READING

Task 1.
Read the text below. Match the choices (A–H) to (1–5). There are three choices you do not need to use.
WRITE YOU ANSWER ON THE SEPARATE ANSWER SHEET.

HOW HUMANS EVOLVED LANGUAGE?

1. _____
Thanks to the field of linguistics we know much about the development of the 5,000 plus languages in
existence today. We can describe their grammar and pronunciation and see how their spoken and written
forms have changed over time. For example, we understand the origins of the Indo-European group of
languages, which includes Norwegian, Hindi and English, and can trace them back to tribes in eastern
Europe in about 3000 BC.
So, we have mapped out a great deal of the history of language, but there are still areas we know little about.
Experts are beginning to look to the field of evolutionary biology to find out how the human species
developed to be able to use language. So far, there are far more questions and half-theories than answers.
2. _____
We know that human language is far more complex than that of even our nearest and most intelligent relatives
like chimpanzees. We can express complex thoughts, convey subtle emotions and communicate about abstract
concepts such as past and future. And we do this following a set of structural rules, known as grammar. Do
only humans use an innate system of rules to govern the order of words? Perhaps not, as some research may
suggest dolphins share this capability because they are able to recognise when these rules are broken.
3. _____
If we want to know where our capability for complex language came from, we need to look at how our brains
are different from other animals. This relates to more than just brain size; it is important what other things our
brains can do and when and why they evolved that way. And for this there are very few physical clues;
artefacts left by our ancestors don’t tell us what speech they were capable of making. One thing we can see in
the remains of early humans, however, is the development of the mouth, throat and tongue. By about 100,000
years ago, humans had evolved the ability to create complex sounds. Before that, evolutionary biologists can
only guess whether or not early humans communicated using more basic sounds.
4. _____
Another question is, what is it about human brains that allowed language to evolve in a way that it did not in
other primates? At some point, our brains became able to make our mouths produce vowel and consonant
sounds, and we developed the capacity to invent words to name things around us. These were the basic
ingredients for complex language. The next change would have been to put those words into sentences. No
one knows if the next step – adding grammar to signal past, present and future, for example, – required a
further development in the human brain or was simply a response to our way of living together.
Between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago, though, we start to see the evidence of early human civilisation.
Brains didn’t suddenly get bigger, yet humans did become more complex and more intelligent. Was it using
language that caused their brains to develop? Or did their more complex brains start producing language?
5. _____
More questions lie in looking at the influence of genetics on brain and language development. Are there genes
that mutated and gave us language ability? Researchers have found a gene mutation that occurred between
200,000 and 100,000 years ago, which seems to have a connection with speaking and how our brains control our
mouths and face. Monkeys have a similar gene, but it did not undergo this mutation. It’s too early to say how
much influence genes have on language, but one day the answers might be found in our DNA.

A How linguistic capacity evolved

B There are answers to any questions

C How unique are we?

D Using language is the reason

E The tiny change that may separate us from monkeys

F It is easy to mix up

G What we know

H The innate capability for complex language

Task 2.
Read the text below. For questions (6–10) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D.).

ARE CELEBRITIES BAD FOR YOU?

Celebrities are everywhere nowadays: on TV, in magazines, online. Is this preoccupation with famous
people harmless fun or is it bad for us? How many people are truly obsessed with modern media idols? And
on the other side of the coin, can fame be harmful to the celebrities? Studies suggest that the vast majority of
teenagers do not really worship celebrities. Researchers have identified three kinds of fans. About 15% of
young people have an ‘entertainment-social’ interest. They love chatting about their favourite celebrities
with friends and this does not appear to do any harm.
Another 5% feel that they have an ‘intense-personal’ relationship with a celebrity. Sometimes they see
them as their soulmate and find that they are often thinking about them, even when they don’t want to.
These people are more at risk from depression and anxiety. If girls in this group idolize a female star with a
body they consider to be perfect, they are more likely to be unhappy with their own bodies.
That leaves 2% of young people with a ‘borderline-pathological’ interest. They might say, for
example, they would spend several thousand pounds on a paper plate the celebrity had used, or that they
would do something illegal if the celebrity asked them to. These people are in most danger of being
seriously disturbed.
What about the celebrities themselves? A study in the USA tried to measure narcissism or extreme
self-centeredness, when feelings of insignificance and invisibility are compensated for by turning into the
opposite: excessive showing off. Researchers looked at 200 celebrities, 200 young adults with Masters in
Business Administration (a group known for being narcissistic) and a nationally representative sample using
the same questionnaire. As was expected, the celebrities were significantly more narcissistic than the MBAs
and both groups were a lot more narcissistic than the general population.
Four kinds of celebrity were included in the sample. The most narcissistic were the ones who had
become famous through reality TV shows – they scored highest on vanity and willingness to exploit other
people. Next came comedians, who scored highest on exhibitionism and feelings of superiority. Then came
actors, and the least narcissistic were musicians. One interesting result was that there was no connection
between narcissism and the length of time the celebrity had been famous. This means that becoming famous
probably did not make the celebrities narcissistic – they already were beforehand.
So, what can we learn from this? People who are very successful or famous tend to be narcissists and
are liable to be ruthless, self-seeking workaholics. As we can see from celebrity magazines, they are also
often desperate and lonely. They make disastrous role models.

