READING 3 MIDTERM TEST

READING PASSAGE 1 The Great Resignation

Studies have found that commutes over twenty minutes increase one’s risk for cardiovascular issues
and obesity, increase one’s risk of divorce, and are linked to higher absenteeism rates at work.

Out of caution and government-mandated restrictions, the COVID-19 pandemic that

struck the world in early 2020 forced countless people to stay home or isolate themselves
from others. Millions of lives were lost, and those who remained healthy had to deal with
losing loved ones, jobs, and property. Crises tend to clarify what’s important. So, with that
in mind, the combination of COVID-19 fears and government policies mixed with a
sprinkle of self-reflection has helped create a new version of work-life defined by the kind
of work people want to do and the role people want their work to play in their lives.

One consequence of the shifting expectations of work has been called the Great
Resignation: a widespread trend of workers leaving their jobs. A 2021 survey by Microsoft
of IT workers and others around the world found that forty-one percent of employees were
thinking of quitting in the coming year. During the pandemic, Americans quit their jobs in
extraordinary numbers: a record four million resigned in April 2021 alone. In Germany,
Europe’s biggest economy, more than a third of companies reported difficulty filling
vacancies. Furthermore, a record-setting 10.9 million jobs were still open the following
July in the US. These statistics may have influenced the Microsoft study, which concluded
that “leaders are out of touch with employees and need a wakeup call.”

Employers in some industries needed that wake-up call more than others, as resignations
have not been evenly distributed. Restaurants, for example, were hit particularly hard
during the pandemic, with one million fewer workers in the field in 2021 than in 2020. US
fast-food places also struggled to find workers, despite some businesses offering up to
$19 an hour (over twice the US minimum wage) as well as bonuses. This statistic shows
that money isn’t the only thing motivating employment. After twenty-six years in the
industry, Jeremy Golembiewski quit his position as a general manager at a chain
restaurant in California. When COVID-19 hit, he was furloughed, giving him time to spend
with his family. This was something he greatly missed when restrictions were eventually
lifted, and he had to return to an understaffed restaurant that pushed him to work nearly
a sixty-hour workweek. Jeremy decided his family took precedence and that he should
seek a less demanding job in a different field—even if that job came at a lower position in
the company hierarchy.

Another industry that has seen a mass exodus of employees is the technology industry.
One survey found that a stunning forty percent of US tech workers have quit or intend to
quit by 2022. The COVID lockdowns demonstrated that many jobs could be done
remotely, allowing flexibility for workers. As a result, many workers lost the will to go back
and work in the office. Microsoft’s survey determined that more than half of employees
felt overworked and that one in five felt their bosses didn’t care about their work-life
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balance. Several American companies have displayed some adaptability to this situation:
Twitter, Google, and Facebook, for example, all announced that pandemic-related work-
from-home arrangements for many employees will now be permanent.

As for the economy, the Great Resignation could benefit employees because wages tend
to rise when companies compete for talent. Yet there’s no reason to assume this will last
since the Great Resignation has been significantly enabled by temporary government
programs instituted because of the pandemic: extra unemployment benefits, cash
assistance programs, moratoriums on evictions and student loans, and more. It remains
to be seen whether the pace of resignations will sustain itself once COVID-related
government help is no longer available and job-seekers are forced to become less picky.

The alterations in attitudes toward work spurred by the pandemic are potentially long-
lasting, both in the US and globally. For many, the Great Resignation was about rejecting
“workism”—the idea that your job is the core of your identity and life’s purpose. Victoria
Short, CEO of a British job recruitment agency, told the Guardian in 2021 that from now
on, people are going to be less likely to accept excessive workloads or stay in jobs they
hate. “The pandemic has changed how some people think about life, work, and what they
want out of both. It’s made people step back and rethink their lives. COVID has reminded
them that life is too short.”
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Choose the best answer

