READINGPASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Question 1 -13, which are based on Reading Passage
1 below.
Recent research suggests that gender affecthow we see the world and how we operate within it.
A. According to the results of new research into vision carried out at the City University of New York (CUNY), there are marked differences in the way that men's and women's brains process visual data. Israel Abramov of CUNY stated that the experiments relate to specific sets of thalamic neurons in the brain's primary visual cortex, which appear to be gender related. The development of these neurons is influenced by the male *** hormones during foetal growth early in pregnancy. Although Abramov can successfully explain the process that leads to the differences he is at a loss to know what evolutionary motive there might be for the variance.
B. These results should not surprise us, asthere are also differences in the sensesof hearing and the olfactory system.Previous studies have revealed that inwomen, these senses are more sensitiveto various stimuli in the environment thanin men. Women can hear higher-pitchedsounds and, when listening, they show activity exclusively in the left hemisphereof the brain. Likewiseresearch indicatesthat odours activate a larger region of the brain in females, and they are moresensitive to and are able to differentiateand categories sutble distinctions inaromas better than males, although thestructure of the nose is the same and theyhave the same number of receptors.
C. At CUNY, when subjects with 20/20 sightsand normal colour vision were asked byresearchers to describe different colours,it was discovered that the males neededa slightly longer wavelength of a colour todetect the same shade as females, and thatmen were not as good at discriminatingbetween shades. Also, in measuringsensitivity to contrast, the volunteers were shown images of light and darkbars of varying widths that alternated in colour so that they seemed to flicker. Themen were better at recognising imagesthat changed faster and were composedof thinner bars.
D. Earlier studies carried out at the Universityof Southern California revealed thatmales and females focus differently aswell. The researchers discovered that when focusing on a speaker, a man willfixate on the lips of the person, but heis liable to divert his focus toany action taking behind the person, for instance apassing pedestrian or vehicle. Women,however, seem to alternate betweenlooking at the other person's eyes andbody, and they are apt to be distracted bother people. Why the difference? Formerstudies showed that women are betterable interpret nonverbal communication;it stands to reason that, by taking inmore of the body with their eyes, theycan garner more information about thespeaker. It could be said that womenpay more attention to the social natureof the setting whereas men are moredrawn to shifts in motion and speed. Thefact that men do not discern, or havetrouble decoding, nonverbal cues leadsto each *** constantly misconstruing the other's signals. A man may read a friendlysmile as a piece of coquetry, for example,whereas a woman might wrongly identifya furrowed brow as a sign of anger rather than as an expression of concentration.
E. It has been known for some time that men's and women's brains are wireddifferently. Back in the 1980s, however, itwas thought that boys and girls were bornwith the same brains but the environment they grew up in would determine anydifferences. It is true that boys and girls arestill socialised differently, but psychologist Diane Halpern believes that many of the cognitive differences are biologically innate. For instance, even looking at different age groups and cultures, it has been proved that men have better visualspatial skills - such as rotating an object in their minds, judging angle orientation,and navigating by points of the compass.
F. On the other hand, it is also acknowledgedthat women are more fluent verbally, andthey are better at remembering objectsand therefore navigate by landmarks.Halpern is at pains to point out that havingdifferent skills is not the same as havingdifferent levels of intelligence. She willnot be drawn into a debate over whetherone gender is smarter than or superiorto the other. In fact, there are a fair fewmyths out there with regard to genderdifferences. You might have heard it saidthat boys are better at mathematics, butHalpern explains that any difference iscontext dependent. In more gender-equal societies. 'the male advantage inmath disappears', she says. Social contexteconomics and other environmentinfluences all have a bearing.
G. If the playing field is level and neithergender is more gifted, how do we accountfor the fact that more than ninety percentof secretaries are women? Halpern explains that women do most of the nurturing in society, such as looking after children and taking care of the elderly; therefore, they tend to opt for paid jobs that require less investment of time. As she sees it, this results in both a loss of talented women in the workplace and a loss of capable men on the domestic scene, as fathering is very important and many men would make great caregivers. Halpern puts it in plain words: ‘We can’t have equality in work, if we don’t have equality in the home.’
Question 1 -4
Complete the summary below
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in Boxes 1 - 4 on your answer sheet.
