READING 3C: TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN

 Strategies
1. The questions follow the order of the text.
2. Read the question carefully to make sure you fully understand what it is saying.
3. Scan the text to find where the answer is using key words from the question
4. When you find where the answer is, read the text carefully to identify if you think it is T, F or NG.
5. The questions will probably use synonyms rather than the words in the text.
6. Look out for controlling words such as “only”, “all’, “never” etc. For example, if the fact in the question
says 'some' and the fact in the text says 'all', then it is F.
7. Do not spend a long time looking for the answer to one question; it is probably NG, if you cannot find it.
8. Make sure you use the correct code; 'Yes', 'No', 'No Information' is sometimes used (these question are
slightly different and you look for opinions rather than facts).
- True = part of the passage expresses the same idea as the question. (the fact you are given is clearly in the
reading )
- False = the passage expresses the opposite or a different idea. (the reading says the opposite of the fact
you've been given)
- Not Given = some information is missing, so we cannot answer true or false (If it is not true or false, it is
Not Given)
 False or not given?
You should choose FALSE if the information in the passage directly contradicts the question
statement; in other words, you need to be able to show that a different answer would be true.
Choose NOT GIVEN only when there is no information, or not enough information.
See two example questions.
o Question 1: Some languages develop your intelligence more than others.
People who speak two languages have a clear learning advantage over their monolingual schoolmates. This
depends on how much of each language they can speak, not on which language is used.
Answer:
The answer is FALSE. The passage does mention something about languages developing intelligence (a
clear learning advantage). However, it then says that it does not depend on which language is used; so it is
not true that some languages are better for developing intelligence.
o Question 2: Most New Zealanders believe it is good to teach children a second language.
If you speak another language to your children in New Zealand, there are some people who think that you are
not helping them to become a member of society. But in fact, the general agreement among experts is that
learning a second language is good for children.
Answer:
The answer is NOT GIVEN. We know what some New Zealanders think, but there is no information that
conclusively tells us what most New Zealanders think. We can’t assume that most people think the opposite
of the ‘some people’ who are mentioned (the others might have a different view or no opinion at all). Also,
we can’t assume that most people agree with the experts. To put ‘true’ or ‘false’, we would need more
information.

 Exercises:

