A UN report has warned of the potential problems
A UN report has warned of the potential problems of global warming. If the production of
greenhouse gases continues at the current rate, this will result in the melting of the ice sheets in
Greenland and the Antarctic. The consequences of this will be rising sea levels, which will endanger
145 million people. In response to the problem, the report observes the need for an immediate
international agreement on reducing emissions.
Q: Reducing emissions will help to slow down the progress of global warming.
Cannot Say
Q: Greenhouse gases are produced in greater quantities in Greenland and The Antarctic, resulting in
melting ice sheets in these areas.
Cannot Say
Q: Emission of greenhouse gases can result in a change in sea levels.
TRUE
Q: The report recommends an international agreement to stabilize emissions.
FALSE
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A few ‘Safe As Houses’ alarms
A few ‘Safe As Houses’ alarms have been redesigned in an attempt to reduce the large number of
complaints where alarms have sounded by accident. One of the new types of alarm is less sensitive
than its predecessors. Studies have shown that these newer alarms are rarely activated for no
reason. ‘Safe as Houses’ still sells a number of the original, sensitive alarm systems, because the
increase in threshold for motion detection means that the new style alarms may fail to register
break-in where limited force is being used.
Q: Some people prefer to buy alarms that sometimes activate for no reason.
TRUE
Q: The new alarm systems should better protect homes than the previous system.
False
Q: All of the company’s alarm system are now less sensitive.
Cannot Say
Q: The new alarm systems should reduce the number of accidental surroundings by at least a half.
Cannot Say
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Although people are buying less sugar
Although people are buying less sugar to add to their food, the percentage of sugar eaten in
manufactured foods is increasing sharply. In manufactured food, sugar is often referred to on the
label as fructose, sucrose or dextrose. Most studies show that the human body cannot tell the
difference between fructose and sucrose. Because of the increase in childhood obesity, there is a
concern at the growing compulsion to eat over-sugared food. No studies prove that consuming large
amounts of sugar causes coronary heart disease, however. Also, sugar does not by itself make people
fat.
Q: There is no correlation between the overconsumption of sugar and coronary heart disease.
Cannot Say
Q: Some studies show that the human body treats sucrose and fructose differently.
TRUE
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Despite decreases in the miles traveled
Despite decreases in the miles traveled by the average cyclist in recent years, the increase in bicycle
sales over the last 5 years has meant a corresponding increase in cycle accidents. This increase is
especially marked among teenagers and young children. Last year, 45% of all cycle casualties were
under 14 years of age and another 20% under 20 years of age. The provisional figures for this year
show some improvement, but the fact remains that the number of cyclists of all ages injured each
year is unacceptably high.
Q: New bicycle owners travel fewer miles on average than cyclists that have owned their bicycle for
more than 5 years.
Cannot Say
Q: Bicycle accidents are more a function of the average distance travelled than the number of
bicycles on the road.
FALSE
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A newly developed process of creating artificial skin
A newly developed process of creating artificial skin may be useful for treating burns and wounds.
The established method of treating such injuries is using a skin graft taken from another, usually
unseen, part of the body. However, artificial skin, grown in the lab from cells called fibroblasts, has
shown in a handful of trials to have better healing properties than ‘living skin’ and a lower tendency
towards scarring. The process is currently being refined by researchers, who maintain that the wide
availability of artificial skin could completely transform the way burns and other skin damage are
treated.
Q: The artificial skin grafting process is readily available.
FALSE
Q: Artificial skin and living skin are identical.
FALSE
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Despite vehicle improvements and campaigns
Despite vehicle improvements and campaigns for road safety, many injuries and fatalities are still
caused by collisions and other incidents involving vehicles. According to investigations in the United
States, some of these accidents could be prevented through the development of a mobile internet
network. All of the cars on a stretch of road would be linked to each other, comprising the mobile
network. Only one of these vehicles would need to be connected to the internet to download travel
news to the mobile network. The studies highlight the safety advantages of such a system, which
would enable drivers to find out about accidents and potential dangers as they happen and in
relation to their particular location. Drivers and emergency service teams would have detailed
information about problematic areas. There are, however, possible drawbacks to the development of
such networks, not least that the availability of data including that the availability of data within
them could facilitate privacy infringement.