Existing research
Experimental evidence from studies of gender differences in vision shows that the (1) that control vision in the brain are different in men and women. These differences happen very early in life and are affected by (2) …………. In addition, women's hearing and smell generally respond more to (3) in the surroundings. Whereas women use their entire brain to process noise, most men use (4) ……… to do this.
Question 5 - 11
Classify the following traits as being
A. more common among men
B. more common among women
c. equally common among men and women
Write the correct letter A, B or C, in Boxes 5 - 11 on your answer sheet
5. They can tell the difference between similar smells
6. They are able to identify minor variations in color.
7. They are more easily distracted when listening to someone.
8. They focus on body language and what it means.
9. They misunderstand the intention of simple gestures.
10. They can see something from all sides without touching it.
11. They have the potential to excel at mathematics.
Question 12 and 13
Choose TWO letters, A – F
Write the correct letters in Boxes 12 and 13 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO of the following claims are made by Diane Halpern in Reading Passage 1?
A. Intelligence is related to the ability to work well with numbers.
B. Gender differences in the brain lead to different sets of skills.
C. Men are not as good as women at taking care of children.
D. Men usually work longer hours in their jobs than women.
E. The same skills are required for employment and housework.
READINGPASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Question 14 - 26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
THE ROMANTIC MOVEMENT
A. Romantic was an artistic and cultural movement that swept through Europe during the nineteenth century, reshaping everything from arts to politics to personal lifestyles as it flourished. Contrary to a commonly held misconception, Romanticism had little to do with 'romance' in the modern, popular sense of the word, and Romantics of the nineteenth century were generally not concerned with questions of infatuation and heartbreak. What interested them more was a different kind of Romantic vision, one that rebelled against caution and reason and praised the intensity and ferocity of wild landscapes and reckless human emotion.
B. Like many popular movements, Romanticism emerged as a reaction to the ideas that preceded it. Europe in the 1700s was dominated by the ideals of the Enlightenment, which were firmly grounded in reason and logic, the scientific method, mastery over nature, and a belief that polite intellectual discourse in such institution as coffee houses and debating societies constituted the most sophisticated expression of humanity's capacity for development. Enlightenment thinkers loathed the expression of emotion, particularly of fiery, uncontrollable feeling, perceiving it to be a threat to order and democracy. They also fought against irrationality and dogmatism of all kinds, having witnessed how despotic kings and other manipulative leaders used folk wisdom and superstition to stir discontent and gain power in their countries.
C. Romantic artists resisted the Enlightenment fixation with calmness, order and reason, although the nature of their rebellion varied from one art form to another. Romantic poets, for example, dismissed the sculpted, austere prose of their forebears, favouring styles that focused on the role of ordinary people and their language. As interest in governmence and civic affairs waned, writers began to reject the once-respected literary format of satire. Instead, they turned their attention to those areas of human life that were previously downplayed or taboo. In Wuthering Heights, for example, Emily Bronte describes the effects of intense, destructive emotions such as jealousy and vengeance. Elements of the supernatural are introduced in the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe.
D. Composers and soloists reached new levels of prominence during the Romantic Movement. This was partly because, freed from the constraints of the Enlightenment era, music was perceived to be the ideal form through which to explore the Romanic notion of a free spirit. Economic shifts also facilitated music's newfound dominance. Whereas musicians had hitherto been required to source financial support from a wealthy patron (usually from the royal court), they now earned their living by performing for burgeoning middle-class audiences. With this transition came the birth of the pop star musician, perhaps best exemplified by the Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt, who would tour cities performing for these crowds with brilliance and flair.
E. Romanticism also made its mark on painting, in two notable ways. The first change can be seen in landscape representations. In Enlightenment-era paintings, nature was usually neglected in favor of human subjects. Where nature was shown, it was typically in the form of manicured hedges and lawns, as in the style of estates and palaces of the time. Romantic artists, however, depicted nature as a violent force, rather than as something to beautify gardens and walkways. Windswept mountaintops, dense bush and fogs, and stormy, dark red skies were all popular with such artists.
F. The Romantics also revolutionized the painting of human subjects. Previously considered a staid, sedate form of painting, whoseprincipleobjective was simply to achieve a lifelike representation of the subject, portraits became a vehicle for examining the darker side of the human experience. Théodore Géricault, for example, chose to paint a series of portraits of psychiatric patients toward the end of his life, depicting his subjects' eyes as being tormented and unsettled. This way strongly divergent from the traditional portrait - a member of royalty or the royal court, festooned with jewelry and wearing their finest clothes.
