CAE TEST ONE

PAPER 1 READING 1 hour 15 minutes

Part 1
You are going to read three extracts which are all concerned in some way with communication. For questions 16, choose the answer (A, B, C or D) which you think fits best according to the text.

THE SUNDAY STAR YOUNG WRITERS COMPETITION

his year sees the 7th anniversary of the Young Writers Competition. The general theme for this event is ISSUES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, which allows entrants to choose from a broad range of contemporary subjects; anything from global warming to globalization. Whatever topic is selected, however, it must relate specifically to the impact it has on the young generation, and while we do not expect our writers to have first-hand knowledge of the issues they select, we would expect them to demonstrate sound research skills by accessing and acknowledging a variety of sources for their information. These could include interviews that were conducted by the writer, reputable journals and magazines, and

authoritative Internet sites. We require an academic style, with an objective approach to the topic. This is a nationwide competition but to be eligible for entry, writers must either be permanent residents of New Zealand or international students enrolled here on a course of minimum 12 months duration. There is an entry fee of $5 for each article submitted and writers may submit multiple entries. The deadline for submission is July 15th, and articles must be between 3000 and 5000 words in length. Please include a stamped addressed envelope for notification of results. Please note that no entries will be returned. The winners are expected to attend the official awards ceremony at the end of August.

The articles which are submitted must A be based on the writers own personal experience. B be presented in a factual rather than opinionated way. C have an emphasis on either a business or environmental theme. D focus on issues that only concern young people.

What are we told about the conditions of competition entry? A It is a requirement that winners accept prizes in person. B There is a restriction on the number of articles participants can send in. C Only the winners should expect to be informed of the results. D It is necessary for participants to be taking a programme of study.

Extract from a newspaper

Language isnt just meaning. Conversely, not all non-verbal communications are bodily; some come from the mouth, too. An interesting piece of academic research from Scotland has focused on those muchdespised elements of speech, ums and ers. Technically known as fillers, they are strongly criticized by all teachers of public discourse as promoting an image of uncertainty and vagueness. The research, however, suggests that these fillers might serve a purpose, as sirens on the ambulances of significance.

Paper 1

Part 1

CAE TEST 1

The researchers invited volunteers to listen to a series of spoken sentences. Some sentences were interrupted by non-verbal fillers such as er and um; others were spoken without hesitation. The results were interesting. The inarticulate speaker registered much more powerfully in the minds of the listeners. An hour after listening, the volunteers got 62 per cent of the words correct in the stumbled-over sentence, compared to 55 per cent of those in the strictly enunciated and articulate performance. It seems as if the listener, therefore, alerted by stumbling to a speakers struggling with a difficult concept, automatically pays more attention. They might want to help out; they might simply be alerted to complexities. Either way, it does seem as if the connection, between inarticulacy and profundity, is to some degree hardwired in our brains.

The writer compares fillers to sirens in order to A suggest that they can interfere with clear communication. B show how they alert people to important information. C compare them to an irritating background noise. D emphasize the sense of urgency they convey.

What is the writers main point in the second paragraph? A Most people have a tendency to use fillers in speech. B Frequent pauses in speech make it difficult for listeners to recall ideas. C It is impossible to express complex ideas without some rephrasing. D People instinctively listen more carefully when others hesitate.

THE LANGUAGES OF EXTINCTION

For the Nivkh people of eastern Siberia, counting is not a simple matter of one, two, three. Depending on whether they are talking about skis, boats or batches of dried fish, there are different ways of counting. Twenty-six different ways in fact. Small wonder, then, that 90 per cent of Nivkhs prefer the option of communicating in Russian. While this no doubt makes interaction simpler, what it doesnt do is to save Nivkh from the list of endangered languages. And it is not alone. Linguists believe half the languages in the world will be extinct by the end of the century. The 80 major languages are spoken by about 80 per cent of the global population, while the 3500 least spoken languages have just 0.2 per cent of the world keeping them alive. The pace of language extinction were seeing is unprecedented, said Dr David Harrison, author of the book When Languages Die. And its happening faster than the extinction of flora and fauna. However, when dolphin or eagle species become extinct, its an event that the public are made well aware of, and which tends to evoke sentimentality and mourning. Globalization and migration are the main culprits. Economic pressures lead to the disappearance of rural communities as people move to the cities, where first and local languages are coming under threat from the lingua franca of the workplace. Todays children are also unwittingly affecting the potential survival of a language, such as a child growing up speaking Mayan and Spanish soon figuring out that Spanish is better because its spoken in school and on television, meaning that the Mayan language is likely to die out.

line 9

What does the word it in line 9 refer to? A the multiple ways of counting B a direct manner of communication C the decision to talk in Russian D the possibility that the Nivkh language will disappear

The writer refers to dolphins and eagles to make the point that A the death of a language tends to go unnoticed. B there is little time left to save certain languages.