1. Which of the following is stated in paragraph 2?
A. Forty-one percent of Microsoft workers said they planned to quit.
B. Millions of American workers left their jobs in April 2021.
C. Only one-third of German companies had enough employees.
D. Most of the unfilled American jobs were filled within a few months.
2. According to paragraph 3, what have some businesses been doing to attract
workers?
A. Offering over twice the minimum wage
B. Reducing the number of working hours
C. Redistributing the amount of work
D. Increasing the number of employees
3. According to paragraph 4, the COVID lockdowns demonstrated all of the following
EXCEPT____________.
A. bosses cared little about workers’ work-life balance
B. work didn’t have to be done in the company office
C. employees felt that their workloads were too high
D. workers missed working face-to-face in the office
4. According to paragraph 5, which was NOT a temporary program offered by the
government?
A. Additional unemployment benefits
B. Job placement assistance
C. A pause on housing evictions
D. Moratoriums on student loans
5. According to paragraph 6, what does Victoria Short say people might do in the
future?
A. They will be more likely to train for multiple careers.
B. They will place more importance on getting a high salary.
C. They will more often refuse to keep jobs they dislike.
D. They will be more likely to use recruitment agencies.
6. In line 28, the word “lifted” is closest in meaning to _______________.
A. raised
B. removed
C. established
D. transported
7. Which statement best restates the highlighted sentence in the passage?
A. The Great Resignation signaled a time to separate one’s identity from their job.
B. The Great Resignation asked workers to accept “workism” as their identity.
C. The Great Resignation showed workers that work was the core of their lives.
D. The Great Resignation signaled to companies that they needed to find better.
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8. In paragraph 3, why does the author use the phrase “a wake-up call”?
A. To suggest that some employees have lazy habits.
B. To say that workers need to accept their workload.
C. To imply that companies should listen to worker demands.
D. To show that the pandemic made workers aware of problems.
9. In line 42, the word this refers to _________________.
A. The rise in wages
B. A growing economy
C. Improved job benefits
D. Companies’ desire for talent
10. What can be inferred from paragraph 3?
A. Americans are now less interested in eating out.
B. Jeremy’s restaurant chain went out of business.
C. Sixty-hour workweeks are now considered normal.
D. Jeremy is willing to accept a reduction in his income.
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READING PASSAGE 2
STANDARDIZED TESTS FOR A NON-STANDARDIZED WORLD?
As we might recognize them, the earliest form of exams took place at universities in the
eleventh century. They were oral and involved small groups of elite candidates who were
expected to debate with lecturers on topics from philosophy to the natural sciences. It
was a system fraught with variables and inequities. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century
that written exams became common. Since then, many would claim, we have gradually
amended examinations to be fairer, more effective, and more relevant—but are the exams
students take today really fit for purpose?

Today, exams such as the Scholastic Assessment Test (SATs)—which secure entry to
universities—are nationally standardized. This standardization means that, unlike those
early exams, all students take identical tests to make a “fair” comparison of many
students. However, according to critics, tests such as the SAT inherently favor the
wealthy. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue. With schools closed,
economically disadvantaged students were less likely to encounter crucial alternatives
like individual tutelage or homeschooling. Many also found that their tests were repeatedly
rescheduled or canceled at the last minute; others could not take the exams at all. Such
was the prevalence of the problem that 1,600 US universities, including every Ivy League
college, signed up to the “test-optional” movement. This meant that in 2021 at least,
colleges would not necessarily take SAT scores into account when considering
applications. Initially, the test-optional movement was an emergency response to the
pandemic. Still, like many such measures, we may find that its flexibility makes it a fairer
option in the future.

Even if we ignore the socio-economic issues behind standardized exams, the question
remains: are they really an effective way to find out how much a student knows? Some
students are emotionally and psychologically better suited than others to the pressure of
providing evidence—on one given day—of several years of education. This fact was
made clear when the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on
the mental impact of tests. As schools closed and college application deadlines
approached, stress among students skyrocketed. Many feared that the lost months would
affect the rest of their lives. In the UK, a 2020 study by Rahim Hirji for Quizlet found that
of 1,400 teenagers, eighty-five percent were stressed or anxious. In response, the UK
and other governments instructed teachers to rely on their detailed first-hand knowledge
of students’ long-term performance to decide grades.

Even under normal conditions, some argue that the heavy reliance on examinations leads
to ineffective education, rote learning, and “teaching to the test.” Critics like Dr. Robin
Harwick argue that current students are not given a holistic education but are simply
taught to score highly. “Standardized tests are only useful for measuring standardized
minds,” says Dr. Harwick. “However, humans are not standardized, nor do we want them
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to be.” Another argument against standardized tests is that the prevalence of multiple-
choice exams—which computers can quickly grade—pushes students to learn how to
deduce logical answers rather than use independent critical thinking. In addition, schools
seem to benefit most from teaching students to succeed at quantifiable tests since school
ranking tables are now widely published and referred to by parents. Their prominence
leads schools and teachers to feel pressure to focus on test results, perhaps at the
expense of other, less tangible aspects of educational development.

