A.

The majority of us use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch with friends
and family, and prevent emotions of sadness or themselves feeling lonely. The disabled charity Scope
carried out research to find out how use of social media made people feel. The findings showed that
such sites are actually making users feel isolated, ugly, inadequate and jealous.
B. In a poll of around 1,500 social media users, 62 per cent said that these sites made them feel
inadequate about their own achievements, and 60 per cent said seeing online images made them feel
jealous of other people’s lives. Although a high percentage of people said they thought social media
was often funny and a good way to pass time, nearly a third said that they actually feel lonely when
they look at their social media feed. People between the ages of 18 and 34 are nearly three times as
likely to admit to being ‘addicted’ to social media as other users, even though almost half of
respondents in this age group said that their social media feed makes them feel ugly or unattractive and
concerned about their physical appearance.
C. Two in five young people acknowledged that they would be happier if they used social media less.
Over half of 18-34 years old say that they have been tempted to stop using social media completely,
and 45 percent say that they would like to shut down their social media accounts, but it’s too hard to
stay in touch with people without them. “Social media at its best is a great way to stay in touch with
friends and have a chuckle, and it’s the world’s leading source of amusing cat pictures,” said Debbie
Bines, head of challenge events at Scope. “It can also teach us about human relationships and the world
around us. But when things get out of balance and we start comparing ourselves to others, or feeling
irritated, jealous or even ugly, it’s got to be time to take a break. We know that loads of people think
that they spend too much time online, but realize they might be addicted, and can’t cut down.”
D. Tied in with this is the idea that seeing idealized versions of our friends’ social lives on sites like
Facebook makes us feel worse about our own, and therefore more isolated. FOMO - Fear of Missing
Out, brought on by seeing friends having a good time at various events on social media - has now been
replaced by MOMO, the Mystery of Missing Out, where we worry that because someone has suddenly
disappeared from Facebook, they must be having a better time than us. Previous research has suggested
that the longer people spend surfing the Facebook site rather than creating content to post on it, the
more envious they feel of what they see happening in their friends’ lives. In the field of social
psychology, this is known as the concept of “social comparison”.
E. Scope’s investigation precedes the charity’s ‘Digital Detox’ weekend, a sponsored event which will
see self-confessed social media addicts pledging to go without technology for 48 hours. This is being
held in order to encourage people of all ages who need a break from technology to take part and raise
money for Scope’s work supporting disabled people to live more independently with the help of
technology. John Brown, 30, from Nottingham, has pledged to take part in the Digital Detox because
he realizes that his technology use is taking over his life. “I’m a heavy user. I’m an avid Twitter user, an
online tutor, I’m prolific on Facebook, a revered Instagrammer, a high scoring Snapchatter, a chatty
What sapper, no stranger to Google hangout and an ambitious Storified,” said Brown. “I don’t know
how or when this happened, but I’m looking forward to the detox.”
F. If people between their late teens and early 30s do feel more isolated than previous generations, then
perhaps it is because it is harder to build up a career and live independently. The latest government
advice is for young people to become their own bosses. The suggestion is that this would not only help
deal with unemployment, but also mean that young people put more of their energy into making a
living than we do in our social lives..
Questions 1-5
The reading passage has six paragraphs, A-F. Which paragraphs contain the following information?
NB You may use any letter more than once.
1. a reference to the large proportion of people who are entertained by social media sites B
2. a mention of the educational value of social media sites C
3. one person’s admission that social media is having a considerable impact on daily life E
4. a mention of an academic theory related to social media D
5. the reason why an event is being organised E
Questions 6-10
Complete the sentences below. Use ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
6. Many people use Facebook and Twitter to stop themselves being sad or _lonely_.
7. More than 50% of users in the Scope survey admitted that social media sites made them worry about
their __achievements_____.
8. Almost half of all 18-34 year olds say they find it difficult to stop using their __accounts__.
9. There appears to be a clear relationship between the amount of _content_ people post on Facebook
and the amount of envy they feel.
10. The government suggests that young people focus more on putting their _energy _ into developing
a career than on using social media.
Questions 11-13
Do the following statements agree with the views 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 is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
11. Social media is a good way to maintain human relationships. YES
12. Social comparison is a concept describing the phenomenon people tend to post on Facebook. NO
13. Digital Detox is an event where people addicted to social media can immerse themselves in
technology for two days. NOT GIVEN

