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 Acknowledgements Contents

All authors must admit to a dependence on the

Exam Practice (C1):
work of others. We are no exception. We owe a
12 Tasks
huge debt of gratitude to many books and

reference sources that we have consulted and

Advanced Practice (C2): 26

adapted. It would have been quite impossible to

33 Tasks

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English: C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency News Articles
Handbook for Teachers, Cambridge Objective

Advanced 4th Edition (Felicity O'Dell & Annie

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Grammar & Vocabulary for Advanced (Martin Resources

Hewings & Simon Haines), Longman Expert

Advanced 3rd Edtition (Jan Bell & Roger Gower), Answer key and supplementary
Macmillan Advanced Testbuilder 3rd Edition material can be downloaded at
(Amanda French), Macmillan Ready for Advanced fb.com/groups/tusachchuyenanh
3rd Edition (Amanda French, Roy Norris & Zoltan

Rezmuves), Macmillan Improve Your Skills:

Reading for Advanced (Malcolm Mann & Steve

Taylore-Knowles), and many other authentic

resources that we have regularly referred to.

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1
⚡

Part 6 (cross-text multiple matching) consists of four short texts, on a related theme, followed by
multiple-matching prompts. In total, there are four questions. We must read across texts to match
a prompt to elements in the texts. The prompts require us to read across the four texts to
understand the opinions and attitudes expressed in order to identify agreement and disagreement
between the writers. The items only provide information on the subject of the opinion, not the
opinion itself: this is for us to identify. We may need to identify an opinion expressed in one of the
texts and then identify which other text shares or contradicts this opinion, or we may need to
identify which text differs from the other three in terms of an expressed opinion.

Cross-text reading is an important academic reading skill as students in higher education

are required to read multiple sources and compare, contrast, and synthesise analysis and
views in those different sources.

How to Prepare for the Cross-Text Multiple Matching Task

You should familiarise yourselves with texts which give different views on a related theme
—such as different reviews of the same book or four experts giving their opinion on a
subject.
The texts will have an academic flavour without presuming in-depth subject-specific
knowledge, so practice in dealing with both the complexity of vocabulary and the
structures, such as noun phrases, commonly found in academic texts, will be useful.
You should read the texts first of all to determine the general attitude of each writer to the
subject under discussion. Underlining the part or parts of a text which give an opinion or
attitude and then identifying whether this is negative or positive is helpful.
You should then look at each question and underline the key words. If a question is asking
for ‘a similar or different opinion to’ for example, writer C, on a subject, you should
underline what aspect of C’s opinion is being tested and then identify and underline that
opinion in C. The task will then involve looking at all the other writers and identifying the
similar or different opinion.

[1]
📰 Exam Practice A

You are going to read four reviews of a science prize. For each question, choose from the
judges (A–D). The judges may be chosen more than once.

New Prize for Science

Four of the judges of a new prize for scientific innovation review their roles.

I was both taken aback and honoured in equal measure to be offered the opportunity to
sit in judgement on what might constitute a breakthrough in a field I will probably, with
my background, be unfamiliar with. Yet the mere fact of my presence as someone who
essentially represents the public may encourage someone working in isolation, perhaps
in defiance of established practice, to participate in this exciting challenge, and that is
something we wish to see. The more people who come forward, the greater the chance
of success. And also, I am there to look for inventions that will capture the public
imagination by actually doing something really useful; equations or bits of computer
code, however clever they are, are not going to get my vote.

A life in the IT and communications industry has allowed me to witness a bewildering

pace of change, so much so that to have a live high-definition international video call on
a mobile seems completely routine. But I sometimes think we fail to appreciate the huge
effort involved in making this progress, coming as it does, largely speaking, from
thousands of small steps, each one the result of the hard work and unrelenting
commitment of teams of researchers. What I would hope for is that this prize will
encourage some of these modest pioneers to put themselves forward and gain the
recognition that they deserve.

[2]
 C

The purpose of this prize is to inspire and encourage people not so much to be radical in
their outlook as to have immense patience—just as Harrison did in the 18th century with
his (admittedly elaborate) pocket watch, which eventually solved the problem of how to
work out longitude on ocean-going ships, when conventional wisdom was struggling to
find the answer in astronomy. For the individual, the prize money matters, as it can
reward years of research—or in Harrison's case decades; for an organisation, the
publicity is more valuable; for society as a whole, we would hope to see a problem
solved. But in any case, a sudden flash of inspiration or Eureka moment is unlikely to
suffice. What matters, as I know from my years in Research and Development, is the
appliance of science.

To me, the idea is king, and the excitement of this prize is that it may unleash a new
wave of ideas in my own discipline of theoretical physics. Proof can come at a breath-
taking price, as in the multi-billion dollar Large Hadron Collider, which is used in research
into particle physics. The Hadron Collider proved the existence of a particle called the
boson, but the particle itself had been predicted by the physicist Peter Higgs decades
earlier, at minimal cost, through thought alone. We still see ‘through a glass darkly’, there
is still so much we don’t understand, so any insights that this prize might stimulate,
however strange or surprising they might be, are to be warmly welcomed.

🎯A

Which judge

1 shares A’s views on the practical impact of the prize on people in general?

2 disagrees most strongly with A as to who they would like to win?

3 agrees most strongly with B on the approach to science they want to encourage?

4 appears to be least qualified to be judging the prize?

[3]
 📰 Exam Practice B

You are going to read four extracts from reports on the relationship between parents and
schools. For each question, choose from the authors (A–D). The authors may be chosen
more than once.

Four authors report on the relationship between parents and schools.

Research into the relationship between parents and schools indicates that, although the
situation varies markedly from school to school and area to area, it is certainly possible
to discern some clear trends and to draw some concrete conclusions. The first of these
is that a significant number of parents have come to believe that teachers should be
miracle-workers, transforming their children into instant geniuses. If this doesn’t happen,
they are likely, unreasonably, to blame teachers. Another development is that poor
parenting has forced schools to take on some of the roles previously assumed to be the
domain of parents. At the same time, however, there has been a huge increase in
parental involvement at schools, for example helping out, running activities and events,
raising money, etc. The trends, therefore, might be regarded as a mixture of the positive
and the negative.

Surveys conducted among parents, teachers, head teachers and education authorities
reveal a highly complex and ever-shifting situation, with no overall patterns, even within
individual schools. It could indeed be said that confusion reigns. On the one hand, there
are parents who take their involvement with schools seriously, wishing to contribute in
the most effective ways possible and providing massive help to schools. On the other,
there are parents whose lack of interest in their children results in major problems for
schools, who don’t have time to deal with the behavioural issues of children from such
families. It could certainly be said that it is not up to schools to take over duties that
should be those of parents. However, when it comes to actual education, parents have a
right to expect teachers to maximise the potential of their children—if they fail in this,
criticism is justified.

[4]

Parents and Schools

 C

Clearly, there are parents who believe that having a close involvement with their
children’s schools means commenting in a critical way to teachers and head teachers on
the way the school is run and on the quality of teaching, despite having no real
knowledge of the issues. Dealing with this unwelcome kind of involvement can be
stressful and time-consuming for staff. Some schools are also having to deal with the
repercussions of the fact that some parents simply cannot bring up their children
properly—it is the schools and other pupils at them who suffer as a result of this. Such
parents are also likely to think that it is not up to them to have any part in their children’s
education and that the onus for that lies entirely on teachers, with no parental input or
support. It would, however, be wrong to attempt to impose a firm view of a situation that
not only varies enormously from school to school but is also constantly changing within
schools.

Researchers seeking trends that are clearly identifiable when it comes to relationships
between parents and schools search in vain. The reality is bewildering mixture of
harmony and conflict, with changes possible in very short periods of time. Some staff
complain of interfering parents causing trouble in areas that should be confined to the
professionals. Other staff talk of being required to supply some of what parents used to
regard as their role, with teachers increasingly taking on a ‘social worker’ function. Yet
others talk of parents who think they are experts on teaching and that they can point out
a teacher’s deficiencies if their own child fails to make the unrealistic progress they
assume will happen. But many staff report the opposite to all of this, and great
relationships with parents across the board.

🎯B

Which author

1 agrees with writer A concerning schools having some of the function of parents?

2 expresses a different opinion from the others regarding parents’ criticism of teachers?

3 shares writer D’s opinion of parents who have considerable involvement with their
children’s schools?

4 differs from the others as to how possible it is to generalise on the subject of parents
and schools?

[5]
📰 Exam Practice C

You are going to read four psychologists’ comments about honesty. For each question,
choose from the psychologists (A–D). The psychologists may be chosen more than once.

Is Honesty The Best Policy?

Four psychologists share their views about honesty.

‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me,’ so the old adage
goes. It’s one I’ve never bought into, having been on the receiving end of some harsh
personal truths myself. Of course words can hurt us—and badly. I’m not immune to them
as a psychologist just because I have insight into why they might have been uttered. And
I can’t deny having dished out the odd one or two—to the inevitable alienation of great
allies, though it felt good at the time to get a few negative feelings off my chest. The
relief was temporary, as I soon realised the irretrievable damage I’d done to those
friendships. These days I’d rather play it safe when it comes to saving someone’s
feelings—not to mention my own. And yet I continue to ram home the message to my
own children that honesty is the best policy, making me wonder, do I practise what I
preach?

I’m sitting on the fence on the issue of whether we should always be 100% honest. I
can’t advocate not being honest if my children are to grow up with any sense of common
decency and I am to instil that in them, but there’s a niggle in the back of mind that won’t
be quietened. I wonder if I’m doing the right thing in my insistence on the truth, when as
a psychologist I know it isn’t that simple. There are definitely days when I’d obey 50% of
my brain and say precisely what’s going through my mind, were it not for the other 50%
holding me back. I don’t fail to register the bewilderment on my daughter’s face when I
insist that she tells me the truth about precisely how a glass got broken, but that she
shouldn’t let her poor Granddad know she isn’t keen on the birthday present he’s
carefully chosen for her.

[6]
 C

Telling someone the absolute truth at all times is pure self-indulgence. Who hasn’t felt
the fierce sting of a few choice words aimed in their direction? ‘You’ve got to be cruel to
be kind,’ said one well-meaning aunt shortly after informing me I’d never become a
psychologist because ‘I hadn’t been blessed in the brains department’. I proved her
wrong, but she unknowingly relinquished her role as my favourite aunt that day and
never regained the honour. When the time comes, I’ll tell my own niece she can achieve
whatever she sets out to do—and encourage in her an understanding of the need to be
supportive. There’s a difference between constructive criticism and being mean. And we
can’t all offload our meanness in the name of not lying because if we do this we risk
damaging the ones we love, possibly beyond repair. Shoulder the guilt and be kind to
others.

We all know people who always speak their mind. I see them in the psychologist’s chair
every day. Clearly they feel a weight lifted when they’ve selfishly offloaded their feelings.
And yet those very same people often take offence at the slightest hint of criticism.
When I encourage my children to admit their wrongs, am I also suggesting they should
inform me of every minor misdeed of their siblings? Quite the opposite. It’s little wonder,
then, that they’re left in a dilemma over what they should be saying when, and to whom.
Perhaps I needn’t worry. As they grow up, they will inevitably acquire a fuller
understanding of honesty and diplomacy—in other words, when to be completely truthful
and when to hold back—regardless of my input.

🎯C

Which psychologist

1 has the same view as D about people who are determined to tell the truth?

2 expresses a different opinion from the others about the importance of their own role in
teaching young people about honesty?

3 shares a similar opinion to C about the effect that being totally honest can have on
close relationships?

4 takes a similar view to A regarding the degree to which people are affected by hearing
honest opinions about themselves?

[7]
📰 Exam Practice D

You are going to read four reviews of a sports psychology book. For each question,
choose from the reviewers (A–D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

Sports Psychology
Four reviewers comment on ‘Sports Psychology’, a book by Fiona Bright.

Although Sports Psychology is intended for a position in the academic bookcase, it

wouldn’t be out of place on the shelf of a special interest section in a public library. That
isn’t to say Fiona Bright’s in-depth analysis of sports psychology and what makes high-
achieving athletes tick doesn’t deserve to sit on the lecturer’s desk—it has been
thoroughly researched and appropriately referenced—but that her fluid prose makes for
such ease of reading that I would defy anyone who picks it up to put it back down again
without at least being drawn in for a few pages, whether they have more than a passing
interest in sport or not. Bright’s weighty arguments are cleverly interwoven with fully
illustrative examples, both relevant to and within the grasp of anyone involved in the
world of sports psychology, be that a student embarking on a degree course, or a
professional already employed in the field.

Fiona Bright’s latest offering, Sports Psychology, leaves a lot to be desired in terms of
credibility in the world of academia. Although she addresses some pertinent matters,
and addresses them with an impressive level of detail, supported by references to
several influential works in the field, and valid applications, she leaves a lot unsaid. I
doubt I will be the only one who would have liked her to go into more depth on the topics
of coaching and self-motivation. That said, this is a perfectly readable work, and Bright
certainly understands how to keep an audience gripped with her lively writing style.
While said audience may well end up not being the author’s intended one, there is
enough meat in the book to provide fresh insight and guidance for both those on the
playing field and the people who support them in achieving their potential.

[8]
 C

Sports Psychology, by Fiona Bright, is a credit to her in terms of its engaging and lively
style, though this work is without doubt a fine example of style over substance; the latter
of which is surely a prerequisite of works intended for serious educational purposes.
That isn’t to say that the subject matter itself is frivolous—far from it—and indeed many a
seminal work has been proffered in this relatively new area of concern by less
established writers, who have more successfully achieved a level of depth which it falls
short of. Any enquiring student or professional in the field is likely to be left wanting in
terms of having something to sink their teeth into. Mention of studies supporting Bright’s
theories are few in number, leaving the reader with the impression that much of the
book’s arguments are supposition rather than grounded in meaningful evidence.

With Sports Psychology, Fiona Bright is sure to repeat the success of her previous
books in the field of sports psychology, as her work has—rightly or wrongly—
indisputable ‘shelf appeal’. This is not her finest hour, however, in terms of writing style—
her normally punchy prose is noticeably absent, and the paragraphs swing between
laboured and clipped, leaving the reader either overwhelmed with unnecessary detail, or
confused by arguments which appear to be heading in an interesting direction, only to be
left hanging abruptly in the air. All this despite the fact that the themes covered in the
book certainly adhere to the trends of the moment—which is what will draw readers in—
and on the surface of it, it shows promise. Read a little deeper, however, and one will
soon come to the realisation that one has heard it all before.

🎯D

Which reviewer

1 shares reviewer C’s opinion about whether Sports Psychology is likely to appeal to its
intended readers?

2 holds a different view from the others regarding the author’s writing style?

3 believes the same as reviewer A about the quality of the author’s research and the
arguments she puts forward?

4 has the same view as reviewer D about how useful the content might be for the book’s
intended audience?

[9]
📰 Exam Practice E

You are going to read four book reviews. For each question, choose from the reviewers
(A–D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

Outlining
Four reviewers comment on ‘Outlining’, a book by Gabriel Winter.

In Outlining, Gabriel Winter recounts his year-long walk around the whole coastline of
Britain. While superficially he sets out to explore the country of his birth, the book in fact
becomes an exploration of himself as he turns forty. Much of Winter’s reputation comes
from his supposed humour which, I have to admit, goes over my head. If this had been
balanced out by the focus of the book, I may have enjoyed it but I found the author’s
many episodes on his walk unconnected by any theme, which felt unsatisfying. One
issue touched on but not fully developed in the book is that of the disappearance of
communities who used to earn their living from the sea. It is a shame that Winter brings
up the question but then fails to address it in depth.

I was envious of Gabriel Winter when I saw what his latest book was about, as I have
always dreamt of making exactly the same journey, should I ever have the time. For this
reason, Outlining kept me engaged from start to finish. The central theme that arose
during his journey seemed to be how living on an island has affected the character of the
inhabitants of the UK. Winter addresses this question in a dry style that had me laughing
out loud. Never having travelled widely in his native country before undertaking his
marathon trek, at the age of forty Winter set out to discover its essential character and
write its biography. Something which, for me, he achieves admirably.

[10]
 C

Does living on an island have an effect on what it means to be British? This is the
subtext which emerges in Gabriel Winters Outlining as he progresses on his long-
distance hike around the edge of Britain. The analysis of this question is, in fact, more
thought-provoking than his stated intention at the start of the book of trying to pin down
his changing identity as he leaves his youth, which to me is clichéd and covered far
better by other writers. While I simply did not get Winters gentle irony, which his fans
seemingly adore, I am a sucker for travelogues and found it fascinating to accompany
him on his journey.

I will start by confessing that I am one of the many admirers of Gabriel Winter’s writing
and therefore did not open Outlining as an impartial reviewer. The first few pages did not
disappoint and Winters wry observations had me chuckling from the start. As I got
further into the book, however, the subject matter started to leave me with an
increasingly hollow feeling. The question of whether the ‘national character’—if such a
thing exists—is influenced by living on an island becomes a recurring theme which I
found pointless, even faintly ridiculous. I was hoping that Winter would, as he claimed at
the start, ‘take a long hard look’ at himself as he moved on to the next stage of life.
Unfortunately he seemed diverted from his aim and lost me along the way.

🎯E

Which reviewer

1 found the subject matter of the book as interesting as reviewer C does?

2 thought differently to the other reviewers about the author’s reasons for writing?

3 shared reviewer A’s opinion of the author’s style of writing?

4 saw the book as raising a different question to the other reviewers?

[11]
📰 Exam Practice F

You are going to read four reviews of a language course. For each question, choose from
the reviewers (A–D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

Linguavox
Four reviewers comment on a language course.

I was immediately struck by the quality of the audio in the Linguavox course. After just a
week listening to the CDs I could feel my comprehension improving. However, as
someone who never studied French at school, what I need is an understanding of
grammar, which this course does not provide as it is based on the idea that we can
assimilate a language without formally studying grammar, as long as we hear enough of
it. That works for children learning their own language, of course, but not for me. This is
one reason why I found the price of the course extortionate; another was that the
endless matching activities made my brain go numb after a short time. I did try one of
the online lessons with an actual teacher, which was pretty good, although I found the
way they have to stick rigidly to the content of the CD very limiting.

To a point, Linguavox’s Learn French II works: when I spent a weekend in Paris after
using the course for two months, I found I could readily produce a lot of set phrases in
shops and restaurants, and with quite a good accent. This was the result of listening to
the natural-sounding, well-recorded conversations while driving and jogging, and then
doing the twelve ‘live’ group lessons included in the package, which gave me the
confidence to speak in real life. I do think there’s a lot to be said for immersion in a
language and I did actually learn Spanish like that when living in Mexico. Nevertheless, I
feel that it would speed up the learning process if some translation were added, as I was
often frustrated by not knowing exactly what a particular phrase meant. The true value of
the course is in the live lessons but that nowhere near justifies the £350 price tag.

[12]
 C

Linguavox’s language courses come close to being the best on the market. The main
thing that prevents this, for me, is the insistence on not including any English
equivalents. Only when I constantly referred to a dictionary while working through the
course did I get maximum benefit. It’s not I don’t see the point of this approach, it’s just
that I think Linguavox sticks to the immersion method too dogmatically. I evaluated a
friend’s Learn Spanish and was astonished when she told me the cost. The actual
materials were certainly high quality—proper actors talking in a lifelike way and
interactive practice activities which are quite fun to do. Maybe it is because I couldn’t
take advantage of the live lessons that I didn’t feel the course lived up to its expense.

In pricing its language courses so high, Linguavox, for me, has shot itself in the foot.
Many people will look at the price and be unable to see how it is justified, but if you
factor in the cost of a language lesson with a real-life teacher—you are entitled to twelve
when you purchase the course—it actually works out fairly reasonable. Not that it suits
everyone’s learning style, however—mine, for example. The idea of teaching adults a
second language in the same way as children learn their first just doesn’t stand up. By
the time we are adults, we have lost the ability to absorb input like a sponge but, at the
same time, have developed sophisticated analytical skills. Keep the input (although for
me the stilted dialogues could be vastly improved on) but give us grown-ups the tools to
see how the syntax works and to compare the target language side by side with its
English equivalent.

🎯F

Which reviewer

1 shares reviewer C’s viewpoint of the philosophy behind the course’s method?

2 is critical of a feature of the course that the other reviewers praise?

3 has the same view as reviewer D on the key feature lacking in the course?

4 expresses a different opinion from the others on whether the course represents value
for money?

[13]
📰 Exam Practice G

You are going to read four reviews of a new tablet model. For each question, choose from
the reviewers (A–D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

QMod
Four reviewers comment on a new tablet model.

The first thing I noticed on taking the new QMod tablet out of the box was that it is
surprisingly easy on the eye. Its slim profile and well-chosen colours—this model was a
sleek-looking purple—mean it neither looks nor feels cheap and its solid build quality
matches that of much pricier models. I had read rave reviews about the QMod’s
performance, so maybe my expectations were too high, as the screen was unresponsive
at times and it seemed to take an age to switch on, even after we’d found the oddly-
placed on-button. The 7-inch screen, however, does have a decent resolution, making
images and fonts almost crystal clear. So long as you’re not in a hurry, you’ll be pleased
with QMod.

Despite entering the increasingly-competitive tablet market at the value end, the QMod
comes with reasonable specifications. Certainly, compared with others in the same price
bracket, it is pretty quick. While the screen lacks the pin-sharp resolution of its top-end
rivals, the pixel density of 243 pixels per inch is certainly not to be sniffed at. One slight
gripe is about the location of the hardware buttons along one of the long sides, which we
found counter-intuitive when it came to turning the thing on. All in all, the QMod
undoubtedly represents superb value for money but feels rather heavy in the hands and
looks like the budget tablet that it is.

[14]
 C

Our expectations of the QMod were limited by its price tag. At first glance, it lived up to
these, its slightly bulging sides and shiny plastic edging ensuring that it won’t be taking
on the Nexus 7 in the style stakes. Its performance, however, made us raise an eyebrow
—while not lightning fast, it is distinctly nippier than we expected. We did find that in
order to read or watch videos comfortably, the brightness had to be turned up to max.
This tablet is clearly designed to be used in landscape rather than portrait mode, for
browsing and watching videos. This is shown by the positioning of the on-off switch,
which seems to make perfect sense as tablets are used in landscape mode most of the
time. All things considered, a welcome addition to the marketplace.

The word is that the QMod, released without much fanfare last week, belies its
affordability, so we were particularly keen to test it. To start with a negative, we found the
resolution to be underwhelming; once you are used to the sharpness of the high-end
screens, it is hard to go down several notches. In terms of performance, however, it
would appear to be a close match for its pace-setting competitors, coming out well in our
benchmark tests for browsing and gaming—the only delay, in fact, was in switching it on,
as the button isn’t where you expect it to be. While you wouldn’t expect a tablet in this
price bracket to win any beauty contests, we were pleasantly surprised by the look and
feel. Overall, we felt the QMod deserves its growing reputation.

🎯G

Which reviewer

1 expresses a different viewpoint from the others regarding the position of the tablet’s
on-off switch?

2 has a different opinion from the others on the tablet’s speed of performance?

3 share reviewer C’s view of the tablet’s style?

4 takes a similar viewpoint to reviewer A regarding how clearly things can be seen on
the seen?

[15]
📰 Exam Practice H

You are going to read four reviews of a book called Between a Rock and a Hard Place by
the travel writer Wilbur Ranscombe. For each question, choose from the reviewers (A–D).
The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Four reviewers comment on a book called ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place’ by the travel
writer Wilbur Ranscombe.

Travel writer and broadcaster Wilbur Ranscombe’s latest book, in which he spends time
in some of the poorest communities on the planet, provides an eye-opening account of
the hardships so many face on a daily basis. Ranscombe says that we all share
responsibility for these hardships. We want cheap clothes, for example, so we offer the
lowest prices, leaving the producers barely enough to cover costs, let alone invest in
their communities. A valid point that few could argue with. However, as much as I
admired the way he saw and analysed the problems and suggested solutions, I felt he
could have become more directly involved himself. After all, anyone who really cared
would offer physical support when it was clearly needed. Perhaps he did but if so, he
doesn’t mention it anywhere in the book.

According to Wilbur Ranscombe in his latest travelogue Between a Rock and a Hard
Place, poverty is an avoidable tragedy. But it is not something that can be solved at a
local level—the global community has a part to play. His message is that while we in the
developed world would like to say we are not responsible for these problems, the
opposite is true. We create, directly or indirectly, the political and economic crises that
affect the poor in the developing world. We all share the responsibility, and should act
accordingly. A lot can be learnt here, and Between a Rock and a Hard Place ought to be
essential reading for the leaders and powerbrokers, present and future, of all nations.
Only they have the real power to make the changes that are so desperately needed. And
I challenge anyone who reads this remarkable book to sit back and do nothing to help,
even if it is just a letter to your local politician demanding change.

[16]
 C

Acclaimed travel writer Wilbur Ranscombe’s latest book, Between a Rock and a Hard
Place, marks a major departure from his usual playful style of writing. And for a good
reason. Avoiding five-star hotels and luxury restaurants, he heads off into some of the
poorest communities in the world. And some of these communities are very poor indeed.
Unfortunately, Ranscombe makes the assumption that international issues such as
global capitalism and the demand for cheap goods are to blame for such poverty, while it
should be obvious to many that the causes are closer to the symptoms. And it bothered
me that he seemed content to stand back and observe rather than, as most of us would
do, pitch in and help out. This is a worthy and immensely readable book, but
misinformed and surprisingly naïve.

If this new book by acclaimed travel writer Wilbur Ranscombe doesn’t make you want to
play a direct role in improving the lives of those less fortunate than you, you must have a
heart of stone. From villages in sub-Saharan Africa to housing projects in Detroit, he
paints a vivid picture of the appalling hardships that the poor have to face. And he
doesn’t fail to point the finger of blame at those responsible. While it is true that, to a
certain extent, local economic and political factors all play their role, Ranscombe has the
ability to see the bigger picture. Everything is connected, he says, and we can in fact
trace the root causes of poverty to the power centres in the developed world. In my
opinion, this is an essential book for anyone who is planning a political career and who
wants to make the world a slightly better place.

🎯H

Which reviewer

1 makes a similar recommendation to B regarding the sort of person who should read
this book?

2 share C’s concern about the way the writer failed to come to the assistance of those
who needed it?

3 has the same opinion as D about the effects this book could have on its readers?

4 has a different opinion from the others on Ranscombe’s analysis of what causes
poverty in the places he visited?

[17]
📰 Exam Practice I

You are going to read four extracts from four television programme reviews. For each
question, choose from the critics (A–D). The critics may be chosen more than once.

Make Me Smile
Four critics comment on a television programme about finding lasting happiness.

Watching serious, straight-talking psychology professor Ray Connery on Make Me

Smile last night made a refreshing change from the irritating, patronising television
persona adopted by so many presenters. No jokes, and definitely no grinning madly at
the camera. Of course, this was largely determined by the subject matter: take someone
who suffers frequent bouts of depression—in this case, Connery himself—, put him
through several happiness-inducing psychological experiments, and see what kind of
person comes out at the other end. In this case a much happier man with a big smile
and a much more positive outlook on life. It was interesting and informative, and it was
also entertaining—it certainly had me smiling at the end—, but much of Connery’s
audience may have been put off by many of the explanations he gave, which assumed a
certain amount of pre-knowledge on their behalf.

Popular self-improvement shows have their usefulness, but they also have their
downsides. On the one hand, they can show us how we can become better people. On
the other hand, they can draw our attention to faults in our own personalities that we
would rather ignore. Or perhaps that’s just me. Certainly, as I watched psychology
professor and television presenter Ray Connery attempt, via a series of psychological
happiness-boosting experiments, to overturn a lifetime of mood swings, I saw not only
myself in him, but also acquired a greater perception of how I’m seen by others. And it
isn’t a pretty sight. Connery might have finally managed a smile as the final credits
began rolling, but I for one just felt rather empty inside. However, as he pointed out,
sometimes we are our own worst enemies, and no amount of help and guidance can
change that.

[18]
 C

If the aim of a programme on popular psychology is to inform as well as entertain, then

Make Me Smile succeeded on both counts. Professor Ray Connery backed up the
happiness-promoting experiments he underwent with some important facts about the
mental and physical effects of depression and unhappiness. It was helpful and
informative, and Connery presented it in a way that didn’t talk down to the viewer or
trivialise the subject matter. Connery’s very public attempts to become a happier person
also offered hope to the millions like him who suffer from depression. His new outlook on
life at the end of the programme was certainly uplifting, and I went to bed a much
happier and more optimistic person.

Professor Ray Connery isn’t a happy man, and in Make Me Smile he sought to establish
why this was the case and how he could achieve lasting happiness. Generally, I have
mixed feelings about programmes like this. They aim to help us improve our lives by
becoming better individuals, but at the same time they can make us more aware of, and
uncomfortable about, our weaknesses and failings. And, unless the solutions offered are
practical and achievable, they can ultimately do more harm than good. On this occasion,
however, the positives outweighed the negatives—the focus was on finding cures rather
than identifying causes, and fortunately there are plenty of them. Some even worked for
me, as I found myself grinning along with Connery as he completed the last of his
happiness-inducing experiments. This was a worthy programme, although its mass
appeal may have been somewhat diminished by Connery’s excessive use of technical
language and his assumption that people already knew a lot about the subject.

🎯I

Which critic

1 felt differently from the other critics at the end of the programme?

2 feels the same way as critic C about Professor Connery’s style of presentation?

3 expresses a similar view to critic B regarding programme of this nature?

4 shares critic A’s concern that Make Me Smile may not have been popular with some
viewers?

[19]
📰 Exam Practice J

You are going to read four texts about language learning. For each question, choose from
the scientists (A–D). The scientists may be chosen more than once.

Language Learning
Four scientists share their views about language learning.

This researcher maintains that all children learn languages in the same way and are not
influenced by the number of languages they acquire at the same time. Learning a
language is compared to playing a game in which the child eventually needs to learn the
rules, such as how to articulate in order to make themselves understood. Children begin
by copying their parents or caretakers but generally from the age of three start to pick up
language patterns from other children they come into contact with. This is a lengthy
process and the errors made along the way are natural and will eventually disappear.
The important point to remember is that children are individuals and start off by creating
their own set of rules. As they progress, they learn to work within this framework to make
sense of language.

Another linguist says that learning a language is not a passive activity. There is also no
genetic code which enables children to learn a particular language. Everyone is born
with the capability of creating some 40 different sounds which then become clear to the
child, according to the language used to communicate. At the beginning, children hear
sounds and after some time these isolated utterances begin to take on meaning. For
children the first few years of language acquisition consist of active listening, practising
and complex learning. They model the rhythm and tone of the language they hear as
well as the non-verbal communication taking place around them. The most important
factor in early language acquisition is conversation with adults who provide the language
they need to hear and act as a sounding board for the language they are trying to use.

[20]
 C

Research into the understanding of units of speech has been carried out with infants and
has led researchers to suggest that even very young children are able to detect a
reliable pattern in sounds. Having this ability means that they therefore have the capacity
to predict which syllables will logically follow others in words, helping them to organise
these units of speech into a system. This enables them to pick out specific meanings in
a flow of spoken communication. Eventually children are able to discover the underlying
structure of the language they are learning and can use this to communicate with others.
They begin to create their own concept of how grammar works and in some experiments
have even devised a new language making use of the structure and rules they have
acquired.

According to this scientist, language learning is a natural phenomenon beginning at birth

and language acquisition takes place in three distinct steps. Although children come into
the world with a capacity to learn any of 6,500 languages consisting of 150 distinct
sounds or phonemes, they quickly begin to recognise and produce the phonemes
specific to the language they hear. Once this has been accomplished they then put them
together into patterns of meaning or words. To do this, they have to distinguish where
words begin and end. The next step involves using words to make sentences. At this
stage they experiment with the correct order and the difference between a grammatically
correct sentence and one that has meaning. By the time children turn three, they have
learned the basic rules of grammar, although not necessarily the exceptions to all the
rules.

