P2-F

Compulsory Reading
Pack

Fall 2024
CDO

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Week 3- Compulsory Reading Material – Skill Practice -Reference

What is a referent and reference?

• “Referents” are words that substitute other words or phrases. “Reference” (referencing) is
using a word (usually a pronoun) in place of another word.

EXAMPLE
Jenny loves coffee. She drinks at least five cups every day.

The word “she” in the second sentence is a referent, and it refers to “Jenny”. In other words, the
word “she” means “Jenny”; it substitutes the noun “Jenny”.

Why do writers use reference and referents?

• Writers always use references (or referents) to avoid repeating the same word or phrase
more than one time in a sentence or in some sentences of the same paragraph. Referents are
usually short, common words, so writers use them instead of using many other words.

What are some common referents?

• When you read texts in English, you will find many examples of the following common words:
it, they, he, she, his, her, its, that, their, and there. All these words take the place of another
word or a phrase, and therefore are referents.

In this unit, you will practice referencing, identifying referents in a given text, and determining
what they refer to. Understanding what a referent means in a text is an important skill in reading
as it is almost impossible to read, write, or speak a language without them. Being aware of such
words while reading will help you greatly with your comprehension.

EXAMPLE
Read the examples below; they may help you in the future when you try to answer reference
questions in a text.

1. Sharon thinks Jason is great, but none of her friends like him.

“her” means Sharon’s (the word “her” refers to Sharon’s)

“him” means Jason (the word “him” refers to Jason)

• To identify what a referent means, read the sentence or sentence parts before the referent
very carefully and make use of clues.

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 • In this case, the names “Sharon” and “Jason” are very important clues as Sharon is a female
name and Jason is a male name. As the word “her” is used for females, it can only be
connected to “Sharon” in this sentence. The word “him” is used for males; therefore, it is
connected to “Jason” in meaning.

2. We are going to New York next week. Have you ever been there?

“there” means New York (the word “there” refers to New York)

• The word “there” is a pronoun which we use to talk about locations. In the sentences above,
there is only one location name -New York-, therefore “there” can only mean “New York”.

3. Carnaby cockatoos usually feed on a diet which includes flowers and seeds. However, when they
migrate to Swan Coastal Plains, these birds adjust their eating habits according to their new habitat.

“they” means Carnaby cockatoos (the word “they” refers to Carnaby cockatoos)

• The word “they” is a subject pronoun that can only substitute plural nouns. If you read the
sentence parts before the referent “they”, you see three different nouns which are in the
plural form: “cockatoos, flowers, and seeds”. However, when you read the sentence parts
after the word “they”, you see the verb “migrate”. To identify the meaning of the referent
“they”, the verb of this sentence is the biggest clue. Only living creatures can migrate;
therefore, the word “they” can only mean “Carnaby cockatoos” in this sentence.

The clues that will help you identify the meaning of a referent may be hidden in the sentences or
sentence parts that come before that referent (see examples 1 and 2 above). However, it is also
possible to find significant clues in the sentences or sentence parts that come after a referent as
well (see example 3 above). Therefore, you should always read the information around a referent
very carefully and look for clues that might help you.

YOUR TURN! Find all the referents in the sentence below and identify what they mean. There are 7.

Peter was playing with a ball with his friends, John and Tom. When they started teasing him, he
picked it up and threw it at them.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
_________ _________ _________ _________ _________ ________ _________

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EXERCISE 1. Read the following sentences and write what the underlined words refer to.

1. I read in the newspapers that there are about 200 fires in American schools each year, and more
than half of them are started by boys under the age of 16.

What does the word “them” refer to? __________________________________

2. Last month, a father and his two daughters went to Wales to explore the nature. Unfortunately,
the trio got lost in the mountains during their hiking trip. It took the search party 26 hours to locate
them.

What does the phrase “The trio” refer to? __________________________________

What does the word “them” refer to? __________________________________

3. As countries develop, their inhabitants usually become wealthier and healthier. They have better
health care, drink cleaner water, and eat better food.