I. Read the following passage about a study into 'sitting'.

The ease of our modern workday could come at the expense of our longevity. A new study of older women
in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine finds that sitting for long stretches of time
increases the odds of an untimely death. The more hours women in the study spent sitting at work, driving,
lying on the couch watching TV, or engaged in other leisurely pursuits, the greater their odds of
dying early from all causes, including heart disease and cancer.
Even women who exercised regularly risked shortening their lifespan if most of their daily hours
were sedentary ones. “Even if you are doing the recommended amount of moderate to vigorous exercise, you
will still have a higher risk of mortality if you’re spending too many hours sitting,” says Dr. JoAnn
Manson, one of the study’s authors.
How much sitting can you safely do in a day? In the study, women who were inactive for 11 or more hours a
day fared the worst, facing a 12% increase in premature death, but even lesser amounts of inactive time can
cause problems. “Once you’re sitting for more than 6 to 8 hours a day, that’s not likely to be good for you,”
Dr. Manson says. You want to avoid prolonged sitting and increase the amount of moderate or vigorous
exercise you do each day, she adds.
Are the following statements TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
1. The study looked at the effects of sitting on elderly women only. True
2. A link was found between hours spent sitting and serious health problems. True
3. The warnings about sitting do not apply to people who exercise regularly. False
4. Less than 6 hours a day is a safe amount of sitting. Not given
II. Read the following text about "green taxes" in Britain.
According to a survey, most Britons believe “green” taxes on 4×4s, plastic bags and other consumer goods
have been imposed to raise cash rather than change our behaviour, while two-thirds of Britons think
the entire green agenda has been hijacked as a ploy to increase taxes.
The UK is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050, a target that most
experts believe will be difficult to reach. The results of the poll by Opinium, a leading research company,
indicate that maintaining popular support for green policies may be a difficult act to pull off and
attempts in the future to curb car use and publicly fund investment in renewable resources will prove deeply
unpopular. The findings were released as the Prince of Wales yesterday called on Britain’s business leaders
to take “essential action” to make their firms more sustainable. Speaking in central London to some
of the country’s leading chief executives, Prince Charles said: “What more can I do but urge you, this
country’s business leaders, to take the essential action now to make your businesses more sustainable. I’m
exhausted with repeating that there really is no time to lose.”
Are the following statements TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
1. Most Britons think that the Government wants to change people’s behaviour.False
2. By the year 2050 the Government will have imposed higher green taxes. Not given
3. The survey predicts that it will be difficult to change people’s dependence on cars.
4. The Prince of Wales believes that most businesses are not sustainable. True
(Text adapted from The Independent, 2nd May 2008)
III. Look at the following extract from a text about a psychology experiment:
In the year 1971, Zimbardo accepted a tenured position as professor of psychology at Stanford University.
There he conducted the Stanford prison study, in which 21 normal college students were randomly
assigned to be "prisoners" or "guards" in a mock prison located in the basement of the psychology building at
Stanford. The two week planned study into the psychological impact of prison life ended only after
6 days due to emotional trauma being experienced by the participants.
Are the following statements TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
1. The participants in the study were all psychology students. False
2. They were given the choice of playing the role of prisoner or guard. False
3. A real prison was used in the experiment. False
4. The study aimed to investigate the mental and behavioural effects of life in prison. Not given
Note:
"prevailing concept of fairness" means that fairness was accepted as the most important concept/idea. We
talk about a "prevailing wind" = the main direction of the wind. A prevailing view has the same idea i.e. the
main/most common view among people in a society or group.
IV. Read the text below about Issac Newton.
Sir Isaac Newton was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and
theologian. His Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Latin for "Mathematical Principles of
Natural Philosophy"; usually called the Principia), published in 1687, is one of the most important
scientific books ever written. It lays the groundwork for most of classical mechanics. Newton is considered
by many scholars and members of the general public to be one of the most influential people in human
history. French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange often said that Newton was the greatest genius
who ever lived. Newton himself had been rather more modest of his own achievements, famously
writing in a letter to Robert Hooke in February 1676: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the
shoulders of giants.”
Are the following statements TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
1. Newton's Principia is recognised as a groundbreaking text in its field. False
2. Many experts regard Newton as the greatest genius the world has seen. Not given
3. Newton wrote that he had achieved everything without the help of others.Not given
V. Read the following text about photosynthesis in plants.
Although some of the steps in photosynthesis are still not completely understood, the overall
photosynthetic equation has been known since the 1800s. Jan van Helmont began the research of the process
in the mid-1600s when he carefully measured the mass of the soil used by a plant and the mass of the plant as
it grew. After noticing that the soil mass changed very little, he hypothesised that the mass of the
growing plant must come from the water, the only substance he added to the potted plant. His
hypothesis was partially accurate—much of the gained mass also comes from carbon dioxide as well as
water. In 1796, Jean Senebier, a Swiss pastor, botanist, and naturalist, demonstrated that green plants
consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen under the influence of light. Soon afterwards, Nicolas-
Théodore de Saussure showed that the increase in mass of the plant as it grows could not be due only to
uptake of CO2, but also to the incorporation of water.
According to the text, are the following statements TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
1. We now fully understand the process of photosynthesis. False
2. Van Helmont's hypothesis did not take into account that plants consume carbon dioxide. Not given
3. De Saussure demonstrated that both carbon dioxide and water contribute to an increase in mass in plants as
they grow. True
VI. Read the following passage from a newspaper article about ‘green tourism’.
A) Interested in making your holiday greener and more sustainable, ensuring that local people get a fair cut
of the money you've handed over, and that no rivers are being dried up or forests felled to accommodate your
trip? Congratulations – for being in a well-meaning minority.
B) A recent survey by the travel trade body, Abta, found that just 20 per cent of travel agents have ever been
asked for such holidays or asked questions about sustainability, though they did report a "feeling" that
interest in sustainability was growing. Despite apocalyptic warnings about climate change, water scarcity,
pollution, and peak oil, there isn't exactly a stampede to the travel industry's door demanding it play its part.
C) "The industry feels there isn't a huge demand out there," says Sue Hurdle, chief executive of the
independent charity The Travel Foundation. "They don't have a lot of people banging on the door asking for
greener holidays."
D) Others are more specific, such as Professor Harold Goodwin, of the International Centre for Responsible
Tourism (ICRT), an independent academic research centre. "There is a big shift in values and approach – it's
not just travel, it's a general consumer trend," he says. "If you're worried about where your pork comes from
at home, why wouldn't you worry about that when on holiday?"
E) For those of us who are bothered, working out when the travel industry is doing its bit, and when it isn't,
and separating good operators from charlatans peddling greenwash, is a bewildering and frustrating
experience. England alone usually has around 20 certification schemes or logos on the go at any one time,
split into two categories: awards, where hotels and operators are judged independently; and certification
schemes, where they generally pay to be included. It also helps to know what the industry is aiming for.
We're not talking about genuine eco-tourism – which remains a niche and narrow market – but on what the
industry prefers to call "sustainable", or "responsible" tourism.
F) "Many people make the mistake of thinking that when anyone describes a business or activity as being
'green' that they are environmentally friendly," says Jason Freezer, destinations manager for Visit England.
"Being green, sustainable, or responsible is about ensuring economic viability, social inclusion and
contributing to the natural environment. A sustainable business is doing its most to enhance its own success
financially, while contributing to the local economy and minimising or negating the damage it might do to its
environment or community."
(from The Independent, 9th October 2011)
According to the text, are the following statements TRUE, FALSE or NOT GIVEN?
1) Travel agents report that few people express an interest in sustainability. True
2) In England, certification schemes make it easy for consumers to judge whether or not hotels and operators
are ‘green’. False
3) Sustainable businesses are more successful financially than businesses that are not environmentally
friendly. True