6. What is ‘entertainment-social’ interest towards celebrities?

A to hunt for modern media idols’ secrets
B to let them know about the issues of the teens
C to talk about them with friends
D to recommend them something about their fame

7. Why do some people are at risk from depression and anxiety?

A because they idolize a star and that is not good for such fans
B because their celebrities are too selfish
C because they are unhappy with their bodies
D because they are sensitive females
8. What is called a ‘borderline-pathological’ interest?
A. just curiosity
B pretending to be ready for everything for a celeb
C asking a celebrity to kiss them
D complete insanity and absurdity

9. Are celebrities more narcissistic than the general population?

A yes, but only 200 celebrities
B 200 young adults with Masters in Business Administration are
C celebrities are more narcissistic than the general population
D no, Masters in Business Administration are self-loving chaps

10. Who scored highest on vanity and willingness to exploit other people?
A TV stars and comedians
B TV stars and Masters in Business Administration
C people who are very successful in sport
D superior musicians

Task 3.
Read the text below. Match the choices (A–H) to (11–16). There are two choices you do not need to use.

WHAT SKILLS WILL THE WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE NEED?

11. _____
As technological innovations continue to change the workplace, we are seeing more industries entrust their
operations to new gadgets, software and programmes that can transform the workplace. One such
technology that has the potential to revolutionize workplaces in the coming years is RPA (Robotic Process
Automation). With more industries starting to embrace RPA software, RPA robots would be able to handle
mundane, repetitive tasks like some of the clerical work normally dealt with by administrative staff, thereby
lowering running costs and increasing productivity.
12. _____
There is a common concern that companies employing technology like RPA are only interested in increasing
their profit margins through cost reduction, and that this trend would eventually leave most of the workforce
jobless.
13. _____
However, while it is true that the menial tasks of administrative and clerical jobs are likely to be taken over
by automation, the demands on the average office worker will evolve to include more creative work,
managerial duties and communication with clients and suppliers.
14. _____
With this shift in focus, the skills required of future workers are also bound to change. Moving away from
basic data entry skills, the worker of the future will be expected to have transferable problem-solving and
critical thinking skills that will enable them to tackle any difficult situation and work independently to find
solutions.
15. _____
The ability to adapt and be agile would also be essential in a world that is likely to become increasingly
volatile, uncertain and complex. Having such flexibility, coupled with the desire to keep learning and the
initiative to step forward, the successful worker of the future is one who will be able to use their skills to
seek out opportunities, make improvements and take on new challenges wherever they’ll be working.
16. _____
By equipping our future generation of workers with such business skills, we can ensure that when
automation fully takes over, our workers will have the survival skills to become better employees and
leaders of the future.
Which piece of the article says that _________________?
A some people fear that RPA will lead to unemployment
B flexibility is another skill that will be in demand
C RPA technology has been developed greatly
D at the time the companies will implement RPA in the future, the developed workers’ skills will also be in
the demand as well
E people without desirable business skills will lose their jobs
F menial tasks are likely to be taken over by automation
G the article argues that RPA will change the nature of the work that workers do
H workers of the future will not need to be equally competent at both basic clerical duties and higher-level
problem-solving and critical thinking

Task 4.
Read the text below. Choose from (A–H) the one which best fits each space (17–22). There are two
choices you do not need to use.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF THE AMPERSAND (&)?

The origin of the ampersand 17. _____ to the Latin word et, meaning ‘and’. The E and the T that make
up this word 18. _____ to form a ligature (a character consisting of two or more joined letters). Writing the
word this way saved the writer time, with one letter flowing seamlessly into the next – a form of cursive or
joined up writing.
It’s impossible to say exactly when this symbol was first 19. _____, but an early example has been
found as graffiti on a wall in Pompeii, preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD. It can be very
difficult to trace the development of symbols over time, but with the ampersand the work has already been
done for us, by one Jan Tschichold, a typographer born 20. _____ in 1902. Tschichold devoted an entire
study to the development of the ampersand in his 1953 booklet The ampersand: its origin and
development, where he collected 21. _____ of the symbol throughout history, recording its development
from the piece of ancient graffiti to the familiar ‘&’ used today. Within this collection are examples from the
eighth century which are already recognizable as the modern ampersand.
For such an ancient symbol, the name ‘ampersand’ is 22. _____. First seen in the late 18 century, it
th

comes from an alteration of and per se and (literally ‘and (i.e. &) by itself makes the word and’), which was
once chanted by schoolchildren as an aid to learning the sign.

A were occasionally written together

B in Leipzig

C can be traced back

D hundreds of examples

E the unusual collection

F written down

G schoolchildren and students

H surprisingly modern
 USE OF ENGLISH
Task 5.
Read the text below. For questions (23–32) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

HOUSEPLANT

Houseplant, any plant adapted for growing indoors. 23. ______ are exotic plants native to warm
parts of the world that can be grown indoors in colder climates in portable containers or miniature
gardens. Most houseplants are, therefore, derived from plants native to the tropics and near tropics.
24. _____ that make the best indoor subjects are the species that adjust comfortably to the rather
warm, dry conditions that generally prevail in indoor living spaces.

