MUET_MODULE

146 13 14 The writer ends by A. predicting the future B. suggesting a balanced approach C. presenting an optimistic outlook The ideas in this passage are mainly _____________ in nature. A. argumentative B. innovative C. speculative

147 Questions 15 to 21 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 Since the reef first found footing, ice ages have come and gone, and ocean and atmospheric conditions have fluctuated wildly. The reef has seen many changes – expanding and eroding, being defaced and re-inhabited at nature’s whim. “A history of the Great Barrier Reef,” Veron, a coral expert, says, “is a catalogue of disasters” caused by planetary chaos. But they are disasters from which the reef has always recovered. Today, new disasters endanger the reef and the prospect for recovery is uncertain. The relative quick shift in the world’s climate, scientists say, appears to be devastating for reefs. In corals, warming temperatures and increased exposure to the sun’s violet rays lead to stress response called bleaching – when the colourful algae in coral cells become toxic and are expelled, turning the host animals skeletal white. Fleshy seaweeds may then choke out the remains. Heat is also implicated in a 60-year decline in ocean phytoplankton – the microscopic organisms that not only gobble greenhouse gases but also feed, directly or indirectly, almost every other living thing in the sea. Changes in sea level, either up or down, have a dire impact as well, exposing shallow corals to too much sun or drowning them in deeper water, where they are hidden from the light. Of course, to the two million tourists who visit the reef each year, the promise of an underwater paradise teeming with life is still fulfilled. But the blemishes are there if you know where to look. The reef bears a two-milelong scar from a collision with a coral carrier in April of last year. Other ship groundings and occasional oil spills have marred the habitat. Sediment plumes from flooding and nutrients from agriculture and development also do very real damage to the ecosystem. The captain of the boat who took me diving put it this way: “Without the reef, there is nothing out here but a whole lot of salty water.” To many locals, he adds, “the reef is a loved one whose loss is too sad to contemplate.” This challenge scientists face is to keep the reef healthy despite rapid change. “To fix a car engine, you need to know how it works,” says Veron. “The same is true for reefs.” He and others have been investigating how these ecosystems function so that efforts to prevent damage can be doubly effective. High on the to-do list: Determine the full impact of over-fishing. Traditionally, commercial fishermen could work along the reef, even after 133 000 square miles of ocean habitat was designated a marine park. But, with rising concern about the big take, the Australian government in 2004 made a third of that area off-limits to all fishing – including for sport. The biological recovery has been bigger and faster than expected: within two years after the 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

148 5 15 16 17 18 ban, for example, numbers of coral trout doubled on the once heavily fished reef. Scientists also want to know what makes specific corals extra tenacious during times of change. “We know some reefs experience much more stressed conditions than others,” says reef ecologist Peter Mumby. He says understanding how corals recover from bleaching – and figuring how new polyps grow – can help in designing reserves. Even Veron acknowledges that coral survival is possible in the long-term if the onslaughts against reef are halted – soon. Indeed one lesson is that despite today’s weighty threats, the Great Barrier Reef will not crumble. It has, after all, toughed it out through catastrophic change before. And all kinds of marine life are around to keep the reef whole. (Adapted from National Geographic, May 2011) The writer’s main intention in paragraph 1 is to A. explain why in the past, the reef was able to recover B. highlight the environmental disruptions threatening the reef C. contrast the effects of disasters on the reef in the past and today Which of the following is one of the new disasters (line 6) endangering the reef? A. An increase in ocean temperature B. A stress condition called bleaching C. Microscopic organisms feeding on greenhouse gases In paragraph 2, the writer develops his ideas mainly through A. listing B. exemplification C. cause and effect The following are blemishes (line 21) except A. oil spills B. a long scar C. a damaged habitat 40 45 50

149 19 20 21 The increase in the number of coral trout is due to A. a healthier ecosystem B. the creation of the marine park C. the ban on fishing in protected zones The word tenacious (line 41) means A. hardy B. flexible C. productive Which of the following best summarises the writer’s belief about the future of the Great Barrier Reef? A. It will thrive B. It will recover with time C. It will face more stress conditions

150 Questions 22 to 29 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 Vishal, the son of a farm labourer, is almost four. He should weigh around 16 kilogrammes. But the needle of the weighing scale stops at just over 10 kilogrammes – what a healthy one-year-old should weigh. That his teacher does not look perturbed is unsurprising. Nearly half of India’s small children are malnourished: one of the highest rates of underweight children in the world. Almost as shocking as the prevalence of malnutrition in India is the country’s failure to reduce it. Since 1991, its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has more than doubled, while malnutrition has decreased by only a few percentage points. Meanwhile, the chasm between the lucky and unlucky Indian children is growing: under-fives in rural areas are more likely to be underweight than urban children, low-caste children than higher-caste children, girls rather than boys. And, the disparities are growing. Malnutrition places a heavy burden on India. It is linked to half of all child deaths and nearly a quarter of cases of diseases. Malnourished children tend not to reach their potential, physically or mentally, and they do worse at school than they otherwise would. This has a direct impact on productivity: the World Bank reckons that in low-income Asian countries, physical impairments caused by nutrition knock three per cent off the GDP. Why, then, has India done so little to reduce it? There are many reasons. Most fundamentally, poor parents find it hard to buy enough food; but that is by no means the only factor. Impoverished and rural families are also less likely to go to a doctor when their children fall sick, which they do a lot, thanks to dirty water and poor hygiene. Inadequate nutrition lowers the immune system, increasing the risk of infectious disease; illness, in turn, depletes a child’s nutritional stocks. Even the children of wealthier families suffer surprisingly high rates of malnutrition. Government data show that a third of children from the wealthiest fifth of India’s population are malnourished. This is because poor feeding practices – foremost among them a failure exclusively to breast-feed in the first six months – play as big a role in India’s malnutrition rates as food shortages. Here lies an opportunity: educating parents about how to feed their children should be more quickly achieved than ensuring that the 410 million Indians who live below the United Nation’s estimated poverty line of US$1.25 a day have enough to eat. The government, however, has largely failed in both areas. Two big, expensive schemes designed to reduce malnutrition – a Public Distribution System (PDS) that provides subsidised food to the poor and a vast midday- 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

151 6 7 22 meal scheme, to which 120 million children are signed up – are hampered by inefficiency and wastage. But the government’s main effort to tackle child malnutrition, the Integrated Childhood Development Service (ICDS), has failed for rather different reasons. The ICDS, launched in 1975, is the world’s biggest early-childhood scheme. Each centre is responsible for providing nutritional care to pregnant women and all children up to six. However, overburdened by a long list of responsibilities, workers have tended to focus on the group they see every day: children over the age of two whose mothers take advantage of free child care and daily meals offered by the centres. While these meals – supposedly providing each child with an extra 500 calories a day – are certainly beneficial, they do not replace the nutritional guidance the parents of young children need. More seriously, this emphasis on older children means that the under-twos and pregnant women barely get a turn. Unfortunately, these are precisely the groups the government should be targeting. Most growth retardation occurs by the age of two and is irreversible. Often it starts during pregnancy. More than half the women of childbearing age in India are anaemic – a condition that can be much improved by fortifying food. Fortifying the food handed out by the PDS would be an effective way to lower rates of anaemia and increase nutrition. But this would need a lot of money and so far India has resisted the idea. But most experts agree that the country will make a serious dent in child malnutrition only when it focuses on pregnant women and very young children. “India has missed its big window of opportunity by not giving priority to mothers and the under-twos,” says Victor Aguayo, chief of The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s nutrition programme in India. “It cannot afford to do so any longer.” (Adapted from The Economist, 25th September – 1st October 2010) That his teacher does not look perturbed is unsurprising (lines 3 and 4). Why? A. The teacher does not expect Vishal to put any weight. B. The children of farm labourers are often underweight. C. Underweight children are a common sight in India. 40 45 50 55 60

152 23 24 25 26 27 And, the disparities are growing (line 13). The disparities here refer to the A. urban and rural children B. lucky and unlucky children C. below and above-five years olds Which of the following best summarises paragraph 3? A. Malnutrition is a serious problem in India but little has been done about it. B. Malnutrition has adversely affected productivity, causing a reduction in GDP. C. Malnutrition is linked to child deaths, diseases and physical and mental retardation The government, however, has largely failed in both areas (line 36). The areas are A. providing sufficient food and raising the income of the poor B. encouraging good feeding habits and educating parents on nutrition C. subsidising basic food items and organising effective meal-schemes The word irreversible (line 54) means A. cannot be put right B. cannot be modified C. cannot be changed to the original state In order to reduce malnutrition, the writer recommends A. focusing government action on pregnant women and children under twos. B. fortifying the nutritional value of the food handed out at the centres. C. increasing the allocation for the meal-schemes for the poor.

