Cd ed dd CONFIDENTIAL* /AMAJLISPEPERIKSAANMALAYSIA AJLISPEPERIKSAANMALAYSIA SGPEPERIKSAANMALAYSIA ERIK SAANMALAYSIA ERIKSAANMALAYSIA 16 aes MALAYSIA IAMAJLISPEPEHIKSAANMALAYS| {ALAYSIAMALJLISPEPERIKSAANMALAYS! ANMAATACSIALIA I SDEDEOISS A ANAT AY SH EF = MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY ENGLISH TEST » VAL AYIA ia I ROE DEDICRAANIAAT AVSTAMAULISPEPERIRSAANMALAY SIA “PAPER 3 READING W.Uis2eacaanvalaysin Hebb SAANIVALAY SIAMAJLISPEPERIKSAANMALAYSIA 2EPERIKSAANIMALAY SAMUI ISPEPEAIICSAANMALAYSIA sPEPERIKSAANMALAYSIAMAJLISPEPERIKSAANMALAYSIA MAJLIS PEPERIKSAAN MALAYSIA. (MALAYSIAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL) Instructions to candidates: DO NOT OPEN THIS QUESTION PAPER UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO. There are forty-five questions in this test. For each question, choose the most appropriate answer. Indicate your answer on the separate answer sheet given. Read the instructions on the answer sheet carefully. Attempt all questions This question paper consists of 19 printed pages and 1 blank page. © Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia 2016 MUET 2016 - $00/3/N [Turn over *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over, CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 2 Questions 1 107 are based on the following passage. 1 Adolescence, a time of great change and uncertainty with the onset of puberty, is often accompanied by preoccupation with body size and shape among youth. Average weight gain is approximately 14 kg for females and 15 kg for males, with differences in body shape and size between the sexes evident. Although body dissatisfaction and issues occur more often in females, recent evidence suggests that males are increasingly concerned with body weight as well. Ironically, while anxiety about body weight remains an issue, including stereotypes about body weight, the American population has become the most obese in the world. In 2000, 15.5 per cent of adolescents (ages 12-19 years) were overweight, while an additional 14.9 per cent of adolescents were at risk for being overweight. ‘Thompson et al. suggested powerful sociocultural forces, such as family, peers, and media, contribute to body image and eating disorders in American culture. As a consequence, discontent with one’s body continues to cause insufficient nutritional intake when there are feelings of social vulnerability and intense sel consciousness, Societal pressures often influence females more than males to be more concerned about their weight, resulting in a higher prevalence of distorted body image and more stringent weight-control goals. Paxton ef al. examined the factors of weight-control behaviour among public high school students in South Carolina by finding race and gender differences in body mass index (BMI), body weight self-perception, weight-management goals and practices. However, even though gender and ethnic differences have been documented in some studies for body shape, body image, and weight control, little research has investigated the role of breakfast cating in the context of unhealthy weight management. Breakfast makes important contributions to American adolescents” dietary intakes such as calcium, and much effort has been expended on improving breakfast composition in American schools. However, such efforts may not have the intended impa if students are choosing to bypass breakfast altogether, owing to an unhealthy preoccupation with body weight and engagement in extreme dieting practices. Table 1 shows details of a survey conducted MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the testis over. 20 30 CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 3 ‘Table 1: Weight Perceptions and Dieting Behaviour Variables Frequency (t) and Weighted Per cent (%) by Gender: Risk variable Females (1208), | Males (1051), nC) n(%) Selfperceptions of weight ‘About the right weight H9G7D) 254241) [Overweight 615509) 597 (56.8) Underweight 14 11.9) 2019.1) (Current weight goal ‘Stay the same weight 49 G72) 304 G8.) Trying to lose weight 706 (S84) 261248) Trying to gain weight 344) 286 (27.2) Dieted to lose weight (past 30 days) Yes 9 STD) 248 03.6) No 509 42.1) 803 (764) Fasted to lose weight (past 30 days) Yes 228 189) 7602) No) 980(81.1) 975 02.8) Took diet pills to lose weight (past 30 days) Yes B6C13) BGO No, 1072 (88.7) 1003 (95.4) Vomited or took laxatives to lose weight |(past 30 days) Yes 947.9) 2605), No Tid @2.2) 1025 97.5) ‘Ate breakfast (past 5 school days) Yes GAGS) 685 (52) No 534(44.2) 366 (34.8) (Adapted from Journal of Schoo! Health, March 2006) 1 Both male and female are concerned about weight gain A True B False © Not stated 2. Peer pressure can affect one’s intake of food. A True B False C Not stated MUET 2016 - 800/3/N [Turn over *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the testis over. CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 4 3. According to Paxton er al.'s study, there is a difference in the patter of dietary behaviour between ethnic groups. A True B False © Not stated 4 According to Table 1, skipping breakfast is more of a habit among females. A True B False C Not stated 5 Fasting to lose weight is the least preferred method. A True 2 B False C Notstated 6 American breakfast is balanced in nutrients. A Tne B False C Notstated 7 Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A True B False C Not stated MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over, CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 5 Questions 8 10 14 are based on the following passage. 