🎯J

Which scientist

1 agrees with A regarding the rules that children develop in learning a language?

2 mentions a different important source of language acquisition from B?

3 expresses a different theory from B regarding abilities that all humans are born with?

4 defines language acquisition in a different way from the other three?

[21]
📰 Exam Practice K

You are going to read four extracts about language learning written by language teachers.
For each question, choose from the teachers (A–D). The teachers may be chosen more
than once.

Language Learning
Four teachers reflect on language learning.

There seems to be a reluctance among some young people to learn a second language.
One problem is that many don’t see how language learning will benefit them in the
future. They also dislike the rigid nature of language learning, and this is where schools
are failing them. Language learning should mean getting involved in the language in a
meaningful way, ideally in the right context, and not just learning by rote. Improved
global communications means that it is now much easier to travel to the country whose
language you are learning. Internet technology allows you to communicate cheaply and
effectively with people around the world. Of course, no matter how you do it, learning a
language is not easy. The most important thing is not to give up when you feel like you’re
not getting anywhere. There lies the key to progress.

My students often come to me and say that they feel they aren’t making any progress,
despite all the work they are doing in class and at home. I explain that the best way to
successfully acquire a language is to immerse yourself in it, to expose yourself to it as
much as possible. Watch films, listen to songs, get yourself a penfriend, and so on. The
more the language becomes a part of your everyday life, the quicker you develop a
proficiency in it. And above all, persevere, keep trying even when the challenge seems
too great. Getting to grips with a foreign language is a challenge, but one day, your
efforts will be rewarded.

[22]
 C

There is a lot of passionate debate about the best way of successfully acquiring a
second language. The total immersion method—living and working in the country whose
language you are learning—is often cited as the best way of doing this. However,
research indicates that language acquisition is most effective in a controlled environment
where students are free to make mistakes and build up their confidence before applying
the language in the real world. Unfortunately, this can be rather boring and formulaic,
which can put people off learning a language and is partly responsible for this country’s
apathy towards language learning. As this problem is rarely addressed through
innovative teaching methods, this apathy is unlikely to change and people will remain
reluctant to acquire a second language.

When it comes to learning something, motivation plays a major role. This is especially
the case with learning a second language. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that with my
students, there is often a ‘why bother?’ attitude. After all, they surmise, people seem to
speak English wherever I go. They don’t recognise the benefits that learning a language
will offer them. Formal learning methods don’t exactly encourage them either. Learning a
language in the classroom is good up to a point, but there is no real communication.
Without proper exposure to the language, progress is going to be extremely limited.
However, I think that attitudes are changing. As young people travel to more out-of-the
way places, they are beginning to recognise the importance of effective communication,
and are making more of an effort to learn the language in order to be understood.

🎯K

Which teacher

1 has a different opinion from the others on the way language should be learnt?

2 takes a similar view to B’s attitude on what decides whether an individual language
learner will be successful or not?

3 shares A’s views that some young people fail to understand the importance of learning
a language?

4 takes a different view from D’s optimism regarding the future of language learning in
the country?

[23]
 📰 Exam Practice L

You are going to read four reviews of a book about transport. For each question, choose
from the reviewers (A–D). The reviewers may be chosen more than once.

An A-Z of the worst aircraft ever made

If, as I believe, the aim of a factual book is to not only educate but also to entertain,
then Flying Lemons hits all the right notes. Covering in concise detail every major
aviation flop, from the World War 1 BE2 fighter, with its underpowered engine and poor
manoeuvrability, to the disaster-prone Tupolev TU-144 supersonic airliner, it makes a
great read not only for those interested in aviation history, but also for anyone who takes
pleasure at the misfortunes and failures of others. Illustrated throughout with black and
white and colour photographs, the book is a homage to those who dared but failed to
win, and the reader can only marvel at the grit and determination that went into the
pursuit of aviation excellence. Unlike the aircraft he writes about, Oliver Braithwaite has
clearly come up with a winner here, and while he can be a little patronising at times, he
is able to engage the reader with his humorous observations and anecdotes.

Following on from Lemons on Wheels, his highly entertaining and informative book on
cars that should never have hit our roads, Oliver Braithwaite turns his attention to aircraft
that should never have left the drawing board in the equally engaging Flying Lemons. In
great detail and with his usual laddish humour, he looks at how and why so many flying
machines were consigned to the dustbin of aviation history. Take, for example, the LWS-
4 Zubr, which was not only hideously ugly, but had a horrible habit of disintegrating
without warning, or the Hughes H4 Hercules, which cost millions to develop but never
left the ground. There are, unfortunately, some obvious omissions—the world’s first jet
airliner, the De Havilland Comet 1, with its atrocious safety record is just one that springs
to mind, but the author can be forgiven a few oversights. This book is a joy to read, and
one that I highly recommend.

[24]

Flying Lemons
 C

Oliver Braithwaite’s latest book Flying Lemons, a fully comprehensive A–Z coverage of
aircraft that should never have graced our skies, is pure mind-in-neutral reading bliss.
Well-researched and illustrated with lots of rare contemporary photographs, this book
tackles the subject in a way that is both fun and informative, as any book on heroic
failures ought to. Braithwaite not only knows his subject inside out, but is able to write
about it without resorting to complicated aeronautical language—a bonus for those of us
who are not technically minded. There is plenty of humour here, as well as some great
personal anecdotes relating to his time with European Avionics in the 1990s (of the
thirty-two aircraft they designed between 1989 and 2006, only one still graces our skies
today, and even that has had more than its fair share of problems). This is definitely a
book for aircraft enthusiasts to put on their wish list.

Flying Lemons, says the publisher’s press release, is a light-hearted and entertaining
book, one that you can either read from cover to cover, or dip into during a quiet
moment. In it, aircraft enthusiast Oliver Braithwaite discusses in detail all of those aircraft
that, for one reason or another, were unmitigated disasters. If you like Braithwaite’s
chatty style of writing and off-the-wall sense of humour, then this is probably your kind of
book. Personally, it’s not my style. Despite, or perhaps because of, the informal tone,
Braithwaite has the rather annoying habit of talking down to his reader, assuming they
know far less than they do. Furthermore, he is not the expert he would like us to believe
he is. Errors abound throughout the book, such as the fact that the Hughes H4 Hercules
never flew (it did, just once, in 1948). A disappointing followup to his 2012 book Lemons
on Wheels.

🎯L

Which reviewer

1 shares D’s criticism on the style of writing?

2 shares A’s opinion of what a good book of this nature should do?

3 has a different opinion from the others on the content coverage?

4 expresses a different view from C on the author’s knowledge of his subject?

[25]
⚡

This section provides practice on intertextual reading and essay writing. You are
required to summarise, evaluate the key points from two texts (or set texts) and include
your own ideas in your answer. The texts (fiction and non-fiction) will be based on a
variety of authentic, contemporary and historical sources. The extensive writing task
often has a discursive focus.

Discursive writing is a style used in academic writing and requires the high level of
language competence appropriate at C2 level. In addition, the ability to identify key
points from a text is considered important at C2 level. The CEFR states that at this level
you should be able to summarise information from different sources,
reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation of the overall
result.

You should read the two input texts very carefully. Each text will present contrasting or
complementary views on a topic. It is important that you learn to identify the key points
in each of the texts, as these points will form the basis of your essay. You must
integrate a summary of these points, an evaluation of the abstract arguments involved
and your own ideas on the topic in a coherent essay.

You may, of course, use key words from the question, but must avoid ‘lifting’ whole
segments of the input. No credit will be given for language or ideas that have not been
appropriately expanded on or integrated into your writing.

Because of the discursive focus of this part of the paper, you need to be equipped to
discuss a range of topics. Reading and discussing articles in English on a variety of
issues will help you to develop your ideas and extend your vocabulary in order to cover
the arguments raised in the texts.

[26]
📰 Advanced Practice 1A

Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1 🎯1

1 Author A would characterise what

Author A: As people of different Author B describes as
nationalities and ethnicities (A) an unfortunate circumstance.
interact with one another, it is only (B) a typical development.
(C) an unexpected phenomenon.
natural that facets of culture will
(D) a sentimental surprise.
be exchanged. The process by
which culture is transferred is
2 Which of the following best
known as cultural diffusion.
describes the relationship between the
Author B: Jazz music that is two authors?
popular in America blends African (A) Author B provides a counterexample
challenging an assertion put forth by
and Caribbean musical styles.
Author A.
(B) Author A describes a phenomenon that
Author B illustrates.
(C) Author A provides an example of a
concept that Author B rejects.
(D) Author B explains the reasoning for a
claim made by Author A.

Text 2

Author A: Many small business owners are hesitant to delegate tasks to

employees. Sometimes employers believe that if they don’t have complete control
over their businesses, mistakes will be made. In other instances, they believe that
they must do virtually everything themselves to prove their expertise.

Author B: Business owners must effectively delegate tasks to employees. Business

owners who attempt to do everything themselves frequently delay projects because
they simply do not have enough time in the day to achieve all their goals. Business
owners who delegate work to others are in a better position to serve more
customers and scale their businesses.

[27]
🎯2 🎯3

1 Which of the following best 1 Which of the following best

describes the relationship between the describes the relationship between the
two authors? two authors? (Extract )
(A) Author B presents a claim that (A) Author B gives an example of a
challenges an assertion Author A sets phenomenon discussed by Author A.
forth. (B) Author B provides reasons for an
(B) Author B provides an explanation of the argument advanced by Author A.
underlying causes of a problem (C) Author B presents a counterargument
discussed by Author A. to a claim made by Author A.
(C) Author A explains why a group of (D) Author B expands on a claim advanced
people do not always follow a by Author A.
recommendation made by Author B.
(D) Author A advocates for a course of 2 (Extract ) Author B would most
action amongst a group of individuals,
likely respond to the Author A’s claim
and Author B explains the consequences
that certain qualified employees are
of following those actions.
more likely to apply to telecommuting
2 Author A would most likely positions by saying that
(A) quality is subject to interpretation.
respond to last sentence of Author B
(B) the applicant pool will likely be
by saying that
expanded with weaker candidates.
(A) convincing certain business owners to
(C) even the most qualified applicants will
entrust others with crucial responsibilities
be more productive in an office
is likely to be a challenge.
environment.
(B) only employees that have experience
(D) the educational credentials of
running their own businesses are
employees who apply to telecommuting
reliable.
positions are likely to be weaker.
(C) the expertise of a business owner who
works alone is more likely to attract a
3 (Extract ) Both authors agree
diverse consumer base.
(D) the mistakes that employees will that
inevitably make counteract any benefits (A) employers should increase the number
the business owner gains from of available telecommuting positions.
delegating tasks. (B) aggressive research on recruiting
qualified applicants should be a top
priority for companies.
(C) the expense associated with running
offices is prohibitive.
(D) employee engagement in the workplace
is important.

[28]
Text 3

Author A: Employers should allow more employees to telecommute (work from

home) when possible. Not only do such working arrangements save costs associated
with running offices, but the flexibility of telecommuting jobs is also likely to drive
company growth. Telecommuting options widen the pool of qualified applicants who
have the potential to be productive and dedicated employees. Many capable
prospective employees who have lifestyles that are not conducive to traveling into an
office will be more inclined to apply for telecommuting positions.

Author B: Employees who telecommute are less likely to feel engaged and
emotionally satisfied in the workplace. If employees are not engaged, they will not be
productive workers who are committed to their companies. Face-to-face interaction
between workers adds value to companies.

Text 4

Author A: While nuclear power is a carbon-free energy source that is

environmentally friendly, when accidents at nuclear power plants occur, the results
are disastrous. Therefore, we should stop and pause before we invest in nuclear
power. In addition to the severe public health risks associated with nuclear power
plants, nuclear power is also prohibitively expensive. Instead of investing more in
nuclear power, clean renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy
should be used.

Author B: Although certain costs associated with nuclear power plants are high, they
pale in comparison to the damage done by carbon energy sources such as fossil
fuels. In addition, there are some economic benefits associated with nuclear energy,
such as reduced fuel and electricity costs. Nuclear power is a viable energy source
that does not harm the environment. Unlike other forms of “clean energy”, such as
solar and wind energy, nuclear power is reliable: it is not dependent on weather
conditions. Nuclear power is relatively safe, and the risk of accidents is decreasing.

[29]
🎯4 🎯5

1 Both authors agree that 1 What is the relationship between

(A) nuclear power is a good investment. the two authors?
(B) the costs of nuclear power are (A) Author A describes a phenomenon that
excessive. is disproved by Author B.
(C) carbon energy sources pollute the (B) Author B provides illustrative examples
environment more than nuclear energy. of terms discussed by Author A.
(D) the benefits of nuclear energy have (C) Author B discusses an advantage
become more pronounced in recent associated with a case study mentioned
years. by Author A.
(D) Author B provides examples that
2 Author B would criticise Author A’s contradict a claim Author A makes.
recommendations to use renewable
energy sources on the grounds that 2 It can be inferred that Author A
these sources would regard raccoons as
(A) pollute the environment. (A) endangered.
(B) are prohibitively expensive. (B) unintelligent.
(C) are unreliable. (C) demanding.
(D) are not renewable. (D) adaptable.

3 Author A would likely regard 3 Author A would most likely say

speaker B’s claim that nuclear energy that, in comparison to raccoons, koalas
is “relatively safe” as are
(A) inaccurate. (A) more likely to adapt to a wide variety of
(B) well-reasoned. environments.
(C) mildly amusing. (B) less likely to have friendly interspecies
(D) somewhat compelling. interactions.
(C) more likely to be threatened by
destruction of their habitats.
4 What is the relationship between
(D) less likely to require adequate nutrition
the two authors?
for their survival.
(A) Author A expresses reservations about
an action advocated by Author B.
(B) Author B protests a political decision
that Author A supports.
(C) Author A provides a case study to
illustrate an argument that Author B
advances.
(D) Author A criticises the alarmist attitude
of Author B.

[30]
Text 5

Author A: Organisms that are generalists are able to thrive in a wide variety of
environments. Specialist organisms require specific resources for their survival.
Therefore, specialist organisms are more greatly threatened by human and ecological
events that change their environments.

Author B: Raccoons are generalists that eat variety of different foods, including
human garbage. By contrast, koala bears are specialists that primarily eat eucalyptus.

Text 6

The authors below discuss the phenomenon of de-extinction, using technology to

clone previously extinct species.

Author A: Even though it didn’t survive long, the birth of the cloned Pyrenean ibex
(an extinct Spanish mountain goat) is promising. Since many species have gone
extinct due to human actions, we owe it to these species to attempt to resurrect them
if at all possible. These species have inherent value in and of themselves.

Author B: While some scientists think that de-extinction research is a waste of

money, I believe that there are many benefits to reviving extinct species. Assuming
that scientists will work to preserve these species in the wild, attention might be
drawn to environmental threats that threaten other species that are not yet extinct. In
addition, the revived species might have positive impacts on ecosystems. For
example, the grazing habits of the woolly mammoth might restore grasses that
absorb harmful atmospheric gases.

[31]
🎯6 ✒ Extensive Writing

1 Both authors operate under the For each text 2, 3, 4, and 6, write
assumption that an essay summarising and
(A) all scientists believe de-extinction is a evaluating the key points from both
worthwhile venture.
authors. Use your own words
(B) de-extinction is an inexpensive means
throughout as far as possible, and
of protecting biodiversity.
(C) de-extinction of viable species is a include your own ideas in your
realistic possibility in the future. answers.
(D) de-extinction was valued more in the
past than in the present.

2 Which of the following describes

the relationship between the two
authors?
(A) Author A critiques a theory advanced by
Author B.
(B) Both authors present different reasons
for why a scientific endeavour has value.
(C) Author B analyses a case study that
supports a line of reasoning set forth by
Author A.
(D) Author A criticises a practice for
different reasons than does Author B.

3 In comparison to Author A, Author

B is more concerned with de-
extinction’s
(A) practical benefits.
(B) intrinsic merits.
(C) moral implications.
(D) affordability.

[32]
📰 Advanced Practice 1B

Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

Freeman Dyson, professor emeritus at Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton

University, in an email interview: Climate change is a real problem, partly caused by
human activities, but its importance has been grossly exaggerated. It is far less
important than other social problems such as poverty, infectious diseases,
deforestation, and extinction of species on land and in the sea, not to mention war,
nuclear weapons, and biological weapons. We do not know whether the observed
climate changes are good or bad for the health of the biosphere. And the effects of
atmospheric carbon dioxide as a fertiliser of plant growth are at least as important as
its effects on climate.

Naomi Oreskes, associate professor of history and director of the Program in

Science Studies at the University of California, San Diego in an editorial piece in The
Washington Post in 2004: Many people have the impression that there is significant
scientific disagreement about global climate change. It’s time to lay that
misapprehension to rest. There is a scientific consensus on the fact that Earth’s
climate is heating up and human activities are part of the reason. We need to stop
repeating nonsense about the uncertainty of global warming and start talking
seriously about the right approach to address it. […] The basic picture is clear, and
some changes are already occurring. A new report by the Arctic Climate Impact
Assessment—a consortium of eight countries, including Russia and the United States
—now confirms that major changes are taking place in the Arctic, affecting both
human and nonhuman communities, as predicted by climate models. […]

🎯1

Both authors would most likely agree that

(A) There is a scientific disagreement about the fact that global warming is a real issue.
(B) The effects of global warming are not as important as other issues such as poverty or disease.
(C) There are no concrete facts that prove that global warming is actually taking place.
(D) Global warming has a significant effect on the Earth’s climate and is a result of human activities.

[33]
 Text 2

The first text below discusses the second agricultural revolution. The second text
discusses the third agricultural revolution.

Text A: The second agricultural revolution coincided with the Industrial Revolution; it
was a revolution that would move agriculture beyond subsistence to generate the
kinds of surpluses needed to feed thousands of people working in factories instead of
in agricultural fields. The second agricultural revolution was composed of a series of
innovations, improvements, and techniques in Great Britain, the Netherlands,
Denmark, and other neighbouring countries. By the 17th and 18th centuries, new
crops came into Europe from trade with the Americas, including corn and potatoes.
The governments of Europe played a role in spurring on the second agricultural
revolution by passing laws such as Great Britain’s Enclosure Act that encouraged
consolidation of fields into large, single-owner holdings. Farmers increase the size of
their farms, piecing together more contiguous parcels of land, fenced in land, and
instituted field rotation. Methods of soil preparation, fertilisation, crop care, and
harvesting improved.

Text B: The Green Revolution was a period in time when new agricultural practices
were created to help farmers all over the world. It was an international effort that was
planned to eliminate hunger by improving crop performances. This plan provided new
practices that allowed farmers to produce more of the same product within the same
amount of land. This meant that the farmers could get more out of their land than they
used to. This rapid diffusion of more productive agriculture techniques occurred
throughout the 1970s and the 1980s. The plan had two main practices: the
introduction of newer higher-yield seeds and the expanded use of fertilisers. […]

(Adapted from Hinasahar Muneeruddin’s The Agricultural Revolutions)

🎯2

Which of the following statements expresses the relationship between the second and
third agricultural revolutions?
(A) The second and third agricultural revolutions both led to improvements in farming techniques that
helped increase crop yields.
(B) The second agricultural revolution was more effective than the third agricultural revolution at solving
the world hunger problem.
(C) Both the second and third agricultural revolutions were caused by the Industrial Revolution.
(D) The second agricultural revolution utilised genetic modifications, whereas the third agricultural
revolution introduced new farming techniques.

[34]
Text 3

The first excerpt is from James Henry Hammond’s speech to the US Senate on
March 4th, 1858. The second excerpt is from a Frederick Douglass speech in 1852.

Author A: In all social systems there must be a class to do the menial duties, to
perform the drudgery of life. That is, a class requiring but a low order of intellect and
but little skill. Its requisites are vigour, docility, fidelity. Such a class you must have, or
you would not have that other class which leads progress, civilisation, and
refinement. It constitutes the very mud-sill of society and of political government; and
you might as well attempt to build a house in the air, as to build either the one or the
other, except on this mud-sill. Fortunately for the South, she found a race adapted to
that purpose to her hand. A race inferior to her own, but eminently qualified in temper,
in vigour, in docility, in capacity to stand the climate, to answer all her purposes. We
use them for our purpose, and call them slaves. […]

Author B: What to the American slave is your Fourth of July? I answer; a day that
reveals to him more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to
which he is the constant victim. To him your celebration is a sham; your boasted
liberty an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of
rejoicing are empty and heartless; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mock;
your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious
parade and solemnity, are to him mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and
hypocrisy—a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.
There is not a nation of the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than
are the people of these United States at this very hour. Go where you may, search
where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the old world,
travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the
last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will
say with me, that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns
without a rival.

[35]
Text 4

Author A: The novel, as a work of imagination, is neither good nor bad, but is one or
the other according to its own individual character. And yet novel-reading has become
one of the great vices of our age. Multitudes care for nothing but light reading. The
records of our public libraries show that there are more readers in this department
than any other—perhaps more than in all the rest. As all kinds of readers become
addicted to fiction, so all sorts of writers press into this wide and productive field, and
produce books of every degree of badness, with now and then something of better
quality. It is not easy for the young to find their way through this labyrinth of good and
evil, the good little and the evil infinite. The safest rule, in whose application the
fewest mistakes will be made, is that of total abstinence.

Author B: When we imagine an intellectual person who is well read, we don’t picture
a person scrolling through tweets and Facebook posts on a laptop. Between
questionable content and the numerous ads and links vying for our attention, online
reading is assumed to be frivolous and unreliable. Reading novels, on the other hand,
is deemed a respectable pastime. And yet, a couple hundred of years ago, novel
reading wasn’t regarded as quite so wholesome an activity. Novels were believed to
have a negative effect on impressionable young women who were unable to
differentiate fact from fiction. Reading novels was thought to ignite sensuality and
spark radical notions. Not everyone agreed with this sentiment, though. In Northanger
Abbey (1817), Jane Austen satirised the supposed impact of novels with her
depiction of Catherine Moorland, an avid reader who starts to believe that a man with
whom she is living is a murderer.

[36]
🎯3 🎯4

1 Author A implies that 1 Both authors describe how

(A) the introduction of slaves in the United reading novels has been characterised
states has led to a refinement of culture.
as
(B) the word “slavery” was coined by slaves
(A) a respectable pastime.
in Africa.
(B) frivolous and unreliable.
(C) slaves are of low intelligence and
(C) influential and harmful.
merely serve as labour.
(D) neither good nor bad.
(D) slaves are politically progressive.

2 Unlike Author A, Author B

2 The portion “There is not a
presents
nation… at this very hour” implies that
(A) multiple perspectives.
(A) Douglass accuses the people of the
(B) a single subjective perspective.
United States for the practices of slavery.
(C) a single objective perspective.
(B) Douglass does not want abolition, but
(D) the writer’s opinion.
feels guilty about brutal slave treatment.
(C) Countries other than the United States
are not as guilty since they have never
engaged in slavery.
✒ Extensive Writing
(D) The abolition of slavery will cause the
Southern economy to fall into For each text 1, 3, and 4, write an
depression. essay summarising and
evaluating the key points from both
3 All of the following is true about
authors. Use your own words
the two authors as a whole except
throughout as far as possible, and
(A) Hammond and Douglass agree that
slaves have been forced to face difficult
include your own ideas in your
conditions in the United States. answers.
(B) Douglass and Hammond agree that
slavery is a necessary evil that promotes
the economy of the United States.
(C) Hammond believes slaves are
necessary, whereas Douglass believes
slavery should be abolished.
(D) Douglass promotes slave freedom,
whereas Hammond supports the
institution of slavery.

4 Unlike Author B, Author A

(A) points out the grievances of slaves.
(B) explains the reasoning behind slavery.
(C) explains how slaves are abused.
(D) appeals to abolitionists.

[37]
📰 Advanced Practice 2A

Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

Deforestation has many negative effects. It threatens the many species that call the
forests and rain forests home. The WWF reported that about 80 per cent of the
world’s land animals and plants live in forests. Removing forests abolishes these
species’ homes, forcing them to relocate or risk dying. They also risk being exposed
to other threats such as hunters. Deforestation does not only affect wildlife. Millions of
people around the world rely on forests for survival. They use them to hunt, gather,
and produce agriculture and products such as rubber.

Climate change is another negative effect of deforestation. When trees are cut down,
the natural cover over the earth provided by tree limbs and leaves is removed. This
natural cover helps regulate temperatures. During the day, the cover protects the
earth and wildlife from the sun’s rays and soaring temperatures. At night, the cover
holds in the heat to protect the wildlife from freezing temperatures. Without the proper
cover, plants and animals are exposed to harmful and extreme temperatures. These
extreme temperatures can cause ideal conditions for forest fires, which can lead to
forest degradation.

🎯 2A

1 The author of Text 1 would most likely agree that

(A) hunting and gathering agricultural products causes a sharp decrease in biodiversity.
(B) forest degradation causes forest fires.
(C) global warming is a natural phenomenon.
(D) trees in forests are being affected immensely by human involvement.

2 Text 2 implies that

(A) deforestation is necessary for humans to survive.
(B) deforestation is only needed to extract valuable minerals.
(C) all loggers act irresponsibly, and many are illegal.
(D) a worldwide shortage of products is caused by logging.

[38]
 Text 2

Many forests are cut down for human survival. Farmers cut down forests to have
larger areas for planting crops and raising livestock to provide for their families. Many
people would go hungry and would not be able to survive without larger areas of
farmland. Forests are also cleared to make way for new infrastructure, including
roadways, homes, and commercial properties such as shopping malls. This in turn
creates more jobs. Logging provides wood and paper products to much of the world.
Without logging, people would experience shortages of many products they use each
day, thus leading to an increase in the cost of these items. Logging is also a livelihood
for many people who would not be able to provide for their families without this
industry. Loggers sometimes receive a bad name as a result of those who act
irresponsibly and illegally when it comes to deforestation.

Forests contain natural resources, including bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, and
even diamonds. To get to these precious minerals, the land must be cleared so it can
be mined. This creates jobs and then revenue when these minerals are sold.

🎯 2A ✒ Extensive Writing

3 The author of Text 2 could use Write an essay summarising and

which of the following as a counter- evaluating the key points from both
example to the ideas presented in Text texts. Use your own words
1? throughout as far as possible, and
(A) Deforestation is a leading cause of include your own ideas in your
death for millions of people.
answers.
(B) Deforestation is not necessary for the
environment.
(C) Deforestation is necessary to sustain
millions of people in an industrial
economy.
(D) Deforestation reduces the levels of
biodiversity in an ecosystem.

4 Both authors present their

arguments by
(A) listing reasons one at a time.
(B) using numbers to prove their points.
(C) using a cause-and-effect relationship.
(D) presenting both sides of an argument.

[39]
📰 Advanced Practice 2B

Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D). The texts below are
adapted from the National Institute of Health’s articles, “Teen Fitness Linked to Higher IQ,
Achievement” and “Moderate Exercise May Improve Memory in Older Adults.” Read the
texts carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

Teen Fitness Linked to Higher IQ, Achievement

Cardiovascular fitness in the 18-year-olds, as measured by stationary cycling, was

strongly linked to scores on intelligence tests. The association remained even after
adjusting for confounding factors. Muscular strength, in contrast, showed little
relationship to intelligence.

“Being fit means that you also have good heart and lung capacity and that your brain
gets plenty of oxygen,” says study co-author Dr. Michael Nilsson of the University of
Gothenburg. “This may be one of the reasons why we can see a clear link with
fitness, but not with muscular strength.”

To learn more about the influence of family and genetics, the researchers analysed a
subset of about 270,000 men who had siblings in the study, including about 1,500
genetically identical and 2,000 non-identical twins. Twin information was culled from
the Swedish Twin Registry, supported in part by the Swedish Research Council and
NIH.

If the link between fitness and intelligence were entirely due to genes and upbringing,
the researchers note, they wouldn’t find an association among pairs of identical twins.
However, the correspondence between cardiovascular fitness and intelligence scores
remained strong. Thus the link between fitness and intelligence appears to arise
mainly from environmental factors. […]

[40]
Text 2

Moderate Exercise May Improve Memory in Older Adults

The brain region called the hippocampus begins to shrink in older adults as part of
the normal aging process. This can contribute to forgetfulness, memory loss and
increased risk of dementia. Physical fitness is known to be associated with both
increased hippocampus size and improved cognitive ability. However, it was unclear
how exercise might affect people who’d already had some hippocampus deterioration
as a result of aging.

To investigate, a research team led by Dr. Kirk Erickson at the University of Pittsburgh
and Dr. Arthur Kramer at the University of Illinois recruited 120 sedentary older adults
without dementia. Participants were randomly placed in 2 groups. One group was
asked to walk around a track for 40 minutes a day, 3 days a week. The other group
did only stretching and resistance training. The study was largely supported by NIH’s
National Institute on Aging (NIA). The results appeared on January 31, 2011, in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

MRI showed that, after one year, the aerobic exercise group had an average 2%
increase in hippocampus volume. Those in the other group continued to show a
decrease in hippocampus volume, on average about 1.4%. While both groups
showed an improvement on spatial memory tests, there was a significant correlation
between increased hippocampus size and improved memory performance only for
those in the walking group.

[41]
🎯 2B ✒ Extensive Writing

1 Both texts are primarily concerned Write an essay summarising and

with evaluating the key points from both
(A) the genetic basis of intelligence. texts. Use your own words
(B) the connection between exercise and
throughout as far as possible, and
overall physical health.
include your own ideas in your
(C) the impact of physical activity on
cognitive abilities. answers.
(D) the changes in the brain that are
associated with aging.

2 Unlike Text 2, Text 1

(A) discusses the results of an experiment.
(B) denies the role of genes in impacting
one’s cognitive abilities.
(C) is more concerned with general
intelligence.
(D) analyses how specific brain structures
are impacted by exercise.

3 The author of Text 1 would most

likely say that the results observed in
Text 2
(A) are inconsistent with existing research
on the impacts of exercise on the brain.
(B) might be explained in part by differing
oxygen levels in the brains of people in
the two groups.
(C) are opposite of what is typically
observed in studies involving teenagers.
(D) primarily reflect genetic differences
between the study’s participants.

4 With which statement would both

authors most likely agree?
(A) Environmental factors affect cognitive
performance.
(B) Resistance training has no effect on
memory.
(C) The size of the hippocampus is the
most important feature of intelligence.
(D) Mental abilities have no relationship to
age.

[42]
📰 Advanced Practice 3A

Text 1 is adapted from NASA’s article “NASA’s Hubble Looks for Possible Moon
Resources.” Text 2 is adapted from “Why Go Back to The Moon?” by Paul Lowman. Read
the texts carefully and choose best the answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

NASA’s Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources

NASA is using the unique capabilities of the Hubble Space Telescope for a new class
of scientific observations of the Earth’s moon.

Hubble’s resolution and sensitivity to ultraviolet light have allowed the telescope to
search for important oxygen-bearing minerals on the moon. Since the moon does not
have a breathable atmosphere, minerals, such as ilmenite (titanium and iron oxide),
may be critical for a sustained human lunar presence. Ilmenite is a potential source of
oxygen for breathing or to power rockets.

The new Hubble observations are the first high-resolution, ultraviolet images ever
acquired of the moon. The images provide scientists with a new tool to study mineral
variations within the lunar crust. As NASA plans future expeditions to the moon, such
data, in combination with other measurements, will help ensure the most valuable
sites are targeted for robotic and human missions.

“Our initial findings support the potential existence of some unique varieties of
oxygen-rich glassy soils in both the Aristarchus and Apollo 17 regions. They could be
well-suited for visits by robots and human explorers in efforts to learn how to live off
the land on the moon,” said Jim Garvin, chief scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space
Flight Centre, Greenbelt, Md. Garvin is principal investigator for the project.

