reading Group Pass Ielts (3)

FACE RECOGNITION A Humans have always had the innate ability to recognize and distinguish between faces , yet computer only recently have shown the same ability.. Facial recognition sof

TEA AND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

A Alan Macfarlane thinks he could rewrite history The professor of anthropological science

at King's College, Cambridge has, like other historians, spent decades trying to understand the enigma (n AX 18 E) of the Industrial Revolution Why did this particular important event - the world - changing birth of industry - happen in Britain? And why did it happen at the end of the 18th century?

B Macfarlane compares the question to a puzzle He claims that there were about 20

different factors and all of them needed to be present before the revolution could happen The chief conditions are to be found in history textbooks For industry to take oft ', there needed to be the technology and power to drive factories, large urban rising to provide cheap labor easy transport to move goods around, an affluent Middle - class willing to buy mass - produced objects, a market - driven economy, and a political system that allowed this to happen While this was the case for England, other nations, such as Japan, Holland and France also met some of these criteria (n.) All these factors (n.) Must have been necessary but not sufficient (adj 24609) to cause the revolution Holland had everything except coal, while China also had many of these factors

C Most historians, however, are convinced that one or two missing factors are needed to

solve the puzzle The missing factors, he proposes, are to be found in every kitchen

cupboard Tea and beer, two of the

nation's favorite drinks, drove the revolution Tannin, the active in tea, and hops, used in making beer, both contain and (adj A MA properties This -plus the fact that both are made with boiled water- helped prevent epidemics of waterbome diseases, such as dysentery, in densely populated urban areas.The theory initial sounds eccentric but his explanation of the detective work that went into his deduction and the fact his case has been strengthened by a favorable appraisal (n ) of his research by Roy Porter (distinguished medical historian) the skepticism (n.trx Ittif) gives way to wary admiration

D Historians had noticed one interesting factor around the mid - 18th century that required

explanation Between about 1650 and 1740, the population was static.But then there was a burst in population The infant mortality rate halved in the space of 20 years, and this

happened in both rural areas and cities, and across all classes Four possible causes have been suggested There could have been a sudden change in the viruses and bacteria Present

at that time, but this is emerging Was there a revolution in medical science? But this was a century before Lister introduced antiseptic surgery Was there a change in environmental conditions? There were improvements in agriculture that wiped out malaria, But these were small gains Sanitation (n 12 il *) did not become increasingly until the 19th century The only option left was food But the height and weight statistics show a revers So the food got

worse Efforts to explain this sudden reduction in child deaths appeared to draw a blank (adj N)

E This population burst seemed to happen at just the right time to provide labor for the

Industrial Revolution But why? When the Industrial Revolution started, it was

economically efficient to have people crowded together forming towns and cities But with crowded living conditions comes disease, particularly from human waste Some research in the historical records revealed that there was a change in the incidence of waterborne disease

at that time, the English were protected by the strong antibacterial agent in hops, which were added to make beer last But in the late 17th century a tax was introduced on malt (n.) The poor turned to water and gin, and in the N720s the mortality rate began to rise again

F Macfarlane looked to Japan, which was also developing large cities about the same time,

and also had no sanitation Waterborne diseases in the Japanese population were far fewer than those in Britain Could it be the prevalence (n.fi) of tea in their culture? That was when Macfarlane thought about the role of tea in Britain The history of tea in Britain provided an extraordinary coincidence (n 15A) of dates Tea was relatively expensive until Britain started direct trade with China in the early 18th century By the 1740, about the time that infant mortality was falling the drink was common Macfarlane guesses that the fact that water had to be boiled, together with the stomach - purifying properties of tea so eloquently

described in Buddhist texts, meant that the breast milk provided by mothers was healthier than it had ever been No other European nation drank tea so often as the British, which, by Macfarlane's logic, pushed the other nations out of the race for the Industrial Revolution

G But, if tea is a factor in the puzzle, why didn't this cause an industrial revolution in Japan?