1 MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over. Wherever you are in the world, you have probably used or coveted some Japanese product ~ a Honda four-wheeler, a Toyota Prius, a Sony, a Panasonic television, Nikon camera. Since the 1950s, Japan’s exports have flooded the world and fuelled an economic miracle at home, making that country one of the wealthiest in the world. Well, this week marks a turning point ~ one of the world’s great export engines has run out of gas. What in the world is going on? For the first time in 31 years, Japan has recorded a trade deficit. In simple terms, that means Japan imported more than it exported last year. Now this is not that unusual for some rich countries: The United States (US) has had a trade deficit since 1975, and yet it has grown. But the US economy is not built on exports. Japan’s economic rise on the other hand, has been almost entirely powered by exports. So what has changed in Japan? The Japanese government would like to blame one-off events: Last year’s earthquake and tsunami crippled factories and shut down nuclear energy reactors. The offshoot of that was decreased economic output, plus they needed to import expensive oil from the Middle East. But natural disasters have only highlighted and accelerated existing trends in Japan: A decline in competitiveness and an ageing work force. China and other East Asian countries can now produce cheaper products and in greater quantities. Add to that a rising Yen, and Japan’s exporters have been at a disadvantage globally. Toyota’s chief pethaps said it best last year: “It doesn’t ‘make sense to manufacture in Japan.” Then add to this Japan’s demographics. Between 1990 and 2007, Japan’s working population dropped from 86 to 83 million. At the same time, the number of Americans between the ages of 15 and 64 rose from 160 million to 200 million. Ina global marketplace, this is a major handicap for Japan. Between 2001 and 2010, Japan’s economy grew at seven-tenths of one Per cent ~ less than half the pace of America’s. It was also well behind Europe. Contrast that with growth per person — or GDP per capita ~ and Japan actually ‘outperforms America and the Euro Zone, So while Japan’s economy in aggregate has been hurt by this lack of workers, for the average Japanese worker income is still up and quality of life is stil very high. That’s partly why the country has not felt the pressure to reform, Now it is easy to extrapolate from the data that Japan’s low growth is not a failure of economic policy, but just a reflection of its demographics. But that i too simple. In reality, Japan’s industry is becoming less competitive and even per capita incomes will start slowing down. 10 20 30 35 [Turn over CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 6 8 9 8 9 10 MU! *Thi Japan’s policymakers have failed its people —they could have opened up many of its closed sectors to competition, reformed its labour laws to make Japanese labour more attractive, cut pension benefits, and allowed more immigration. Its government could have put the country on a path to reduce its massive debt burden, Instead, we are now entering an era where one of the great manufacturing nations of history faces a looming current account deficit. With its debt at 211 per cent of its GDP, if the cost of its borrowing increases, Japan would fa even greater crisis: A default, Keeping a rich country competitive is very hard, especially in a democracy where interest groups keep asking for more — more benefits, more subsidies, more protections. They want to be shielded from competitive forces. It is happening in ‘America, just as it happened in Japan. It is easy to forget how powerful a growth engine Japan was in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. But eventually, it was unable to change its ways, reform, and get The result was decline, 2 3s rigid. 40 45 50 (Adapted from globalpubliesquare.blogs.enn.com, January 29, 2012) Japanese exports have dropped globally. A True B False © Notstated The decline in Japan’s exports is due to numerous natural disasters. A Tne B False © Not stated An export driven, conomy with a trade deficit will not grow. A True B False C Not stated It doesn t make sense to manufacture in Japan (lines 21 and 22). This is because of the A. ageing work force B_ high cost of production frequent natural disasters ET 2016 - 800/3/N is question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the testis over. CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 7 12 (the country has not felt the pressure to reform (lines 32 and 33), Why? A Its per capita income has remained high. B_ It does not suffer from a labour shortage. C Its economy performs better than America and the Euro Zone, 13. The word extrapolate (line 34) means A B_ estimate and conclude C determine and explain 14 What is the point that the writer is making in paragraph 8? 