[43]
Text 2

Why Go Back to The Moon?

Current NASA plans are in a preliminary stage, but envisage something comparable
to Little America, or the Amundsen-Scott South Pole base. These terrestrial examples
– operated by humans, incidentally – have proven their scientific value over and over,
helping to produce valuable evidence about the ozone hole and global warming.

NASA did use robots in our first lunar program. But as argued at the time, human
abilities on the surface later proved far superior to robotic ones.

Neil Armstrong and his colleagues demonstrated that humans on the spot provide
instant interpretation of their environment, guided by colour, 3D, high resolution
human vision that is only now being approached by robotic systems.

The most important reason for a new lunar program is dispersal of the human
species. Where does the Moon fit into this possibility? First, it would continue to give
us experience with short interplanetary trips, which is what the Apollo missions were.
These would demonstrably be relatively short and safe compared to Mars voyages,
but would provide invaluable test flights, so to speak. More important, shelters,
vehicles, and other equipment built for the Moon could be over-designed, and with
modification could be used on Mars after being demonstrated at a lunar outpost.

[44]
🎯 3A

1 The author of Text 2 compares 4 Which of the following best

lunar outposts to “Little America” in describes the relationship between the
order to texts?
(A) suggest that lunar colonies can produce (A) Text 1 presents arguments for pursuing
useful knowledge. a line of research, and Text 2 argues
(B) emphasise the biological risks against continuing such research.
associated with colonisation. (B) Text 2 argues for a course of action,
(C) argue for the need for orderly and Text 1 describes research bolstering
government in isolated societies. the possibility of following through with
(D) compare the atmosphere of the arctic that course of action.
with that of the moon. (C) Text 2 examines the causes of a
scientific phenomenon, and Text 1
2 Unlike the author of Text 2, the analyses its effects.
(D) Text 2 describes the findings of a
author of Text 1
research study, and Text 1 analyses the
(A) discusses the importance of species
value of that study.
preservation.
(B) mentions a potential lunar breathing
source. 5 The author of Text 2 would likely
(C) acknowledges the use of robots in lunar regard the “initial findings” associated
missions. with the ultraviolet images mentioned
(D) links colonisation of the moon with
in Text 1 as
colonisation of Mars.
(A) disturbing.
(B) encouraging.
3 The authors of both texts agree (C) irrelevant.
that (D) disappointing.
(A) robot missions on the moon are highly
desirable. 6 The author of Text 2 would most
(B) lunar rocks are crucial to the success of
likely argue that potential robot
industrial operations on Earth.
missions mentioned in Text 1
(C) colonisation of the moon is a worthwhile
(A) will deliver no useful information.
venture.
(B) are constrained by certain limitations.
(D) the benefits of the dispersal of the
(C) will not be accepted by the scientific
human species are frequently
community.
exaggerated.
(D) are sufficient for collecting all relevant
lunar data.

✒ Extensive Writing

Write an essay summarising and evaluating the key points from both texts. Use your
own words throughout as far as possible, and include your own ideas in your answers.

[45]
📰 Advanced Practice 3B

Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

The people who favour embryonic stem cell research are mostly scientists, and they
have many arguments. The first of these arguments is called utilitarianism, which is
about how the benefits of stem cell research outweigh the ethical problem of
destroying embryonic life. An example of utilitarianism is that embryonic stem cells
have the capacity to grow a lot in a lab and can differentiate into almost all types of
bodily tissue. This makes embryonic stem cells a good source for cellular therapies to
treat many diseases. In addition, the social, economic and personal costs of the
diseases that embryonic stem cells can cure are far greater than the costs associated
with the destruction of embryos.

Another argument for research of stem cells retrieved from embryos is human
potential and humanity, which is a similar argument to utilitarianism. The argument of
humanity is about how embryos are not technically life when they are inside the
womb, but instead are merely potential for life. Also, the argument says that a
blastocyst, which changes into an embryo, is a group of human cells that have not
differentiated into anything yet, making cells of the inner cell mass no more “human”
than a skin cell. Another thing that the scientists who favour stem cell research say is
that the ends (saving people who are already living) justify the means (killing things
that are not alive yet).

The final argument used by those who would like to advance the research of
embryonic stem cells is superiority, that embryonic stem cells can be considered a lot
better therapeutically than adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are easier to grow
into cultures; they divide quicker, and they are much more abundant than adult stem
cells, not to mention that embryonic stem cells can treat a wider range of diseases
than adult stem cells.

There are just as many arguments against embryonic stem cells as there are for, but
the biggest question is the grey area between where human life begins, whether it is
in a fertilised egg, in the womb, or when the foetus can survive independently from
the mother.

[46]
 Text 2

There just as many people against stem cells research as there are for it. These
people range from politicians, especially right wing politicians, to scientists, to
religious people. One of these people’s biggest arguments against stem cells is the
value of life. This argument in the highly controversial stem cell debate is based on
the belief that an embryo is actually human, and that it should be treated just like
human life, and this happens as soon as an egg is fertilised.

Another argument is that there are better alternatives to embryonic stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells should be abandoned in favour of alternatives like adult stem
cells, and pro-life supporters say that the use of adult stem cells from sources such
as umbilical cord blood has consistently produced more promising results than the
use of embryonic stem cells. This argument directly contradicts the pro-embryonic
stem cell argument about how embryonic stem cells are superior to adult stem cells.
Adult stem cell research will prosper if it gets the money currently going to embryonic
stem cells, the pro-life supporters point out.

The final argument for the people against embryonic stem cells research is the
scientific flaws that could be involved with the use of embryonic stem cells in
therapies. One concern with embryonic stem cell treatments is that sometimes stem
cells from embryos can create tumours. The bottom line of this argument is that stem
cells may not be as good as some scientists say they are. The main issue of this
raging debate is whether potential embryonic life should be treated the same way as
you or me.

🎯 3B

1 According to the first text, stem cell research is important for scientists due to the fact
that
(A) stem cells are able to differentiate into any type of bodily tissue.
(B) stem cells originate from embryos.
(C) stem cells are magical organisms that grow in the early stages of human development.
(D) stem cell research is well funded, and scientists are required to spend the money given to them.

2 Which of the following describes the role of a blastocyst?

(A) A form of stem cell research done by specialised scientists
(B) A lump of cells that transforms into the human embryo
(C) A single skin cell on the embryo of a human
(D) A potential for life in the womb

[47]
🎯 3B

3 Which of the following is a reason 6 Which choice best states the

that embryonic stem cells are more relationship between the two texts?
useful than adult stem cells? (A) Text 1 challenges the primary argument
(A) Embryonic stem cells are less abundant of Text 2.
than adult stem cells. (B) Text 1 is proven to be more accurate
(B) Embryonic stem cells cannot divide than Text 2.
quickly in comparison to adult stem cells. (C) Text 1 supports the main argument of
(C) Embryonic stem cells are weaker than Text 2.
adult stem cells. (D) Text 2 is an expansion of Text 1.
(D) Embryonic stem cells have the ability to
treat more diseases than adult stem 7 The debate between the author of
cells. Text 1 and the author of Text 2 can be
best described as
4 Which of the following is true (A) logical.
about pro-life supporters according to (B) ethical.
Text 2? (C) emotional.
(A) Pro-life supporters prefer that scientists (D) promotional.
research adult stem cells instead of
embryonic stem cells.
(B) Pro-life supporters want scientists to ✒ Extensive Writing
receive more money to research
embryonic stem cells.
Write an essay summarising and
(C) Pro-life supports do not like scientists
researching new cures for diseases.
evaluating the key points from both
(D) Pro-life supporters wish to change the texts. Use your own words
way adult stem cells are extracted. throughout as far as possible, and
include your own ideas in your
5 The audience of Text 2 is most answers.
likely
(A) highly educated scientists.
(B) government officials.
(C) the general public.
(D) the author’s family.

[48]
📰 Advanced Practice 4A

The first text is adapted from Federalist Paper 78, and the second text is adapted from
Brutus XV (“Anti-Federalist Paper” 15). Both texts were written in the 1780s before the
ratification of the United States Constitution. Both texts address the power of the judicial
branch (the courts). Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

Whoever attentively considers the different departments of power must perceive that,
in a government in which they are separated from each other, the judiciary, from the
nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous to the political rights of the
Constitution; because it will be least in a capacity to annoy or injure them. The
executive not only dispenses the honours, but holds the sword of the community. The
legislature not only commands the purse, but prescribes the rules by which the duties
and rights of every citizen are to be regulated. The judiciary, on the contrary, has no
influence over either the sword or the purse; no direction either of the strength or of
the wealth of the society, and can take no active resolution whatever. It may truly be
said to have neither force nor will, but merely judgment; and must ultimately depend
upon the aid of the executive arm even for the efficacy of its judgments. […]

It is far more rational to suppose, that the courts were designed to be an intermediate
body between the people and the legislature, in order, among other things, to keep
the latter within the limits assigned to their authority. The interpretation of the laws is
the proper and peculiar province of the courts. A constitution is, in fact, and must be
regarded by the judges, as a fundamental law. It therefore belongs to them to
ascertain its meaning, as well as the meaning of any particular act proceeding from
the legislative body. […]

[49]
 Text 2

The power of this court is in many cases superior to that of the legislature. […] The
supreme court then have a right, independent of the legislature, to give a construction
to the constitution and every part of it, and there is no power provided in this system
to correct their construction or do it away. If, therefore, the legislature pass any laws,
inconsistent with the sense the judges put upon the constitution, they will declare it
void; and therefore in this respect their power is superior to that of the legislature. […]
In England the judges are not only subject to have their decisions set aside by the
house of lords (branch of parliament, the legislature in England), for error, but in
cases where they give an explanation to the laws or constitution of the country
contrary to the sense of the parliament, though the parliament will not set aside the
judgment of the court, yet, they have authority, by a new law, to explain the former
one, and by this means to prevent a reception of such decisions. But no such power
is in the legislature. The judges are supreme and no law, explanatory of the
constitution, will be binding on them.

🎯 4A

1 Both authors agree about which aspect of the judiciary?

(A) It has the right to declare legislation unconstitutional.
(B) It is weaker than the legislature.
(C) It is stronger than the legislature.
(D) It is inferior to the legal system in England.

2 According to Text 1, the judiciary

(A) is likely to attract the most ambitious individuals in the nation.
(B) controls the purse strings of the government.
(C) is needed to prevent legislative abuses of power.
(D) derives its powers from the executive.

3 The author of Text 2 mentions the English legal system in order to

(A) contrast the limits imposed on English judges with relative independence of the United States
judiciary.
(B) warn that the American judiciary might end up abusing its powers in a manner similar to the English
judiciary.
(C) weigh the pros and cons of judicial review of executive actions.
(D) suggest that American judges are likely to be unduly influenced by popular pressures.

[50]
🎯 4A ✒ Extensive Writing

4 The author of Text 1 mentions that Write an essay summarising and

the judiciary has neither “force nor will” evaluating the key points from both
in order to texts. Use your own words
(A) illustrate the relative weakness of the throughout as far as possible, and
judiciary in comparison to other
include your own ideas in your
branches.
answers.
(B) refute the claim that the judiciary can
interpret the constitutionality of laws.
(C) assert the enforcement capacities of the
legislature.
(D) suggest that judicial decisions should
be influenced by political leanings.

5 The author of Text 2 believes that

the author of Text 1’s assertion that the
courts have the power of “merely
judgment”
(A) understates the undue influence that
courts have on the political system.
(B) exaggerates the strength of the judiciary
relative to the other branches of
government.
(C) accurately reflects the scope of judicial
powers.
(D) fails to recognise the potential for the
executive to ignore the judiciary’s rulings.

6 The author of Text 2 believes that

the “interpretation” role mentioned by
the author of Text 1
(A) should be transferred to the executive.
(B) is insufficiently checked by the other
branches of the government.
(C) is critical to constraining the power of
the legislature.
(D) overlooks the judiciary’s lack of
enforcement capabilities.

7 The author of Text 1 would find the

warning mentioned in the last
paragraph of Text 2
(A) frighteningly accurate.
(B) overly alarmist.
(C) vastly understated.
(D) moderately convincing.

[51]
📰 Advanced Practice 4B

Text 1 is adapted from the speech “The Strenuous Life” (1899) by Theodore Roosevelt.
Text 2 is adapted from “What It Means to Be Coloured in the Capital of the United States”
(1906) by Mary Church Terrell. Roosevelt would eventually become President of the
United States, while Terrell was a social activist notable for her work with the
NAACP. Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

The Strenuous Life

[…] In this life we get nothing save by effort. Freedom from effort in the present
merely means that there has been stored up effort in the past. A man can be freed
from the necessity of work only by the fact that he or his fathers before him have
worked to good purpose. If the freedom thus purchased is used aright, and the man
still does actual work, though of a different kind, whether as a writer or a General,
whether in the field of politics or in the field of exploration and adventure, he shows
he deserves his good fortune. But if he treats this period of freedom from the need of
actual labour as a period not of preparation, but of mere enjoyment, he shows that he
is simply a cumberer of the earth’s surface, and he surely unfits himself to hold his
own with his fellows if the need to do so should again arise. A mere life of ease is not
in the end a very satisfactory life, and, above all, it is a life which ultimately unfits
those who follow it for serious work in the world.

In the last analysis a healthy state can exist only when the men and women who
make it up can lead clean, vigorous, healthy lives; when the children are so trained
that they shall endeavour, not to shirk difficulties, but to overcome them; not to seek
ease, but to know how to rest triumph from toil and risk. The man must be glad to do
a man’s work, to dare and endure and to labour; to keep himself, and those
dependent on him. […]

[52]
Text 2

What It Means to Be Coloured in the Capital of the United States

I am personally acquainted with one of the most skilful labourers in the hardware
business in Washington. For thirty years he has been working for the same firm. He
told me he could not join the union, and that his employer had been almost forced to
discharge him, because the union men threatened to boycott his store if he did not. If
another man could have been found at the time to take his place he would have lost
his job, he said. When no other human being can bring a refractory chimney or stove
to its senses, this coloured man is called upon as the court of last appeal. If he fails to
subdue it, it is pronounced a hopeless case at once. And yet this expert workman
receives much less for his services than do white men who cannot compare with him
in skill.

And so I might go on citing instance after instance to show the variety of ways in
which our people are sacrificed on the altar of prejudice in the Capital of the United
States and how almost insurmountable are the obstacles which block his [sic] path to
success. Early in life many a coloured youth is so appalled by the helplessness and
the hopelessness of his situation in this country that, in a sort of stoical despair he
resigns himself to his fate. […]

It is impossible for any white person in the United States, now matter how
sympathetic and broad, to realize what life would mean to him if his incentive to effort
were suddenly snatched away. To the lack of incentive to effort, which is the awful
shadow under which we live, may be traced the wreck and ruin of scores of coloured
youth. And surely nowhere in the world do oppression and persecution based solely
on the colour of the skin appear more hateful and hideous than in the capital of the
United States, because the chasm between the principles upon which this
Government was founded, in which it still professes to believe, and those which are
daily practised under the protection of the flag, yawns so wide and deep.

[53]
🎯 4B

1 The author of Text 1 most strongly 4 Which choice best states the
suggests that relationship between the two texts?
(A) only women are expected to lead (A) Both texts deal with the importance of
healthy lives. hard work as a force that is closely tied
(B) people are granted freedom to be to meaningful political and electoral
frivolous. reform.
(C) freedom should not be taken for (B) Each text has a different approach to
granted. whether the benefits of labour are
(D) humanity benefits greatly from taking broadly applicable or are limited by
the easy way out of social problems. background.
(C) Each text offers a different solution to a
2 The author of Text 2 indicates that single economic problem involving race.
(D) Both texts deal with social injustice and
workers who are not white men
portray immediate remedies as unlikely.
(A) are paid the same amount of money as
white men will lower skills.
(B) are paid significantly less than white 5 What would the author of Text 2
men, regardless of skill. advise the author of Text 1?
(C) generally are not easy to replace. (A) To hold the government to the highest
(D) are already union members. principles and to ensure equality
(B) To advocate for more powerful labour
3 The references to the capital of unions
(C) To more vigorously defend the concept
the United States in Text 2 mainly
of attaining prosperity through individual
serve to
efforts
(A) show reverence for the history and
(D) To enjoy his freedom even in an unjust
founding of the country.
society
(B) present a contrast involving a brutal
injustice which violates the principles of
6 Unlike the author of Text 2, the
the government.
(C) emphasise the importance of hard work author of Text 1
in life in order to achieve success. (A) never addresses the topic of leisure
(D) point out the grandeur of the American time.
government on an international basis. (B) never addresses the issue of racism.
(C) never refers to the concept of leading a
healthy life.
(D) never tries to educate the target
audience.

✒ Extensive Writing

Write an essay summarising and evaluating the key points from both texts. Use your
own words throughout as far as possible, and include your own ideas in your answers.

[54]
📰 Advanced Practice 5A

Text 1 is adapted from William Powell, “New genetically engineered American chestnut will
help restore the decimated, iconic tree.” Text 2 is adapted from Jason A. Delborne, “Can
genetic engineering save disappearing forests?” The two texts appeared in The
Conversation in 2016 and 2019, respectively. Read the texts carefully and choose the best
answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

New Genetically Engineered American Chestnut Will Help Restore The

Decimated, Iconic Tree

American chestnut trees were once among the most majestic hardwood trees in the
eastern deciduous forests, many reaching 80 to 120 feet in height and eight feet or
more in diameter.

The “then boundless chestnut woods” Thoreau wrote about in Walden once grew
throughout the Appalachian mountains. They provided habitat and a mast crop for
wildlife, a nutritious nut crop for humans and a source of valuable timber. Because of
their rapid growth rate and rot-resistant wood, they also have significant potential for
carbon sequestration, important in these days of climate change.

The species has a sad story to tell. Of the estimated four billion American chestnut
trees that once grew from Maine to Georgia, only a remnant survive today.

The species was nearly wiped out by chestnut blight, a devastating disease caused
by the exotic fungal pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica. This fungus was accidentally
introduced into the United States over a century ago as people began to import Asian
species of chestnut. It reduced the American chestnut from the dominant canopy
species in the eastern forests to little more than a rare shrub.

After battling the blight for more than a century, researchers are using the modern
tools of breeding, bio-control methods that rely on a virus that inhibits the growth of
the infecting fungus, and direct genetic modification to return the American chestnut
to its keystone position in our forests.

To restore this beloved tree, we will need every tool available. It’s taken 26 years of
research involving a team of more than 100 university scientists and students here at
the not-for-profit American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project, but we’ve
finally developed a nonpatented, blight-resistant American chestnut tree.

[55]
Text 2

Can Genetic Engineering Save Disappearing Forests?

Compared to gene-edited babies in China and ambitious projects to rescue woolly

mammoths from extinction, biotech trees might sound pretty tame.

But releasing genetically engineered trees into forests to counter threats to forest
health represents a new frontier in biotechnology. Even as the techniques of
molecular biology have advanced, humans have not yet released a genetically
engineered plant that is intended to spread and persist in an unmanaged
environment. Biotech trees—genetically engineered or gene-edited—offer just that
possibility.

One thing is clear: The threats facing our forests are many, and the health of these
ecosystems is getting worse. A 2012 assessment by the U.S. Forest Service
estimated that nearly 7 per cent of forests nationwide are in danger of losing at least
a quarter of their tree vegetation by 2027. This estimate may not sound too
worrisome, but it is 40 percent higher than the previous estimate made just six years
earlier.

In 2018, at the request of several U.S. federal agencies and the U.S. Endowment for
Forestry and Communities, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine formed a committee to “examine the potential use of biotechnology to
mitigate threats to forest tree health.” Experts, including me, a social scientist focused
on emerging biotechnologies, were asked to “identify the ecological, ethical, and
social implications of deploying biotechnology in forests, and develop a research
agenda to address knowledge gaps.”

Our committee members came from universities, federal agencies and NGOs and
represented a range of disciplines: molecular biology, economics, forest ecology, law,
tree breeding, ethics, population genetics and sociology. All of these perspectives
were important for considering the many aspects and challenges of using
biotechnology to improve forest health. […]

Although there are many potential applications of biotechnology in forests, such as

genetically engineering insect pests to suppress their populations, we focused
specifically on biotech trees that could resist pests and pathogens. Through genetic
engineering, for example, researchers could insert genes, from a similar or unrelated
species, that help a tree tolerate or fight an insect or fungus.

It’s tempting to assume that the buzz and enthusiasm for gene editing will guarantee
quick, easy and cheap solutions to these problems. But making a biotech tree will not
be easy. Trees are large and long-lived, which means that research to test the
durability and stability of an introduced trait will be expensive and take decades or
longer. […]

[56]
🎯 5A

1 The author of Text 1 can best be 5 Compared to the author of Text 2,

characterised as the author of Text 1 can be described
(A) a member of an environmental as more
preservation organisation. (A) emotionally invested in the problem of
(B) a renowned expert on chestnut trees. deforestation.
(C) an adherent to the philosophy of (B) sceptical of the science surrounding
Thoreau and similar thinkers. gene editing.
(D) a member of the general public with a (C) effectively informed of the issues
strong interest in chestnut trees. surrounding deforestation.
(D) aware of the environmental impact of
2 According to the author of Text 2, blight-resistant trees.
one of the obstacles to conducting
research on genetically engineered 6 The author of Text 2 would likely
trees is the consider the “nonpatented, blight-
(A) opposition of people like the author of resistant American chestnut tree” cited
Text 1. by the author of Text 1 to be
(B) inefficiency of certain government (A) a promising development that is still too
policies. novel to be fully assessed.
(C) longevity of the trees. (B) a hopeless attempt to support an
(D) precariousness of the forest ecosystem. endangered species.
(C) a dangerous experiment that could
3 Given his professional have disastrous consequences.
background, the author of Text 2 would (D) an almost-irrelevant side note in the
discussion of deforestation.
likely be most interested in studying
which of the following topics?
(A) Organic farming practices in rural
communities
✒ Extensive Writing
(B) Thoreau’s connection with nature
(C) Public opinion of genetically modified Write an essay summarising and
fruits evaluating the key points from both
(D) The evolutionary origin of the American
texts. Use your own words
chestnut tree
throughout as far as possible, and
4 How would the author of Text 1 include your own ideas in your
respond to the use of the word answers.
“threats” by the author of Text 2?
(A) With complete agreement, citing the
example of the American chestnut tree
(B) With qualified scepticism, pointing out
that gene editing might provide a
potential solution
(C) With passionate disapproval, cautioning
that scare tactics are not warranted
(D) With ironic humor, suggesting that the
situation is beyond repair

[57]
📰 Advanced Practice 5B

The first text is adapted from John Locke’s Two Treatise on Government, and the second
is from Thomas Hobbes’ The Leviathan. Read the texts carefully and choose the best
answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

To understand political power aright, and derive it from its original, we must consider
what estate all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order
their actions, and dispose of their possessions […] But though this be a state of
liberty, yet it is not a state of licence; though man in that state have an uncontrollable
liberty to dispose of his person or possessions, yet he has not liberty to destroy
himself, or so much as any creature in his possession, but where some nobler use
than its bare preservation calls for it. […]

And that all men may be restrained from invading others’ rights, and from doing hurt
to one another, and the law of Nature be observed […] And thus, in the state of
Nature, one man comes by a power over another, but yet no absolute or arbitrary
power to use a criminal, when he has got him in his hands, according to the
passionate heats or boundless extravagancy of his own will, but only to retribute to
him so far as calm reason and conscience dictate, what is proportionate to his
transgression […]

Men being, as has been said, by nature, all free, equal, and independent, no one can
be put out of this estate, and subjected to the political power of another, without his
own consent. The only way whereby any one divests himself of his natural liberty, and
puts on the bonds of civil society, is by agreeing with other men to join and unite into
a community for their comfortable, safe, and peaceable living one amongst another,
in a secure enjoyment of their properties, and a greater security against any, that are
not of it. […]

And thus every man, by consenting with others to make one body politic under one
government, puts himself under an obligation, to every one of that society, to submit
to the determination of the majority, and to be concluded by it; or else this original
compact, whereby he with others incorporates into one society, would signify nothing,
and be no compact, if he be left free, and under no other ties than he was in before in
the state of nature. […]

[58]
Text 2

And because the condition of man in the state of nature is a condition of war of every
one against every one, in which case everyone is governed by his own reason, and
there is nothing he can make use of that may not be a help unto him in preserving his
life against his enemies, it follows that in such a condition every man has a right to
everything, even to one another’s body. And therefore, as long as this natural right of
every man to everything endure, there can be no security to any man, how strong or
wise so ever he be, of living out the time which Nature ordinarily allows men to live.
[…]

The final Cause, End, or Design of men, (who naturally love Liberty, and Dominion
over others,) in the introduction of that restraint upon themselves, (in which we see
them live in commonwealths,) is the foresight of their own preservation, and of a more
contented life thereby; that is to say, of getting themselves out from that miserable
condition of war, which is necessarily consequent (as hath been shewn) to the natural
Passions of men, when there is no visible Power to keep them in awe, and tie them
by fear of punishment to the performance of their covenant.

The only way to erect such a Common Power, as may be able to defend them from
the invasion of Foreigners, and the injuries of one another, and thereby to secure
them in such sort, as that by their own industry, and by the fruits of the Earth, they
may nourish themselves and live contentedly; is, to confer all their power and
strength upon one Man, or upon one Assembly of men, that may reduce all their
Wills, by plurality of voices, unto one Will: which is as much as to say, to appoint one
man, or Assembly of men, to bear their Person; and every one to own, and
acknowledge himself to be Author of whatsoever he that so bear their Person, shall
Act, or cause to be Acted, in those things which concern the Common Peace and
Safety; and therein to submit their Wills, everyone to his Will, and their Judgements,
to his Judgment. This done, the Multitude so united in one Person, is called a
Common-Wealth, to which we owe under the Immortal God, our peace and defence.
For by this Authority, given him by every particular man in the Common-Wealth, he
hath the use of so much Power and Strength conferred on him, that by terror thereof,
he is enabled to form the wills of them all, to Peace at home, and mutual aid against
their enemies abroad.

[59]
🎯 5B

1 Which statement best describes 5 Locke mentions the state of

the relationship between the texts? licence in order to
(A) Text 2 supports an argument mentioned (A) justify a mechanism.
in Text 1. (B) clarify a distinction.
(B) Text 2 provides a case study to support (C) reconcile two prevailing theories.
an argument advanced in Text 1. (D) make a personal disclosure.
(C) Text 2 describes an alternative
approach to one described in Text 1. 6 Hobbes’ respond to Locke’s claim
(D) Text 2 denies the existence of a
that the state of nature is not a state of
problem discussed in Text 1.
licence by arguing that
(A) humans in the state of nature have no
2 With which statement would both
capacity to act rashly.
authors agree? (B) the desire of people to live peacefully in
(A) People should give up some of their communities prevents them from acting
natural liberties in exchange for security. maliciously.
(B) People should strive for absolute (C) people will inflict harm on each other
political equality. unless an authority figure exists to
(C) The state of nature is one in which restrain them.
people live in perfect freedom. (D) people have no natural rights to act
(D) People are naturally at war with each freely in the state of nature.
other.

7 Locke would likely respond to the

3 In comparison to the state of
commonwealth that Hobbes describes
nature portrayed by Locke, the state of
with
nature as portrayed by Hobbes is more (A) complete agreement, since people need
(A) orderly. to sacrifice all of their rights in order to
(B) violent. live peacefully.
(C) efficient. (B) tempered approval, since protecting
(D) cheerful. people from invaders is the primary
purpose of the government.
4 Locke would likely respond to (C) disapproval, since majority rule protects
Hobbes’ statement that there is “no the rights of individuals.
(D) suspicion, since society flourishes best
security” in the state of nature by
in the state of nature.
arguing thatLocke would likely respond
to Hobbes’ statement that there is “no
security” in the state of nature by ✒ Extensive Writing
arguing that
(A) people in the state of nature are
Write an essay summarising and
incapable of exercising their volition over
one another.
evaluating the key points from both
(B) all people in the state of nature have texts. Use your own words
equal strength and intelligence. throughout as far as possible, and
(C) informal mechanisms of justice in the include your own ideas in your
state of nature exist.
answers.
(D) people in the state of nature generally
act arbitrarily to protect their interests.

[60]
📰 Advanced Practice 6A

Text 1 is adapted from Karen Jenvey, “Meteorite Discovery Spurs Hunt For More Pieces”
(2012). Text 2 is adapted from Kassandra Bell and Alison Hawkes, “The Universe’s First
Type of Molecule Is Found at Last” (2019). Both articles were published as news releases
from NASA. Read the texts carefully and complete the tasks.

Text 1

Meteorite Discovery Spurs Hunt For More Pieces

Meteorite fragments were recently scattered around Sutter’s Mill in California, the
same region where the first nugget of gold was found that sparked the Gold Rush in
1848. Scientists believe the meteorites may hold answers to unsolved mysteries
about our solar system and the origins of molecules necessary for life. When the Gold
Rush began, people headed to California seeking their fortune. Now, with this
meteorite hunt, people once again have flocked to this area to search for scientific
treasures. [...]

This is a very rare type of meteor and scientists have precious few samples of this
kind of material. The meteorites are very interesting to scientists from an astrobiology
perspective, as they contain molecules related to how the building blocks for life on
Earth may have been delivered from outer space. Scientists believe that this meteor
could hold the answers to the origin of life on Earth and the universe. By studying the
meteor, scientists also will learn more about the early solar system and the formation
of our planets.

“This is among the most chemically primitive meteorites,” said NLSI Deputy Director
Greg Schmidt. “It’s like asking ‘how did life on Earth begin?’ and then having a fossil
fall right in your back yard. This is exciting stuff—who knows what’s inside? The
Sutter’s Mill Meteorite could be the most profound sample collected in over 40 years.”

[61]
Text 2

The Universe’s First Type of Molecule Is Found at Last

The first type of molecule that ever formed in the universe has been detected in
space for the first time, after decades of searching. Scientists discovered its signature
in our own galaxy using the world’s largest airborne observatory, NASA’s
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, as the aircraft flew high
above the Earth’s surface and pointed its sensitive instruments out into the cosmos.

When the universe was still very young, only a few kinds of atoms existed. Scientists
believe that around 100,000 years after the big bang, helium and hydrogen combined
to make a molecule called helium hydride for the first time. Helium hydride should be
present in some parts of the modern universe, but it has never been detected in
space—until now.

SOFIA found modern helium hydride in a planetary nebula, a remnant of what was
once a Sun-like star. Located 3,000 light-years away near the constellation Cygnus,
this planetary nebula, called NGC 7027, has conditions that allow this mystery
molecule to form. The discovery serves as proof that helium hydride can, in fact, exist
in space. This confirms a key part of our basic understanding of the chemistry of the
early universe and how it evolved over billions of years into the complex chemistry of
today. The results are published in this week’s issue of Nature.

“This molecule was lurking out there, but we needed the right instruments making
observations in the right position—and SOFIA was able to do that perfectly,” said
Harold Yorke, director of the SOFIA Science Centre, in California’s Silicon Valley.

Today, the universe is filled with large, complex structures such as planets, stars and
galaxies. But more than 13 billion years ago, following the big bang, the early
universe was hot, and all that existed were a few types of atoms, mostly helium and
hydrogen. As atoms combined to form the first molecules, the universe was finally
able to cool and began to take shape. Scientists have inferred that helium hydride
was this first, primordial molecule.