Macfarlane notes that in the 17th century, Japan had Warge cities, high literacy rates and even a futures market However, Japan decided against a work - based revolution (n.), By giving up labor - saving devices (n I WYZ), even animals, to avoid putting people out of work Astonishingly, the nation that we now think of as one of the most technologically advanced, entered the 19th century having almost abandoned the wheel While Britain was undergoing the Industrial Revolution Macfarlane notes wryly, Japan was undergoing an industrious one

Questions 1-7

Reading passage I has seven paragraphs, A - G

Choose the correct heading for paragraphs A - G from the list of headings below

Write the correct number, i - x, in bores 1-7 on your answer sheet

List of headings

i Cases of Japan, Holland and France

ii City development in Japan iii Tea drinking in Japan and Britain

iv Questions about lower infant mortality rate Preconditions necessary for industrial revolution

vi Time and place of industrialization vii Conclusion drawn from the comparison with Japan viii Relation between population and changes of drink in Britain

ix Two possible solutions to the puzzle

1 Paragraph A

2 Paragraph B

3 Paragraph C

4 Paragraph D

5 Paragraph E

6 Paragraph F

7 Paragraph G

Questions 8-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet, write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

8 The industrialization did not happen in China because of inefficient transportation

9 Tea and beer protected people from waterborne disease

10 Roy Porter disagreed with the proposed theory

11 The reason of lower child deaths is fully explained by food

12 The British made beer by themselves

13 Tax on malt indirectly affected the number of population

FACE RECOGNITION

A Humans have always had the innate ability to recognize and distinguish between faces , yet

computer only recently have shown the same ability In the mid 1960 , scientists began to work on using the computer to recognize human faces Since then , facial recognition

software has come a long way Facial recognition software is based on the ability to

recognize a face and then measure the various features of the face Every face has numerous , distinguishable landmarks , different peaks and valleys that make up facial features Facial recognition software defines these landmarks as nodal points Each human face has

approximately 80 nodal points Some of these measured by the software are : distance

between the eyes , width of the nose , depth of the eye sockets , shape of the cheekbones and longth of the law line These nodal points are measured to creat a numerical code , called a faceprint , representing the face in the database

B In the past , facial recognition software relied on a 2D image to compare with or Identify

another 2D image from the database To be effective and accurate , the image captured needed to be of a face that was facing almost directly at the camera , with little variance of light or facial expression from the image in the database This created quite a problem In most cases the images were not taken in a controlled environment Even the smallest changes

in light or orientation could reduce the effectiveness of the system , so they couldn't be

matched to any face in the database , leading to a high rate of failure A newly - emerging trend in facial recognition software uses a 3D model , which claims to provide more

accuracy Capturing a real - time 3D image of a person's facial surface , 3D facial recognition uses distinctive features of the face - areas where rigid tissue and bone are most apparent , such as the curves of the eye socket , nose and chin - to identity the subject These areas are all unique and don't change over time Using depth and an axis of measurement that is not affected by lighting , 3D facial recognition can even be used in darkness and has the ability to recognize a subject at different view angles with the potential to recognize up to 90 degrees However , it is not a perfect system There are some factors that could get in the way of recognition, including: significant glare on eyeglasses of wearing sunglasses, long hair

obscuring the central part of the face, poor lighting that would cause the face to be over- or under - exposed, and lack of resolution (when Images were taken too far away)

C Notwithstanding the extensive research effort that has gone into computational face

recognition algorithms, we are yet to see a system that can be deployed effectively In an

unconstrained setting, with all of the attendant variability in Imaging parameters such as sensor noise, viewing distance, and illumination The only system that does seem to work well in the face of these challenges is the human visual system Interestingly, the strategies this biological system employs are sometimes very different from those that computer - based systems rely on For example, recollection of criminal faces, which is of important

consequences in the context of eyewitness testimony in criminal cases, is often mado

particularly difficult by several factors related to criminal activity Most important, crime victims are typically in a highly aroused emotional state during the crime, and are unable to dispassionately study the details of the face of the perpetrator Related to this emotional Issue

is the phenomenon of weapon focus ", wherein victims are much more aware of the weapons being used by the perpetrator than the actual perpetralor