153 28 29 The phrase make a serious dent (line 60) means that India will A. have a great impact B. create further trouble C. face an urgent problem It cannot afford to do so any longer (line 64) implies that A. India is facing difficulty in feedings its growing population B. India should change in the way it addresses malnutrition C. India should adopt UNICEF’s nutrition programme

154 Questions 30 to 37 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 Try to imagine a world with three Americas. Three giant economic powerhouses, with citizens who buy, sell and consume, all in pursuit of their versions of the American Dream. Difficult to envision? But that is where economists say we are heading. The broad consensus is that China will overtake the United States to become the world’s biggest economy within two decades. And by 2050, will be as big as well. On current trends, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund expect global economic output to grow between six and sevenfold between 2005 and 2050. Asia’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will grow from around US$30 trillion now to about US$230 trillion. This is an astonishing number. But is it really desirable – or even possible? If the United States is joined by two more economic masses, our planet will become unimaginably stressed. Already we have passed the earth’s regenerative capacity, yet this is hardly factored into economic projections about growth. Take energy. If the Chinese and Indians were to use as much energy per capita as Americans use, their total power consumption would be 14 times as great as that of the United States. Even if Asians were to restrict themselves to lower European levels of energy usage, they would still consume eight to nine times as much power as America does today. However we look at it, the world cannot expect to see its energy usage grow by such an extent. Conventional forms of power generation will produce carbon in such volumes that our planet will be condemned to unmanageable climate change, while the alternatives – even nuclear power – are simply not viable within the time frames mentioned. Or take cars. Estimates suggest that if China, India and other developing countries reach Western levels of car ownership, there would be three billion cars bin the world, four times the current total, within four decades. Where will the fuel come from for these vehicles, and what about their environmental impact? Similar calculations can be made for everything from chicken to iPads. Quite simply, this world just does not have enough for two more consumption-driven Americas. Asian government must reject the blinkered views of those who urge Asians to consume relentlessly – be they Western economists and leaders who want the region to become a “motor of growth” to rebalance the world economy or Asian governments convinced that ever-expending economies are what their populations need. That is not to suggest that people must remain poor. Nor is it an argument against economic development. Rather it 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

155 6 30 31 32 is a call for constrained consumption, funnelled in ways that do not increase the demands on our resource base; deplete or degrade our environment; produce more emissions and pollutants, and put at risk the livelihood and health of millions. If Asia is to achieve prosperity for the broad majority of its population, the countries of the region must find alternative ways of promoting human and economic development. What Asia must prioritise are incentives that reward “more is less” activities – ones built around putting the management of resources at the center of all policy-making. The crucial first steps in this direction are carbon and resources taxes that provide incentives for companies to use far fewer materials and far less energy in their products. This in turn will change consumption habits. This step alone, led by Asia, would mark the start of a new industrial revolution – one that, unlike the previous one, does not underprice resources or externalise its true costs. This will be the move away from today’s extreme capitalism, reshaping it to suit the needs of a crowded twenty first century. (Adapted from New York Times, 7 June 2011) What is the point that the writer is making in paragraph 1? A. India will be as big as China economically. B. China and India will become another America. C. It is desirable for Asia’s GDP to grow to about US$230 trillion. D. China, India and America are competing for economic power. This (line 10) refers to A. the planet becoming over-exploited B. the inability of the earth to heal itself C. the world’s projected economic growth D. the world having three economic power houses ... factored into (line 14) means A. targeted B. prioritised C. considered D. recognised 40 45 50

156 33 34 35 36 37 The writer talks about energy and cars in paragraphs 3 and 4 to support the point that A. China and India should not become another America B. the earth cannot sustain three major economic powers C. climate change will get worse with an increase in the number of cars D. alternative sources of energy are needed to cope with the increase in demand According to the writer, the view that Asia should consume relentlessly (line 34) is A. narrow B. illogical C. shocking D. disputable The writer supports the following views except A. Asia should be economically-developed B. Asia should be constrained in its consumption C. Asia should be concerned about the well-being of its people D. Asia should become an engine of growth to rebalance the world’s economy The term more is less (line 46) suggests A. providing more incentives B. manufacturing more products C. reducing energy consumption D. managing resources efficiently The writer’s intention is to A. criticise B. describe C. persuade D. condemn

157 Questions 38 to 45 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 6 News flash – “Frankenfish” will be served on dinner tables in households by 2012, if the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its way. The US is mulling a decision to approve a new breed of fast-growing genetically modified (GM) salmon for human consumption. Frankenfish comes from the term “Frankenstein food” referring to any foodstuff that has been genetically modified. GM foods are nothing new. The first product, the now-defunct Flavr Savr tomato, hit supermarket shelves in the US in 1994. The tomato was developed out of US consumers’ disdain for tasteless and hard off-season tomatoes that were picked green and chemically ripened. The Flavr Savr tomato was engineered to stay fresh longer, develop more flavour, and ship long distances without rotting. GM crops are produced by snipping off genes from other forms of life – plants, insects, bacteria and even viruses, and splicing it with plants to alter their genetic makeup. For instance, fish genes that are resistant to the cold are added to strawberries to create a frost-resistant version of the fruit. And despite the initial uproar raised by critics and scientists, processed foods containing GM corn and soy ingredients started showing up in late 1995. Proponents of GM technology say GM crops have allowed farmers to cut down on chemicals used to kill weeds, and pests, boosting crop yields and cutting costs and potential harm to the environment. High yields also mean that more crops can be grown on smaller plots of land to feed our burgeoning world population. In the last decade, genetically modified organisms or transgenic organisms (GMOs) have seeped into many industries other than food, some of which include medicines, vaccines, animal feeds, and fibres. By 2006, 102 million hectares of transgenic crops were planted in 22 countries by 10.3 million farmers. Most of these crops were herbicide and insect-resistant soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, and alfalfa. Other commercially-grown or field-tested crops planted now are iron-and-vitamin-boosted rice that will allegedly alleviate chronic malnutrition in Asian countries, and a variety of plants able to withstand extreme weather conditions. More than half of these crops are grown in the US, followed by countries like Argentina, Brazil, Canada and South Africa. But here is the alarming news – studies have shown that GM foods can cause birth defects, infertility, infant mortality, damage to your kidneys and liver and trigger allergic reactions. 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

