E5A Pre-Final Reading Version A

Rahima ITC English Language Unit
Level
Number
Version
PRE-FINAL READING
E5A
PFR
Reading Passage 1:
The Curious Origins and Nomenclature of @
A
Computers and email have become so much a part of modern life that the @
symbol is now one of the best-known of symbols. However, before it was
introduced into email usage in the early 1970s, almost the only people who
knew of this symbol were accountants.
Why this should be is no mystery, given the numerous theories as to the

origins of @. Nearly all of these theories state that @ was first used for
financial transactions hundreds of years ago. According to one theory, @ was
used for each at, in order to distinguish it from per (symbolized by a). So,
10 potatoes @ $1 = $10, whereas 10 potatoes a $1 = $1. Another theory
credits the French with inventing the symbol. They originally used the letter
for each at. However, they had to lift the writing hand from the page in order
to write the accent above the . To avoid having to do this and so save time,
they started using @ instead.
Whatever the origins of @, over the centuries it became established as a

commercial symbol. Modern accountants use it to mean either at (termed at
site), or at the rate of (termed at rate).
The nomenclature of @ in many languages other than English is perhaps

even more interesting than its origins and is certainly more interesting than
the word at. There is a naming of @ in at least 59 languages, and in Morse
code. In many of these languages, @ is seen as being similar to an animal or a
part of an animal. For example, in Chinese it is called little mouse, in Danish
it is called elephants trunk, and in Italian it is called snail. Perhaps the
most interesting name for @ is the German spider monkey, which likens @
to the tail of a monkey grabbing a branch.
In an era of globalization, perhaps it is not practical to have so many different

names for @. Such a universal symbol demands a universal name. There have
been a number of suggestions. One such proposal is to name @ Astatine,
after the chemical element which has the chemical symbol At. So perhaps ten
years from now, a word which was largely known only to some scientists will
be familiar to us all. Whatever the future holds for @, it should be no less
interesting than its past or present.
RAHIMA ITC ENGLISH LANGUAGE UNIT
E5A PRE-FINAL READING Version A
P a g e |1
Which statement best describes the main idea of the passage?

(a)
The French invented the @ symbol.
(b)
There are many names for the @ symbol.
(c)
There are many names for and possible origins of the @ symbol.
(d)
One possible universal name for the @ symbol is Astatine.
You can infer that the @ symbol was introduced into email usage in _______.
(a)
1971
(c)
1982
(b)
1978
(d)
1993
If you bought 10 potatoes @ $1, how much money would you need to pay?
(a)
$1
(c)
$11
(b)
$10
(d)
$20
At first, which symbol or letter did the French use to mean each at
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
The underlined word nomenclature is closest in meaning to which word?

(a)
interesting
(c)
inventing
(b)
grabbing
(d)
naming
In Paragraph D, how many examples are given of @ nomenclature in languages

other than English?
(a)
one
(c)
three
(b)
two
(d)
four
Which of the following statements is not correct?

(a)
There is a naming of @ in at least 95 languages.
(b)
There is a naming of @ in Morse code.
(c)
@ is called snail in Italian.
(d)
The German name for @ likens @ to the tail of a monkey grabbing a

branch.
At is the symbol for:

(a)
(c)
Astatine
(b)
at site
(d)
at rate
Perhaps ten years from now, we will all know the word ________.
(a)
universal
(c)
nomenclature
P a g e |2
(b)
10
Morse
(d)
Astatine
The underlined word its in paragraph E refers to:

(a)
(c)
the future
(b)
At
(d)
the chemical element
Reading Passage 2:
A
Everyone who goes to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, notices that there
are lots of cyclists. Copenhagen is ideal for cycling it is flat, it has a dense
urban structure, and distances are fairly short. It has an extensive and welldesigned system of cycle tracks. This has earned it a reputation as one of the
most possibly the most bicycle-friendly city in the world.
In Copenhagen 36% of all citizens commute to work, school and university by

bicycle. More people commute by bike in Copenhagen than in the whole of the
United States. Cycling is seen as a healthier, environmentally friendlier,
cheaper and quicker way around town than public transport or car. It is
therefore city council policy to increase the number of cycle commuters to
50% of all journeys to work by 2015.
Cycling in Copenhagen hasnt just happened overnight. By the early 20th