5 A The government should cut down on its borrowing. B The government should recruit more foreign workers. The government should have implemented proactive economic measures. MUET 2016 - 800/3/N [Turn over *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the testis over. CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 8 Questions 15 10 21 are based on the following passage. 1 Other than being an ingredient of salads, herbal tea or wine, dandelions are pretty useless plants, Or, at least, they were, But one species, a Russian variety called Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS), may yet make the big time. It produces molecules of rubber in its sap and if two research programmes, one going on in Germany and one in America, come to fruition, it could supplement — or even replace ~ the traditional rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis, Despite the invention of synthetic rubbers, there is often no good substitute for the real thing, for nothing artificial yet matches natural rubber’s resilience and strength. This is because natural-rubber molecules, the product of a stepwise synthesis by enzymes, have a more regular structure than the artificial ones made by chemical engineering. Around a fifth of an average car tyre is therefore made of natural rubber. In an aeroplane tyre that figure can be more than four-fifths. Moreover, the price of synthetic rubber is tied to that of the oil from which it is made, rendering it vulnerable to changes in the oil price? Because oil is likely to become more costly in the future, natural rubber looks an attractive alternative from an economic point of view as well as an engineering one. Natural rubber has problems, though. Growing Hevea in the Americas is hard. ‘A disease called leaf blight means the trees have to be spaced widely. Even in Asia, currently blight-free, planting new rubber trees often means cutting down rainforest, to general disapproval. And trees, being large, take time to grow to the point where they can yield a crop. A smaller plant that could be harvested for its rubber therefore has obvious appeal, One proposal isto use guayule, a shrub that grows in arid regions and produces rubber that is free from allergenic proteins, which makes it useful for items such as surgical gloves. Desert plants, however, tend to be slow growing ~ guayule takes two years to mature. Yulex, a firm that has commercialised guayule, gets an annual crop of 400 kg per hectare. Hevea can yield four or five times that figure. Which is where TKS could come in. Dandelions are regarded as weeds for a reason — they are robust, fast-growing plants that can be pulled up for processing and resown easily, possibly yielding two harvests a year. If they could be tuned into usable crops, they could outstrip even Hevea. To this end, Dr Christian Schulze Gronover of the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology in Aachen, Germany, and his colleagues have identified the genes that allow TKS to produce usable rubber. In particular, they have discovered an enzyme called polyphenoloxidase that is responsible for making its rubbery sap coagulate. From the plant’s point of view this coagulation isa good thing, The evolutionary purpose of rubber, and the reason why it has appeared independently in plants as diverse as trees, guayule and dandelions, is that it gums up the mouthparts of herbivorous insects. Human users, however, do not want it to coagulate too soon, and Dr Schulze Gronover has found a way to switch polyphenoloxidase off, using a technique called RNA interference. This intercepts and destroys the molecular ‘messengers that carry instructions from the polyphenoloxidase gene to make the enzyme, meaning that rubber can be extracted more easily from the plant. MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over. 20 25 30 35 40 CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 9 7 Meanwhile, in America Dr Matthew Kleinhenz of Ohio State University is 45 working on increasing the yield of rubber from TKS. Dr Kleinhenz is doing things the old-fashioned way, growing different strains of TKS, grinding up the roots (where most of the sap is found) to see which have the highest rubber content, and crossbreeding the winners. His aim is to create a plant that is both high-yielding and has roots chunky enough to be harvested mechanically by the sort of device 50 now used to pick carrots 8 ‘Combining the two approaches — high-tech bioengineering and low-tech plant breeding ~ may produce that rarity in the modem world, a whole new crop species. It would also mark a step on a journey that some see as the way forward: Arretum to the use of plant-based products that have, briefly, been overshadowed 55 by the transient availability of cheap oil. (Adapted from The Economist, December 30, 2009) 15... may yet make the big time (line 3) means 2 ‘A to become more profitable B_ to have potential for research C to be recognised for its usefulness 16 The main idea of paragraph 2 is A advantages of using natural rubber B_ natural