Q: A mobile network would allow for drivers to ascertain the distance between their location and an
accident ahead.
TRUE
Q: All of the cars included in the mobile network can be connected to the internet.
Cannot Say
A report from a prestigious university
A report from a prestigious university has urged the world’s richest countries to consider the
precarious position of bird species from around the world. The study suggests that acting now could
ensure the survival of 400 to 900 species of land bird that are at risk because of the actions of
humans. The report pays particular attention to the dangers faced by those species which are highly
specialized, and may not be able to adapt to changes in their environment. Richer countries currently
have little awareness of the dangers faced by bird species around the world, and tend to concentrate
on the preservation of local species instead.
Q: The report's main focus is on bird species located in third-world countries.
FALSE
Q: Rich counties show little awareness of the need to preserve bird species.
FALSE
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Economic research has identified a trend exhibited
Economic research has identified a trend exhibited by one in six Britons of hiding cash in their homes
instead of investing it. This is termed the "Biscuit Tin Economy." It is estimated that $3.5 billion is
currently hidden in homes across the country. While there are various reasons for hiding cash, 6%
are doing so to conceal it from their partners and 4% believe their money to be safer at home than in
a bank. Researchers maintain that these actions demonstrate economic folly, and that, as a result,
Britons are sacrificing up the $174 million in interest every year. This "Biscuit Tin Economy" is
betraying those who trust in it, as it renders their hidden money both unproductive and potentially
unsafe, whereas it could be profitably invested in stocks or a high- interest savings plan. Four percent
of Britons are sacrificing potential interest they could gain on the money that they hide away in their
home.
Q: The majority of people who secrete cash on their property do so because they do not trust the
bank or they are hiding it from their partner.
FALSE
Q: Four percent of Britons are sacrificing potential interest they could gain on the money that they
hide away in their home.
FALSE
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Sagas Stores enjoys an international reputation
Sagas Stores enjoys an international reputation for quality and style. Nowhere is this more important
than in the dress and appearance of its staff. The company sets minimum standards of appearance
which are demanded of all shop floor staff, although some departments have specific additional
requirements. For all staff, hair must be clean, tidy and well cut at all times. "Designer Corner"
operates a different staff dress code where business dress must be worn. For a woman, this would be
a tailored suit, with a white or cream blouse. Men should wear dark grey trousers together with a
white shirt and navy blazer.
Q1: Additional articles of apparel such as jewelry for women and ties for men are acceptable.
Cannot Say
Q2: Female staff in "Designer Corner" cannot not wear tailored suits.
TRUE
Q3: Women in “Designer Corner” are allowed to wear jewelry.
Cannot Say
Q4: Business dress must be worn by staff in all departments.
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The early chaos of the home computer industry
The early chaos of the home computer industry in the United States (US), where it was developed,
probably had a more detrimental effect in Europe than it did in the United States. All of the
innovations in the field were companies which were too small to cope with or understand foreign
sales. As a result all US companies sold exclusively through European distributors, some of which
were only interested in making maximum profits in a minimum amount of time. Home computing in
Europe got off to a slow start because greedy distributors worked through incompetent suppliers,
none of which had any real interest in the long term future of the technology.
Q Distributors selling home computers in Europe were only interested in maximizing profits.
FALSE
Q Incompetent suppliers were one of the reasons for the slow development of home computing in
Europe
TRUE
Q: None of the American innovators in the field were able to deal adequately with foreign sales.
TRUE
Q: The use of distributors in Europe eased the burden of foreign sales for small technology
companies in the United States.
