Practice Cam 13 Reading
Test 02
READING PASSAGE 1
You should spend about
20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based
on Reading Passage 1 below.
Bringing cinnamon to
Europe
Cinnamon is a sweet,
fragrant spice produced from the inner bark of trees of the genus Cinnamomum,
which is native to the Indian sub-continent. It was known in biblical times,
and is mentioned in several books of the Bible, both as an ingredient that was
mixed with oils for anointing people’s bodies, and also as a token indicating
friendship among lovers and friends. In ancient Rome, mourners attending
funerals burnt cinnamon to create a pleasant scent. Most often, however, the
spice found its primary use as an additive to food and drink. In the Middle
Ages, Europeans who could afford the spice used it to flavor food, particularly
meat, and to impress those around them with their ability to purchase an
expensive condiment from the ‘exotic’ East. At a banquet, a host would offer
guests a plate with various spices piled upon it as a sign of the wealth at his
or her disposal. Cinnamon was also reported to have health benefits, and was
thought to cure various ailments, such as indigestion.
Toward the end of the
Middle Ages, the European middle classes began to desire the lifestyle of the
elite, including their consumption of spices. This led to a growth in demand
for cinnamon and other spices. At that time, cinnamon was transported by Arab
merchants, who closely guarded the secret of the source of the spice from
potential rivals. They took it from India, where it was grown, on camels via an
overland route to the Mediterranean. Their journey ended when they reached
Alexandria. European traders sailed there to purchase their supply of cinnamon,
then brought it back to Venice. The spice then travelled from that great
trading city to markets all around Europe. Because the overland trade route allowed
for only small quantities of the spice to reach Europe, and because Venice had
a virtual monopoly of the trade, the Venetians could set the price of cinnamon
exorbitantly high. These prices, coupled with the increasing demand, spurred
the search for new routes to Asia by Europeans eager to take part in the spice
trade.
Seeking the high
profits promised by the cinnamon market, Portuguese traders arrived on the
island of Ceylon in the Indian Ocean toward the end of the 15th century. Before
Europeans arrived on the island, the state had organized the cultivation of
cinnamon. People belonging to the ethnic group called the Salagama would peel
the bark off young shoots of the cinnamon plant in the rainy season, when the
wet bark was more pliable. During the peeling process, they curled the bark
into the ‘stick’ shape still associated with the spice today. The Salagama then
gave the finished product to the king as a form of tribute. When the Portuguese
arrived, they needed to increase production significantly, and so enslaved many
other members of the Ceylonese native population, forcing them to work in
cinnamon harvesting. In 1518, the Portuguese built a fort on Ceylon, which
enabled them to protect the island, so helping them to develop a monopoly in
the cinnamon trade and generate very high profits. In the late 16th century,
for example, they enjoyed a tenfold profit when shipping cinnamon over a
journey of eight days from Ceylon to India.
When the Dutch arrived
off the coast of southern Asia at the very beginning of the 17th century, the
set their sights on displacing the Portuguese as kings of cinnamon. The Dutch
allied themselves with Kandy, an inland kingdom on Ceylon. In return for
payments of elephants and cinnamon, they protected the native king from the Portuguese.
By 1649, the Dutch broke the 150-year Portuguese monopoly when they overran and
occupied their factories. By 1658, they had permanently expelled the Portuguese
from the island, thereby gaining control of the lucrative cinnamon trade.
In order to protect
their hold on the market, the Dutch, like the Portuguese before them, treated
the native inhabitants harshly. Because of the need to boost production and
satisfy Europe’s ever-increasing appetite for cinnamon, the Dutch began to
alter the harvesting practices of the Ceylonese. Over time, the supply of
cinnamon trees on the island became nearly exhausted, due to systematic
stripping of the bark. Eventually, the Dutch began cultivating their own
cinnamon trees to supplement the diminishing number of wild trees available for
use.