Flying foxes and other bats of Australia

A Bats are the only mammals capable of active and sustained flight. They achieve this with semi-
transparent wings, composed of two layers of almost hairless skin stretched between the long forelimb
bones, the back limb, and the tail. The other external features of bats are not unlike those seen in many
groups of other small mammals. Due to their capacity for flight, their nocturnal lifestyle, and other
physiological and ecological adaptations, bats have become a very successful group of mammals. They
make up the second most numerous mammal group in the world, after that of rodents (which include
rats, mice and guinea pigs).
B Bats belong to the category of Chiroptera meaning 'hand-winged". Bats can be further divided into
two classes: the Megachiroptera (large 'hand-winged' bats) and Microchiroptera (small 'hand-winged'
bats). Broadly speaking, the small microchiropterans feed mainly on insects, and navigate using
echolocation (animal sonar). The smallest bats in the world belong to the Micorchiroptera. The
bumble-bee bat from Thailand, which weighs only 1.5 grams, is possibly the world's smallest mammal.
In the Microchiroptera, there are some species which eat plant products, and could therefore be called
'fruit bats'. This group of bats has diversified into a wide range of food habits and includes blood-
feeding vampire bats, fish-eating bats, carnivorous and insectivorous bats, as well as the group of fruit
eaters. Megachiropterans are larger bats that are 'phytophagous', (they feed on plant products), and
navigate principally by sight. Flying foxes, fruit bats and blossom bats belong to this last category.
C The first records of flying foxes in Australia are those found in Aboriginal rock art and mythology. In
sandstone cave galleries there are numerous depictions of flying foxes, usually in groups, which reflect
a natural view of the animal. However, Aboriginal rock art depictions cannot be interpreted in a simple
European way as representing a food source, or a message of the presence of flying foxes nearby.
Although these factors are often involved, it is more likely that the representation of flying foxes in
Aboriginal rock art has a deeper meaning, relating flying foxes to the environment and Aboriginal
spirituality. Many of the observations of flying foxes by Europeans during the early colonisation and
exploration periods of Australia were probably misidentified as 'nocturnal birds'.
D Australian flying foxes forage for food almost exclusively during the night. Flying foxes leave their
camps at dusk, sometimes just before sundown or shortly after dark. The exodus from a camp usually
consists of streams of bats heading off in the direction of the food source. Circling and wheeling in the
camp prior to the exodus may be related to information transfer, or just warming up. When the first
animal decides to leave the camp in a particular direction, others follow. Depending on the quality of
the food and its distance from the camp, flying foxes commence to return at all stages of the night. The
peak of returns occurs just before dawn, and bats can be seen returning along the familiar pathways
used in their exodus at the beginning of the night.
E The solitary tube-nosed fruit bats are found in rainforests and usually fly along tracks in the forest 3-
5 metres above the ground, but will fly much higher if feeding on emergent fig trees. Finding them
during the day is very difficult as their spotted wings and brown colour make them look like dead
leaves. The roost site is never far from the food source and the bats will roost in the same location day
after day while the food source remains, after which they will move on. Blossom bats are also solitary
and roost in the canopy of dense vegetation where they too resemble hanging dead leaves. No groups
or colonies have ever been found, but like tube-nosed fruit bats, numbers of blossom bats will
congregate around an isolated food tree. Although separate visits to flowers by individuals can be very
brief, blossom bats show a strong loyalty to their feeding areas and will vigorously defend them from
other individuals by attacking, vocalising, and clapping the tips of their wings together.
F The larger body size of flying foxes generally restricts their access to food to the outer canopy, so
they tend to range long distances and depend on less plant species as a food resource. In the northern
rainforests, the bare-backed flying fox avoids this problem by having added manoeuvrability as a result
of its extended wing surface area, and can fly and feed below the canopy as well. This allows the bare-
backed flying fox access to a greater variety of food types. The smaller body size and wing shape of
other types of bats such as the tube-nosed and blossom bats also allows them to utilise a wide range of
plant species for food, and consequently results in them having much smaller home ranges than flying
foxes.
Questions 7-10
7. __Megachiroptera_______
8. ___Phytophagous______
9. ___sight______
10. ___echolocation_____
Questions 11-13
Classify the following characteristics as belonging to
A. tube-nosed fruit bats
B. blossom bats
C. both types of bats
Write the correct letter, A, B or C, in boxes 11-13 on your answer sheet.
11. They are hostile to intruders in their territory. B
12. Time is spent in a group only when feeding. C
13. They are well camouflaged by their surroundings. A