century Copenhagen was already Europes top cycling city. The first bicycle
routes were developed in the 1940s. In the 1950s, however, the increasing
number of cars on the road reduced the number of cyclists as cyclists did not
feel safe. During the 70s the percentage of cyclists fell to an all-time low of
10%.
During the oil crisis of the 70s the Danish government introduced car-free
Sundays and they were very popular. Environmentalists pushed for more
cycling. Cyclists organizations such as the Danish Cyclists Federation started
to demand better infrastructure and safety for the citys cyclists. They painted
white crosses on the streets where a cyclist had been killed by traffic. The law
changed to give people more voice in the planning process. The people of
Copenhagen said they wanted more segregated cycle paths where cyclists
would be separated from motor vehicles.
By the 1980s there was a good system of cycle tracks and after demands from
the people the politicians started to listen and make good cycle tracks on the
main roads. They took space away from cars and developed a coordinated
strategy for cycling. Since then cycling has risen and risen. By 2010 half the
residents of the actual city of Copenhagen were cycling. Since the 1980s the
length of cycle track has doubled. Cyclists have priority over cars.
These measures have drastically reduced the number of car accidents, made
people healthier, and saved Copenhagen around $91 million US dollars on
health costs each year. Having fewer cars makes the city quieter and safer,
and public transport is easier to use. Car drivers are a dwindling minority:
there are fewer of them every year.
Adapted from stateofgreen.com.dk
P a g e |3
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What do people notice when they go to Copenhagen?

(a)
It is a cycling city
(c)
It is dense.
(b)
Everyone goes there.
(d)
It is flat.
Cycling is popular in Copenhagen because _______.

(a)
public transport is not good
(c)
cars are expensive
(b)
people think it is healthy and

efficient
(d)
the Americans dont do it
The underlined word It in paragraph A refers to _______.

(a)
dense urban structure
(c)
cycle tracks
(b)
distances
(d)
Copenhagen
The underlined word This in paragraph A refers to _______.

(a)
the reputation
(c)
the city
(b)
the cycle track system
(d)
the world
The underlined word overnight in paragraph C means ________.

(a)
over a short period
(c)
in one day
(b)
slowly
(d)
over a long period
The local government wants to _______.

(a)
(b)
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encourage cycling
(d)
discourage cycling
(a)
A change in the law
(c)
Cyclists organizations
(b)
More cars on the road
(d)
The people of Copenhagen
The underlined word dwindling in paragraph F means _______.
(b)
20
(c)
Which of the following did not help cycling?
(a)
19
increase the number of cars on

the road
make public transport quicker
the number is staying the

same
decreasing in size
(c)
increasing in number
(d)
decreasing in number
Which of the following is not true?

(a)
Politicians listened to the people.
(b)
The cycle network was carefully planned.
(c)
There are more car accidents.
(d)
The network is constantly improving.
The best title for this passage is: ________.
P a g e |4
(a)
(b)
Copenhagen: the city on two

wheels
Copenhagen bans cars
(c)
Green City Copenhagen
(d)
Driving in Copenhagen
Reading Passage 3:
A
Working for long periods under extremely stressful work conditions can lead to
sudden death from heart attack and stroke caused by stress. The Japanese
have a word for this: karoshi. The first case was reported in Japan in 1969, but
other countries such as China, South Korea and Bangladesh have reported
similar cases. In China there were 600,000 cases in 2010.
East Asian countries have a strong work ethic. In Korea, for example it is
normal to work a six-day week with long hours. In Japan workers often put in
many hours of overtime. Japans National Defense Council for Victims of
Karoshi established in 1988 that Japan had longer working hours than any
other developed country.
However this punishing schedule was not the only cause. There is an
increasing amount of evidence to show that workers in high-demand situations
who have little control over their work and low social support are at increased
risk of developing and dying of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks
and strokes. Stressful work conditions are a key component of this
phenomenon. Workers who work long overtime hours have particularly high
levels of stress hormones.
Stress does not just affect men: it affects women workers too. Studies have
shown a link between womens job stress and cardiovascular disease. The
Womens Health Study by Harvard researchers found that women whose work
is highly stressful have a 40% greater risk of heart disease compared with less
stressed colleagues. These results were confirmed by other studies in
Denmark and China.
Death by overwork affects not only the victim, but also other people. Families
may lose the main breadwinner and face economic hardship and distress.
Companies lose workers and hence productivity. Karoshi also has a
demotivating effect on the rest of the workforce. Industries have to deal with
lawsuits and legal battles are expensive. Going to court brings bad publicity for
the business.
Because the problem is serious and affects the national economy it is

important to stop it. Companies need to provide workers with the best working
conditions, reduce working hours and cut stress. Employers should not place
excessive demands on their workers.
The workers themselves should get plenty of exercise, and lots of sleep. This
reduces depression and helps them to be healthy. They should practice
relaxation techniques and ask for help if they need it. In the end, prevention is
better than cure, and it is also cheaper and kinder.
Adapted from japantimes.co.jp
P a g e |5
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Karoshi is due to _______.