Of course, supporters of standardized tests would point to the transferable skills required
in studying for them, including organization, preparation, and self-discipline. In fact, the
very stress that some cite as a problem could also be seen as a useful experience. We
will all one day be required to retrieve and apply information under pressure in our adult
lives. Thus, exams serve a clear purpose as one part of an educational strategy, and even
critics wouldn’t call for their total elimination. However, many would argue that too much
weight is placed on them and that it would be fairer and less stressful to think of exams
as just one component in a wider grading system of long-term coursework, which includes
research, presentations, and essays.

Choose the best answer

1. According to paragraph 1, what was the problem with the earliest exams?
A. They were difficult to pass.
B. They were easy to cheat on.
C. They only tested sciences.
D. They had many inequities.
2. According to paragraph 2, how did colleges respond to the COVID-19 pandemic?
A. They offered to pay for individual classes.
B. They agreed to ignore students’ SAT scores.
C. They canceled SAT tests on short notice.
D. They accepted fewer applications.
3. According to paragraph 3, all of the following are true EXCEPT____________.
A. Some students are better suited for the pressures of standardized tests.
B. UK teachers were instructed not to give students grades in 2020.
C. The pandemic further emphasized the negative impacts of testing.
D. Studies found that the majority of UK teenagers were stressed.
4. Which of the following is NOT stated in paragraph 4?
A. “Teaching to the test” happens primarily in highly ranked schools.
B. Standardized testing does not encourage independent critical thinking.
C. Multiple-choice exams make checking test answer quicker.
D. School rankings pressure some teachers to teach to the test.
5. According to paragraph 5, how are exams useful?
A. They improve a student’s ability to deal with stress.
B. They teach students to deduce information quickly.
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C. They provide practice for the pressures of adult life.

D. They are fairer and less stressful than other test formats.
6. Which statement best restates the highlighted sentence in the passage?
A. Exams are valuable, but even so, some would like to see them stopped.
B. Exams are useful, and many believe they are the most efficient way to learn.
C. Exams serve a clear purpose but only work well in certain educational
strategies.
D. Exams are a beneficial tool, and few would want to eliminate them altogether.
7. In line 54, the word weight is closest in meaning to _________.
A. emphasis
B. attention
C. load
D. appreciation
8. In paragraph 4, why does Dr. Harwick say that “students are not standardized?”
A. To explain why exams are commonly used in academics.
B. To suggest that exams are not appropriate for everyone.
C. To explain that exam results will always be unpredictable.
D. To suggest that exams succeed at standardizing knowledge.
9. In line 14, the word Many refers to ______________.
A. teachers
B. schools
C. students
D. alternatives
10. What can be inferred from paragraph 5?
A. Presentations test different skills than those found in standardized tests.
B. Critics believe that exams should be removed from educational strategies.
C. Those who score well on exams are more likely to perform well at work.
D. Coursework and presentations are not as stressful as examinations.
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READING PASSAGE 3 Early Adopters Fall into a Costly Trap

It’s undeniable: being among the first to try out a new piece of technology is cool. When
you’re the sole member of your social circle with the latest hot gadget, people stare in
fascination, seeing you as the holder of powerful and secret knowledge—at least until the
next big thing comes along. People tend to underestimate the costs of this temporary
coolness, which they end up paying for in more ways than one. So take it from me and
don’t fall into the early adopter trap by joining the first wave of consumers who invest in
the latest uncharted territory in technology. Instead, if you just wait and see, you will save
money and avoid being stuck with defective, possibly doomed technology that could even
erode your privacy.

Early adoption is a bad investment, to put it bluntly. First, the earliest versions of products
are not only expensive, they are the most expensive that those devices will ever be.
Companies presumably charge more to recover the cost of development and production
as fast as possible, and they know that there are serious tech-lovers who will pay a great
deal to be early adopters. Once the revenues from early adopters’ purchases are safely
in their hands, they can cut the price and shift to the next marketing phase: selling the
product to everyone else. This tactic is why the cost of the original iPhone dropped about
$200 only eight months after its release. Prices of gadgets most often fall shortly after
release, and they are likely to continue falling. For instance, many new TV models drop
significantly in price as little as ten days after hitting the market. Furthermore, electronics
rapidly depreciate because they become obsolete so quickly; the resale price of a used
cell phone or laptop can drop by fifty percent within just a few months.

