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READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage
1

An important language development

Cuneiform, the world's first known system of handwriting, originated some 6,000 years ago
in Sumer, in what is now southern Iraq. It was most often inscribed on palm-sized,
rectangular clay tablets measuring several centimeters across, although occasionally, larger
tablets or cylinders were used. Clay was an excellent medium for writing. Other surfaces that
have been employed - for example, parchment, papyrus, and paper - are not long-lasting and
are easily destroyed by fire and water. But clay has proved to be resistant to those particular
kinds of damage.
The word 'cuneiform' actually refers to the marks or signs inscribed in the clay. The original
cuneiform signs consisted of a series of lines - triangular, vertical, diagonal, and horizontal.
Sumerian writers would impress these lines into the wet clay with a stylus - a long, thin,
pointed instrument that looked somewhat like a pen. Oddly, the signs were often almost too
small to see with the naked eye. Cuneiform signs were used for the writing of at least a dozen
languages. This is similar to how the Latin alphabet is used today for writing English, French,
Spanish, and German, for example.
Before the development of cuneiform, tokens were used by the Sumerians to record certain
information. For example, they might take small stones and use them as tokens or
representations of something else, like a goat. A number of tokens, then, might mean a herd
of goats. These tokens might then be placed in a cloth container and provided to a buyer as a
receipt for a transaction, perhaps five tokens for five animals. It was not that different from
what we do today when we buy some bread and the clerk gives us back a piece of paper with
numbers on it to confirm the exchange.
By the 4th century BCE, the Sumerians had adapted this system to a form of writing. They
began putting tokens in a container resembling an envelope, and now made of clay instead of

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cloth. They then stamped the outside to indicate the number and type of tokens inside. A
person could then 'read' what was stamped on the container and know what was inside.
Gradually, Sumerians developed symbols for words. When first developed, each symbol
looked like the concrete thing it represented. For example, an image that resembled the
drawing of a sheep meant just that. Then another level of abstraction was introduced when
symbols were developed for intangible ideas such as 'female' or 'hot' or 'God'. Cuneiform, in
other words, evolved from a way used primarily to track and store information into a way to
represent the world symbolically. Over the centuries, the marks became ever more abstract,
finally evolving into signs that looked nothing like what they referred to, just as the letters 'h-
o-u-s-e' have no visual connection to the place we live in. At this last stage in the evolution of
cuneiform, the signs took the form of triangles, which became common cuneiform signs.
As the marks became more abstract, the system became more efficient because there were
fewer marks a 'reader' needed to learn. But cuneiform also became more complex because
society itself was becoming more complex, so there were more ideas and concepts that
needed to be expressed. However, most linguists and historians agree cuneiform developed
primarily as a tool for accounting. Of the cuneiform tablets that have been discovered,
excavated, and translated, about 75 percent contain this type of practical information, rather
than artistic or imaginative work.
Cuneiform writing was used for thousands of years, but it eventually ceased to be used in
everyday life. In fact, it died out and remained unintelligible for almost 2,000 years. In the
late 19th century, a British army officer, Henry Rawlinson, discovered cuneiform inscriptions
that had been carved on the surface of rocks in the Behistun mountains in what is present-day
Iran. Rawlinson made impressions of the marks on large pieces of paper as he balanced
dangerously on the surrounding rocks.
Rawlinson took his copies home to Britain and studied them for years to determine what each
line stood for and what each group of symbols meant. He found that in the writing on those
particular rocks, every word was repeated three times in three languages: Old Persian,
Elamite, and Babylonian. Since the meanings in these languages were already known to
linguists, he could thus translate the cuneiform. Eventually, he fully decoded the cuneiform
marks, and he discovered that they described the life of Darius, a king of the Persian Empire
in the 5th century BCE.

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Questions 1-5
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 1-5 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. Cuneiform tablets were produced in different shapes and sizes. F

2. When Sumerian writers marked on the clay tablets, the tablets were dry F
3. Cuneiform was often difficult to read because of its size. T
4. A number of languages adopted cuneiform. T
5. Cuneiform signs, can be found in some modern alphabets. NG

Questions 6-13
Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer. Write your answers in boxes
6-13 on your answer sheet,

The development and translation of cuneiform

Before cuneiform

• tokens, for example, 6.....................were often used

• the first tokens were kept in containers made of 7....................
• tokens were used as a 8.................... to give when selling something
By 4th century BCE
• tokens were put in a container that looked like a clay 9.............
Complex, abstract symbols developed
• at first, signs looked like what they indicated, e.g. 10...............
• then signs became more abstract
• eventually, cuneiform signs shaped like 11........................were developed
• according to experts, cuneiform was mainly used for 12..................

