) After the ‘wetness’ experiments, the writer says that A his skin is not normal. B his skin was wet when it felt wet. C he knew why it felt wet when it was dry. ( (^) Paragraph H, the sixth sentence) D the experiments taught him nothing new. Questions 7– Complete each sentence with the correct ending A–I from the box below. Write the correct letter A–I in boxes 7–11 on your answer sheet. A because it is both cold and painful.
-> YES. (Paragraph F, sentence 3-4) 13) The skin is more sensitive to pressure than to temperature or pain. -> NOT GIVEN. 14) The human skin is always good at repairing itself. -> NO. (Paragraph J, the last sentence) READING PASSAGE 5: Investigating children’s language A. For over 200 years, there has been an interest in the way children learn to speak and understand their first language. Scholars carried out several small-scale studies, especially towards the end of the 19th century, using data they recorded in parental diaries. But detailed, systematic investigation did not begin until the middle decades of the 20th century, when the tape recorder came into routine use. This made it possible to keep a permanent record of samples of child speech, so that analysts could listen repeatedly to obscure extracts, and thus produce a detailed and accurate description. Since then, the subject has attracted enormous multi-disciplinary
interest, notably from linguists and psychologists, who have used a variety of observational and experimental techniques to study the process of language acquisition in depth. B. Central to the success of this rapidly emerging field lies the ability of researchers to devise satisfactory methods for eliciting linguistic data from children. The problems that have to be faced are quite different from those encountered when working with adults. Many of the linguist’s routine techniques of enquiry cannot be used with children. It is not possible to carry out certain kinds of experiments, because aspects of children’s cognitive development – such as their ability to pay attention, or to remember instructions – may not be sufficiently advanced. Nor is it easy to get children to make systematic judgments about language, a task that is virtually impossible below the age of three. And anyone who has tried to obtain even the most basic kind of data – a tape recording of a representative sample of a child’s speech – knows how frustrating this can be. Some children, it seems, are innately programmed to switch off as soon as they notice a tape recorder being switched on. C. Since the 1960s, however, several sophisticated recording techniques and experimental designs have been devised. Children can be observed and recorded through one-way-vision windows or using radio microphones, so that the effects of having an investigator in the same room as the child can be eliminated. Large-scale sampling programmes have been carried out, with children sometimes being recorded for several years. Particular attention has been paid to devising experimental techniques that fall well within a child’s intellectual level and social experience. Even pre-linguistic infants have been brought into the research: acoustic techniques are used to analyse their vocalisations, and their ability to perceive the world around them is monitored using special recording equipment. The result has been a growing body of reliable data on the stages of language acquisition from birth until puberty. D. There is no single way of studying children’s language. Linguistics and psychology have each brought their own approach to the subject, and many variations have been introduced to cope with the variety of activities in which children engage, and the great age range that they present. Two main research paradigms are found. E. One of these is known as ‘naturalistic sampling’. A sample of a child’s spontaneous use of language is recorded in familiar and comfortable surroundings. One of the best places to make the recording is in the child’s own home, but it is not always easy to maintain good acoustic quality, and the presence of the researcher or the recording equipment can be a distraction (especially if the proceedings are being filmed). Alternatively, the recording can be made in a research centre, where the child is allowed to play freely with toys while talking to parents or other children, and the observers and their equipment are unobtrusive.
=> P.B, lines 4- 4 the ability to record children without them seeing the researcher A => P.A, lines 4- 5 the drawbacks of recording children in an environment they know E => P.E, lines 4- Questions 6- Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this 6 In the 19th century, researchers studied their own children’s language. => True 7 Attempts to elicit very young children’s opinions about language are likely to fail. => True 8 Radio microphones are used because they enable researchers to communicate with a number of children in different rooms. => False 9 Many children enjoy the interaction with the researcher. => Not given Question 10- Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer to complete the summary. Ways of investigating children’s language One method of carrying out research is to record children’s spontaneous language use. This can be done in their homes, where, however, it may be difficult to ensure that the recording is of acceptable( 10 ) acoustic quality. Another venue which is often used is a ( 11 ) research centre , where the researcher can avoid distracting the child. A drawback of this method is that it does not allow children to demonstrate their comprehension. An alternative approach is to use methodology from the field of ( 12 ) experimental psychology. In this case, a number of children are asked to carry out a ( 13 ) task , and the results are subjected to a ( 14 ) statistical analysis.
READING PASSAGE: The US City and the Natural Environment A. While cities and their metropolitan areas have always interacted with and shaped the natural environment, it is only recently that historians have begun to consider this relationship. During our own time, the tension between natural and urbanized areas has increased, as the spread of metropolitan populations and urban land uses has reshaped and destroyed natural landscapes and environments. B. The relationship between the city and the natural environment has actually been circular, with cities having massive effects on the natural environment, while the natural environment, in turn, has profoundly shaped urban configurations. Urban history is filled with stories about how city dwellers contended with the forces of nature that threatened their lives. Nature not only caused many of the annoyances of daily urban life, such as bad weather and pests, but it also gave rise to natural disasters and catastrophes such as floods, fires, and earthquakes. In order to protect themselves and their settlements against the forces of nature, cities built many defences including flood walls and dams, earthquake-resistant buildings, and storage places for food and water. At times, such protective steps sheltered urbanites against the worst natural furies, but often their own actions – such as building under the shadow of volcanoes, or in earthquake-prone zones – exposed them to danger from natural hazards C. City populations require food, water, fuel, and construction materials, while urban industries need natural materials for production purposes. In order to fulfill these needs, urbanites increasingly had to reach far beyond their boundaries. In the nineteenth century, for instance, the demands of city dwellers for food produced rings of garden farms around cities. In the twentieth century, as urban populations increased, the demand for food drove the rise of large factory farms. Cities also require fresh water supplies in order to exist – engineers built waterworks, dug wells deeper and deeper into the earth looking for groundwater, and dammed and diverted rivers to obtain water supplies for domestic and industrial uses. In the process of obtaining water from
