Đề khảo sát PreTest Cambridge Academic Reading SS176 2021

INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING SYSTEM
0381/1

Academic Reading Pretest
SS176
1 hour 15 minutes

Additional materials:
Answer sheets for Listening and Reading

Time
1 hour 15 minutes

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Do not open this question paper until you are told to do so.
Write your name and candidate number in the spaces at the top of this page.
Read the instructions for each part of the paper carefully.
Answer all the questions.
Write your answers on the answer sheet. Use a pencil.
You must complete the answer sheet within the time limit.
At the end of the test, hand in both this question paper and your answer sheet.

=============================================================================================================

READING PASSAGE 1

Archaeologists discover evidence of prehistoric island settlers

In early April 2019, Dr Ceri Shipton and his colleagues from Australian National University became the first archaeologists to explore Obi, one of many tropical islands in Indonesia’s Maluku Utara province. The research team’s discoveries suggest that the prehistoric people who lived on Obi were adept on both land and sea, hunting in the dense rainforest, foraging on the seashore, and possibly even voyaging between islands.

The excavations were part of a project to learn more about how people first dispersed from mainland Asia, through the Indonesian archipelago and into the prehistoric continent that once connected Australia and New Guinea. The team’s earlier research suggested that the northernmost islands in the group, known as the Wallacean islands, including Obi, would have offered the easiest migration route. It also seemed likely that these islands were crucial ‘stepping stones’ on humans’ island-hopping voyages through this region millennia ago. But to support this idea, they needed archaeological evidence for humans living in this remote area in the ancient past. So, they travelled to Obi to look for sites that might reveal evidence of early occupation.

Just inland from the village of Kelo on Obi’s northern coast, Shipton and his colleagues found two caves containing prehistoric rock shelters that were suitable for excavation. With the permission and help of the local people of Kelo, they dug a small test excavation in each shelter. There they found numerous artefacts, including fragments of axes, some dating to about 14,000 years ago. The earliest axes at Kelo were made using clam shells. Axes made from clam shells from roughly the same time had also previously been found elsewhere in this region, including on the nearby island of Gebe to the northeast. As on Gebe, it is highly likely that Obi’s axes were used in the construction of canoes, thus allowing these early peoples to maintain connections between communities on neighbouring islands.

The oldest cultural layers from the Kelo site provided the team with the earliest record for human occupation on Obi, dating back around 18,000 years. At this time the climate was drier and colder than today, and the island’s dense rainforests would likely have been much less impenetrable than they are now. Sea levels were about 120 metres lower, meaning Obi was a much larger island, encompassing what is today the separate island of Bisa, as well as several other small islands nearby.

Roughly 11,700 years ago, as the most recent ice age ended, the climate became significantly warmer and wetter, no doubt making Obi’s jungle much thicker. According to the researchers, it is no coincidence that around this time the first axes crafted from stone rather than sea shells appear, likely in response to their increased, heavy-duty use for clearing and modification of the increasingly dense rainforest. While stone takes about twice as long to grind into an axe compared to shell, the harder material keeps its sharp edge for longer.

Judging by the bones which the researchers unearthed in the Kelo caves, people living there mainly hunted the Rothschild’s cuscus, a possum-like creature that still lives on Obi today. As the forest grew more dense, people probably used axes to clear patches of forest and make hunting easier.

Shipton’s team’s excavation of the shelters at the Kelo site unearthed a volcanic glass substance called obsidian, which must have been brought over from another island, as there is no known source on Obi. It also revealed particular types of beads, similar to those previously found on islands in southern Wallacea. These finds again support the idea that Obi islanders routinely travelled to other islands.

The excavations suggest people successfully lived in the two Kelo shelters for about 10,000 years. But then, about 8,000 years ago, both were abandoned. Did the residents leave Obi completely, or move elsewhere on the island? Perhaps the jungle had grown so thick that axes were no longer a match for the dense undergrowth. Perhaps people simply moved to the coast and turned to fishing rather than hunting as a means of survival.

Whatever the reason for the departure, there is no evidence for use of the Kelo shelters after this time, until about 1,000 years ago, when they were re-occupied by people who owned items made out of gold, silver and pottery. It seems likely, in view of Obi’s location, that this final phase of occupation also saw the Kelo shelters used by people involved in the historic trade in spices between the Maluku islands and the rest of the world.