Those who are first to leap into a new technology not only risk wasting money, they might
also lose time on something that will never catch on with the general public. In 2006, two
competing options for high-definition video entered the market: HD DVDs
and Blu-ray discs. Both seemed promising, and both required special devices called
players, costing hundreds of US dollars. Cautious consumers decided to stay neutral,
realizing that one or the other would probably end up dominating, and refrained from
buying either product. But a few eager consumers took a gamble, and those who
regrettably bought an HD DVD player quickly found themselves stuck with a virtually
worthless machine. In the struggle for high-definition video dominance, Blu-ray was much
more technologically advanced than HD DVD and could store up to seven times the
amount of information. Sales dropped steadily for HD DVD players, and by early 2008,
support for the product was discontinued entirely. Many new products face a similar fate;
early adopters are then stuck with pricey gadgets that do nothing but sit on their shelves
collecting dust.

Even worse, your new device might have functions that you don’t know about and would
likely not approve of if you did. In 2013, Amazon Echo introduced the world to a digital
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assistant named Alexa, who is supposed to become active only when you say “her” name.
However, voice-recognition technology is still imperfect. These devices often activate
without users’ permission and record what they hear (though this fact is not acknowledged
in the packaging or marketing). The privacy implications remain unclear but are causing
tension between developers and consumers. As tech reporter Adam Estes told the
Guardian in 2019 in a discussion of digital assistants, “I hate to be dramatic, but I don’t
think we’re ever going to feel safe from their data-collection practices.”

Early adopters do something most others are reluctant to do: buy overpriced technology
before it has matured for the dubious rewards of being the first and enjoying a short-term
increase in status. These trailblazers help the rest of us through their willingness to spend
the extra money and work out the problems with a new product. So if you know any early
adopters, thank them, and then congratulate yourself on not being one of them.

Choose the best answer

1. According to paragraph 1, what advantage do early adopters have?
A. They enjoy extra privileges from the company that makes the product.
B. They have reduced privacy concerns because of newer technologies.
C. They don’t end up with detective devices or doomed products.
D. They gain the attention of others within their social circle.
2. According to paragraph 2, what is true about newly released devices?
A. They are poorly designed.
B. They quickly decline in price.
C. They are marketed to everyone.
D. They bring in very little revenue.
3. According to paragraph 3, why did Blu-ray succeed over HD DVDs?
A. It was more user-friendly.
B. It was less expensive.
C. It had more storage space.
D. It sold to more early adopters.
4. According to paragraph 3, which is NOT true of Blu-ray and HD DVD?
A. Blu-ray and HD DVD appeared in the same year.
B. The two types of disc required different players.
C. Both types of disc offered high-quality video.
D. There are still several Blu-ray and HD DVD makers.
5. According to paragraph 4, what is true about the tech reporter Adam Estes?
A. He believes the tension between developers and consumers will persist.
B. He thinks people are being too dramatic in regard to their privacy concerns.
C. He believes voice-recognition technology will improve and prevent privacy
leaks.
D. He thinks that digital assistants’ functions must be limited to maintain users’
privacy.
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6. Which statement best restates the highlighted sentence in the passage?

A. Early adopters leap into new technologies that general public typically cannot
afford.
B. Earl adopters enjoy new products for longer because the general public is slow
to adopt.
C. Early adopters may waste money and time on products that won’t be around
very long.
D. Early adopters invest a lot of time and money in new products for limited
benefits.
7. The word dramatic is closest in meaning to _______________.
A. exaggerated
B. considerable
C. artificial
D. thrilling
8. In paragraph 2, why does the author mention that iPhone dropped in price eight
months after launching?
A. To demonstrate the bargains that early adopters can get.
B. To show that device prices take a long time to go down.
C. To show how early adopters waste money by buying early.
D. To explain why the first iPhone was so popular at the time.
9. The word they refers to ________________.
A. tech-lovers
B. companies
C. revenues
D. purchases
10. What can be inferred about early adopters from paragraph 5?
A. They take pride in buying overpriced goods because it’s helpful to others.
B. They see themselves as experts in technology and with new devices.
C. They enjoy the status given to early adopters more than the product.
D. They are more likely to make risky purchasing decisions than others.