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MODEL TEST - ACADEMIC IELTS
(Time: 90 minutes)
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Section 1
Script:
Library assistant: Hi. How can I help you? Student: I’d like to register to use the library, please. LA: OK, that's fine. Now can I have some details from you? What’s your name and student ID number? Student: Simon Anderson, that's A-N-D-E-R-S-O-N. LA: And ID number? Student: Er ... Hold on ... Let me look ... it's AND105763. LA: AND105769. Student: No, it's AND105763. LA: Thank you. And what course are you studying, Simon? Student: Geography. LA: Is that in the Faculty of Environmental Science or Earth Science? Student: It’s in the Earth Science faculty. LA: Right. Now, are you living in university halls of residence? Student: No, I'm in private accommodation - do you need my address? LA: Yes, please. Student: It's Flat 3. 24 Lavender Gardens, London, SW12 3AG. LA: Can you spell the street name for me? Student: Yes, it's L-A-V-E-N-D-E-R Gardens. LA: And do you have a contact telephone number? Student: Is my mobile number OK? LA: Yes, that's fine. Student: Just let me find my phone. Right the number is 07988 566341 (079, double 8, 5, double 6, 341). LA: Let me just check that - 07988 566341. So, Simon did you have a tour of the library facilities during your induction? Student: Unfortunately, I missed it - could you give me a quick tour now? Complete the form below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Name | Simon Anderson | Student ID number | (1)……… | Subject | Geography | Faculty | (2)……… | Address | Flat 3, 24 (3)……… Gardens, London, SW12 3AG | Contact telephone | 07988 (4)……… |
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AND105763
Lavender
Earth Science
566341
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Script:
Library assistant: I can't give you a tour now, I'm afraid. I have to stay here at the Help Desk but I can show you places on this map of the library.
Student: That would be helpful, thanks. LA: OK, so we're here at the Help Desk, next to the Service Desk, where you go to borrow and return books. The maximum number of books you can borrow at any one time is ten. Student: Yes, I see. LA: Opposite the Service Desk is the Training Room, which is used by library staff to give demonstrations of the computer systems to staff and students. But the entrance is round the other side. Student: Is the Training Room beside the Quiet Room? LA: Yes, that's right, with the entrance round the front too. It's important to remember that all mobile phones must be switched off in this room. Student: Of course. And what about books - where can I find the books for my course? LA: Good question. You're studying Geography so, if you walk past the Service Desk, turn right, no sorry turn left, and continue on past the Philosophy section, you'll find the Geography section. The copying facilities are on the left. Now one more important thing is the Group Study Room and the booking system. If you're working on a project with other students and you want to discuss things with each other, you can go to the room in the corner at the opposite end of the library from the copiers. That’s the Group Study Room. It’s between the Sociology section and the TV room. The Group Study Room must be booked forty-eight hours in advance. Student: Right, thanks. Can I keep this map? LA: Actually, this is the last one I have, but I can make a copy for you. Student: That would be great, thanks. LA: Oh, I should also explain how you book the Group Study Room. Student: Oh, yes, so how do I do that? LA: You can only book this room using the online reservation system. The same one you use to reserve books that are currently on loan. Student: I thought it was called the online catalogue system. LA: No, that’s for searching for things in the library; the reservation system is what you use to make a room booking. Student: And can I access that from outside the library? LA: Yes, via the library website. You will need to enter the name and student number of each student in the group too, so make sure you have these to hand when you make the booking. But all this is explained on the home page of the website. Once you’ve made your reservation request, you’ll receive a confirmation email from the library to say whether your booking has been successful or not. If not, you can try to arrange another time. Student: Well that sounds fairly easy. LA: Yes, you’ll be fine. It's all quite straightforward really. Student: Thanks. Label the plan below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
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TV room
Philosophy
Training
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Script:
Library assistant: I can't give you a tour now, I'm afraid. I have to stay here at the Help Desk but I can show you places on this map of the library.