What does the word “their” refer to? __________________________________

What does the word “They” refer to? __________________________________

4. Tornadoes are common in the middle part of the United States. Kansas, Arkansas, Nebraska, Iowa,
and Missouri are the states with many tornadoes every year. People in those states worry when they
see a cone-shaped cloud in the sky.

What does the word “those” refer to? __________________________________

What does the word “they” refer to? __________________________________

5. Runners often wear special shoes, socks, shorts, and shirts. These are all important, but runners
agree that among all the equipment they use, shoes are the most important.

What does the word “These” refer to? __________________________________

What does the word “they” refer to? __________________________________

6. REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is the period of sleep when dreams occur, and if people get up
during REM sleep, they can usually remember them.

What does the word “they” refer to? __________________________________

What does the word “them” refer to? __________________________________

7. According to a study, violent video games may be more harmful than violent television programs
and movies because they are interactive.

What does the word “they” refer to? __________________________________

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8. Researchers watched a group of people who were playing games with killings and high-powered
guns in them. Then they showed them photos of real violence and monitored their reactions.

What does the word “they” refer to? __________________________________

What does the word “them” refer to? __________________________________
What does the word “their” refer to? __________________________________

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 Week 4-Compulsory Reading Text 1

DELHI’S NO.1 LADIES’ TAXI COMPANY

1 The world of taxi drivers is dominated by men as many people believe
that driving is traditionally a man's job. However, in Delhi, there is one small taxi
company where all the drivers and passengers are female. Women's safety is a
hot topic in India at the moment, so it's becoming a very popular service.

2 "When I'm on the road driving our taxi, I feel very proud because this is a taxi service for women, and
I'm a woman," says 31-year-old Shanti Sharma. "Our work is supporting the women of Delhi. We're giving them
safety." Sharma is one of the eight female drivers with a taxi service called Cabs for Women by Women. The
last couple of months has been particularly busy for Shanti Sharma and colleagues since the cruel rape and
murder of a student travelling on a bus. "After this case, our business has shot up so much," says Sharma.
"Women who used other taxi services are also turning to us now since there is no other taxi company with
female drivers."
3 Most women in Delhi say they are routinely disturbed by men, and worse, especially on public transport.
But life is not simple for the women taxi drivers, either. Some of them had not even been in a car before they
were employed. They needed several months of training not only in driving and learning the rules of the road
but also first-aid and self-defense, just in case. One of the drivers was attacked by an angry male taxi driver as
she was filling up petrol. Another was attacked by a couple because she refused to reverse on a main street to
make way for their car.
4 Sharma, a single parent with three daughters, has been working as a taxi driver since 2011 when the
service was first established, and it has changed her life. This is the first time that she has earned enough –
about $250 (£160) a month – to support her family. Of course, she and the other female taxi drivers are
completely outnumbered by male taxi drivers. "When I park somewhere, there are always men there and five
or six of them get together and chat," she says. "I'm usually the only woman in the car park, so I just stay inside
the car… even one more woman driver would be nice to spend time with." It's not much better when she is
out on the road. Sharma says the male drivers give her a hard time. "As soon as they see a girl at the wheel,
they start honking for no reason. They'll try to overtake you. I'm always worrying about how to avoid getting
hit by someone."
5 The company behind Cabs for Women by Women, Sakha Consulting Wings, had a number of goals when
it established the service. With its partner, the Azad Foundation, Sakha Consulting Wings wanted to give
women from poor backgrounds an opportunity "to earn on par with the men," says Nayantara Janardhan,
Sakha's chief operating officer. "But by putting women ‘in charge of technologies’ – or at least motor cars –
they also wanted to change attitudes, and open up limits for women," she says.
6 "Everyone thought that having a women's taxi service in Delhi was not going to work," Janardhan recalls.
"But we thought, let us put it on the road and see what happens. Many women weren't willing to try out
women drivers at first," says Janardhan. So, their first customers were friends and family. They were pleased
with the service and news spread. Today, she's waiting for the eighth taxi that the company has ordered
recently. And in the last couple of months, since the death of the young student, she has received calls and
emails from people all over the world offering to help Sakha grow. The number of customers is up too – by as
much as 40%, she says and proudly adds, "We're changing old beliefs about what women can and cannot do."
Answer the following questions according to the text.

