IELTS ACADEMIC READING 1

Population Viability Analysis Part A To make political decisions about the extent and type of forestry in a region it is important to understand the consequences of those decisions. One tool for assessing the impact of forestry on the ecosystem is population viability analysis (PVA). This is a tool for predicting the probability that a species will become extinct in a particular region over a specific period. It has been successfully used in the United States to provide input into resource exploitation decisions and assist wildlife managers and there is now enormous potential for using population viability to assist wildlife management in Australia’s forests. A species becomes extinct when the last individual dies. This observation is a useful starting point for any discussion of extinction as it highlights the role of luck and chance in the extinction process. To make a prediction about extinction we need to understand the processes that can contribute to it and these fall into four broad categories which are discussed below. Part B A) Early attempts to predict population viability were based on demographic uncertainty whether an individual survives from one year to the next will largely be a matter of chance. Some pairs may produce several young in a single year while others may produce none in that same year. Small populations will fluctuate enormously because of the random nature of birth and death and these chance fluctuations can cause species extinctions even if, on average, the population size should increase. Taking only this uncertainty of ability to reproduce into account, extinction is unlikely if the number of individuals in a population is above about 50 and the population is growing. B) Small populations cannot avoid a certain amount of inbreeding. This is particularly true if there is a very small number of one sex. For example, if there are only 20 individuals of a species and only one is a male, all future individuals in the species must be descended from that one male. For most animal species such individuals are less likely to survive and reproduce. Inbreeding increases the chance of extinction. C) Variation within a species is the raw material upon which natural selection acts. Without genetic variability, a species lacks the capacity to evolve and cannot adapt to changes in its environment or to new predators and new diseases. The loss of genetic diversity associated with reductions in population size will contribute to the likelihood of extinction. D) Recent research has shown that other factors need to be considered. Australia’s environment fluctuates enormously from year to year. These fluctuations add yet another degree of uncertainty to the survival of many species. Catastrophes such as fire, flood, drought or epidemic may reduce population sizes to a small fraction of their average level. When allowance is made for these two additional elements of uncertainty the population size necessary to be confident of persistence for a few hundred years may increase to several thousand. Part C Besides these processes, we need to bear in mind the distribution of a population. A species that occurs in five isolated places each containing 20 individuals will not have the same probability of extinction as a species with a single population of 100 individuals in a single locality. Where logging occurs (that is, the cutting down of forests for timber) forestdependent creatures in that area will be forced to leave. Grounddwelling herbivores may return within a decade. However, arboreal marsupials (that is animals which live in trees) may not recover to prelogging densities for over a century. As more forests are logged, animal population sizes will be reduced further. Regardless of the theory or model that we choose, a reduction in population size decreases the genetic diversity of a population and increases the probability of extinction because of any or all of the processes listed above. It is therefore, a scientific fact that increasing the area that is loaded in any region will increase the probability that forestdependent animals will become extinct.

IELTS ACADEMIC READING +

NOTES + ANSWER 1

Population Viability Analysis

Part A

To make political decisions about the extent and type of forestry in a region it is important to understand the consequences of those decisions One tool for assessing the impact of forestry on the ecosystem is population viability analysis (PVA) This is a tool for predicting the probability that a species will become extinct in a particular region over a specific period It has been

successfully used in the United States to provide input into resource exploitation decisions and assist wildlife managers and there is now enormous potential for using population viability to assist wildlife management in Australia’s forests A species becomes extinct when the last

individual dies This observation is a useful starting point for any discussion of extinction as it highlights the role of luck and chance in the extinction process To make a prediction about extinction we need to understand the processes that can contribute to it and these fall into four broad categories which are discussed below

Part B

A) Early attempts to predict population viability were based on demographic uncertainty whether an individual survives from one year to the next will largely be a matter of chance Some pairs may produce several young in a single year while others may produce none in that same year Small populations will fluctuate enormously because of the random nature of birth and death and these chance fluctuations can cause species extinctions even if, on average, the population size should increase Taking only this uncertainty of ability to reproduce into account,extinction is unlikely if the number of individuals in a population is above about 50 and the population is growing

B) Small populations cannot avoid a certain amount of inbreeding This is particularly true if there is a very small number of one sex For example, if there are only 20 individuals of a speciesand only one is a male, all future individuals in the species must be descended from that one male For most animal species such individuals are less likely to survive and reproduce

Inbreeding increases the chance of extinction

C) Variation within a species is the raw material upon which natural selection acts Without genetic variability, a species lacks the capacity to evolve and cannot adapt to changes in its environment or to new predators and new diseases The loss of genetic diversity associated with reductions in population size will contribute to the likelihood of extinction

D) Recent research has shown that other factors need to be considered Australia’s

environment fluctuates enormously from year to year These fluctuations add yet another degree

of uncertainty to the survival of many species Catastrophes such as fire, flood, drought or epidemic may reduce population sizes to a small fraction of their average level When allowance

is made for these two additional elements of uncertainty the population size necessary to be confident of persistence for a few hundred years may increase to several thousand

of the processes listed above It is therefore, a scientific fact that increasing the area that is loaded in any region will increase the probability that forest-dependent animals will become extinct

Questions 28-31:

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Part A of Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 28-31 on your answer sheet write:

YES if the statement agrees with the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Example Answer

A link exists between the consequences of decisions and the YES

decision making process itself

28 Scientists are interested in the effect of forestry on native animals.

29 PVA has been used in Australia for many years.

30 A species is said to be extinct when only one individual exists.

31 Extinction is a naturally occurring phenomenon

Questions 32-35:

These questions are based on Part B of Reading Passage 1 In paragraphs A to D the author

describes four processes which may contribute to the extinction of a species Match the list of

processes (i-vi) to the paragraphs Write the appropriate number (i-vi) in boxes 32-35 on your

iv Human disasters

v Evolution

vi The haphazard nature of reproduction

Questions 36-38:

Based on your reading of Part C, complete the sentences below with words taken from the

passage Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer Write your answers in

boxes 36-38 on your answer sheet

While the population of a species may be on the increase, there is always a chance that small

isolated groups (36) Survival of a species depends on a balance between the size of

a population and its (37) The likelihood that animals which live in forests will become extinct is increased when (38)

Question 39:

Choose the appropriate letter A-D and write it in box 39 on your answer sheet.

39 An alternative heading for the passage could be:

A The protection of native flora and fauna

B Influential factors in assessing survival probability

C An economic rationale for the logging of forests

D Preventive measures for the extinction of a species

Question 28: Scientists are interested in the effect of forestry on native animals.

