READING COMPREHENSION

1. Read the following passage and choose the best answer to each question.

Television has transformed politics in the United States by changing

the way in which information is disseminated, by altering political campaigns,
and by changing citizen's patterns of response to politics. By giving citizens
independent access to the candidates, television diminished the role of the
political party in the selection of the major party candidates. By centering
politics on the person of the candidate, television accelerated the citizen's
focus on character rather than issues.

Television has altered the forms of political communication as well. The

messages on which most of us rely are briefer than they once were. The
stump speech, a political speech given by traveling politicians and lasting an
hour and a half to 2 hours, which characterized nineteenth-century political
discourse, has given way to the 30-second advertisement and the 10
second "sound bite" in broadcast news. Increasingly the audience for
speeches is not that standing in front of the politician but rather the
viewing audience who will hear and see a snippet of the speech on the
news.

In these abbreviated forms, much of what constituted the traditional

political discourse of earlier ages has been lost. In 15 or 30 seconds, a
speaker cannot establish the historical context that shaped the issue in
question, cannot detail the probable causes of the problem, and cannot
examine alternative proposals to argue that one is preferable to others. In
snippets, politicians assert but do not argue.

Because television is an intimate medium, speaking through it require a

changed political style that was more conversational, personal, and visual
than that of the old-style stump speech. Reliance on television means that
increasingly our political world contains memorable pictures rather than
memorable words. Schools teach us to analyze words and print. However, in a
word in which politics is increasingly visual, informed citizenship requires a
new set of skills.

Recognizing the power of television's pictures, politicians craft

televisual, staged events, called pseudo-event, designed to attract media
coverage. Much of the political activity we see on television news has been
crafted by politicians, their speechwriters, and their public relations
advisers for televised consumption. Sound bites in news and answers to
questions in debates increasingly sound like advertisements.

1. What is the main point of the passage ?

(A) Citizens in the United States are now more informed about political
issues because of television coverage.

(B) Citizens in the United States prefer to see politicians on television instead of
in person.

(C) Politics in the United States has become substantially more

controversial since the introduction of television.

(D) Politics in the United States has been significantly changed by television.

2. It can be inferred that before the introduction of television, political parties

_______

(A) had more influence over the selection of political candidates

(B) spent more money to promote their political candidates

(C) attracted more members

(D) received more money

3. The author mentions the "stump speech" in line 7 as an example of ____

(A) an event created by politicians to attract media attention

(B) an interactive discussion between two politicians

(C political presentation typical of the nineteenth century

(D) a style of speech common to televised political events

4. The phrase "given way to" in line 10 is closest in meaning to _____

(A) added interest to (B) modified

(C) imitated (D) been replaced by

5. The word "that" in line 12 refers to _____

(A) audience (B) advertisement
(C) politician (D) broadcast news

6. According to the passage , as compared with televised speeches, traditional

political discourse was more successful at _____

(A) allowing news coverage of political candidates

(B) placing political issues within a historical context

(C) making politics seem more intimate to citizens

(D) providing detailed information about a candidates private behavior

7. The author states that "politicians assert but do not argue" (line 18)
in order to suggest that politicians ______

(A) make claims without providing reasons for the claims

(B) take stronger positions on issues than in the past

(C) enjoy explaining the issue to broadcasters

(D) dislike having to explain their own positions on issues to citizens

8. It can be inferred from paragraph 4 that ______

(A) politicians will need to learn to become more personal when meeting
citizens

(B) politicians who are considered very attractive are favored by citizens over
politicians who are less attractive

(C) citizens tend to favor a politician who analyzed the issue over one who does
not

(D) citizens will need to learn how to evaluate visual political images in
order to become better informed

9. According to paragraph 5, staged political events are created so that

politicians can _____

(A) create more time to discuss political issues

(B) obtain more television coverage for themselves

(C) spend more time talking to citizens in person

(D) engages in debates with their opponents

10. Which of the following statements is supported by the passage ?

(A) Political presentations today are more like advertisements than in the past.

(B) Politicians today tend to be more familiar with the views of citizens than in
the past.

(C) Citizens today are less informed about a politician's character than in the
past.