1. From paragraphs 1 and 2, we can understand that _________.

A) it is generally believed that women can drive as well as men
B) in Delhi, all taxi companies except one have only male drivers
C) Sharma was a driver who was killed in Delhi
D) most women have stopped using Cabs for Women by Women as it is not safe anymore

2. In paragraph 2, "shot up" is closest in meaning to _________.

A) increased B) converted C) required D) designed

3. According to paragraph 3, _________.

A) all the female taxi drivers had driving experience before they got their job
B) some male drivers who have disturbed women on the road have been punished
C) all female taxi drivers have driven without any attacks from other drivers
D) female drivers were taught how to defend themselves on the road

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to paragraph 4?

A) Sharma is not happy with some male drivers’ attitudes towards her.
B) Sharma used to earn $250 a month until she established her own business.
C) Some male taxi drivers want to spend time with Sharma in the car park after work.
D) Female taxi drivers have fewer problems on the road than in the car park.

5. In paragraph 5, the phrase "on par with" probably means ___________.

A) wasteful of B) equal to C) in spite of D) less than

6. In paragraph 5, the word "they" refers to ___________.

A) women C) Sakha Consulting Wings and Nayantara Janardhan
B) a number of goals D) Sakha Consulting Wings and the Azad Foundation

7. From paragraph 6, we can understand that ___________.

A) nobody expected that the women's taxi service would be a success
B) most women wanted to use the women's taxi service as soon as it was established
C) most of their customers are friends and family now
D) they are going to buy eight more taxis very soon

8. It is clear from the article that ___________.

A) some other ladies' taxi services were established in other cities in India
B) male taxi drivers are starting a campaign against female drivers in Delhi
C) Janardhan believes that their company has had a positive effect on the status of women in society
D) the number of the women who want to work as a taxi driver has been increasing very fast
Week 6- Compulsory Reading Text 2

BRAINWASHING

1 The term “mind control”, also known as brainwashing, refers to a process in which a
group or an individual forces a person to think or believe something. To achieve that, they
use some methods that make the person unable to think normally, so brainwashing can
be seen as an attempt to subvert an individual's control over their own thinking,
attitudes, emotions, or decision-making.

2 Theories of brainwashing were originally developed by totalitarian regimes to

manipulate the prisoners of war. For example, during the Korean War, Korean and Chinese captors reportedly
brainwashed American prisoners of war in prison camps. Several prisoners ultimately admitted conducting
virus warfare – which they hadn't – and committed themselves to communism by the end of their captivity.
At the end of the war, at least 21 soldiers refused to come back to the United States when they were set free.
It sounded very interesting, but sceptics had doubts about the effectiveness of brainwashing because it was
only 21 out of more than 20,000 prisoners who did not return to their country.

3 How does brainwashing happen? Some psychologists define brainwashing as a different form of ‘social
influence.’ Social influence happens every minute of every day. It's the collection of methods in which people
can change other people's attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. For instance, the ‘compliance method’ aims to
produce a change in a person's behavior and is not concerned with his attitudes or beliefs. It's the ‘Just do it’
approach. ‘Persuasion’, on the other hand, especially aims for a change in attitude. The ‘education method’,
which is also called the ‘propaganda method’, tries to cause a change particularly in the person's beliefs.
Brainwashing is a cruel form of social influence that combines all of these approaches to cause changes in
someone's way of thinking without that person's consent and often against his will.

4 In the brainwashing process, the agent (the brainwasher) tries to gain complete control over the target (the
brainwashee). Then the agent systematically breaks down the target's identity to the point that it doesn't work
anymore. The agent then replaces it with another set of behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs.

5 On the other hand, some psychologists do not take brainwashing very seriously. Many experts believe that
even under ideal brainwashing conditions, the effects of the process are most often short-term. The
brainwashed victim's old identity is not, in fact, destroyed by the process, but instead is in hiding, and once
the ‘new identity’ stops being reinforced, the person's old attitudes and beliefs will start to return.