Student: That would be helpful, thanks. LA: OK, so we're here at the Help Desk, next to the Service Desk, where you go to borrow and return books. The maximum number of books you can borrow at any one time is ten. Student: Yes, I see. LA: Opposite the Service Desk is the Training Room, which is used by library staff to give demonstrations of the computer systems to staff and students. But the entrance is round the other side. Student: Is the Training Room beside the Quiet Room? LA: Yes, that's right, with the entrance round the front too. It's important to remember that all mobile phones must be switched off in this room. Student: Of course. And what about books - where can I find the books for my course? LA: Good question. You're studying Geography so, if you walk past the Service Desk, turn right, no sorry turn left, and continue on past the Philosophy section, you'll find the Geography section. The copying facilities are on the left. Now one more important thing is the Group Study Room and the booking system. If you're working on a project with other students and you want to discuss things with each other, you can go to the room in the corner at the opposite end of the library from the copiers. That’s the Group Study Room. It’s between the Sociology section and the TV room. The Group Study Room must be booked forty-eight hours in advance. Student: Right, thanks. Can I keep this map? LA: Actually, this is the last one I have, but I can make a copy for you. Student: That would be great, thanks. LA: Oh, I should also explain how you book the Group Study Room. Student: Oh, yes, so how do I do that? LA: You can only book this room using the online reservation system. The same one you use to reserve books that are currently on loan. Student: I thought it was called the online catalogue system. LA: No, that’s for searching for things in the library; the reservation system is what you use to make a room booking. Student: And can I access that from outside the library? LA: Yes, via the library website. You will need to enter the name and student number of each student in the group too, so make sure you have these to hand when you make the booking. But all this is explained on the home page of the website. Once you’ve made your reservation request, you’ll receive a confirmation email from the library to say whether your booking has been successful or not. If not, you can try to arrange another time. Student: Well that sounds fairly easy. LA: Yes, you’ll be fine. It's all quite straightforward really. Student: Thanks. Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. Group Study booking system To be used for group projects Advance notice required: 48 hours Must reserve using (1)……… Website booking for group study room - need student name and (2)……… Booking confirmation received via (3)………
Section 2
Script:
You will hear a man giving some information about transport in London. Man: Hello, can I help you? Student: Yes, I was wondering what the best way was for me to get around London. Man: Well, there are a lot of possibilities. As you probably realise, the main ways to get around are bus, train and tube - the underground. It depends how much you want to spend. All forms of transport offer special tickets, such as cheap day returns on the trains and so on. Overall, you’ll spend less on the bus as it operates on a basic flat fare for each journey. But, of course, it may not go to where you need to travel to. The mainline trains only operate in the outlying areas, though a few cross London, whereas the tube has stations which are placed in central areas of the city close to the main sights and shops. Obviously there are more bus stops but you will probably have to change buses to get where you want, which can be inconvenient. You will find that the buses are mainly in the central areas but some tube lines go quite a long way out of London so you could use this for longer journeys. Having said that, the tubes do get very crowded so you should use the train if you want to sit down. It does depend where you’re travelling to. Student: Well, I’m living on the outskirts but I have to travel into London to college everyday and then around London when I’m here. Man: OK, so time is going to be an issue for you. The tube should be fast crossing London, but quite honestly, there are so many delays that it’s not very efficient. Again, the train has fewer stops so is probably your quickest option to get to and from college. Of course, which service you use might depend on how frequent it is. I mean, the trains might only be every twenty minutes or whatever, but a timetable is published to save you hanging around. There are a lot of tube trains at busy times of day, but fewer at other times whereas the buses run every five minutes through most of the day and there are night buses. But you’ll need to check out your route first. Of which types of transport is the following true?