Answer: Yes

Explanation: This is the most confusing question in this reading passage The techniques and

strategies that you have learned so far to find answers from a reading passage would easily assist you to decide that the right answer is 'Not Given' Believe me, this was my first instinct as well

However, the right answer is 'Yes' But why ?

The first point to notice is that you have to find evidence for the answer from Part A, as

mentioned in the reading passage So even if any evidence is given otherwise in Part B or C, would not be applicable here If you are still confused, read the question instruction again, which

says 'Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Part A of Reading

Passage 1?'

Now we only have to search the proof within Part A of the paragraph and that has become a bit easier for us

Look at the beginning of the Part A that says:

"To make political decisions about the extent and type of forestry in a region it is important

to understand the consequences of those decisions One tool for assessing the impact of forestry on the ecosystem is population viability analysis (PVA) This is a tool for predicting the probability that a species will become extinct in a particular region over a specific period."

It is certain that someone is interested in the effect of forestry on native animals but we are still

not convinced if this "someone" is a scientist or not?

Don't be confused about the word 'political' as it does not mean only politicians are involved In

this reading passage'to make political decisions' indicates the 'decision-making process' and

the writer implies that the decision-making process leads directly to consequences

The Part A of the reading passage includes:

"One tool for assessing the impact of forestry on the ecosystem is population viability analysis (PVA)." It should be obvious that the tool (PVA) is being used by scientists and ecosystems include the native animals."

Still not convinced? Let me try for one more

time-What group of people are interested to know about the impact of forestry on the ecosystem and who would use tools to measure/assess that? Scientists

Question 29 PVA has been used in Australia for many years.

Answer: No

Explanation: The Part A of the reading passage indicates

that-"It (PVA) has been successfully used in the United States and there is now an enormous potential for using population viability to assist wildlife management in Australia’s forests

"

It should be clear that PVA is yet to be used in Australia but it has a potential to become handy to

assist wildlife managements in Australia's forests Potential means 'possible, likely, prospective,

future, and probable' which clearly explains that it might be used in the future and has not been used and tested

Question 30: A species is said to be extinct when only one individual exists.

Answer: No

Explanation: The sentence in Part A of the reading passage clearly mention that "A species becomes extinct when the last individual dies." So finding the answer to this question should

be very easy for you and this is quite straight forward

Question 31: Extinction is a naturally occurring phenomenon.

Answer: Not Given

Explanation: According to the question instruction, we have to find evidence from the Part A of

this reading passage for question 31 as well

Look at the last sentence of the Part A which states

-"To make a prediction about extinction we need to understand the processes that can contribute to it and these fall into four broad categories which are discussed below."

It makes it clear that the reasons why extinction occurs fall into four broad categories which we still don't know and would not want to know as they are not included in Part A of the reading

passage They might be a natural phenomenon or could be man-made.

Be aware: Do not apply your general knowledge or subject matter expertise while answering theIELTS reading passages In reality, extinctions of different species might be a natural

phenomenon To answer this question you have to rely on the information given in this reading passage, not your previous knowledge or expertise

Tips: A group of questions (28 -31 in this case) in IELTS reading usually appears

chronologically; i.e follow the order in the text of the passage Since you found the answer to thequestion 30 in the line "A species becomes extinct when the last individual dies, for the answer

to the question 31 look the next line of this paragraph, NOT from the beginning of the paragraph

Question 32- 35: Part B of the reading passage has four paragraphs namely a), b), c) and d) We need to find suitable processes that are listed in the table, i.e i-vi Do not write process name in your answer sheet Rather write the roman numbers i - vi Notice that there are six processes while you need to pick four out of these to match with the 4 paragraphs given

Question 32: Paragraph A

Answer: vi (The haphazard nature of reproduction) [ In your answer sheet write only vi, we

have included the answer in the () for the purpose of explaining it ]

Explanation: According to the paragraph A) of Part B)

-"Small populations will fluctuate enormously because of the random nature of birth and

death and these chance fluctuations can cause species extinctions even if, on average, the

population size should increase Taking only this uncertainty of ability to reproduce into

account, extinction is unlikely if the number of individuals in a population is above about 50 and

the population is growing "

Main points/ keywords/ keyphrases to notice here - random nature of birth and

death, uncertainty of ability to reproduce into account

Thus "The haphazard nature of reproduction" is the most suitable process that the writer has

described here

Question 33: Paragraph B

Answer: iii (An imbalance of the sexes) [ In your answer sheet write only iii, we have included

the answer in the () for the purpose of explaining it ]

Explanation: According to the paragraph B) of Part B)

-"This is particularly true if there is a very small number of one sex For example, if there are only 20 individuals of a species and only one is a male, all future individuals in the species must

be descended from that one male For most animal species such individuals are less likely to survive and reproduce Inbreeding increases the chance of extinction."

Thus "An imbalance of the sexes" is the process the writer has described in this paragraph.

Question 34: Paragraph C

Answer: i (Loss of ability to adapt) [ In your answer sheet write only i, we have included the

answer in the () for the purpose of explaining it ]

Explanation: According to the paragraph C) of Part B

-"Without genetic variability, a species lacks the capacity to evolve and cannot adapt to

changes in its environment or to new predators and new diseases The loss of genetic

diversity associated with reductions in population size will contribute to the likelihood of

extinction "

Thus the "Loss of ability to adapt" is the process the writer has described in this paragraph.

Be aware that it is tempting to pick "Evolution" as the answer to this question if you do not understand the paragraph It is talking about a process which lets a species extinct and the lack/loss of adaptability is the right answer here, NOT the evaluation

Question 35: Paragraph D

Answer: ii (Natural disasters) [ In your answer sheet write only ii, we have included the answer

in the () for the purpose of explaining it ]

Explanation: According to the paragraph D) of Part B

-"Recent research has shown that other factors need to be considered Australia’s environment

fluctuatesenormously from year to year These fluctuations add yet another degree of uncertainty

to the survival of many species Catastrophes such as fire, flood, drought or epidemic may

reduce population sizes to a small fraction of their average level "

Note that - Environmental fluctuations, catastrophes like flood, drought or epidemic are all natural disasters.

Thus "Natural Disaster" is the process the writer has described in this paragraph.