Then, in 1996, the
English arrived on Ceylon, thereby displacing the Dutch from their control of
the cinnamon monopoly. By the middle of the 19th century, production of
cinnamon reached 1,000 tons a year, after a lower grade quality of the spice
became acceptable to European tastes. By that time, cinnamon was being grown in
other parts of the Indian Ocean region and in the West Indies, Brazil, and
Guyana. Not only was a monopoly of cinnamon becoming impossible, but the spice
trade overall was diminishing in economic potential, and was eventually
superseded by the rise of trade in coffee, tea, chocolate, and sugar.
Questions 1-9
Complete the notes
below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in
boxes 1-9 on your answer sheet.
The Early History of
Cinnamon
|
Biblical
times: |
added
to 1 used
to show 2 Between people |
|
Ancient
Rome: |
used
for its sweet smell at 3 |
|
Middle
Ages: |
added
to food, especially meat was
an indication of a person’s 4
known
as a treatment for 5
and other health problems grown
in 6 merchants
used 7 to bring it to the
Mediterranean arrived
in the Mediterranean at 8 traders
took it to 9 and sold it to
destinations around Europe. |
Questions
10-13
Do the following
statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 10-13 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
10
The Portuguese had control over the cinnamon trade in Ceylon throughout the 16th
century.
11
The Dutch took over the cinnamon trade from the Portuguese as soon as they
arrived in Ceylon.
12
The trees planted by the Dutch produced larger quantities of cinnamon than the
wild trees.
13
The spice trade maintained its economic importance during the 19th century.
READING PASSAGE 2
You should spend about
20 minutes on Questions 14-26 which are based on Reading
Passage 2 below.
Oxytocin
The positive and
negative effects of the chemical known as the ‘love hormone’
A
Oxytocin is a chemical,
a hormone produced in the pituitary gland in the brain. It was through various
studies focusing on animals that scientists first became aware of the influence
of oxytocin. They discovered that it helps reinforce the bonds between prairie
voles, which mate for life, and triggers the motherly behaviour that sheep show
towards their newborn lambs. It is also released by women in childbirth,
strengthening the attachment between mother and baby. Few chemicals have as
positive a reputation as oxytocin, which is sometimes referred to as the ‘love
hormone’. One sniff of it can, it is claimed, make a person more trusting,
empathetic, generous and cooperative. It is time, however, to revise this
wholly optimistic view. A new wave of studies has shown that its effects vary
greatly depending on the person and the circumstances, and it can impact on our
social interactions for worse as well as for better.
B
Oxytocin’s role in
human behaviour first emerged in 2005. In a groundbreaking experiments, Markus
Heinrichs and his colleagues at the University of Freiburg, Germany, asked
volunteers to do an activity in which they could invest money with an anonymous
person who was not guaranteed to be honest. The team found the participants who
had sniffed oxytocin via a nasal spray beforehand invested more money than
those who received a placebo instead. The study was the start of research into
the effects of oxytocin on human interactions. ‘For eight years, it was quite a
lonesome field,’ Heinrichs recalls. ‘Now, everyone is interested.’ These
follow-up studies have shown that after a sniff of the hormone, people become
more charitable, better at reading emotions on others’ faces and at
communicating constructively in arguments. Together, the results fuelled the
view that oxytocin universally enhanced the positive aspects of our social
nature.
C
Then, after a few
years, contrasting findings began to emerge. Simone Shamay-Tsoory at the at the
University of Haifa, Israel, found that when volunteers played a competitive
game, those who inhaled the hormone showed more pleasure when they beat other
players, and felt more envy when others won. What’s more, administering
oxytocin also has sharply contrasting outcomes depending on a person’s
disposition. Jennifer Bartz from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York,
found that it improves people’s ability to read emotions, but only if they are
not very socially adept to begin with. Her research also shows that oxytocin in
fact reduces cooperation in subjects who are particularly anxious or sensitive
to rejection.