1. Paragraph A ___iii____
2. Paragraph B __viii_____
3. Paragraph C ___v____
4. Paragraph D ___i____
5. Paragraph E ___vi____
6. Paragraph F ___iv____
 Barefoot Running
A. In recent years, the growing trend of barefoot running has started a debate among athletes and
doctors about the possible health benefits of running with very light sandals or no shoes at all. Barefoot
running has gained popularity among both casual and competitive athletes. Some athletes say that
running barefoot has helped them cure or avoid injuries; others claim that running barefoot has
improve their running form and race times. Opponents, however, say there is no scientific or medical
proof that barefoot running is safer or better than wearing traditional running shoes.
B. Researchers point out that many of the world’s best long distance running cultures − the Tarahumara
Indians of Mexico and the Marathon Monks of Enryaku Temple in Japan, for example run either
barefoot or in thin sandals and don’t often suffer leg injuries. These same experts note that certain
injuries that are common to shoe-wearing athletes are rare among barefoot running cultures, especially
back and knee issues.
C. Barefoot running supporters believe that going shoeless strengthens foot and call muscles, improves
balance, reduces the shock of hitting the ground, and actually make some runners faster. Researchers
have noted that running barefoot encourages runners to land more on the front of the foot − the forefoot
or ball of the foot − rather than on the heel, which is what most people do when they run in shoes. This
causes a smaller part of the foot to come to a sudden stop when the foot first lands, allowing the natural
spring-like motion of the foot and leg to absorb any further shock. By contrast, the “heel striking” style
of running by most runners and shoes is said to put stress on leg joints and the back.
D. A 2012 study compared runners wearing shoes and running barefoot. The study documented a six
percent improvement in energy usage when running barefoot. Because runners without shoes take
shorter strides and may have different contact with the ground, they use less oxygen and feel less tired.
According to the study, this level of energy saving is equal to what can be achieved after six weeks of
training in running shoes.
E. Despite this, there is still no clear-cut data, and the debate about barefoot running is alive and well.
Doctors and coaches have noted that people who normally run in shoes have “forgotten” how to run
without shoes, and urge athletes not to rush into barefoot running. Persistent pain in the heels, knees, or
lower back might be signs that your running form needs adjusting. For those interested in trying
barefoot running, here are some precautions and practices that doctors and coaches recommend:

 Start slowly. Your feet need time to grow tough skin. Start by walking short distances without
shoes, and increase your distances very slowly to give your body time to adapt.

 Listen to your body. In addition to the skin on your feet, your muscles and joints will need time
to get used to walking and running without the support of shoes. If your feet or muscles ache,
stop what you’re doing and don’t increase your workout until you feel comfortable.
  Take care of your muscles. Stretch your legs often and massage your feet and lower legs to help
muscles heal and gain strength. Stretching also helps your Achilles tendon and feet stay
flexible.

 Make sure it feels right. You will naturally be able to feel when you are landing comfortably on
your feet. If you notice too much of a shock when you land, slow down and focus on how your
feet are meeting the ground. A gentle landing will feel almost like bouncing or jumping.

Question 1-5
Choose the correct headings for paragraph A - E from the list of headings.
Write the correct number i - vi.
List of headings
i. Energy-efficient Running
ii. Taking Your First Steps
iii. The Barefoot Debate
iv. Physical Benefits?
v. Barefoot Cultures
vi. Life Adjustment Movement
1. Paragraph A __iii___
2. Paragraph B __v___
3. Paragraph C ___iv__
4. Paragraph D __i___
5. Paragraph E ___ii__
Question 6-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?
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
6. Athletes have similar ideas about the benefits of barefoot running. ___F______
7. Many of the world's best running cultures run barefoot or in thin sandals. ____T_______
8. Back and knee injuries are rare among barefoot running cultures. ____T______
9. Running barefoot changes the way that the foot strikes the ground. _____T_____
10. The heel strike often causes runners to be dehydrated. ___NG_______
11. Studies have found that it takes more energy to run barefoot. ___F________
12. Feeling pain when running barefoot indicates that the current running form requires adjustment.
___NG________
13. Muscles and joints can readily adapt to barefoot running. ___F________

