Answer Keys:
Part 1: Question 1 - 13
- 1 D
- 2 A
- 3 C
- 4 D
- 5 D
- 6 A
- 7 B
- 8 YES
- 9 YES
- 10 NO
- 11 NOT GIVEN
- 12 NO
- 13 NO
Part 2: Question 14 - 25
- 14 ix
- 15 ii
- 16 iv
- 17 v
- 18 i
- 19 tax/tax on malt/malt tax
- 20 tea
- 21 waterborne diseases/dysentery
- 22 boiled
- 23 C
- 24 D
- 25 B
Part 3: Question 26 - 40
- 26 exceeds
- 27 current
- 28 employers
- 29 financial
- 30 activities
- 31 candidates
- 32 environment
- 33 NO
- 34 NO
- 35 NO
- 36 YES
- 37 NOT GIVEN
- 38 D
- 39 F
- 40 E
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Review & Explanations:
Questions 1-2
Choose the correct letter A-D.
The researchers concluded that ...
- A
- B
- C
- D
|
The researchers recommended that ...
- A
- B
- C
- D
|
Questions 3-7
Choose the type of music from the list A-D below which corresponds to the findings of the study.
| A | light jazz |
| B | alternative |
| C | classical |
| D | rock |
Example
longest waiting lime estimate for women C
3 music preferred by men
4 longest waiting time estimate (both sexes)
5 music to avoid on telephone hold
6 music to use if clients are mostly women
7 best choice of ‘on-hold’ music overall
- 3 Answer: C
The keywords of Q3 are “music”, “preferred” and “men”.
From these keywords, we assume that the answer will be a kind of music that men prefer.
The parts mention about researching the kinds of music are paragraph 6 and 7, so we need to pay more attention to them. And at the beginning of paragraph 7, we get an important clue from the sentence “In general, classical music evoked the most positive reactions among males”. From this statement, we found that “evoked the most positive reactions” and “males” are respectively compatible with keywords “preferred” and “men” in the question. So we can be sure that men prefer classical music because this kind of music makes them feel positive.
Hence, the right answer of Q3 is C. classical music.
- 4 Answer: D
The keywords of Q4 are “longest waiting time” and “both sexes”.
From these keywords, we assume that the answer will be a kind of music that make both men and women feel waiting longest.
The paragraph 7 mentions mainly about waiting time, so we should focus on this part. And there is a clue in this part which is “Rock was the least preferred across both gender groups and produced the longest waiting time estimates”. According to this sentence, we can see that 2 phrases “both gender groups” and “produced the longest waiting time” are totally match with the key words. So rock is the kind of music producing the longest waiting time estimates for both sexes.
Therefore answer of Q4 must be D. rock
- 5 Answer: D
The keywords of Q5 are “avoid on” and “telephone hold”.
From these keywords, we assume that the answer will be a kind of music that make customers hang up the call.
Thanks to Q4, we can know that rock that is least preferred by customers, so we can guess that this kind of music may also be the one that make callers hang up.
The sentences “Rock was the least preferred across both gender groups and produced the longest waiting time estimates. The rock music’s driving beat kind of aggravates people calling customer assistance with a problem” in paragraph 7 provide us the clue. From this information, we deduce that rock makes people calling customer assistance not hold on the phone.
Therefore, the correct answer for Q5 will be D. rock.
- 6 Answer: A
The keyword of Q6 is “mostly women”.
From this keyword, we assume the answer will be a kind of music that is suitable for female clients.
We can find out information about kinds of music that men and women prefer in paragraph 7, especially women with the sentence “light jazz evoked the most positive reactions (and shortest waiting time estimates) among females”. According to this statement, light jazz is the kind of music recommended by the researcher for companies to use if their clients are mostly female because it creates positive reactions for women and does not make them feel waiting long.
Hence, we must choose A. light jazz for Q6.
- 7 Answer: B
The keywords of Q7 are “best choice”, “on-hold” and “overall”.
From these keywords, we assume the answer will be a kind of music that is the best choice for musical hold in general.
Thanks to Q2, we know that the answer for this question is in the sentence “The kind of music they’re playing now, alternative, is probably their best choice”. After this statement, the researcher continues to show 2 reasons for this affirmation. These clues help us to be sure that the best choice must be alternative.
So, the right answer for Q7 is B. alternative.
Questions 8-13
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer?