True
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Staff training can have a number of objectives
Staff training can have a number of objectives. It can be educational, aiming to develop the
knowledge, skills, and abilities of the trainees. It can be a vehicle to promote company policies or
values. Finally, it can raise levels of staff satisfaction by ensuring employees are able to improve their
existing skills. Lively debate usually accompanies the allocation of expenditure to the annual training
budget. Critics argue that certain costs associated with such programs could be scaled down, and
those courses which are unproductive could be cut.
Q1. Staff training gets support from some individuals responsible for allocating funds within
organizations.
TRUE
Q2. Employees that have the opportunity to improve their skills are more satisfied with their jobs.
Cannot Say
Q: Knowledge-based training is the most effective form for staff.
Cannot Say
Q: Training sharpens an organisation’s competitive edge.
Cannot Say
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Hargraves, one of the country’s leading specialist electrical engineering companies
Hargraves, one of the country’s leading specialist electrical engineering companies announced the
rejection of a take-over bid made by the larger, more generalized MLT Group. The Board of Directors
Stated that this was the decision of the majority of shareholders and the announcement kept the
price of Hargraves shares where it had stood before the bid had been made. The Chairman was
known to be very relieved by the decision as he could see no advantage for the shareholders, the
company or its employees in the take-over.
Q1. Some shareholders were proponents of the take-over.
True
Q2. If the take-over had occurred, share prices for Hargraces would have gone down.
Cannot say
Wi-Fi technology, which allows users to wirelessly connect to the Internet
Wi-Fi technology, which allows users to wirelessly connect to the Internet, has an obvious aesthetic
benefit in that it can remove some of the unsightly wires which surround computers. However, Wi-Fi
technology is also beneficial for businesses as it allows employees to work more flexibly, while it also
negates the need for businesses to install expensive cabling, which is particularly useful if their office
is in a rented building. As a result of the popularity of Wi-Fi, laws have had to be reviewed, and there
have been convictions where people have been using someone else’s Wi-Fi without paying for the
service. These reviews of the law are crucial in ensuring that Wi-Fi is presented as a secure form of
technology, as only then will it retain the support of businesses.
Q: Companies that own their office space may still want to use wired internet access to avoid any
lawsuits against them.
False
Q2: Wireless internet access has the fastest transfer of information via the Internet
Cannot say
Timed examinations have always played an influential role
Timed examinations have always played an influential role in assessing the abilities of students;
however, with increasing worries that pupils are plagiarizing material from the Internet for their
final year assignments, there is going to be a renewed emphasis on traditional supervised
assessment, albeit in a revised format. The new form of controlled assessment will still allow
students to conduct independent research on the Internet and participate in beneficial, practical
activities, such as educational trips, but it will also require students to present their final
conclusions under supervised conditions within their school. It is hoped that these controlled
assessments will maintain the integrity of their school qualifications, while also not
disadvantaging those students who become stressed by traditional timed examinations.
Q1. The students' use of the Internet will be uninhibited by this new form of assessment
True
Q2. Students who can prove that they cannot perform in a timed environment will be allowed to
take the new assessment in an untimed manner
Can’t say
In the future it may be possible to construct environments in space
In the future it may be possible to construct environments in space, capable of supporting
significant numbers of inhabitants in conditions that resemble those on Earth. New
manufacturing technologies are being studied, which will enable work to be done in space by
means of a combination of heat and kinetic energy. It has been shown that steel casting and
welding is possible, heating the metal using a combination of sunlight and electrical energy. Solar
power provides manufactures with a readily available natural power resource and this energy can
be intensified for use in manufacturing with utilization of an arrangement of maneuverable
mirrors. Theoretically, space manufacturing could require only a very small amount of material
being brought from Earth.
Q1. A combination of solar power, electrical energy, and kinetic energy may be used in the
manufacuring of structures in space.
True
Q2. The main point of this passage is to emphasize the gross amount of materials to construct
environments in space.
False