[62]
🎯 6A

1 Find in Text 1 the portion that best 6 Both texts discuss scientists’ hope
supports the notion that the Sutter’s to learn more about
Mill meteor landing in California was a (A) the origins of the chemistry of the
modern universe.
stroke of good fortune. Write the full
(B) the ideas that motivated the California
sentence(s).
Gold Rush.
(C) how molecular evolution led to human
2 Which of the following is not evolution.
mentioned in Text 2 as being a (D) how the universe became so complex.
difference between the early universe
and modern universe? 7 One similarity between the two
(A) Temperature texts is that both discuss
(B) Complexity (A) the history and formation of helium
(C) Size hydride.
(D) The number of types of elements (B) a discovery that promises to shed light
on the early universe.
3 Why didn’t scientists find helium (C) which elements were common shortly
after the Big Bang.
hydride earlier?
(D) the building blocks of life on Earth.
(A) They were looking only at meteorites.
(B) Helium hydride existed only in the early
universe.
(C) They did not have adequate equipment ✒ Extensive Writing
to detect this substance.
(D) Helium hydride was too primitive to be Write an essay summarising and
detected.
evaluating the key points from both
texts. Use your own words
4 According to Text 2, the
throughout as far as possible, and
significance of finding helium hydride is
include your own ideas in your
that its presence
(A) supports a key feature of a theory.
answers.
(B) disproves a key feature of a theory.
(C) illustrates the origins of life on Earth.
(D) allows scientists to build biomolecules
in space.

5 The effect of the word “sensitive”

in Text 2 is to
(A) illustrate the purpose of SOFIA’s
instruments.
(B) convey how difficult it is to detect helium
hydride in space.
(C) imply that SOFIA’s data features many
errors.
(D) shed light on the technical workings of
SOFIA’s instruments.

[63]
📰 Advanced Practice 6B

Text 1 is adapted from the Boston Massacre Oration delivered by John Hancock on March
5, 1774. Text 2 is adapted from the Speech to the Continental Congress delivered by John
Galloway on September 28, 1774. Both selections consider the events and policies that
led up to the American Revolution, including the British Parliament’s creation of taxes
without the consent of American colonists. Read the texts carefully and choose the best
answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

[…] Security to the persons and properties of the governed is so obviously the design
and end of civil government, that to attempt a logical proof of it would be like burning
tapers at noonday, to assist the sun in enlightening the world; and it cannot be either
virtuous or honourable to attempt to support a government of which this is not the
great and principal basis; and it is to the last degree vicious and infamous to attempt
to support a government which manifestly tends to render the persons and properties
of the governed insecure. Some boast of being friends to government; I am a friend to
righteous government, to a government founded upon the principles of reason and
justice; but I glory in publicly avowing my eternal enmity to tyranny. Is the present
system, which the British administration have adopted for the government of the
Colonies, a righteous government—or is it tyranny? Here suffer me to ask (and would
to heaven there could be an answer!) what tenderness, what regard, respect, or
consideration has Great Britain shown, in their late transactions, for the security of the
persons or properties of the inhabitants of the Colonies? Or rather what have they
omitted doing to destroy that security? They have declared that they have ever had,
and of right ought ever to have, full power to make laws of sufficient validity to bind
the Colonies in all cases whatever. They have exercised this pretended right by
imposing a tax upon us without our consent; and lest we should show some
reluctance at parting with our property, her fleets and armies are sent to enforce their
mad pretensions. The town of Boston, ever faithful to the British Crown, has been
invested by a British fleet; the troops of George III. have crossed the wide Atlantic,
not to engage an enemy, but to assist a band of traitors in trampling on the rights and
liberties of his most loyal subjects in America—those rights and liberties which, as a
father, he ought ever to regard, and as a king, he is bound, in honour, to defend from
violation, even at the risk of his own life.

[64]
 Text 2

As to the tax, it is neither unjust or oppressive, it being rather a relief than a burthen;
but it is want of constitutional principle in the authority that passed it, which is the
ground for complaint. This, and this only, is the source of American grievances. Here,
and here only, is the defect; and if this defect were removed, a foundation would be
laid for the relief of every American complaint; the obnoxious statutes would of course
be repealed, and others would be made, with the assent of the Colonies, to answer
the same and better purposes; the mischiefs arising from the disunion of the Colonies
would be removed; their freedom would be established, and their subordination fixed
on solid constitutional principles.

Desirous as I am to promote the freedom of the Colonies, and to prevent the

mischiefs which will attend a military contest with Great-Britain, I must intreat you to
desert the measures which have been so injudiciously and ineffectually pursued by
antecedent Assemblies. […] I would therefore acknowledge the necessity of the
supreme authority of Parliament over the Colonies, because it is a proposition which
we cannot deny without manifest contradiction, while we confess that we are subjects
of the British Government; and if we do not approve of a representation in Parliament,
let us ask for a participation in the freedom and power of the English constitution in
some other mode of incorporation: for I am convinced, by long attention to the
subject, that let us deliberate, and try what other expedients we may, we shall find
none that can give to the Colonies substantial freedom, but some such incorporation.
I therefore beseech you, by the respect you are bound to pay to the instructions of
your constituents, by the regard you have for the honour and safety of your country
[…]

🎯 6B

1 The author of Text 1 strongly suggests that the Colonies will disrespect any
government that
(A) imposes its unquestioned authority on them.
(B) is connected to King George III.
(C) employs traitors who disregard the laws devised by the Colonies themselves.
(D) does not pass well-defined and strict laws.

2 The phrase “mad pretensions” used in Text 1 refers to

(A) King George III’s desire to destroy the Colonies.
(B) Great Britain’s exercise of power over the Colonies.
(C) the security of the properties of the inhabitants of the Colonies.
(D) the people’s uprising against the imposed tax devised by the British.

[65]
🎯 6B

3 What is the main point that the 6 How would the author of Text 1
author of Text 2 wishes to make? most likely respond to the idea of a
(A) The author proposes a new order in the “defect” referred to in Text 2?
political union between Great Britain and (A) With indifference, because the author of
the Colonies. Text 1 is not affected by this “defect”
(B) The author completely discards Great (B) With disdain, because of the perceived
Britain’s political propositions. ignorance of the author of Text 2
(C) The author supports the new taxes and regarding political matters
the manner in which they were passed. (C) With approval, because the author of
(D) The author urges a complete separation Text 1 shares this particular opinion with
of the Colonies from British rule. the author of Text 2
(D) With aggression, because of the author
4 The author of Text 2 traces the of Text 1 would connect this reference to
problems surrounding the tax to dishonest claims
(A) the absence of subordination in the
Colonies. 7 Compared to the author of Text 2,
(B) defects in how the tax has been the author of Text 1 presents his views
explained.
more
(C) the oppressive nature of the tax.
(A) forcefully.
(D) the absence of proper authority from
(B) reluctantly.
Britain.
(C) passively.
(D) indifferently.
5 Which choice best states the
relationship between the two texts?
(A) Both texts discuss the dissatisfaction in ✒ Extensive Writing
the Colonies with Great Britain’s political
actions.
(B) Both texts thoroughly explain the
Write an essay summarising and
qualities which make a government just, evaluating the key points from both
honorable, and worth supporting. texts. Use your own words
(C) Text 2 grudgingly expresses agreement throughout as far as possible, and
with Text 1 with respect to the British rule
include your own ideas in your
and tax laws.
(D) Text 2 presents a more favourable
answers.
picture of the British Parliament than
does Text 1.

[66]
📰 Advanced Practice 7A

Text 1 is adapted from “New 3D Measurements Improve Understanding of Geomagnetic

Storm Hazards,” and Text 2 is adapted from “Preparing the Nation for Intense Space
Weather.” Both texts are news releases from the U.S. Geological Survey. Read the texts
carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

New 3D Measurements Improve Understanding of Geomagnetic Storm Hazards

Space weather events such as geomagnetic storms can disturb the earth’s magnetic
field, interfering with electric power grids, radio communication, GPS systems,
satellite operations, oil and gas drilling and air travel. Scientists use models of the
earth’s structure and measurements of Earth’s magnetic field taken at USGS
observatories to determine which sections of the electrical grid might lose power
during a geomagnetic storm.

In a new U.S. Geological Survey study, scientists calculated voltages along power
lines in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. using 3D data of the earth. These data,
taken at Earth’s surface, reflect the complex structure of the earth below the
measurement sites and were collected during the National Science Foundation
EarthScope USArray project. The scientists found that for many locations, the
voltages they calculated were significantly different from those based on previous 1D
calculations, with the 3D data producing the most precise results.

“Using the most accurate data available to determine vulnerable areas of the power
grid can help maintain life-saving communications and protect national security during
severe geomagnetic storms,” said Greg Lucas, a USGS scientist and the lead author
of the study. “Our study suggests that 3D data of the earth should be used whenever
they are available.”

Electric currents from a March 1989 geomagnetic storm caused a blackout in Quebec
and numerous glitches in the U.S. power grid. In past studies, scientists using simple
1D models of the earth would have found that 16 high-voltage electrical transmission
lines were disturbed in the mid-Atlantic region during the storm, resulting in the
blackout. However, by using realistic 3D data to calculate the 1989 scenario, the new
study found that there might have actually been 62 vulnerable lines.

“This discrepancy between 1D- and 3D-based calculations of the 1989 storm
demonstrates the importance of realistic data, rather than relying on previous 1D
models, to determine the impact that a geomagnetic storm has on power grids,”
Lucas said.

[67]
 Text 2

Preparing the Nation for Intense Space Weather

The entire Canadian province of Québec, which covers twice as much area as the
State of Texas, was plunged into darkness on the morning of March 13, 1989. An
intense geomagnetic storm seized Québec’s power-grid system, tripping relays,
damaging high-voltage transformers, and causing a blackout.

This geomagnetic storm’s impact on Québec pales in comparison to what could

happen in the future. A report by the National Academy of Sciences suggests that a
rare but powerful magnetic superstorm could cause continent-wide loss of electricity
and substantial damage to power-grid infrastructure that could persist for months and
cost the Nation in excess of $1 trillion.

“Utility groups rely on historical data collected by long-running USGS [U.S. Geological
Survey] magnetic observatories to see what a worst-case scenario could look like,”
said Mark Olson, a standards developer with the North American Electric Reliability
Corporation (NERC). “These data help NERC draft standards aimed at maintaining
reliable operations of the North American power grid.”

When a large sunspot emerges, the likelihood of an abrupt emission of radiation and
an intense solar wind becomes greater. When these winds reach the Earth,
electrically charged particles enter the Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, and
interior, inducing a geomagnetic storm. […]

🎯 7A

1 In Text 1, Greg Lucas argues that 1D voltage calculation models should be

(A) prioritised since they have proven useful in the past.
(B) adjusted to more closely resemble 3D models.
(C) investigated in light of data on recent crises.
(D) abandoned in favour of a more accurate method.

2 The author of Text 2 mentions the report by the National Academy of Sciences in
order to call attention to
(A) the steep financial costs of studying environmental disasters.
(B) the threats posed by magnetic superstorms.
(C) the increasing frequency of superstorms.
(D) gradual improvements in the technology used to study magnetic superstorms.

[68]
🎯 7A

3 The final paragraph of Text 2 6 On the basis of Text 2, Marc Olson

mainly serves to would respond to the information in
(A) outline a process central to the author’s Text 1 by pointing out that
analysis. (A) the text rightly indicates the problems
(B) justify a standard method of with 1D storm modeling, but neglects
classification. recent modifications to this modeling
(C) summarise the most famous facts about technique.
a disaster. (B) the text may be too negative in its
(D) support the thesis argued by a single assessment, since past data collection
researcher. has been important to maintaining
infrastructure.
4 Which choice best describes the (C) the text presents useful data and
relationship between the two texts? suggests new possibilities for weather-
(A) Text 1 shows how a new consensus related research.
regarding a disaster described in Text 2 (D) the text’s valid arguments about the
has emerged over time. nature of geomagnetic storms are
(B) Text 1 describes a project that complicated by its unrealistic estimate of
retrospectively analyses an event the extent of the 1989 storm.
explained in Text 2.
(C) Text 1 presents an unexpected
viewpoint that is given statistical support ✒ Extensive Writing
in Text 2.
(D) Text 1 locates various objections to the
Write an essay summarising and
research described in Text 2.
evaluating the key points from both
5 One central tension between the texts. Use your own words
texts is that throughout as far as possible, and
(A) only Text 1 points out the include your own ideas in your
inconveniences that geomagnetic storms answers.
can cause for communities.
(B) only Text 1 presents a contrast that
favours one procedure over another.
(C) only Text 2 describes how the 1989
geomagnetic storm influenced a national
power grid.
(D) only Text 2 cites the widely-accepted
definition of a geomagnetic storm.

[69]
📰 Advanced Aractice 7B

Text 1 is adapted from a speech on the Compromise of 1850 delivered by Senator Henry
Clay of Kentucky; Text 2 is from a speech on the same issue delivered by Senator John C.
Calhoun of South Carolina. The Compromise itself was designed to deal with a series of
nationwide tensions involving slavery. Under the terms of this measure, some of which
were perceived as placing the states of the American South at a disadvantage, California
was allowed to enter the Union as a free state.

Text 1

[…] In all such measures of compromise, one party would be very glad to get what he
wants, and reject what he does not desire but which the other party wants. But when
he comes to reflect that, from the nature of the government and its operations, and
from those with whom he is dealing, it is necessary upon his part, in order to secure
what he wants, to grant something to the other side, he should be reconciled to the
concession which he has made in consequence of the concession which he is to
receive, if there is no great principle involved, such as a violation of the Constitution
of the United States. I admit that such a compromise as that ought never to be
sanctioned or adopted. But I now call upon any senator in his place to point out from
the beginning to the end, from California to New Mexico, a solitary provision in this bill
which is violative of the Constitution of the United States.

The responsibility of this great measure passes from the hands of the committee, and
from my hands. They know, and I know, that it is an awful and tremendous
responsibility. I hope that you will meet it with a just conception and a true
appreciation of its magnitude, and the magnitude of the consequences that may
ensue from your decision one way or the other. The alternatives, I fear, which the
measure presents, are concord and increased discord… I believe from the bottom of
my soul that the measure is the reunion of this Union. I believe it is the dove of peace,
which, taking its aerial flight from the dome of the Capitol, carries the glad tidings of
assured peace and restored harmony to all the remotest extremities of this distracted
land. I believe that it will be attended with all these beneficent effects. And now let us
discard all resentment, all passions, all petty jealousies, all personal desires, all love
of place, all hankerings after the gilded crumbs which fall from the table of power. Let
us forget popular fears, from whatever quarter they may spring. Let us go to the
limpid fountain of unadulterated patriotism, and, performing a solemn lustration,
return divested of all selfish, sinister, and sordid impurities, and think alone of our
God, our country, our consciences, and our glorious Union—that Union without which
we shall be torn into hostile fragments, and sooner or later become the victims of
military despotism or foreign domination...

[70]
Both texts are news releases from the U.S. Geological Survey. Read the texts carefully
and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 2

It is time, Senators, that there should be an open and manly avowal on all sides, as to
what is intended to be done. If the question is not now settled, it is uncertain whether
it ever can hereafter be; and we, as the representatives of the States of this Union,
regarded as governments, should come to a distinct understanding as to our
respective views, in order to ascertain whether the great questions at issue can be
settled or not. If you, who represent the stronger portion, cannot agree to settle them
on the broad principle of justice and duty, say so; and let the States we both represent
agree to separate and part in peace.

If you are unwilling we should part in peace, tell us so; and we shall know what to do,
when you reduce the question to submission or resistance. If you remain silent, you
will compel us to infer by your acts what you intend. In that case, California will
become the test question. If you admit her, under all the difficulties that oppose her
admission, you compel us to infer that you intend to exclude us from the whole of the
acquired territories, with the intention of destroying, irretrievably, the equilibrium
between the two sections. We would be blind not to perceive, in that case, that your
real objects are power and aggrandisement, and infatuated not to act accordingly.

I have now, Senators, done my duty in expressing my opinions fully, freely, and
candidly, on this solemn occasion. In doing so, I have been governed by the motives
which have governed me in all the stages of the agitation of the slavery question
since its commencement. I have exerted myself, during the whole period, to arrest it,
with the intention of saving the Union, if it could be done; and if it could not, to save
the section where it has pleased Providence to cast my lot […]

🎯 7B

1 In Text 1, Clay explains that the Constitution is

(A) the first and most important manifestation of an American radiation of cooperation and negotiation.
(B) a feature of national life that should be respected in the formulation of political compromises.
(C) a document that was once thought divisive but has come to be held in universally high regard.
(D) a source of guidance that may be modified as a result of ongoing deliberations.

[71]
🎯 7B

2 Clay’s reference to the “limpid 5 Both texts serve the purpose of

fountain” serves primarily to (A) encouraging decisive action during a
(A) introduce an allusion to language time of potential conflict.
contained in the Constitution. (B) convincing an audience that is believed
(B) emphasise Clay’s willingness to take a to be indecisive.
principled yet unpopular stance. (C) critiquing misguided ideas about the
(C) signify virtues that Clay urges his Union.
audience to prioritise. (D) prompting debate on whether individual
(D) return to and extend a metaphorical states should remain within the Union.
reference presented earlier.
6 On the basis of Tex 1, Clay would
3 Calhoun explains that California argue that the option described by
serves as a “test question” because Calhoun in the segment “If you...
(A) the people of California have embraced peace” is
a viewpoint similar to Calhoun’s but have (A) motivated by a cynical stance on
been slighted by the federal government. national politics.
(B) responses to the situation in California (B) currently impossible though previously
will prove useful in distinguishing viable.
ideological systems that had once (C) unrealistic given the options that face
seemed to overlap. the Union.
(C) events in California are the most (D) bizarre given what Clay sees as a
dramatic manifestation of a political universal attempt at reconciliation.
conflict that has appeared in more subtle
forms.
7 One of the important rhetorical
(D) how the case of California is handled
differences between Clay’s discussion
will allow him to gauge whether his
interests face goodwill or hostility. in Text 1 and Calhoun’s discussion in
Text 2 is that
4 The final paragraph of Text 2 (A) Clay uses collective references to
promote cooperation, while Calhoun
indicates that Calhoun’s priority has
directly addresses a group that may not
been to
be in sympathy with him.
(A) promote the interests of his state even if
(B) Clay explains his own expertise to lend
such interests harm the Union.
credibility to his argument, while Calhoun
(B) preserve the Union if such a goal is
professes faith in the judgment of his
feasible.
audience.
(C) re-define the idea of the Union in a
(C) Clay does not consider possible
manner more acceptable to the South.
arguments against his position, while
(D) warn that crisis over the Union seems
Calhoun carefully analyses the most
inevitable.
popular cases against his stance.
(D) Clay assumes that his ideas represent
the will of the nation, while Calhoun
explains that his ideas are intentionally
provocative.

[72]
📰 Advanced Practice 8A

Text 1 is adapted from Jyoti Madhusoodanan, “Could sleepless nights of terror be good for
you?” (2012), published on the PLOS One community blog EveryOne. Text 2 is adapted
from a news release from the National Institute on Aging, “Does poor sleep raise risk for
Alzheimer’s disease?” (2016). Read the texts carefully and complete the tasks.

Text 1

Could Sleepless Nights of Terror Be Good for You?

Lying awake and listening for demonic footsteps after Paranormal Activity 4 may turn
out to be more helpful to your mental health than trying to fall asleep.
A study published earlier this month in PLOS ONE shows that losing sleep can
prevent frightening memories from taking hold in the brain, at least in rats.

A good night’s sleep has many advantages, including improving our ability to recollect
facts or learned motor skills. Losing sleep impairs these kinds of memory, but the
impact of sleep deprivation on other kinds of memory, such as that of traumatic
events, is still poorly understood.

In this study the authors Tankesh Kumar and Sushil Jha, found that when rats were
trained to develop a conditioned fear response to a sound they heard, this response
was twice as strong in rats that slept for six hours after the training than in those that
stayed awake for this period of time. According to the authors, this result suggests
that the rats that stayed awake hadn’t learned to be afraid of the sound as well as the
better-rested animals had.

Despite the ill effects of sleep deprivation and associated poor memory under other
circumstances, the authors suggest that losing sleep after a traumatic event can
actually help prevent fearful memories from taking hold in the brain, potentially
providing long-term benefits like reducing the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) or anxiety disorders.

Related PLOS ONE research published last year studied the effects of a similar,
odour-induced fear conditioning exercise in rats, and observed changes in brain
activity during sleep following the exercise. The researchers also found that these
changes correlated with the strength of the fear response observed in rats the next
day.

[73]
Text 2

Does Poor Sleep Raise Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease?

Disturbed sleep—whether due to illness, pain, anxiety, depression, or a sleep

disorder—can lead to trouble concentrating, remembering, and learning. A return to
normal sleep patterns usually eases these problems. But in older people, disturbed
sleep may have more dire and long-lasting consequences.

Scientists long believed that the initial buildup of the beta-amyloid protein in the brain,
an early biological sign of Alzheimer’s, causes disturbed sleep, Dr. Mackiewicz said.
Recently, though, evidence suggests the opposite may also occur—disturbed sleep in
cognitively normal older adults contributes to the risk of cognitive decline and
Alzheimer’s disease.

For example, in a study of older men free of dementia, poor sleep, including greater
nighttime wakefulness, was associated with cognitive decline over a period of more
than 3 years (Blackwell et al., 2014). Sleep was assessed through participants’
reports and a device worn on the wrist that tracks movements during sleep.

Sleep disorders such as sleep apnea may pose an even greater risk of cognitive
impairment. In a 5-year study of older women, those with sleep-disordered breathing
(SDB)—repeated arousals from sleep due to breathing disruptions, as happens in
sleep apnea—had a nearly twofold increase in risk for mild cognitive impairment (a
precursor to Alzheimer’s in some people) or dementia (Yaffe et al., 2011).

In addition, certain types of poor sleep seem to be associated with risk of cognitive
impairment, according to Kristine Yaffe, M.D., of the University of California, San
Francisco. These include hypoxia (low oxygen levels that can be caused by sleep
disorders) and difficulty in falling or staying asleep.

Evidence of a link between sleep and risk of Alzheimer’s has led to investigations to
explain the brain activity that underlies this connection in humans. Some recent
studies suggest that poor sleep contributes to abnormal levels of beta-amyloid protein
in the brain, which in turn leads to the amyloid plaques found in the Alzheimer’s brain.
These plaques might then affect sleep-related brain regions, further disrupting sleep.

Studies in laboratory animals show a direct link between sleep and Alzheimer’s
disease. One study in mice, led by researchers at Washington University, St. Louis,
showed that beta-amyloid levels naturally rose during wakefulness and fell during
sleep (Kang et al., 2009). Mice deprived of sleep for 21 days showed significantly
greater beta-amyloid plaques than those that slept normally. Increasing sleep had the
opposite effect—it reduced the amyloid load.

[74]
🎯 8A

1 Which piece of information would 5 On the basis of the information

add certitude to the possibility raised present in the texts, the author of Text
by the author in the first lines of Text 1 would react to the first paragraph of
1 (“Lying awake... asleep”)? Text 2 with
(A) The effects of sleeplessness have often (A) profound surprise, since the assumed
been depicted inaccurately in popular connection between sleeplessness in
culture. humans and memory loss had
(B) Kumar and Jha considered multiple age apparently been disproven.
groups for the rats in their study. (B) open objection, since sleeplessness is
(C) Sleeplessness is now being promoted in rare cases instrumental in preserving
in the media as a factor that improves memories.
critical thinking. (C) thorough skepticism, since there is not
(D) The results of the study by Kumar and a useful consensus definition of a normal
Jha are applicable to both rats and sleep pattern.
humans. (D) general concurrence, since a positive
correlation between sound sleep and
2 Which piece of information, if true, memory has been demonstrated.

would make the findings in the final two

6 Which choice best describes the
paragraphs of Text 1 problematic?
(A) Rats rely more on sound and and sight relationship between the two texts?
to navigate their surroundings than they (A) Text 1 traces a desirable connection
do on smell. between sleep deprivation and memory
(B) Responses that indicate excitement loss, while Text 2 links sleep loss and
among rats are indistinguishable from impaired cognition.
responses that indicate fear. (B) Text 1 indicates that sleep deprivation
(C) Rats have relatively weak long-term can increase the intensity of certain
memory capacity under normal memories, while Text 2 contradicts this
circumstances. same idea.
(D) Odours that stimulate fear in rats are (C) Text 1 considers how studies of humans
typically linked to substances that rats do and animals relate to one another, while
not encounter in nature. Text 2 questions whether such studies
are interchangeable.
(D) Text 1 outlines a scientific solution to a
3 Find the portion that best indicates
common problem, while Text 2 debunks
that the authors of Text 2 see dementia
the idea that sleep research has such
as only one form of cognitive decline. immediate practical applications.

4 The authors of Text 2 characterise

the [some recent] “studies” mentioned
in the penultimate paragraph as
(A) applicable to both humans and small
animals.
(B) authoritative yet currently under-
appreciated.
(C) contradicted by other experiments that
focus on beta-amyloid proteins.
(D) consequential but not completely
verified.

[75]
🎯 8A ✒ Extensive Writing

7 One key similarity between how Write an essay summarising and

the two texts present recent research is evaluating the key points from both
that texts. Use your own words
(A) both texts define technical terms that throughout as far as possible, and
have become central to the study of
include your own ideas in your
neuroscience for animals and humans
answers.
alike.
(B) both texts consider multiple avenues of
research that imply the virtues of an
interdisciplinary approach.
(C) both texts credit the work of specific
scientists but do not offer exact quotes
from research reports.
(D) both texts suggest connections
between the presence of particular
stimuli and fundamental changes in brain
structure.

[76]
📰 Advanced Practice 8B

Text 1 is adapted from the article “Reconstruction” (1866) by Frederick Douglass. Text 2 is
adapted from “Up from Slavery: An Autobiography” (1901) by Booker T. Washington. Both
men were African-American authors and activists. Read the texts carefully and choose the
best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

[…] They want a reconstruction such as will protect loyal men, black and white, in
their persons and property; such a one as will cause Northern industry, Northern
capital, and Northern civilisation to flow into the South, and make a man from New
England as much at home in Carolina as elsewhere in the Republic. No Chinese wall
can now be tolerated. The South must be opened to the light of law and liberty, and
this session of Congress is relied upon to accomplish this important work.

The plain, common-sense way of doing this work, as intimated at the beginning, is
simply to establish in the South one law, one government, one administration of
justice, one condition to the exercise of the elective franchise, for men of all races and
colours alike. This great measure is sought as earnestly by loyal white men as by
loyal blacks, and is needed alike by both. Let sound political prescience but take the
place of an unreasoning prejudice, and this will be done.

Men denounce the negro for his prominence in this discussion; but it is no fault of his
that in peace as in war, that in conquering Rebel armies as in reconstructing the
rebellious States, the right of the negro is the true solution of our national troubles.
The stern logic of events, which goes directly to the point, disdaining all concern for
the colour or features of men, has determined the interests of the country as identical
with and inseparable from those of the negro.

The policy that emancipated and armed the negro—now seen to have been wise and
proper by the dullest—was not certainly more sternly demanded than is now the
policy of enfranchisement. If with the negro was success in war, and without him
failure, so in peace it will be found that the nation must fall or flourish with the negro.

[77]
Text 2

[…] In every part of the South, during the Reconstruction period, schools, both day
and night, were filled to overflowing with people of all ages and conditions, some
being as far along in age as sixty and seventy years. The ambition to secure an
education was most praiseworthy and encouraging. The idea, however, was too
prevalent that, as soon as one secured a little education, in some unexplainable way
he would be free from most of the hardships of the world, and, at any rate, could live
without manual labour. There was a further feeling that a knowledge, however little, of
the Greek and Latin languages would make one a very superior human being,
something bordering almost on the supernatural. I remember that the first coloured
man whom I saw who knew something about foreign languages impressed me at the
time as being a man of all others to be envied. […]

It is easy to find fault, to remark what might have been done, and perhaps, after all,
and under all the circumstances, those in charge of the conduct of affairs did the only
thing that could be done at the time. Still, as I look back now over the entire period of
our freedom, I cannot help feeling that it would have been wiser if some plan could
have been put in operation which would have made the possession of a certain
amount of education or property, or both, a test for the exercise of the franchise, and
a way provided by which this test should be made to apply honestly and squarely to
both the white and black races.

Though I was but little more than a youth during the period of Reconstruction, I had
the feeling that mistakes were being made, and that things could not remain in the
condition that they were in then very long. I felt that the Reconstruction policy, so far
as it related to my race, was in a large measure on a false foundation, was artificial
and forced. […]

[78]
🎯 8B

1 The first paragraph of Text 1 5 One central difference between

serves to how Douglass (Text 1) and Washington
(A) depict Douglass himself as moderate (Text 2) present their ideas is that
and open to compromise. (A) Douglass outlines the origins of slavery
(B) explain the difficulties inherent in a new in the South while Washington
attempt to promote civic freedom. emphasises the need to move past
(C) define the responsibilities that face both historical barriers.
Congress and the nation as a whole. (B) Douglass speaks on behalf of large
(D) urge cooperation between two vast groups while Washington draws on
regions that remain antagonistic. personal experience.
(C) Douglass cites specific opponents while
2 In Text 1, Douglass depicts white Washington seeks to foster a spirit of
Americans as unity.
(A) cautious that the South will experience (D) Douglass welcomes the possibility of
a new era of discord. further upheaval while Washington
(B) similar to black Americans in their endorses moderation.
desires for the future of the South.
(C) confident that traditional prejudices can 6 Washington would respond to
be eliminated by new laws. Douglass’s ideas about the “plain,
(D) uncomfortable with political measures
common-sense way” by
that would involve new sacrifices.
(A) expressing the sentiment that racial
prejudice rendered Douglass’s plan
3 The main purpose of Text 2 is to impossible.
(A) note the deficiencies of a broad (B) warning that Douglass’s vision of
endeavour. political progress would find few
(B) justify the premises of an unpopular supporters in the South.
position. (C) sympathising with Douglass’s apparent
(C) question the virtues of a group of belief that promoting political
leaders. participation would naturally create an
(D) propose a series of practical educated populace.
improvements. (D) agreeing that regulating elective
franchise in a way that did not put either
4 Which statement best describes black or white citizens at a disadvantage
the relationship between the two texts? was a worthy goal.
(A) Text 1 casts doubt on the wisdom of
authority figures; Text 2 praises those
same figures. ✒ Extensive Writing
(B) Text 1 lists a variety of objectives; Text 2
establishes a more narrow focus on
Write an essay summarising and
education.
(C) Text 1 states that reform is urgently
evaluating the key points from both
needed; Text 2 argues that reform texts. Use your own words
should be avoided. throughout as far as possible, and
(D) Text 1 urges a spirit of harmony; Text 2 include your own ideas in your
suggests that such cooperation is
answers.
impossible.

[79]
📰 Advanced Practice 9A

Text 1 is adapted from “The Girl of the Period” and Other Social Essays (1883) by E. Lynn
Linton. Text 2 is adapted from “A Domestic Problem: Work and Culture in the Household”
(1895) by A.M. Diaz. Read the texts carefully and complete the tasks.

Text 1

Beauty and Brains

[…] To most men, indeed, the feminine strong-mindedness that can discuss immoral
problems without blushing is a quality as unwomanly as a well-developed biceps or a
‘shoulder-of-mutton’ fist. It is sympathy, not antagonism—it is companionship, not
rivalry, still less supremacy, that they like in women; and some women with brains as
well as learning—for the two are not the same thing—understand this, and keep their
blue stockings well covered by their petticoats. Others, enthusiasts for freedom of
thought and intellectual rights, show theirs defiantly; and meet with their reward. Men
shrink from them. Even clever men, able to meet them on their own ground, do not
feel drawn to them; while all but high-class minds are humiliated by their learning and
dwarfed by their moral courage. And no man likes to feel humiliated or dwarfed in the
presence of a woman, and because of her superiority.