Write:
| YES | if the statement agrees with the views of the writer |
| NO | if the statement contradicts the views of the writer |
| NOT GIVEN | if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this |
8 Businesses want to minimise the time spent ‘on hold’.
9 The research sample consisted of real clients of a company.
10 The sample consisted of equal numbers of men and women.
11 Advertising is considered a poor alternative to ‘on-hold’ music.
12 The consumer service company surveyed was playing classical music.
13 Researchers asked subjects only to estimate the length of time they waited ‘on hold’.
- 8 Answer: YES
The keywords of Q8 are “businesses”, “minimise” and “on-hold”.
We can find out the information related to this statement at the beginning of paragraph 4. In particular, they say “Service providers, of course don’t want you to have to wait on hold…”. From this sentence, it is clear that businesses or Service providers don’t want their customers to wait and if the callers have to, they want to minimise the time spent ‘on hold’.
Hence, we can be sure this statement is true and the answer for Q8 must be YES.
- 9 Answer: YES
The keywords of Q9 “the research sample”, “real clients”.
From these keywords, we know the clues for this question will be found at the part introducing the research, which is paragraph 3.
And at the beginning of this part, the sentence “The researchers tested four types of ‘on-hold’ music with 71 of the company’s clients, 30 of them women.” provides us the answer. Thanks to this statement, we can conclude that the research is carried out with 71 real clients of the company.
Therefore, the correct answer of Q9 will be YES.
- 10 Answer: NO
The keywords of Q10 are “the sample”, “equal numbers of men and women”.
The information about the numbers of sample is also contained in the 1st sentence of paragraph 3 “The researchers tested four types of ‘on-hold’ music with 71 of the company’s clients, 30 of them women”. Because the total number is 71, and 30 of them are women, which means the number of men will be 41. From this point, it is certain that the number of male clients is more than the number of female ones.
So, it is wrong to say that the sample consisted of equal numbers of men and women and we must choose NO for this question.
- 11 Answer: NOT GIVEN
- 12 Answer: NO
The keywords of Q12 are “the consumer service company surveyed” and “playing classical music”.
The information about current kind of music being played by the company is provided at the sentence “The kind of music they’re playing now, alternative” in the 5th paragraph.
The phrase “they’re playing now” helps us to assure alternative is being played by the company, not classical music as the statement mentions about.
Therefore, the correct choice for Q12 is NO.
- 13 Answer: NO
The keywords of Q13 are “researchers”, “only”, “estimate”, “the length of time” and “on-hold”.
In order to know if this statement is true or false, we must focus on the part which discuss about the goal of the research.
And thanks to the sentence “Kellaris, who has studied the effects of music on consumers for more than 12 years, teamed with Sigma Research Management Group to evaluate the effects of ‘hold music’ for a company that operates a customer service line” at the 2nd paragraph, we realize that besides estimating the length of time the callers wait ‘on-hold’, the researchers also find out the effects of some kinds of music on the clients.
Because the statement uses the word “only”, we have to conclude it is wrong. So, the correct answer for Q13 should be NO.
Questions 14-18
The passage has 8 sections A-H.
Choose the most suitable headings for paragraphs B-F from the list of headings below.
Write the appropriate numbers (i-x).
There are more headings than sections so you will not use all of them.
| i | The significance of tea drinking |
| ii | Possible solution to the puzzle |
| iii | Industry in Holland and France |
| iv | Significant population increase |
| v | The relationship between drinks and disease |
| vi | Gin drinking and industrialisation |
| vii | Dysentery prevention in Japan and Holland |
| viii | Japan’s waterborne diseases |
| ix | Preconditions necessary for Industrial Revolution |
| x | Introduction |
Example Answer
Section A x
14 Section B
15 Section C
16 Section D
17 Section E
18 Section F
- 14 Answer: ix
Q14 requires us to find out the heading which is suitable with paragraph B.
At the beginning of this part, we can see they say “He claims that there were about 20 different factors and all of them needed to be present before the revolution could happen” and the following sentences list some of these factors. From this clue, we guess this paragraph may discuss mainly about the factors before the preconditions of revolution.
Scanning the list of headings, we can see the answer ix is the one related to revolution then we can guess this is answer.
Moreover, at line 7 of paragraph B, the professor adds “All these factors must have been necessary but not sufficient to cause the revolution”. This information implies these factors are just the necessary conditions and there are still some sufficient conditions for the revolution to take place.
To sum up, this paragraph talks about the preconditions necessary for Industrial Revolution, so, the correct answer must be ix.
- 15 Answer: ii
Q15 requires us to find out the heading which is suitable with paragraph C.
The 1st sentence of this part “The missing factors, he proposes, are to be found in every kitchen cupboard” provides us the clue. From this statement, we assume this paragraph will talk about the missing factors for the revolution. And in fact, the other sentences of paragraph C discuss mainly about tea and beer, two possible missing factors proposed by Macfarlane and explain the reason why.