(D) Political speeches today focus more on details about issues than in the past.

2. Read the following passage and choose the best answer to each question.

THE EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONS

[1] Joy and sadness are experienced by people in all cultures around the
world, but how can we tell when other people are happy or despondent? It
turns out that the expression of many emotions may be universal. Smiling is
apparently a universal sign of friendliness and approval. Baring the teeth in a
hostile way, as noted by Charles Darwin in the nineteenth century, may be a
universal sign of anger. As the originator of the theory of evolution, Darwin
believed that the universal recognition of facial expressions would have survival
value. For example, facial expressions could signal the approach of enemies (or
friends) in the absence of language.

[2]  (1) Most investigators concur that certain facial expressions suggest
the same emotions in all people.  (2) Moreover, people in diverse cultures
recognize the emotions manifested by the facial expressions.  (3) In classic
research Paul Ekman took photographs of people exhibiting the emotions of
anger, disgust, fear, happiness, and sadness.  (4) He then people around the
world to indicate what emotions were being depicted in them. Those queried
ranged from European college students to members of the Fore, a tribe that
dwells in the New Guinea highlands. All groups, including the Fore, who had
almost no contact with Western culture, agreed on the portrayed emotions. The
fore also displayed familiar facial expressions when asked how they would
respond if they were the characters in stories that called of basic emotional
responses. Ekman and his colleagues more recently obtained similar results in a
study of ten cultures in which participants were permitted to report that multiple
emotions were shown by facial expressions. The participants generally agreed
on which two emotions were being shown and which emotions was more
intense.

[3] Psychological researchers generally recognize that facial expressions

reflect emotional states. In fact, various emotional states give rise to certain
patterns of electrical activity in the facial muscles and in the brain. The facial-
feedback hypothesis argues, however, that the causal relationship between
emotions and facial expressions can also work in the opposite direction.
According to this hypothesis, signals from the facial muscles (“feedback”) are
sent back to emotion centers of the brain, and so a persons’ facial expression
can influence that person’s emotional state. Consider Darwin’s words: “The free
expression by outward signs of an emotion intensifies it. On the other hand, the
repression, as far as possible, of all outward signs softens out emotions.” Can
smiling give rise to feelings of good will, for example, and frowning to anger?

[4] Psychological research has given rise to some interesting findings

concerning the facial-feedback hypothesis. Causing participants in
experiments to smile, for example, leads them to report more positive feelings
and to rate cartoons (humorous drawings of people or situations) as being more
humorous. When they are caused to frown, they rate cartoons as being more
aggressive.

[5] What are the possible links between facial expressions and emotion? One
link is arousal, which is the level of activity or preparedness for activity in an
organism. Intense contraction of facial muscles, such as those used in signifying
fear, heightens arousal. Self-perception of heightened arousal then leads to
heightened emotional activity. Other links may involve changes in brain
temperature and the release of neurotransmitters (substances that transmit nerve
impulses.) The contraction of facial muscles both influences the internal
emotional state and reflects it. Ekman has found that the so-called Duchenne
smile, which is characterized by “crow’s feet” wrinkles around the eyes and a
subtle drop in the eye cover fold so that the skin above the eye moves down
slightly toward the eyeball, can lead to pleasant feelings.

[6] Ekman’s observation may be relevant to the British expression “keep a

stiff upper lip” as a recommendation for handling stress. It might be that a
“stiff” lip suppresses emotional response – as long as the lip is not quivering
with fear or tension. But when the emotion that leads to stiffening the lip is
more intense, and involves strong muscle tension, facial feedback may heighten
emotional response.

 keep a stiff upper lip : Avoid showing emotions in difficult situations

11. The author mentions “baring the teeth in a hostile way” in order to _____

(A) differentiate one possible meaning of a particular facial expression from

other meanings of it

(B) support Darwin’s theory of evolution

(C) provide an example of a facial expression whose meaning is widely

understood

(D) contrast a facial expression that is easily understood with other facial
expressions

12. The word concur in the passage is closest in meaning to ______

(A) estimate

(B) agree

(C) expect

(D) understand

13. The word them in the passage refers to ______

(A) emotions

(B) people

(C) photographs

(D) cultures

14. According to paragraph 2, which of the following was true of the Fore
people of New Guinea?

(A) They did not want to be shown photographs.