6 Moreover, there are psychologists who say that the apparent change of American prisoners of war during
the Korean War was the result of torture, not ‘brainwashing’. And in fact, most prisoners of war in the Korean
War did not become communists at all, which leads to some doubts about the reliability of brainwashing.
Answer the following questions according to the text.

1. In paragraph 1, the word “subvert” is similar in meaning to _____.

A) weaken B) build up C) look after D) warn

2. According to paragraph 2, sceptics were the people who _____.

A) strongly supported Korean soldiers at war
B) believed that Koreans were better soldiers
C) were not sure how effective brainwashing was on American soldiers
D) couldn’t understand how Korean soldiers managed to brainwash so many Americans

3. From paragraph 2, we can understand that _____.

A) Korean and Chinese soldiers were against brainwashing
B) some American prisoners infected Korean soldiers with viruses
C) some American soldiers seemed to change their political beliefs during their imprisonment
D) 21 American soldiers managed to escape from prison camps

4. In paragraph 3, the word “consent” probably means ________.

A) goal B) promise C) duty D) permission

5. Fill in the chart according to the information in the 3rd paragraph of the text.

THREE METHODS OF BRAINWASHING

PURPOSE

PURPOSE
PURPOSE

6. In paragraph 4, what is mentioned about the ‘target’?

A) He usually isolates the agent in a prison camp. C) He does not have to obey the agent.
B) He is the one who takes the agent’s orders. D) He slowly kills the agent by leaving him/her hungry.

7. In paragraph 4, the word “it” probably refers to ________.

A) the target C) the target’s identity
B) the brainwashing process D) the point

8. What is the MAIN idea of paragraph 5?

A) The effects of brainwashing are observed immediately.
B) Brainwashing can have temporary effects on people’s minds.
C) A person’s identity can be totally destroyed by brainwashing.
D) A brainwashed person permanently forgets his former attitudes and beliefs.

9. From the text, we can understand that _________.

A) capitalism and communism have many similar aspects
B) the Korean War was against communism and its followers
C) social influence is rarely seen in society
D) American soldiers were probably exposed to cruel treatment by the Koreans
Week 9- Compulsory Reading Text 3

A VERY COLD WINTER

1 People across Europe awoke on 6 January 1709 to find the

temperature was dropping. The temperature would stay cold for the
rest of the winter. From Scandinavia in the north to Italy in the south,
and from Russia in the east to France in the west, everything turned
to ice. In Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea froze, and people could still walk
on the ice in April. In Switzerland, hungry wolves came into villages.
In Italy, Venetians slid across a frozen river. In England, they called
that winter ‘the Great Freeze’.

2 "I believe the Great Freeze was colder than any other within the recent history of Europe," wrote
William Derham, one of England's most careful meteorological observers. He was right. The Great Freeze
holds the record as the coldest European winter of the past 1000 years. Derham wrote a detailed account of
the freeze and the destruction it caused. Fish froze in the rivers, animals lay down in the fields and died, and
small birds died by the millions. The loss of many imported plants and exotic fruit trees was no surprise, but
even native oaks and ash trees couldn’t endure the cold. How extraordinary was that winter of 1708/1709?
In 2004, Jürg Luterbacher, a climatologist at the University of Bern in Switzerland, produced a month-by-
month record of Europe's climate since 1500. The winter of 1708-1709 was the coldest. In fact, the
temperature was 7°C colder than the average for 20th-century Europe.

3 Why it was so cold is hard to explain. Overall, the climate was colder, with the sun's energy output at
its lowest for 1000 years. There were some spectacular volcanic eruptions in 1707 and 1708, including Mount
Fuji in Japan and Santorini and Vesuvius in Europe. These sent dust high into the atmosphere, forming a veil
over Europe. This normally leads to cooler summers and warmer winters, but climatologists think that during
this period, the dust lowered both summer and winter temperatures. However, none of these things fully
explains the coldness of that particular winter.