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2. most convenient
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3. most comfortable
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5. most frequent service
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Script:
Student: OK, thanks. How can I get from here to Hackney, then? Man: Right, well you can choose. We’re here at the information office, OK? Now, next to us. on the corner of the high street and Sweet Street is the bus stop, opposite the bank. The bus goes all the way to Hackney but it is a very indirect route so it could take ages. If you want to take the train, walk down the high street towards the city, go past the bank and on your left is the station, just before you get to the post office. There’s a mainline service to Hackney Wick so, if you need to get into the centre of Hackney, you may need to pick up a bus when you get there. Opposite the post office, on the corner of Heart Lane is the tube entrance - you’ll see the big signs. That’s probably the best way to get there, though you may have to change. It’s probably best if you go and get a travel card first. To get to the ticket office, you go out of here onto the high street. Then turn into South Street and the ticket office is on your right opposite the cinema. Of course, you may decide it’s quicker to take a taxi. But, it’s a long way so I think it’ll be very expensive. If you do want to get a cab, then the rank is outside here just opposite the office.
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2. train station
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3. tube entrance
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4. transport ticket office
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Explain:
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Section 3
Script:
You will hear a female and a male student talking to a male tutor about the self – evaluation form. Tutor: Now, Mark, and Anna, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed your joint presentation on the application of robotics in a non-industrial setting to the group on 2nd December and it is clear that you have both devoted quite a lot of time and effort to it. Have you had a chance to fill in the self- evaluation form for the session? Mark: Yes, we have. Tutor: So Mark, what do you think overall? Mark: Well, generally, I felt the presentation worked very well; in fact, we seemed to hold the attention of the others throughout. And the pace of delivery was fairly even as were the range of activities we organized. Anna: I agree with Mark, but I'm not sure we were comprehensive or academic enough. Tutor: No comment really except that I don't think there was any question of it not being thorough. Anna: I think we were a bit too chatty and too joky at times rather than formal. Tutor: Okay. What do you think were the best areas and which do think can be improved on? Mark: Everything could have been improved on. I felt very good about the hand-outs; we had spent a lot of time putting them together. They had a very professional appearance as we bound them into a booklet. Anna: To me the hand-outs were the best part as we had a very extensive bibliography and the booklet seemed to go down well. Tutor: The booklet you did for the hand-outs certainly showed you had done a lot of work. But I think that you put too much material into it and people got distracted by it. Perhaps, you could have cut the hand-outs by about a third. Mark: I see. When I come to think about it, maybe you are right. Anna: Okay. Mark: But there were times in the middle of the presentation where things did go a bit astray. I think that was my fault when I got the power-point slides out of sequence and I had difficulty getting back on track. Anna: Mmmm. I also think we rated our technical ability too highly especially when operating under pressure. I had never done a presentation with technical equipment before, so it was a steep learning curve for me in particular. Tutor: Yes, I think you could have done with a bit more practice with the equipment beforehand. Tutor: What about the next item on the feedback form? The aims and objectives? Mark: I think they were very focused and we followed them through well, I think. We wanted to show how Europe was lagging behind other areas of the world. Anna: Yeah, I think they were clearly set out. Tutor: Yes. Agreed. No comment there. Mark: The diagrams and charts were appropriate. Anna: Yes. I have put that too. Tutor: They did work well in helping to illustrate and break up the presentation by cutting down on the number of words and text on the screen. Tutor: What about delivery? Mark: Well, I think our performance was average. Anna: It was