From these things, we can be sure that this part is about the solution for the question about revolution that the professor tries to solve.
Thanks to the 1st sentence of paragraph B “Macfarlane compares the question to a puzzle”, we know that the word “puzzle” means “question about the revolution”. Therefore, the answer ii. Possible solution to the puzzle must be the most suitable heading for paragraph C.
- 16 Answer: iv
Q16 requires us to find out the heading which is suitable with paragraph D.
In this part, the sentences at the beginning “Between about 1650 and 1740, the population was static. But then there was a burst in population. The infant mortality rate halved in the space of 20 years, and this happened in both rural areas and cities, and across all classes” provide us the clue about population growth happening around the mid 18th century.
According to the above-mentioned information, we guess paragraph D will focus on this event. And because the left sentences of this part are just to analyze 4 suggested possible reasons of this change, we can conclude that the main content of this paragraph is the considerable population increase.
Therefore, the correct heading of paragraph D is iv. Significant population increase.
- 17 Answer: v
Q17 requires us to find out the heading which is suitable with paragraph E.
Thanks to the sentences “But with crowded living conditions comes disease, particularly from human waste. Some research in the historical records revealed that there was a change in the incidence of waterborne disease at that time, especially dysentery”, we know that the issue discussed in this paragraph is related to disease in crowded areas, especially waterborne disease.
Then, in Macfarlane’s conclusion “whatever the British were drinking must have been important in controlling disease”, we get one more important clue about the relationship between drinks and disease. And after that, the following sentences show past events to demonstrate this relationship, so it is certain that this paragraph talks mainly about the issue.
Hence, we can conclude that right answer for Q17 must be v. The relationship between drinks and disease.
- 18 Answer: i
Q18 requires us to find out the heading which is suitable with paragraph F.
Right at the beginning of this part, we can see that they talk about the fact that waterborne diseases in Japan were fewer than those in Britain, and Japan’s tea drinking culture. Then, in the sentence “That was when Macfarlane thought about the role of tea in Britain”, the professor mentions about the role of this tea in Britain. So, we guess this paragraph is related to tea drinking and its role.
The next sentences of this part discussing about the past event in Britain related to tea help us to know the importance of tea drinking in Britain.
Besides, the last sentence “No other European nation drank tea so often as the British, which, by Macfarlane’s logic, pushed the other nations out of the race for the Industrial Revolution” enable us to assure the significance of tea drinking in the race for the Industrial Revolution.
So, the most suitable heading of paragraph F is i. The significance of tea drinking.
Questions 19-22
Complete the table using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage.
CENTURY | SOCIAL CHANGE IN BRITAIN | REASON | EFFECT ON POPULATION |
mid-17th century | main drinks were still beer and ale (example) | Imps helped to make beer last longer | no significant change |
late 17th century | gin becomes more popular, especially with poor people | beer becomes expensive because of 19 | mortality rate goes up |
early 18th century | 20 drinking starts to become widespread | Britain starts trade with China | mortality rate goes down |
mid-18th century | decline in urban deaths caused by 21 | 22 water used for tea and beer; antibacterial qualities of tannin | infant mortality rate goes down by half |
- 19 Answer: tax/tax on malt/malt tax
The keywords of Q19 are “late 17th century”, “reason” and “beer becomes expensive”.
From these keywords, we assume the answer will be the reason why the price of beer goes up in the late 17th century.
We can find out the point of time “late 17th century” at paragraph E, line 8. In particular, they say “But in the late 17th century a tax was introduced on malt. The poor turned to water and gin, and in the 1720s the mortality rate began to rise again”. This information is absolutely suitable with the social change – “gin becomes more popular” and the effect on population – “mortality rate goes up” given in the question so we know that these sentences contain the right answer.
According to the statement “But in the late 17th century a tax was introduced on malt” and because “malt” is an ingredient of beer, we assure that the reason why beer becomes expensive is tax or tax on malt or malt tax.
Therefore, we must write down tax/tax on malt/malt tax in the blank.
- 20 Answer: tea
The keywords of Q20 are “early 18th century”, “social change in Britain”, “drinking” and “become widespread”.
From these keywords, we assume the answer will be a kind of drinks that becomes popular in Britain in the early 18th century.
We can find out the point of time “early 18th century” at paragraph F, line 5 with the sentence “Tea was relatively expensive until Britain started direct trade with China in the early 18th century. By the 1740s, about the time that infant mortality was falling, the drink was common”.
Because the reason – “Britain started direct trade with China” and the effect on population – “that infant mortality was falling” in these statements totally fit with the information given in the table, and the word “common” is the synonym of “widespread”, we can be sure the drink we need to figure out is tea.