G. By the mid-nineteenth century, Romanticism had hugely influenced every art form with the exception of sculpture, which remained stubbornly impervious to Romantic influences due to the practical constraints of the discipline. Its influence had extended far beyond the arts; scientists reconfigured their ideas about nature, and educators reconsidered their curriculum priorities. Most significantly, nationalist political movements were proliferating across Europe, inspired by the celebration of folklore and indigenous customs in many Romantic art works.
H. Toward the end of the nineteenth century, however, Romanticism's dominance waned considerably. What was once revolutionary and provocative began to seem phony and melodramatic. Many authors and artists turned toward Realism, a newer movement that advocated artistry without exaggeration or contrivance. Others saw a need to begin taking social and political affairs seriously again, and sought to retrieve some of the values of the Enlightenment, such as the need for dialogue and reasoned debate. Romanticism never faded away completely, however, Dramatic movie soundtracks and plotlines in which men fight adversity to achieve great triumphs show that the Romantic spirit remains with us to the present day.
Questions 14- 16
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D
Write the correct letter in Boxes 14- 16 on your answer sheet.
14 19th century Romantics celebrated
A. Emotions related to love between men and women.
B. Careful limits and logical thinking.
C. Unrestrained feelings and environments
D. Rebellion against all forms of state power
15 The exchange of ideas in a public forum was important in the Enlightenment because
A. It helped society to reach its full potential.
B. It was the highest form of human conversation.
C. It encouraged popular interest in science.
D. It provided a safe place for political discussion.
16 According to the writer, Enlightenment thinkers
A. Believed that kings made the best rules.
B. Had strongly held religious beliefs.
C. Disliked people showing their feelings.
D. Disapproved of the rule of law in society.
Question 17-23
Complete the table below.
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answer in Boxes 17-23 on your answer sheet
ROMANTICISM IN THE ART
Literature Poets prefer to use regular spoken language.
Writers are less interested in politics. As a result,17…………… is not as popular as before.
New topics are explored, such as harmful feelings and 18…………………
19.……………….. The most appropriate art form for the expression of Romantic ideas.
No longer paid for by rich individuals, but by 20 …………………
Who wanted to see their favorite artist perform.
Painting Nature is shown to be 21………………… through depictions of extreme weather and landscapes. 22…………………. are used to show more unpleasant aspects of human life.
23………………… Not affected by the Romantic movement.
Question 24-26
Complete the sentences below
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the essay for each answer.
Write your answers in Boxes 24-26 on your answer sheet.
Peak, decline & legacy
24 The Romantic Movement brought about changes in science and education, and led to the growth of …………………
25 Evan as Realism grew in popularity, some artists felt that ideas from ………………… were still relevant.
26 Romantic ideas are currently used in…………………and also in stories of people overcoming problems in their lives.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Question 27-40, which are based on Reading Passage3 below.
THE UPSIDE OF FEELING DOWN
A. Over the past couple of decades, public imagination has been captured by the notion of 'happiness' in an unprecedented way. There is now a Journal of Happiness Studies, a burgeoning field of study known as 'happiness economics', and everyone from self-help gurus to sociological researchers to public policy makers is trying to understand what happiness is and how everyone can get more of it. The mania shows no sign of abating - during a three-month period this year, over one thousand books on the subject were released. In our frantic pursuit of good feelings, however, some researchers worry that we may have overlooked the flipside of the coin - sadness. By framing sadness as solely a negative condition, a fetter to free ourselves from, these scholars believe that we may be neglecting an important facet of the human experience.
B. Much evidence suggests that sadness plays an important and constructive role in our lives. Firstly, in some very fundamental respects, humans perform better at a range of functions when they're feeling down. In a University of New South Wales study, Professor Joe Forgas discovered that people experiencing negative moods are less gullible, and less likely to make judgemental errors than their happy counterparts. He also found that sad people had better recall of past events and feelings, were better able to communicate their thoughts,and were less likely to judge someone based solely on their appearance. Why would this be so?Primarily, because moods are linked with our evolutionary needs — they effectively tell us how to process any information we receive. Forgas notes that a positive mood indicates comfort and familiarity, whereas a negative mood alerts the brain to be vigilant. As a result, he believes, sadness encourages a 'more attentive and externally focused, information-processing style' whereas happiness prompts us to switch off, making us prone to deception. In other words, bliss is ignorance.