158 7 8 9 10 11 The latest study released by Surov’s Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the National Association for Gene Security (July 2010) reveals that after feeding hamsters for two years over three-generations, those on high GM soy diets showed chilling results. By the third generation, these GM soy-fed hamsters became infertile and with a high mortality rate among the pups that were born. Unlike safety evaluations for drugs there are no human clinical trials for GM foods. But soy allergies skyrocketed by 50 per cent in the United Kingdom soon after GM soy was introduced. The American Academy of Enviromental Medicine (AAEM) reported that “several animal studies” indicate serious health risk associated with GM Food including infertility, immune problems, accelerated ageing, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. Based on the findings of the AAEM report, the stomach lining of rats fed with GM potatoes showed excessive cell growth, a condition that could lead to cancer. Thousands of sheep, buffaloes, and goats in India die after grazing on GM cotton plants. Apart from that a study by the Committee of Research and Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIGEN) and Universities of Caen and Rouen, France showed organ lesions, altered liver and pancreas, cells-changed enzyme levels, in animals fed with GM potatoes. The only published human feeding experiment revealed that the genetic material spliced into GM soy is transferred into bacteria living inside our intestines. This means long after we stop eating GM foods, our bodies may still habour GM proteins. Before the FDA decided to allow GMOs into food without labeling, FDA scientists had repeatedly warned that GM foods can create unpredictable, hard to detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. Their pleas for long-term safety studies was ignored. (Adapted from Preferred, Volume VIX, 2010) 40 45 50 55 60 65

159 38 39 40 41 42 43 News flash – “Frankenfish” will be served on dinner tables in households by 2012, if the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has its way (lines 1, 2 and 3) From this sentence, it can be inferred that A. there are oppositions to the FDA’s plan B. approval will be given by the FDA soon C. Americans are eager to serve the fish for dinner D. news about “Frankenfish” has received wide media coverage The term, Frankenstein food (line 5) suggests A. a strange taste B. an altered origin C. an odd appearance D. the use of chemicals The writer is doubtful about the enhanced properties of iron-and-vitaminboosted rice (line 30) because of the use of the word A. commercially-grown (line 29) B. field-tested (line 30) C. allegedly (line 31) D. chronic (line 31) The main focus of paragraph 4 is A. the advantage of GM technology B. the solution to the world’s food crisis C. GM technology supplies cheaper food D. GM technology is environmentally-friendly The information in paragraph 6 provides A. an overview B. an argument C. a comparison D. a clarification chilling (line 41) can be replaced by A. exciting B. revealing C. surprising D. frightening

160 44 45 What is not true about the studies mentioned in paragraph 10? A. GM food can lead to cancer. B. GM cotton plants lead to fatality. C. They involve both animals and human. D. They focus on the effects of consuming GM potatoes and cotton plants. The main intention of the writer is to A. argue that GM foods are harmful B. object the introduction of GM foods C. produce the results of studies done on GM foods D. compare the advantages and disadvantages of GM foods.

161 PRACTICE 6 Questions 1 to 7 are based on the following passage. 1 2 The hotel business is relentless. The management has to provide twenty-four hours service, 365 days a year, and every single day is just as important as any other day. Not surprisingly, M&M Hotel, which prides itself on providing excellent customer service, had for many years a deeply-ingrained culture of ‘face time’ – the more hours you put in, the better. That philosophy of ‘see and be seen’ was effective for serving customers, but it had a price: the management were finding it increasingly tough to recruit talented people and some existing managers were leaving, often because they wanted to spend more time with their families. In the following year, M&M hotel implemented a test programme to help managers strike a better balance between their professional and personal lives while maintaining the quality of its customer service and the bottom line of its financial results. They found a lot of quick fixes by eliminating redundant meetings and other inefficient procedures. For instance, they learnt that managers could file certain business reports less frequently and that many of the regular scheduled meetings were unnecessary. They also re-examined certain hotel procedures they were following, traditionally. For instance, the scheduled overlap time of front desk manager with the person on the next shift was reduced from one hour to only fifteen minutes. Additionally, managers were given better Information Technology (IT) support so that they could communicate with customers through email and get connected to relevant sections within minutes to get immediate assistance. Figure 1: Attitude Adjustment 5 10 15 20

162 3 4 1 2 3 4 At the end of the test programme, managers reported working an average of five hours less each week. Perhaps, more important, was the change in attitudes (Figure 1) Before the test programme, 77% of managers felt that their jobs were so demanding that they could not take adequate care of their personal and family responsibilities. At the end of the programme, that percentage had plummeted to 43%. In addition, the percentage of managers who felt that the emphasis was on hours worked, plunged from 43% to 15%. One of the most important things shown was that people could be just as productive when they worked fewer hours. This is so because they are extra-motivated to get things done and they do not waste time in doing what they need to do. (Adapted from Harvard Business Review, November 2001) In the ‘face time’ work culture, the longer a manager spends time at work, the better it is. A. True B. False C. Not stated The main objective of the test programme was to change the employees’ attitude towards their job. A. True B. False C. Not stated The test programme that was implemented reviewed the work procedures. A. True B. False C. Not stated In Figure 1, the test programme showed an increase in the percentage of managers who felt tired at the end of the day. A. True B. False C. Not stated 25 30

163 5 6 7 From Figure 1, it can be inferred that the managers were happy with the changes made. A. True B. False C. Not stated Work productivity declined with fewer hours at work. A. True B. False C. Not stated It can be concluded from the passage that working in a hotel industry is rewarding. A. True B. False C. Not stated

164 Questions 8 to 14 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Caffeine Myths Through the years, the public has been buffeted by much misguided information about caffeine and its most common source, coffee. In March, the centre for Science in the Public Interest published a comprehensive appraisal of scientific reports in its Nutrition Action Health newsletter. Its findings and those of other research reports follows. Hydration. It was long thought that caffeinated beverages were diuretics, but studies reviewed last year found that poeple who consumed drinks containing up to 550 milligrams of caffeine produced no more urine than when drinking fluids free of caffeine. Above 575 milligrams, the drug was a diuretic. So even a Starbucks Grande, with 330 milligrams of caffeine, will not send you to a bathroom any sooner than if you drank 16 ounces of pure water. Drinks containing usual doses of caffeine are hydrating and, like water, contribute to the body’s daily water needs. Cancer. Panic swept this coffee-dependent nation in 1981 when a Harvard study tied the drink to a higher risk of pancreatic cancer. Coffee consumption temporarily plummeted, and the researchers later concluded that perhaps smoking, not coffee, was the culprit. In an international review of 66 studies last year, scientists found coffee drinking had little if any effect on the risk of developing kidney cancer. In fact, another review suggested that compared with people who do not drink coffee, those who do have half the risk of developing liver cancer. And a study of 59 000 women in Sweden found no connection between coffee, tea or caffeine consumption and breast cancer. Weight loss. Here’s a bummer. Although caffeine speeds up metabolism, with 100 milligrams burning an extra 75 to 100 calories a day, no long-term benefit to weight control has been demonstrated. In fact, in a study of more than 58 000 health professionals followed for 12 years, both men and women who increased their caffeine consumption gained more weight than those who did not. Probably the most important effects of caffeine are its ability to enhance mood, mental and physical performance. At consumption levels up to 200 milligrams, consumers report an improved sense of well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability. Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine reported that higher amounts sometimes cause anxiety 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

165 9 10 11 8 9 10 11 and stomach upset. Millions of sleep-deprived Americans depend on caffeine to help them make it through their day and drive safely. The drug improves alertness and reaction time. In the sleep-deprived, it improves memory and the ability to perform complex tasks. For the active, caffeine enhances endurance in aerobic activities and performance in anaerobic ones, perhaps because it blunts the perception of pain and aids the ability to burn fat for fuel. Another review found that compared with non-coffee drinkers, people who drank four to six cups of coffee a day, with or without caffeine, had a 28 percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. This benefit probably comes from coffee’s antioxidants and chlorogenic acid. (Adapted from New York Times, August 5, 2008) The research findings presented in this article are taken from a study carried out by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest. A. True B. False C. Not stated A person who drinks 700 milligrams of coffee will pass more urine than someone who drinks the same amount of a caffeine-free drink. A. True B. False C. Not stated Scientists say that coffee hydrates our body better than water. A. True B. False C. Not stated Findings of the study on coffee and cancer concluded that A. there is no clear link between coffee drinking and cancer B. there is a clear link between pancreatic cancer and caffeine C. more research is needed to draw the connection between caffeine and breast cancer 40 45