D
Another discovery is
that oxytocin’s effects vary depending on who we are interacting with. Studies
conducted by Carolyn DeClerck of the University of Antwerp, Belgium, revealed
that people who had received a dose of oxytocin actually became less
cooperative when dealing with complete strangers. Meanwhile, Carsten De Dreu at
the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands discovered that volunteers given
oxytocin showed favouritism: Dutch men became quicker to associate positive
words with Dutch names than with foreign ones, for example. According to De
Dreu, oxytocin drives people to care for those in their social circles and
defend them from outside dangers. So, it appears that oxytocin strengthens
biases, rather than promoting general goodwill, as was previously thought.
E
There were signs of
these subtleties from the start. Bartz has recently shown that in almost half
of the existing research results, oxytocin influenced only certain individuals
or in certain circumstances. Where once researchers took no notice of such
findings, now a more nuanced understanding of oxytocin’s effects is propelling
investigations down new lines. To Bartz, the key to understanding what the
hormone does lies in pinpointing its core function rather than in cataloguing
its seemingly endless effects. There are several hypotheses which are not
mutually exclusive. Oxytocin could help to reduce anxiety and fear. Or it could
simply motivate people to seek out social connections. She believes that
oxytocin acts as a chemical spotlight that shines on social clues – a shift in
posture, a flicker of the eyes, a dip in the voice – making people more attuned
to their social environment. This would explain why it makes us more likely to
look others in the eye and improves our ability to identify emotions. But it
could also make things worse for people who are overly sensitive or prone to
interpreting social cues in the worst light.
F
Perhaps we should not
be surprised that the oxytocin story has become more perplexing. The hormone is
found in everything from octopuses to sheep, and its evolutionary roots stretch
back half a billion years. ‘It’s a very simple and ancient molecule that has
been co-opted for many different functions,’ says Sue Carter at the University
of Illinois, Chicago, USA. ‘It affects primitive parts of the brain like the
amygdala, so it’s going to have many effects on just about everything.’ Bartz
agrees. ‘Oxytocin probably does some very basic things, but once you add our
higher-order thinking and social situations, these basic processes could
manifest in different ways depending on individual differences and context.’
Questions 14-17
Reading Passage 2 has
six section, A-F.
Which paragraph
contains the following information?
Write the correct
letter, A-F, in boxes 14-17 on your answer sheet.
NB You
may use any letter more than once.
14
reference to research showing the beneficial effects of oxytocin on people
15
reasons why the effects of oxytocin are complex
16
mention of a period in which oxytocin attracted little scientific attention
17
reference to people ignoring certain aspects of their research data
Questions 18-20
Look at the following
research findings (Questions 18-20) and the list of researchers below.
Match each research
finding with the correct researcher, A-F.
Write the correct
letter, A-F, in boxes 18-20 on your answer sheet.
18
People are more trusting when affected by oxytocin.
19
Oxytocin increases people’s feelings of jealousy.
20
The effect of oxytocin varies from one type of person to another.
List of Researchers
A
Markus Heinrichs
B Simone Shamay-Tsoory
C Jennifer Bartz
D Carolyn DeClerck
E Carsten De Dreu
F Sue Carter
Questions 21-26
Complete the summary
below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in
boxes 21-26 on your answer sheet.
Oxytocin research
The earliest findings
about oxytocin and bonding came from research involving 21 It was
also discovered that humans produce oxytocin during 22 An
experiment in 2005, in which participants were given either oxytocin or a 23 reinforced
the belief that the hormone had a positive effect.
However, later research
suggests that this is not always the case. A study at the University of Haifa
where participants took part in a 24
revealed the negative emotions which oxytocin can trigger. A study at the
University of Antwerp showed people’s lack of willingness to help 25 while
under the influence of oxytocin. Meanwhile, research at the University of
Amsterdam revealed that people who have been given oxytocin consider 26
that are familiar to them in their own
country to have more positive associations than those from other cultures.
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You should spend about
20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading
Passage 3 below.
MAKING THE MOST OF
TRENDS
Experts from Harvard
Business School give advice to managers
Most managers can
identify the major trends of the day. But it the course of conducting research
in a number of industries and working directly with companies, we have discovered
that managers often fail to recognize the less obvious but profound ways these
trends are influencing consumers’ aspirations, attitudes, and behaviors. This
is especially true of trends that managers view as peripheral to their core
markets.