Questions 36-38: Note that you have to answer the questions 36 to 38 based on Part C of the paragraph You need to fill the gaps with word(s) that are TAKEN FROM THE PASSAGE and

DO NOT use more than three words to fill a single gap Also, the sentence must make sense and become grammatically accurate when you use your words to fill the gaps

Question 36: While the population of a species may be on the increase, there is always a chance that small isolated groups (36)

Answer: (either one of the following)

 will become extinct

 could become extinct

 will not survive

Explanation: You have to pick three or fewer than three words to fill this gap Make sure you

use word(s) that has appeared in the reading passage In this case extinct and survive are both accurate as they both come from the reading passage However, you have to use become, may become will not survive or any of the right answer to make the sentence grammatically

correct

You could be sure of this answer from the excerpt

-"A species that occurs in five isolated places each containing 20 individuals will not have the

same probability of extinction as a species with a single population of 100 individuals in a

single locality."

Question 37: Survival of a species depends on a balance between the size of a population and its (37)

Answer: (either one of the following)

Explanation: You must not use more than three words to fill this gap Make sure you use

word(s) that has appeared in the reading passage In this case extinct and survive are both

accurate as they both come from the reading passage

You could be sure of this answer from the line(s)

-"Besides these processes, we need to bear in mind the distribution of a population Where

logging occurs (that is, the cutting down of forests for timber) forest-dependent creatures in that area will be forced to leave Ground-dwelling herbivores may return within a decade However, arboreal marsupials (that is animals which live in trees) may not recover to pre-logging densities for over a century As more forests are logged, animal population sizes will be reduced further "

Question 38: The likelihood that animals which live in forests will become extinct is

increased when (38)

Answer: (either one of the following)

 logging takes place

Explanation: You must not use more than three words to fill this gap Make sure you use

word(s) that has appeared in the reading passage In this case extinct and survive are both

accurate as they both come from the reading passage

You could be sure of this answer from the excerpt

-"Where logging occurs (that is, the cutting down of forests for timber) forest-dependent

creatures in that area will be forced to leave Ground-dwelling herbivores may return within a decade However, arboreal marsupials (that is animals which live in trees) may not recover to

pre-logging densities for over a century As more forests are logged, animal population sizes

will be reduced further "

Caution: "logging occur/ logging take place" are grammatically inaccurate and hence if you write either of that, your answer would be treated as a wrong answer The same rule applies for the spelling mistakes Even if your answer is correct, you won't get any mark for a spelling mistake Thus 'logging occurs' would not be treated as a correct answer as 'loggin' is not the correct spelling

Question 39: An alternative heading for the passage could be:

Answer: B

Explanation: The right answer here would be "Influential factors in assessing survival

probability" (i.e B) The reading passage already has a heading, which is 'Population Viability Analysis' This question now asks you to find an alternative and suitable heading for this same

reading passage and the four options are given By the time you have reached the question 39, you already have a fair idea of what the reading passage is about

Option A) The protection of native flora and fauna - as an alternative heading is not at all

suitable as the reading passage has not talked about how to protect the trees and animals In the

same way, option C) 'An economic rationale for the logging of forests' is totally off-topic Option D) includes 'Preventive measures for the extinction of a species' which is also off topic

as the reading passage is about the four main factors that could be used to assess the survival probability of a species

Thus the most obvious choice is B) "Influential factors in assessing survival probability"

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attention dramatically when a blind woman in one of my investigations decided on her own initiative to draw a wheel as it was spinning To show this motion, she traced a curve inside the circle (Fig 1) I was taken aback, lines of motion, such as the one she used, are a very recent invention in the history of illustration Indeed, as art scholar David Kunzle notes, Wilhelm Busch, a trend-setting nineteenth-century cartoonist, used virtually

no motion lines in his popular figure until about 1877

When I asked several other blind study subjects to draw a spinning wheel, one particularly cleverrendition appeared repeatedly: several subjects showed the wheel's spokes as curves lines When asked about these curves, they all described them as metaphorical ways of suggesting motion Majority rule would argue that this device somehow indicated motion very well But was it a better indicator than, say, broken or wavy lines or any other kind of line, for that matter? The answer was not clear So I decided to test whether various lines of motion were apt ways of showing movement or if they were merely idiosyncratic marks Moreover, I wanted to discover whether there were differences in how the blind and the sighted interpreted lines of motion

To search out these answers, I created raised-line drawings of five different wheels, depicting spokes with lines that curved, bent, waved, dashed and extended beyond the perimeters of the wheel I then asked eighteen blind volunteers to feel the wheels and assign one of the following

motions to each wheel: wobbling, spinning fast, spinning steadily, jerking or braking My controlgroup consisted of eighteen sighted undergraduates from the University of Toronto.

All but one of the blind subjects assigned distinctive motions to each wheel Most guessed that the curved spokes indicated that the wheel was spinning steadily; the wavy spokes, they thought; suggested that the wheel was wobbling, and the bent spokes were taken as a sign that the wheel was jerking Subjects assumed that spokes extending beyond the wheel's perimeter signified that the wheel had its brakes on and that dashed spokes indicated the wheel was spinning quickly

In addition, the favoured description for the sighted was favoured description for the blind in every instance What is more, the consensus among the sighted was barely higher than that among the blind Because motion devices are unfamiliar to the blind, the task I gave them

involved some problem solving Evidently, however, the blind not only figured out the meaning for each of the motion, but as a group they generally came up with the same meaning at least as frequently as did sighted subjects

Part 2

We have found that the blind understand other kinds of visual metaphors as well One blind woman drew a picture of a child inside a heart-choosing that symbol, she said, to show that love surrounded the child With Chang Hong Liu, a doctoral student from china, I have begun

exploring how well blind people understand the symbolism behind shapes such as hearts that do not directly represent their meaning

We gave a list of twenty pairs of words to sighted subjects and asked them to pick from each pairthe term that best related to a circle and the term that best related to assure For example, we asked: what goes with soft? A circle or a square? Which shape goes with hard?

Words associated Agreement among

with circle/square subjects(%)

SOFT-HARD 100

MOTHER-FATHER 94

HAPPY-SAD 94

GOOD-EVIL 89

LOVE-HATE 89

ALIVE-DEAD 87

BRIGHT-DARK 87

LIGHT-HEAVY 85

WARM-COLD 81

SUMMER-WINTER 81

WEAK-STRONG 79

FAST-SLOW 79

CAT-DOG 74

SPRING-FALL 74

QUIET-LOUD 62

WALKING-STANDING 62

ODD-EVEN 57

FAR-NEAR 53

PLANT-ANIMAL 53

DEEP-SHALLOW 51

Fig 2- Subjects were asked which word in each pair fits with a circle and which with a square These percentages show the level of consensus among sighted subjects. All our subjects deemed the circle soft and the square hard A full 94% ascribed happy to the circle, instead of sad But other pairs revealed less agreement: 79% matched fast to slow and weak to strong, respectively And only 51% linked deep to circle and shallow to square (see Fig 2) When we tested four totally blind volunteers using the same list, we found that their choices closely resembled those made by the sighted subjects One man, who had been blind since birth, scored extremely well He made only one match differing from the consensus, assigning 'far' to square and 'near' to circle In fact, only a small majority of sighted subjects, 53%, had paired far and near to the opposite partners Thus we concluded that the blind interprets abstract shapes as sighted people do

Questions :

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write your answers in boxes 27 –29 on your answer sheet.