C. In other contexts, sadness allows us to cope with traumatic occurrences and, ultimately, move on from them. Unlike other negative emotions such as anger or fear, which temporarily spike energy levels and impel the person experiencing them to act decisively, sadness drains energy. In doing so it draws the sufferer away from the activities of otherpeople and encourages them to reflect on their feelings and the importance of what caused them. This process, known as grief, serves an important role in helping humans to adjust to loss and to integrate it into their lives. In an editorial in the esteemed medical journal The Lancet, deputy editor Dr. Astrid James warned that psychiatrists are in danger of pathologising normal human experiences by prescribing anti-depressant pills instead of acknowledging the superior role of prolonged sadness in naturally rehabilitating sufferers.
D. Aside from acting as a coping mechanism, sadness may also play a more proactivein encouraging people to improve their lives. According to Jerome Wakefield, clinical social worker at New York University, 'one of the functions of intense negative emotions is to stop our normal functioning, to make us focus on something else for a while'. In this way, the memory of sadness - and of taking time out to be sad - imprints itself on our mind as a psychological deterrent for the future. One can see how, for example, young adults learn to become more guarded and less cavalier with everything from their money to personal relationships after suffering one agonising loss too many. Without the prodding of sadness upon our memory of these situations, we might endlessly repeat these follies with no reason to alter our behavior.
E. Finally, what of the notion that sadness is powerfully linked with great artistic expression? Some evidence suggests this is far from cultural myth. A researcher from Harvard University, Modupe Akinola, experimented with the connection between depression and creativity. She asked depressed people to perform creative tasks and gave them feedback that was designed to reinforce their negative feelings. Akinola speculates that his feedback encouraged research participants to dwell on their negativity, and this unearthed hidden feelings and bolstered their creative output. Laura Young, a researcher at Boston College, has found that adolescents or young adults who participate in arts programmes are more likely to experience sadness than their peers, a finding that is also true for older adult artists. Young emphasises, however, that painting and drama are not themselves catalysts for depression. Rather, she suggests, they are a chance for some people to vocalisetheiranger and can provide a therapeutic space for those with emotional troubles.
F. With an array of studies indicating that sadness plays a constructive and significant role in human affairs, what are we to make of the current fervour surrounding the pursuit of happiness? Are we being led toward an illusion by false prophets of positivity? According to Steven Hayes, a psychology professor at the University of Nevada, we are. He believes we need to set aside the idea of happiness altogether, or at least any notion of'pursuing' it. 'What people mean by happiness is feeling good', Hayes says. '[But ] there are many ways to feel good. And many of the ways we feel good actually limit the possibilities for living the way we want to live our lives.' What is more important than experiencing the transient flush of happy feelings, he suggests, is moving through life in accordance with our core values. This expanded notion of good living does not limit itself to happiness, but embraces sadness, and at times, fear, anger and suffering too.
Question 27-34
Look at the following statements (Question 27-34) and the list ofpeople below.
Match each statement with the correct person, A, B, C, D, E or F
List of people
A Joe Forgas
B Jerome Wakefield
C Astrid James
D ModupeAkinola
E Laura Young
F Steven Hayes
Write the correct letter, A, B, C, D, E or F in Boxes 27-34 on your answer sheet
27 Modern ideas about happiness are not helpful
28 Medication is being used unnecessarily
29 Sad people can remember things better
30 Art can help teenagers to express their feelings
31 Sad people are more careful and alert than happy ones
32 People should focus on what is important to them
33 Sadness can stop us repeatedly making bad decisions
34 Thinking about sadness can help people produce original material
Question 35-40
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
In Boxes 35-40 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agree with the views of the writer
NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this
35 people are becoming less interested in happiness
36 Sadness is an undesirable state
37 Sadness makes it easier to deal with events that cause psychological pain
38 People feel more energetic when they are sad
39 Grief is not experienced very often in most people's lives
40 Sadness is a necessary and important part of human experience
Anh cj lm ơn giúp em. đg gấp ạ