Hence, the missing word of Q20 is tea.
- 21 Answer: waterborne diseases/dysentery
The keywords of Q21 are “mid 18th century”, “decline in urban deaths”, “caused by”.
From the question, we know that the missing information is the reason of decline in urban deaths in mid 18th century.
In the end of paragraph E, the information about death rate in mid 18th century is mentioned in the sentence “in the 1720s the mortality rate began to rise again. Then it suddenly dropped again. What was the cause?”. From this sentence, especially the last question, we know that the answer will appear soon.
Then move to paragraph F, the lecture mention about “Waterborne diseases in the Japanese population were far fewer than those in Britain”. The waterborne diseases is mentioned right after the question about the cause decline in death rate so we can infer that this is a factor lead to decline in death rate. And the particular disease of waterborne diseases mentioned in passage C is dysentery
Therefore answer of Q21 must be waterborne diseases/dysentery.
- 22 Answer: boiled
The keywords of Q22 are “mid 18th century”, “decline in urban deaths”, “water used for tea and beer; antibacterial qualities of tannin”.
For this question, we guess that the missing word maybe an adjective about one characteristic of water - a reason for decline in urban deaths.
Also in paragraph F, there is a sentence that “By the 1740s, about the time that infant mortality was falling, the drink was common. Macfarlane guesses that the fact that water had to be boiled, together with the stomach-purifying properties of tea”. From this sentence, we get many phrases that are compatible with the key words such as: “By the 1740s” = “mid 18th century”, “infant mortality was falling” = “decline in urban deaths”, “the stomach-purifying properties of tea” = “antibacterial qualities of tannin” so we can sure that this is where we can find answer.
In this sentence, 2 factors that are mentioned are “water had to be boiled” and “the stomach-purifying properties of tea”, therefore we can easily determine that boiled water is the correct answer.
Hence answer of Q22 must be boiled
Questions 23-25
Choose the correct letter A-D.
In 1740 there was a population explosion in Britain because ...
- A
- B
- C
- D
|
According to the author, the Japanese did not industrialise because they didn’t ...
- A
- B
- C
- D
|
Macfarlane thinks he has discovered why ...
- A
- B
- C
- D
|
Questions 26-32
Complete the summary below.
Choose your answers from the box below the summary.
There are more words than you will need to fill the gaps.
Although IT is one of the leading career choice (example) made by graduates today, the industry’s demand for qualified applicants 26 the supply of skilled IT personnel. Despite the 27 widespread use of computer technology in all areas of life, 28 face difficulties recruiting people whose education has equipped them to commence working productively without further training. Several business organisations now offer income and other 29 inducements to potential employees. They also include group 30 in their selection procedures, often inviting up to forty 31 to their company for the two-day visit. In this way the company can demonstrate the reality of the working 32 which is more likely to involve challenging co-operative projects than individualised tasks. |
exceeds | extracts | choices | candidates | employees |
admiration | previous | financial | employment | regularity |
advantages | employers | environment | activities | current |
- 26 Answer: exceeds
The keywords of Q26 are “demand for qualified applicants” and “supply of skilled IT personnel”.
From this keywords, we assume the answer will be a word about comparison between the number of demand with the number of supply in IT field.
We can get information about this comparison in the 1st paragraph of the passage. In particular, they say “The corporate world has seen a boom in the use of IT tools, but conversely, not enough people with IT skills that can enter the workplace and be productive with minimal on-the-job training”. From this clue, we know that the labour with IT skills is not enough, which means the demand for qualified applicants is more than the supply of skilled IT personnel.
From the given words, the word “exceeds” is the most suitable word for this question. Hence, we must write down “exceeds” in the blank.
- 27 Answer: current
The keywords of Q27 are “widespread use”, “computer technology” and “in all areas of life”.
With this question, we can see that the given sentence is already a complete sentence, together with the position of the gap, so the missing word may be an adjective to make the phrase “widespread use” have a clearer meaning.
And among the given adjectives in the list which are “current”, “financial” and “previous”, we can easily see that the word “current” is the most suitable one in this case.
So, we should fill in the word “current” for this question.
- 28 Answer: employers
The keywords of Q28 are “face difficulties” and “recruiting”.
Thanks to the given word “recruiting”, we know that the missing word is a person or a organization that has demand on hiring other people.
And among the given words in the list, we can see that it is only employers who may in need of recruiting people.
Therefore, the word “employers” is the most suitable one we should choose for Q28.
- 29 Answer: financial
The keywords of Q29 are “business organisations”, “offer”, “income” and “inducements”.