27 In the first paragraph, the writer makes the point that blind people

A may be interested in studying art

B can draw outlines of different objects and surfaces

C can recognise conventions such as perspective.

D can draw accurately

28 The writer was surprised because the blind woman

A drew a circle on her own initiative

B did not understand what a wheel looked like

C included a symbol representing movement

D was the first person to use lines of motion

29 From the experiment described in Part 1, the writer found that the blind subjects

A had good understanding of symbols representing movement

B could control the movement of wheels very accurately

C worked together well as a group in solving problems

D got better results than the sighted undergraduates

Questions 30 –32

Look at the following diagrams (Questions 30 –32), and the list of types of movement below

Match each diagram to the type of movement A–E generally assigned to it in the experiment Choose the correct letter A–E and write them in boxes 30–32 on your answer sheet.

Questions 33 –39

Complete the summary below using words from the box Write your answers in boxes 33 –39 on

your answer sheet NB You may use any word more than once.

In the experiment described in Part 2, a set of word 33 …… was used to investigate whether blind and sighted people perceived the symbolism in abstract 34 … … in the same way Subjects were asked which word fitted best with a circle and which with a square From the 35

… … volunteers, everyone thought a circle fitted ‘soft ’while a square fitted ‘hard’ However,

only 51% of the 36 …… volunteers assigned a circle to 37 …… When the test was later repeated with 38 … … volunteers, it was found that they made 39 … … choices.

associations blind deep hard hundred identical pairs

shapes sighted similar shallow soft words

Question 40

Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D Write your answer in box 40 on your answer sheet.

Which of the following statements best summarises the writer ’s general conclusion?

A The blind represent some aspects of reality differently from sighted people

B The blind comprehend visual metaphors in similar ways to sighted people

C The blind may create unusual and effective symbols to represent reality

D The blind may be successful artists if given the right training

Question 27: In the first paragraph, the writer makes the point that blind people

Answer: C

Explanation: This is a bit tricky question as your quick scanning method would allure you to

consider 'B' (can draw outlines of different objects and surfaces) as the right answer However,

this is not the case Read more attentively and find the underlying meaning of the

sentence-" it has become clear that blind people can appreciate the use of outlines and perspectives

to describe the arrangement of objects and other surfaces in space."

The above sentence DOES not mean that the blind people can draw outlines of different objects and surfaces Rather it implies that the blind people can recognise (or appreciate) conventions

such as perspective This is why the correct answer here would be 'C' (can recognise conventions

such as perspective).

If you are still not convinced consider the following sentence:

"I appreciate the delicate methods and outlines this piece of artwork represents."

Does this mean that I can draw such artworks using the same delicacy and visual outlines? No, that does not Rather it means that I understand the delicacy and outlines in artworks in question

In the same way, if you chose 'B' as the right answer, you are referring that the blind people can draw outlines of different objects and surfaces However, the writer, in the first line of the paragraph, is indicating that the blind can appreciate the use of outlines and perspectives

Question 28: The writer was surprised because the blind woman

Answer: C

Explanation: The first keyword in this question is 'surprised' which is represented in the third

line of the reading passage as 'This fact was drawn to my attention dramatically " The second keyword/ key phrase of this question is 'the blind woman' This is why you have to decide the answer to this question for the third line of the reading passage which reads-

"This fact was drawn to my attention dramatically when a blind woman in one of my

investigations decided on her own initiative to draw a wheel as it was spinning."

What do you think surprised the writer? The answer is 'a blind woman's ability to draw a

symbol (a wheel) which was showing some movements (spinning).' This is why 'C'

(included a symbol representing movement.) is the correct answer here

Question 29: From the experiment described in Part 1, the writer found that the blind subjects

Answer: A

Explanation: A quick overview of paragraph 2 shows that the writer wanted to carry out an

experiment / discover which would be described in the following paragraph(s) The finding in

paragraph 2, however, indicates that several blind people showed wheel's spokes as curved

lines

Evidence: 'When I asked several other blind study subjects to draw a spinning wheel, one

particularly clever rendition appeared repeatedly: several subjects showed the wheel's spokes as curves lines.'

The following excerpt in paragraph 3 indicates that the writer carried out the experiment in paragraph 3 but the result is still unknown -

"I then asked eighteen blind volunteers to feel the wheels and assign one of the following

motions to each wheel: wobbling, spinning fast, spinning steadily, jerking or braking

The 4th and 5th paragraphs then summarise the result of the experiment and a concrete finding ofthis study could be found in the following lines of the 5th paragraph:

"Evidently, however, the blind not only figured out the meaning for each of the motion, but as a group they generally came up with the same meaning at least as frequently as did sighted

subjects." This is why the correct answer of the question is 'A' ( had good understanding of symbols representing movement.)

Tips: Do not waste too much time reading the texts presented in paragraphs 2 - 4

Questions 30 -32: Look at the following diagrams (Questions 30 –32), and the list of types of

movement below Match each diagram to the type of movement A–E generally assigned to it in the experiment Choose the correct letter A–E and write them in boxes 30–32 on your answer sheet

Answers to the questions 30 to 32 could be found in 4th paragraph, more specifically from the following texts:

All but one of the blind subjects assigned distinctive motions to each wheel Most guessed that

the curved spokes indicated that the wheel was spinning steadily; the wavy spokes, they

thought; suggested that the wheel was wobbling, and the bent spokes were taken as a sign that

the wheel was jerking Subjects assumed that spokes extending beyond the wheel's perimeter

signified that the wheel had its brakes on and that dashed spokes indicated the wheel was spinning quickly

Question 30:

Answer: E

Explanation: Diagram 30 shows a wheel and its spokes extend beyond the wheel's perimeters

The description of such wheel could be found in the following texts:

" spokes extending beyond the wheel's perimeter signified that the wheel had its brakes

on "

This is why the correct answer to the question 30 would be E (i.e use of brakes).

Question 31:

Answer: C

Explanation: Diagram 31 shows a wheel and it has dashed spokes The description of such

wheel could be found in the following texts:

" and that dashed spokes indicated the wheel was spinning quickly "

This is why the correct answer to the question 30 would be C (i.e rapid spinning).