166 12 13 14 The writer uses the phrase, Here’s a bummer (line 25) to A. expose side effects B. express dissatisfaction C. debunk a misconception In paragraph 8, it can be inferred that A. a higher level of caffeine will lead to greater alertness B. one should not consume more than 200 milligrams of caffeine C. consuming caffeine will affect one’s mood more than physical performance After reading the text, the reader could be persuaded to A. drink more coffee B. stop drinking coffee C. reduce coffee consumption

167 Questions 15 to 21 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 6 When Ariel Lugo takes visitors to the rainforests of Puerto Rico, he likes to play a little trick. First, the ecologist shows off the beautiful surroundings: the diversity of plant life on the forest floor; the densely-packed trees merging into a canopy, high overhead. Only when his audience is suitably impressed does he reveal that they are actually in the midst of what many conservationists would dismiss as weeds – a collection of non-native species growing uncontrolled, on land once used for agriculture. His guests are almost always taken aback, and who wouldn’t be? For years we have been told that invasive alien species are driving native ones to extinction and eroding the integrity of ancient ecosystems. The post-invasion world is supposed to be bleak, biologically-impoverished wasteland, not something you could mistake for untouched wilderness. Lugo is one of a small but growing number of researchers who think much of what we have been told about non-native species is wrong. Alien species, they argue, are rarely as monstrous a threat as they have been painted. In fact, in a world that has been dramatically altered by human activity, many could be important allies in rebuilding healthy ecosystems, Given the chance, alien species may just save us from the worst consequences of our own destructive actions. Many conservationists cringe at such talk. They view non-native species as ecological tumours, spreading uncontrollably at the expense of natives. To them the high rate of accidental introductions – hundreds of alien species are now well established in ecosystems from the Mediterranean Sea to Hawaii – is one of the biggest threats facing life on Earth. Mass extinction of native species is one fear. Another is the loss of what many regard as the key to environmental health: the networks of relationships that exist between native species after thousands or even millions of years of co-evolution. Such concerns have fuelled an all-out war. Vast sums are being spent on campaigns to eradicate or control the spread of highly-invasive exotics. Conservation groups enlist teams of volunteers to uproot garlic mustard from local parks. Government agencies fill waterways with poisonous chemicals to halt the advance of Asian carp. Most governments have no choice but to join the fight; under the terms of the Convention of Biological Diversity. Advocates for non-native species do not deny that they can sometimes create major problems, particularly in cases where disease-causing microbes are introduced into a new host population. But they argue that often the threat is overblown. For one thing, many species are not nearly as 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

168 7 15 16 17 18 problematic as they are made out to be. The notorious cane toad, introduced into Australia in the 1930s to control pests of the sugar cane crop, is considered a major threat to the continent’s unique fauna. Its highly-toxic skin has long been seen as a death sentence for native predators, while its rapid spread is thought to have occurred at the expense of other amphibians. Yet, the first serious impact study on the cane toad recently concluded that they may in fact be innocent of all charges. (Adapted from New Scientist, January 20, 2011) What is the little trick (line 2) played by Ariel Lugo when he takes visitors to the rainforests of Puerto Rico? A. He shows the visitors uncontrolled weeds instead of the rainforests. B. He makes them believe that what they are seeing is native to the land. C. He takes them to see the impoverished wasteland and not the wilderness. In paragraph 2, the guests are described as almost always taken aback (line 8). This is because A. weeds have overtaken former agricultural land B. non-native species have flourished alongside native species C. the beautiful surroundings are actually inhabited by non-native species The main idea of paragraph 3 is that A. non-native species could be allies in the fight to save the ecosystems B. it is a popular belief that alien species are a threat to the environment C. the effects of human activity can be more disastrous than that of alien species Conservationists are of the opinion that A. non-native species will destroy the natives B. relationships between native species will be altered with time C. alien species are now more established than natives in the ecosystems 40

169 19 20 21 The writer mentions the use of volunteers to uproot garlic mustard from local parks to A. lend support to the work of the Convention of Biological Diversity B. illustrate the attempts at controlling the spread of non-native species C. show the extent of money spent on campaigns to eradicate alien invaders. In paragraph 6, advocates for non-native species claim that A. the dangers of introducing non-native species have been proven B. problems created by alien species are not as serious as made out to be C. introducing disease-causing microbes into the host population can be fatal The following are true of the cane toad except A. its skin is poisonous B. it kills other amphibians C. it was introduced into Australia to control pests of the sugar cane

170 Questions 22 to 29 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 Today, when we think of the world’s teeming billions of humans, we tend to think of overpopulation, poverty, disease, instability and environmental destruction. Humans are the cause of most of the planet’s problems. What if that were to change? What if the average humans were able to contribute more than consume? To add more than subtract? Think of the world as if each person drives a balance sheet. On the negative side are the resources they consume without replacing. On the positive side are the contributions they make in the form of resources they produce, the artifacts of value they build, and the ideas and technologies that might create a better future for their families, their communities, and the planet as a whole. Our future hangs on whether the sum of those balance sheets can turn positive. What might make that possible? One key reason for hope is that so far we have barely scraped the surface of human potential. Throughout history, the vast majority of humans have not been the people they could have been. Take this simple thought experiment. Pick your favourite scientist, mathematician, or cultural hero. Now imagine that instead of being born when and where there were, they had instead been born with the same abilities in a poverty-stricken village. Would they have made the same contribution they did make? Probably not. They would not have received the education and encouragement it took to achieve what they did. If only we could find a way of unlocking that potential. Two keys might be enough: knowledge and inspiration. If you learn how to transform your life for the better and you are inspired to act on that knowledge, there is a good chance that your life will indeed improve. There are many scary things about today’s world, but what is thrilling is that the means of spreading both knowledge and inspiration have never been greater. Five years ago, a teacher or professor who is able to change the lives of his or her students, could realistically hope to reach maybe a hundred of them a year. Today, the same teacher can communicate through video to millions of eager students. The cost of distributing a recorded lecture anywhere in the world via the Internet has effectively fallen to zero. This has happened with breathtaking speed and its implications are not yet widely understood. But it is surely capable of transforming global education. For one thing, the realization that today’s best teachers can become global celebrities will boost the calibre of those who teach. For the first time, it is possible to imagine ambitious, brilliant eighteen-year-olds putting ‘teacher’ at the top of their career choice list. Indeed, the very definition of ‘great teacher’ will expand, as numerous people outside the profession who 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

171 6 22 23 24 25 can communicate important ideas find new incentive to make that talent available to the world. Additionally, teachers can amplify their own abilities by inviting into their classrooms, on video, the world’s greatest scientists, visionaries and tutors. Now, think of this from the pupils’ perspective. In the past, your success depended on whether you were lucky enough to have a great mentor or teacher in your neighbourhood. The vast majority have not been that fortunate. But a young girl born in Africa today will probably have access, in ten years’ time, to a cell phone with a high-resolution screen, a Webconnection, and more power than the computer you own today. We can imagine her obtaining face-to-face insight from her choice of the world’s great teachers. She will get the chance to be what she can be. (Adapted from This Will Change Everything, John Brockman (Ed.) HarperCollins, 2010) The writer introduces his article with a gloomy picture of the world to A. contrast it with his vision of a better world B. explain that the world’s problems are man-made C. highlight the reality that it would be difficult to change the world The question To add more than subtract? (line 5) ___________the previous question. A. restates B. illustrates C. elaborates What might make that possible? (line 12) What is the answer to the question above? A. More resources should be produced B. Human potential should be exploited more fully C. Contributions should balance with consumption The writer brings in the simple thought experiment (line 15) to A. show that people have different abilities B. compare the contributions of past heroes with today’s heroes C. support the idea that the poor have-limited opportunities to excel 40 45 50