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19th-century translation of cuneiform inscriptions by Henry Rawlinson

• Rawlinson found cuneiform inscriptions in the Behistun mountains
• Rawlinson copied inscriptions onto 13..............
• Rawlinson realised that each word of the inscriptions appeared in different
languages
• When translated, Rawlinson found the writings were about a 5th-century BCE king

READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading
Passage 2 below.

Multitasks

A. Do you read while listening to music? Do you like to watch TV while finishing your
homework? People who have these kinds of habits are called multitaskers. Multitaskers are
able to complete two tasks at the same time by dividing their focus. However, Thomas
Lehman, a researcher in psychology, believes people never really do multiple things
simultaneously. Maybe a person is reading while listening to music, but in reality, the brain
can only focus on one task. Reading the words in a book will cause you to ignore some of the
words of the music. When people think they are accomplishing two different tasks efficiently,
what they are really doing is dividing their focus. While listening to music, people become
less able to focus on their surroundings. For example, we all have experienced times when we
talk with friends and they are not responding properly. Maybe they are listening to someone
else talk, or maybe they are reading a text on their smartphone and don't hear what you are
saying. Lehman called this phenomenon "email voice."

B. The world has been changed by computers and their spin-offs like smartphones or
cellphones. Now that most individuals have a personal device, like a smartphone or a laptop,
they are frequently reading, watching, or listening to virtual information. This raises the
occurrence of multitasking in our day-to-day life. Now when you work, you work with your
typewriter, your cellphone, and some colleagues who may drop by at any time to speak with

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you. In professional meetings, when one normally focuses and listens to one another, people
are more likely to have a cell phone in their lap, reading or communicating silently with more
people than ever. Inventions such as the cordless phone have increased multitasking. In the
old days, a traditional wall phone would ring, and then the housewife would have to stop her
activities to answer it. When it rang, the housewife would sit down with her legs up and chat,
with no laundry or sweeping or answering the door. In the modern era, our technology is
convenient enough to not interrupt our daily tasks.

C. Earl Miller, an expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studied the prefrontal
cortex, which controls the brain while a person is multitasking. According to his studies, the
size of this cortex varies between species. He found that for humans, the size of this part
constitutes one-third of the brain, while it is only 4 to 5 percent in dogs, and about 15% in
monkeys. Given that this cortex is larger in humans, it allows a human to be more flexible
and accurate in his or her multitasking. However, Miller wanted to look further into whether
the cortex was truly processing information about two different tasks simultaneously. He
designed an experiment where he presents visual stimuli to his subjects in a way that mimics
multitasking. Miller then attached sensors to the patients' heads to pick up the electric
patterns of the brain. This sensor would show if the brain particles, called neurons, were truly
processing two different tasks. What he found is that the brain neurons only lit up in singular
areas one at a time, and never simultaneously.

D. Davis Meyer, a professor at the University of Michigan, studied young adults in a similar
experiment. He instructed them to simultaneously do math problems and classify simple
words into different categories. For this experiment, Meyer found that when you think you
are doing several jobs at the same time, you are actually switching between jobs. Even
though the people tried to do the tasks at the same time, and both tasks were eventually
accomplished, overall, the tasks took more time than if the person focused on a single task
one at a time.

E. People sacrifice efficiency when multitasking. Gloria Mark studied office workers as her
subjects. She found that they were constantly multitasking. She observed that nearly every 11
minutes people at work were disrupted. She found that doing different jobs at the same time

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may actually save time. However, despite the fact that they are faster, it does not mean they
are more efficient. And we are equally likely to self-interrupt as be interrupted by outside
sources. She found that in the office, nearly every 12 minutes an employee would stop and,
with no reason at all, check a website on their computer, call someone, or write an email. If
they concentrated for more than 20 minutes, they would feel distressed. She suggested that
the average person may suffer from a short concentration span. This short attention span
might be natural, but others suggest that new technology may be the problem. With cell
phones and computers at our sides at all times, people will never run out of distractions. The
format of media, such as advertisements, music, news articles, and TV shows are also
shortening, so people are used to paying attention to information for a very short time.

F. So even though focusing on one single task is the most efficient way for our brains to
work, it is not practical to use this method in real life. According to human nature, people feel
more comfortable and efficient in environments with a variety of tasks. Edward Hallowell
said that people are losing a lot of efficiency in the workplace due to multitasking, outside
distractions, and self-distractions. As a matter of fact, the changes made to the workplace do
not have to be dramatic. No one is suggesting we ban e-mail or make employees focus on
only one task. However, certain common workplace tasks, such as group meetings, would be
more efficient if we banned cell phones, a common distraction. A person can also apply these
tips to prevent self-distraction. Instead of arriving at your office and checking all of your
emails for new tasks, a common workplace ritual, a person could dedicate an hour to a single
task first thing in the morning. Self-timing is a great way to reduce distraction and efficiently
finish tasks one by one, instead of slowing ourselves down with multitasking.