(B) They were famous for their story-telling skills.

(C) They knew very little about Western culture.

(D) They did not encourage the expression of emotions.

15. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the
highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in
important ways or leave out essential information.

(A) The Fore’s facial expressions indicated their unwillingness to pretend to be

story characters.

(B) The Fore were asked to display familiar facial expressions when they told
their stories.

(C) The Fore exhibited the same relationship of facial expressions and basic
emotions that are seen in Western culture when they acted out stories.

(D) The Fore were familiar with the facial expressions and basic emotions of
characters in stories.

16. According to the passage, what did Darwin believe would happen to human
emotions that were not expressed?

(A) They would become less intense.

(B) They would last longer that usual.

(C) They would cause problems later.

(D) They would become more negative.

17. According to the passage, research involving which of the following

supported the facial-feedback hypothesis?

(A) The reactions of people in experiments to cartoons

(B) the tendency of people in experiments to cooperate

(C) The release of neurotransmitters by people during experiments

(D) The long-term effects of repressing emotions

18. The word relevant in the passage is closest in meaning to _______

(A) contradictory
(B) confusing

(C) dependent

(D) applicable

19. According to passage, stiffening the upper lip may have which of the
following effects?

(A) It first suppresses stress, then intensifies it.

(B) It may cause fear and tension in those who see it

(C) It can damage the lip muscles.

(D) It may either heighten or reduce emotional response.

20. Look at the four squares [] that indicate where the following sentence
could be added to the passage.

This universality in the recognition of emotions was demonstrated by using

rather simple methods.

Where would the sentence best fit?

(A) 4

(B) 2

(C) 1

(D) 3
 WORD FORMATION

Part 1: Complete each sentence with the correct form of the given word.

1. The interview showed her as a __________ and mature student. (ASSURE)

2. The software ______ you to create your own DVDs. (ABILITY)

3. ____________ are interested in the reasons why some people like taking part
in risky sports. (PSYCHOLOGY)

4. Its _________ made the Edmonton settlement grow very slowly. (ACCESS)

5. They kept me _______________ about her condition. (INFORM)

6. Customers were waiting _________ for the delays to end. They kept

complaining to the airline and some of them even wanted to cancel their
reservations. (PATIENCE)

7. Sulphur dioxide is one of several _________ that are released into the
atmosphere by coal-fired power stations. (POLLUTION)

8. Her great piece of work is really a significant __________ in computer

design. (BREAK)

9. £40,000 had been spent on ____________ the station. (MODERN)

10. __________ information can be the most valuable asset of a business.

(CONFIDENCE)

Part 2: Complete the passage with appropriate forms from the words given
in the box.

IN CASE OF FIRE

lose able warn belong secure

injured contact operation responsible electric

General Instructions

In an emergency, the first (11) _______ of all members of staff is to prevent

(12)_________ or (13)________ of life. If you discover a fire, (14) ________
the nearest alarm. The (15) ________ officer or his authorised deputy is
reponsible for (16)________ the Fire Brigade.

Evacuation Procedures

The (17) ______ signal is a series of short pulses of the alarm. When this signal
sounds

 switch off all machines

 switch off all (18) ______ and gas supplies

 shut windows

 evacuate physically (19) ________ staff

Evacuation Signal

This is a continuous sounding of the alarm. On hearing this signal, everyone

should leave by the nearest fire exit.

 walk, don’t run

 do not stop to collect (20) ________

 do not re-enter the building

 ANSWER KEY

READING COMPREHENSION

1. D 2. A 3. C 4. D 5. A 6. B 7. A 8. A 9. B 10.A
11.C 12.B 13.C 14.C 15.C 16.A 17.A 18.D 19.D 20.D

WORD FORMATION

1. self-assured 2. enables 3. Psychologists 4. inaccessibility

5. well-informed 6. impatiently  7. pollutants 8. breakthrough
9. modernising/ 10. Confidential 11. responsibility 12. injury
modernizing
13. loss 14. operate 15. security 16. contacting
17. warning 18. electricity 19. disabled 20. belongings