Note that inexorable change and cut-throat competition are not the main contributory factors here. They cause the stress which management consultants are then called in to address. Hence, the growth in their business.
19. Answer: benefit. The answer is in the third sentence of the fourth paragraph. The text reads: Progress implies change with benefit. This means that change does not have benefit. Note that you do not have to write change with benefit as the word change is already in the question.
Question type. The questions in this section test:
- whether you are able to scan for specific information.
- whether you can recognise an idea which is expressed in another way or recognise a paraphrase.
Key to Reading Tests
- whether you are able to analyse a small part of a text and not allow the information around it to interfere with your analysis.
Questions 20-23
20. Answer: B. The answer is in paragraph 4, the fourth sentence:
It reflects action taken only after management has considered relevant past experiences, current priorities and future objectives.
A and C are too limited in their reference to only one time. D is not specific enough, as it does not include current priorities.
21. Answer: B. The answer is in paragraph 4, the fifth sentence:
Change for change’s sake may reflect the response of a novice manager
The phrase Change for change’s sake shows that the novice manager carries out change without having any particular reason for doing so. A is not the right answer, as change for change’s sake does not mean always changing. There is no reference in the text to how often changes are made. C is not correct, as the text says that change without benefit leads to low staff morale, not that the latter is something that managers want to increase. D is not the right answer, because an advisory committee are not colleagues, i.e. people you work with.
22. Answer: A. The answer is in paragraph 5, the third sentence:
Many in the worldwide audience viewed and listened from the comfort of their homes.
B is not correct, because it is the other way round! C is not correct, because it was the astronauts that joked, not people in general. D is not correct, because the text does not compare science fiction and Christmas in the sense that one became like the other. The text means that they had similar characteristics.
23. Answer: C. The answer is in paragraph 6:
that such accidents, although unfortunate, were also inevitable.
A is not correct, because the text says that it was the second moon expedition that showed that nothing is exciting anymore, not the space shuttle explosion. B is not correct, because there is no reference in the text to TV. D is not correct, because the text says that the astronauts knew the risks, but this does not mean that they were to blame.
Question type. The questions in this section test:
- whether you are able to scan a text for specific information.
- whether you can recognise a paraphrase of words and ideas.
- whether you are able to understand specific points in the text.
Questions 24-28
These questions are a variation on the Yes/ No/ Not Given format. In the exam, it is very important that you read the instructions carefully and that you write the appropriate letter on your answer sheet.
24. Answer: C. The answer is in paragraph 7:
. . . computer-based programmes are replacing textbooks, blackboards and tutors.
Note that the exercise is only asking about teachers (tutors); it is not asking about textbooks and blackboards as well.
25. Answer: F. The answer is in paragraph 8:
. . . will open the door to a future filled with a kaleidoscope of scientific and technical wizardry.
The vocabulary here may be a problem, but the tense is clear.
26. Answer: NG. The answer is in paragraph 7:
Factors such as the need for skilled and costly support services are rarely discussed.
In the text, there is no time reference regarding this development, even when it is discussed.
27. Answer: C. The answer is in paragraph 7:
The principles of learning are established: the way they may be best used in different settings and the results evaluated will vary with client needs.
The answer here is tricky. The will here is not the will of the future, but has basically the same meaning as the Present Simple i.e. every time it happens.
Key to Reading Tests
28. Answer: C. The answer is in paragraph 9: The time has come to . . . (i.e. now).
Question type. The questions in this section test:
- whether you are able to scan for specific information.
- whether you can recognise an idea which is expressed in another way or a paraphrase.
- whether you are able to analyse a small part of a text and not allow the information around it to interfere with your analysis.
Test 3 Passage 3
Questions 29-32
When matching opinions, statements or topics to people it is important to scan the text to find the name of the person. The answer you are looking for will then be easy to locate.
29. Answer: C. The answer is in paragraph D. The sentence in the exercise is a paraphrase of the information in the last two sentences of the paragraph:
However, one point that is well understood is that a national minimum wage could cause a run of differential-maintaining pay claims. The fact that the beneficiaries of a minimum wage usually lack bargaining power (Lucas 1995) and that they are unlikely to be a ‘reference group’ for any sector of organised labour, takes the edge off this argument.
30. Answer: D. The answer is in paragraph B. The sentence is a paraphrase of the findings of Card & Krueger in the third sentence:
A review of such studies by Card and Krueger (1995) concluded that minimum wages had no effect on employment.
31. Answer: B. The answer is in paragraph C. The sentence in the exercise is a paraphrase of the information in the last sentence of the paragraph:
Certain types of service industry, for example, can show positive employment effects (Alpert 1986).
32. Answer: A. The answer is in paragraph B. Note the sentence in the exercise uses a negative to paraphrase the information in the text. Remember here that you are scanning for an idea rather than just specific words:
you are not scanning for the words does not have a positive effect as regards teenagers, but the idea that the minimum wage has a negative effect as regards teenagers. So be careful about just scanning for specific words.
Question type. The questions in this section test:
- whether you are able to scan a text for specific information.
- whether you can recognise a paraphrase of words and ideas.
Questions 33-39
33. Answer: low paid workers. The answer is in paragraph D. You can scan the text here for the words save/
saving and benefits.
34. Answer: ‘bad’ employers. The answer is in paragraph D. You can scan the text here for the word subsidise/ subsidy.
35. Answer: certain/ some service industries. The answer is in paragraph C Note how this answer is connected with 31 above. In 31, your ability to find the source of the information was being checked. Here it is your ability to see how this information fits into the summary that is being tested.
36. Answer: development of training. The answer is in paragraph D. Note you have to change the form of the words: develop to development and add the preposition of. Note that you cannot use the phrases better market functioning/ more competitive conditions (in the same paragraph), as they do not fit the grammar of the text; you would have to leave out the word the in the diagram. Note also the word even in the diagram and where it occurs in the text.
Note the division here in the organisation of the information. In 33 to 36 above, the information relates basically to the positive aspects of a minimum wage. The details that you are looking for in 37 to 39 are about the negative effects.
Key to Reading Tests