From the position of the blank, we guess the missing word may be an adjective.
Thanks to the keywords, we know that this sentence is mentioning about salary and beneficial packages that the companies offer to their potential employees. And we can get clue related to this issue in the 2nd paragraph with the sentence “For example, one American IT consulting company offers high salaries, annual bonuses, and immediate stock options to potential recruits”
According to this example, besides salary, the companies also offer annual bonuses, and immediate stock options. In general, all these things is financial inducements.
Hence, for Q29, the correct answer must be financial.
- 30 Answer: activities
The keywords of Q30 are “group” and “selection procedures”.
From these keywords, we know that the answer will be a method for the companies to select their employees. So, we need to continue to pay attention to the next part in the paragraph 2.
And we get the clue in the sentence “This time includes interviews, team exercises and social events”. Because the word “team” is synonym of the keyword “group”, we conclude that team exercises is the method they want to talk about. Therefore, we need to find out the word has the same meaning to “exercises” in the given ones. And the word “activities” is the most suitable choice.
So, answer for Q30 must be “activities”.
- 31 Answer: candidates
The keywords of Q31 are “inviting”, “up to forty” and “two-day visit”.
The keyword “two-day visit” enables us to easily find out the sentence “It also brings in 25 to 40 prospective applicants at a time for a two-day visit to the company” in paragraph 2 which possibly contains the answer.
And from the information “40 prospective applicants” in this sentence, along with the given list of words, we are certain that the missing word is applicants.
Therefore, the correct answer for Q31 is applicants.
- 32 Answer: environment
The keywords of Q32 are “this way”, “demonstrate”, “the reality of the working”, “co-operative projects” and “individualised tasks”.
The keyword “this way” is about the previous-mentioned new method of selecting applicants: group activities and two-day visit to the company, so we should continues to focus on paragraph 2 to find out the clue for this question.
And at the end of this part, we see the sentence “The idea behind the team exercises is that the applicants get to see that they will be working with other smart people doing really interesting things, rather than sitting alone writing code”. From this sentence, we know that this method helps applicants know about other people and co-operation when working, which related to working environment so we can sure that environment is the most suitable word in this case.
Hence, the missing word of Q32 must be environment.
Questions 33-37
Do the following statements reflect the views of the writer of the passage?
Write:
| YES | if the statement agrees with the views of the writer |
| NO | if the statement contradicts the views of the writer |
| NOT GIVEN | if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this |
33 The American Intercontinental University includes team-based learning in all its courses on all its campuses.
34 The composition of teams is changed regularly.
35 Theoretical problems are the most important team activity.
36 The team members participate in assessment of other team members.
37 International students prefer traditional classroom learning to team-based learning.
- 33 Answer: NO
The keywords of Q33 are “The American Intercontinental University”, “team-based learning”, “all its course” and “all its campuses”.
The information related to The American Intercontinental University (AIU) can be found at paragraph 4 of this passage, so we need to pay attention to this part. And from the beginning, this school is introduced as one of the leaders in promoting team-based education. And the very next sentence “AIU offers programs in IT with a major portion of the curriculum based on team projects” give us the clue. According to this statement, AIU just includes team-based learning in a major portion of the curriculum, not in all its courses.
So, we can conclude that the statement is false and the answer is NO.
- 34 Answer: NO
The keywords of Q34 are “the composition of teams”, “changed” and “regularly”.
After introducing about the team-based learning, the following parts is mainly to analyse this way of learning. And we can get information about the composition of teams in the 6th paragraph with the sentence “In team-based learning, students spend a large part of their in-class time working in permanent and heterogeneous teams”. Because the word “permanent” which means unchanged in the passage is the antonym of the phrase “changed regularly” in the question, we can be sure that this statement is false.
Hence, we have to choose NO for Q34.
- 35 Answer: NO
The keywords of Q35 “theoretical problems” and “most important team activity”.
The team activities is also discussed in the paragraph 6 with the sentence “Team activities concentrate on using rather than just learning concepts”. Because “learning concepts” is the other expression of “theoretical problems”, and according to the mentioned clue, it is practical problems that team activities focus on than theoretical problems. From this point, it is wrong to conclude theoretical problems are the most important team activity.
Therefore, the correct answer for Q35 must be NO.
- 36 Answer: YES
The keywords of Q36 are “team members”, “participate in” and “assessment of other team members”.
The last sentence of paragraph 6 “… student grades are a combination of overall team performance and peer evaluation of individual team members” also talks about the student’s grades in team-based learning. From this statement, we get an important information that besides the overall team performance, student’s grades are also individually evaluated by other team members which is totally compatible with the question.