Be aware that spinning quickly means rapid spinning NOT steady spinning Do not pick option 'A' as the answer to this question

Question 32:

Answer: A

Explanation: Diagram 32 shows a wheel and it has dashed spokes The description of such

wheel could be found in the following texts:

" curved spokes indicated that the wheel was spinning steadily "

This is why the correct answer to the question 30 would be A (i.e steady spinning).

Warning: Some of you must have picked option 'D' (wobbling movement) as the answer to this question However, this is wrong The confusing part is the curved spokes and wavy spokes As can be seen in diagram 32, this is a wheel with curved spokes, NOT wavy spokes A wheel with wavy spoke would most probably look quite different than the wheel with curved spokes (given

in diagram 32) A comparison diagram might eliminate any confusion you

have-Tips: Write letters A - E in your answer sheet for the answers to questions 30-32, not the type of

movements like 'use of brakes' or 'rapid spinning'

search for answers to these questions in Part 1 of the reading passage

Question 33 & 34: In the experiment described in Part 2, a set of word 33 was used

to investigate whether blind and sighted people perceived the symbolism in

abstract 34 in the same way

Answers:

33 pairs

34 shapes

Explanation:

Q 33: Look at the first line in paragraph 2 ( Part 2 of the reading passage) which

demonstrates-"We gave a list of twenty pairs of words to sighted subjects and asked them to pick from each

pair the term that best related to a circle and the term that best related to assure."

It should be quite clear to you that a list of 'word pairs' was used in the experiment Moreover,

the note given for the Fig 2 says that "Subjects were asked which word in each pair fits with a

circle and which with a square No doubt that 'pair is the right answer to question 33

Q34: The very next line reveals the answer to the question 34 This line

reads-"For example, we asked: what goes with soft? A circle or a square? Which shape goes with hard?" Which informs us that the experiment was conducted to find out whether blind and

sighted people perceive the symbolism in abstract shapes in the same way

Question 35: From the 35 volunteers, everyone thought a circle fitted ‘soft ’while a square fitted ‘hard’.

Answer: sighted

Explanation: The first line in the 3rd paragraph indicates that everyone thought that circle fits

with 'soft' while a square fits with 'hard' and this experiment was conducted among the sighted people (people who can see NOT the blinds) Notice the following lines and the answer would bequite obvious to you

"We gave a list of twenty pairs of words to sighted subjects " " All our subjects deemed the circle soft and the square hard."

Question 36 & 37: However, only 51% of the 36 volunteers assigned a circle

38 blind

39 similar

Explanation: The answer to the question 38 & 39 both could be found in the last paragraph (the

very next line where we found the answers to the question 36 & 37)

"When we tested four totally blind volunteers using the same list, we found that their choices closely resembled those made by the sighted subjects."

It is clear that the experiment at that time was conducted among the blind people and the

outcome of the experiment was similar to that of sighted people (NOT Exact or Identical)

Some of you might think that the answer to the question 39 as 'identical' Identical means 'exactly

the same' The writer in this reading passage says that ' the outcome of the experiment was

similar to that of sighted people." So we should not assume that the outcome was identical or

exactly the same

Question 40: Which of the following statements best summarises the writer ’s general conclusion?

Answer: B

Explanation: The writer's general conclusion could be found in the last sentence of the reading

passage It

says-"Thus we concluded that the blind interprets abstract shapes as sighted people do."

This clearly matches with the option 'B' (i.e The blind comprehend visual metaphors in similar ways to sighted people) and with no other option given in question 40

………

Zoo Conservation Programmes

One of London Zoo’s recent advertisements caused me some irritation, so patently did it distort reality Headlined “Without zoos, you might as well tell these animals to get stuffed”, it was bordered with illustrations of several endangered species and went on to extol the myth that without zoos like London Zoo these animals “will almost certainly disappear forever” With the zoo world’s rather mediocre record on conservation, one might be forgiven for being slightly sceptical about such an advertisement

Zoos were originally created as places of entertainment, and their suggested involvement with conservation didn’t seriously arise until about 30 years ago, when the Zoological Society of London held the first formal international meeting on the subject Eight years later, a series of world conferences took place, entitled “The Breeding of Endangered Species”, and from this point onwards conservation became the zoo community’s buzzword This commitment has now been clear defined in The World Zoo Conservation Strategy (WZCS, September 1993), which although an important and welcome document does seem to be based on an unrealistic optimism about the nature of the zoo industry

The WZCS estimates that there are about 10,000 zoos in the world, of which around 1,000 represent a core of quality collections capable of participating in coordinated conservation programmes This is probably the document’s first failing, as I believe that 10,000 is a serious underestimate of the total number of places masquerading as zoological establishments Of course, it is difficult to get accurate data but, to put the issue into perspective, I have found that,

in a year of working in Eastern Europe, I discover fresh zoos on almost a weekly basis

The second flaw in the reasoning of the WZCS document is the naive faith it places in its 1,000 core zoos One would assume that the calibre of these institutions would have been carefully examined, but it appears that the criterion for inclusion on this select list might merely be that thezoo is a member of a zoo federation or association This might be a good starting point, working

on the premise that members must meet certain standards, but again the facts don’t support the theory The greatly respected American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums

(AAZPA) has had extremely dubious members, and in the UK the Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland has

Occasionally had members that have been roundly censured in the national press These include Robin Hill Adventure Park on the Isle of Wight, which many considered the most notorious collection of animals in the country This establishment, which for years was protected by the Isle’s local council (which viewed it as a tourist amenity), was finally closed down following a

damning report by a veterinary inspector appointed under the terms of the Zoo Licensing Act

1981 As it was always a collection of dubious repute, one is obliged to reflect upon the

standards that the Zoo Federation sets when granting membership The situation is even worse indeveloping countries where little money is available for redevelopment and it is hard to see a way of incorporating collections into the overall scheme of the WZCS

Even assuming that the WZCS’s 1,000 core zoos are all of a high standard complete with

scientific staff and research facilities, trained and dedicated keepers, accommodation that permitsnormal or natural behaviour, and a policy of co-operating fully with one another what might be the potential for conservation? Colin Tudge, author of Last Animals at the Zoo (Oxford

University Press, 1992), argues that “if the world”s zoos worked together in co-operative

breeding programmes, then even without further expansion they could save around 2,000 species

of endangered land vertebrates’ This seems an extremely optimistic proposition from a man whomust be aware of the failings and weaknesses of the zoo industry the man who, when a member

of the council of London Zoo, had to persuade the zoo to devote more of its activities to

conservation Moreover, where are the facts to support such optimism?