Although many plants can be grown successfully indoors, there are certain groups that, because of
their attractiveness and relative ease of maintenance, are generally considered the best houseplants.
These include the aroids, bromeliads, succulents (including 25. _____), ferns, begonias, and palms.
Somewhat more demanding are those that are grown primarily 26. _____ their flowers – African
violets, camellias, gardenias, geraniums (Pelargonium species), and orchids.

Paintings and sculptures make clear that the practice of indoor gardening can be traced at least to the
early Greeks and Romans, who 27. _____ plants in pots and perhaps brought them into their homes.
The older civilizations of Egypt, India, and China also made use of pot plants but usually in outdoor
situations, often in courtyards that 28. ______ extensions of the house.

But the popular art of growing houseplants did not receive 29. ______ comment until the 17th
century, when, in The Garden of Eden (1652), Sir Hugh Platt, an English agricultural authority,
wrote of the possibility of cultivating plants indoors. Shortly thereafter, glasshouses (greenhouses)
and conservatories, which 30. ______ during Roman times to force plants to flower, were built in
England and elsewhere to house exotic plants. In mid-19th-century England and France, books
began to appear 31. ______ the growing of plants in private residences, and the use of enclosed glass
cases of plants became popular.

32. ______ thousands of tropical and subtropical plants that can adapt to growing indoors. Although
some fancy exotic species do well only in a humid conservatory or a glass-enclosed terrarium, a
great many species have been introduced that endure the adverse conditions of dry heat and low
light intensity that prevail in many houses. A selection of the more widely favoured houseplants
follows, under two sections: foliage plants, some of which also bear interesting flowers; and
flowering plants, species kept primarily for their flowers.

23 A the most common B the more common C commoner D commonest

24 A these B that C those D this
25 A cacti B cactus C cactuses D cactises
26 A on behalf of B used for C for D through
27 A grow B grew C has grown D had grown
28 A are B was C were D is
29 A much B many C little D few
30 A had been used B have been used C were using D were used
31 A about B on C in D for
32 A these are B there is C these were D there are
Task 6.
Read the text below. For questions (33–42) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D). Write you answer
on the separate answer sheet.

SCIENTISTS OBTAIN ‘LUCKY’ IMAGE OF JUPITER

Astronomers have produced a remarkable new image of Jupiter, 33. _____ the glowing regions of warmth
that lurk beneath the gas giant’s cloud tops. The picture was captured in infrared by the Gemini North
Telescope in Hawaii, and is one of the sharpest observations of the planet ever made from the ground.

To achieve the resolution, scientists used a technique called ‘lucky imaging’ which scrubs out the blurring
effect of looking through Earth’s turbulent atmosphere. This method 34. _____ acquiring multiple exposures
of the target and only keeping those segments of an image where that turbulence is at a minimum.

When all the ‘lucky shots’ 35. _____ together in a mosaic, a clarity emerges that’s beyond just the single
exposure. Infrared is a longer wavelength than the more familiar visible light detected by the likes of the
Hubble telescope. It is used to see past the haze and thin clouds at the top of Jupiter’s atmosphere, to give
scientists the opportunity to probe deeper into the planet’s internal workings.

Researchers want to understand better what makes and sustains the gas giant’s weather systems, and in
particular the great storms that 36. _____ rage for decades and even centuries.

The study that produced this infrared image 37. _____ from the University of California at Berkeley. It was
part of a joint programme of observations that involved Hubble and the Juno spacecraft that’s currently
orbiting the fifth planet from the Sun.

33 A trace B tracing C traced D was tracing

34 A involved B has involved C involve D involves
35 A are put B put C puts D have put
36 A may B can C have to D must
37 A led B has led C was led D is led

ACADEMIC CAP

The Graduation Cap or academic cap or square, is commonly known as the ‘mortarboard’. It
38. _____ the symbol of academic life. In some 39. _____, it can be worn by graduates and undergraduates
alike. It is a flat square cap or hat with a tassel suspended from a button in the top center of the board. The
cap is usually worn parallel to the ground, though some students, especially women, wear it angled towards
the back. The mortarboard may also be referred to as a trencher cap or simply trencher. In 40. _____
universities, holders of doctorates wear a soft rounded headpiece known as a Tudor bonnet or tam, rather
than a trencher.
Apart from Graduation Cap, there is 41. _____ extensive collection of custom regalia options for the
bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree holders who continue the cycle of education through teaching. And
hence, the High School Graduation Cap. Graduation is both the final page of a long chapter in a student’s
life, and the beginning of a whole new adventure. It is an emotional benchmark in their personal history and
an event that 41. _____ newfound freedom.

38 A does B is C has D did

39 A universities B universiteas C universites D university
40 A a lot of B much C many D little
41 A the B – C a D an
42 A signify B signifies C has signified D will signify