So, it is true to say that the team members participate in assessment of other team members. And we must write YES in Q36.
- 37 Answer: NOT GIVEN
The keywords of Q37 are “international students”, “prefer” “traditional classroom learning” and “team-based learning”.
At line 1 of the 9th paragraph, the sentence “Team-based classrooms are especially beneficial in colleges with international students” is the signal for us to know this part will discuss about international students.
We can see that this paragraph mainly talks about the benefits that team-based learning brings about for international students such as cultural understanding, problem sharing, time and resources management, … From these things, we may easily come to the conclusion that this statement is false.
But we need to be careful because during this part, there are also not any sentences claiming that “International students prefer team-based learning to traditional classroom learning”. So, we still cannot be sure if this question is right or wrong.
Hence, with Q37, the answer must be NOT GIVEN.
Questions 38-40
Choose one phrase from the list of phrases A-H below to complete each of the following sentences.
There are more phrases than questions so you will not use all of them.
38 Students’ work is assessed ...
39 The teams make a joint presentation ...
40 The need to achieve consensus assists ...
| A | to compete with other teams as judged by the facilitator. |
| B | by individual tests and exams. |
| C | to see who has the strongest point of view in the group. |
| D | individually, by their peers and as a team. |
| E | in the development of communication skills. |
| F | to practise working as a group while putting theory into practice. |
| G | to assist international and non-traditional students. |
| H | in getting to know new friends and colleagues. |
- 38 Answer: D
The keywords of Q38 is “students’ work is assessed”.
From these keywords, we assume that the answer will be a way to assess students’ work.
Thanks to question 36, we can instantly get the information related to the assessment from the sentence “student grades are a combination of overall team performance and peer evaluation of individual team members”. According to this clue, we know that the students’ work is assessed by their peers and by overall team performance.
Therefore, the correct answer for Q38 is D. individually, by their peers and as a team.
- 39 Answer: F
The keywords of Q39 are “make a joint presentation”.
We can get information about team presentations in the middle of paragraph. In particular, they say “Team presentations (written or verbal) allow the team to focus and build cohesion”. Thanks to the phrase “cohesion” which has the close meaning to “working as a group”, we guess that F may be the right answer.
However, we still have to prove the later clause of this answer “while putting theory into practice” is also true. And the last sentence of this paragraph “Team exercises that are application-oriented help students experience the practical application of concepts” helps us to prove this issue. Because team presentation is one of team exercices, we can conclude team presentation also helps students experience the practical application of concepts, or put theory into practice, in other words.
So, the correct answer for this question is F. to practise working as a group while putting theory into practice.
- 40 Answer: E
The keywords of Q40 are “the need”, “achieve consensus” and “assists”.
We can see the keyword “consensus” appear in the 8th paragraph with the sentence “Additional team assessment tests present a problem for discussion and require consensus, helping students learn critical communication skills”. From this statement, we know that consensus achievement is to help students learn critical communication skills. Because “help students learn critical communication skills” in this part is other expression of “assists in the development of communication skills” in the answer E, we can conclude that E is the right answer.
Hence, we must choose E. in the development of communication skills for the last question.
Reading Passage 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on this passage.
PLEASE HOLD THE LINE
Nearly all of us know what it’s like to be put on ‘musical hold’. Call almost any customer service number, and you can expect to hear at least a few bars of boring elevator music before an operator picks up. The question is: do you hang up or do you keep holding? That may depend on your gender and what type of music is playing, according to research reported by University of Cincinnati Associate Professor of Marketing, James Kellaris.
{OPTION}13
The researchers tested four types of ‘on-hold’ music with 71 of the company’s clients, 30 of them women. Light jazz, classical, rock and the company’s current format of adult alternative (a mix of contemporary styles) were all tested. The sample included individual consumers, small business and large business segments. Participants were asked to imagine calling a customer assistance line and being placed on hold. They were then exposed to ‘on-hold’ music via headsets and asked to estimate how long it played. Their reactions and comments were also solicited and quantified by the researchers.
Service providers, of course don’t want you to have to wait on hold, but if you do, they want it to be a pleasant experience for you. But Kellaris’ conclusions may hold some distressing news for companies. No matter what music was played, the time spent ‘on hold’ was generally overestimated. The actual wait in the study was 6 minutes, but the average estimate was 7 minutes and 6 seconds.
He did find some good news for the client who hired him. The kind of music they’re playing now, alternative, is probably their best choice. Two things made it a good choice. First, it did not produce significantly more positive or negative reactions in people. Second, males and females were less polarised in their reactions to this type of music.