C some global issues deserve more attention than others. D it is impossible to avoid extinction in some cases.

Before you check your answers, go to page 9.

FURTHER PRACTICE AND GUIDANCE

Paper 1

Part 1

WHATS TESTED
The Reading Paper has four parts. The texts come from a variety of sources, for example, newspapers, magazines, brochures, journals and novels, and may deal with a range of general interest topics. You will need a high level of vocabulary to understand the texts so it is important that you read English language newspapers and magazines as often as possible. A range of reading skills are tested: in Parts 1 and 3, your ability to understand detail, opinion, tone, purpose, main idea, implication, attitude, and to recognize how certain text features show exemplification, comparison and reference. Part 2 tests your ability to deal with text structure, cohesion and coherence; in other words, you need to be able to recognize how a text fits together. In Part 4, you must be able to locate specific information, detail, opinion or attitude.

Part 1 and Part 3 Multiple choice

In Part 1, there are three short texts on a similar theme from a variety of sources. Each text has two four-option multiple choice questions. In Part 3, there is a single long text and there are seven fouroption questions. The order of the questions follows the same order as the corresponding information in the text. In Part 3, the final question may test your overall understanding of the text, for example, you may need to interpret the writers purpose for writing the text, or their attitude or opinion towards the subject matter.

TIPS
Read the text first to get a general understanding of the main points. (If you look at the questions first, you might choose an answer because you think it looks right or is the most likely answer. This doesnt always work!) After reading the text, highlight the key words in the questions and the four options. Carefully read the part of the text where you think the relevant information is contained. Make sure the option you choose paraphrases the information in the text exactly.

A DETAILED STUDY
The exercise below will help you to make sure you have chosen the correct options for the questions in Part 1.

Extract One
Match options AD with parts 14 of the text that they probably correspond to. Write a synonym or short explanation under each word in bold. Look back at the article Sunday Star Young Writers Competition and underline parts 14 of the text and the surrounding language. Then decide which option matches which part of the text exactly. First paragraph A be based on the writers own personal experience. B be presented in a factual rather than opinionated way. 1 2 3 4 a broad range of contemporary topics an objective approach the impact it has on the young generation first-hand knowledge of the issues

C have an emphasis on either a business or environmental theme. D focus on issues that only concern young people.

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Paper 1

Part 1

FURTHER PRACTICE AND GUIDANCE

Second paragraph A It is a requirement that winners accept prizes in person. 1 include a stamped addressed envelope for notification in person of results. international students enrolled here on a course. Writers may submit multiple entries. The winners are expected to attend the awards ceremony.

There is a restriction on the number of articles participants can send in.

2 3 4

C Only the winners should expect to be informed of the results. D It is necessary for participants to be taking a programme of official study.

Extract Two
First paragraph Sirens can be used as a means of communication (option A), as a way of alerting (B) people and can also be irritating (C) and sound urgent (D). But which option AD reflects the idea of significance? (sirens on the ambulances of significance). Second paragraph Match the explanations below to words in the text. 1 line 2 hesitation 2 line 3 inarticulate 5 line 6 concept 7 line 8 profundity a making mistakes in speaking d stopping/pausing in speech 3 line 5 articulate 4 line 6 stumbling

b clearly expressed c wisdom/seriousness/importance e not able to express clearly what you want to say f idea

Extract Three
First paragraph It refers back to this in the same sentence. What part of the text in the first paragraph does this correspond to? Second paragraph In the final sentence, what do to be made aware of and sentimentality and mourning mean? What do the phrases above tell you about the public reaction to the extinction of dolphin and eagle species? In general, what is the function of the conjunction However? Now return to page 7 and use these exercises to help you answer the questions. Now check your answers to Part 1 of the test.