Many ignore trends in
their innovation strategies or adopt a wait-and-see approach and let
competitors take the lead. At a minimum, such responses mean missed profit
opportunities. At the extreme, they can jeopardize a company by ceding to
rivals the opportunity to transform the industry. The purpose of this article
is twofold: to spur managers to think more expansively about how trends could
engender new value propositions in their core markets, and to provide some
high-level advice on how to make market research and product development
personnel more adept at analyzing and exploiting trends.
One strategy, known as
‘infuse and augment’, is to design a product or service that retains most of
the attributes and functions of existing products in the category but adds
others that address the needs and desires unleashed by a major trend. A case in
point in the Poppy range of handbags, which the firm Coach created in response
to the economic downturn of 2008. The Coach brand had been a symbol of opulence
and luxury for nearly 70 years, and the most obvious reaction to the downturn
would have been to lower prices. However, that would have risked cheapening the
brand’s image. Instead, they initiated a consumer-research project which
revealed that customers were eager to lift themselves and the country out of
tough times. Using these insights, Coach launched the lower-priced Poppy
handbags, which were in vibrant colors, and looked more youthful and playful
than conventional Coach products. Creating the sub-brand allowed Coach to avert
an across-the-board price cut. In contrast to the many companies that responded
to the recession by cutting prices, Coach saw the new consumer mindset as an
opportunity for innovation and renewal.
A further example of
this strategy was supermarket Tesco’s response to consumers’ growing concerns
about the environment. With that in mind, Tesco, one of the world’s top five
retailers, introduced its Greener Living program, which demonstrates the
company’s commitment to protecting the environment by involving consumers in
ways that produce tangible results. For example, Tesco customers can accumulate
points for such activities as reusing bags, recycling cans and printer
cartridges, and buying home-insulation materials. Like points earned on regular
purchases, these green points can be redeemed for cash. Tesco has not abandoned
its traditional retail offering but augmented its business with these
innovations, thereby infusing its value proposition with a green streak.
A more radical strategy
is ‘combine and transcend’. This entails combining aspects of the product’s
existing value proposition with attributes addressing changes arising from a
trend, to create a novel experience – one that may land the company in an
entirely new market space. At first glance, spending resources to incorporate
elements of a seemingly irrelevant trend into one’s core offerings sounds like
it’s hardly worthwhile. But consider Nike’s move to integrate the digital
revolution into its reputation for high-performance athletic footwear. In 2006,
they teamed up with technology company Apple to launch Nike+, a digital sports
kit comprising a sensor that attaches to the running shoe and a wireless
receiver that connects to the user’s iPod. By combining Nike’s original value
proposition for amateur athletes with one for digital consumers, the Nike+
sports kit and web interface moved the company from a focus on athletic apparel
to a new plane of engagement with its customers.
A third approach, known
as ‘counteract and reaffirm’, involves developing products or services that
stress the values traditionally associated with the category in ways that allow
consumers to oppose – or at least temporarily escape from – the aspects of
trends they view as undesirable. A product that accomplished this is the ME2, a
video game created by Canada’s iToys. By reaffirming the toy category’s
association with physical play, the ME2 counteracted some of the widely
perceived negative impacts of digital gaming devices. Like other handheld
games, the device featured a host of exciting interactive games, a full-color
LCD screen, and advanced 3D graphics. What set it apart was that it
incorporated the traditional physical component of children’s play: it
contained a pedometer, which tracked and awarded points for physical activity
(walking, running, biking, skateboarding, climbing stairs). The child could use
the points to enhance various virtual skills needed for the video game. The
ME2, introduced in mid-2008, catered to kids’ huge desire to play video games while
countering the negatives, such as associations with lack of exercise and
obesity.