172 26 27 28 29 Paragraph 4 lists the following reasons why the Internet can transform education globally except A. it can quickly reach huge student populations B. it is a cheap means to distribute recorded lectures C. it adopts teaching techniques that students are familiar with The main outcome of making great teachers accessible to the masses through the Web is A. that they will become celebrities B. people will learn to communicate better C. the teaching profession would attract more talent In paragraph 6, the writer makes the following points except A. children can decide whom they want to learn from B. every child will have equal opportunity to education C. even children from remote areas can learn from great teachers Which of the following best expresses the central idea of the passage? A. A Web-empowered revolution is taking place in education B. Web-based education has replaced the traditional classroom C. The Web the power to inspire and disseminate knowledge

173 Questions 30 to 37 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stories and psychological description are effective ways of building emotional appeal. Emotional appeal works best when people want to be persuaded. Even when you need to provide statistics or numbers to convince the careful reader that your anecdote is a representative example, telling a story first makes your message more persuasive. Experiments with both high school teachers and quantitatively-trained Master of Business Administration (MBA) students show that people are more likely to believe a point and more likely to be committed to it when points were made by examples, stories and statistics; the combination was more effective than statistics alone. In another experiment, attitude changes lasted longer when the audience had read stories than when they had only read numbers. Recent research suggests that stories are more persuasive because people remember them. As with other appeals, the emotional appeal should focus on the reader. To describe its service of gathering up and renting good-quality used cardboard boxes, Boomerang Boxes could focus on its innovative thinking, but its Website appeals to readers by telling them they can “Save time, save money and save trees!” The company tells its story with descriptive language: “No longer do you have to drive around aimlessly searching for good quality boxes behind supermarkets and liquor stores. No longer do you have to contribute to the destruction of strong healthy trees, just so more cardboard boxes can be made, used (often only once) and thrown away.” That story is likely to resonate with many apartment-renting students who have scrounged boxes for a low-cost moving day. Sense impressions – what the reader sees, hears, smells, tastes, feels – evoke a strong emotional response. Psychological description means creating a scenario rich with sense impressions so readers can picture themselves using your product or service and enjoying its benefits. You can also use psychological description to describe the problem your product will solve. Psychological description works best early in the message to catch readers’ attention. In psychological description, you’re putting your reader in a picture. If the reader doesn’t feel that the picture fits him or her, the technique backfires. To prevent this, psychological description often uses subjunctive verbs (“if you like ...” “if you were ...”) or the words maybe and perhaps. The best phrasing depends on your relationship to the reader. When you ask for action from people who report directly to you, orders (“Get me the Ervin file.”) and questions (“Do we have the third-quarter numbers yet?”) will 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

174 7 8 9 10 30 31 work. When you need action from co-workers, superiors, or people outside the organisation, you need to be more forceful but also more polite. How you ask for action affects whether you build or destroy positive relationships with other employees, customers and suppliers. Professor and consultant, Dan Dieterich, notes that the calls to action in many messages are: Buried somewhere deep in the middle of the correspondence. Disguised as either statements or questions. Insulting because they use “parental language”. Such messages, Dieterich points out, “lower productivity within the organisation and reduce or eliminate the goodwill customers have towards the organisation ... Those two things ... can put the organisation out of business.” Avoiding messages that sound parental or preachy is often a matter of tone. Saying “Please” is a nice touch, especially to people on your level or outside the organisation. Tone will also be better when you give reasons for your request or reasons to act promptly. When you write to people you know well, humour can work. Just make sure that the message is not insulting to anyone who does not find the humour funny. (Adapted from Business and Administrative Communication. 7th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2006) Even when you need to provide statistics or numbers to convince the careful reader that your anecdote is a representative example, telling a story first makes your message more persuasive. (lines 3-5). This sentence means A. facts and figures are more convincing than stories B. persuasive message has more anecdotal elements than facts and figures C. a combination of statistics, numbers and examples will improve communication D. telling a story before presenting facts and figures will make the message more effective The story told by Boomerang Boxes is likely to appeal to many apartmenthunting students. This is because the story A. is told in descriptive language B. is communicated through a website C. reflects their concerns and experiences D. presents an innovative way of doing things 40 45 50 55

175 32 33 34 35 36 37 In paragraph 4, the following are recommendations to evoke a strong emotional response except A. making a connection with the senses B. highlighting the benefits of the product C. introducing the psychological description early D. focusing on the seriousness of related problems The phrase, the technique backfires (line 32) means that the technique brings A. adverse effects B. expected results C. surprising feedback D. unpredictable consequences The message, get me the Ervin file (lines 36 and 37) is considered appropriate if given by A. clients B. a friend C. a superior D. colleagues Which of the messages below is likely to be labelled as parental or preachy? A. If necessary, please call us at this number. B. Can’t you leave the gym shoes in the basket? C. Everyone is expected to comply with these regulations. D. Even on casual days, visitors expect us to dress professionally. Which of the following is not a condition for humour to work? A. If it is really funny B. If it is not insulting C. If it is not in writing D. If it is used with people you know well The main topic under discussion in the passage is A. writing to persuade B. avoiding emotions in writing C. the reasons for requests made D. the structure of product advertisement

176 Questions 38 to 45 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 Last year the skyrocketing cost of food was a wake-up call for the planet. Between 2005 and 2008, the price of wheat and corn tripled, and the price of rice climbed five-fold, spurring food riots in nearly two dozen countries and pushing 75 million more people into poverty. But unlike previous shocks driven by short-term shortages, this time, the high prices were a symptom of a large problem. Simply put: For most of the past decade, the world has been consuming more food than it has been producing. After years of drawing stockpiles, in 2007, the world saw global stocks fall to 61 days of global consumption, the second lowest on record. This was not the first time the world had stood at the brink of a food crisis. At 83, Gurcharan Singh Kalkat has lived long enough to remember one of the worst famines of the 20th century. In 1943, as many as four million people died in the Bengal Famine. For the following two decades, India had to import million of tons of grain to feed its people. Then came the green revolution. In the 1960s, as India was struggling to feed its people during yet another crippling drought, an American plant breeder named Norman Borlaug was working with Indian researchers to bring his high-yielding wheat varieties to Punjab. Borlaug was born in Iowa and saw his mission as spreading the high-yielding farm methods that had turned the American Midwest into the world’s breadbasket to impoverished places throughout the world. His new dwarf wheat varieties with short stems supporting full, fat seeds were a breakthrough. They could produce grain like no other wheat ever seen – as long as there was plenty of water and synthetic fertilizer and little competition from weeds or insects. To that end, the Indian government subsidized canals, fertilizer, and the drilling of tube wells for irrigation. The new wheat varieties quickly spread throughout Asia, changing the traditional farming practices of millions of farmers, and were soon followed by new strains of ‘miracle’ rice. The new crops matured faster and enabled farmers to grow two crops a year instead of one. Today, though, the miracle of the green revolution is over in Punjab: Yield growth has flattened since the mid-1990’s. Over-irrigation has led to steep drops in the water table while thousands of hectares of productive land have been lost to water-logged soils. Forty years of intensive irrigation, fertilization, and pesticides have not been kind to the fields of Punjab. Nor, in some cases, to the people themselves. In the farming village of Bhuttiwala, home to some 6000 people, village elder, Jagsir Singh adds up the toll: “We’ve had 49 deaths due to cancer in the last four years,” he says. “Most of them were young people. The water is not good. It’s poisonous, contaminated water. Yet, people drink it. The green revolution has brought us only downfall. The government has sacrificed the people of Punjab for grain.” 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