Kellaris’ other findings, however, make the state of musical hold a little less firm: time spent ‘on hold’ seemed slightly shorter when light jazz was played, but the effect of music format differed for men and women. Among the males, the wait seemed shortest when classical music was played. Among the females, the wait seemed longest when classical music was played. This may be related to differences in attention levels and musical preferences.
In general, classical music evoked the most positive reactions among males; light jazz evoked the most positive reactions (and shortest waiting time estimates) among females. Rock was the least preferred across both gender groups and produced the longest waiting time estimates. ‘The rock music’s driving beat kind of aggravates people calling customer assistance with a problem,’ said Kellaris. ‘The more positive the reaction to the music, the shorter the waiting time seemed to be. So maybe time does tend to fly when you’re having fun, even if you’re on musical hold,’ Kellaris joked.
But unfortunately for companies operating on-hold lines, men and women have different ideas about what music is ‘fun’. ‘The possible solution,’ Kellaris joked, ‘might be for the recorded message to say: if you’re a male, please press one; if you’re a female, please press two. If you are in a bad mood, please hang up and try later.’
Reading Passage 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-25 which are based on this passage.
Did tea and beer bring about industrialisation?
A. Alan Macfarlane thinks he could rewrite history. The professor of anthropological science at King’s College, Cambridge has, like other historians, spent decades trying to understand the enigma of the Industrial Revolution. Why did this particular important event - the world-changing birth of industry - happen in Britain? And why did it happen at the end of the 18th century?
B. Macfarlane compares the question to a puzzle. He claims that there were about 20 different factors and all of them needed to be present before the revolution could happen. The chief conditions are to be found in history textbooks. For industry to ‘take off, there needed to be the technology and power to drive factories, large urban populations to provide cheap labour, easy transport to move goods around, an affluent middle-class willing to buy mass-produced objects, a market-driven economy, and a political system that allowed this to happen. While this was the case for England, other nations, such as Japan, Holland and France also met some of these criteria. All these factors must have been necessary but not sufficient to cause the revolution. Holland had everything except coal, while China also had many of these factors. Most historians, however, are convinced that one or two missing factors are needed to solve the puzzle.
C. The missing factors, he proposes, are to be found in every kitchen cupboard. Tea and beer, two of the nation’s favourite drinks, drove the revolution. Tannin, the active ingredient in tea, and hops, used in making beer, both contain antiseptic properties. This, plus the fact that both are made with boiled water, helped prevent epidemics of waterborne diseases, such as dysentery, in densely populated urban areas.
D. Historians had noticed one interesting factor around the mid-18th century that required explanation. Between about 1650 and 1740, the population was static. But then there was a burst in population. The infant mortality rate halved in the space of 20 years, and this happened in both rural areas and cities, and across all classes. Four possible causes have been suggested. There could have been a sudden change in the viruses and bacteria present at that time, but this is unlikely. Was there a revolution in medical science? But this was a century before Lister introduced antiseptic surgery. Was there a change in environmental conditions? There were improvements in agriculture that wiped out malaria, but these were small gains. Sanitation did not become widespread until the 19th century. The only option left was food. But the height and weight statistics show a decline. So the food got worse. Efforts to explain this sudden reduction in child deaths appeared to draw a blank.
E. This population burst seemed to happen at just the right time to provide labour for the Industrial Revolution. But why? When the Industrial Revolution started, it was economically efficient to have people crowded together forming towns and cities. But with crowded living conditions comes disease, particularly from human waste. Some research in the historical records revealed that there was a change in the incidence of waterborne disease at that time, especially dysentery. Macfarlane deduced that whatever the British were drinking must have been important in controlling disease. They drank beer and ale. For a long time, the English were protected by the strong antibacterial agent in hops, which were added to make beer last. But in the late 17th century a tax was introduced on malt. The poor turned to water and gin, and in the 1720s the mortality rate began to rise again. Then it suddenly dropped again. What was the cause?
F. Macfarlane looked to Japan, which was also developing large cities about the same time, and also had no sanitation. Waterborne diseases in the Japanese population were far fewer than those in Britain. Could it be the prevalence of tea in their culture? That was when Macfarlane thought about the role of tea in Britain. The history of tea in Britain provided an extraordinary coincidence of dates. Tea was relatively expensive until Britain started direct trade with China in the early 18th century. By the 1740s, about the time that infant mortality was falling, the drink was common. Macfarlane guesses that the fact that water had to be boiled, together with the stomach-purifying properties of tea so eloquently described in Buddhist texts, meant that the breast milk provided by mothers was healthier than it had ever been. No other European nation drank tea so often as the British, which, by Macfarlane’s logic, pushed the other nations out of the race for the Industrial Revolution.