rubber is superior to synthetic rubber C reasons for avoiding the use of synthetic rubber 17 The difference between planting rubber in the Americas and Asia is that plants in the Americas A. require more space B are affected by disease take a long time to yield a crop 18 The dandelion could replace Hevea because A. it costs less to process B_ it produces more rubber C itis hardy and grows fast 19 Which of the following are true of the enzyme polyphenoloxidase in dandelions? I Itis a form of natural defence. IL_Itis responsible for coagulation of the sap. IIL It makes them more suitable for commercial cultivation, A land IL B Land ill C Mand MUET 2016 - 800/3/N [Turn over *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over. CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 10 20. What does the writer regard as the way forward (line $4)? A. To reduce the use of fossil fuel B_ To go back to using products derived from plants C To promote the use of high-tech engineering for agriculture 21 Which paragraph tells us about the procedures for developing a commercially viable new plant? A. Paragraph 6 B Paragraph 7 Paragraph 8 MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over. CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* mn Questions 22 t0 29 are based on the following passage. 10 MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over. The quest for genetic answers has brought intemational scientific attention to people like Nicholas Anazeo, known as “Pajarito,” Little Bird in Spanish. In many ways Little Bird is a typical teen. He plays computer games and soccer, He lives in a four-room home in the rural uplands of Ecuador’s El Oro Province. In this steep and rugged, yet oddly lush, landscape at the foot of the Andes ~ with a hint of Shangri-La in its exotic mix of bananas, cauliflower, and tamarillo ~ the young man helps his father process the sugar-cane that surrounds the house Little Bird, 17, said he became grudgingly aware of the reason for his nickname at age six, when he looked around at his classmates: “I realised that 1 was going to be smaller than them.” Much smaller. Because of a recessive mutation in a single gene, Litjle Bird looks like an eight-year-old and is three feet nine inches tall ~ much shorter than his brother Ricardo, who isa year younger. The mutation causes a disease of impaired growth called Laron syndrome. But it may also protect Little Bird from serious diseases that typically ravage humans as they age. And even in this area of geographical isolation and historical poverty, word of that has got around. One afternoon Little Bird and three other Laron syndrome men from the region held court for an interview at the back of an appliance store, their feet dangling in child’s size shoes from their chairs. “We are laughing,” he explained, “because we know we are immune to cancer and diabetes.” ‘That somewhat overstates the scientific results to date but reflects a growing, interest among researchers to interrogate the genomes of unusually healthy or long-lived groups of people, whose isolation, geographical or cultural, make it easier to find genetic clues to longevity, disease resistance, and good health at an advanced age. One such scientist is Little Bird’s physician, Jaime Guevara, who was born in El Oro Province. Fascinated by the region’s “little people,” as they have been known since before their condition even had a name, he began to study them around 1987, and during a quarter century of intensive research he identified about a hundred people with the Laron mutation sprinkled through the hills of southern Ecuador, Meche Romero Robles, a 40-year old single mother, is also one of Guevara’s patients. Just over four feet tall, Robles lives with her teenage daughter, Samantha, ina cinder-block, metal-roofed home perched on a hillside in the town of Pinas. “Look at her!” Guevara cried, giving the elder Robles an affectionate hug. “She should have diabetes. Given her body mass index, she must have diabetes. But she doesn’t.” Even to a non-medical eye, Robles appeared obese. Like so many little people, however, she remained free of diabetes. “I realised this in 1994,” Guevara said, “but no one would believe me.” 15 20 35 40 {Turn over CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 12 " That began to change in 2005, when Valter Longo, a cell biologist at the University of Southern California (USC) who studies ageing, invited Guevara to USC to describe his research. A decade earlier, Longo had begun to manipulate the genes of simple organisms like single-celled yeast, creating mutations that allowed them to live longer. The reasons for this varied. Some mutants could repair their DNA more effectively than normal cells; others demonstrated greater ability to minimise the damage from oxidants. Still others became better able to derail the type of DNA damage that would promote cancer in humans. 