But the brains most useful to women, and most befitting their work in life, are those
which show themselves in common-sense, in good judgment, and that kind of patient
courage which enables them to bear small crosses and great trials alike with dignity
and good temper. Mere intellectual culture, however valuable it may be in itself, does
not equal the worth of this kind of moral power; for as the true domain of woman is
the home, and her way of ordering her domestic life the best test of her faculties,
mere intellectual culture does not help in this; and, in fact, is often a hindrance rather
than a help. What good is there in one’s wife being an accomplished mathematician,
a sound scholar, a first-rate musician, a deeply-read theologian, if she cannot keep
the accounts square, knows nothing of the management of children, lets herself be
cheated by the servants and the tradespeople, has not her eyes opened to dirt and
disorder, and gives way to a fretful temper on the smallest provocation?

[80]
 Text 2

Woman’s Mission

When a loving couple marry, they unite their interests, and it is in this union of
interests that they find happiness. We often hear from a wife or a husband remarks
like these: “I only half enjoyed it, because he (or she) wasn’t there;” “It will be no
pleasure to me unless he (or she) is there too;” “The company were charming, but still
I felt lonesome there without him (or her).” The phrase “half enjoy” gives the idea; for
a sympathetic couple are to such a degree one that a pleasure which comes to either
singly can only be half enjoyed, and even this half-joy is lessened by the
consciousness of what the other is losing. […]

If it be said that learned women are prone to think lightly of home comforts and home
duties, to despise physical labour, to look down on the ignorant, let us hasten to reply
that learning is not culture, and that we want not learned mothers, but enlightened
mothers, wisely educated mothers. And let us steadfastly and perseveringly assert
that enlightenment and a wise education are essential to the accomplishment of the
mother’s mission. When the housefather feels the truth of this, then shall we see him
bringing home every publication he can lay his hands on which treats intelligently of
mental, moral, or physical training. Then shall we hear him saying to the house-
mother, “Cease, I pray you, this ever-lasting toil. Read, study, rest. With your solemn
responsibilities, it is madness thus to spend yourself, thus to waste yourself.” In his
home shall the true essentials assume that position which is theirs by right, and
certain occupations connected with that clamorous square inch of surface in the
upper part of the mouth shall receive only their due share of attention. For in one way
or another, either by lessening the work or by hiring workers, the mother shall have
her leisure.

🎯 9A

1 In Text 1, Linton recommends which of the following as a suitable lifestyle for women?
(A) Pursuit of skills and attainments that promote a spirit of practicality
(B) Participation in political institutions in a thoughtful and unobtrusive manner
(C) Abandonment of any education that does not relate to household duties
(D) Cultivation of virtues that are completely different from those valued by men

2 Diaz in Text 2 presents various quotations for the purpose of

(A) signaling that a seemingly exaggerated situation is in fact realistic.
(B) recounting scenes that occurred in the author’s own household.
(C) explaining a deficiency that men must address independently.
(D) illustrating situations that are assumed to be familiar to the target readers.

[81]
🎯 9A

3 Find the portion that most clearly 6 Diaz in Text 2 would respond to
indicates that Diaz in Text 2 sees the ideas about “Men [shrink from
physical labour as unimportant relative them]” present in Text 1 by arguing that
to women’s intellectual duties. (A) men have come to judge women based
on personal merit rather than on
appearance.
4 One central point of disagreement
(B) men can be pleased and invigorated by
between the two texts involves the
the company of properly educated
issue of whether women.
(A) women should pursue new legal rights (C) men who underestimate women’s
and new forms of political leadership. intellectual gifts still hold women’s moral
(B) intellectual attainments that rival those virtues in high regard.
of men can assist women in maintaining (D) men feel more threatened by intelligent
harmonious households. members of their own gender than by
(C) traditional marriage arrangements make intelligent women.
women financially and emotionally
dependent on their husbands.
7 The two texts are similar in that
(D) popular forms of culture and self-
both authors
expression are sufficiently respected by
(A) fault men for limiting the educational
educated men.
opportunities available to women.
(B) investigate how intelligent men normally
5 Each text serves the purpose of
react to strong-minded women.
(A) insisting that the struggle for gender
(C) encourage women to seek
equality has been accompanied by new
compromises that will ultimately promote
challenges.
better education.
(B) demonstrating that women have
(D) imply that educated women have a
learned how to apply abstract ideas to
tendency to avoid confrontation.
everyday duties.
(C) recommending activities and ways of
thinking that the author considers
appropriate for women.
✒ Extensive Writing
(D) convincing men that adhering to
outdated ideas about women is Write an essay summarising and
detrimental to both genders. evaluating the key points from both
texts. Use your own words
throughout as far as possible, and
include your own ideas in your
answers.

[82]
📰 Advanced Practice 9B

Text 1 is adapted from the PLOS One journal article “Ancient DNA Analysis of the Oldest
Canid Species from the Siberian Arctic and Genetic Contribution to the Domestic Dog”
(2015) by Esther J. Lee et al. Text 2 is adapted from the PLOS EveryOne Online article
“Sharing Was Caring for Ancient Humans and Their Prehistoric Pups” (2013) by Michelle
Dohm. Read the texts carefully and complete the tasks.

Text 1

Ancient DNA Analysis of the Oldest Canid Species from the Siberian Arctic and
Genetic Contribution to the Domestic Dog

It is widely accepted that the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) descended from
the grey wolf (Canis lupus), but the process of domestication as well as geographical
origin and approximate date of first domestication is still debated. Genetic studies of
modern dog and wolf populations have shown divergent views, from a single origin in
East/South Asia or the Near East to multiple areas of domestication and/or
hybridisation with regional wolf breeds. Furthermore, the possibility of admixture with
other canid species has also been previously suggested. On the other hand, recent
mitochondrial genome analysis of ancient canids has suggested a European origin of
domestic dogs. Archaeological evidence is not always straightforward for the
morphological identification of domestic dogs, especially as the earliest dogs were
essentially the same size as wolves, but advanced morphometric analyses have
improved the efforts. […]

Archaeological and paleontological research conducted in the Arctic Siberia within

past couple of decades have yielded a large amount of bone material suitable for
genetic studies, as they mostly come from permafrost deposits that are common in
the area. Many ancient DNA studies have focused on extinct Pleistocene or wild
species that occupied Siberia, but here we focus on the oldest domesticated
species Canis. Different Canidae species, such as the arctic fox and wolf, were
among the Pleistocene arctic fauna that continued into the present. Within the region,
studies have claimed the presence of dogs in the Russian Plain and Kamchatka by
13,000 cal BC. A recent study has suggested the presence of a domestic dog in
southern Siberia dated to ca. 33,300 cal BC, which predates the oldest evidence from
western Europe and the Near East. However, the Siberian canid remain was
morphologically most similar to dogs from Greenland and unlike ancient and modern
wolves and putative dogs from central Russia. […]

[83]
Text 2

Sharing was Caring for Ancient Humans and Their Prehistoric Pups

While the tale of how man’s best friend came to be (i.e., domestication) is still slowly
unfolding, a recently published study in PLOS ONE may provide a little context—or
justification?—for dog lovers everywhere. It turns out that even thousands of years
ago, humans loved to share food with, play with, and dress up their furry friends.

In the study titled “Burying Dogs in Ancient Cis-Baikal, Siberia: Temporal Trends and
Relationships with Human Diet and Subsistence Practices,” biologists,
anthropologists, and archaeologists joined forces to investigate the nature of the
ancient human-dog relationship by analysing previously excavated canid remains
worldwide, with a large portion of specimens in modern-day Eastern Siberia, Russia.
The authors performed genetic analysis and skull comparisons to establish that the
canid specimens were most likely dogs, not wolves, which was an unsurprising but
important distinction when investigating the human-canine bond. The canid skulls
from the Cis-Baikal region most closely resembled large Siberian huskies, or sledge
dogs. Radiocarbon dating from previous studies also provided information regarding
the dates of death and other contextual information at the burial sites.

The researchers found that the dogs buried in Siberia, many during the Early
Neolithic period 7,000-8,000 years ago, were only found at burial sites shared with
foraging humans. Dogs were found buried in resting positions, or immediately next to
humans at these sites, and their graves often included various items or tools
seemingly meant for the dogs. One dog in particular was adorned with a red deer
tooth necklace around its neck and deer remnants by its side, and another was buried
with what appears to be a pebble or toy in its mouth.

By analysing the carbon and nitrogen in human and dog specimens in this region, the
researchers were able to determine similarities in human and dog diets, both of which
were rich in fish. This finding may be somewhat surprising because one might
assume that dogs helped humans hunt terrestrial game, and would consequently be
less likely found among humans that ate primarily fish.

The authors speculate that dogs were considered spiritually similar to humans, and
were therefore buried at the same time in the same graves. The nature of the burials
and the similarities in diet also point toward an intimate and personal relationship,
both emotional and social, between humans and their dogs—one that involved
sharing food and giving dogs the same burial rites as the humans they lived among.
Ancient dogs weren’t just work animals or hunters, the authors suggest, but important
companion animals and friends as well.

[84]
🎯 9B

1 Find the portion that best supports 5 The authors of Text 1 indicate that
the claim that the author sets forward wolves
in the first lines of Text 2 (“It turns... (A) posed a threat to early hunting
communities.
friends”).
(B) are somewhat similar to early domestic
dogs.
2 The third paragraph of Text
(C) were typically larger than early
2 would be most clearly contradicted domestic dogs.
by the discovery that (D) were highly resistant to domestication
(A) the functions of some of the items found attempts.
with buried dogs have not been firmly
identified. 6 In analysing the domestication of
(B) dogs in Greenland were routinely buried
dogs, both texts consider information
with toys and other trinkets.
derived from
(C) the diets of Siberian dogs were not
(A) genetic analysis.
identical to the diets of humans in
(B) digital modelling.
Siberia.
(C) radiocarbon dating.
(D) some Siberian dogs were buried at
(D) dietary investigation.
locations far from human burial sites.

7 The authors of Text 1 would argue

3 The final sentence of Text 2 mainly
that the “burial sites” mentioned in Text
serves to
(A) return to and re-affirm a claim 2
presented earlier. (A) offer evidence that contradicts the
(B) summarise and endorse a specific public’s understanding of the
methodology. domestication of dogs.
(C) clarify a point in a manner meant to win (B) complicate the idea that early dogs
over skeptical readers. resembled modern wolves.
(D) re-state a finding that the authors of the (C) do not provide earliest prospective
study found surprising. evidence of the domestication of dogs.
(D) suggest an attitude towards dogs that
probably did not extend beyond Siberia.
4 The primary purpose of Text 1 is to
(A) present the debate inspired by a
specific study. 8 In contrast to Text 1, Text 2 places
(B) discuss challenges and uncertainties a strong focus on the investigation of
that recent research may help to (A) the work of “biologists, anthropologists,
address. and archaeologists.”
(C) explain a new consensus in a field that (B) the specific “nature of the ancient
has often been confronted with human-dog relationship.”
uncertainty. (C) specific groups of “canid specimens.”
(D) underscore the flaws in an (D) research involving animal remains
archaeological theory. found “in Siberia.”

✒ Extensive Writing

Write an essay summarising and evaluating the key points from both texts. Use your
own words throughout as far as possible, and include your own ideas in your answers.

[85]
📰 Advanced Practice 10A

Text 1 is adapted from Emma Goldman, “Marriage and Love” (1911). Text 2 is adapted
from Ida Tarbell, “The Business of Being a Woman” (1921). Read the texts carefully and
choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

Marriage and Love

The woman considers her position as worker transitory, to be thrown aside for the first
bidder. That is why it is infinitely harder to organise women than men. “Why should I
join a union? I am going to get married, to have a home.” Has she not been taught
from infancy to look upon that as her ultimate calling? She learns soon enough that
the home, though not so large a prison as the factory, has more solid doors and bars.
It has a keeper so faithful that nought can escape him. The most tragic part, however,
is that the home no longer frees her from wage slavery; it only increases her task.

According to the latest statistics submitted before a Committee “on labour and wages,
and congestion of population,” ten per cent of the wage workers in New York City
alone are married, yet they must continue to work at the most poorly paid labour in
the world. Add to this horrible aspect the drudgery of housework, and what remains of
the protection and glory of the home? As a matter of fact, even the middle-class girl in
marriage cannot speak of her home, since it is the man who creates her sphere. It is
not important whether the husband is a brute or a darling. What I wish to prove is that
marriage guarantees woman a home only by the grace of her husband. There she
moves about in HIS home, year after year, until her aspect of life and human affairs
becomes as flat, narrow, and drab as her surroundings. Small wonder if she becomes
a nag, petty, quarrelsome, gossipy, unbearable, thus driving the man from the house.
She could not go, if she wanted to; there is no place to go. Besides, a short period of
married life, of complete surrender of all faculties, absolutely incapacitates the
average woman for the outside world. […]

🎯 10A

1 In Text 1, Goldman argues that men

(A) refuse to acknowledge the negative repercussions of social expectations for women.
(B) suppress women’s natural inquisitiveness in a gradual and methodical manner.
(C) dominate domestic life in a manner that undermines women’s independence.
(D) are unappreciative of women regardless of women’s personal attributes.

[86]
 Text 2

The Socialisation of the Home

Every night they draw to their shelter millions of men who have toiled since morning
to earn the money to build and keep them running. All day they shelter millions of
women who toil from dawn to dark to put meaning into them. To shelter two people
and the children that come to them, to provide them a place in which to eat and sleep,
is that the only function of these homes? If that were all, few homes would be built.
When that becomes all, the home is no more! To furnish a body for a soul, that is the
physical function of the home.

There are certain people who cry out that for a woman this undertaking has no
meaning—that for her it is a cook stove and a dustpan, a childbed, and a man who
regards her as his servant. One might with equal justice say that for the man it is
made up of ten, twelve, or more hours, at the plough, the engine, the counter, or the
pen for the sake of supporting a woman and children whom he rarely sees!
Unhappily, there are such combinations; they are not homes! They are deplorable
failures of people who have tried to make homes. To insist that they are anything else
is to overlook the facts of life, to doubt the sanity of mankind which hopefully and
courageously goes on building, building, building, sacrificing, binding itself forever
and ever to what?—a shell? No, to the institution which its observation and
experience tell it, is the one out of which men and women have gotten the most hope,
dignity, and joy—the place through which, whatever its failures and illusions, they get
the fullest development and the opportunity to render the most useful social service.

It is this grounded conviction that the home takes first rank among social institutions
which gives its tremendous seriousness to the Business of Being a Woman. She is
the one who must sit always at its centre, the one who holds a strategic position for
dealing directly with its problems. Far from these problems being purely of a menial
nature, as some would have us believe, they are of the most delicate social and
spiritual import. A woman in reality is at the head of a social laboratory where all the
problems are of primary, not secondary, importance, since they all deal directly with
human life.

🎯 10A

2 The main effect of Tarbell’s exclamation in Text 2 is to

(A) lament a reality that afflicts most women of Tarbell’s era.
(B) respond to ideas about social reform that Tarbell finds inadvisable.
(C) emphasise a shortcoming that is a central topic of Tarbell’s analysis.
(D) address an apparent weakness of Tarbell’s method of explanation.

[87]
🎯 10A

3 The final paragraph of Text 2 6 Goldman in Text 1 would argue

provides that the “man [who regards her as his
(A) an exhortation to women to take more servant]” described in Text 2 is
active and innovative roles within the (A) an intentional caricature that is meant to
home. provoke discussion.
(B) a broad and admiring overview of (B) a figure of authority who has over-
women’s responsibilities within the estimated the extent of his power.
home. (C) a symbol of a lifestyle that is quickly
(C) a synopsis of various ideas about the vanishing.
qualities that distinguish women from (D) an accurate embodiment of broad
men. tendencies.
(D) a description of a specific household
that provides a model of effective
7 Tarbell in Text 2 would respond to
conduct.
Goldman’s central claims in Text 1 by
(A) arguing that Goldman has
4 Which of the following ideas is
misinterpreted necessary stages in
present in both texts? women’s progress as periods of
(A) Participation in the workforce can have oppression.
dispiriting effects. (B) rejecting Goldman’s stance as
(B) Home life should be based on wrongheaded in its depiction of women
reasonable compromises. as subordinate within their own
(C) Women should be cautious about households.
pursuing social and political reform. (C) pointing out that Goldman has
(D) Men take little interest in the home- underestimated the economic
oriented activities of women. importance of home life by focusing
mainly on moral failings.
5 One important purpose of each (D) expressing doubt about Goldman’s
text is to contention that men and women both
(A) offer historical commentary on the seem resigned to their traditional roles.
deteriorating social status of women.
(B) describe how women can seek moral
improvement despite their ✒ Extensive Writing
disadvantages.
(C) explain why few precedents exist for the
Write an essay summarising and
current situation of women.
(D) assess whether women’s participation
evaluating the key points from both
in domestic life is fulfilling and texts. Use your own words
meaningful. throughout as far as possible, and
include your own ideas in your
answers.

[88]
📰 Advanced Practice 10B

Read the texts carefully and complete the tasks.

Text 1

An Organ Shortage Is Killing People. Are Lab-Grown Organs The Answer?

The medical need for organ transplants far outstrips our supply, and the gap is only
getting worse. One possible solution may be to grow custom-made organs for people
out of their own cells.

It may sound crazy, but it’s already happening. Humans are currently walking around
with artificial bladders, urethras, windpipes, and vaginas—all grown from their own
cells in a laboratory.

Advances in the basic biology of how these cells normally grow and develop in the
body, combined with technological advances in materials and fabrication, have led to
a boom in research within the past decade or so. And today, many top universities
have labs dedicated to engineering tissues and organs. […]

The need for more organs is real, and growing.

The US’s organ donation statistics show a pretty clear trend. (Organdonor.gov)

[89]
 The grey skyrocketing line on this graph is the number of patients waiting for organ
donations in the US: more than 120,000 people. And about 18 people in the
US die each day because they haven’t received a donation. […]

Obviously one way to help fix the shortfall would be to get more people to sign up to
be donors. But even organ donation isn’t a perfect system. For one, the body will
naturally react against tissue from someone else. The body is very good at sensing
and attacking foreign invaders, and this includes organs from other people. Although
doctors match organs as carefully as they can, based on blood type and other
biological factors, the body’s foreigner-detection system is so sophisticated that it can
generally tell that something’s not quite right.

This problem is called “rejection,” and it’s a major issue with organ transplants. Many
patients have to be on drugs that suppress their immune systems for the rest of their
lives in order to stop their bodies from attacking their transplanted organ.

This is one reason why many scientists are interested in an alternative strategy:
making replacement organs out of a patient’s own cells. There’s no risk of rejection
when you’re your own organ donor.

(Adapted from Vox)

🎯 10B

1 Find the portion that best represents how the author of Text 2 would respond to the
call for an “alternative strategy” mentioned in Text 1.

2 Text 1 is written from the perspective of someone who is

(A) actively involved in creating human organs in a laboratory.
(B) a participant in a recent debate in the field of organ transplantation.
(C) knowledgeable about advances in organ transplantation.
(D) an advocate for the creation of artificial organs in laboratories.

3 The mention of the number of people on the U.S. organ donation waiting list primarily
serves to
(A) prove that laboratory-grow organs could save 18 people per day.
(B) stress that organ donations constitute a relatively small number of urgent medical needs, even in the
U.S.
(C) establish the dire need for replacement organs.
(D) emphasise how far the organ transplant process has advanced in the last century.

[90]
Text 2

Organs Made to Order

Anthony Atala works in the body shop of the future. He is the director of the Wake
Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and he
and his colleagues use human cells to grow muscles, blood vessels, skin and even a
complete urinary bladder. Much of the work is experimental and hasn’t yet been
tested in human patients, but Atala has implanted laboratory-grown bladders into
more than two dozen children and young adults born with defective bladders that
don’t empty properly, a condition that can cause kidney damage. The bladders were
the first lab-generated human organs implanted in people. If they continue to perform
well in clinical tests, the treatment may become standard not only for birth defects of
the bladder but also for bladder cancer and other conditions.

Atala and co-workers make replacement parts out of patients’ own raw materials. To
produce a bladder, they remove a small piece of a patient’s organ and separate out
muscle cells and urothelial cells, which line the urinary tract. They put the cells into
lab dishes and bathe each type in a fluid that prompts them to multiply. After six
weeks, there are enough living cells for an entire bladder. The researchers then pour
the muscle cells onto the outside of a scaffold made of collagen, the protein in
connective tissue, and polyglycolic acid, a material used in absorbable sutures. Two
days later, they coat the inside of the scaffold with urothelial cells. The new bladder is
nurtured in an incubator that mimics body conditions, allowing the cells to grow and
knit together. The bladder is then implanted into a patient, where the scaffold
gradually dissolves. The researchers have standardised the bladder-growing
procedure, Atala says with a smile, and now make “small, medium, large and extra-
large sizes.”

Regenerative medicine’s once-wild ideas are fast becoming reality. Late last year,
Organovo, a biotech company in San Diego, began distributing the first commercially
available body-part printer. Yes, you read correctly: a printer for body parts. […]

Organs grown outside the body will transform medicine, Atala predicts, but spurring
repair and regrowth within the body will be just as important. He and other scientists
foresee injecting healthy cells and growth-inducing molecules into diseased or injured
lungs, livers and hearts, prompting them to regenerate. […]

Will doctors 40 years from now be able to help humans regrow severed spinal cords,
damaged hearts or even lost limbs? Atala says he is optimistic: “The things that are
possible today were a dream 20 years ago.”

(Adapted from Smithsonian Magazine)

[91]
🎯 10B

4 The author of Text 1 suggests that 8 Which choice best states the
the laboratory grown organs relationship between the two texts?
(A) are significantly less likely to be rejected (A) Text 2 questions the feasibility of the
than a donated organ. alternative strategy proposed in Text 1.
(B) would not be needed if more people (B) Text 2 proves that the replacement
voluntarily signed up to donate their strategy mentioned in Text 1 will
organs. ultimately eclipse the need for organ
(C) have fewer risks than donated organs. donations.
(D) are just as effective as donated organs. (C) Text 2 explores the limitations of the
alternative medical strategy praised in
5 Which possibility associated with Text 1.
(D) Text 2 elaborates on the medical
organs is raised by the author of Text 2
advance mentioned in Text 1.
but not by the author of Text 1?
(A) Rejection
9 How would the author of Text 2
(B) Fabrication
(C) Regeneration most likely respond to the statement in
(D) Printing the second paragraph of Text
1, “Humans are currently walking
6 The author of Text 2 uses the around with artificial bladders, urethras,
phrase “raw materials” to mean and windpipes—all grown from their
(A) pertinent cells.
own cells in a laboratory”?
(B) generic collagen.
(A) With concern, because it establishes
(C) undamaged organs.
unrealistic expectations about what is
(D) undifferentiated tissue.
currently possible in this field
(B) With caution, because the current work
7 The reference to “once-wild ideas” in humans is both limited and
(Text 2) serves mainly to experimental
(A) provide a metaphor for understanding (C) With incredulity, because feats that
the process of growing organs in a seemed impossible only a few years
laboratory. back are now possible with the current
(B) focus on the change in public advancements in science and medicine
perception concerning laboratory-grown (D) With agreement, because laboratory-
organs. grown organs are soon to be the
(C) suggest that people should not discount standard treatment option
the value of the human imagination.
(D) emphasise how much progress has
been made in this particular medical
field.

✒ Extensive Writing

Write an essay summarising and evaluating the key points from both texts. Use your
own words throughout as far as possible, and include your own ideas in your answers.

[92]
📰 Advanced Practice 11A

Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

Tremendous excitement is radiating throughout the scientific community these days,

sparked by promising developments in the design and manufacturing of specialised
drones that could be used in deep cave exploration. Proponents of the use of these
drones argue that at long last, scientists have a way to learn the secrets of the
underground deep without the loss of life or potentially devastating environmental
impacts associated with human cave-diving missions.

The logic behind the optimism is seductive. Drones are expendable in a way human
lives are not. Because they do not need to eat, drink, or eliminate waste, they will not
despoil fragile habitats the way human explorers inevitably would, even if human
divers exercised the greatest of care. “The scarcity of resources in under-Earth
environments is incomprehensible to those of us who live on the surface,” explains
geologist Mayong Shin of the Carlinong Institute. “A single diver dropping a single
apple seed would have an impact comparable to campers leaving 200,000 gallons of
ice cream in a forest. The behaviour of species could be changed forever.” The use of
drones utterly eliminates this concern, seemingly affording scientists the opportunity
to study the farthest reaches of any cave without harming a single organism.

Such an optimistic view, however, is based on the erroneous assumption that just
because drones wouldn’t have the same impacts as human divers, they would have
no impact at all. Even if scientists are convinced that submersible drones will not
damage deep cave ecosystems in the ways humans would, the possibility remains
that they will cause harm in other, unforeseen ways. Almost all deep cave-dwelling
creatures are sightless (for eyesight is of no value in total darkness), and therefore
depend on sound, smell, and vibrations of air and water to find their way around or
hunt for food. Even the quietest drones are not silent, and even the smallest
nanoprobe still causes a microscopic ripple in the water. In the fragile depths of the
Earth, a seemingly insignificant intrusion might trigger a tragedy of astonishing
proportions.

We must also ask what will happen after drones bring images of the unimaginable
beauty of the underground world up to the surface for all to see. Can humankind be
trusted to exercise restraint, or will a mad rush into the deep ensue, with horrific
consequences? Human history is woefully lacking in proof that our species is capable
of knowing of the existence of a wondrous place, yet choosing to leave it alone.

[93]
Text 2

In the modern era, the thought of exploring the unknown generally sets people
looking to the heavens. However, a vast treasure of undiscovered wonders lies
hidden from us right here on Earth, literally beneath our feet. Giant caves are known
to extend for 40, 50, or even hundreds of miles beneath innocent-seeming hills.
Venturing into their depths has always been the impossible dream of adventuring, as
the risks to human explorers and the possibility of destroying unique ecosystems
together acted as a giant, metaphorical “DO NOT ENTER” sign.

All of that may change thanks to the development of new, submersible drones that
can function in total darkness and can easily withstand the massive pressures that
may be encountered in underground waterways. As cave expert Addison McNeil
explains, “The greatest obstacle to deep cave expeditions has always been the
impossibility of extended, safe dives in waterways that include treacherous cascades
in utter blackness, still pools that become disorienting swirls of silt the moment a diver
enters, and streams that seem to stop dead at cave walls, sneaking onward to the
other side through half-inch crevices up to 30 feet below the surface.” The new
drones can be of even a half dozen of them would not bankrupt an exploration
project. If a drone encounters a dead end, it can simply deactivate itself and sink
harmlessly to the bottom of the pool or stream, where it will resist corrosion and
decay for millions of years.

Since 2012, over a dozen companies have devoted substantial resources to

developing cave-probing drones, including DiveScore Corporation, which claims to
have created a drone that can function under extreme water pressure for up to 4
years. Underwatter, Inc. plans to soon unveil an advanced drone that can dispatch
nanoprobes (microscopic data collecting devices) to delve into the tiniest crevices or
carry data back to researchers if the drone is unable to return from the dive.

The use of these deep diving robots offers the promise of extraordinary
advancements in scientific knowledge. Biologists estimate that we have only
identified 25% of the plant and animal species on Earth, and believe that the majority
of unknown species live in high pressure, deep water environments like open ocean
and massive caves. “Every time we encounter new species in an environment we
consider exotic,” says ecologist Kayla Washington, “we are forced to reconsider
everything we thought we knew about how life as we know it came into being.” Many
scientists thus believe that deep cave exploration will greatly advance our
understanding of the conditions under which life can exist. Ironically, that is one of the
central questions of interest as we ponder launching human beings toward the stars.

[94]
🎯 11A

1 The author of Text 2 indicates that 4 The central claim of Text 1 is that
the use of submersible drones could although the use of drones eliminates
have which positive result? many of the risks traditionally
(A) It could lead to new opportunities for associated with deep cave exploration,
human exploration of deep caves. (A) it is too expensive to be practical.
(B) It could lead to the discovery of new (B) it will require use of massive amounts of
materials of great economic value in energy and therefore poses and
caves. environmental threat.
(C) It could advance the scientific (C) it will not allow for gathering the
understanding of the nature and quantities of data that are needed to truly
development of life. understand deep cave environments.
(D) It could lead to the development of new (D) it may involve other risks that have not
technologies that will be useful for space yet been fully considered.
travel.

5 Which statement best describes

2 The author’s primary purpose in
how Texts 1 and 2 are related to each
mentioning two companies in the third
other?
paragraph of Text 2 is to (A) Text 1 offers specific illustrations of
(A) emphasise the potential economic general ideas presented in Text 2.
benefits of deep cave exploration. (B) Text 1 expresses concerns about the
(B) show the widespread interest in possibilities discussed in Text 2.
developing drone technology for cave (C) Text 1 offers general conclusions based
exploration. on specific examples presented in Text
(C) highlight the controversy over who 2.
stands to profit from deep cave (D) Text 1 questions the accuracy of the
exploration. descriptions of new technologies
(D) promote investment in companies provided in Text 2.
working on cave exploration technology.

6 The author of Text 1 would most

3 What is the main parallel the
likely respond to the claim made about
author of Text 2 draws between deep
drones deactivating themselves in Text
cave exploration and space
2 by claiming that
exploration? (A) technology is not reliable and the
(A) Both endeavours use technology that is drone’s deactivation mechanism might
rapidly growing more sophisticated. fail.
(B) Both endeavours involve great risk of (B) it cannot be known for certain that a
loss of life and damage to fragile drone sinking in an underground
environments. waterway would be harmless.
(C) Both endeavours seek to answer the (C) a drone deactivating itself would result
question of when, where, and how life in the loss of massive amounts of data,
comes into existence. rendering the exploration attempt
(D) Both endeavours involve great expense worthless.
and therefore can only succeed with the (D) retrieval of deactivated drones would be
involvement of major compaies. extremely expensive, a cost that
advocates for deep cave exploration
have not considered.

[95]
📰 Advanced Practice 11B

Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

🎯 11B

1 For Text 1, which choice offers the most logical explanation of the author’s intention in
the first paragraph?
(A) He wishes to point out the importance of two specific bridges to transportation within the city.
(B) He wishes to reveal his age and awaken memories of a simpler time in the past.
(C) He wishes to establish his credentials to comment on the plans proposed by elected leaders.
(D) He wishes to give background information about the geography of the city.

2 Which specific objection to the transportation plans presented by elected officials does
the author of Text 1 put forth in the second paragraph?
(A) The plans will force residents to give up driving, and thus surrender their liberty.
(B) The plans will cost more than the plan he favours.
(C) The plans represent an apparently obvious solution, and therefore probably won’t work out.
(D) The plans put short-term gains ahead of long-term goals.

3 Which of the following best describes the purpose of the third paragraph of Text 1?
(A) To give context to the transportation problem in Oak Springs City by describing the surrounding
geography and how it affects commuting times
(B) To show that results of transportation improvement plans in two cities are consistent with those
predicted for Oak Springs City
(C) To show that two cities with very different transportation improvement plans have roughly equal
commuting times
(D) To show that in two cities, the results of transportation improvement efforts were the opposite of what
the leaders of Oak Springs City would predict

4 Which option best describes the relationship between the two texts?
(A) Text 2 expands on the claims made in Text 1 and presents more detailed evidence to support them.
(B) Text 2 offers an emotional response to the factual report presented in Text 1.
(C) Text 2 provides a detailed description of the plan opposed by the author of Text 1.
(D) Text 2 directly refutes the arguments presented in Text 1 by citing specific evidence.

5 Which of the following is the best summary of the opinion expressed in Text 2
regarding the conclusion drawn in Text 1 about the effectiveness highway widening
(“Widening… doesn’t”)?
(A) The conclusion presented in Text 1 is essentially correct, but additional factors such as population
must be considered in order to fully understand the implications of that conclusion.
(B) The conclusion presented in Text 1 is essentially correct, and further analysis reveals that an even
stronger conclusion about the value of the highway expansion is justified.
(C) The conclusion presented in Text 1 is not valid because current traffic situations in both Calinoma City
and Oreton Valley are more attributable to population trends than to highway planning.
(D) The conclusion presented in Text 1 is not valid because it is based on inaccurate data that was
falsified by a pro-highway political lobby.

