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You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on Reading Passage
1 below.
Stepwells
A millennium ago, stepwells were fundamental to life in the driest
parts of India. Richard Cox travelled to north-western India to
document these spectacular monuments from a bygone era.
During the sixth and seventh centuries, the Some wells are vast, open craters with
inhabitants of the modern-day states of hundreds of steps paving each sloping
Gujarat and Rajasthan in north-western side, often in tiers. Others are more
India developed a method of gaining elaborate, with long stepped passages
access to clean, fresh groundwater during leading to the water via several storeys.
the dry season for drinking. However, the Built from stone and supported by pillars,
significance of this invention – the they also included pavilions that sheltered
stepwell – goes beyond its utilitarian visitors from the relentless heat. But
application. perhaps the most impressive features are
the intricate sculptures that embellish
Unique to this region, stepwells are often
many stepwells, showing activities from
architecturally complex and vary widely in
fighting and dancing to everyday acts such
size and shape. During their heyday, they
as women combing their hair or churning
were places of gathering, of leisure and
butter.
relaxation and of worship for villagers of
all but the lowest classes. Most stepwells Down the centuries, thousands of wells
are found dotted round the desert areas of were constructed throughout north-western
Gujarat (where they are called vav) and India, but the majority have now fallen
Rajasthan (where they are called baori), disuse; many are derelict and dry, as
while a few also survive in Delhi. Some groundwater has been diverted for
were located in or near villages as public industrial use and the wells no longer
spaces for the community; others were reach the water table. Their condition
positioned beside roads as resting places hasn’t been helped by recent dry spells:
for travellers. southern Rajasthan suffered an eight-year
drought between 1996 and 2004.
As their name suggests, stepwells
comprise a series of stone steps However, some important sites in Gujarat
descending from ground level to the water have recently undergone major restoration,
source (normally an underground aquifer) and the state government announced in
as it recedes following the rains. When the June last year that it plans to restore the
water level was high, the user needed only stepwell throughout the state.
to descend a few steps to reach it; when it
In Patan, the state’s ancient capital, the
was low, several levels would have to be
stepwell of Rani Ki Vav (Queen’s
negotiated.
Stepwell) is perhaps the finest current 21 baoris commissioned in the Bundi area
example. It was built by Queen Udayamati by Nathavatji.
during the late 11th century, but became
In the old ruined town of Abhaneri, about
silted up following a flood during the 13th
95 kilometres east of Jaipur, is Chand
century. But the Archaeological Survey of
Baori, one of India’s oldest and deepest
India began restoring it in the 1960s, and
wells; aesthetically it’s perhaps one of the
today it is in pristine condition. At 65
most dramatic. Built in around 850 AD
metres long, 20 metres wide and 27 metres
next to the temple of Harshat Mata, the
deep, Rani Ki Vav features 500 sculptures
baori comprises hundreds of zigzagging
carved into niches throughout the
steps that run along three of its sides,
monument. Incredibly, in January 2001,
steeply descending 11 storeys, resulting in
this ancient structure survived an
a striking pattern when seen from afar. On
earthquake that measured 7.6 the Richter
the fourth side, verandas which are
scale.
supported by ornate pillars overlook the
Another example is the Surya Kund in steps.
Modhera, northern Gujarat, next to the Sun
Still in public use is Neemrana Ki Baori,
Temple, built by King Bhima I in 1026 to
located just off the Jaipur-Delhi highway.
honour the sun god Surya. It actually
Constructed in around 1700, it is nine
resembles a tank (kund means reservoir or
storeys deep, with the last two being
pond) rather than a well, but displays the
underwater. At ground level, there are 86
hallmarks of stepwell architecture,
colonnaded openings from where the
including four sides of steps that descend
visitor descends 170 steps to the deepest
to the bottom in a stunning geometrical
water source.
formation. The terraces house 108 small,
intricately carved shrines between the sets Today, following years of neglect, many
of steps. of these monuments to medieval
engineering have been saved by the
Rajasthan also has a wealth of wells. The
Archaeological Survey of India, which has
ancient city of Bundi, 200 kilometres south
recognised the importance of preserving
of Jaipur, is renowned for its architecture,
them as part of the country’s rich history.
including its stepwells.
Tourists flock to wells in far-flung corners
One of the larger examples is Ranji Ki of north-western India to gaze in wonder at
Baori, which was built by the queen of the these architectural marvels from hundreds
region, Nathavatji, in 1699. At 46 metres of years ago, which serve as a reminder of
deep, 20 metres wide and 40 metres long, both the ingenuity and artistry of ancient
the intricately carved monument is one of civilisations and of the value of water to
human existence.
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
Question 6-8
Answer the questions below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 6-8 on your answer sheet.
Question 9-13
Complete the table below
Choose ONE WORD AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.
Stepwell Date Features Other notes
Rani Ki Vav Late 11th As many as 500 sculptures Restored in the 1960s
century decorate the monument
Excellent condition,
despite the 9 ……………
of 2001.
1026
Surya Kund Steps on the 10 Looks more like a 11
………………… produce a ……………… than a
geometrical pattern well
Carved shrines
850 AD
Chand Baori Steps take you down 11 Old, deep and very
storeys to the bottom dramatic
Has 12 …………….
which provide a view of
the steps
Questions 14-19
Reading Passage 21 has eight paragraphs (A-H).
Choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.
Write the appropriate numbers (i-xi) in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more headings than paragraphs so you will not use all of them. You may use
any heading more than once.