177 4 5 6 7 Others, of course, see it differently. Rattan Lal, a soil scientist believes it was the abuse – not the use – of green revolution technologies that caused most of the problems. That includes the overuse of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation and the removal of all crop residues from the fields. “I realize the problems of water quality and water withdrawal,” says Lal. “But it saved hundreds of millions of people. We paid a price in water, but the choice was to let people die.” In terms of production, the benefits of the green revolution are hard to deny. India has not experienced famine since Borlaug brought his seed to town, while world grain production has more than doubled. Many crop scientists believe the solution to our food crisis lies in a second green revolution, based largely on our newfound knowledge of the gene. Plant breeders now know the sequence of nearly all of the 50 000 or so genes in corn and soybean plants and are using that knowledge. Robert Farley, chief technology officer for the agricultural giant Monsanto, is convinced that genetic modification, which allows breeders to bolster crops with beneficial traits from other species, will lead to new varieties with higher yields, reduced fertilizer needs and drought tolerance. He believes biotechnology will make it possible to double yields of corn, cotton, and soybeans by 2030. But is a reprise of the green revolution the answer to the world’s food crisis? Last year, a six-year study concluded that the production increases brought about by science and technology in the past 30 years have failed to improve food access for many of the world’s poor. The study called for a paradigm shift in agriculture towards more sustainable and ecologicallyfriendly practices the would benefit the world’s 900 million small farmers, not just agribusiness. And so a shift has already begun to small, under-funded projects scattered across Africa and Asia. Some call it agroecology, others sustainable agriculture, but the underlying idea is revolutionary: that we must stop focusing on maximizing grain yields at any cost and consider the environmental and social impacts on food production. Vandana Shiva, an agroecologist, argues that small-scale, biologically-diverse farms can produce more food with fewer petroleum-based inputs. Her research has shown that using compost instead of natural-gas-derived fertilizer increases organic matter in the soil. “If you are talking about solving the food crisis, these are the methods you need,” adds Shiva. Regardless of which model prevails – agriculture as a diverse ecological art, as a high-tech industry, or some combination of the two – the challenge of putting enough food in nine billion mouths by 2050 is daunting. (Adapted from National Geographic, June 2009) 45 50 55 60 65 70 75

178 38 39 40 41 42 43 The main point of paragraph 1 is A. the reasons for a global food crisis B. shortage of food leads to high prices C. the effects of long-term food shortages D. consumption of food exceeds production The following are reasons for the skyrocketing cost of food except A. low yield of crops B. depleted food stockpiles C. steeply-rising population D. increasing dependence on imported grains Which of the following did Borlaug introduce to India? I. A higher-yielding wheat strain II. Growing of two crops together III. The building of tube wells for irrigation IV. The American industrial farming method A. I and III B. I and IV C. II and III D. II and IV In paragraph 3, the writer’s intention is to A. explain the failure of the green revolution B. compare the pros and cons of the green revolution C. account for the effects of the green revolution on water D. draw attention to the poor soil condition as a result of the green revolution In paragraph 4, the writer began with Others, of course, see it differently (line 41). What is the different view? A. The green revolution is too costly to sustain. B. The green revolution has caused much damage. C. The abuse of green revolution technologies was the culprit. D. The problem of shortage of food was resolved by the green revolution. The most distinguishing feature in the second green revolution (line 51) A. doubling the yield of grains B. reduction in the use of fertilizers C. crops are no longer affected by drought D. genetically-modified crop varieties are used

179 44 45 The study called for a paradigm shift (line 64) in agricultural practices. The following are attributes of the shift except A. less funding is needed B. more focus on increasing grain yield C. use of compost as the main fertilizer D. more emphasis on small-scale farming In the last paragraph, the writer is of the opinion that A. agriculture is essentially more a science than an art B. the agricultural models all have their merits and demerits C. applying a combination of agricultural technologies will solve the food crisis D. no matter which model is adopted, it will be difficult to feed the rising population

180 PRACTICE 7 Questions 1 to 7 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 In August 2008, the World Bank presented a major overhaul to its estimates of global poverty, incorporating what is described as new and better data. The World Bank’s long-held estimate of the number of people living on the equivalent of US Dollar 1.00 a day has now been changed to US Dollars 1.25 a day. The World Bank also adds that the previous US Dollar 1.00 a day estimate for the International poverty line would have been US Dollars 1.45 a day at 2005 prices if only inflation was accounted for. Poverty lines include US Dollar 1.00 a day, US Dollars 1.25 a day, US Dollars 1.45 a day, US Dollars 2.00 a day (typical for many developing countries), and US Dollars 2.50 a day (which includes a poverty level for some additional countries), and US Dollars 10.00 a day, which a World Bank report referred to if looking at poverty from the level of a wealthy country, such as the United States. But even with some poverty reduction, inequality is quite high in many regions around the world. While poverty alleviation is important, so too is tackling inequality. Inequality is often discussed in the context of relative poverty, as opposed to absolute poverty. That is, even in the wealthiest countries, the poor may not be in absolute poverty (the most basic of provisions may be obtainable for many) or their level of poverty may be a lot higher than those in developing countries, but in terms of their standing in society, their relative poverty can also have serious consequences such as deteriorating social cohesion, increasing crime and violence, and poorer health. Some of these things are hard to measure, such as social cohesion and the level of trust and comfort people will have in interacting with one another in the society. Nonetheless, over the years, numerous studies have shown that sometimes the poor in wealthy countries can be unhappier or find it harder to cope than poor people in poorer countries. In the context of tackling poverty then, the World Bank for example, sees the key factors in reducing poverty as the increase in the rate of growth as well as the reduction in income differences. The World bank also adds that as well as increased growth, additional key factors to reducing poverty will be the reduction in inequality and the reduction in income differences. A few places around the world do see increasing rate of growth in a positive sense. But globally, there is also a negative change in income 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

181 1 2 distribution. The reality, unfortunately, is that the gap between the rich and poor is quite wide in most places. (Adapted from http://www.globalissues.org/print/article/4) Figure 1: Income Distribution (Source: World Bank Development Indicators 2008) The poor in rich countries are not grateful that they are better off than the poor in really poor countries. A. True B. False C. Not stated In wealthy countries the poverty line is at US Dollars 2.50 a day. A. True B. False C. Not stated

182 3 4 5 6 7 Reducing income differences is not an important factor in reducing poverty. A. True B. False C. Not stated In most places, the rich will always get richer and the poor will always get poorer. A. True B. False C. Not stated The poor in the wealthiest countries create serious social problems in society. A. True B. False C. Not stated Studies have shown that the poor in wealthy countries are able to cope better than the poor in poorer countries. A. True B. False C. Not stated Figure 1 shows the gap between the richest and the poorest in South Asia is smaller than that in Latin America. A. True B. False C. Not stated

183 Questions 8 to 14 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 Almost unnoticed, one of the great civil rights struggles of our times is being fought out in our midst. Across the Indian subcontinent, in Afghanistan and in Africa, supporters of universal girls’ education are being threatened, assaulted, bombed and murdered. Within the past two weeks alone, a 41- year-old teacher was gunned down 200 meters from her all-girls school near the Pakistan-Afghan border; two classrooms in an all-girls school in the north of Pakistan were blown up; and at an award ceremony in the heart of Karachi, a principal was shot to death and another teacher and four pupils were wounded after grenades were hurled into a school that specialised in enrolling girls. For the first time, it is not adults but girls themselves who are pushing this civil rights movement forward. A few months ago, when Morocco’s education minister visited a Marrakech school, he told a 12-year-old named Raouia Ayache, she would be better off leaving school and becoming a child bride: “You! Your time would be better spent looking for a man!”. But Raouia stood up to him and stayed in school, her family protesting to the government about how the education minister had betrayed his obligation to promote education. Across the Indian subcontinent, teenage girls are joining together, village by village, to create “child-marriage-free zones”. In Bangladesh, the so-called “wedding-busters” have now created 19 such zones, pledging that they will support one another to stay in school and resist being married against their will. With the child-marriage-free zones, the petitions against child labour and the growing movement exposing child trafficking, teenage girls are trying to uphold and affirm their human dignity and battling for their rights, doing so far from the glare of publicity, fighting a daily unrecorded battle for human decency and fair treatment. Of course many of the rights the girls are fighting for are those that have been taken for granted at least for a century, in most countries. We have moved from an old world where, if you were a girl, your rights were what others decreed, your status what others ascribe to you and if your mother was poor, so too would you always be. But today’s movement is not just for emancipation – a twentieth century demand for demand for freedom to make the most of your talents. Next week, the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, and the president of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, will meet with countries that are off-track to discuss the legislation, incentives, reforms – and money – needed to speed up the enrolment of girls in schools. 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