2 Others were studying the same processes. In 1996 Andrej Bartke, a scientist at Southern Illinois University, tinkered with mouse genes that are involved with growth, He showed, not surprisingly, that shutting down the growth hormone pathway resulted in smaller mice. What was surprising was that they lived longer ~ about 40 per cent longer ~ than normal mice. 13 Could similar processes be at work in humans? Could genetic abnormalities protect against diseases of age? These are some of the qugstions that researches are seeking to answer. 45 50 35 (Adapted from National Geographic, May 2013) 22, What is the writer’s intention in paragraph 2? A. To highlight Little Bird’s daily B_ To emphasise that Little Bird lives a normal life activities C_ To describe the beauty of Little Bird’s hometown 23 |Linle Bird, 17, said he became grudgingly aware of the reason for his nickname. (lines 9 and 10), This shows that Little Bird was A_ unwilling to accept the truth B unhappy that others wer calling him names C reluctantly accepting the meaning of his nickname 24 Paragraphs 4, 5 and 6 emphasise that Laron syndrome A_ is common in El Oro Province B__ slows down the ageing process could bring about immunity from serious diseases 25 Which of the following statements is true of paragraph 8? A Jaime Guevara took a long time to study the “little people”. B Jaime Guevara's study shows that the “little people” have gene mutation Jaime Guevara wanted to find out why there are so many “little people” in Ecuador. MUET 2016 - $00/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over. CONFIDENTIAI L*CONFIDENTIAL* B 26 This (line 40) refers to the connection made between A. body mass index and diabetes B_ obesity and environment little people and diabetes 27. Valter Longo’s research shows that A yeast that has been genetically manipulated live longer than normal yeast B_ DNA damage is more likely to occur in mutant yeast than in normal yeast C_ normal yeast can minimise the damage from oxidants better than mutant yeast 28. Based on the research mentioned in paragraphs 10 and 11, we can conclude that A_ tests on animals are more reliable B_ manipulating genes can bring about positive results? C_ organisms which are bigger in size are more prone to diseases 29 The writer ends the passage by A. proposing further related research to be done B questioning the results of the previous studies C__ suggesting that similar research be done on humans MUET 2016 - 800/3/N [Turn over *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over. CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 4 Questions 30 t0 37 are based on the following passage. Its hard to accept that this is a museum. It is hard not to expect a member of the Gumpertz family, probably Mrs Gumpertz, to walk in and demand to know what I'm doing here, in their home. Mrs Gumpertz—Nathalie, née Rheinsberg —lived here, at 97 Orchard Street, on New York's Lower East Side. I’m standing in the apartment she occupied with her four children and her husband, Julius, until he left for work one morning in October 1874. He was a shoemaker, a heel cutter, and he never returned. I'm standing in front of a sewing-machine very much like the one that Nathalie Gumpertz must have used to keep her family alive after her husband walked out. We will never know why he left, and that is a big part of the museum’s appeal Each room is assembled —or reassembled — from facts. Birth certificates, census details, court testimonies, pieces of cloth, fragments of wallpaper, comers of linoleum, The rest is left to us. We know he left and we know he never returned. We stand in this room which has been left—seems to have been left—as it was soon after Nathalie and her children realised that he was not coming home. But the wallpaperis beautiful. Itisa sunny, cold, clear morning butthe wallpaper would be beautiful in any weather. It is floral, and gorgeous. I'm not someone who notices wallpaper or furniture. But this wallpaper is important. It lifts the Gumpertz family —my Gumpertz family —out of misery and sentimentality. It is not the original paper. There are five storeys to this house, and five apartments per floor. In some of the rooms, the people who changed this place into a museum found up to 20 layers of wallpaper. They took a fragment of the Gumpertz paper to the company that might have manufactured it in the 1870s, and the company made enough new rolls to cover the living walls. But—here is where itis brilliant—the new paper looks as if it has been on the walls for 140 years. The paper looks like an act of defiance: Life is dark but the walls are bright and intricate. Nathalie’s husband had disappeared and one of their four children, Isaac, died eight months later. The 1870 census lists Nathalie as “keeping house”; by 1880 she’s a “dressmaker”, The parlour, the front room, has become Nathalie’s “shop”, where her clients come to place orders for alterations to dresses and jackets. They walk into a bright, cheerful room, into success, hope, faith in the future, faith in the power of a well-stitched garment, The life of the house is in the walls, behind the flaking paint, in the flaking paint, [tis tempting to rub a hand across a slice of wall, to eliminate the neglect and age, to watch the flakes lift and fall—to cough and laugh. But this hall belongs to the dead and it is actually beautiful. The question, “Why don’t they mend it?” is quickly