Once you have gained
perspective on how trend-related changes in consumer opinions and behaviors
impact on your category, you can determine which of our three innovation strategies
to pursue. When your category’s basic value proposition continues to be
meaningful for consumers influenced by the trend, the infuse-and-augment
strategy will allow you to reinvigorate the category. If analysis reveals an
increasing disparity between your category and consumers’ new focus, your
innovations need to transcend the category to integrate the two worlds.
Finally, if aspects of the category clash with undesired outcomes of a trend,
such as associations with unhealthy lifestyles, there is an opportunity to
counteract those changes by reaffirming the core values of your category.
Trends – technological,
economic, environmental, social, or political – that affect how people perceive
the world around them and shape what they expect from products and services
present firms with unique opportunities for growth.
Questions 27-31
Choose the correct
letter, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct
letter in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.
27
In the first paragraph, the writer says that most managers
A
fail to spot the key consumer trends of the moment.
B
make the mistake of focusing only on the principal consumer trends.
C
misinterpret market research data relating to current consumer trends.
D
are unaware of the significant impact that trends have on consumers’ lives.
28
According to the third paragraph, Coach was anxious to
A follow
what some of its competitors were doing.
B
maintain its prices throughout its range.
C
safeguard its reputation as a manufacturer of luxury goods.
D
modify the entire look of its brand to suit the economic climate.
29
What point is made about Tesco’s Greener Living programme?
A
It did not require Tesco to modify its core business activities.
B
It succeeded in attracting a more eco-conscious slientele.
C
Its main aim was to raise consumers’ awareness of environmental issues.
D
It was not the first time that Tesco had implemented such an initiative.
30 What
does the writer suggest about Nike’s strategy?
A
It was an extremely risky strategy at the time.
B
It was a strategy that only a major company could afford to follow.
C
It was the type of strategy that would not have been possible in the past.
D
It was the kind of strategy which might appear to have few obvious benefits.
31
What was original about the ME2?
A
It contained technology that had been developed for the sports industry.
B
It appealed to young people who were keen to improve their physical fitness.
C
It took advantage of a current trend for video games with colourful 3D graphic.
D
It was a handheld game that addressed people’s concerns about unhealthy
lifestyles.
Questions 32-37
Look at the following
statements (Questions 32-37) and the list of companies below.
Match each statement
with the correct company, A, B, C or D.
Write the correct
letter, A, B, C or D, in
boxes 32-37 on your answer sheet.
NB You
may use any letter more than once.
32
It turned the notion that its products could have harmful effects to its own
advantage.
33
It extended its offering by collaborating with another manufacturer.
34
It implemented an incentive scheme to demonstrate its corporate social
responsibility.
35
It discovered that customers had a positive attitude towards dealing with
difficult circumstances.
36
It responded to a growing lifestyle trend in an unrelated product sector.
37
It successfully avoided having to charge its customers less for its core
products.
List of companies
A
Coach
B Tesco
C Nike
D iToys
Questions 38-40
Complete each sentence
with the correct ending, A, B, C or D below.
Write the correct
letter, A, B, C or D, in
boxes 38-40 on your answer sheet.
38
If there are any trend-related changes impacting on your category, you should
39
If a current trend highlights a negative aspect of your category, you should
40
If the consumers’ new focus has an increasing lack of connection with your
offering you should
A
employ a combination of strategies to maintain your consumer base.
B
identify the most appropriate innovation strategy to use.
C
emphasise your brand’s traditional values with the counteract-and-affirm
strategy.
D
use the combine-and-transcend strategy to integrate the two worlds.
Answer:
Passage 1
1. oils
2. friendship
3. funerals
4. wealth
5. indigestion
6. India
7. camels
8. Alexandria
9. Venice
10. TRUE
11. FALSE
12. NOT GIVEN
13. FALSE
Passage 2
14. B
15. F
16. B
17. E
18. A
19. B
20. C
21. animals
22. childbirth
23. placebo
24. game
25. strangers
26. names
Passage 3
27. D
28. C
29. A
30. D
31. D
32. D
33. C
34. B
35. A
36. C
37. A
38. B
39. C
40. D
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