[96]
Text 1

As a forty-year resident of Oak Springs City, I know the roads here as well as anyone.
I have also worked as a civil engineer for almost two decades, helping to design the
East Side and West Side bridges in 1997. Like most Oak Springs City residents, I am
deeply concerned about the ever-worsening traffic that is turning our roads and
highways into parking lots.

Elected officials triumphantly brandish dazzling images of what our city will look like if
we devote massive amounts of taxpayers’ hard-earned money to building light rail
and trolley systems. The personal automobile is one of the most enduring symbols of
American freedom, and now politicians are trying to manoeuvre us into paying for a
plan that will wrest that symbol from our hands and homes, as they force us all into
plastic chairs on mass transit. We are told that we must renounce the obvious
solution to our current woes—widening the highways—and think about the long term
instead. But a little research reveals that short-term and long-term goals are not in
conflict, after all.

Let’s examine the situations in two cities, both a few hundred miles from here:
Calinoma City and Oreton Valley. Calimona City leaders authorised an ambitious
highway expansion project in 1995. Since that same date, efforts to improve
transportation in Oreton Valley have focused entirely on mass transit development,
with highway widening abandoned completely. Based on the ominous predictions of
our own current leaders, one would figure Calinoma City to be commuter’s worst
nightmare, while the good citizens of Oreton Valley zip around with carefree ease in
high-tech trains and buses. But the numbers tell a very different story: the average
commuting time per mile in Calinoma City is 43% less than the average commuting
time per mile in Oreton Valley, which in turn is roughly equal to the average
commuting time here in Oak Springs City. The implications could not be any clearer.
Widening highways works, while building transit systems doesn’t.

But of course, we will be told that for the benefit of future generations, we must also
consider the environmental impacts of any transit decisions made. Proponents of
mass transit will speak of reducing harmful emissions by encouraging commuters to
trade their car keys for train tickets. Their intention, however, is not “encouragement,”
but rather, the deliberate dismantling of our individual rights by so neglecting the state
of our roads that we have no choice but to accept the means of getting around town
that they wish to foist upon us.

Consider this question, however: Wouldn’t a 43% 50 reduction in commuting time

guarantee a 43% reduction in emissions right now?

(by Leroy Biltonase, January 2016)

[97]
Text 2

Response from statistical analyst Dr Rosemary Wilson of Oak Springs University

As a resident of Oak Springs City and a daily commuter, I sympathise fully with Mr
Biltonase’s frustration with the current state of traffic in this region. All of us would live
more calmly and happily if it were a little less stressful to get to and from work each
day. However, Mr Biltonase errs in concluding based on the very limited data he
studied that our best solution would be to invest in widening highways rather than in a
viable mass transit system. Having analysed traffic data from over 400 cities
worldwide, I know that the broad trends are discordant with the unusual cases upon
which Mr Biltonase chooses to focus. I need not elaborate on those general trends,
however, for simply digging a little deeper into the numbers Mr Biltonase himself
trumpeted reveals that he has overlooked some important facts.

First of all, as can readily be verified by a review of state records, Oreton Valley
embarked on a three-year highway widening program, every bit as impressive as
Calinoma City’s 1995 plan, in 1988. It is thus misleading to claim that Oreton Valley
has “abandoned completely” the widening of roadways. More importantly, both cities
based their road expansion plans on 40-year population growth projections. The
explosion of the high-tech industry has fuelled an unprecedented population boom in
Oreton Valley since 2001; the current population is nearly twice what was projected
for the year 2028. Meanwhile, Calinoma City has stagnated, with no significant
growth in population since 2005, and a total population far below what was projected
20 years ago. The anaemic growth of Calinoma City has left the city utterly unable to
pay for all that 1995 work, which was authorised based on tax revenue projections,
which in turn were based on the population projections. Everything but the roads,
from schools to sewer systems, is in a woeful state of disrepair as the city buckles
under the weight of debts incurred building highway lanes for which there still is no
need.

As for the matter of emissions reductions, here it is necessary to call upon the
broader data. Studies have shown repeatedly that when highways are widened,
people move farther from their workplaces, taking advantage of the increased speed
of the drive. That means that although their commute time per mile decreases, their
total time commuting remains about the same, at least for the short term. Over the
years, as people flock to more distant suburbs, widened highways receive a dramatic
increase in vehicle volume, and the entire metro area ends up with greater traffic
woes than ever.

Finally, consider the fact that in cities like New York and Paris, many people choose
not to own an automobile because they feel no need for one, thanks to excellent
transit systems. Can something really be called a symbol of freedom if a person is
forced to own it by the lack of other options? Isn’t choice synonymous with freedom?

[98]
🎯 11B ✒ Extensive Writing (11A & 11B)

6 How, specifically, does the author Write an essay summarising and

of Text 2 respond to the claim made by evaluating the key points from both
the author of Text 1 that commuting texts. Use your own words
times in Calinoma City are significantly throughout as far as possible, and
shorter than in Oreton Valley and Oak include your own ideas in your
Springs City, resulting in lower answers.
emissions?
(A) She asserts that the measurement,
commuting time per mile, is not a reliable
predictor of emissions.
(B) She claims that a 43 per cent difference
in commuting time per mile is not
significant, since the distance involved is
so short.
(C) She disputes the claim that the average
commuting time per minute is about the
same in Oreton Valley and Oak Springs
City.
(D) She states that commuting time is
irrelevant when a city is facing a major
budget crisis due to unpaid debts.

[99]
📰 Advanced Practice 12A

The texts in this section are adapted from an 1887 US Senate debate over a women’s
suffrage Constitutional amendment. Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer
(A, B, C or D).

🎯 12A

1 Which option is not one of the possible negative outcomes suggested by Senator
Brown in Text 1 as a result of adoption of the amendment?
(A) Impaired functioning of the US government
(B) Strife and discord in domestic politics
(C) The weakening of the US military
(D) Harmful effects on families

2 Which of the following best summarises Senator Brown’s primary argument against
the amendment, as presented in Text 1?
(A) Men and women perform different roles in society; asking women to take up duties currently assigned
to men would impair their ability to fulfill those duties that are uniquely theirs.
(B) Because men are generally physically stronger than women, it is reasonable to conclude that men are
also better equipped mentally to handle the responsibilities of voting.
(C) Female voters would advance an agenda that excessively regulates the lives of families and impedes
the economic growth of the nation.
(D) If empowered to vote, women would place a greater number of more intense, demanding obligations
upon men, rather than attempt to take on such challenges as military duty themselves.

3 Which statement best summarises the nature of the two texts and their relationship to
each other?
(A) Text 1 provides a general summary of issues surrounding the adoption of the amendment; Text 2
explores those issues in greater detail.
(B) Text 1 cites specific evidence supporting the claim that the amendment is flawed and potentially
harmful; Text 2 acknowledges the validity of that evidence but points out its limitations.
(C) Text 1 presents a logical progression of arguments against adoption of the amendment; Text 2
attempts to discredit those arguments primarily through an appeal to the emotions.
(D) Text 1 puts forth arguments based on traditional beliefs, abstract ideas, and generalisations; Text 2
refutes those arguments by calling upon specific evidence.

4 Which option best summarises Senator Blair’s main purpose(s) in the first paragraph
of Text 2?
(A) To enumerate the differences between the founding principles of the US system of government and
those of other systems of government
(B) To assert that because women are inherently entitled to the same rights as men, they can only be
excluded from voting if it becomes established that they are unfit to vote
(C) To lament rising levels of ignorance, vice, and crime in America, and to link those issues to a lack of
maturity among American citizens
(D) To discuss the power that voting represents, and to speculate on the various negative impacts that
may arise from abuse of that power by those not competent enough to use it wisely

[100]
Text 1

Testimony by Senator Brown of Georgia

Mr. President, the resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the

United States, conferring the right to vote upon women, is one of paramount
importance, as it involves great questions far reaching in their tendency, which
seriously affect the very pillars of our social fabric, which involve the peace and
harmony of society, the unity of the family, and much of the future success of our
Government. I believe that the Creator intended that the sphere of the males and
females of our species should be different, and that their duties and obligations, while
they differ materially, are equally important and honourable, and that each sex is well
qualified by natural endowments for the discharge of the important duties which
pertain to each. We find an abundance of evidence, both in the works of nature and in
the Divine revelation, that the family properly regulated is the foundation of society,
and that it is provided that the man shall be the head of the family.

Man, by reason of his physical strength, is qualified for the discharge of those duties
that require strength and ability to combat the sterner realities and difficulties in life.
He discharges such labours as require greater physical strength and endurance than
the female sex are usually found to possess. It is not only his duty to provide for and
protect the family, but also to represent the family in discharging the laborious
obligations which the family owes to the state, and which obligations must be
discharged by the head of the family. Among other duties which the head of the family
owes the state is military duty, which he is able to discharge, and which the female
members of the family are unable to discharge.

As it is the duty of the male sex to perform obligations to the state, to society, and to
the family, it is also their duty to aid in the government of the state, which is simply a
great aggregation of families.

On the other hand, the Creator has assigned to woman very laborious and
responsible duties, by no means less important than those imposed upon the male
sex, though entirely different in their character. She alone is fitted for the discharge of
the sacred trust of wife and the endearing relation of mother. If the wife and the
mother is required to leave the sacred precincts of home and attempt to do military
duty when the state is in peril, if she is to take part in all the unsavoury work that may
be deemed necessary for the triumph of her party, and if on election day she is to
leave her home and press her way through the crowds to the precinct to deposit her
ballot, how is she to attend to her more sacred, delicate, and refining trust, to which
we have already referred, and for which she is peculiarly fitted by nature?

[101]
Text 2

Testimony by Senator Blair of New Hampshire

If there be any principle upon which our form of government is founded, and wherein it
is different from aristocracies, monarchies, and despotisms, it is this: Every human
being of mature powers, not disqualified by ignorance, vice, or crime, is the equal of,
and is entitled to all the rights and privileges which belong to any other such human
being under the law. The exclusion of women from the suffrage can be justified upon
proof, and only upon proof, that by reason of her sex she is incompetent to exercise
that power. No such proof exists.

There is no legal or natural connection between the right or liability to fight and the right
to vote. Society has well established the distinction, fixing forty-five years as the age at
which obligation for military duty terminates, while the right of suffrage continues as
long as the mind lasts. There are at least three million more male voters in our country
than the population liable by law to perform military duty. Further, the right to fight may
be exercised voluntarily, and the liability to fight may be enforced by the community.
The extent to which the physical forces of society may be called upon in self-defence is
measured not by age or sex, but by necessity. It cannot be claimed that woman has no
right to vote because she is not liable to fight, for she is so liable, and the freest
government on the face of the earth has reserved the right to place her on the forefront
of battle. More than this, woman has the right, and often has exercised it, to go there.

The claim that woman is represented in government by the other sex is not well
founded. It cannot be claimed that she is a free being already represented, for she can
only be represented according to her will, by the exercise of her will through the
suffrage itself. I quote briefly from the report of the committee (the Senate committee
that drafted the amendment):

The rights for the maintenance of which human governments are constituted are life,
liberty, and property. These rights are common to men and women alike, and every
citizen is entitled to demand from the sovereign power the full protection of those rights.

This right to the protection of all other rights appertains to the individual, not to the
family alone, or to any form of association. Probably not more than five-eighths of the
men of legal age, qualified to vote, are heads of families, and not more than that
proportion of adult women are united with men in the legal merger of married life. It is,
therefore, quite incorrect to speak of the state as an aggregate of families duly
represented at the ballot box by their male head. The relation between the government
and the individual is direct; all rights are individual rights.

The distinction between human beings by reason of sex is a physical distinction. The
soul is of no sex.

[102]
🎯 12A ✒ Extensive Writing

5 All of the following are specific Write an essay summarising and

claims Senator Blair makes in evaluating the key points from both
response to Senator Brown’s assertion texts. Use your own words
of a link between voting rights and the throughout as far as possible, and
obligation of military duty except include your own ideas in your
(A) The law states that no one shall be answers.
required to serve in the military who has
not yet had the opportunity to vote in
elections.
(B) Voting rights and military service are
governed by different rules with regard to
age.
(C) Many women have voluntarily
demonstrated their fitness for service in
battle.
(D) A large number of men are exempted
from military duty but still maintain their
voting rights.

6 Which of the following statements

summarises specific evidence offered
by the Senate committee (as quoted by
Senator Blair in Text 2) in response to
Senator Brown’s claim in Text 1 that
men, in their role as heads of families,
represent women when voting?
(A) Men are more concerned than women
with physical characteristics, and
therefore cannot understand the wishes
of women’s souls.
(B) A significant number of men do not
represent families, and a significant
number of women are not part of
households with a male head of family.
(C) Although it is reasonable to
characterise the state as an aggregation
of families, many families do not own
property, and therefore are not
guaranteed protection of their rights.
(D) In instances when every citizen was
given the authority to interact with a
government directly, the result was
excessive demands, showing that the
power of male voters should be limited.

[103]
📰 Advanced Practice 12B

Read the texts carefully and complete the tasks.

🎯 12B

1 What is the primary argument put forth by the author of Text 1 in the second
paragraph?
(A) Although the idea of jury trials was new and untested at the time the Bill of Rights was written, such
trials have been proven effective since then.
(B) The guarantee of jury trials in the Bill of Rights came about as the result of the colonists having the
opportunity to compare the outcomes of jury and non-jury trials.
(C) Jury trials originated in England; therefore, since such trials are still employed there, it is logical to
continue the practice in the US.
(D) The American colonists chose jury trials as the centerpiece of the US justice system primarily
because that was the only form of trial with which they were familiar.

2 How does the author of Text 1 believe the abolition of jury trials would affect the
composition of the judiciary?
(A) He believes that a greater number of unscrupulous individuals would seek to become judges.
(B) He believes that more people of great integrity would wish to serve as judges.
(C) He believes that women would be discouraged from serving as judges.
(D) He believes that many individuals without sufficient legal experience would be elected as judges.

3 Find the statement in Text 1 that justifies the claim made by the author of Text 2 that
her opinions have been misrepresented.

4 How would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the assertion in Text 1 that jury
trials were the “superior form of trial for the administering of justice among all forms of trial
that then existed”?
(A) She would deny that jury trials represent a superior form of trial, and point out the advantages of a
trial conducted solely under the authority of a well-qualified judge.
(B) She would dispute the claim that at the time of the writing of the Bill of Rights, jury trials were the best
form of trial available, but would agree that current jury trial practices are the best possible practices in
the present day.
(C) She would acknowledge that jury trials are more in the spirit of the founding principles of the US, but
would claim that trials by a judge alone are more practical in most cases.
(D) She would agree that jury trials, as currently practised, are superior to any other form of trial that
existed when the Bill of Rights was written, but would assert that they are not the best possible form of
trial that could exist today.

[104]
Text 1

(by attorney Jerome P. Washington, esq.)

Few of our guaranteed protections as US citizens, few of the pillars upon which our
society is built, do more to protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms as the
assurance of a trial by jury for all those accused of significant crimes. It was with
great concern, therefore, that I learned recently of the comments of my friend and
colleague, defence lawyer Kathleen Martin. That Ms Martin is an exceptionally skilled
attorney is beyond question, but when she speaks of abolishing the jury trial system,
she displays a recklessness with regard to safeguarding the liberty of all Americans
that cannot go unanswered.

Before evaluating any current practice within the justice system, it is prudent to review
the history behind the practice. Although the US legal system offers the option of a
jury trial to more accused citizens than does any other legal system in the world,
those who believe that Americans invented such trials have been poorly informed.
The practice was common in England long before the American colonies gained
independence. The inclusion of the promise of trial by jury in the Bill of Rights, was, in
fact, a direct response to the denial of jury trials to American colonists by British
authorities in cases that, had they been tried in England, would have been assigned a
jury trial as a matter of course. Thus, although many aspects of the structure of the
US Government have been described as a “grand experiment” undertaken by the
founders, there was nothing experimental about the specification that accused
persons shall be entitled to a trial by a jury of their peers. The colonists were well
acquainted with both trials by jury and trials by a judge alone. They did not dream up
the idea of civilian juries; they expressed a clear preference for jury trials as the
superior form of trial for the administering of justice among all forms of trial that then
existed.

And it remains the superior form today. The implications of wresting power from the
hands of ordinary citizens and concentrating it instead in the hands of single
individuals should strike fear into all Americans’ hearts. A single, rogue judge could
ruin the lives of thousands of innocent individuals over the course of his or her career.
One should not be too quick to console oneself, either, with the thought that most
judges are men and women of integrity who would never abuse their power.
Regardless of whether that characterisation of judges is accurate in the present, it
would not be so in the future. For under a system devoid of civilian juries, the power
of judges would become absolute, and such unchecked power, by its very nature, will
attract those with the very worst of intentions.

[105]
Text 2

(by attorney Kathleen Martin, esq.)

I fully expected my recent remarks calling for major reforms of the jury trial system to
spark an animated debate. Unfortunately, however, many of my esteemed colleagues
have, either deliberately or through ignorance, significantly misrepresented my
arguments.

I do not advocate, nor have I ever advocated, for the elimination of jury trials from the
American justice system. Rather, it is my contention that the particulars of the jury trial
system, though they once represented the best practices available, are now woefully out
of date, and that improvements can and should be made to bring us closer to what I trust
is every American citizen’s goal: creating the fairest, most just society Earth has ever
seen.

A single example will demonstrate emphatically the need for reform. Several years ago, a
jury in my home state struggled for a week in deliberations, ultimately agreeing that the
prosecution’s entire case rested on a single piece of witness testimony. Yet the jurors
were astonished to learn that under state law, they were not guaranteed access to a trial
transcript, a reading of the transcript by a court reporter, or an audio or video recording of
the testimony. Nor was such access granted to them. Why would we ever knowingly
settle for a system under which those determining guilt or innocence are denied access
to evidence that was ruled admissible by the court? If we are to employ juries during
trials, then surely the jurors must be granted every opportunity to evaluate every piece of
evidence fully.

Consideration of how best to grant that opportunity necessarily forces one to re-evaluate
the notion of juries composed entirely of civilians selected by random draw. Prior to the
astounding scientific advances of the latter half of the twentieth century, it was
reasonable to assume that any citizen of sound mind was as qualified as any other to
evaluate the evidence presented during a trial. Can such an assumption be defended in
the year 2016? Forensic and demographic research alone—research with which even
most college graduates have but a passing familiarity—have radically altered the views of
experts on the nature of criminal activity. To expect twelve people plucked from their
everyday lives to have the knowledge required to evaluate the testimony of a witness
described as a DNA “expert,” for example, is simply unreasonable.

For these reasons and many others, I have proposed replacing traditional 12-person
juries with juries comprised of nine ordinary citizens and three non-voting consultants
with demonstrated expertise in fields relevant to the facts of the case (for example, an
expert on demographic patterns related to gun ownership). Jurors should also have
access in the jury room to a complete trial transcript and trusted digital reference guides.
Thus, my goal is not to take power away from ordinary citizens, but to give them the
resources they need to exercise the power they are granted as responsibly as possible.

[106]
🎯 12B

5 What primary point is the author of Text 2 making in the third paragraph of the text?
(A) Simply guaranteeing defendants a trial by jury does not ensure that a just verdict will be reached,
since jurors may not have sufficient access to, or understanding of, important evidence.
(B) Witness testimony is an unreliable basis for determining the guilt or innocence of a defendant, and
therefore it is wise to limit jurors’ access to such testimony.
(C) Many juries make unreasonable requests of the court, causing substantial delays and impairing the
functioning of the entire US system of justice.
(D) The science of DNA is not well understood; therefore, it is not reasonable for DNA evidence to be
admissible in court.

6 Which of the following is not a specific reform of the current jury trial system proposed
by the author of Text 2?
(A) Changing the number of ordinary citizens who serve on a jury
(B) The addition of participants in jury deliberations who do not vote on the final verdict
(C) Alteration of rules regarding jurors’ access to both trial evidence and supplementary information
(D) Revising jury selection procedures to ensure that all juries are diverse in their composition

7 A scholar who analysed the two texts claims that the fundamental cause of conflict
between the two authors is a difference in priorities. Which of the following options offers
reasonable hypotheses about the first priority of each author?
(A) The first priority of the author of Text 1 is remaining true to historical traditions; the first priority of the
author of Text 2 is increasing the power of authority figures such as judges.
(B) The first priority of the author of Text 1 is experimentation and the exploration of new ideas; the first
priority of the author of Text 2 is preserving practices that have a proven record of success.
(C) The first priority of the author of Text 1 is protection of individual freedoms and power; the first priority
of the author of Text 2 is improving the likelihood of an accurate verdict in criminal trials.
(D) The first priority of the author of Text 1 is for trials to be conducted swiftly and efficiently; the first
priority of Text 2 is infusing trials with an appropriate tone of respect and seriousness.

✒ Extensive Writing

Write an essay summarising and evaluating the key points from both texts. Use your
own words throughout as far as possible, and include your own ideas in your answers.

[107]
📰 Advanced Practice 13A

Text 1 is adapted from Mike Wall, “Want to Colonise an Alien Planet? Send 40,000 People”
(2014). Text 2 is adapted from Megan Neal, “Our Best Bet for Colonising Space May Be
Printing Humans on Other Planets” (2014). Read the texts carefully and choose the best
answer (A, B, C or D).

🎯 13A

1 In text 1, the author refers to past proposals primarily to

(A) claim a continuity with prior, well-respected proposals.
(B) establish a contrast between the minimalist early proposals and the radical new proposal.
(C) explain why the new proposal is well-respected in the scientific community.
(D) demonstrate how the current proposal confirms work by researchers at Icarus Instellar.

2 The author of Text 1 indicates that which of the following is true about Smith’s
proposal of a founding population of around 40,000?
(A) The population would provide the diversity of genetic material and skills necessary for a colony to
become self-sustaining.
(B) The population would be sufficient for establishing a human settlement on a new world.
(C) The proposal is based on the research of scientists at Icarus Instellar.
(D) The proposal was advanced by an engineer working on plans for human space colonisation.

3 What function does the final quote in the last paragraph of Text 1?
(A) It continues the line of argumentation that begins in the preceding paragraph.
(B) It concludes the author’s paper by restating his position.
(C) It wraps up and summarises the extended discussion of Smith’s proposal.
(D) It provides additional evidence to support the author’s central claim.

4 The central claim of Text 2 is that colonising human planets is a human dream that
(A) can be accomplished using bacteria.
(B) will require creative solutions to achieve.
(C) has haunted humans for millennia.
(D) is completely unattainable and unrealistic.

5 Which statement best describes the relationship between Text 1 and Text 2?
(A) Text 2 expresses reservations about the desirability of proposals advanced in Text 1.
(B) Text 2 refutes the central idea advanced in Text 1.
(C) Text 2 provides scientific evidence to support the proposal made in Text 1.
(D) Text 2 explores in-depth the ideas expressed more generally in Text 1.

6 The author of Text 2 would most likely respond to Smith’s assumption published in the
journal Acta Astronautica (Text 1) by claiming that such an assumption is
(A) scientifically sound.
(B) highly implausible.
(C) particularly risky.
(D) currently impossible.

[108]
Text 1

Want to Colonise an Alien Planet? Send 40,000 People

If humanity ever wants to colonise a planet beyond the solar system, it’s going to
need a really big spaceship.

The founding population of an interstellar colony should consist of 20,000 to 40,000

people, said Cameron Smith, an anthropologist at Portland State University in
Oregon. Such a large group would possess a great deal of genetic and demographic
diversity, giving the settlement the best chance of survival during the long space
voyage and beyond, he explained. […]

In the past, researchers have proposed that a few hundred people would be sufficient
to establish a settlement on or near an alien planet. But Smith thought it was time to
take another look.

“I wanted to revisit the issue,” he said. “It had been quite a long time, and of course
we now know more about population genetics from genomics.”

For his study, which was published in April in the journal Acta Astronautica, Smith
assumed an interstellar voyage lasting roughly 150 years. This time frame is
consistent with that envisioned by researchers at Icarus Instellar, a non-profit
organisation dedicated to pursuing travel to another star.

Smith’s calculations, which combine information from population genetics theory and
computer modelling, point toward a founding population of 14,000 to 44,000 people.
A “safe and well-considered figure” is 40,000, about 23,000 of whom would be men
and women of reproductive age, Smith writes in the study. […]

The same type of reasoning applies to the design of a Mars colony, Smith said.

Further, a large population on the Red Planet would help the settlement achieve self-
sufficiency—an important goal of many people who advocate long-term,
sustained Mars colonisation.

“To do that, to carry that on, you have to have all of that extreme specialisation” in
skill sets and job descriptions, Smith said. “That’s going to require a lot of people.”

So the scientists and engineers tasked with planning out humanity’s outposts beyond
Earth shouldn’t try to cut corners or costs by sending out bare-bones colonisation
crews, he added.

“I suggest cultivating large numbers, and a psychology and an anthropology of space

colonisation that focuses on large numbers and profusion, rather than barely getting
by,” Smith said.

[109]
Text 2

Our Best Bet for Colonising Space May Be Printing Humans on Other Planets

Assuming human deep space travel turns out to be not just incredibly dangerous, but perhaps
“crazy idiotic” and “laughable,” as Harvard biologist Gary Ruvkun put it, the tenacious dream of
an interstellar civilisation forces some out-of-the box thinking. What if, instead of rocketing
humans to other planets, we made an exact copy on site? […]

“Our best bet for space exploration could be printing humans, organically, on another planet,”
said Adam Steltzner, a NASA engineer, on stage at Smithsonian Magazine’s “Future Is Now”
conference in Washington, DC this month. […]

The “printing” idea starts out by encoding human genetic information in bacteria so that our DNA
can hitch a ride to another planet. Scientists recently discovered that microbes can survive the
trip from Earth to Mars, so the theory is, why not bring some genetic code along next time? Then
once the DNA-toting microbes arrive on the new planet, the building blocks of life are
reassembled as a human being. […]

“Maybe we will colonise other worlds not with astronauts in space suits, but with bacteria,” said
Steltzner at the event. “Those considerations seem beautiful, fantastic.”

Beautiful, fantastic, and totally bonkers. Interest piqued, I called up Ruvkun—who along with
George Church, his colleague at Harvard Medical School’s genetics department, pioneered the
DNA space travel concept—to find out if the idea is just futurist hubris or actually feasible. The
short answer is, yes. […]

Ruvkun told me that it is possible to encode segments of human DNA in bacteria and have it
survive the trip to other planets. […]

What is potentially crazy, however, is the plan to reassemble the sequence on the other side. At
this point, that’s beyond what’s we’re capable of. “We don’t have any ability to sort of reassemble
a human from DNA,” said Ruvkun. […]

Engineering bacteria in a university lab is one thing. If you’re trying to reconstruct an entire
human on distant planet with no intelligent life, who’s even doing the reassembling? And this is
where the idea gets really wacky. […]

“The idea of 3D printing is, something’s created out of matter at the location, just with the
information. And that’s kind of what we’re talking about here,” Steltzner said. “That kind of feels
like a very fancy 3D printing to me.” […]

It sounds far-fetched, but it’s an area of biotech geneticists are currently exploring. Being able to
store and transmit genetic code the same as any other kind of data is the principle behind the
“life printing” gadget being developed by biologist Craig Venter, the US biologist that’s famous for
helping map the human genome and creating the first synthetic life. […]

At this point, Venter’s experiment is only tackling life-printing at the individual gene level, but
single-celled organisms like bacteria are next in line. “More complex creatures,” the New York
Times reported, “earthly or Martian, will probably never be possible.”

Probably not. But in Ruvkun’s view, this method of “human” space exploration is worth thinking
about, if for no other reason than it’s the least unlikely of all the unlikely schemes to colonise the
cosmos.

[110]
🎯 13A ✒ Extensive Writing

7 Which idea about human space Write an essay summarising and

exploration and colonisation is implicit evaluating the key points from both
in Text 1 and explicit in Text 2? texts. Use your own words
(A) It is not very likely to happen. throughout as far as possible, and
(B) It will require great genetic diversity.
include your own ideas in your
(C) It is going to be very expensive.
answers.
(D) It should focus on self-sustainability.

[111]
📰 Advanced Practice 13B

Text 1 is adapted from Jason Tomaszewski, “Do Texting and ‘Cyber Slang’ Harm Students’
Writing Skills?” (2011) by EducationWorld Associate. Text 2 is adapted from Tina
Barseghian, “Can Texting Develop Other Writing Skills?” (2012) by KQED. Read the texts
carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

🎯 13B

1 The author of Text 1 indicates which of the following about cyber slang?
(A) It is harming students’ ability to write well.
(B) It is an effort to bring abbreviations into popular speech.
(C) It focuses on maximising communication using a minimum of characters.
(D) It is playful and fun.

2 The author of Text 1 indicates that the abbreviated forms of language used in texting
are
(A) infiltrating more formal writing contexts.
(B) informing how students use technology.
(C) making technology applicable to educational contexts.
(D) more “cool” than other forms of writing.

3 The author of Text 1 refers to the Pew Internet and American Life Project primarily to
suggest that
(A) studies have proven that there are different types of writing contexts.
(B) there is an incipient problem that does need to be addressed.
(C) teachers are worried about the negative impact of cyber slang.
(D) cool technologies can overcome the problems caused by older forms of technology.

4 According to the author of Text 2, the English language

(A) is being damaged by the overuse of texting language.
(B) is continually evolving.
(C) requires students to be able to code-switch.
(D) is being forced to accommodate the demands of modern technology.

5 The main purpose of the imagery used in the second paragraph of Text 2 is to
(A) use ornate language to illustrate a difficult concept.
(B) diffuse a potentially negative reaction using humour.
(C) allude to the connection between mental and physical skills.
(D) present a situation that has been vilified in a positive light.

6 The main purpose of each text is to

(A) compare the impact of texting language on students versus adults.
(B) take a position on ways to combat the growing use of texting language in formal writing.
(C) present ways to overcome the problem caused by the ongoing use of texting language.
(D) discuss the impact of texting language on students’ writing.

[112]
Text 1

Do Texting and “Cyber Slang” Harm Students’ Writing Skills?

The explosion of social media has completely changed the way we communicate with
each other. Whether via laptop computers, advanced mobile devices, Wi-Fi or
enhanced 4G wireless networks, we are more connected than ever to everyone we
know. […]

While this communications boom has been praised for its educational benefits, some
argue that a negative side effect is beginning to take hold in our classrooms. Cyber
slang is suspected of damaging students’ writing acumen.

Cyber slang is a term used to describe shortcuts, alternative words, or even symbols
used to convey thoughts in an electronic document. Because so many digital media
limit the number of characters an author can use at a time, students are becoming
more creative to get the most out of their limited space. Common cyber-slang terms
that have made their way into popular speech include BFF (best friends forever), LOL
(laugh out loud) and WTF (what the ____).

“I think it makes sense for these social conversations to be lightweight or light-hearted

in terms of the syntax,” said President of Dictionary.com Shravan Goli. “But ultimately,
in the world of business and in the world they will live in, in terms of their jobs and
professional lives, students will need good, solid reading and writing skills. I’m a little
worried about where we are in America with literacy levels dropping. Are these
[electronic devices] helping us, or making it worse? I think they may be going the
other way and making it worse.”

The Times Daily newspaper cites a recent report from Pew Internet and American
Life Project, “Writing, Technology and Teens,” which found that the cell phone text-
based abbreviated communications teens use are showing up in more formal writing.
[…]

Goli said that while examples like these demonstrate a problem, it is not one that
can’t be solved.