forgotten, MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the testis over. 10 20 30 35 CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 15 Upstairs are rooms that have been left as they were found in 1988: Layers of wallpaper and paint; layers of linoleum, Layers of life. [have often walked through old, neglected houses and imagined making them mine, doing them up and living in them. But there is something precise about the neglect here, even something magical. It is not neglect at all; it is respect. People lived here—people live here. The details —a doll, a baby’s undershirt, a pair of scissors, a tin of Colman’s mustard powder—clutch at us and bring us right up to these people. They calm us down and allow us to move about and feel ourselves at home, The interior windows —big windows in the inside walls —seem odd, even a bit unsettling. But they work. Daylight gets into the deepest comers. These lives were hard but they were lived in the place where home and cleverness met. In 1883, nine years after Julius Gumpertz walked out of 97 Orchard Street, Nathalie received notice that her husband had inherited $600, following the death of his father, in Prausnitz, Germany. Julius had to be declared legally dead, Lucas Glockner, her daughter, Rosa, and Nathalie herself signed written testimonies, verifying Julius’s disappearance, and Nathalie became the official administrator of his estate. Six hundred dollars was the equivalent of more than four years’ rent. She moved, with her three daughters, uptown—further into America—to Yorkville, ‘on the Upper East Side. 40 45 50. 35 (Adapted from www: 1843magazine.com) 30. The writer says that itis hard to accept the place as a museum because 32 MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the testis over. A. the house looked very ordinary B the Gumpertz family members are stil living the Gumpertz family still had a strong presence D the building was only recently turned into a museum, appeal (line 10) can best be replaced by A. history B purpose C attraction D_ reputation The writer uses the expression my Gumpert: family (line 19) A. to show the extent of his research on the family B_ to give a sense of personal intimacy with the family because there could be more families with the same name D because he is closest to the Gumpertz family at Orchard Street [Turn over CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 16 33 34 36 7 In paragraph 4, the following are symbols of hope except ‘A the company B the wallpaper © Nathalie’s shop D_ awell-stitched garment Why don't they mend it? (line 37) This suggests that A. the house should have been better preserved B__people have short memories about things in the past C the museum owners were facing financial constraints D such concerns are short lived when appreciating history Which of the sentences contains the main idea of paragraph 6? A Layers of life. (line 40) People lived here—people live here. (lines 43 and 44) They calm us down and allow us to move about and feel ourselves at home. (lines 45 and 46) D_ These lives were hard but they were lived in the place where home and cleverness met. (ines 48 and 49) Which statement best describes Nathalie? A. She was good at house keeping. B She had the support of her daughter. C She was surprised at the inheritance. D She wanted to move to a better location. What is the overall tone of the passage? A. Factual B_ Gloomy Informal D Pessimistic MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over. CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 7 Questions 38 10 45 are based on the following passage, MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the testis over. On January 14, 2005, Lawrence H. Summers, then President of Harvard Universit toldan audience of conference-goers that fewer women pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers because when it comes to maths and science, men tend to be at the highest end of the ability spectrum. ‘Though Summers’ remarks about innate gender differences didn’t go down well, and eventually cost him his presidential post, the possible causes and solutions of the persistent gender gap in maths and science remain a subject of heated debate. Research has shown that both boys and girls as young as six years old believe that maths is a subject for boys. The myth persists into adulthood as mothers underestimate the mathematics abilities of their daughters and overestimate the aptitude of their sons A recent study by Jonathan Kane, maths and computer seience professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and Janet Mertz, oncology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, put the myth of male maths smarts to the test. Analysing maths scores from international standardised exams taken by hundreds of thousands of 4th and 8th graders in 86 different countries, Kane and Mertz found no significant differences overall between boys’ and girls’ scores. Though previous, studies suggested that boys were more likely than girls to be either the best or the worst in maths, overall gender differences in variation weren’t found in this study either. What Kane and Mertz did discover were significant differences