READING PASSAGE 2
Scientists estimate that throughout the course of Earth's history, more than a billion different species of
animals and insects have existed. Today, there are only about 30-50 million species left, according to
the World Animal Foundation. That means that for every species living on Earth today, 20 more are
already extinct. Scientists study extinct species to get a better understanding of the past. In addition to
studying what these species might have been like when they were alive, some scientists are interested
in the possibility of seeing some of them walk the Earth again.
There are a number of serious proposals to try to revive extinct species. Some animals on this list
include: the woolly mammoth (an elephant-like creature that wandered the plains of Siberia), the moa
(a giant flightless bird from New Zealand), the thylacine (also known as the Tasmanian tiger because of
the dark stripes down its back), and the bucardo (a mountain goat from Spain). These animals had very
little in common and in most cases lived eras apart. The woolly mammoth, for example, died many
thousands of years ago while the bucardo became extinct only around the year 2000. But all these
species lived at the same time as humans, and humans have been largely responsible for their
destruction. So it seems somehow fitting that we are now thinking of reviving them.
Scientists have proposed reviving an extinct species using two possible methods. In the first method,
sex cells (sperm or eggs) are obtained from the extinct animals and are used to fertilize sex cells of a
closely related living relative in a laboratory. For example, sperm from a woolly mammoth could be
used to fertilize an egg from a modern-day elephant. The fertilized egg would then be placed in the live
female elephant where it would live and grow until it is ready to be born. The second method involves
a type of cloning. In cloning, the DNA of one individual replaces the DNA of another. In the woolly
mammoth example, scientists could inject DNA from a mammoth into an egg cell from an elephant.
The cloned egg cell would then be placed into a living elephant and allowed to develop in the same
way as a fertilized egg.
But some scientists believe species revival will never happen because both methods are problematic.
One of the major challenges is how to obtain enough high-quality DNA from an extinct species to
conduct an experiment. While it is theoretically possible under ideal conditions to preserve genetic
material for thousands of years, these conditions rarely occur in real life. For example, researchers have
obtained a number of samples of mammoth DNA, but none have been usable. And the cloning process
presents its own problem. Scientists have been able to clone only a few species of animals, and most
cloned creatures are frail and don't live very long.
And there is a final, ethical consideration. Even if we learn how to reproduce an example of an extinct
species, that individual could never have a normal life. Its natural environment is most likely gone and
it would have no parents to show it how to behave as a member of its species. So the animal would
remain a curiosity and probably live out its life in a zoo. People question whether it would be ethical to
revive one of nature's creatures for such a purpose.
Only time will tell if scientists manage to carry out their ambitious plans. Even if they manage to
overcome the scientific problems, they may face opposition from governments or society. Some even
feel it might be more worthwhile for us to focus our efforts on conservation and take care of existing
species, so they don't also go the way of woolly mammoths.
Questions 14-18
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
14. Which statement is true regarding the number of species on Earth?
A. At one point, there used to be over a billion species living on Earth.
B. There are more extinct species than there are living species.
C. About 20 species of animals are going extinct every day.
15. What does the sentence "So it seems somehow fitting that we are now thinking of reviving
them" (paragraph 2) mean?
A. These species deserve to be revived because they died of unnatural causes.
B. Only humans have the intelligence and ability to revive these extinct species.
C. Since humans contributed to their extinction, humans should also be responsible for their revival.
16. Both methods require
A. the DNA of the extinct species
B. the sperm of the extinct species
C. a living species that is closely related to the extinct species
17. Which is NOT true about revived animals?
A. They will look different from the original members of their species.
B. They will probably be kept in zoos and conservation centers.
C. They will probably behave differently from how they originally did.
18. What is the overall message of the article?
A. People are sure to say no to species revival due to ethical issues.
B. There are many issues to consider when it comes to species revival.
C. It is highly unlikely that scientists will succeed in reviving extinct animals.
Questions 19-25
Complete the sentences below. Choose ONLY ONE WORD from the passage for each answer.
19. Studying extinct species can help humans understand the __past____.
20. The __bucardo____ used to live in mountainous areas in Spain.
21. A modern-day elephant is a _relative_____ of a woolly mammoth.
22. To carry out the experiment, a certain amount of _high - quality_____ DNA needs to be obtained
from an extinct species.
23. The vast majority of _cloned_____ animals have limited lifespan. They are usually frail and die
young.
24. The lack of natural environment and the absence of parental modelling are two examples of
_ethical_____ issues that make people concerned.
25. Some people think that it is better to concentrate more on _conservation_____ instead of reviving
extinct species.

READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage 1
below.
Tristan Da Cunha is a remote group of volcanic islands in the south Atlantic Ocean, and the name of
the main island in that group. It is located about 1,750 miles away from South Africa, and 1,500 miles
away from the nearest land mass (Saint Helena). This means it is the remotest group of islands in the
world. It is a British overseas territory and governed primarily by Saint Helena.

There are four main islands: Tristan Da Cunha (the main island where Tristan’s citizens live),
Inaccessible Island, Nightingale Island and Gough Island. The overall area of the territory is about 80
square miles. The plants on Tristan Da Cunha are mainly species found on South American and African
terrain, although certain species are shared with New Zealand.

A Portuguese explorer and naval officer, Tristão da Cunha, was the first person to spot the islands
(hence their name) in 1506, and the first official survey/mapping was made in 1767 by the crew of the
French warship L’Heure du Berger. However, the French warship didn’t attempt to land. The first
permanent settler was an American by the name of Jonathan Lambert, who arrived at the end of 1810.
He appointed himself as ruler of the islands and re-named them Islands of Refreshment. However, he
died in a boating accident just two years later, and the islands became known as Tristan Da Cunha
again.

Due to their strategic position, these remote islands have been important in various wars and were
annexed by the United Kingdom in 1816. During World War II, the British navy based a top secret
weather and radio station on Tristan. Since currency wasn’t yet established on the islands (a system of
exchange, or barter, was used instead) naval supplies were given to Tristan’s citizens in payment. Since
then the British pound has become the currency. After the war, the island’s newspaper The Tristan
Times was born and the first administrator was appointed by the British government.