Questions 14-18
Reading Passage 2 has six paragraphs, A-F.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet

14. a reference to a domestic situation that does not require multitasking

15. a possible explanation of why we always do multitask together
16. a practical solution to multitask in work environment

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17. relating multitasking to the size of prefrontal cortex

18. longer time spent doing two tasks at the same time than one at a time

Questions 19-23
Look at the following statements (Questions 19-23) and the list of scientists below.
Match each statement with the correct scientist, A-E.
Write the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 19-23 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.

List of Scientists
A. Thomas Lehman
B. Earl Miller
C. David Meyer
D. Gloria Mark
E. Edward Hallowell

19. When faced multiple visual stimulants, one can only concentrate on one of them.
20. Doing two things together may be faster but not better.
21. People never really do two things together even if you think you do.
22. The causes of multitask lie in the environment.
23. Even minor changes in the workplace will improve work efficiency

Questions 24-26
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 24-26 on your answer sheet.

A term used to refer to a situation when you are reading a text and cannot focus on your
surroundings is 24……………………….
The 25......................................part of the brain controls multitasking.
The practical solution of multitask in work is not to allow use of cellphone in
26………………

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READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27- 40, which are based on Reading
Passage 3?

Australia's Megafauna Controversy

Just how long did humans live side by side with megafauna in Australia? Barry Brook,
Richard Gillespie and Paul Martin dispute previous claims of a lengthy coexistence .

Over the past 50 millennia, Australia has witnessed the extinction of many species of large
animals, including a rhinoceros-sized wombat and goannas the size of crocodiles. Debate
about the possible cause of these extinctions has continued for more than 150 years and one
of the crucial questions raised is how long humans and megafauna coexisted in Australia. We
need to know the overlap of time to make an informed choice between the two main theories
regarding the causes of these extinctions. If humans and megafauna coexisted for a protracted
period, then climate change is the more likely cause. However, if the megafauna became
extinct shortly after the arrival of humans, then humans are the likely culprits.

The archaeological site at Cuddie Springs in eastern Australia appears to be well preserved.
This dusty claypan holds within its sediments a rich cache of flaked stone and seed-grinding
tools, and side by side with these clear signals of human culture are the bones of a dozen or
more species of megafauna. Drs Judith Field and Stephen Wroe of the University of Sydney,
who excavated the site, claim that it provides unequivocal evidence of a long overlap of
humans and megafauna, and conclude that aridity leading up to the last Ice Age brought
about their eventual demise. In the long-standing explanation of this site, artifacts such as
stone tools and extinct animal remains were deposited over many thousands of years in an
ephemeral lake - a body of water existing for a relatively short time - and remained in place
and undisturbed until the present day.

There is no disputing the close association of bones and stones at Cuddie Springs, as both are
found 1 to 1.7 meters below the modern surface. The dating of these layers is accurate: ages
for the sediments were obtained through radiocarbon dating of charcoal fragments and
luminescence dating of sand grains from the same levels (revealing when a sample was last

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exposed to sunlight). Intriguingly, some of the stones show surface features indicating their
use for processing plants, and a few even have well-preserved blood and hair residues
suggesting they were used in butchering animals.

But is the case proposed by Field and Wroe clear-cut? We carried out a reanalysis of the
scientific data from Cuddie Springs that brings into question their conclusions. The amount
of anthropological evidence found at the site is remarkable: we estimate there are more than 3
tonnes of charcoal and more than 300 tonnes of stone buried there. Field and Wroe estimate
that there are approximately 20 million artifacts. This plethora of tools is hard to reconcile
with a site that was only available for occupation when the lake was dry. Furthermore, no
cultural features such as oven pits have been discovered. If the sediment layers have
remained undisturbed since being laid down, as Field and Wroe contend, then the ages of
those sediments should increase with depth. However, our analysis revealed a number of
inconsistencies.

First, the charcoal samples are all roughly 36,000 years old. Second, sand in the two upper
levels is considerably younger than charcoal from the same levels. Third, Field and Wroe say
that the tools and seed-grinding stones used for plant and animal processing are ancient, yet
they are very similar to implements found elsewhere that were in use only a few thousand
years ago. Also of interest is the fact that a deep drill core made a mere 60 meters from the
site recovered no stone artifacts or fossil bones whatsoever. These points suggest strongly
that the sediments have been moved about and some of the old charcoal has been redeposited
in younger layers. Indeed, one sample of cow bone found 1 meter below the surface came
from sediments where charcoal dated at 6,000 and 23,000 years old is mixed with 17,000-
year-old sand. The megafauna bones themselves have not yet dated, although new
technological developments make this a possibility in the near future.