“I think that is where we come into play with Dictionary.com,” Goli said. “I have two
kids at home. I see them using this technology, and I think there is a lot of value in
leveraging that technology for educational purposes. Using these ‘cool’ technologies
are great vehicles for teaching kids the proper ways to communicate.”

[113]
Text 2

Can Texting Develop Other Writing Skills?

As more schools begin allowing students to bring their own devices and actually use
them in class, the debate around the value of “digital writing”—texting, taking notes on
mobile devices, tweeting, etc.—is heating up.

Some educators (and even a linguistic expert) believe kids who text are exercising a
different, additional muscle when texting, writing, and note-taking—and that skill is
actually adding to a student’s growing and changing repertoire.

“Children know that when you’re in school, you do not use texting language,” said
linguistics expert Susana Sotillo, an associate professor at Montclair State University in
an article in the North Jersey Record. “… No one is destroying the English language; the
English language just keeps changing. It’s not a good idea to present change as a
negative aspect.” […]

The ability to switch between formal writing and texting comes naturally to kids, tweets
Sunightingale in response to the article above. “Kids know how to code-switch by
learning when to text-talk when to use a grammatical register: language evolution :),” she
writes. […]

Apart from anecdotal evidence from educators and parents, research of this subject is
also contradictory. The New Jersey Record article cites a study showing that kids who
“recently sent or received a text message performed considerably worse on a grammar
exam than those who had not.” The study included 228 kids age 10–14. This shows that
traditional writing is being compromised, according to S. Shyam Sundar, a professor of
communications quoted in the article.

But these findings are being contradicted by Sotillo, the proponent of texting, who says
going back and forth between texting and traditional language expands kids’ vocabulary.

Apart from whether texting is degrading or adding value to traditional writing, there are
other factors to consider when it comes to the digital writing genre. Jeff Gabrill, a writing
professor at Michigan State University, and his colleagues just released a study called
Revisualising Composition: Mapping the Writing Lives of First-Year College Students.

The study, which examined 1,366 students enrolled in first-year writing class, shows that
texts on mobile devices, emails, and lecture notes are “three of the most frequently
written genres (or types) of writing.” In fact, almost half of the participants—46 per cent—
said that “texting was the kind of writing that they performed more than any other.”

Compared to school work, students surveyed said they valued texting (47 per cent),
writing academic papers (45 per cent), and taking lecture notes (43 per cent), as the top
three most valuable forms of writing. […]

Students’ mobile devices are legitimate platforms for writing, Gabrill argues, and it would
behove schools and teachers to accommodate what changes that might bring on.

[114]
🎯 13B ✒ Extensive Writing

7 Which choice best describes the Write an essay summarising and

relationship between the two texts? evaluating the key points from both
(A) Text 2 relies primarily on empirical texts. Use your own words
evidence, and Text 1 relies primarily on
throughout as far as possible, and
anecdotal evidence.
include your own ideas in your
(B) Text 2 explores the benefits of texting
language, while Text 1 focuses on answers.
limiting the negative side effects.
(C) Text 2 critiques the conclusions drawn
from the research discussed in Text 1.
(D) Text 2 predicts the ultimate dismissal of
the arguments made in Text 1.

8 On which of the following points

would the authors of both texts most
likely agree?
(A) Texting English uses a different area of
the brain than formal English.
(B) Texting English is the most popular form
of English.
(C) Formal English and texting English
have very different forms.
(D) Texting English should be taught in the
English language classroom.

[115]
📰 Advanced Practice 14A

Text 1 is adapted from “The Science Behind Drought” (2014, by Nancy McNish). Text 2 is
adapted from “Thirsty Planet” (2015, by Savannah Marquez). Read the texts carefully and
choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

The weather phenomenon known as drought occurs, put most simply, when a certain
area does not get enough water to support the habitats of the plants and animals that
live there. Droughts can occur worldwide, can at times last decades or longer, and
most certainly can have devastating effects on ecosystems—and the people who live
within them.

But how does a drought come to be? Droughts are created over time by weather
patterns caused by changing atmospheric conditions. At the beginning of the water
cycle, water from lakes, rivers, and oceans evaporates and moves into the
atmosphere, forming clouds. Wind moves these clouds around the globe, but these
patterns of movement can change depending on changes in air pressure. When
winds are blocked by high-pressure zones called “ridges”—the atmospheric
equivalent of mountain ranges made purely of air—the winds are forced to redirect
clouds along with the potential precipitation they carry. Areas that have been blocked
from receiving rainfall by a particular ridge over time become susceptible to drought.
The case of the California drought, which began in the early 2010s, is thought to have
been caused by one such ridge. Nicknamed the “Ridiculously Resilient Ridge” for its
refusal to break down, this ridge is a vast zone of high pressure in the atmosphere
nearly four miles high and over 2,000 miles long.

Scientists do not yet know exactly what is causing atmospheric ridges from the U.S.
to Australia to become so powerful and long lasting, but evidence suggests that the
phenomenon is due, in part, to climate change. In Australia, for example, researchers
have established a strong relationship between increasing global surface
temperatures and the growing intensity of the sub-tropical ridge.

[116]
Text 2

“Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink.” That is, at least, what millions of
people throughout human civilisation have thought while gazing out over a wide
expanse of sea, for, although most of the surface of the Earth is covered by water,
97.5% of Earth’s water is salt water and therefore not able to be consumed.

Since so much of Earth’s water is non-potable, efforts to find a reliable way to

desalinate water are as old as civilisation itself. As early as 350 B.C., Aristotle talked
about removing salt from water using a series of filters. The U.S. Navy has used solar
stills, devices that desalinate water using solar energy, since the 1700s. However, only
recently have scientists figured out how to make desalination possible on a scale large
enough to serve as a possible water source for communities who deal with scarcity for
a number of reasons: some do not live close to fresh water, others live in places where
the existing fresh water has largely been polluted or contaminated, and still others face
ecological crises like long-term drought. With scientists predicting that climate change
will worsen drought in the decades to come, and the global population continuing to
increase, research into sustainable, cost-effective desalinisation methods has never
been more needed.

Currently, there are two methods by which most large-scale desalination operations
remove salt from seawater: reverse osmosis and multistage flash. To set up a reverse
osmosis desalinator, one must first set up an intake pump at the source of the
seawater. Next, you need to create flow through the membrane, just as the process of
osmosis works through cells in the body, only in reverse. You then add pressure by
pumping in feed water, forcing water molecules through the membrane but trapping the
salt behind. The multistage flash method, on the other hand, uses heat to separate
water molecules from salt by turning fresh water into water vapour, which is then
collected while leaving behind salt molecules in a concentrate called brine.

These are the most effective methods of desalination science has come up with to
date, but they are not perfect. Desalination on a large scale is currently expensive and
requires a tremendous amount of energy, and if the use of energy from fossil fuels is
partly causing the problem, detractors say, it is not a net benefit to use additional
energy to solve a problem created by too much energy use. Another issue is what to do
with the enormous amounts of brine that are left over after salt has been removed from
the water. Returning it to the ocean raises environmental concerns: brine, which is
denser than the normal ocean water into which it is released, depletes surrounding
waters of oxygen, thereby threatening marine plants and animals living in ecosystems
where the brine is returned.

Still, there is great hope, especially in areas facing the likelihood of more frequent
drought, that scientists and researchers will find more cost-effective ways to desalinate
large amounts of water without the use of fossil fuels and without harming marine life.

[117]
🎯 14A

1 According to Text 1, which of the following is the first stage of the water cycle?
(A) Precipitation
(B) Cloud formation
(C) Movement of clouds via wind
(D) Evaporation from lakes, rivers, and oceans

2 Based on the information presented in Text 1, atmospheric “ridges” are

(A) zones of strong winds that can block or redirect clouds.
(B) zones of strong winds above mountain ranges.
(C) high pressure zones that can block or redirect clouds.
(D) high pressure zones above mountain ranges.

3 Test 1 indicates that the link between the intensity of atmospheric ridges and climate
change is largely based on evidence that ridge intensity increases with
(A) increasing temperatures.
(B) increasing rainfall.
(C) decreasing temperatures.
(D) decreasing rainfall.

4 The purpose of the first paragraph of Text 2 is most likely to

(A) remind readers that they are not so different from their ancient ancestors.
(B) engage readers through imagery and the presentation of an interesting fact.
(C) warn readers that salt water is not safe for drinking.
(D) introduce surprising facts about the Earth’s water.

5 Text 2 answers all of the following questions except:

(A) How long have humans been attempting to desalinate water?
(B) Why can’t humans safely consume salt water?
(C) Which populations have the most to gain from desalination technology?
(D) How does reverse osmosis differ from multistage flash?

6 Which of the following is not mentioned as a drawback of modern, large-scale

desalination techniques?
(A) Financial cost
(B) Excess oxygen in ocean water
(C) Effects on marine life
(D) Energy consumption

7 The method of desalination that separates water from salt using heat is called
(A) multistage flash.
(B) solar stills.
(C) osmosis.
(D) reverse osmosis.

[118]
🎯 14A ✒ Extensive Writing

8 The authors of both texts would Write an essay summarising and

probably agree that evaluating the key points from both
(A) modern water challenges are likely texts. Use your own words
caused by climate change.
throughout as far as possible, and
(B) most areas of the world are in danger of
include your own ideas in your
running out of water.
(C) the need to address water scarcity is answers.
crucial for the continued success of
human populations.
(D) humans are both the cause of the
problem and the source of the solution
when it comes to handling challenges
relating to water.

9 Which of the following statements

best describes the relationship
between the two texts?
(A) Text 2 describes historical efforts to
address a challenge presented in Text 1.
(B) Text 2 underestimates the urgency of a
crisis depicted in Text 1.
(C) Text 2 discusses a possible solution for
a problem presented in Text 1.
(D) Text 2 presents a way in which
scientists are trying to reverse a trend
discussed in Text 1.

10 Unlike the author of Text 2, the

author of Text 1
(A) proposes a solution to an existing
problem.
(B) describes an ecological phenomenon.
(C) traces the history of a technology.
(D) discusses the possible cause of a
problem.

[119]
📰 Advanced Practice 14B

Text 1 is adapted from an article published in 1918 by Reverend John Cole McKim against
prohibition. Text 2 is adapted from the 1891 presidential address of Frances E. Willard to
the National Christian Woman’s Temperance Union. Read the texts carefully and choose
the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

Few persons will, I think, deny that the principal strength of the agitation in favour of
prohibition lies in a sort of religious fervour based upon the belief that the use of
beverages containing alcohol in any quantity whatever is in itself a wrong. Thus
Congressman Keating, replying to the statement that prohibition fails to prohibit, is
reported as saying that one might as well urge the repeal of the laws against stealing
and murder because these laws do not absolutely prevent the crimes they prohibit.
The analogy breaks down on more than one point, but this classification of drinking
as crime is characteristic.

The position is common to Prohibitionists as a whole. One religious journal which I

often see has an editorial writer who straddles the fence by asserting that while the
use of such beverages is a “natural right,” the dealers are so completely in league
with the vicious and common elements of society that prohibition is the only resort.
Apart from the ethical weakness of this position, apart from the statement about
dealers which, made in this sweeping way, is a slander, it is not the standard position
of prohibitionists […]

Consistently with this position, and with this position only,—that the drinking of these
beverages is in itself sinful,—the prohibitionist has striven both consciously and
unconsciously to banish the practice from otherwise respectable surroundings, and to
force it into an association with other vices. In these efforts he has attained a
measurable degree of success, and this, in turn, has lent a new wing to his army. For
now, even if one differ with him to the extent of protesting, however feebly, that
drinking is a “natural right,” one can still endorse his propaganda and avoid his often
unpleasant censures, by pointing to this association of “natural right” with recognised
wrong, and making it one’s “reason” for upholding prohibition. One can do this if one
is willing to be a moral milksop. But to vote that what one regards as a natural right
shall be declared forever illegal, is cowardly and un-American. […]

[120]
Text 2

A glance at this year’s gains reveals, as always, vastly more wrought by indirection
than of set purpose; the oblique line of the nation’s general drift towards betterment,
and the gracious parabolic line of the gospel, having left our own straight line of
shortest distance between the two points drunk and sober, as the least emphatic on
God’s diagram of destiny.

Study the twenty-six Home Missionary Societies in all the churches—one of which,
the Congregational, has nearly two thousand helpers in the field. Every one of these
valiant soldiers, fighting away out on the picket line of duty, waves aloft the pure,
bright torch of total abstinence and total prohibition. They must do this; they have
learned it by the things seen and suffered on the frontier, where prairie fires burn not
so fiercely as the fires of alcohol.

The excesses of the liquor oligarchy itself, in every town and city, remind us of the
man sitting on the limb of a tree sawing it off between him and the trunk. Jack’s
beanstalk did not grow faster than does the temperance reform, nurtured by the
follies of its enemies. Witness, in proof of this, the attempt made last winter by the
secretary of the whisky trust to bribe the U.S. revenue agent in Chicago, and then to
dynamite that agent, so that he might never turn state’s evidence; witness the
saloonkeepers’ riot in Racine, Wisconsin; the brazen defiance of even the license
laws, in all our cities, the open warnings to officials that laws injurious to the liquor
dealer shall not be enforced; and the revolt of New York liquor dealers against
Tammany, their strongest political ally.

To my mind, the greatest result that the first century of organised temperance reform
has wrought, is the isolating of the traffic into special channels. Anatomists speak of
“dissecting out” a nerve or muscle. It is a work of great patience and delicacy. They
must separate the fraction sought from all surrounding tissues and protecting
environments. So, to dissect out, to lay bare and separate the alcohol trade from all
others; to isolate it in the saloon; to hedge its dealers into a class by themselves, with
which no other intermeddleth, save the machine politician and the floater called a
voter “in blocks of five,”—this is the supreme achievement of Christian civilisation, in
its war upon the drinks “that steal away a person’s reason.” For it is a cardinal
principle in every kind of warfare, that you must first isolate your enemy, that you may
successfully deal him the coup de grace; you must cut off both supplies and retreat
before victory is sure.

[121]
🎯 14B

1 It can be inferred that the author of Text 2 believes that the advances in the
temperance movement were
(A) targeted at those who defied the laws in several major U.S. cities.
(B) a direct result of the planned strategy of the Temperance Union.
(C) more directed by happenstance than the intentional planning of the Temperance Union.
(D) a result of retreating prior to victory.

2 According to the author of Text 2, the biggest achievement of the temperance

movement to date is
(A) the isolation of all elements of the liquor industry.
(B) the goal of fulfilling God’s will.
(C) the ability to capitalise on the mistakes made by its opponents.
(D) the widely-adopted association of alcohol consumption and other immoral activities.

3 According to the author of Text 1, the most successful tactic of the prohibitionist
movement has been
(A) the enlistment of advocates from among politicians and other influential figures.
(B) the act of asserting intellectually conflicting ideas simultaneously.
(C) the assertion that alcohol consumption violates a religious imperative.
(D) the linking of alcohol consumption with blatantly immoral activities.

4 How do the authors of the two texts present politicians?

(A) Both authors present them as easily swayed by public opinion.
(B) Text 2 presents them as targets of alcohol industry lobbyists, and Text 1 presents them as advocates
of prohibition laws.
(C) Text 2 presents them as opponents to prohibition whereas Text 1 presents them as defenders of
prohibition.
(D) Both texts present them as people who try to avoid supporting either side while simultaneously
avoiding the backlash against non-endorsement.

5 Which choice best describes the overall relationship between Text 1 and Text 2?
(A) Text 1 decries the point of view of Text 2.
(B) Text 1 explains the ideological underpinnings of the actions described in Text 2.
(C) Text 1 contradicts the evidence presented in Text 2.
(D) Text 1 restates in different terms the argument presented in Text 2.

6 The authors of both texts would most likely agree with which of the following
statements about most prohibitionists?
(A) They believe every member of the liquor industry is a criminal.
(B) They hold that drinking alcohol, though illegal, is not comparable to other crimes.
(C) Their views are distorted by religious fervour.
(D) They believe that the consumption of alcohol itself is sinful.

[122]
🎯 14B ✒ Extensive Writing

7 The author of Text 2 would most Write an essay summarising and

likely respond to the author of Text 1’s evaluating the key points from both
analysis of the editorial by texts. Use your own words
(A) agreeing that the editorialist’s position is throughout as far as possible, and
not a commonly-held tenet of
include your own ideas in your
prohibitionists.
answers.
(B) arguing that there is no “natural right” to
imbibe beverages that damage the body.
(C) supporting the claim that liquor dealers
are an integral part of the criminal
element.
(D) condemning the author of Text 1 for
advocating the consumption and
legalisation of alcohol.

[123]
📰 Advanced Practice 15A

Text 1 is adapted from the novel “Bluejay” by Martha Marion (2011). Text 2 is adapted from
the short story “Evelyn” by Stephen Black (1999). Read the texts carefully and choose the
best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

The first thing I heard upon waking was the casual banter of two female nurses.
“Yeah, just changed his bandages, and now I’m heading out for a smoke,” said one in
a tone that betrayed just how long she’d been at the job. “I can finish up here and
then get Mr Peters in 44,” the other one, clearly younger, chimed in cheerily. I thought
about trying to say something, to announce my rebirth, but out of nowhere a strange
question took hold of me: what if I tried to speak and no sound emerged? What if I
was not really awake or… alive... at all? Luckily, my other senses slowly returned one
by one. My body felt stiff against the cold bedrail, my mouth tasted faintly of metal,
and if the nurses’ chatter hadn’t given it away, there was no confusing the smell of a
hospital room with anything else.

But still I did not open my eyes. It was the same fear crawling over my eyelids that
had previously silenced my voice. What if I tried to open them and nothing
happened? It seemed irrational, of course, but the thought had lodged itself in my
brain and confidently declared squatters’ rights. I did not know how long I’d been in
this room, or really what had happened in the moments just after I saw the truck
approach, but as very little but my consciousness had returned for certain, I let other
answers come as they saw fit.

Suddenly, however, I heard someone speaking on the phone—it was a voice

impossible to ignore. I knew that voice bore a face that I wanted to see more than any
other… if I could. She sounded like she had been awakened by the call but was
attempting to hide the sin of napping from the caller. The next thing I felt was the hot
sting of tears, and the voice I did not know I had any longer broke forth from its self-
imposed cage, roared to meet the tears with a force of its own singular vitality. Claire
screamed in surprise. My eyes darted open, and now voice and vision together saw
that all of life was there once again. We both were too stunned to speak. Too
overwhelmed with gratitude. In her gaze I saw the fear of the past, the sadness of the
present, the determination and perseverance I would need in the future, and the love
that would make all of it bearable and possible.

[124]
Text 2

Evelyn stood on the threshold unable to move. Her joints were arthritic, but her
immobility was caused by something deeper. It had been nearly six months to the day
since Jack passed. The memories of fifty-three years of marriage still felt unusually
painful—not comforting as Harriet had suggested.

She closed her eyes and reminisced about a different time in her life: days that
stretched onward with innocence, though they too weren’t without incident. Evelyn
recalled the summers in Rochester, the rolling hills beneath her feet, the musk of her
prized stallion Betsy as she brushed her mane.

The morning rides through the tall grass were what propelled Evelyn out of bed in the
morning. She would dart through the dining room, hastily kissing her mother and
father before dashing towards the stables. She had endured an entire summer of
riding lessons before being allowed to go out on her own, but now Evelyn was free to
ride when and where she pleased.

On the hottest day of August, Evelyn had set out with Betsy galloping along the hills.
Just ten minutes later, the Hammonds’ neighbour Monty Westbrook heard a scream,
followed by a sickening thump. He sprinted from his ranch, dropping the wildflowers
just plucked from the earth. Evelyn was laid out in the tall grass, clutching her back,
tears streaming down her face though she made no sound. In half a minute’s time,
Evelyn inhaled sharply. She recalled those thirty seconds as the most terrifying time
of her life, full of the uncertainty that she might never take another breath. All the
while, Betsy stood aside, nonchalantly grazing on the perennial rye.

Ordered to bed rest in the days that followed, Evelyn was angry. How could Betsy,
who Evelyn had doted on for the past two years, commit such an act of sabotage? It
was incomprehensible, the first sign that the universe was lacking a master plan. Her
mother had assured Evelyn that there was a lesson to be learned from the
experience. “When we fall off a horse,” she preached, “we must get right back on.”
Evelyn despaired; she could not heed her mother’s advice. Days later her father
would end up selling Betsy to Dr Goodwyn as a carriage horse at a prime discount for
services rendered.

Standing on the threshold seventy-one years later, Evelyn remembered the words of
her mother. Betsy was long gone, but the emptiness left in Jack’s absence was far
more palpable. It was enough to leave Evelyn housebound, afraid to go back into the
world without Jackson Shelton Westbrook by her side. Then she came to a
realisation. “I am the same girl,” Evelyn thought, “who locked herself in the bedroom
all those summers ago, just because I couldn’t accept a simple act of nature.” With
this thought in mind, Evelyn stepped out of her house.

[125]
🎯 15A

1 The “sickening thump” heard by Evelyn’s neighbour Monty Westbrook most likely
refers to the sound of
(A) Betsy falling to the ground.
(B) Evelyn’s screams.
(C) Evelyn falling to the ground.
(D) Betsy galloping along the hills.

2 The main purpose of the fifth paragraph of Text 2 is to show

(A) that Evelyn often ignored her mother’s advice.
(B) how Evelyn came to realise how disorderly life can be.
(C) why Evelyn regrets selling Betsy.
(D) that Evelyn refused to let her injury affect her carefree spirit.

3 According to Text 2, Evelyn’s immobility is mainly a result of

(A) the arthritis in her joints.
(B) a childhood injury that prevents her from walking.
(C) her fear of leaving the house.
(D) her grieving the death of her husband.

4 The point of view from which Text 2 is told is best described as that of a narrator who
(A) mistrusts Evelyn’s version of the past.
(B) relates to Evelyn as a parent would a child.
(C) has access to Evelyn’s innermost thoughts and feelings.
(D) believes Evelyn to be undeserving of her good fortune.

5 In the first paragraph of Text 1, the narrator uses all of the following senses to discern
his location except
(A) sight.
(B) taste.
(C) smell.
(D) touch.

6 It can reasonably be inferred from Text 1 that the narrator

(A) lost a leg in a car accident.
(B) recently awoke from a coma.
(C) can no longer speak.
(D) works in the hospital.

7 As it is used in Text 1, the term squatters’ rights refers to the

(A) way Claire felt entering the hospital.
(B) fearful thoughts that had overtaken the narrator’s mind.
(C) way the narrator felt laying in the hospital bed.
(D) determination of the narrator to overcome his fears.

[126]
🎯 15A ✒ Extensive Writing

8 In both texts, the characters react Write an essay for your English
in part to their accidents with an language tutor in response to
attitude of questions 8 and 10. You should
(A) anger. evaluate the extent to which you
(B) defiance.
agree with these judgements, making
(C) fear.
reference to two or three particular
(D) excitement.
events in the texts.
9 Both texts differ in their styles of
narration in that Text 1 makes use of
first person point of view, while Text 2
makes use of
(A) first person limited omniscient point of
view.
(B) first person omniscient point of view.
(C) third person limited omniscient point of
view.
(D) second person point of view.

10 Based on the descriptions of the

physical injuries of Evelyn in Text 2 and
the narrator in Text 1, which of the
following statements most accurately
identifies the differences between
Evelyn and the narrator’s experiences?
(A) As compared to the narrator’s
experience in Text 1, Evelyn’s accident
was less physically injurious.
(B) Unlike the narrator in Text 1, in Text 2
Evelyn’s accident was treated less
seriously by others, especially by her
mom.
(C) In Text 2, Evelyn recovered in the
hospital, while in Text 1 the narrator
recovered mostly at home.
(D) Evelyn’s accident was more
psychologically traumatising than that of
the narrator in Text 1.

[127]
📰 Advanced Practice 15B

Text1 is adapted from the article “This is Your Brain on Tech” by Marguerite Park (2015,
Awakenings). Text 2 is adapted from the article “Screen Time” by Kara Andrewson (2012,
Family Matters). Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

There is a growing consensus that increased exposure to screens can have

deleterious health effects. What is the science behind it? What is it about screens in
our modern era that is so bad for our brains? The primary reason involves human
circadian rhythms, which first and foremost help regulate our body’s sleep cycle. The
bright lights of an LCD (liquid-crystal display), the most prevalent form of screen, can
actually trick the brain into thinking it is daytime outside, even at night. Biologically,
this is the time when our bodies are expecting darkness, which communicates to the
brain that it is time to relax and go to sleep. Screen time disrupts this natural process,
and loss of sleep is a primary cause for deficits in attention span.

The secondary reason behind harmful screen time involves emerging technology.
New advances in film, TV, and video game production have allowed for faster editing,
more flashing lights, and quick changes in both camera and sound. The human brain
is highly adaptable, and it can become used to these rapid patterns when viewed too
often. When the same flashy production values are absent from real life, the adapted
brain can quickly lose interest in comparatively ordinary experiences.

The final adverse result of increased screen time stems from the construction of the
screens themselves. LCD displays are advantageous because of their low cost of
energy consumption, yet they produce a brighter display than any screen in history.
Using an LCD computer screen for more than two hours per day has been recently
linked with a unique disorder, Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). Since computer
displays have less resolution and more glare than a printed page, the eye has to work
harder to process what it sees. Increased screen time that leads to CVS is associated
with eyestrain, headaches, migraines, blurred vision, and dry eyes. If left untreated
over a long period of time, the negative consequences can be permanent.

Looking towards the future, it is hard to imagine that humanity will become less reliant
on screens; the opposite, in fact, seems true. Companies like Gunnar Optics are
trying to innovate new solutions, such as eyeglasses that filter out some harmful
lights of screens, in theory lessening the associated problems. However, there is only
one assured cure for the detrimental effects of screen time. It’s maddeningly obvious
advice, yet unlikely to be heeded by the masses in the future: spend less time in front
of screens.

[128]
Text 2

The opponents of extensive video game use amongst children have been particularly
vocal in recent years, yet they are missing the larger argument. Yes, increased video
gameplay has been correlated with ADHD in children, but the bigger issue remains: it
actually does not matter what the child is doing while engaging with a screen—playing
video games, watching TV, using the computer, or texting on a cell phone. “Screen
time,” the act of staring at a digitally lit display, is detrimental not only to the children but
also to adults.

The recommended limit of screen time by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is
less than two hours per day. According to an extensive study by the non-profit Kaiser
Family Foundation, children between the ages of 8–18 in the United States average
about 7.5 hours per day of screen time, including all entertainment media. The
breakdown by content-delivery system is startling, as well. Kids average 4.5 hours per
day watching television, 1.5 hours on the computer, and more than one hour playing
video games.

Examining the chief culprit in screen time use—television—it becomes clear that TV
viewing harms more than the eyes. In a study conducted by Boston Children’s Hospital,
it was discovered that the average television-addicted young male weighed 14.2
pounds more than his peers, while for females the difference is 13.5 pounds. The
reasons for this dramatic difference in obesity rates are varied. Viewers’ hands are
freed up to eat, as opposed to being kept busy while at the computer or engaging in
video games. Furthermore, screen time in front of the TV encourages passive
snacking. Finally, viewers of all ages are consistently assaulted by advertisements for
unhealthy food, which can effectively trigger the appetite.

While television-viewing habits have been linked with rising obesity, overall screen time
has recently been connected to a less quantifiable problem: the decline of attention
span. According to a study by Iowa State University, children who exceed the AAP
recommended daily two-hour screen time limit are 1.5 to two times more likely to have
attention issues. The researchers came to the conclusion that time spent in front of a
screen “can increase the risk for a medical condition like ADHD in the same way that
environmental stimuli, like cigarettes, can increase the risk for cancer.”

Another set of alarming statistics relates to how prevalent screen time has become
amongst the youngest set of our population. According to the Minnesota Department of
Health, 61% of children younger than two years of age regularly use some form of
screen media. Perhaps even more shocking, the Archives of Disease in Childhood
notes that the average child born today will have experienced one full year of screen
time by the age of seven. The considerable usage of screens by the youngest cohort of
our population means that the negative consequences on weight and attention span
will simply be compounded over time as these children age.

[129]
🎯 15B

1 The author of Text 2 includes the amount of time children between the ages of 8–18
play video games each day primarily to make the point that
(A) video game use has increased steadily over the past five years.
(B) video game use is more detrimental than other forms of screen time.
(C) the number of hours spent playing video games and watching TV are about the same for children in
this age range.
(D) video game use, while often criticised, is less of an issue than other forms of screen time.

2 Text 2’s description of screen usage by children under two years old reveals that
(A) more than half regularly use some form of screen media.
(B) on average, they will have experienced a full year of screen time by the time they turn five years old.
(C) they are more likely to use a tablet or computer than watch television.
(D) the adverse affects of screen time are unlikely to affect infants and toddlers.

3 The main idea of the fourth paragraph (Text 2) is that

(A) children who exceed the recommended screen time limit are three times more likely to have attention
issues.
(B) overall screen time has been linked to declining attention spans.
(C) declining attention spans are likely due to increased environmental stimuli.
(D) some forms of screen time are more damaging to the attention span than others.

4 According to Text 2, which group suggests that there be a limit of fewer than two
hours of screen time per day?
(A) Kaiser Family Foundation
(B) Iowa State University
(C) Minnesota Department of Health
(D) American Society of Pediatrics

5 The questions asked in the beginning of the first paragraph (Text 1) primarily serve to
(A) highlight a growing concern about body chemistry.
(B) understand an aspect of teenage biology.
(C) explore the causes of a phenomenon.
(D) question the motives of conservative science.

6 According to the third paragraph (Text 1), the symptoms of Computer Vision
Syndrome are primarily attributed to:
(A) excessive time spent watching television screens.
(B) new advances in film such as quicker flashes and faster edits.
(C) increased illumination of modern screens.
(D) a younger demographic viewing new programming.

[130]
🎯 15B

7 The last paragraph (Text 1) leaves 10 How would the author of Text 2
readers with the clear impression that respond to the claim made in the last
(A) technological advances will likely paragraph of Text 1 (“Companies…
eliminate the technological advances will
problems”)? The author of Text 2 would
likely eliminate the detrimental effects of
claim that solutions like the one
screen time on human beings.
(B) although screen time is clearly proposed would
detrimental to our health, society is (A) come too late to reverse the effects of
unlikely to become less reliant on screen time on today’s children.
screens in the future. (B) fail to remedy all of the physical harm
(C) we are likely to become less reliant on inflicted by excessive screen time.
screens as the harmful effects of screen (C) be more beneficial for adults than for
time become more widely known. children.
(D) reducing the detrimental effects of (D) be unpopular within our screen-
screen time will require a large scale obsessed culture and therefore
effort by technology companies. ineffective.

8 Compared to Text 1, Text 2

focuses more on ✒ Extensive Writing
(A) proposed solutions to the obesity
epidemic. Write an essay summarising and
(B) the neurological science behind evaluating the key points from both
research on screen time.
texts. Use your own words
(C) symptoms of ADHD.
(D) indirect effects of screen time such as
throughout as far as possible, and
passive eating. include your own ideas in your
answers.
9 Both authors would most likely
agree that excessive screen time can
be harmful for
(A) children and teenagers.
(B) children and adults equally.
(C) both children and adults, though the
effects on children are more troubling.
(D) all children, and adults whose screen
use as children exceeded
recommendations.

[131]
📰 Advanced Practice 16A

Text 1 is adapted from “The Dahl Dilemma” by Karen Freuter (2002). Text 2 is adapted
from “Literary Geniuses” by Rhubarb Jackson. Read the texts carefully and choose the
best answer (A, B, C or D).