difficult to coordinate speaking and presenting the material at the same time. I was quite self-conscious of what I was doing. It was down to a lack of experience. Tutor: Unfortunately, both of you had the habit of standing in front of the projector so you kept blocking the image on the screen. To me this is the area that requires the most improvement. Mark: The section on the predictions of the commercial application in the future, I think appeared a bit haphazard. To me it was a weak point of the presentation. And I think that some of the slides could have had fewer words. Anna: And we could have done some fancy graphics with the words. Tutor: If you had to give yourselves a mark overall how much would you give out of 10? Mark: Six maybe. I would be happy with that, though bits were probably nearer a seven. So I'd say a six. Anna, what do you think? Anna: I think for me it's perhaps a seven. Tutor: Okay. Did you find the task and the evaluation useful? Anna: I think... Complete the form below. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer. JOINT PRESENTATION Self-evaluation Form | Title: The application of robotics in a non-industrial setting Date: (1) ……… Insert your names and comments on the following aspects of the presentation. | | Mark | Anna | Suggestions: Tutor | General impression | worked well | not thorough or (2)………enough | no comment | Hand-outs | (3)……… looking | the best part | reduce by (4)……… | Middle of presentation | power-point slides not in (5) ……… | Overestimated (6)……… | more practice with the equipment | Aims and objectives | very focused | clearly (7)……… | no comment | Delivery | performance was (8) ……… | difficult to coordinate speaking and presenting | needs the (9)……… | Score | Six | (10)……… | |
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sequence
7/seven
academic
set out
technical ability
most improvement
average
2nd December
about a third
professional
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Section 4
Script:
ANNOUNCER: Today’s Health Counsel is presented by Paula Clayburg, who is the chief Counsellor at Liverpool’s famous pain clinic: The Wilton Clinic. Paula ... PAULA CLAYBURG: Do you know what Prince Charles, Seve Ballesteros and Elizabeth Taylor have in common? They all suffer from chronic back pain. In fact, bad backs are one of the most common health problems today, affecting people in all walks of life. The most recent available figures show that about a quarter of a million people are incapacitated with back pain every day. And many sufferers don’t know the cause or the solution to their problem. The majority of our patients at the clinic tend to be women. They are especially vulnerable because of pregnancy but also because of osteoporosis, which I personally believe to be the major cause of problems for women. I have many women patients who say they have completely given up exercise because the pain makes them so miserable. But of course that starts up a vicious circle. Bed rest, giving up exercise and pain killers are traditional responses to back pain but, although there are many excellent drugs on the market, at our clinic we are beginning to realise the unique benefits of relaxation therapy. Other specialists in the field make a strong case for certain types of exercise, but in our experience they are easily mishandled and can lead to more harm than good. Now, let’s look at some of the reasons why back pain is developing into such a unique menace. In general, the body is pretty good at self-repair. A strain or a blow to a limb, though painful at the time, generally resolves itself. But the body’s response to back injury can be very counter-productive. When pain strikes, we attempt to keep the back as immobile as possible, which makes the muscles tense up. Research shows that they often go into spasm, which causes further twisting of the spine. A vicious circle is underway. The second mistake we often make when stricken with extreme back pain is to go to bed and stay there. Although at the clinic we recognise that a short rest in bed can be helpful ... up to two days . . . any longer makes our back muscles become weaker and unable to hold up our spine. The pain therefore becomes worse. Another problem is being overweight. Anyone a stone or more over-weight who already has back pain is not doing himself any favours: though it won’t actually set it off in the first place, the weight will increase the strain and make things worse. The British diet could be partially to blame for the increase in back pain: over the last ten years the average weight of men has risen by 11 lbs and of women by 9 lbs. So much for the causes and aggravations of pain. But what can WE do to help? Choose the correct answer choice for each question.