The island’s population is just 275, and no new residents are allowed to settle on the island, so numbers
fluctuate only slightly. There are 80 families, with just 7 surnames: Glass, Green, Hagan, Lavarello,
Repetto, Rogers and Swain. Due to the small population, marriages between distant relatives (e.g.
second cousins) have inevitably occurred, resulting in some minor health issues such as asthma and
glaucoma. Health care on the island is free. However, Tristan Da Cunha has only one resident doctor
and five nurses, meaning that any serious injuries are treated in Cape Town (South Africa).

Many of Tristan Da Cunha’s citizens are farmers by trade, and money is also earned from fishing and
processing. All land on Tristan is owned communally, and livestock is controlled to ensure that better-
off families do not build up excessive wealth. Official statistics for the islands’ economy are
unavailable, because GDP figures are not published. Tristan’s main currency is pound sterling (£), but
the Saint Helenian pound is also used by residents. Although the island is a British dependency, it is not
allowed direct trade access to the European Union. Tristan Da Cunha’s main source of income is the
island’s lobster factory, which sells its product to the United States and Japan via representatives of the
South African company ‘Ovenstone’. Tristan sells coins and postage stamps abroad - the public interest
in Tristan Da Cunha means this is a profitable venture.

A few misfortunes have harmed the island’s economy. In 1961 a volcanic eruption from Tristan
destroyed the island’s crayfish factory. In modern times, demand for Tristan crayfish in the USA has
been declining, setting the country’s economy back greatly. This has meant that the islanders have had
to borrow from their reserves. This in turn has harmed Tristan’s ability to update its communication
equipment and education methods without delays. Even worse than this, a fire on the 13th of February
2008 destroyed the fish factory and two power generators. This has caused further problems for
Tristan’s economy because of fishing’s prominent role. In addition, the harbour, through which
everything enters and exits Tristan Da Cunha, including medical supplies, was damaged by fire. Since
then, engineers from the British army have been fixing and helping to maintain the harbour. Despite
these numerous problems, Tristan Da Cunha’s residents remain optimistic about the long-term future of
their islands.
Questions 1-5
Look at the following people (Questions 1-5) and the list of actions below. Match each person with the
correct action. Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
1. Tristão da Cunha B
2. French sailors E
3. Jonathan Lambert A
4. British sailors G
5. Ovenstone D
List of actions:
A. changed the name of the islands
B. saw the islands before anyone else
C. made an unsuccessful attempt to land on the islands
D. became sales agents for one of the islands’ exports
E. made the first formal map of the islands
F. agreed to a request to take control of the islands
G. established a communications base on the islands
Questions 6-9
Complete the sentences below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 6-9 on your answer sheet.
6. Some _species__________ on the islands are also found in New Zealand.
7. The islands have been involved in several wars on account of their ___position________.
8. ___Land________ is the joint property of all the islanders.
9. There is a limit to the amount of __livestock_________ that island families can own.
Questions 10-13
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
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. The main market for Tristan’s postage stamps is the US. NG
11. Sales of crayfish are less profitable than they used to be. T
12. The factory destroyed by fire in 2008 has since been rebuilt. F
13. Commercial airlines regularly land on Tristan. NG
 Moving the World
The evolution of the elevator, or lift
A. Imagine the skyline of a modern city if the elevator did not exist. Buildings would be limited to five
or six stories. Most of the architecture of the 20th and 21st century would be impossible without
towers, hotels and high-rise apartments would hardly stand in their present form. To gain some idea of
the effect of this one piece of machinery, consider that today, elevators move the equivalent of the
world’s population every 72 hours.
B. The need for vertical transport is as old as civilization. Over the centuries, mankind has employed
ingenious forms of lifting. The earliest lifts used man, animal and water power to raise the load. Lifting
devices relied on these basic forms of power from the early agricultural societies until the dawn of the
Industrial Revolution. In ancient Greece, Archimedes developed an improved lifting device operated by
ropes and pulleys, in which the hoisting ropes were coiled around a winding drum by a capstan and
levers. By A.D. 80, gladiators and wild animals rode crude elevators up to the arena level of the Roman
Coliseum. Medieval records contain numerous drawings of hoists lifting men and supplies to isolated
locations.
C. By the 18th century, machine power was being applied to the development of the lift. In 1743, a
counterweighted personal lift was commissioned by Louis XV in France for his personal chambers in
Versailles. By 1833, a system using reciprocating rods raised and lowered miners in Germany’s Harz
Mountains. A belt-propelled elevator called the “teagle” was installed in an English factory in 1835.
The first hydraulic industrial lift powered by water pressure appeared in 1846. As machinery and
engineering improved, other powered lifting devices quickly followed.
D. Despite these advances, one problem continued to trouble the elevator as it had since ancient times.
There was no effective way to prevent the hoist from plummeting to earth if the lifting cable failed.
This ever-present danger made elevators a risky proposition. In 1852, Elisha Otis sought a solution that
would eliminate the hazard. He invented a security brake, which functioned automatically in the event
of a broken cable. The Otis device revolutionized the elevator industry. Since its invention, the core
design of the brake has remained essentially unchanged. Otis went on to found the Otis Elevator
Company, which continues to manufacture elevators to this day. The Otis invention had far-reaching
effects. Buildings in major cities began rising above the sixth floor, taking advantage of the new
opportunities provided by the new elevator. As the safety and efficiency of the early elevators
continued to improve, space in buildings’ upper floors soon became more desirable, reversing a long-
standing trend in commercial and residential leasing.