in the range of scores from country to country, suggesting that sociocultural factors, rather than innate biological differences, underlay maths achievement gaps. In addition, although national income, schoo! type, and religion didn’t seem to be related 10 ‘maths performance, gender equity clearly was. In countries where women were more likely to be well-educated and ear a good income, both boys and girls, performed better in maths. Dr Mertz shared the significance of these findings in a recent interview with TakePart, a digital magazine. “Many folks believe gender equality is a win-lose situation,” she began. “If women are given more rights, men lose some of the advantages they currently have. Thus, many men are against increasing gender equality. Our finding that maths scores for boys tend to improve at least as much, if not more, than girls’ suggests gender equality is a win-win situation, at least with regard to maths performance.” The study sends an important message to parents, educators, and girls about the myth of boys’ superior maths ability: It simply isn’t true. But according to Mertz, the belief that boys are naturally better mathematicians persists partly because of the ongoing gap in women’s participation in STEM careers. “Until the past few decades, very few women became top research mathematicians because of overt ‘gender discrimination, such as lack of admissions to top maths graduate programs,” she explained. “While overt discrimination has largely disappeared, the continuing, current scarcity of female role models among top research mathematicians leads, ‘most people to believe that it must simply be due to innate gender differences in ‘maths ability rather than past discrimination and sociocultural factors that inhibited females from pursuing such careers. Myths die slowly since folks tend to ignore facts that don’t fit their preconceived notions while remembering facts that do. It is important for the lay news media to widely report the facts in our article to help dispel this long-held myth.” 10 15 25 30 35 40 [Turn over CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 18 6 39 40 41 a2 Overcoming unconscious biases will take a concerted effort on the part of the general public, Mertz asserted. This is especially important given the country’s goal of increasing overall participation and performance in STEM subjects. “As 50 long as the myth persists, most girls who might have the potential to excel in maths and other STEM fields will continue to be discouraged from and advised against ‘even trying,” she concluded. “One can’t possibly succeed in something one doesn’t even attempt to do. American children of both genders need to get the message that they can succeed in maths and other STEM fields by putting in effort, rather than 55 assuming if they are not readily excelling that it must be because they lack innate ability.” (Adapted from TakePart, January 2012) H, Summers lost his job because ‘A. he made sexist remarks B_ women voted against him C he brought up a sensitive subject D_ women pursuing STEM jobs did not support him Which of the following ideas is not supported by examples provided in paragraph 2? A. Civil rights B_ Stereotyping C Discrimination D Parental prejudice put the myth of male maths smarts to the test (line 14) means that the researchers wanted A. to carry out the test again B_ toconfirm or disconfirm a belief C to gather more data internationally D to widen their study over more age groups hat is true of the findings of the study in paragraph 3? Biological differences affect maths performance. wt A B_ Gender differences is related to maths performance. C_ Significant differences are found in maths scores from country to country. D National income, school type and religion are not related to maths ability Men do not believe in increasing gender equality because A/ women will eam more than them B_ women will compete with them for jobs C they fear losing their current advantages D_ they are afraid women might outperform them MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over. CONFIDENTIAL*CONFIDENTIAL* 19 43 According to Dr. Mertz, the myth that boys are better at maths (paragraph 5) is largely due to the following exept, ‘A. the difficulty of changing people’s mindset B_ women's dislike for STEM career opportunities C the obvious discrimination against women in education policy D_ lack of media support in publishing facts about maths performance 44... will take a concerted effort on the part of the general public (lines 48 and 49) means that the public could influence opinions that are fixed put their energies together to invoke a change put aside their gender bias for maths related jobs came collaborate to improve female performance in maths 3 45. The last paragraph asserts that ‘A_ hard work by both genders would lead them to excel in maths B_ females are easily discouraged to pursue maths and science fields C_ not excelling in maths initially is a clear sign of a lack of inborn talent D boys and girls should be aware that they both have the same ability in maths MUET 2016 - 800/3/N *This question paper is CONFIDENTIAL until the test is over. CONFIDENTIAL*