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1. According to the speaker, the main cause of back pain in women is
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2. As treatment for back pain the Clinic mainly recommends
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3. The back is different from other parts of the body because
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4. Bed rest is advised
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5. Being overweight
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Script:
PAULA CLAYBURG: There are many ways in which simple day-to-day care can make all the difference. The first point to watch of course is weight. If you are overweight, a diet will make all the difference. Also, studies have shown that just one hour sitting in a slouched position can strain ligaments in the back which can take months to heal. At the clinic we have come to the conclusion that the major cause of the problem is not with the design of chairs, as some have suggested, but in the way WE sit in them. It can be useful to get special orthopaedic chairs, but remember the most important improvement should be in OUR posture. Another enemy of your back is, of course, your beds. If your bed doesn’t give enough support, back muscles and ligaments work all night trying to correct spinal alignment, so you wake up with a tired aching back. Try out an orthopaedic mattress or a spring slatted bed. Research shows that both can be beneficial for certain types of back pain. Another hazard for your back are the shock waves which travel up your spine when you walk, known as heel strike. A real find for our patients has been the shock-absorbing shoe insert. A cheap but very effective solution. And you might be better off avoiding shoes with heels higher than YA inches. Though absolutely flat shoes can be a solution for some, others find their posture suffers. Finally a word about the state-of-the-art relief - the TENS machine -a small battery-powered gadget which delivers subliminal electrical pulses to the skin. Our experience indicates that your money is better spent on the more old-fashioned remedies. Choose the correct answer choice for each question.
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1. Dieting if overweight is
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2. Buying special orthopaedic chairs is
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3. Buying orthopaedic mattresses is
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4. Buying shock-absorbing inserts is
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5. Wearing flat shoes is
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6. Buying TENS machine is
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Passage 1
Shedding light on it There are three main types of light bulb for lighting a room: incandescent, fluorescent and, more recently, the light emitting diode (LED) bulb. All three bulbs have their advantages and disadvantages when it comes to purchase price, running costs and environmental impact. The traditional incandescent bulb has been in use for more than 100 years. It is made by suspending a fine coil of tungsten wire between two electrodes. When a current flows through the wire it reaches a temperature of more than 2,000°C and glows white hot. The bulb is filled with argon, an inert gas, to prevent the wire from evaporating. Traditional light bulbs are not very efficient, converting less than 10% of the energy into light with the rest as heat, making them too hot to handle. Most household light bulbs are rated at 40, 60 or 100 Watts. Mass production of fluorescent lights began in the 1940s. The standard size is 1.2m in length and 2.5cm in diameter. The tube contains a small amount of mercury and the inside surface of the glass has a phosphor coating. There are two electrodes, one at each end of the tube, but there is no wire in between. Instead, mercury atoms absorb the electrical energy and emit ultraviolet (UV); this light is invisible until it hits the phosphor coating on the glass, which emits a visible white light. Fluorescent lights are about five times more efficient than incandescent light bulbs. A 20 Watt fluorescent tube will produce a similar amount of light to a 100 Watt bulb and runs much cooler, which helps to give it 10 times the life expectancy of a bulb. The bright light produced by standard fluorescent lights makes them an ideal choice for offices and factories, rather than homes, where the incandescent bulb has traditionally reigned supreme. However, the newer compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) look likely to make the old bulbs extinct. Global warming is the main reason. Compared with an incandescent bulb, a single energy-saving fluorescent lamp will save about one tonne of carbon-dioxide emissions over its lifetime, as well as reduce the consumer’s electricity costs. Not everybody likes the new CFLs, which have the following disadvantages: they are ten times the price of the traditional bulbs; flickering can occur with dimmer switches; they need to warm up to give full brightness; and they emit a bluish, less natural light that can strain the eye. Traditional bulbs are safer to dispose of because they are free from mercury, which is a neurotoxin. The mercury is safe inside a sealed CFL but it is released into the atmosphere if the bulb is broken. Mercury can accumulate in the body to attack the brain and central nervous system. The reduced carbon footprint of CFLs in comparison with traditional bulbs may have been overstated. Whilst it is true that traditional bulbs convert 90% of the electricity into heat instead of light, this heat is not wasted. The bulb helps to keep the house warm so less fuel is burnt; for example, less gas or oil. If you change all your bulbs to CFLs it could prove very expensive in the short term and save less energy than you might imagine if your home is properly insulated or you live in a cold climate. If you live in a warm climate, then changing to CFLs will reduce your carbon footprint and the cost of your electricity bills, but the savings will be less than you might expect if the daylight hours are long and the nights are short. CFLs are themselves under threat from the latest generation of light emitting diodes (LEDs). The LED has been in existence since the 1920s but they have only recently been made bright enough for room lighting. The most common applications to date have been traffic lights, solar garden lights and car brake lights; infrared LEDs are used in television remote controls. LEDs are electronic components that emit photons of light when the current is switched on. Lights for the home are made by clustering several LEDs into a single bulb. Though more expensive than CFLs, LEDs last up to six times longer and are twice as efficient, producing the same amount of light from half the electrical power (half the carbon emissions). Other advantages of LED lighting include: an ‘instant on’, meaning that there is no warm-up time; no problems with frequent on/off switching, which shortens the life of fluorescent lights; no glass to break because the LED is made from a hard transparent plastic; and they are free from toxic mercury.