(a)
going to work
(c)
overwork
(b)
working in east Asia
(d)
having a bad heart
The underlined word overtime in paragraph B means _______.

(a)
too much time
(c)
unpaid work
(b)
not enough time
(d)
extra hours of work
Stress at work affects _______.

(a)
only men
(c)
only women
(b)
both men and women
(d)
people with a bad heart
The underlined word it in paragraph D refers to _______.

(a)
stress
(c)
women
(b)
men
(d)
workers
Which of these is not related to death from overwork?

(a)
(b)
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(c)
Other workers motivation
(d)
Lawyers fees
The underlined phrase were confirmed by in paragraph D means _______.

(a)
agreed with
(c)
were confused by
(b)
disagreed with
(d)
had nothing to do with
The work death problem _______.

(a)
is only in Japan
(c)
is a serious problem
(b)
is the workers fault
(d)
cannot be fixed
In order to solve the problem _______.

(a)
workers need to eat more
(c)
workers need to work more
(b)
companies need to help

their workers
(d)
women should stop work
In this passage, which statement is true?

(a)
(b)
30
Problems in the dead

workers family
Business productivity
Your attitude to work can

kill you.
Work gives you a heart
attack.
(c)
Womens work is highly stressful.
(d)
Only the victim is affected.
The best title for this passage is: ________.

(a)
How to work harder
(c)
Why work yourself to death?
P a g e |6
(b)
Working conditions in South

Asia
(d)
Womens health problems at work
Reading Passage 4:
A
Graphene is a new material, a crystalline form of carbon that is only one

molecule thick. Scientists discovered that when they peeled layers off the
common form of carbon known as graphite, they could obtain a single layer of
carbon atoms. They called this material graphene. High-quality graphene is
very strong, light, and nearly transparent. It is an excellent conductor of heat
and electricity. Its interaction with other materials and with light, and its twodimensional nature, produce unique properties. These properties mean that it
will revolutionize many things in our daily lives.
Numerous potential applications for graphene are under development, and

many more have been proposed. These include lightweight, thin, flexible, yet
durable display screens, electric circuits. It is useful for solar cells, as well as
various medical, chemical and industrial processes.
Graphene has the ideal properties to be an excellent component of integrated

circuits. This could allow for smaller and faster computers. Graphene may
replace silicon as a semiconductor for use in transistors. These devices still
work after being soaked in water, and they are flexible enough to be folded
up.
Graphene's high electrical conductivity and high optical transparency make it a

candidate for transparent conducting electrodes. These are used for such
applications as touchscreens, liquid crystal displays, organic photovoltaic cells,
and organic light-emitting diodes. Because it is very light and very strong it is
an improvement on the film which is currently used. Another use for it is in an
all carbon-based device called a light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC).
Graphene can also be used for batteries which charge in just a few seconds.
Graphene oxide membranes allow water vapor to pass through, but have been
shown to be impermeable to all other liquids and gases. It can be used to line
containers and make them gasproof. Further development and
commercialization of such membranes could completely change the economics
of biofuel production. Research suggests that graphene filters could
outperform other techniques of desalination by a significant margin.
Graphene has a unique combination of high electrical conductivity and optical

transparency, which makes it a good candidate for use in solar cells. While
silicon has long been the standard for commercial solar cells, new research has
shown that graphene could be far more efficient at transforming light into
energy.
There are so many uses for this strong, light, transparent material that
graphene is giving rise to thousands of new technologies from ultra-light
batteries to super-strong lightweight materials. There are other related
materials, also made of carbon, which have special properties. Luckily, carbon
is one of the commonest materials so we will not run out of it.
Adapted from wikipedia.org
P a g e |7
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Graphene is _______.
(a)
an element
(c)
an atom
(b)
a layer of carbon
(d)
a layer of peel
The underlined word they in paragraph A refers to _______.

(a)
layers
(c)
scientists
(b)
atoms
(d)
graphene
The underlined word revolutionize in paragraph A means _______.

(a)
improve
(c)
support
(b)
destroy
(d)
change
Which possible use of graphene is not mentioned in the passage?

(a)
as a semiconductor
(c)
for desalination
(b)
in the screen of your phone
(d)
in motorcycle suits
The underlined word flexible in paragraph C means _______.

(a)
can be soaked
(c)
can be bent
(b)
can be cut
(d)
can be used
The underlined word These in paragraph D refers to _______.

(a)
(b)
37
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conductivity and
transparency
conducting electrodes
(c)
applications
(d)
touchscreens
Graphene is useful as a desalination filter because it _______.

(a)
Allows liquid to pass through
(c)
Allows water to pass through
(b)
Allows gas to pass through
(d)
Allows only water to pass through
In making energy from the sun graphene would be _______.