Questions 1 – 8

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 1-8 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

1 Archaeological research had taken place on the island of Obi before the arrival of Ceri Shipton and his colleagues.
2 The research team went to the Wallacean islands to try to prove a theory about the migration of prehistoric people.
3 At the Kelo sites, the researchers found the first clam shell axes ever to be discovered in the region.
4 The size of Obi today is less than it was 18,000 years ago.
5 A change in the climate around 11,700 years ago had a greater impact on Obi than on the surrounding islands.
6 The researchers believe there is a connection between warmer, wetter weather and a change in the material used to make axes.
7 Shipton’s team were surprised to find evidence of the Obi islanders’ hunting practices.
8 It is thought that the Kelo shelters were occupied continuously until about 1,000 years ago.

Questions 9-17

Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 9-17 on your answer sheet.

Archaeological findings on Obi

Excavations of rock shelters inside 9 __________ near the village of Kelo revealed:

• axes from around 14,000 years ago, probably used to make 10 __________
• axes made out of 11 __________, dating from around 11,700 years ago
• 12 __________ of an animal: evidence of what ancient islanders ate
• evidence of travel between islands:
  • 13 __________ a material that is not found naturally on Obi
  • 14 __________ which resembled ones found on other islands

Evidence from around 8,000 to 1,000 years ago suggests that Obi islanders

• may have switched from hunting to 15 __________
• used objects made of various materials, including metal and 16 __________
• probably took part in the production and sale of 17 __________

READING PASSAGE 2

The global importance of wetlands

A Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil, for all or part of the year. These are complex ecosystems, rich in unique plant and animal life. But according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWFN), half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1990 – converted or destroyed for commercial development, drainage schemes and the extraction of minerals and peat*. Many of those that remain have been damaged by agricultural pesticides and fertilisers, industrial pollutants, and construction works.

B Throughout history, humans have gathered around wetlands, and their fertile ecosystems have played an important part in human development. Consequently, they are of considerable religious, historical and archaeological value to many communities around the world. ‘Wetlands directly support the livelihoods and well-being of millions of people,’ says Dr Matthew McCartney, principle researcher and hydrologist at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). ‘In many developing countries, large numbers of people are dependent on wetland agriculture for their livelihoods.’

C They also serve a crucial environmental purpose. ‘Wetlands are one of the key tools in mitigating climate change across the planet,’ says Pieter van Eijk, head of Climate Adaptation at Wetlands International (WI), pointing to their use as buffers that protect coastal areas from sea-level rise and extreme weather events such as hurricanes and flooding. Wetland coastal forests provide food and water, as well as shelter from storms, and WI and other agencies are working to restore those forests which have been lost. ‘It can be as simple as planting a few trees per hectare to create shade and substantially change a microclimate,’ he says. ‘Implementing climate change projects isn’t so much about money.’

D The world’s wetlands are, unfortunately, rich sources for in-demand commodities, such as palm oil and pulpwood. Peatlands – wetlands with a waterlogged organic soil layer – are particularly targeted. When peatlands are drained for cultivation, they become net carbon emitters instead of active carbon stores, and, according to Marcel Silvius, head of Climate-smart Land-use at WI, this practice causes six per cent of all global carbon emissions. The clearance of peatlands for planting also increases the risk of forest fires, which release huge amounts of CO2. ‘We’re seeing huge peatland forests with extremely high biodiversity value being lost for a few decades of oil palm revenues,’ says Silvius.

E The damage starts when logging companies arrive to clear the trees. They dig ditches to enter the peat swamps by boat and then float the logs out the same way. These are then used to drain water out of the peatlands to allow for the planting of corn, oil palms or pulpwood trees. Once the water has drained away, bacteria and fungi then break down the carbon in the peat and turn it into CO2 and methane.

F Meanwhile, the remainder of the solid matter in the peat starts to move downwards, in a process known as subsidence**. Peat comprises 90 per cent water, so this is one of the most alarming consequences of peatland clearances. ‘In the tropics, peat subsides at about four centimetres a year, so within half a century, very large landscapes on Sumatra and Borneo will become flooded as the peat drops below water level,’ says Silvius. ‘It’s a huge catastrophe that’s in preparation. Some provinces will lose 40 per cent of their landmass.’

