ENGLISH PLACEMENT TEST – MODEL A

Read text 48. Elena found a tomato that was much bigger than all the others in the garden.

Read text 49. When the popular entertainer canceled her appearance, the Latin American festival was postponed indefinitely.

Read text 50. Jasmine is never late to meet her friends, and sometimes arrives a few minutes early.

Read text 51. People have different ways of learning. Some are better at making mental pictures of new ideas. Others are more comfortable with writing lists of things to memorize. Certain people can learn best when listening to music, while others need silence to concentrate.

Read text 52. Many people own different pets. Dogs, cats, birds, and fish are common household pets. Other pets are considered to be exotic animals. These include snakes, lizards, and hedgehogs.

Read text 53. Money has been used for thousands of years in nearly every culture as a means of exchange. However, today, the use of cash is becoming less and less common in modern societies all over the world. Every year, a higher percentage of purchases are made online, and even in stores customers are now using credit cards more often than cash. Many people today do all of their banking on the Internet rather than going to the bank in person.

Read text 54. Byung-ho and Chaewon are twin brothers. They were born in Seoul, Korea. They moved to the US to go to college when they were 18. Now they are both married and are living in different states. Byung-ho is a park ranger in Mackinac Island, Michigan. Byung-ho enjoys the cold winter months. He is an excellent cross-country skier. His brother Chaewon has a house in San Diego, CA. He doesn't like cold weather, so he moved to sunny California many years ago. He is a journalist for the local newspaper.

Read text 55. Baseball evolved from a number of different ball-and-stick games such as paddle ball, trap ball, one-old cat, and town ball, originating in England. As early as the American Revolution, it was noted that troops played “baseball” in their free time. In 1845, Alexander Cartwright formalized the New York Knickerbockers’ version of the game: a diamond-shaped infield, with bases ninety feet apart, three strikes-you’re-out, batter out on a caught ball, three outs per inning, and a nine-man team. The “New York Game” spread rapidly, replacing earlier localized forms. At its inception, it was played by and for wealthy gentlemen. A club might consist of 40 members. The president would appoint two captains, who would choose teams from among the members. Games were played on Monday and Thursday afternoons, with the losers often providing a lavish evening’s entertainment for the winners.

Read text 56. The state of the global environment seems ever more perilous as the developing world seems eager to adopt Western patterns of car use. They should be aware of the financial, social and environmental costs and encouraged to think about better solutions. Whilst developed nations cannot deny developing nations the use of technology and resources that they have enjoyed for so long themselves, they must surely take a lead in encouraging the design and building of car-free cities everywhere.

Read text 57. Public transportation is typically a disagreeable and slow alternative to the car. It needs to become a pleasant, or at least efficient, experience, getting you to your destination more swiftly than private transport plowing through congested streets ever could. This can be achieved using proven technology and ideas. Some cities have already banned cars, at least for some parts of the day and on weekends. Only early morning, essential business traffic is allowed in, then the barriers come down. We should strive for the atmosphere of a city such as Venice, which is an oasis of peace: a city without cars it’s true; or roads for that matter. But one thing at a time.

Read text 58. 59. and 60. The world’s first blood test to predict Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms occur has been developed. The test identifies 10 chemicals in the blood, believed to be associated with the disease two to three years before symptoms start, but it might be able to predict Alzheimer’s decades earlier.

Globally, 35 million people are living with Alzheimer’s, a disease characterized by a toxic build up of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, which destroys the neurons. Several blood tests can diagnose the disease, but until now, none has had the sensitivity to predict its onset.

Without available treatments, however, would anyone want to take these tests? Doctor Mapstone says that, “in my experience, most people are very interested in knowing whether they will get Alzheimer’s. They believe that knowledge is power – particularly when it comes to your own health. We may not have any therapy as of yet, but there are things that can be done – we can get financial and legal affairs in order, plan for future care, and inform family members, for example.”