Today approximately 16 species might be said to have been “saved” by captive breeding

programmes, although a number of these can hardly be looked upon as resounding successes Beyond that, about a further 20 species are being seriously considered for zoo conservation programmes Given that the international conference at London Zoo was held 30 years ago, this

is pretty slow progress, and a long way off Tudge’s target of 2,000

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3? In

boxes 16-22 write :

Y if the statement agrees with the writer

N if the statement contradicts the writer

NG if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

16 London Zoo’s advertisements are dishonest

17 Zoos made an insignificant contribution to conservation up until 30 years ago

18 The WZCS document is not known in Eastern Europe

19 Zoos in the WZCS select list were carefully inspected

20 No-one knew how the animals were being treated at Robin Hill Adventure Park

21 Colin Tudge was dissatisfied with the treatment of animals at London Zoo

22 The number of successful zoo conservation programmes is unsatisfactory

Questions 23-25

Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 23-25 on your answer sheet

23 What were the objectives of the WZCS document?

A to improve the calibre of zoos worldwide

B to identify zoos suitable for conservation practice

C to provide funds for zoos in underdeveloped countries

D to list the endangered species of the world

24 Why does the writer refer to Robin Hill Adventure Park?

A to support the Isle of Wight local council

B to criticise the 1981 Zoo Licensing Act

C to illustrate a weakness in the WZCS document

D to exemplify the standards in AAZPA zoos

25 What word best describes the writer’s response to Colin Tudges’ prediction on captive breeding programmes?

The writer mentions a number of factors which lead him to doubt the value of the WZCS

document Which THREE of the following factors are mentioned? Write your answers (A-F) in boxes 26-28 on your answer sheet.

List of Factors:

A the number of unregistered zoos in the world

B the lack of money in developing countries

C the actions of the Isle of Wight local council

D the failure of the WZCS to examine the standards of the “core zoos”

E the unrealistic aim of the WZCS in view of the number of species “saved” to date

F the policies of WZCS zoo managers

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3? In

boxes 16-22 write:

Y if the statement agrees with the writer

N if the statement contradicts the writer

NG if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Note: Do not write 'Yes, No, Not Given' as answers to questions 16-22 The question-instruction clearly tells you to write 'Y, N, NG' Similarly, do avoid writing 'Ture, False, Not Given' by all means You should always follow the instruction

Question 16: London Zoo’s advertisements are dishonest.

Answer: Y

Explanation: The very first line of the reading passage gives the answer to this question

However, many would read the part "One of London Zoo’s recent advertisements caused me

some irritation " and would assume that only one advertisement has distorted the reality and it

is not justified to tell that London Zoo's advertisements are dishonest One of our students has commented on this:

"I think the first question: London Zoo’s advertisements are dishonest is a very broad statement

In this case, the author mentions of "one specific" advertisement from the zoo and it is incorrect

to broadly classify all the advertisements from London Zoo as dishonest I think the answer to that question should be 'NG'."

The real hint to the answer lies in the next few words of this very first line "so patently did it

distort reality" Now read the whole sentence again

-One of London Zoo’s recent advertisements caused me some irritation, so patently did it distort reality

Here the writer expresses his opinion that plenty of advertisements did distort reality So the

writer clearly states that plenty of London Zoo's advertisements did distort reality and are

dishonest Then he goes on to criticise a recent advertisement that caused her some irritation

Question 17: Zoos made an insignificant contribution to conservation up until 30 years ago.

Answer: Y

Explanation: The answer to this question could be found at the first line of the second paragraph

where it states that "Zoos were originally created as places of entertainment, and their suggested

involvement with conservation didn’t seriously arise until about 30 years ago , when the

Zoological Society of London held the first formal international meeting on the subject."

Question 18: The WZCS document is not known in Eastern Europe.

Answer: NG

Explanation: Let us examine what the writer tells us about the WZCS document and its

exposure to the Eastern Europe

At the end of the second paragraph: "This commitment has now been clearly defined in The World Zoo Conservation Strategy (WZCS, September 1993), which although an important and welcome document does seem to be based on an unrealistic optimism about the nature of the zooindustry."

At the beginning of the third paragraph: "The WZCS estimates that there are about 10,000 zoos

in the world, of which around 1,000 represent a core of quality collections capable of

participating in coordinated conservation programmes."

Now he tells that " I have found that, in a year of working in Eastern Europe, I discover fresh zoos on almost a weekly basis." at the end of this paragraph It is evident that the writer does not express anything whether the WZCS document was known to Eastern Europe or not He keeps

on mentioning about the WZCS document in the rest of the reading passage but nowhere does hemention Eastern Europe's knowledge or lack of knowledge of this document

So the answer is 'NG'

Question 19: Zoos in the WZCS select list were carefully inspected.

Answer: N

Explanation: Read carefully the second line of the 4th paragraph and answer the question 19

The writer includes that "One would assume that the calibre of these institutions would have

been carefully examined, but it appears that the criterion for inclusion on this select list might merely be that the zoo is a member of a zoo federation or association."

Since being merely a member of a zoo federation or association is the criterion for inclusion in the WZCS list and the writer shows his concern on that, it is safe to say that the writer does not believe that Zoos in the WZCS select list were carefully inspected

Question 20: No-one knew how the animals were being treated at Robin Hill Adventure Park

Answer: Y

Explanation: Look at the first few lines of the 5th paragraph It includes "Occasionally had

members that have been roundly censured in the national press These include Robin Hill

Adventure Park on the Isle of Wight ", which means Robin Hill Adventure Park's animal

condition was not known to all

Furthermore, it states that "This establishment (Robin Hill Adventure Park), which for years was

protected by the Isle’s local council and it is evident that how they treated animals was not a

public knowledge

Finally, it says that "it was finally closed down following a damning report by a veterinary

inspector appointed under the terms of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981" So without a doubt, this

establishment did not maintain the standard and hence was forced to be closed down until a damning report by a veterinary inspector appointed under the terms of the Zoo Licensing Act

1981 If the concerning authority knew how this establishment treated animals, this could have been shut down even before 1981

Question 21: Colin Tudge was dissatisfied with the treatment of animals at London Zoo.

Answer: NG

Explanation: Colin Tudge was the author of Last Animals at the Zoo (Oxford University Press,

1992) and a former member of the council of London Zoo, according to the 6th paragraph of the

reading passage According to the author of this reading passage Colin Tudge argued that “if the

world's zoos worked together in co-operative breeding programmes, then even without further expansion they could save around 2,000 species of endangered land vertebrates’.