G And while these industries affect wetlands in ways that can easily be documented, Dr Dave Tickner of the WWFN believes that more subtle impacts can be even more devastating. ‘Sediment run-off and fertilisers can be pretty invisible,’ says Tickner. ‘Over-extraction of water is equally invisible. You do get shock stories about rivers running red, or even catching fire, but there’s seldom one big impact that really hurts a wetland.’ Tickner does not blame anyone for deliberate damage, however. ‘I’ve worked on wetland issues for 20 years and have never met anybody who wanted to damage a wetland,’ he says. ‘It isn’t something that people generally set out to do. Quite often, the effects simply come from people trying to make a living.’

H The fortunes of wetlands would be improved, Silvius suggests, if more governments recognised their long-term value. ‘Different governments have different attitudes,’ he says, and goes on to explain that some countries place a high priority on restoring wetlands, while others still deny the issue. McCartney is cautiously optimistic, however. ‘Awareness of the importance of wetlands is growing,’ he says. ‘It’s true that wetland degradation still continues at a rapid pace, but my impression is that things are slowly changing.’

*peat: a brown deposit formed by the partial decomposition of vegetation in wet acidic conditions, often cut out and dried for use as fuel
**subsidence: the sinking of the Earth’s surface, most often caused by the removal of resources from the ground

Questions 18-22

Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-H, in boxes 18-22 on your answer sheet.

18 the role of wetlands in preventing natural disasters
19 reference to the need to ensure that inhabitants of wetland regions continue to benefit from them
20 the proportion of wetlands which have already been lost
21 reference to the idea that people are beginning to appreciate the value of wetlands
22 mention of the cultural significance of wetlands

Questions 23-27

Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 23-27 on your answer sheet.

23 Peatlands which have been drained begin to release __________ instead of storing it.
24 Once peatland areas have been cleared, __________ are more likely to occur.
25 Clearing peatland forests to make way for oil palm plantations destroys the __________ of the local environment.
26 Water is drained out of peatlands through the __________ which are created by logging companies.
27 Draining peatlands leads to a serious problem which can eventually result in coastal flooding and land loss.

Questions 28 – 33

Look at the following statements (Questions 28-33) and the list of experts below.
Match each statement with the correct expert, A-D.
Write the correct letter, A-D, in boxes 28-33 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

28 Communities living in wetland regions must be included in discussions about the future of these areas.
29 Official policies towards wetlands vary from one nation to the next.
30 People cause harm to wetlands without having any intention to do so.
31 In a few decades’ time, substantial areas of land will have disappeared into the sea.
32 Many of the practices which damage wetlands are almost impossible to see.
33 Initiatives to reverse environmental damage need not be complex.

List of Experts
A Matthew McCartney
B Pieter van Eijk
C Marcel Silvius
D Dave Tickner

READING PASSAGE 3

The ingenuity gap

In this book introduction the author explains what he means by ‘ingenuity’ and discusses the factors that influence the requirement for and provision of new ideas in today’s society

Ingenuity, as I define it here, consists not only of ideas for new technologies like computers or drought-resistant crops but, more fundamentally, of ideas for better institutions and social arrangements, like efficient markets and competent governments.

How much and what kinds of ingenuity a society requires depends on a range of factors, including the society’s goals and the circumstances within which it must achieve those goals – whether it has a young population or an ageing one, an abundance of natural resources or a scarcity of them, an easy climate or a punishing one, whatever the case may be.

How much and what kinds of ingenuity a society supplies also depends on many factors, such as the nature of human inventiveness and understanding, the rewards an economy gives to the producers of useful knowledge, and the strength of political opposition to social and institutional reforms.

A good supply of the right kinds of ingenuity is essential, but it isn’t, of course, enough by itself. We know that the creation of wealth, for example, depends not only on an adequate supply of useful ideas but also on the availability of other, more conventional factors of production, like capital and labour. Similarly, stability and justice usually depend on the resolution, or at least the containment, of major political struggles over wealth and power.

The past century’s countless incremental changes in our societies around the planet, in our technologies and our interactions with our natural environment, have created a qualitatively new world. Because these changes have accumulated slowly, it’s often hard for us to recognise how profound and sweeping they have been. They include far larger and denser human populations; much higher per capita consumption of natural resources; and far better and more widely available technologies for the movement of people, materials, and especially information.