These problems with eyewitness recall of laces illustrate one key way in which human

recognition of faces differs from that of most computational systems: for humans, face

recognition is conducted in the context of ecological priorities, goals, and emotions that have great effects on the saliency of a given face and its context, and presented on subsequent ability to recognize or recall it Machine based systems, by being immune to such

modulatory Influences, stand a good chance of increasing human performance under stressful circumstances

D Can facial features (eyes, nose, mouth, eyebrows, etc.) be processed featured from the rest

of the face? This is just another central question for both human and machine - based face recognition systems Some researches have shown that just one feature can be enough for recognition of many famous faces Not all facial features are created equal in terms of their role in helping identify a face Experimental results typically indicate the importance of eyes followed by the mouth and then the nose However, the geometric relationship between each feature and the rest of the face can override the diagnosticity of that feature Although

feature processing is important for facial recognition, this pattern of results suggests that configural processing is at least as important, and that facial recognition is dependent on

"holistic" processes involving an interdependency between featural and configural

information

E Due to the recent strides in technology, facial recognition systems are more widely used

than just a low years ago In the past, the primary users of facial recognition software wore law enforcement agencies, who used the system to capture random faces in crowds

However, there are now many more situations where the software is becoming popular As the systems become less expensive, their use is more valuable They are now compatible

with cameras and computers that are already used by banks and airports Other potential applications include ATM and check - cashing security The software is able to quickly verify a customer's face While all the examples above work under the permission of the individuals, not all systems are used with your knowledge These systems are taking pictures

of people without their knowledge or their permission Opponents of the systems note that while they do provide security in some instances, it is not enough to override the sense of liberty and freedom Many feel that privacy infringement is too great with the use of these systems Their concerns don't end there They also point out the risk involved with identity theft Even facial recognition corporations admit that the more the use of the technology, the higher the likelihood of identity theft or fraud

Questions 1-6

Reading Passage I has seven paragraphs A - E

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A - E, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet

NB You may use any letter more than once.

1 wide usage of face recognition

2 quite a few recognizable landmarks

3 2D image previously used in face recognition

4 3D image usage considered to be more accurate in face recognition

5 human visual system 6 weapon focus

Questions 7-10

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage?

In boxes 7-10 on your answer sheet, write

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

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

7 Each facial feature is equal in the function of recognizing a face

8 3D face recognition can only be used with the existence of light

9 Face recognition applied in security has nothing to do with the sense of liberty and

freedom

10 10 Human visual system does not so well in face recognition due to different biological

responses in various circumstances

Questions 11-13

Which THREE of the following parts on the face can withstand the time variation?

A the curves of the eye socket

B lips

C nose

D eyebrow

E chin

F forehead

TICKLING AND LAUGHTER

A The fingers of outstretched arm are nearing your body: you bend away folding your torso,

bending your head to your shoulder in hopes that you don't get tickled: but the inevitable happens: you are tickled and in hysterics you chuckle, titter, and burst into uncontrollable laughter Why do we laugh when we are tickled

B Tickling is caused by a light sensation across our skin At times the light sensation () can

cause itching: however, most of the time it causes giggling If a feather is gently moved across the surface of the skin, it can also cause tickling and giggling Heavy laughter is caused by someone or something placing repeated pressure on person and tickling a

particular area The spots tickled often are feet, toes, sides, underarms, and neck which cause

a great deal of laughter Yngve Zotterman from Karolinksk Institute has found that tickling sensations interested signals from nerve fibers These nerve fibers are associated with pain and touch Also, Zotterman has discovered tickling sensations to be associated not only with nerve fibers but also with sense of touch because people who have lost pain sensations still laugh when tickled But really, why do we laugh? Why are we not able to tickle ourselves? What part of the brain is responsible for laughter and humor? Why do we say some people have no sense of humor?