List of Headings
14 Paragraph A 17 Paragraph E
15 Paragraph В 18 Paragraph F
16 Paragraph С 19 Paragraph G
A. In 1992, the most recent year for which data are available, the US tobacco industry spent
$5 billion on domestic marketing. That figure represents a huge increase from the
approximate £250-million budget in 1971, when tobacco advertising was banned from
television and radio. The current expenditure translates to about $75 for every adult
smoker, or to $4,500 for every adolescent who became a smoker that year. This
apparently high cost to attract a new smoker is very likely recouped over the average 25
years that this teen will smoke.
B. In the first half of this century, leaders of the tobacco companies boasted that innovative
mass-marketing strategies built the industry. Recently, however, the tobacco business
has maintained that its advertising is geared to draw established smokers to particular
brands. But public health advocates insist that such advertising plays a role in generating
new demand, with adolescents being the primary target. To explore the issue, we
examined several marketing campaigns undertaken over the years and correlated them
with the ages smokers say they began their habit. We find that, historically, there is
considerable evidence that such campaigns led to an increase in cigarette smoking
among adolescents of the targeted group.
C. National surveys collected the ages at which people started smoking. The 1955 Current
Population Survey (CPS) was the first to query respondents for this information,
although only summary data survive. Beginning in 1970, however, the National Health
Interview Surveys (NHIS) included this question in some polls. Answers from all the
surveys were combined to produce a sample of more than 165,000 individuals. Using a
respondent's age at the time of the survey and the reported age of initiation, [age they
started smoking], the year the person began smoking could be determined. Dividing the
number of adolescents (defined as those 12 to 17 years old) who started smoking during
a particular interval by the number who were "eligible" to begin at the start of the
interval set the initiation rate for that group.
E. The power of targeted advertising is more apparent if one considers the men born
between 1890 and 1899. In 1912, when many of these men were teenagers, the R.J.
Reynolds Company launched the Camel brand of cigarettes with a revolutionary
approach. Every city in the country was bombarded with print advertising. According to
the 1955 CPS, initiation by age 18 for males in this group jumped to 21.6 percent, a two
thirds increase over those boom before 1890. The NHIS initiation rate also reflected this
change. For adolescent males it went up from 2.9 percent between 1910 and 1912 to 4.9
percent between 1918 and 1921.
F. It was not until the mid-1920s that social mores permitted cigarette advertising to focus
on women. In 1926 a poster depicted women imploring smokers of Chesterfield
cigarettes to "Blow Some My Way". The most successful crusade, however, was for
Lucky Strikes, which urged women to "Reach for a Lucky instead of a Sweet." The 1955
CPS data showed that 7 percent of the women who were adolescents during the mid-
1920s had started smoking by age 18, compared with only 2 percent in the preceding
generation of female adolescents. Initiation rates from the NHIS data for adolescent girls
were observed to increase threefold, from 0.6 percent between 1922 and 1925 to 1.8
percent between 1930 and 1933. In contrast, rates for males rose only slightly.
G. The next major boost in smoking initiation in adolescent females occurred in the late
1960s. In 1967 the tobacco industry launched "niche" brands aimed exclusively at
women. The most popular was Virginia Slims. The visuals of this campaign emphasized
a woman who was strong, independent and very thin. Initiation in female adolescents
nearly doubled, from 3.7 percent between 1964 and 1967 to 6.2 percent between 1972
and 1975 (NHIS data). During the same period, rates for adolescent males remained
stable.
H. Thus, in four distinct instances over the past 100 years, innovative and directed tobacco
marketing campaigns were associated with marked surges in primary demand from
adolescents only in the target group. The first two were directed at males and the second
two at females. Of course, other factors helped to entrench smoking in society. ... Yet it
is clear from the data that advertising has been an overwhelming force in attracting new
users.
Questions 20-24
Do the following statements agree with the information in Reading Passage 21?
In boxes 20-24 write:
20 Cigarette marketing has declined in the US since tobacco advertising banned on TV.
22 The difference in initiation rates between male and female smokers at of the 19th century
was due to selective marketing.
Questions 25-27
Complete the sentences below with words taken from the Reading Passage.
Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 25-27 on your answer sheet.
Tobacco companies are currently being accused of aiming their advertisements mainly at (25)
______________ statistics on smoking habits for men born between 1890 and 1899 were
gathered in the year (26) ______________. The (27) _______________ brand of cigarettes
was designed for a particular sex.
READING PASSAGE 3
You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 28-40 which are based on Reading Passage
20 below.
30 In the fourth paragraph, what does the reader learn about the research method used?
A It is new.
В It appears to be reliable.
С It is better than using beepers.
D It reveals additional information.
Questions 31-34
According to the passage, which of the findings below (31-34) is quoted by which
Investigative Body (A-G)? Write your answers in boxes 31-34 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more Investigative Bodies than findings, so you do not have to use all of them.
Investigative Bodies
Questions 35-40
Complete the summary of Reading Passage 20 below.
Choose your answers from the box at the bottom of the page and write them in boxes 35-
40 on your answer sheet.
NB There are more words than spaces so you will not use them all. You may use any of the
words more than once.
For example, incomes in the States have ..... (35)..... over the past forty years but happiness
levels have ..... (36)..... over the same period. In fact, people on average incomes are only
slightly..... (37)..... happy than extremely rich people and a gradual increase in prosperity
makes ..... (38)..... difference to how happy we are. In terms of national wealth, populations
of wealthy nations are ..... (39)..... happier than those who live in poorer countries. Although
in some cases this trend is ..... (40)..... and it appears that other factors need to be considered.
List of Words
stopped slightly too great
doubled significant similar some
stabilized remarkably reversed dropped
no less much affected
crept up slowed down more clearly