184 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 I will share with them the testimonies, of two girls, Kainat Riaz and Shazia Ramzan. I have talked twice to the girls, and, as they repeated to a foreign television crew only a few weeks ago, they are being persecuted but will never again be cowed. Four years ago, Kainat says, girls were hiding books under their burqas. Now, she says, the oppressors “can’t stop us from going to school. I want to study. I am not afraid.” Now, Shazia says, “We are strong.” (Adapted from The International Herald Tribune) Traditionally, adults are the ones who initiate the civil rights movement for female education. A True B. False C. Not stated The movement for female education has gained momentum though it is an uphill battle. A. True B. False C. Not stated The Morocco education minister was reported forcing Raouia to leave school. A. True B. False C. Not stated Countries that are off-track (line 37) means that they A. are not sure about their roles B. are not moving in the right direction C. do not have enough financial resources The purpose of paragraph 3 is to show A. how girls suffered to get their rights to education B. the determined efforts of the girls in the fight for civil rights C. girls in India and Bangladesh cooperating to get fair treatment 40 45

185 13 14 Which of the statements is true about empowerment (paragraph 4)? A. It is more difficult to achieve than emancipation. B. It is as important as emancipation in female education. C. It has gained more emphasis than emancipation in recent years. Kianat’s and Shazia’s testimonies will help A. to convince the World Bank to finance female education. B. to motivate people to support the rights of girls to education C. to get more news coverage about the problems with education.

186 Questions 15 to 21 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Over the years, the world tobacco industry has had its fair share of controversies. In the United States, for example, many tobacco companies have lost millions in major legal settlements. But this has not stopped them from investing more. This happens despite the advertising ban on cigarettes and the constant anti-smoking campaigns of lobby groups everywhere. Not to mention the mandatory health warnings on their packaging. But such constraints have not deterred the industry’s growth. How is it that in spite of all the scientific evidence of tobacco’s negative health record, the population of smokers worldwide continues to rise? Somehow, the “kick” from smoking appears to be worth all the associated risks. In Malaysia for many years now, tobacco farming has been the breadand-butter of many rural households, especially in Kelantan and Terengganu. In 2004, Malaysia recorded its highest-ever tobacco production at 13 million kg. In 2006, this declined to only six million kg. In Malaysia, with the advent of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), tobacco farming is expected to decline. Under AFTA, Malaysia has to reduce duties on tobacco imports by 2010. This will negatively impact the competitiveness of Malaysian tobacco, where the cost of production – about RM10 per kilo – is almost twice that of Thailand’s. Indonesia’s cost of production is even lower. What happens after 2010 concerns not only farmers but also the government. That will be when the full effects of AFTA will be felt. The government has in recent years put in place programmes to wean farmers away from tobacco and into alternative commercial crops. Kenaf is one option. Under the recently launched East Coast Economic Region (ECER), the target area for kenaf is about 10 000 hectares. This is expected to increase the income of 10 000 marginal tobacco farmers and create more jobs. But the market for kenaf is still uncertain. One potential product outlet is natural fibre for insulation. Another is as composite material for the automotive industry. The question is, will farmers enjoy the same if not a better income than from growing tobacco? Another possible crop is jatropha. Unlike kenaf, where the market prospects are still uncertain, jatropha has potential as biofuel. Jatropha, being a non-edible oil, is a viable option to replace palm oil as a base material for biodiesel. However, much research is still needed if jatropha is to match the consistency and yield of oil palm. 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

187 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Lately, yet another option has emerged: “molecular farming”. Essentially, this involves producing new compounds from tobacco through the engineering of the tobacco plant. The new compouds can include pharmaceutical products such as medical drugs, vaccines or antibodies. This is starting to enter the commercial phase in the West. As tobacco is among the easiest plants to transform genetically, it is emerging as a popular commercial crop to achieve what some call “molecular pharming”. Unlike kenaf and jatropha, the market for pharmaceuticals is more or less assured. This is because the tobacco plant is genetically engineered to produce medicines and vaccines that are already being used in the marketplace. There are many reasons for this sudden interest in plant-based pharmaceuticals. So far, commercial production of clinical-grade pharmaceuticals has relied on two major production routes; microbial cells or animal cells. Both use fermentation and are, therefore, expensive to build and operate. There is also concern that animal cells can harbour human disease-carrying microbes. Factor in the growing demand for halal vaccines, and a plant-based production system immediately becomes attractive. This is also the reason why the plant-based production platform has attracted strong corporate interest from companies involved in pharmaceuticals as well as agrotechonology. Tobacco is a prime contender in this field. Tobacco has a well-established technology for gene transfer, and offers potentially high biomass yield per hectare. There is available large-scale infrastructure for processing that does not come into contact with the human and animal food chains. Most of all, tobacco farmers can continue to grow the crop for which they have amassed many years of experience and expertise. (Adapted from New Straits Times, March 12, 2008) In paragraph 1, the main idea is that the tobacco industry A. has been involved in many legal disputes B. has continued to grow despite its many constraints C. has been affected by the harmful effects of smoking 40 45 50 55 60

188 16 17 18 19 20 21 In Malaysia tobacco industry is expected to decline after AFTA because A. the cost of producing tobacco will double B. it will become cheaper to import than to grow tobacco C. the heavy duties on tobacco will make tobacco farming less attractive The following statements are true about kenaf except A. it can be used as a fibre for insulation B. it will be grown mostly on the East Coast C. kenaf farmers will earn more than tobacco farmers The main idea of paragraph 7 is A. jatropha has potential as a biofuel B. jatropha has more advantages than other commercial crops C. jatropha will replace palm oil as base material for biodiesel Molecular farming (line 37) of tobacco is better than growing other commercial crops because A. it generates more by-products B. genetic engineering of plants is cheaper C. there is a ready demand for pharmaceutical products Plant-based pharmaceuticals are attractive because A. their production process is less complex B. they are in greater demand than other types of pharmaceuticals C. they are cheaper to produce than clinical-grade pharmaceuticals Factor in the growing demand for halal vaccines ... (line 55). The phrase “factor in” can be best replaced by A. add B. review C. evaluate

189 Questions 22 to 29 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 Lead has for sometimes been implicated in poisoning. Lead poisoning is also associated with lead-containing paint, lead-contaminated dust in older buildings and lead-contaminated water and soil. However, many people may not know that some medicines may also contain lead. As observed by the United States Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), lead has been found in some folk medicines used by Indian, Middle Eastern, West Asian, and Hispanic cultures. Lead and other heavy metals are added to certain folk medicines on purpose because these metals are thought to be useful in treating some ailments. CDC adds: “lead poisoning from folk remedies can cause illness and even death”. Lead poisoning is a medical condition often called plumbism, caused by increased levels of the element lead in the body. Lately there is a resurgence in the use of traditional medicinal products partly due to their promotion by various governments in the form of alternative medicine: and partly due to the fact that those products are regulated less by various governmental agencies. Most of the traditional medical practices like Ayurveda, and Chinese Medicine employ plant products in the treatment of various human ailments. Interestingly, at least some of those plant extracts proved their reputation in modern methods of testing using in-vitro cell cultures and experimental animals. However, there is a downside, for some reasons. The belief that heavy metals have medicinal properties has spread its roots to the traditional therapies of different regions of the ancient world and heavy metals have become part of some ancient drug formulations. Although it is not entirely clear if these metallic salts are directly added to the drug formulations, heavy metal, for example, the lead content of some traditional drugs is scientifically well-documented. According, to the World Health Organisation , “improper manufacturing processes may result in dangerously high levels of heavy metals remaining in the final product”. The acute symptoms of lead poisoning typically include extreme discomfort in the stomach followed by diarrhea, and pain in the joints and muscles. Activation and increased expression of liver enzymes may be responsible for some of these symptoms. If left untreated extreme forms of lead poisoning can cause organ failure and death. Reports of lead poisoning from traditional Eastern medicines came from the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand, India, and Hong Kong as published in scientific journals. It was reported that some of these formulations contain as high as 30 per cent by weight of these powders and pills. 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