C Research has shown that laugher is more than just a person's voice and movement and that

it requires the coordination of many muscles throughout the body Laughter also increases blood pressure and heart rate, changes breathing, reduces levels of certain neurochemicals (catecholamines, hormones) and provides a boost to the immune system Can laughter improve health? It may be a good way for people to relax because muscle tension is reduced after laughing Human tests have found some evidence that humorous videos and tapes can reduce feelings of pain, prevent negative stress reactions and boost the brain's biological battle against infection

D Researchers believe we process humor and laughter through a complex pathway of brain

activity that encompasses three main brain components In one new study, researchers used imaging equipment to photograph the brain activity of healthy volunteers while they

underwent a sidesplitting assignment of reading written jokes, viewing cartoons from The New Yorker magazine as well as "The Far Side" and listening to digital recordings of

laughter Preliminary results indicate that the humor - processing pathway includes parts of the frontal lobe brain area, important for cognitive processing the supplementary motor area, important for movement; and the nucleus accumbens, associated with pleasure

Investigations support the notion that parts of the frontal lobe are involved in humor

Subjects' brains were imaged while they were listening to jokes An area of the frontal lobe was activated only when they thought a joke was funny In a study that compared healthy individuals with people who had damage to their frontal lobes (), the subjects with damaged frontal lobes were more likely to choose wrong punch lines to written jokes and didn't laugh

or smile as much at funny cartoons or jokes

E

F Damage to any one part of the brain may affect one's overall ability to process humor

Peter Derks, a professor of psychology, conducted his research with a group of Scientists at NASA - Langley in Hampton Using a sophisticated electroencephalogram (EEG), they measured the brain activity of 10 people exposed to humorous stimuli How quickly our brain recognizes the incongruity that deals with most humor and attaches an abstract meaning

to it determines whether we laugh However, different people find different jokes funny That can be due to a number of factors, including differences in personality, intelligence, mental state and probably mood But according to Derks, the majority of people recognize when a situation is meant to be humorous In a series of experiments, he noticed that several patients recovering from brain injuries could not distinguish between something funny and something not

G Dr Shibata of the University of Rochester School of Medicine said our neurons G get

tickled when we hear a joke The brain's "funny bone" is located at the right frontal lobe just above the right eye and appears critical to our ability to recognize a joke Dr Shibata gave his patients MRI scans to measure brain activity, trying to find out what part of the brain is particularly active while telling the punch line of a joke as opposed to (XT) the rest of the joke and funny cartoons in comparison to parts of the cartoons that are not funny The jokes

"tickled" the frontal lobes The scans also showed activity in the nucleus accumbens, which

is likely related to our feeling of mirth after hearing a good joke and our "addiction" to humor While his research was about humor, the results could help lead to answers and solutions to depression Parts of the brain that are active during humor are actually abnormal

in patients with depression Eventually brain scans might be used to assess (ISE) patients with depression and other mood disorders The research may also explain why some stroke victims lose their sense of humor or suffer from other personality changes The same part of the brain is also associated with social and emotional judgment and planning

Questions 1-6

Reading Passage I has seven paragraphs A - G

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A - G in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet

NB You may use any letter more than once

1 electroencephalogram

2 posing the question about tickling and laughter

3 the spots often getting tickled

4 a built - in reflex

5 humor - processing pathway

6 MRI scans

Questions 7-8

Complete the following summary of the paragraphs of Reading Passage, using

No More than three words from the Reading Passage for each answer

Write your answers in boxes 7-8 on your answer sheet

It is still mysterious how the brain functions with the information related to tension and surprise However, it has been showed that the 7 … may have something to do with it Since one area of the brain tells another: "It's just you Don't get excited" It is investigated that during self - tickling, the cerebellum tells a part named the

somatosensory 8… what sensation to expect, and that frustrates the tickling

sensation