E. Today, an increasing array of elevator options is available to meet the needs of architects and
building owners. The observation elevator puts the lift on the outside of the building. These cars walled
with glass allow passengers to view the cityscape as they travel. On the other hand, when sturdiness is
more important than a beautiful view, freight elevators are designed to withstand the rigours of heavy
loads. Double-deck elevators save time and space in high-occupancy buildings by mounting one car
upon another. One car stops at even floors and the other stops at the odd floors. Depending on their
destination, passengers can mount one car in the lobby or take an escalator to a landing for the alternate
car. In very tall buildings, elevator efficiency can be increased by a system that combines express and
local elevators. The express elevators stop at designated floors called sky lobbies. There, passengers
can transfer to local elevators that will take them to their desired floor. By dividing the building into
levels served by the express elevators, the local elevators can be stacked to occupy the same shaft
space. That way, each zone can be served simultaneously by its own bank of local elevators.
Residential elevators use modern hydraulics to produce a quiet ride while occupying a minimum
amount of space. These hydraulic systems produce about the same amount of sound as a typical
refrigerator, which makes them well suited for residential use. They can be operated at any hour
without causing disturbance. The compact design allows the elevator to be installed in the amount of
space required for an average-sized closet.
F. Breakthroughs in computerised systems continue to enhance the quality and reliability of modern
elevators. The power of microprocessors has been increasingly employed to control every aspect of
elevator operation. For maintenance purposes, elevator companies use a remote elevator monitoring
system which can identify problems before they occur by detecting failing components and intermittent
anomalies that might go undetected until they cause a loss of service. If the system detects an urgent
issue, it alerts the appropriate dispatching centre via the Internet and mechanics are sent to the site to
restore service.
Questions 14-18
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-ix, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.
List of headings
i The earliest recorded instances of lifts
ii The disadvantages of living and working in skyscrapers
iii A significant safety innovation and its consequences
iv The use of technology to maximise efficiency
v The advent of mechanically-driven lifts
vi Public mistrust of elevator safety
vii The importance of the elevator today
viii The hidden cost of elevator maintenance
ix Different lifts for differing needs
Example
Paragraph A - vii
14 Paragraph B I
15 Paragraph C V
16 Paragraph D III
17 Paragraph E IX
18 Paragraph F IV
Questions 19-21
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in boxes 19-21 on your answer sheet.
19 What happened to the safety brake that Otis invented?
A It was soon superseded by other inventions.
B Its design had to be completely reworked.
C It enabled Otis to start his own business.
20 In the 19th century, innovations in elevator design led to
A a change in leasing habits.
B a jump in real estate prices.
C a demand for renovation.
21 Using a remote elevator monitoring system allows elevator companies to
A employ fewer mechanics on staff.
B avoid long delays for lift repairs.
C switch off elevators that are not in use.
Questions 22-25
Complete the summary below.
Write ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
These days, there is a variety of different elevators to suit different needs. For example, building
designers can incorporate lifts with a view by choosing the (22) __observation_________ elevator.
Some skyscrapers have (23) __express_____ elevators working in conjunction with local elevators to
cater for their large number of users. In apartment buildings where people live, it is particularly
important for elevators to be both (24) ____quiet_______ and compact, while in buildings where
weighty objects need to be moved around, specially engineered (25) _freight____ elevators are
essential.

The history of the biro

A. One chilly autumn morning in 1945, five thousand shoppers crowded the pavements outside
Gimbels Department Store in New York City. The day before, Gimbels had taken out a full-page
newspaper advertisement in the New York Times, announcing the sale of the first ballpoint pens in the
United States. The new writing instrument was heralded as "fantastic ... miraculous ... guaranteed to
write for two years without refilling!" Within six hours, Gimbels had sold its entire stock of ten
thousand ballpoints at $12.50 each - approximately $130 at today's prices.