We propose that the archaeologists have actually been sampling the debris carried by ancient
flood channels beneath the site, including charcoal transported from bushfires that
intermittently occurred within the catchment. Flood events more likely explain the
accumulation of megafauna remains and could have mixed old bones with fresh deposits.
European graziers also disturbed the site in 1876 by constructing a well to provide water for

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their cattle. Given the expense of well-digging, we speculate that the graziers made sure it
was protected from the damage caused by cattle hooves by lining the surface with small
stones collected from further afield, including prehistoric quarries. This idea is consistent
with the thin layer of stones spread over a large area, with cattle occasionally breaking
through the gravel surface and forcing the stone and even cattle bones deeper into the
waterlogged soil.

The lack of conclusive evidence that humans and megafauna coexisted for a lengthy period
casts doubt on Field and Wroe's assertion that climate change was responsible for the
extinction of Australia's megafauna. However, we do not suggest that newly arrived, well-
armed hunters systematically slaughtered all the large beasts they encountered. Recent
studies based on the biology of modern-day large mammals, combined with observations of
people who still practice a traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle, reveal an unexpected paradox
and suggest a further possible explanation as to what happened. Using a mathematical model,
it was found that a group of 10 people killing only one juvenile Diprotodon each year would
be sufficient to bring about the extinction of that species within 1,000 years. This suggests
that here, as in other parts of the world, the arrival of humans in lands previously inhabited
only by animals created a volatile combination in which large animals fared badly.

Questions 27-30
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3? In
boxes 27-30 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN information if there is no information on this
27. Field and Wroe argue that findings at the Cuddie Springs site show that people lived in
this area at the same time as megafauna.
28. Field and Wroe believe it is likely that smaller megafauna species survived the last Ice
Age
29. The writers believe that the dating of earth up to 1.7m below the present surface at
Cuddie Springs is unreliable.

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30.Some artefacts found at Cuddie Springs were preserved well enough to reveal their
function

Questions 31-35
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-I, below
Write the correct letter, A-I in boxes 31-35 on your answer sheet

The writers' arguments against Field and Wroe's analysis of the scientific data from Cuddie
Springs
One objection to Field and Wroe's interpretation is the large quantity of charcoal, 31............
and artefacts found at Cuddie Springs. Such large numbers of artefacts would impossible if
the area had been covered with 32............for a period. There is also a complete lack of man-
made structures, for instance those used for 33..............
Other evidence that doubt on Field and Wroe's claim is the fact that while some material in
the highest levels of sediment is 36,000 years old, the 34.............in the same levels is much
more recent. The tools used to process plants and animals may also be newer than Field and
Wroe believe. Further evidence against human occupation of the area is the absence of tools
and 35.............a short distance away.

A. seeds
B. cooking
C. fossil bones
D. stone
E. deep drill core
F. sediment
G. sand
H. water
I. storage

Questions 36-40
Choose the letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct letter in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.

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36 . What conclusions did the writers reach about the inconsistencies in the data from Cuddie
Springs?
A. The different layers of sediment have been mixed over time.
B. The sand evidence is unhelpful and should be disregarded.
C. The area needs to be re-examined when technology improves.
D. The charcoal found in the area cannot be dated.
37. According to the writers, what impact could a natural phenomenon have had on this site?
A. Floods could have caused the death of the megafauna.
B. Floods could have disturbed the archaeological evidence.
C. Bushfires could have prevented humans from settling in the area for any length of time
D. Bushfires could have destroyed much of the evidence left by megafauna and humans .
38. What did the writers speculate about the people who lived at this site in 1876?
A. They bred cattle whose bones could have been confused with megafauna
B. They found that the soil was too waterlogged for farming
C. They allowed cattle to move around freely at the site
D. They brought stones there from another area
39. In the final paragraph what suggestion do the writers hide about Australia’s megafauna?
A. A rapid change in climate may have been responsible for the extinction of the
megafauna.
B. Megafauna could have died out as a result of small numbers being killed year after
year.
C. The population of humans at that time was probably insufficient to cause the
extinction of the megafauna.
D. The extinction of ancient animals should not be compared to that of modern-day
species.
40. Which of the following best represents the writers’ criticism of Field and Wroe?
A. Their methods were not well thought out
B. Their excavations did not go deep enough.
C. Their technology failed to obtain precise data.
D. Their conclusions were based on inconsistent data.

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1. F 28. NOT GIVEN
2. F 29. NO
3. T 30. YES
4. T 31. B
5. NG 32. F
6. STONES 33. D
7. CLOTH 34. G
8. RECEIPT 35. C
9. ENVELOPE 36. A
10.NUMBER 37. B
11.TRIANGLES 38.D
12.ACCOUNTING 39.B
13.PAPER 40.D
14.B
15.A
16.F
17.C
18.D
19.B
20.D
21.A
22.E
23.E
24.EMAIL VOICE
25.PREFONTAL CORTEX
26.GROUP MEETINGS
27.YES

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