Our writer further criticises Colin Tudge for his over optimistic hypothesis Though the reading passage informs us that Colin Tudge was a former member of the council of London Zoo and thewriter of Last Animals at the Zoo, it does not tell if he was satisfied or dissatisfied with the treatment of animals at London Zoo This is why the answer is 'NG'

Question 22: The number of successful zoo conservation programmes is unsatisfactory.

Answer: Y

Explanation: The answer to this question is clearly stated in the last two paragraphs No single

line explicitly supports this statement, however, the whole context of the last two paragraphs reveals that successful zoo conversation programmes are indeed unsatisfactory The supporting arguments from the writer are as follows:

"Even assuming that the WZCS’s 1,000 core zoos are all of a high standard complete with

scientific staff and research facilities, trained and dedicated keepers, accommodation that permits normal or natural behaviour, and a policy of co-operating fully with one another what might be the potential for conservation?"

This seems an extremely optimistic proposition from a man where are the facts to support such optimism?"

"Today approximately 16 species might be said to have been “saved” by captive breeding

programmes, although a number of these can hardly be looked upon as resounding successes Beyond that, about a further 20 species are being seriously considered for zoo conservation programmes Given that the international conference at London Zoo was held 30 years ago, this

is pretty slow progress, and a long way off Tudge’s target of 2,000."

Question 23: What were the objectives of the WZCS document?

Answer: B - to identify zoos suitable for conservation practice

Explanation: The third paragraph first talks about the WZCS document and its purpose.The

following line clearly states that its core purpose was to identifying zoos that are suitable for conservation practice

"The WZCS estimates that there are about 10,000 zoos in the world, of which around 1,000 represent a core of quality collections capable of participating in coordinated conservation programmes."

Question 24: Why does the writer refer to Robin Hill Adventure Park?

Answer: C - to illustrate a weakness in the WZCS document

Explanation: The first line of the 4th paragraph "The second flaw in the reasoning of the WZCS

document is the naive faith it places in its 1,000 core zoos." clearly shows that the writer

denounces the effectiveness of WZCS documents On the very first paragraph, the writer points

out that "Occasionally had members that have been roundly censured in the national press

These include Robin Hill Adventure Park on the Isle of Wight, which many considered the most notorious collection of animals in the country This establishment, which for years was protected

by the Isle’s local council (which viewed it as a tourist amenity), was finally closed down

following a damning report by a veterinary inspector appointed under the terms of the Zoo Licensing Act 1981."

So it is evident that the writer mentions the Robin Hill Adventure Park to illustrate a weakness in

the WZCS document

Question 25: What word best describes the writer’s response to Colin Tudges’ prediction on captive breeding programmes?

Answer: A - disbelieving

Explanation: It is quite clear that the writer did not believe Colin Tudge's argument that states

“if the world”s zoos worked together in co-operative breeding programmes, then even

without further expansion they could save around 2,000 species of endangered land

vertebrates" Our writer calls his proposition extremely optimistic and challenges that no

sufficient facts are there to support Tudge's theory The writer also questions his proposition at the last line of the reading passage by saying that "Given that the international conference at London Zoo was held 30 years ago, this is pretty slow progress, and a long way off Tudge’s target of 2,000."

So 'disbelieving' is the word best describes the writer's response to Tudge's prediction on captive breading programmes

Question 26-28: The writer mentions a number of factors which lead him to doubt the value of the WZCS document Which THREE of the following factors are mentioned? Write your answers (A-F) in boxes 26-28 on your answer sheet.

Answer: A, D, E

Explanation: For questions 26 to 28, you have to identify three factors that made the writer

doubtful about the value of the WZCS document Six such factors are mentioned and you need tofind the correct three options

Let us examine all these three options:

Option A - the number of unregistered zoos in the world: The evidence for this factor to lead

the writer to disbelieve WZCS document's effectiveness could be found at the beginning of the 6th paragraph

"Even assuming that the WZCS’s 1,000 core zoos are all of a high standard complete with

scientific staff and research facilities, trained and dedicated keepers, accommodation that permits normal or natural behaviour, and a policy of co-operating fully with one another what might be the potential for conservation?"

Option D - the failure of the WZCS to examine the standards of the “core zoos”: The

evidence for this option to be a reason for the writer to disbelieve WZCS document's value could

be found at the beginning of the 4th paragraph which includes-

"The second flaw in the reasoning of the WZCS document is the naive faith it places in its 1,000 core zoos One would assume that the calibre of these institutions would have been carefully

examined, but it appears that the criterion for inclusion on this select list might merely be that the zoo is a member of a zoo federation or association."

Option E - the unrealistic aim of the WZCS in view of the number of species “saved” to date: The writer talks about this as a reason for this doubt on the values of the WZCS document

in the last paragraph where he says

-"Today approximately 16 species might be said to have been “saved” by captive breeding programmes, although a number of these can hardly be looked upon as resounding successes Beyond that, about a further 20 species are being seriously considered for zoo conservation programmes Given that the international conference at London Zoo was held 30 years ago, this

is pretty slow progress, and a long way off Tudge’s target of 2,000."

Although the output per hour of work has more than doubled since 1945, leisure seems reserved largely for the unemployed and underemployed Those who work full-time spend as much time

on the job as they did at the end of World War II In fact, working hours have increased

noticeably since 1970 — perhaps because real wages have stagnated since that year Bookstores now abound with manuals describing how to manage time and cope with stress

There are several reasons for lost leisure Since 1979, companies have responded to

improvements in the business climate by having employees work overtime rather than by hiring extra personnel, says economist Juliet B Schor of Harvard University Indeed, the current

economic recovery has gained a certain amount of notoriety for its “jobless” nature: increased production has been almost entirely decoupled from employment Some firms are even

downsizing as their profits climb “All things being equal, we'd be better off spreading around the work," observes labour economist Ronald G Ehrenberg of Cornell University

Yet a host of factors pushes employers to hire fewer workers for more hours and at the same timecompels workers to spend more time on the job Most of those incentives involve what

Ehrenberg calls the structure of compensation: quirks in the way salaries and benefits are

organised that make it more profitable to ask 40 employees to labour an extra hour each than to hire one more worker to do the same 40-hour job

Professional and managerial employees supply the most obvious lesson along these lines Once people are on salary, their cost to a firm is the same whether they spend 35 hours a week in the office or 70 Diminishing returns may eventually set in as overworked employees lose efficiency

or leave for more arable pastures But in the short run, the employer’s incentive is clear Even hourly employees receive benefits - such as pension contributions and medical insurance - that

are not tied to the number of hours they work Therefore, it is more profitable for employers to work their existing employees harder.