Text 1

One of the best things about being a writer is that we are not only encouraged but
also required to bring the breadth of our experiences to our work. All of us, that is,
except for the authors of books for children, who are told to limit what we reveal to our
audience. I won’t advocate for baring our darkest, most monstrous thoughts in an
ABC book for infants, but perhaps we can bring a little more of the complexity of what
it means to be human into the conversation in age-appropriate ways. Children are full
human beings too, after all. They experience exultant joy and deep pain. They can be
confused, arrogant, scared, proud, and wronged by another. If you’ve any doubt
about this, just think back to your own childhood.

Roald Dahl, one of the world’s most revered children’s book authors, understood this
well. A veteran of World War II who’d experienced death even before the war, Dahl
combined the lightness and darkness of the human experience effortlessly in his
novels and short stories. Tom DeCastella of the BBC wrote, “there’s a perception that
children’s literature involves endless picnics where the strawberry jam and lashings of
ginger beer never run out. But Roald Dahl pursued a different path, satisfying
children’s appetite for the violent, greedy and disgusting.” Who knows how much the
personal tragedies Dahl experienced (Dahl’s sister and father both passed away
before Dahl reached school age) as well as the horrors of war he lived through
firsthand played a role in the darkness found in his books, but one can assume that it
was at least a factor. How can events like those not shape an individual’s worldview in
significant ways?

Whatever the source of inspiration, Dahl’s stories are full of death, tragedy, and gross
injustice. In James and the Giant Peach, James’ parents die a violent death and
James escapes abusive relatives. George’s Marvelous Medicine features an adult
character so cruel and hateful that George’s grandmother’s family is relieved upon
her death. There are child-eating giants, sadistic parents, and myriad examples of
greed and punishment. Even though many of the events in Dahl’s books are
fantastical, the underlying emotional realities are ones that both adults and children
can understand.

[132]
Text 2

Best known for his profound impact on the world of children’s literature, Roald Dahl
was a prolific writer who also penned adult fiction, short stories, and two major
screenplays. His best-known novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964), has
been read by millions across the globe and has inspired two film adaptations, a
musical, an opera, and even a theme park ride.

Near the end of his life, Dahl penned two autobiographies that described his early
years. In Boy: Tales of Childhood (1984), he tells of his earliest memories growing up
in Wales. At the tender age of three, Dahl saw the death of his older sister followed
only weeks later by the death of his father. Dahl surmised that his father’s passing
was mostly due to heartache, and some argue that this painfully sad memory created
a foundation for Dahl’s darkest sensibilities.

His upbringing was also filled with delightful and humorous experiences. During the
school year, Dahl would frequently get into mischief, such as the time he hid a dead
mouse in a gobstopper jar, revenge against a curmudgeonly candy storeowner. Such
events, which pitted the innocence of childhood against the brutish adult world, would
form the thematic basis for much of Dahl’s writing. It is his strong recollections of
youth that provided Dahl with such a sympathetic voice. As an adult, he remarked, “I
am totally convinced that most grownups have completely forgotten what it is like to
be a child between the ages of five and ten... I can remember exactly what it was
like.”

Dahl’s twenties were marked by global adventure. On assignment in Tanzania with

the Shell Oil Company in 1939, Dahl enlisted with the Royal Air Force when World
War II broke out, flying an attack biplane throughout the war. After recovering from a
crash in Egypt in 1940, he fought against the Germans, first in Greece and later
around Haifa.

Dahl’s post-war life was characterised by unending devotion to his family. Married to
actress Patricia Neal, he became the proud father of five children. When his son Theo
suffered hydrocephalus, a condition that causes water to proliferate around the brain,
Dahl helped to develop a cerebral shunt to remedy the condition. When his daughter
Olivia tragically died of encephalitis, swelling of the brain caused by a case of
measles, Dahl became an outspoken advocate of vaccination for children.

Possibly a reflection of his darkest experiences, Dahl’s earliest writing aimed to find
humour in the macabre. He spent fifteen years writing exclusively for adults, penning
short stories like Lamb to the Slaughter, in which a husband is beaten to death by his
wife who uses a leg of lamb as a bludgeon. When officers come to investigate, the
woman prepares the leg of lamb as a meal for them, thereby destroying the murder
weapon. Of the story, Dahl said, “I thought it was hilarious. What’s horrible is basically
funny.”

[133]
🎯 16A

1 According to Text 2, Dahl was a prolific writer whose works included all of the
following except
(A) adult fiction.
(B) short stories.
(C) children’s books.
(D) poetry.

2 In the third paragraph (Text 2), the author mentions Dahl’s fond memories of his
childhood years primarily to illustrate that
(A) Dahl’s dark sense of humour was not the product of personal experience.
(B) Dahl had a photographic memory which enhanced his storytelling.
(C) World War II changed Dahl and robbed him of his innocence.
(D) Dahl’s vivid connection to his own childhood helped him connect with young readers.

3 As defined in Text 2, hydrocephalus is a condition in which

(A) the brain swells due to the measles.
(B) a person suffers a series of small strokes.
(C) excess liquid fills the skull.
(D) the appendix swells and bursts.

4 The author of Text 2 discusses the tragedies experienced by Dahl in order to

(A) make the reader sympathetic to Dahl’s personal history.
(B) show a connection between personal experiences and Dahl’s darker themes.
(C) explain why the theme of death is so pervasive in Dahl’s children’s books.
(D) argue that much of Dahl’s work is an escapist reaction to real-life trauma.

5 It can reasonably be inferred that the author of Text 1 is

(A) a biographer of famous authors.
(B) a child psychologist.
(C) Roald Dahl’s understudy.
(D) an author of children’s literature.

6 The author of Text 1 most likely includes the quote in the second paragraph in order to
(A) add credibility to her assertion.
(B) include the opinion of a writer.
(C) lend an air of sophistication.
(D) include an opinion with which she disagrees.

7 Which of the following is closest to the main idea of Text 1?

(A) Children’s authors should be afforded the same freedom as other writers to discuss the darker
realities of life.
(B) Roald Dahl changed the rules for what was acceptable subject material for children’s books.
(C) Children’s books should follow Roald Dahl’s example by discussing the darker side of life in a fun,
fantastical way.
(D) Children need to be taught earlier about the complexities of life, including life’s darker realities.

[134]
🎯 16A ✒ Extensive Writing

8 Compared to Text 1, Text 2 places Write an essay summarising and

greater focus on Dahl’s evaluating the key points from both
(A) dark sensibilities. texts. Use your own words
(B) personal hardships.
throughout as far as possible, and
(C) acclaim as a writer.
include your own ideas in your
(D) biography.
answers.
9 Both authors would most likely
agree that Dahl’s experiences in World
War II
(A) are the inspiration for many of his most
popular works.
(B) contributed to the darker plotlines in his
stories.
(C) caused him to forget his happier
childhood memories.
(D) largely turned him into a dark,
embittered adult.

10 The author of Text 1 would most

likely describe the example from Dahl’s
adult stories, as described in the last
paragraph of Text 2, as
(A) something that more children’s book
authors should include in their work.
(B) an appropriate subject for an ABC book
for infants.
(C) a natural extension of the themes
present in his children’s books.
(D) a reflection of the breadth of his life
experiences.

[135]
📰 Advanced Practice 16B

These texts are adapted from the Webster-Hayne debate. Text 1 is from a speech by
Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts. Text 2 is from a speech by Senator Robert Y.
Hayne of South Carolina. Hayne and Webster engaged in a debate on the Senate floor
over several days in January 1830. Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer
(A, B, C or D).

Text 1

[…] If the gentleman had intended no more than to assert the right of revolution, for
justifiable cause, he would have said only what all agree to. But I cannot conceive
that there can be a middle course, between submission to the laws, when regularly
pronounced constitutional, on the one hand, and open resistance, which is revolution,
or rebellion, on the other. I say, the right of a State to annul a law of Congress, cannot
be maintained, but on the ground of the unalienable right of man to resist oppression;
that is to say, upon the ground of revolution. I admit that there is an ultimate violent
remedy, above the Constitution, and in defiance of the Constitution, which may be
resorted to, when a revolution is to be justified. But I do not admit that, under the
Constitution, and in conformity with it, there is any mode in which a State
Government, as a member of the Union, can interfere and stop the progress of the
General Government, by force of her own laws, under any circumstances whatever.

This leads us to inquire into the origin of this Government, and the source of its
power. Whose agent is it? Is it the creature of the State Legislatures, or the creature
of the People? If the Government of the United States be the agent of the State
Governments, then they may control it, provided they can agree in the manner of
controlling it; if it be the agent of the People, then the People alone can control it,
restrain it, modify, or reform it. It is observable enough, that the doctrine for which the
honourable gentleman contends, leads him to the necessity of maintaining, not only
that this General Government is the creature of the States, but that it is the creature
of each of the States severally; so that each may assert the power, for itself, of
determining whether it acts within the limits of its authority. It is the servant of four-
and-twenty masters, of different wills and different purposes, and yet bound to obey
all. This absurdity (for it seems no less) arises from a misconception as to the origin
of this Government and its true character. It is, sir, the People’s Constitution, the
People’s Government; made for the People; made by the People; and answerable to
the People. The People of the United States have declared that this Constitution shall
be the Supreme Law. We must either admit the proposition, or dispute their authority.
[…]

[136]
Text 2

Sir, as to the doctrine that the Federal Government is the exclusive judge of the
extent as well as the limitations of its powers, it seems to be utterly subversive of the
sovereignty and independence of the States. It makes but little difference, in my
estimation, whether Congress or the Supreme Court, are invested with this power. If
the Federal Government, in all or any of its departments, are to prescribe the limits of
its own authority; and the States are bound to submit to the decision, and are not to
be allowed to examine and decide for themselves, when the barriers of the
Constitution shall be overleaped, this is practically “a Government without limitation of
powers;” the States are at once reduced to mere petty corporations, and the people
are entirely at your mercy.

I have but one word more to add. In all the efforts that have been made by South
Carolina to resist the unconstitutional laws which Congress has extended over them,
she has kept steadily in view the preservation of the Union, by the only means by
which she believes it can be long preserved—a firm, manly, and steady resistance
against usurpation. The measures of the Federal Government have, it is true,
prostrated her interests, and will soon involve the whole South in irretrievable ruin.
But this evil, great as it is, is not the chief ground of our complaints. It is the principle
involved in the contest, a principle which, substituting the discretion of Congress for
the limitations of the Constitution, brings the States and the people to the feet of the
Federal Government, and leaves them nothing they can call their own.

Sir, if the measures of the Federal Government were less oppressive, we should still
strive against this usurpation. The South is acting on a principle she has always held
sound—resistance to unauthorised taxation. These, Sir, are the principles which
induced the immortal Hampden* to resist the payment of a tax of twenty shillings
—“Would twenty shillings have ruined his fortune? No—but the payment of half
twenty shillings, on the principle on which it was demanded, would [80] have made
him a slave.” Sir, if, in acting on these high motives—if, animated by that ardent love
of liberty which has always been the most prominent trait in the Southern character,
we should be hurried beyond the bounds of a cold and calculating prudence, who is
there with one noble and generous sentiment in his bosom, who would not be
disposed in the language of Burke**, to exclaim, “you must pardon something to the
spirit of liberty!”

*John Hampden (1595–1643), an English politician who resisted the King and helped
bring about the English Civil War

**Edmund Burke (1729–1797), an Irish statesman who was supportive of the

American Revolution as a member of the English Parliament

[137]
🎯 16B

1 Based on Text 1, Hayne would be most likely to agree with which claim about the
federal government?
(A) Its powers are shared equally by Congress and the Supreme Court.
(B) It cannot be constrained unless the states have a means of overruling unconstitutional laws.
(C) It is an essential impediment to the expansion of oppressive taxation.
(D) It is responsible for preserving the Union and protecting the People from violent revolutions.

2 In the final paragraph of Text 1, the main purpose of Hayne’s reference to Hampden is
to
(A) outline the conditions under which the People have a right to rebel against their government.
(B) suggest that compromise is unlikely when matters of principle are at stake.
(C) use a historical example to create an analogy with the present situation.
(D) cite an authority who agrees with Hayne’s argument that the federal government should be limited.

3 In Text 2, Webster makes which point about the relationship between the Constitution
and violent revolution?
(A) The Constitution lists the differences between revolution and rebellion.
(B) The Constitution can only be overruled by a revolution of the People.
(C) The Constitution allows for revolution in cases where the states are oppressing the People.
(D) The Constitution prohibits revolution by the People against the federal government.

4 Which choice best states the relationship between the two texts?
(A) Text 2 attacks a central assumption of the argument made in Text 1.
(B) Text 2 provides historical context for the scenario described in Text 1.
(C) Text 2 states explicitly ideas that were merely implied in Text 1.
(D) Text 2 examines possible solutions to the problems discussed in Text 1.

5 Hayne would most likely have responded to Webster’s claim that there can be no
“middle course” by asserting that
(A) the People have chosen to submit to the power of the federal government rather than revolt.
(B) Southern morality values compromise over conflict.
(C) state governments intend to challenge the constitutionality of laws in the courts.
(D) South Carolina’s resistance to the federal government serves to sustain the Union.

6 Based on the texts, both Hayne and Webster would agree with which of the following
claims?
(A) The people have sole authority to determine the constitutionality of a law.
(B) There are situations when resistance to government is justified.
(C) Businesses should not be subjected to unnecessary government control.
(D) Sovereignty is shared equally by the federal government and the states.

7 Based on Text 2, Webster would most likely say that basing the federal government
on the “sovereignty and independence of the States” (Text 1) would have which effect?
(A) It would cause different states to give the federal government conflicting instructions.
(B) It would enhance the People’s ability to establish just laws.
(C) It would ensure that the federal government becomes the victim of violent revolution.
(D) It would prevent the federal government from unfairly imposing new taxes.

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📰 Advanced Practice 16C

Text 1 discusses the secession of Mississippi from the Union prior to the Civil War. Text 2
discusses secession in general. Read the texts carefully and choose the best answer (A,
B, C or D).

Text 1

Secession belongs to a different class of remedies. It is to be justified upon the basis

that the States are sovereign. […] Therefore, even if I had not believed there was
justifiable cause; if I had thought that Mississippi was acting without sufficient
provocation, or without an existing necessity, I should still, under my theory of the
government, have been bound by her action. I, however, may be permitted to say that
I do think that she has justifiable cause, and I approve of her act. I conferred with her
people before the act was taken, counselled them then that if the state of things
which they apprehended should exist when the convention met, they should take the
action which they have now adopted. […]

[…] A State finding herself in the condition in which Mississippi has judged she is, in
which her safety requires that she should provide for the maintenance of her rights
out of the Union, surrenders all the benefits, (and they are known to be many,)
deprives herself of the advantages, (they are known to be great,) severs all the ties of
affection, (and they are close and enduring,) which have bound her to the Union; and
thus divesting herself of every benefit, taking upon herself every burden, she claims
to be exempt from any power to execute the laws of the United States within her
limits.

(Adapted from Jefferson Davis’s 1861 speech “On Withdrawing from the Union”)

🎯 16C

1 Both texts are primarily concerned with

(A) the justifiability of secession.
(B) the history of states’ rights theories.
(C) the sovereignty of local governments.
(D) the history of constitutional law.

2 With which statement would both authors agree?

(A) There are advantages associated with Union membership.
(B) Secession is a constitutional prerogative of all states.
(C) The benefits of secession outweigh its disadvantages.
(D) Secession should only be acceptable during times of crisis.

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 Text 2

[…] If the doctrine of the right of a State to secede at her own goodwill and pleasure
be true, then, sir, we may engage in a war, the enemy may be pressing us hard, and
yet, in the very hour of our trial, in the very crisis of the country’s extremity, a State
may retire from the Union, and out of danger; and if she be indeed independent and
sovereign when she goes, may form a treaty of alliance with the enemies of the
Government, and turn her guns against her former associates. Or she may wait until
the war is concluded—a war in which the blood of her confederates may have been
shed in defending her soil—and when the enemy is repelled, when the debt incurred
by the war is resting on the country, politely make her bow, retire from the Union, and
leave the remaining States to pay the debt incurred in defending her soil, and in
vindicating her honour? Can it be possible that Washington, and Madison, and
Franklin, and the other sages of the Revolution, have organised a Government upon
such an absurd basis as this? […]

Let us look at the evils that must result from secession. The first, in my opinion, would
be that our country would not only be divided into a Northern Confederacy and into
Southern Confederacy, but, soon or later it would be divided into sundry petty
Confederacies. […] We would have between these several Confederacies a perpetual
warfare, criminations and recriminations, inroads, strife and discord, until the energies
and the wealth of this great people would be utterly destroyed and exhausted. […]

(Adapted from Waitman Willey’s 1861 speech at the Virginia State Secession
Convention)

🎯 16C

3 Davis’s suggests that his “theory of government”

(A) favours the centrality of the national government.
(B) values the independent will of individual states.
(C) is primarily concerned with avoiding war.
(D) requires states to have a legitimate grievance in order to secede.

4 The “evils” mentioned by Willey highlight

(A) the motives of political leaders.
(B) the consequences associated with secession.
(C) the might of the Union’s standing army.
(D) the cruelty of the nation’s founders.

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🎯 16C

5 Willey uses the word “absurd” in 8 Which of the following best

order to describes the relationship between the
(A) underscore how secession unfairly two texts?
harms other states. (A) Text 1 offers a case study that supports
(B) illustrate the ridiculous ways in which an argument advanced by Text 2.
opponents of secession argue their (B) Text 1 justifies an action that Text 2
cause. condemns.
(C) convey the triviality of war. (C) Text 1 defends a practice on moral
(D) suggest that secession is justified under grounds while Text 2 defends it on
certain conditions. practical grounds.
(D) Text 1 addresses the effects of a
6 In response to Willey’s comments decision whose causes are investigated
about a state retiring from the Union in Text 2.

after wars, Davis would most likely say

that
(A) no state would ever secede without a
✒ Extensive Writing
pressing financial reason to do so.
(B) weaker states should not have to Write an essay summarising and
contribute to repaying debts incurred evaluating the key points from both
during a war.
texts. Use your own words
(C) the sovereignty of states does not
require them to justify the reasons for
throughout as far as possible, and
their actions. include your own ideas in your
(D) the advantages of Union membership answers.
only apply during times of war.

7 Willey would likely characterise

Mississippi’s decision to withdraw from
the Union as
(A) rational due to its inevitable economic
collapse.
(B) motivated by legitimate threats to its
safety.
(C) justified under the doctrine of states’
rights.
(D) inconsistent with the intentions of the
Constitution’s framers.

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 ferent ways newspaper articles can be adapted for different
uses. It contains initial ideas for tackling these authentic texts. Each of the following topics
could potentially be discussed in greater detail and require years of formal as well as additional
training to grasp and perfect. If you have a particular interest in one area, look for other books,
online resources and training on the specific topics. Every topic here has a wide range of
literature surrounding it, and my intention is only to begin bridging the general principles and
conventions of journalism.

📰 Headlines & Titles

As publications follow specific style guidelines, newspapers, magazines, and websites often
include exceptions to typical English rules. Headlines in newspapers, in particular, use different
grammar rules to everyday English. This is because they are designed to be short and to attract
attention.

The following eight rules are the most common variations used in headlines, found across a
range of written media, particularly online articles. These rules typically apply to journalism and
other report writing (including some business writing) but are less common in formal writing,
such as in academic papers or formal publications like books. You can study other genres to
see which rules are used (or not). Where permitted, though, these tips can help you understand
more striking headlines and titles.

Use present simple tense for past events

The present tense is quick and current, and helps emphasise the action happening, rather than
its completion:

Parliament Confirms New Stray Dog Policy

Lion Escapes Zoo

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are used; for changing events, the present continuous may be used. Both tenses often use
participles alone, as discussed below.

Leave out auxiliary verbs

With perfect, progressive, and passive structures, auxiliary verbs are not necessary in
headlines. This makes some headlines appear to be in the past simple, when actually the
headlines have a perfect or passive meaning. Changing events are represented by the present
participle on its own:

New Policy Decided by Parliament (new policy has been decided/was decided by
Parliament)
Lion Escapes Zoo – Ten Killed (ten people have been killed/were killed)
Four Stranded in Sudden Flood (four people have been stranded/were stranded)
Temperatures Rising as Climate Changes (temperatures are rising)

Use infinitives for future events

A future time is not necessary to demonstrate the future form in headlines, as an infinitive form
can demonstrate the future:

Parliament to Vote on Hunting Ban

President to Visit France for Further Talks

Leave out articles (a, an, the)

Articles and determiners can be omitted in headlines, unless they are important to aid
understanding:

Prime Minister Hikes Alps for Charity (the Prime Minister hiked the Alps)
Man Releases Rabid Dog in Park (a man released a rabid dog in a/the park)

Leave out “to be”

As with auxiliary verbs, to be may be omitted from headlines, as an adjective or other
describing phrase can clearly imply a state:

Residents Unhappy About New Road (residents are unhappy)

Victim Satisfied with Court Decision (victim is satisfied)

Leave out “to say”

Reported speech is usually represented by a colon, or a hyphen, with the subject introduced
with on:

Mr Jones: “They Won’t Take My House!”

Bush on Iraqi Invasion: “This Aggression Will Not Stand.”

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 comment, tell, argue, announce, shout, etc. can be left out, unless the act
of speaking needs emphasising, for instance to demonstrate a promise or official policy:

Warlord Decrees “Peace by Spring.”

Replace conjunctions with punctuation

As with reporting speech, commas, colons, semi-colons, hyphens, etc. can replace all
conjunctions, or some joining verbs, to join clauses:

Police Arrest Serial Killer – Close Case on Abductions

Fire in Bakery: Hundreds of Loaves Lost

Commas may also be used to join nouns, though this is more common in American English
than British English.

Man Kills 5, Self

Use figures for numbers

Using figures in a headline is more likely to catch the reader’s attention:

9 Dead in Glue Catastrophe

7 Days to Christmas – Shoppers Go Mad

These eight tips can be useful, but use them with caution. Grammar variations can lead to
ambiguous headlines, as many words are implied and not written, so be careful when applying
them to make sure that you can understand headlines and titles. They should have a single,
clear meaning.

Different vocabulary may also be used in headlines. Concise verbs which are not common in
general English are often used, such as bid, vow, and spark. Additional style issues to consider
for certain publications include the use of Title Case (Capital Letters) and commas, though
these should be covered by overall considerations for the house style.

📰 The Style of Journalism

Journalism usually aims to achieve two main goals: to engage and to inform. How it achieves
these may depend entirely on its house style, as every publication has its own sense of identity,
and on its readership.

A good way to get an idea of different journalistic styles is to compare news articles covering
the same story from different publications. You may find variations in the type of language
structures and vocabulary used. Particularly note how different publications can be more or less
formal, and how they make efforts (or no efforts) to appear neutral. You may also find the

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Other verbs such as

 s identity affects the choice of story topics and the way different stories are
approached.

The styles used by different publications are as varied as the personalities of their ideal
readers, so it is essential to study a publication’s style to understand how their writing fits their
needs. This always starts with reading the publication itself and practising reading their articles
to see how they fit.

Matters of style in grammar, vocabulary, formatting, and punctuation are typically closely
dictated within journalism. You may see a publication using deviations from typical styles, but
these deviations will be laid out and consistent for that publication. This is illustrated by the
flexible use of grammar seen in headlines, which may be quite different to everyday English but
should be the same throughout all a publication’s material.

A useful starting point when reading news articles is to ask whether the writing is personal or
impersonal. The question of perspective can inform a style. An article in the first person often
tells us it is likely to be subjective. A first-person account offers the opportunity for editorial
comment (the writer can offer their own thoughts on the topic) and gives the writer the
opportunity to become an actor in the story. Such writing is common in Comment or Opinion
columns, where a journalist interprets the meaning of events rather than merely reporting them.
It is also found in travel writing and long-form interviews, where the journalist’s opinions of the
environment and the subject are used to add context.

Otherwise, journalistic pieces are likely to be in the third-person perspective voice to give an
essentially neutral report of events. The third person in journalism can still become subjective
depending on the way information is presented, however, and may include adjectives that
promote a specific viewpoint, without actively stating personal support. Consider the difference
between the following three styles:

When the House voted against the latest bill, it made me furious—they don’t know how it
affects the working man! (first person, opinion-based)
The House voted against the latest bill, angering some, as it has been perceived that the
views of ordinary working men have not been taken into account. (third person, neutral
and assigning opinion with the passive, avoiding agreeing with the viewpoint)
The House voted against the latest bill without consulting working men, an act of
disregard that is now stirring anger. (third person, demonstrating opinion by actively
reporting the viewpoint as fact, with a negative label)

As well as establishing a viewpoint, particular care should always be given to how formal news
articles are. Some publications contain colloquial, friendly language, while others aim for more
academic English. This does not necessarily relate to how neutral the text is. Informal phrases
that do not necessarily convey opinion can still be used to report objectively:

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 The House voted the latest bill down, causing trouble as some people claim no one’s
listening to the workers. (third person, neutral and with a less formal style, avoiding
assigning the viewpoint)

Such informal language could be seen to be more subjective if perceived to treat a serious
subject lightly, but otherwise it is a case of meeting readers’ expectations.

To understand a specific publication, you must therefore not only consider its style but also its
readership’s tastes. Many publications have guidelines for positions on a range of topics, which
can affect what you can and cannot understand. This may relate to specific vocabulary that is
restricted or encouraged, and to specific topics that are restricted or encouraged.

Despite the variations in style and potential bias, journalism is always expected to demonstrate
the highest quality writing. Publications typically have a hierarchy of editors to avoid mistakes.
As journalism is always public-facing and expected to be widely read, mistakes can be
damaging for a publication: they can cause readers to focus on the quality of the writing instead
of the issue being discussed. Even informal or smaller publications hold the quality of writing to
a high standard, within the framework their house style has established. The British tabloids, for
example, are often held as a lower grade of writing, but if you read them carefully you will see
that though the language may be colloquial and simple, it is carefully designed to suit its
purpose.

For further examples, study the range of English language newspapers available. In the UK, the
vocabulary used in The Guardian is often of a much higher level than that used in the tabloids.
This does not necessarily make the language better or worse, it is simply written with a
particular audience in mind. A reader of The Guardian may be someone with an expanded
vocabulary, while tabloids are read by people who want something light and easy.

Beyond the dual principles of keeping the target reader and the publication’s style in mind,
journalism is a very broad field that can be highly specialised. If it is a particular interest of
yours, it is wise to seek additional training specifically in journalism, which will cover the best
practices not only in reading and writing but also in practical areas that would inform research
and, consequently, what you can learn and use for yourself.

📰 The Style of Online Journalism

When reading online publications and larger websites, many of the same considerations apply
as covered previously. However, online articles can be more flexible than traditional journalism,
and in many situations the house style of a website will be less formally fixed. If you read a new
website, or a small website, you may have to recognise these style decisions yourself.

In most cases, online articles are short and direct, seldom more than 500 words long. Readers
online look for easily identified summaries, such as headings and lists, so online articles are
often formatted in short paragraphs using different sized fonts. Bold and italics are commonly

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 fective online article writing particularly rewards a short and simple style, as many
readers merely skim articles.

Online articles tend to be less formal than traditional journalism, often using lighter language,
such as colloquialisms, phrasal verbs and idioms, and personal opinion. Online articles are also
rarely edited as thoroughly as traditionally published journalism, so mistakes are more common
(perhaps even forgivable), though they still reflect poorly on the writer (and/or the host website).
The most significant difference between online articles and traditional journalism, however, is
that the emphasis has swung towards engaging rather than informing the reader. In a
newspaper or magazine, it is understood that the reader is already engaged in reading a
particular publication. Online, it is difficult to keep people’s attention, so writers must employ
methods to actively keep people reading.

Writers often break down their articles into points with clear headings; this helps separate text
on a screen. Likewise, paragraphs and sentences are kept especially short to be easier to
follow, which encourages a reader to keep reading. When you read online articles, it is also
worth spending more time on understanding titles and headings than in other forms of writing,
as these may be the focal points of the text.

In general journalism, you may see a limited number of titles and can get away with being more
informed without giving in to tricks that aim to engage the reader, but online titles are used more
frequently and designed to entice. Consider the following article plan about a popular story from
history in which explorer Henry Stanley met Dr Livingstone in Africa:

How Stanley Found Livingstone

Title 1: The Disappearance of Livingstone
Title 2: The Origins of Stanley’s Expedition
Title 3: The Famous Meeting

Spread over one or two thousand words in print, this could be a perfectly acceptable article.
Online, however, readers are likely to be searching for the juicy details quickly, so the story
might be divided much more frequently with more enticing titles:

“Dr Livingstone, I presume?” – The True Story Behind This Phrase

Title 1: How the West Lost Livingstone
Title 2: Stranded in Zanzibar
Title 3: Henry Stanley: Journalist, Explorer, and Adventurer
Title 4: A Hundreds-Strong Expedition
Title 5: The Perils of African Exploration
Title 6: The Famous Meeting
Title 7: What Became of Livingstone?

The traditional style could be possible online, depending on the website, but more casual,
energetic writing styles are increasingly common. A popular technique is to engage the reader

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used. Ef
 How much do you know about Livingstone’s peril?
Did Henry Stanley invent the details of his meeting
Was Stanley best for the job—or the only man who’d take it?

In informal online articles, this can even shift towards challenging the reader in manipulative
ways, without necessarily saying what the article is about:

Could you have survived Stanley’s expedition?

Extreme examples of this are common today, and online readers are often presented with
articles that exaggerate or may even falsify information. This creates a negative side to online
journalism:

92% of people don’t know the true story of David Livingstone—do you?

This is commonly called clickbait, which is when writing (or other media) is designed entirely to
get people clicking. It often uses irresistible questions and withheld information. Deliberately
bad English may also be used in such articles and headings because it draws attention to itself,
for example with colloquial first-person captions.

This style of journalism should be noticed and avoided, as it relies on tricks instead of good
writing. It may work on occasion but is unlikely to be taken seriously. If writers wish to be
respected online, they always stick to the principles of effective writing to engage and inform
their readers, and their work will have better long-term impact.

Once you have established a style, how do you approach a typical article?

Articles can vary in length and topic, with many online examples relying on media such as
pictures. For the purposes of standard written articles, however, a few basic principles can help.

Whenever you read something, ask:

1. Who is the article for?

2. What do you want to know?
3. Why?

For example, the answers to a football game report might be:

1. Football fans
2. What happened in the game / How the teams performed
3. Because you didn’t see the match and are interested in the details

With those answers in place, you know what is important and what can be left out. In this case,
you need to focus on action, results, and the vocabulary of football, such as fouls, passes,
goals, etc. The more detailed your answers here, the easier it will be to get started. If this article

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report is set (celebrating a success / mourning a loss, how to present the atmosphere).

Following your initial questions, you can read all the information you might be presented with,
then decide which details are most important. Mind maps (arranging your ideas in a diagram)
and notes are useful, where you simply list everything you can pick out.

Depending on the length of the article, aiming for three to five main points of discussion should
be enough to form a logical understanding. You can group your ideas under these different
points. When you have a simplified structure in place, the article should have a clear direction:
you will be aware of why you are reading each section and what details each paragraph
contains.

The following general structure may be useful. This is not universally used, but it is a common
way to approach online articles, and a good, logical starting point:

Introduction: With online articles, introductions are typically used to grab the reader’s
attention and generate curiosity. Try to summarise what the article is about, how it invites
the reader to ask questions so they will read on.
Main content: Online, paragraphs are kept short and to the point. Consider each major
point and viewpoint in each paragraph. When presented with information, instructions, or
a narrative, similarly divide information frequently for new ideas.
Conclusion: The conclusion should present the main points of the article in a clear and
succinct way. Online articles typically encourage action from the reader, so consider this
when you read the final sentences. Even something as simple as inviting the reader to
read another article or leave a comment can be meaningful.

As online introductions and conclusions act as summaries and can be designed to directly
engage, it may be easier to read these paragraphs last. Your understanding will be more fully
formed after you have read the main content, so you can focus on how an article can engage
the reader.

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