(a)
Very useful indeed
(c)
Not at all useful
(b)
Not very useful
(d)
Not as good as silicon
In the future graphene will probably be _______.

(a)
used from time to time
(c)
used a lot
(b)
extremely expensive
(d)
not used at all
A good title for this passage might be _______.

(a)
The Manufacture of Graphene
(c)
The Future of Graphene Oxide
(b)
Six Applications of Graphene
(d)
The Graphene Revolution
P a g e |8
Reading Passage 5:
A
Cob is a building material consisting of clay, sand, straw, water, and earth
(soil), similar to adobe. Cob is fireproof, resistant to earthquake activity and
inexpensive. It can be used to create artistic, sculptural forms and has been
revived in recent years by the natural building and sustainability movements.
Cob is an ancient building material. It has probably been used for building
since prehistoric times. Some of the oldest man-made structures in
Afghanistan are composed of cob. Cobwork (tabya) was used in the North
Africa and al-Andalus (southern Spain) in the 11th and 12th centuries and was
described in detail by Ibn Khaldun in the 14th century.
Cob structures can be found in a variety of climates across the globe. In the
UK, Ireland, northern France and other parts of Europe many homes have
survived over 500 years and are still inhabited. Many old cob buildings can be
found in Africa, the Middle East. In Yemen, there are amazing earth houses 13
stories high and hundreds of years old. A number of cob houses survive in New
Zealand and the USA.
Cob is a traditional mixture of earth, sand, straw and water mixed by hand or
machinery. It is formed into lumps and pressed together to form the walls of a
building, rather like building a giant clay pot. Cob structures are strong, so
they are load bearing. They can support the weight of a roof. They also have
excellent thermal mass. This means that cob is a good insulator. It can keep
heat in in cold climates or keep it out in hot climates. Cob houses are
comfortable to live in and very cheap to build. This is because sand and soil
and water are easy to find almost everywhere.
The walls of a cob house are generally about 24 inches thick, and windows are
deep-set, giving the homes a characteristic internal appearance. Because of
the thick walls the house is easy to keep warm in winter and cool in summer.
The material has a long life span, even in rainy climates, provided a tall
foundation and large roof overhang are present.
Cob architecture uses one of the world's most abundant building materials
it is usually found on site in large quantities. It is sustainable, has very low
embodied energy it needs little energy to make, unlike cement, which takes
huge amounts of energy and its cost is extremely low indeed. Virtually all
the materials used in the cob building process are bio-degradable (they break
down easily) or can be recycled, making it one of the most environmentally
friendly ways of building. All these advantages are giving cob a new life. It is
being revived in the eco-building industry. In many countries people are
rediscovering the benefits of good, old-fashioned cob.
Adapted from Wikipedia.org
41
As a building material, cob is ______.

(a)
new
(c)
expensive
(b)
old
(d)
not used in many places
P a g e |9
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45
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47
To make cob you _______.

(a)
need machinery
(c)
can work by hand
(b)
wait for a hot day
(d)
need cement
Cob buildings _______.

(a)
last well and are comfortable
(c)
last well, but are not comfortable
(b)
do not last well, but are

comfortable
(d)
do not last well and are

uncomfortable
The building material is _______

(a)
hard to find
(c)
cheap and available
(b)
hard to work with
(d)
available from shops
Which advantage of cob is not mentioned in the text?

(a)
It is cheap.
(c)
It is common.
(b)
It is low-tech.
(d)
It is strong.
Cob buildings _______.

(a)
use no energy
(c)
use quite a lot of energy
(b)
use little energy
(d)
use too much energy
(c)
Cob is not used any more.
(d)
Cob is being revived in many

countries.
Which of these statements is true?

(a)
(b)
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Cob is found only in dry

places.
Cob houses are hard to heat.
When you build a cob house you should put a wide roof on it _______.
(a)
to keep rain off
(c)
to make it look nice
(b)
to keep the sun out
(d)
to provide extra space
The underlined word abundant in paragraph F might mean ______.

(a)
useful
(c)
simple
(b)
common
(d)
cheap
A suitable title for this passage would be ______.

(a)
A History Of Cob Building
(c)
(b)
How to Build With Cob
(d)
Cob: A Traditional Building Material

Rediscovered
Cob Architecture in Europe
P a g e | 10

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Rahima ITC English Language Unit

Why this should be is no mystery, given the numerous theories as to the

Whatever the origins of @, over the centuries it became established as a

The nomenclature of @ in many languages other than English is perhaps

In an era of globalization, perhaps it is not practical to have so many different

RAHIMA ITC ENGLISH LANGUAGE UNIT