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
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1. Incandescent bulbs convert more energy to heat than light.
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2. Ultraviolet light (UV) can be seen with the naked eye.
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3. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) last about 10 years.
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4. Fluorescent tubes are the best lights for workplaces.
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5. Incandescent bulbs contain mercury.
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6. Fluorescent light can cause headaches and migraines.
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7. Traditional bulbs may waste less energy than they appear to.
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Complete the summary below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer. Switching to CFLs may not be such a bright idea
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mercury
warm
carbon footprint
cold
efficient
insulated
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Passage 2
COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE What do scientists in Britain think about ‘alternative’ therapies? Orla Kennedy reads a surprising survey Is complementary medicine hocus-pocus or does if warrant large-scale scientific investigation? Should science range beyond conventional medicine and conduct research on alternative medicine and the supposed growing links between mind and body? This will be hotly debated at the British Association for the Advancement of Science. One Briton in five uses complementary medicine, and according to the most recent Mintel survey, one in ten uses herbalism or homoeopathy. Around £130 million is spent on oils, potions and pills every year in Britain, and the complementary and alternative medicine industry is estimated to be worth £1.6 billion. With the help of Professor Edzard Ernst, Laing chair of complementary medicine at The Peninsula Medical School, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, we asked scientists their views on complementary and alternative medicine. Seventy-five scientists, in fields ranging from molecular biology to neuroscience, replied. Surprisingly, our sample of scientists was twice as likely as the public to use some form of complementary medicine, at around four in 10 compared with two in 10 of the general population. Three quarters of scientific users believed they were effective. Acupuncture, chiropractic and osteopathy were the most commonly used complementary treatments among scientists and more than 55 per cent believed these were more effective than a placebo and should be available to all on the National Health Service. Scientists appear to place more trust in the more established areas of complementary and alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, chiropractic and osteopathy, for which there are professional bodies and recognised training, than therapies such as aromatherapy and spiritual healing. 'Osteopathy is now a registered profession requiring a certified four-year degree before you can advertise and practise,' said one neuroscientist who used the therapy. Nearly two thirds of the scientists who replied to our survey believed that aromatherapy and homoeopathy were no better than placebos, with almost a half thinking the same of herbalism and spiritual thinking. Some of the comments we received were scathing, even though one in ten of our respondents had used homoeopathy. 'Aromatherapy and homoeopathy are scientifically nonsensical,' said one molecular biologist from the University of Bristol. Dr Romke Bron, a molecular biologist at the Medical Research Council Centre at King's College London, added: 'Homoeopathy is a big scam and I am convinced that if someone sneaked into a homoeopathic pharmacy and swapped labels, nobody would notice anything.' Two centuries after homeopathy was introduced, it still lacks a watertight demonstration that it work. Scientists are happy that the resulting solutions and sugar pills have no side effects, but are baffled by how they can do anything. Both complementary and conventional medicine should be used in routine health care, according to followers of the ‘integrated health approach', who want to treat an individual ‘as a whole’. But the scientists who responded to our survey expressed serious concerns about this approach, with more than her believing that integrated medicine was an attempt to bypass rigorous scientific testing. Dr Bron said: 'There is an awful lot of bad science going on in alternative medicine and the general public has a hard time to distinguish between scientific myth and fact. It is absolutely paramount to maintain rigorous quality