B. In fact, this 'new' pen was not new after all, and was just the latest development in a long search for
the best way to deliver ink to paper. In 1884 Lewis Waterman had patented the fountain pen, giving
him the sole rights to manufacture it. This marked a significant leap forward in writing technology, but
fountain pens soon became notorious for leaking. In 1888, a leather tanner named John Loud devised
and patented the first "rolling-pointed marker pen" for marking leather. Loud's design contained a
reservoir of ink in a cartridge and a rotating ball point that was constantly bathed on one side with ink.
Loud's pen was never manufactured, however, and over the next five decades, 350 additional patents
were issued for similar ball-type pens, though none advanced beyond the design stage. Each had their
own faults, but the major difficulty was the ink: if the ink was thin, the pens leaked, and if it was too
thick, they clogged. Depending on the climate or air temperature, sometimes the pens would do both.

C. Almost fifty years later, Ladislas and Georg Biro, two Hungarian brothers, came up with a solution
to this problem. In 1935 Ladislas Biro was working as a journalist, editing a small newspaper. He
found himself becoming more and more frustrated by the amount of time he wasted filling fountain
pens with ink and cleaning up ink smudges. What's more, the sharp tip of his fountain pen often
scratched or tore through the thin newsprint paper. Ladislas and Georg (a chemist) set about making
models of new pen designs and creating better inks to use in them. Ladislas had observed that the type
of ink used in newspaper printing dried rapidly, leaving the paper dry and smudge-free. He was
determined to construct a pen using the same type of ink. However, the thicker ink would not flow
from a regular pen nib so he had to develop a new type of point. Biro came up with the idea of fitting
his pen with a tiny ball bearing in its tip. As the pen moved along the paper, the ball bearing rotated and
picked up ink from the ink cartridge which it delivered to the paper.

D. The first Biro pen, like the designs that had gone before it. relied on gravity for the ink to flow to
the ball bearing at the tip. This meant that the pens only worked when they were held straight up, and
even then the ink flow was sometimes too heavy, leaving big smudges of ink on the paper. The Biro
brothers had a rethink and eventually devised a new design, which relied on capillary action rather than
gravity to feed the ink. This meant that the ink could flow more smoothly to the tip and the pen could
be held at an angle rather than straight up. In 1938, as World War II broke out, the Biro brothers fled to
Argentina, where they applied for a patent for their pen and established their first factory.
E. The Biros' pen soon came to the attention of American fighter pilots, who needed a new kind of pen
to use at high altitudes. Apparently, it was ideal for pilots as it did not leak like the fountain pen and did
not have to be refilled frequently. The United States Department of War contacted several American
companies, asking them to manufacture a similar writing instrument in the U.S. Thus fortune smiled on
the Biro brothers in May 1945, when the American company 'Eversharp' paid them $500,000 for the
exclusive manufacturing and marketing rights of the Biro ballpoint for the North American market.
Eversharp were slow to put their pen into production, however, and this delay ultimately cost them
their competitive advantage.

F. Meanwhile, in June 1945 an American named Milton Reynolds stumbled upon the Biro pen while
on vacation in Buenos Aires. Immediately seeing its commercial potential, he bought several pens and
returned to Chicago, where he discovered that loud's original 1888 patent had long since expired. This
meant that the ballpoint was now in the public domain, and he, therefore, wasted no time making a
copy based on the Biro design. Establishing his pen company with just $26,000, Reynolds quickly set
up a factory with 300 workers who began production on 6th October 1945, stamping out pens from
precious scraps of aluminum that hadn't been used during the war for military equipment or weapons.
Just 23 days later, it was Reynolds' ballpoint pen that caused the stampede at Gimbels Department
Store. Following the ballpoint's debut in New York City, Eversharp challenged Reynolds in the law
courts, but lost the case because the Biro brothers had failed to secure a U.S. patent on their invention.
Questions 1-6
The reading passage has six paragraphs A-F.
Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the correct number i-ix in your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. Fountain pens are history.
ii. Fame at last for the Biro brothers.
iii. A holiday helps bring the biro to America.
iv. A second design and a new country.
v. War halts progress.
vi. Dissatisfaction leads to a new invention.
vii. Big claims bring big crowds.
viii. A government request brings a change of ownership.
ix. Many patents and many problems.
1 Paragraph A VII
2 Paragraph B IX
3 Paragraph C VI
4 Paragraph D IV
5 Paragraph E VIII
6 Paragraph F III
Questions 7-9
Choose the correct answer, A, B, C or D and write in your answer sheet from 7-9
7. The problem with the ballpoint pens invented between 1888 and 1935 was that
A. they cost a great deal of money to manufacture.
B. the technology to manufacture them did not exist.
C. they could not write on ordinary paper:
D. they were affected by weather conditions.
8. The design of the Biro brothers' first pen
A. was similar to previous pens.
B. was based on capillary action,
C. worked with heavy or light inks.
D. worked when slanted slightly.
9. Milton Reynolds was able to copy the Biro brothers' design because
A. the Biro brothers' original patent was out of date.
B. it was legal to copy other designs at the time.
C. they did not have a patent for North America.
D. the Biro brothers gave him permission.
Questions 10-12
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for
each answer.
Write your answers from 10-12 in your answer sheet
10. What material was the first ballpoint pen designed to write on? ___ leather __________
11. Where did the Biro brothers open their first factory? ____ Argentina _________
12. In what year did the first American biro factory begin production? ____ 1945 _________