4 The most immediate cause of cold winters in Europe is usually an icy wind from Siberia. However,
Dennis Wheeler, a British climatologist, found that there were mostly southerly and westerly winds, which
would normally bring warm air to Europe. Another strange finding was that January was unusually stormy.
In general, winter storms bring warmer but wilder weather to Europe. He says, "This combination of cold,
storms, and westerly winds was caused by some other mechanism that winter."

5 Although there is no easy explanation for the Great Freeze, the unexpected weather patterns
revealed by Wheeler's data show that studying the weather is very important. "We need to explain the
natural variation in climate over past centuries so that we can find all the factors that contribute to climate
change," says Wheeler and he adds, "Climate does not always function consistently, so warmer and colder,
drier and wetter periods must be explained using different mechanisms. In the two decades after that terrible
winter, the climate warmed very rapidly. Some people look at that and say today's global warming is nothing
new. However, they are not comparable. The factors causing warming then were quite different from those
operating now."
Answer the following questions according to the text.

1. The word “other” in paragraph 2 refers to __________.

A) country B) person C) temperature D) winter

2. The word “endure” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ________.

A) heat B) increase C) survive D) restore

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to paragraph 2?

A) Some of the things that William Derham wrote have been proved wrong.
B) Nobody has written a detailed history of what happened in the winter of 1709.
C) Jürg Luterbacher records support the claims made by William Derham.
D) The winter of 1709 was similar to some winters in the early 20th century.

4. The word “veil” in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by ________.

A) mountain B) cover C) pattern D) sky

5. The MAIN idea of paragraph 3 is that _________.

A) scientists have discovered the reasons for the cold weather in 1709
B) scientists still do not understand why the winter of 1709 was so cold
C) volcanos have a stronger effect on climate than most people realize
D) unlike the winter of 1709, a warm winter generally follows a cool summer

6. According to paragraph 4, ______ usually cause ______ during European winters.

A) icy winds / storms C) storms / warmer weather
B) westerly winds / cold weather D) southerly winds / storms

7. The word “consistently” in paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to _________.

A) in the same way B) for a long time C) surprisingly D) generally

8. As a result of the weather change that began on 6 January 1709, _________.

A) there were problems between France and Russia
B) the weather turned cold for a few days
C) Scandinavia and Italy had similar weather
D) the Great Freeze finally ended

9. In paragraph 5, Wheeler claims that __________.

A) the Great Freeze was the beginning of a long period of cold, stormy weather
B) natural changes which take place in the weather are impossible to explain
C) his research has revealed all the important factors which lead to climate change
D) the rise in temperature after the Great Freeze is not similar to global warming today

10. The author of the text wants readers to understand that ________.
A) England was affected more than other European countries in the Great Freeze
B) some researchers do not realize the large effect that volcanic eruptions have on temperatures
C) changes in climate are influenced by many factors and are difficult to explain
D) it is quite likely that Europe will have another very cold winter quite soon
Week 12- Compulsory Reading Text 4