For all that employees complain about long hours, they too have reasons not to trade money for leisure “People who work reduced hours pay a huge penalty in career terms,” Schor maintains

“It's taken as a negative signal’ about their commitment to the firm.’ [Lotte] Bailyn [of

Massachusetts Institute of Technology] adds that many corporate managers find it difficult to measure the contribution of their underlings to a firm’s well-being, so they use the number of hours worked as a proxy for output “Employees know this,” she says, and they adjust their behaviour accordingly

“Although the image of the good worker is the one whose life belongs to the company,” Bailyn says, “it doesn't fit the facts.’ She cites both quantitative and qualitative studies that show

increased productivity for part-time workers: they make better use of the time they have and theyare less likely to succumb to fatigue in stressful jobs Companies that employ more workers for less time also gain from the resulting redundancy, she asserts "The extra people can cover the contingencies that you know are going to happen, such as when crises take people away from theworkplace." Positive experiences with reduced hours have begun to change the more-is-better culture at some companies, Schor reports

Larger firms, in particular, appear to be more willing to experiment with flexible working

arrangements

It may take even more than changes in the financial and cultural structures of employment for workers successfully to trade increased productivity and money for leisure time, Schor contends She says the U.S market for goods has become skewed by the assumption of full-time, two-career households Automobile makers no longer manufacture cheap models, and developers do not build the tiny bungalows that served the first postwar generation of home buyers Not even the humblest household object is made without a microprocessor As Schor notes, the situation is

a curious inversion of the “appropriate technology” vision that designers have had for developing

countries: U.S goods are appropriate only for high incomes and long hours - Paul Walluh.

Questions 27-32

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in reading passage 4? In boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet write:

YES if the statement agrees with the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

Example Answer

During the industrial revolution, people worked harder NOT GIVEN

27 Today, employees are facing a reduction in working hours

28 Social planners have been consulted about US employment figures

29 Salaries have not risen significantly since the 1970s

30 The economic recovery created more jobs

31 Bailyn’s research shows that part-time employees work more efficiently

32 Increased leisure time would benefit two-career households

Questions 33-34

Choose the appropriate letters A-D and write them in boxes 33 and 34 on your answer sheet.

33 Bailyn argues that it is better for a company to employ more workers because

A it is easy to make excess staff redundant

B crises occur if you are under-staffed

C people are available to substitute for absent staff

D they can project a positive image at work

34 Schor thinks it will be difficult for workers in the US to reduce their working hours because

A they would not be able to afford cars or homes

B employers are offering high incomes for long hours

C the future is dependent on technological advances

D they do not wish to return to the humble post-war era

Questions 35-38

The writer mentions a number of factors that have resulted, in employees working longer hours

Which FOUR of the following factors are mentioned? Write your answers (A-H) in boxes

35-38 on your answer sheet.

List of Factors

A Books are available to help employees cope with stress

B Extra work is offered to existing employees

C Increased production has led to joblessness

D Benefits and hours spent on the job are not linked

E Overworked employees require longer to do their work

F Longer hours indicate a greater commitment to the firm

G Managers estimate staff productivity in terms of hours worked

H Employees value a career more than a family

Question 27: Today, employees are facing a reduction in working hours.

Answer: NO

Explanation: This is a tricky question as the first paragraph of the reading passage allures you to

answer it 'YES' However, the correct answer is 'No' Let us examine:

The first paragraph gives an impression that the working hours have actually decreased But this

is a wrong interpretation The exact lines are

-"For the first century or so of the industrial revolution, increased productivity led to decreases in working hours Employees who had been putting in 12-hour days, six days a week, found their time on the job shrinking to 10 hours daily, then finally to eight hours, five days a week."

In fact the above excerpt tells about the first century of the industrial revolution As we know, industrial revolution occurred between 1760 - 1820 So the employees between 1820 to 1920, according to this statements faced a reduction in their working hours What about the current time then?

The answer to the question 27 could be found in the second paragraph, NOT in the first one The second paragraph tells us that -

"Although the output per hour of work has more than doubled since 1945, leisure seems reserved

largely for the unemployed and underemployed Those who work full-time spend as much time

on the job as they did at the end of World War II In fact, working hours have increased

noticeably since 1970 — perhaps because real wages have stagnated since that year."

The second sentence of the second paragraph outlines that ' Working hours have increased

noticeably since 1970 So the answer is NO.

Question 28: Social planners have been consulted about US employment figures.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The only time the reading passage mentions about social planner is in the third

sentence of the first paragraph It expresses that "Only a generation ago social planners worried

about what people would do with all this new-found free time In the US, at least it seems they need not have bothered."

It says about working hours decreased after the industrial revolution and hence people had more leisure hours Social planners were worried about what these people would do with the

increasing free time But this was not a problem in the US, eventually

It is not possible to tell whether social planners have been consulted about US employment rates

or not from this reading passage This is definitely 'NOT GIVEN', as a result

Question 29: Salaries have not risen significantly since the 1970s.

Answer: YES

Explanation: The answer to this question could be found in the third sentence of the second

paragraph, the same sentence that you used to confirm the first question's answer (question 27)

It outlines that - "In fact, working hours have increased noticeably since 1970 — perhaps

because real wages have stagnated since that year "

The word 'stagnated' means declined, fall, became inactive and so on This clearly hints that the salaries have not increased significantly since 1970

Question 30: The economic recovery created more jobs.

Answer: NO

Explanation: The second sentence of the third paragraph clearly reveals that current economic

recovery has actually notoriety for its JOBLESS nature Without any doubt, the answer is 'NO' here The exact line in the third paragraph is -

"Indeed, the current economic recovery has gained a certain amount of notoriety for

its “jobless” nature "

Question 31: Bailyn’s research shows that part-time employees work more efficiently.

Answer: YES

Explanation: The answer to this question could be found in the 7th paragraph (Frustrating for

candidates who always look at the next paragraph for the next question's answer This is a clear indication that answers are not always in serial) Look at the second sentence of this paragraph

and you will find the part "She cites both quantitative and qualitative studies that

show increased productivity for part-time workers "

The answer to question 31 is thus 'YES'.

Question 32: Increased leisure time would benefit two-career households.

Answer: NOT GIVEN

Explanation: The only time the reading passage mention about the two-career households is in

the last paragraph It is mentioned that -

" Schor contends She says the U.S market for goods has become skewed by the assumption of full-time, two-career households "