control in health care. Although the majority of alternative health workers mean well, there are just too many frauds out there preying on vulnerable people.' One molecular biologist from the University of Warwick admitted that 'by doing this poll I have realised how shamefully little I understand about alternative therapy. Not enough scientific research has been performed. There is enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that at least some of the alternative therapies are effective for some people, suggesting this is an area ripe for research.' When asked if complementary and alternative medicine should get more research funding, scientists believed the top three (acupuncture, chiropractic and osteopathy) should get money, as should herbalism. It seems that therapies based on physical manipulation or a known action - like the active ingredients in a herb on a receptor in the body - are the ones that the scientific community has faith in. Less than a quarter thought that therapies such as aromatherapy, homoeopathy and spiritual healing should get any funding. Scientists believed that the 'feelgood' counselling effect of complementary medicine and the time taken to listen to patients' problems was what worked, rather than any medicinal effect. In contrast, the average visit to the doctor lasts only eight minutes, says the British Medical Association. Dr Stephen Nurrish, a molecular biologist at University College London, said: 'Much of the benefit people get from complementary medicine is the time to talk to someone and be listened to sympathetically, something that is now lacking from medicine in general.' But an anonymous neuroscientist at King's College London had a more withering view of this benefit: 'On the validity of complementary and alternative medicines, no one would dispute that 'feeling good' is good for your health, but why discriminate between museum-trip therapy, patting-a-dog therapy and aromatherapy? Is it because only the latter has a cadre of professional 'practitioners'?' There are other hardline scientists who argue that there should be no such thing as complementary and alternative medicine. As Professor David Moore, director of the Medical Research Council's Institute for Hearing Research, said: 'Either a treatment works or it doesn't. The only way to determine if it works is to test it against appropriate controls (that is, scientifically).'
Match each view with the person expressing it in the passage. NB You may use any person more than once.
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1. Complementary medicine provides something that conventional medicine no longer does.
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2. It is hard for people to know whether they are being told the truth or nor.
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3. Certain kinds of complementary and alternative medicine are taken seriously because of the number of people making money from them.
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Explain:
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4. Nothing can be considered a form of medicine unless it has been proved effective.
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5. It seems likely that some forms of alternative medicine do work.
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6. One particular kind of alternative medicine is a deliberate attempt to cheat the public.
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Complete each sentence with the correct ending.
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1. The British Association for the Advancement of Science will be discussing the issue of
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Explain:
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2. A recent survey conducted by a certain organisation addressed the issue of
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Explain:
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3. The survey in which the writer of the article was involved gave information on
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Explain:
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Classify the following information as being given about
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1. Scientists believe that it is ineffective but harmless.
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2. Scientists felt that it could be added to the group of therapies that deserved to be provided with resources for further investigation.
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3. Scientists felt that it deserved to be taken seriously because of the organised way in which it has developed.
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4. A number of scientists had used it, but harsh criticism was expressed about it.