THE BURDEN OF THIRST

Millions of women carry water long distances. If they had a tap by their door, whole societies would be
transformed.
A. Aylito Binayo’s feet know the mountain. Even at four in the morning, she can run down the rocks to
the river by starlight alone and climb the steep mountain back up to her village with a container of
water on her back. She has made this journey three times a day since she was a small child. So has
every other woman in her village of Foro, in the Konso district of south-western Ethiopia in Africa.
Binayo left school when she was eight years old, in part because she had to help her mother fetch water
from the Toiro River. The water is unsafe to drink; every year that the drought continues, the river
carries less water, and its flow is reduced. But it is the only water Foro has ever had.
B. In developed parts of the world, people turn on a tap and out pours abundant, clean water. Yet nearly
900 million people in the world have no access to clean water. Furthermore, 2.5 billion people have no
safe way to get rid of human waste. Polluted water and lack of proper hygiene cause disease and kill
3.3 million people around the world annually, most of them children. In southern Ethiopia and in
northern Kenya, a lack of rain over the past few years has made even dirty water hard to find. But soon,
for the first time, things are going to change.
C. Bringing clean water close to villagers’ homes is the key to the problem. Communities where clean
water becomes accessible and plentiful are transformed. All the hours previously spent hauling water
can be used to cultivate more crops, raise more animals or even start a business. Families spend less
time sick or caring for family members who are unwell. Most important, not having to collect water
means girls can go to school and get jobs. The need to fetch water for the family, or to take care of
younger siblings while their mother goes, usually prevents them ever having this experience.
D. But the challenges of bringing water to remote villages like those in Konso are overwhelming.
Locating water underground and then reaching it by means of deep wells requires geological expertise
and expensive, heavy machines. Abandoned wells and water projects litter the villages of Konso. In
similar villages around the developing world, the biggest problem with water schemes is that about half
of them break down soon after the groups that built them move on. Sometimes technology is used that
can’t be repaired locally, or spare parts are available only in the capital.
E. Today, a UK-based international non-profit organization called WaterAid is tackling the job of
bringing water to the most remote villages of Konso. Their approach combines technologies proven to
last - such as building a sand dam to capture and filter rainwater that would otherwise drain away. But
the real innovation is that WaterAid believes technology is only part of the solution. Just as important is
involving the local community in designing, building and maintaining new water projects. Before
beginning any project, WaterAid asks the community to create a WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene)
committee of seven people. The committee works with WaterAid to plan projects and involve the
village in construction. Then it maintains and runs the project.
F. The people of Konso, who grow their crops on terraces they have dug into the sides of mountains,
are famous for hard work. In the village of Orbesho, resident evev constructed a road themselves so
that drilling machinery could come in. Last summer, their pump, installed by the river, was being
motorised to push its water to a newly built reservoir on top of a nearby mountain. From there, gravity
will carry it down in pipes to villages on the other side of the mountain. Residents of those villages
have each given some money to help fund the project. They have made concrete and collected stones
for the structures. Now they are digging trenches to lay pipes. If all goes well, Aylito Binayo will have
a tap with safe water just a three-minute walk from her front door.
Completion the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN ONE WORD AND/ OR A NUMBER
from the passage for each answer.
7. The water levels in the Toiro River are falling because of______ drought _____________ .
8. Globally, the number of people who die each year as a result of using dirty water is_ 3.3 million _.
9. When families have clean water, they can spend more time growing_____ crops ______________ .
10. Specialist knowledge and equipment are needed to dig_____ wells ______________ .
11. WaterAid uses a dam made of_________ sand __________to capture rainwater.
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Which TWO of these activities were performed by the villagers of Orbesho?
A. building a transport route
B. digging a reservoir
C. gathering building material
D. making pipes
E. fitting taps
The reading passage has six paragraphs, A-F.
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
List of Headings
i. Why some plans have failed
ii. A rural and urban problem
iii. A possible success
iv. Explaining a new management style
v. Some relevant statistics
vi. A regular trip for some people
vii. Treating people for disease
viii. How water can change people’s lives
1. Paragraph A VI
2. Paragraph B V
3. Paragraph C VIII
4. Paragraph D I
5. Paragraph E IV
6. Paragraph F III