READING AND FEELING

1 Think that you are getting ready for a job interview, or you have a date with
someone new. What should you do? You should take a shower and shave, of
course, but it turns out that you should also read. According to research, reading
a classical book by a writer like Chekhov or Dostoevsky will make your social skills
better. However, the research doesn’t say the same thing about popular books or
best sellers. Therefore, reading a book by Sophie Kinsella won’t help you much.
2 That is the result of a study. It was published in the journal Science. It found that after people read literary
books, but not popular books, they performed better on empathy and emotional intelligence tests. According
to the researchers, genetics and education play an important part in a person’s character, but literary books
can also play a part! The reason is that literary books, unlike best sellers, often leave more to the imagination
of readers. They force readers to understand the feelings of the characters in a book. Furthermore, they
encourage the readers to make their own conclusions about them.
3 “This is why I love science,” said Louise Erdrich. Her novel The Round House was used in one of the
experiments. She said, “The researchers found a way to prove the benefits of literary fiction. I am pleased to
see that our books can have a positive effect on our readers.”
4 The researchers at the New School in New York City found their subjects through Amazon.com. They
were between the ages of 18 and 75 and took part in each of five experiments. They were paid $2 or $3 each
to read for a few minutes. Some of them read parts from award-winning literary fiction. Others read best
sellers like The Da Vinci Code.
5 After the people read the books, they took tests on a computer. Those tests measured people’s ability to
understand a person’s emotions. In a test called ‘Reading the Mind in the Eyes’, people tried doing that. They
studied 36 photographs of pairs of eyes. Researchers gave them four adjectives and asked them to choose
the one which described the emotion which the eyes showed. The result was that people who read literary
fiction got higher scores than people who read popular fiction.
6 “It’s a really important result,” said Nicholas Humphrey, an evolutionary psychologist at Cambridge
University. He has written about human intelligence, but he was not involved in the research. Dr Humphrey
said everybody knows that reading generally makes people more empathetic and understanding. But the
most interesting point about this research was this: They separated literary fiction from popular fiction, and
they showed that it has different effects from the other forms of reading.
7 “I wasn’t involved in the study, but I think this study really proves the effect of literary books on people’s
psychology,” said Keith Oatley, a professor at the University of Toronto. “These people have done five
experiments, and they have found the same effects.”
8 “I agree with their study,” said Albert Wendland, a professor at Seton Hill University. “Reading detailed
books about people’s lives can make you more sensitive because you put yourself into another person’s
position. This is different from popular fiction. It usually deals more with one’s own self, and with one’s own
wants, desires, and needs, but literary fiction deals with people’s emotions and feelings.”
9 John Kidd, one of the researchers of the study, said, “In popular fiction, the writer is in control, and the
reader has a more passive role. However, in literary fiction, there is no single, authorial voice,” he said. “Each
character presents a different version of reality, and they aren’t reliable. Like in Dostoevsky’s The Brothers
Karamazov, you need to use your mind and imagination to understand the characters. You have to play an
active part in this story, which is really something you have to do in real life.”
Answer the following questions according to the text.

1. According to paragraph 1, the writer probably _______.

A) reads best sellers to have a better social life
B) wants to write like Chekhov
C) doesn’t like Sophie Kinsella
D) thinks that Sophie Kinsella is a popular book writer

2. According to paragraph 2, reading popular fiction _______.

A) does not increase emotional intelligence
B) can improve a person’s imagination
C) means reading difficult books
D) destroys a person’s feelings

3. In paragraph 2, the word “they” refers to _______.

A) literary books B) best sellers C) readers D) feelings of the characters

4. According to paragraph 3, Louise Erdrich is probably _______.

A) unhappy with the experiment C) not interested in experiments
B) a literary fiction writer D) against science-fiction

5. According to paragraphs 4 and 5, “subjects” are _______.

A) the researchers at the New School in NY City
B) the lessons at the New School
C) from different age groups
D) the websites like Amazon.com

6. In paragraph 5, the word “that” refers to_______.

A) taking tests on a computer C) understanding a person’s emotions
B) measuring people’s ability D) studying 36 photographs

7. One of the researchers who took part in the study at the New School is _______.
A) Nicholas Humphrey B) Keith Oatley C) Albert Wendland D) John Kidd

8. What is the MAIN idea of the reading?

A) Popular books shouldn’t sell more than literary books.
B) Reading literary books can improve our social skills.
C) People shouldn’t read best sellers because they are too simple.
D) Popular fiction and literary fiction are similar in many ways.

Part B. Read the statements about the text. Write T (true) or F (false). If it is not possible to tell, put a
“question mark (?)”.

________ 1. The people who took part in the study were different ages.
________ 2. The people did not receive any money for taking part in the study at the New School.
________ 3. Keith Oatley and Albert Wendland have similar opinions.
________ 4. Most of the people who read popular fiction are university students.
________ 5. Albert Wendland says literary fiction and popular fiction focus on different parts of human
psychology.
________ 6. The reader has a passive role while he/she is reading The Brothers Karamazov.