190 6 7 22 23 24 These findings and observations do not undermine the potential of traditional medicine. In fact there is a major effort by pharmaceuticals and researchers to identify biologically active chemical compounds in the plant materials used in these potent formulations. Nevertheless, according to the CDC, approximately 250 000 children in the United States aged 1 to 5 years have high blood lead levels which are worrying. CDC recommends public health actions be initiated. Nearly every system in the body may be affected by lead poisoning. The United States and other developed countries have made big strides in reducing human exposure to lead such as limiting lead in the gasoline, and banning lead based paints. It is an irony that ancient medical practices can antagonise that success. In India, drug stores selling traditional medicines are as busy as those selling non-traditional ones. Many customers are not aware of lead poisoning. It is time various governments develop a system to monitor and control heavy metal content of traditional drug formulations. (Adapted from Science Debate, 2011) Which of the following sentences introduces the main idea of the passage? A. Lead has for sometimes been implicated in poisoning. (line 1) B. Lead poisoning is also associated with lead-containing paint, lead- contaminated dust in older buildings and lead-contaminated water and soil. (lines 1 to 3) C. However, many people may not know that some medicines may also contain lead. (lines 3 and 4) The main purpose of paragraph 2 is to A. highlight the usefulness and dangers of folk medicines B. alert users about the potential dangers of folk medicines C. discuss the work of the Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) The main point of paragraph 3 is A. traditional medicine is gaining popularity B. traditional medicine is heavily promoted today C. traditional medicine is not under strict control by the government 40 45 50

191 25 26 27 28 29 downside (line 21) can be replaced with A. conflict B. disagreement C. negative effect these potent formulations (line 42) refers to A. plant materials B. traditional medicine C. chemical compounds Which of the following is the irony mentioned in the concluding paragraph? A. People are still patronising traditional medicines in spite of its high lead content. B. Many people are not aware of lead poisoning despite numerous government efforts. C. Governments have banned lead in conventional medicines but not in traditional medicines. The writer ends the passage with A. a call for action B. a note of caution C. a strong criticism Based on the passage what word of caution would you give users of traditional medicine? A. Do not buy traditional medicine B. Do not patronise traditional medical practitioners C. Do not consult unauthorised medical practitioners.

192 Questions 30 to 37 are based on the following passage. 1 2 3 4 5 Are you one of those people who can perform well under pressure, blocking out burdensome thoughts of failure – or do you tend to freeze just when you need to perform your best, so crippled by fear and consumed by the consequences of doing poorly that you fall far short of what you know you can achieve? Choking under pressure is a familiar phenomenon for most of us – who has not occasionally been paralysed by fear and failure when faced with a seemingly impossible task? But as researchers report in Science, some are more affected by performance anxiety, scientists at the University of Chicago turned to an undeniably angst-ridden situation that nearly all of us can understand – taking a test. Building on earlier evidence that linked expressive writing exercises to a reduction in stress following a traumatic or emotionally scarring event, as well as studies that suggested that depressed individuals were able to spend less time ruminating with melancholy thoughts after putting their feelings on paper, psychologist Sian Beilock decided to investigate whether writing could help anxious students to relieve their stress immediately before an examination. In a series of four separate studies, both in the laboratory and in the classroom, Beilock and her colleagues showed that giving students the opportunity to write freely about their fears and anxieties about the upcoming test helped them to score better on the examination than those who were not given the writing exercise. In the first experiment, which took place in the laboratory, the scientists asked a group of college students to take a mathematics test twice; before the first test, the students were instructed to simply do their best, but before the second examination, they were told their results would be used to determine a monetary reward, and that their ranking was tied to that of a teammate’s who had already scored well. Half of the volunteers in the second experiment were also given 10 minutes to write about their worries concerning the pending test, while the other half sat quietly, worrying. The worrying group suffered a 12 per cent drop in their accuracy on the examination, while the writing group improved their scores by 5 per cent. Fine, thought the scientists, but was it the exercise of writing itself – the physical act of putting words on paper could be a stress releaser – or was it the content of the essays that helped half of the students? After all, some researchers suggest that harping on a source of fear or anxiety only makes it worse, not better. To find out, in the next experiment, half of the volunteers 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

193 6 7 8 9 30 who wrote before the test were instructed to express their fears about the examination, while the other half were told to write about anything but the test they were about to take. The same pattern emerged – the control subjects and those that wrote about unrelated topics showed a 7 per cent drop in accuracy between their two examinations, while those who wrote about their worries improved by 4 per cent. The researcher then put their simple anxiety-releaser to the ultimate test – in a classroom. Not only did writing about their test-taking fears and anxiety improve scores among a group of ninth-grade biology students sitting for their first high school final examination, but the exercise helped particularly anxious “chokers” to perform at the same level as those who were more comfortable taking tests. In other words, the simple act of writing about their anxiety helped these students to relieve that same anxiety prior to their examination received a B+ average on their test, while their similarly anxietyprone friends who did not write, averaged a B-. The benefits of writing, she speculates in the paper, might be related to the fact that when you worry, anxious thoughts occupy the working memory of the brain, thus crowding out other thoughts or knowledge relevant to the pressure-packed task at hand. Writing about the fear provides an outlet for these nerve-wrecking thoughts, freeing up the working memory to concentrate on other things. So is easy essay-writing the magic bullet for test-choking students? Perhaps. In a release describing the results, Beilock notes, “We think this type of writing will help people perform their best in a variety of pressure-filled situations – whether it is a big presentation to a client, a speech to an audience or even a job interview,” she says in a release describing the study. Who knew that a good way to calm nerves is to simply take pen to paper and vent? (Adapted from Time Magazine, January 13, 2011) ... fall far short of what you know you can achieve? (lines 4 and 5) is to A. achieve nothing B. achieve very little C. achieve less than you expect to D. achieve less than your potential 40 45 50 55 60 65

194 31 32 33 34 35 36 Paragraph 3 is mainly about A. what factors cause stress B. previous studies on stress reduction C. ways to help student to overcome stress D. what prompted Beilock to conduct her studies In the first experiment (paragraph 4), what is the purpose of telling the students that their performance will be ranked? A. To create anxiety B. To encourage competition C. To motivate better performance D. To make them take the test seriously The aim of Sian Beilock’s second experiment (paragraph 5) was to investigate if A. writing helps students to relieve stress B. writing help students to perform better C. there is a relationship between fear and writing D. harping on an anxiety in writing causes more stress It can be concluded from the second experiment (paragraph 5) that A. doing a test twice improves students’ performance B. writing just before an exam improves students’ performance C. writing about what stresses them improves students’ performance D. expressing their feelings on paper improves students’ performances crowding out (line 56) can be replaced with A. releasing B. changing C. substituting D. suppressing Beilock believes that writing before an examination is beneficial. Why? A. When students write, they worry less. B. When students write, their thoughts will start to flow. C. After writing about their fears, the students can concentrate better. D. After writing about their fears, the students begin to understand them.

195 37 The last sentence emphasises that the solution to relieving stress A. has been found B. is surprisingly easy C. is widely applicable D. has to be taken seriously