G. But, if tea is a factor in the puzzle, why didn’t this cause an industrial revolution in Japan? Macfarlane notes that in the 17th century, Japan had large cities, high literacy rates and even a futures market. However, Japan decided against a work-based revolution, by giving up labour-saving devices, even animals, to avoid putting people out of work. Astonishingly, the nation that we now think of as one of the most technologically advanced, entered the 19th century having almost abandoned the wheel. While Britain was undergoing the Industrial Revolution, Macfarlane notes wryly, Japan was undergoing an industrious one.
H. The Cambridge academic considers the mystery solved. He adds that he thinks the UN should encourage aid agencies to take tea to the world’s troublespots, along with rehydration sachets and food rations.
Reading Passage 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 26-40 which are based on this passage.
TEAM-BASED LEARNING
With the globalisation of information technology (IT) and worldwide access to the Internet, people from all areas of learning are finding themselves using some form of information technology in the workplace. The corporate world has seen a boom in the use of IT tools, but conversely, not enough people with IT skills that can enter the workplace and be productive with minimal on-the-job training.
A recent issue of the New York Times reports that many companies are looking for smart students who may have a budding interest in IT. Some companies, trying to encourage students to attend interviews, provide good salary packages and challenging work environments. For example, one American IT consulting company offers high salaries, annual bonuses, and immediate stock options to potential recruits. It also brings in 25 to 40 prospective applicants at a time for a two-day visit to the company. This time includes interviews, team exercises and social events. The idea behind the team exercises is that the applicants get to see that they will be working with other smart people doing really interesting things, rather than sitting alone writing code.
In the past 10 years, employers have seen marked benefits from collaborative projects in product development. Apart from the work environment, there is also a similar body of research indicating that small team-based instruction can lead to different kinds of desirable educational results. In order to prepare IT graduates to meet these workplace requirements, colleges and universities are also beginning to include team-based educational models.
One of the leaders in promoting team-based education is the American Intercontinental University (AIU), which has campuses worldwide. AIU offers programs in IT with a major portion of the curriculum based on team projects. AIU has a large body of international students and students from different educational backgrounds. This team-based learning gives the students a sense of social and technical support within the group, and allows students firsthand experience of both potential successes and of inherent problems encountered when working with others.
Team-oriented instruction has not been the common mode of delivery in traditional college settings. However, since most college graduates who choose to go into an IT work environment will encounter some form of teamwork at work, it is to their advantage that they are educated using collaborative learning and that they are taught the tools needed to work with different people in achieving common goals or objectives.
In team-based learning, students spend a large part of their in-class time working in permanent and heterogeneous teams. Most teams are made up of individuals with different socio-cultural backgrounds and varying skill levels. Team activities concentrate on using rather than just learning concepts, whilst student grades are a combination of overall team performance and peer evaluation of individual team members.
In a team-based environment, the teacher takes on the role of a facilitator and manager of learning, instead of just providing information to passive students. The facilitator/teacher also guides the team in identifying their goals and establishing standards of team performance. Team exercises then help the students to improve their problem-solving skills by applying theory to simulated real-world situations. Working as a team allows students to adopt new roles and empowers them to control their own learning. Students in teams are taught to use each other as resources and accept the responsibility of managing tasks.
Team members must also study assigned material individually to ensure their preparation for classes. There are individual assessment tests to measure if students have not only read the assigned material, but also understand the concepts of the module, and can apply them to given problems. Additional team assessment tests present a problem for discussion and require consensus, helping students learn critical communication skills. This also enables them to deal with conflicts between members before they escalate to crises. Team presentations (written or verbal) allow the team to focus and build cohesion, with team members sharing the responsibility for presenting and persuading the audience to accept their viewpoint. Feedback on how the team is functioning with task management, team dynamics and overall work is given by the facilitator. Team exercises that are application-oriented help students experience the practical application of concepts and learn from other students’ perspectives.
Team-based classrooms are especially beneficial in colleges with international students. Since this type of learning encourages people to listen and communicate with others, share problems, resolve personal conflicts, and manage their time and resources, it is a great environment for students who are in a new social situation. Since social interaction plays an important role during teamwork, team learning has an added advantage for students who are not comfortable in traditional classroom settings. It allows students from different cultures to understand their differences and use them productively. This type of learning environment also allows students to express themselves freely in a team context, rather than feeling singled out as when answering questions in a traditional classroom.
This learning model was designed to better prepare students for today’s global workplace. Students are encouraged to explore ideas together, to build communication skills and achieve superior results. It is likely that employers will increasingly seek out students with these skills as we move into the future.
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