In combination, these changes have sharply increased the density, intensity and pace of our interactions with each other; they have greatly increased the burden we place on our natural environment; and they have helped shift power from national and international institutions to individuals and subgroups, such as political special interests and ethnic factions. The management of our relationship with the new world requires immense and ever-increasing amounts of social and technical ingenuity.

When we enhance the performance of any system, from our cars to the planet’s network of financial institutions, we tend to make it more complex. Many of the natural systems critical to our well-being, like the global climate and the oceans, are extraordinarily complex to begin with. We often can’t predict or manage the behaviour of complex systems with much precision, because they are often very sensitive to the smallest of changes and perturbations, and their behaviour can flip from one mode to another suddenly and dramatically. Over the last 100 years as the human-made and natural systems we depend upon have become more complex, and as our demands on them have increased, the institutions and technologies we use to manage them must become more complex too, which further boosts our requirement for ingenuity.

However, we should not jump to the conclusion that the supply of ingenuity always increases in lockstep with our ingenuity requirement: while it’s true that necessity is often the mother of invention, we can’t always rely on the right kind of ingenuity appearing when and where we need it. In many cases, the complexity and speed of operation of today’s vital economic, social and ecological systems exceed the human brain’s grasp. Not many of us have more than a rudimentary grasp of how these systems work. They remain fraught with countless ‘unknowns’, which makes it hard to supply the ingenuity we need to solve problems associated with these systems.

In this book, I explore a wide range of other factors that will limit our ability to supply the ingenuity required in the coming century. For example, the crush of information in our everyday lives is shortening our attention span, limiting the time we have to reflect on critical matters of public policy, and making policy arguments more superficial. Modern markets and science are an important part of the story of how we supply ingenuity. Markets are critically important, because they give entrepreneurs an incentive to produce knowledge. As for science, although it seems to face no theoretical limits, at least in the foreseeable nature, practical constraints often slow its progress. The cost of scientific research tends to increase as it delves deeper into nature. And science’s rate of advance depends on the characteristics of the natural phenomena it investigates, simply because some phenomena are intrinsically harder to understand than others, so the production of useful new knowledge in these areas can be very slow.

Consequently, there is often a critical time lag between the recognition of a problem and the delivery of sufficient ingenuity, in the form of technologies, to solve that problem. Progress in the social sciences is especially slow, for reasons we don’t yet fully understand; but we desperately need better social scientific knowledge to build the sophisticated institutions today’s world demands.

Questions 34 – 37

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-F, below.
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 34-37 on your answer sheet.

34 The author’s definition of ingenuity __________
35 The type of ingenuity required by a society __________
36 The creation of wealth __________
37 The stability of a society __________

A does not depend on ingenuity alone.
B depends in part on the successful management of certain disputes.
C has often been misunderstood.
D is not limited to the creation of new inventions.
E frequently increases in accordance with the material successes achieved.
F is linked to factors such as the weather.

Questions 38 – 40

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.

38 What point does the author make about the incremental changes of the last century?
A Their effect on the environment has been positive.
B They have not affected all parts of the world.
C Their significance may not be noticed.
D They have had less impact than those of previous centuries.

39 According to the author, one effect of the combined changes is that life has become
A easier.
B faster.
C more interesting.
D more enjoyable.

40 What observation does the author make about complex natural systems?
A They can be greatly affected by minor alterations.
B They cannot be compared to human-made systems.
C Their performance cannot be improved by human intervention.
D Their behaviour is better understood than ever before.

Questions 41 – 47

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in Reading Passage 3?
In boxes 41-47 on your answer sheet, write
YES if the statement agrees 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

41 Changes in the last 100 years have increased the need for human ingenuity.
42 The amount of ingenuity available is strictly related to the demand which exists for it.
43 Although ingenuity may be available, it may be inappropriate for the tasks that need solutions at the time.
44 Few people today truly understand the way the modern world works.
45 Access to more and more information is improving our grasp of current affairs.
46 Future generations will be critical of the way today’s governments have conducted themselves.
47 It is inevitable that some areas of scientific study advance more quickly than others.