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Passage 3
Biofuels backlash A Biodiesel and bio-ethanol are cleaner, sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels, which continue to deplete. Biofuels can be grown repeatedly from crops making them 100% renewable. Bio-ethanol is made in a similar way to ‘moonshine’ by fermenting cereals like corn and maize and then distilling the brew to evaporate the ethanol. Biodiesel is manufactured from the vegetable oils found in sunflower seeds, rapeseed and the oil palm. Gasoline (petrol) engines can be tuned to run on 90% ethanol blended with 10% petroleum and biodiesel is a direct replacement for existing road diesel. B Carbon-dioxide is the principal man-made greenhouse gas. It traps heat in the atmosphere and increases global warming, causing polar ice to recede and sealevels to rise. Energy crops offer one solution to the deleterious effects of carbondioxide emitted from vehicle exhausts. Biofuels are 100% carbon-neutral, which means that there is no net gain or loss of carbon to the environment when the fuels are burnt. The carbon-dioxide does not add to the total amount in the atmosphere because the crops absorb the equivalent amount of carbon-dioxide by photosynthesis as they grow. Consequently, the ‘carbon footprint’ of gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles can be reduced by switching to bio-ethanol or biodiesel. The latter burns more efficiently than petroleum diesel leaving less unburned hydrocarbons, carbonmonoxide and particulates, which means less atmospheric pollution as well as less global warming. Biofuels are less toxic than fossil fuels and biodegrade if spilt on the ground. C Not everybody believes that biofuels are the ideal alternative to fossil fuels. The status of biofuels as environmentally friendly can be challenged on several counts. Firstly, to provide space for energy-crop plantations, trees are felled and burnt which creates a surplus of carbon-dioxide. Secondly, in tropical rainforests the loss of trees threatens biodiversity by destroying habitat. Thirdly, deforestation increases the evaporation of water from the ground, which can lead to extensive droughts. These deficits can be discounted if the energy crops are planted on existing agricultural land, but if this is done it reduces the supply of food crops, creating a surge in food prices. Furthermore, in developing countries people have barely sufficient food to eat and switching to fuel crops could threaten their meagre food supplies. D To judge whether or not biofuels are genuinely a greener alternative to fossil fuels it is necessary to scrutinize the manufacturing steps. Whilst in theory, the carbon released by biofuels is equivalent to that removed from the atmosphere by the growing plants this does not reflect the true energy picture. Substantial amounts of nitrogen-based fertilizers are added to the soil to increase crop production. The process of manufacturing fertilizers consumes large amounts of energy in a process that burns natural gas and releases carbon-dioxide. What’s more, when fertilizers are added to the land the soil releases nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. As an agent of global warming, nitrous oxide is about 300 times more potent than carbondioxide, and surplus nitrates can leach into nearby rivers and streams where they kill the fish. The ethanol industry generates additional carbon-dioxide because many of its manufacturing plants use coal-fired boilers, and fossil fuels are also consumed by the vehicles that transport materials to and from manufacturing sites. Whilst the transportation of petroleum-based fuels also burns fossil fuels, biofuels are supposed to offer a greener alternative to the fuels they intend to replace. E Biofuels may not be a panacea for global warning but they can play a part in a sustainable energy programme. To reinforce their green credentials, energy crops should not be planted on land that was being used to produce food. New technologies can produce ethanol from the inedible parts of plants, or from grasses grown on wasteland that is unsuitable for food. Genetically modified plants may be the answer to increasing biofuel crop yields without the need for further land grab. Plant strains can be developed that require little in the way of fertilizers or irrigation. Biodiesel consumption may, in the future, extend beyond transportation to include heating oils for domestic boilers. Developing countries that grow biofuels should be allowed to benefit from the premium prices that fuel crops command, enabling farmers and their communities to reap economic and social benefits. Whatever the advantages and disadvantages of fuel crops it is clear that fossil fuels are a limited resource and cannot remain the mainstay of our economies indefinitely.
The reading passage has five sections, A to E. Choose the correct heading for the sections A, B, C, D and E from the list of headings below.
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? TRUE if the statement agrees with the information FALSE if the statement contradicts the information NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
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1. Bio-ethanol is a non-renewable fuel source.
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2. Burning biodiesel instead of petroleum diesel generates less pollution.
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3. Food prices fall when fuel crops are planted on land used to grow food.
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4. Fuel crops outnumber food crops in developing countries.
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5. The eco-friendly nature of biofuels cannot be disputed.
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Complete each sentence with the correct ending below.
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1. Excess fertilizer can be deadly to fish ................
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2. The green status of energy crops is strengthened ................
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3. It may not be necessary to acquire more land ................
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4. Farmers in poorer countries will benefit from fuel crops ................
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