Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Political and family values within society have impacted upon the modern family structure. Traditionally, it has been the man’s role to be the breadwinner for the family- providing the funds to pay for food and shelter.

However, due to the many new and unique responsibilities placed upon families, in numerous cases both men and women- fathers and mothers- have had to enter the workforce. Generally, the reasons for both being involved in the workforce revolve around the need to add to the family’s current financial base. To a lesser extent, the need to interact with “adults” in a stimulating work environment is another popular reason. Whatever their reasons, for many families, the decision for father and mother to go out of home and join the labour force has led to a number of side effects within the home which, in turn, impact upon their performance as employees.

Many researchers agree that attitudes towards work are carried over into family life. This spillover can be positive or negative. Positive spillover refers to the spread of satisfaction and positive stimulation at work resulting in high levels of energy and satisfaction at home. If the amount of research is to be taken as an indication, it would seem that positive spillover is not a dominant occurrence in the workplace with most research focusing on the effects of negative spillover. Often pointing out the incompatible nature of work and family life, the research focuses on problems and conflict at work which has the effect of draining and preoccupying the individual, making it difficult for him or her to participate fully in family life.

Social scientists have devised a number of theories in an attempt to explain the work-family dynamic. Compensation theory is one which has been widely used. It assumes that the relationship between work and family is negative by pointing out that high involvement in one sphere- invariably the work sphere- leads to low involvement in the other. As an individual advances within a career, demands typically fluctuate from moderate to more demanding and if the advancing worker has younger children, this shift in work responsibilities will usually manifest itself in the form of less time spent with the family. Researchers subscribing to this theory point out that the drain on family time is significantly related to work-family conflict with an escalation in conflict, as the number of families increase.

 

What is the main focus of this passage?

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions

Jim invited Helen to visit his gardens.

- Helen. "I love your gardens. The plants are well taken care of!"

- Jim. “Thanks. Yes, I suppose I've always ____.”

Snow and rain ______ of nature.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the word that differs from the other three in the position of primary stress in each of the following questions

We should participate in the movements ______ the natural environment.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Lead poisoning in children is a major health concern. Both low and high doses of paint can have serious effects. Children exposed to high doses of lead often suffer permanent nerve damage, mental retardation, blindness, and even death. Low doses of lead can lead to mild mental retardation, short attention spans, distractibility, poor academic performance, and behavioral problems.

This is not a new concern. As early as 1904, lead poisoning in children was linked to lead- based paint. Microscopic lead particles from paint are absorbed into the bloodstream when children ingest flakes of chipped paint, plaster, or paint dust from sanding. Lead can also enter the body through household dust, nailbiting, thumb sucking, or chewing on toys and other objects painted with lead-based paint. Although American paint companies today must comply with strict regulations regarding the amount of lead used in their paint, this source of lead poisoning is still the most common and most dangerous. Children living in older, dilapidated houses are particularly at risk.

According to the passage, what is the most common source of lead poisoning in children?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The Prime Minister's comments yesterday on education spending miss the point, as the secondary education system also needs a major overhaul. Firstly, the system only views the weakest learners as having special needs. The brightest and most conscientious students are not encouraged to develop to their full (23)_____.

Secondly, there's too much testing and not enough learning. My fifteen-year-old daughter, for example, has just spent the last month or so (24)_____ for exams. These aren't even real, important exams, as her GCSEs will be next year. They're just mock exams. Is the work she's been doing really going to make her more knowledgeable about her subjects, or will she forget it all tomorrow? I suspect the (25)_____. Thirdly, the standard (26)_____ doesn't give students any tuition in developing practical work-related, living and social skills, or in skills necessary for higher education. How many students entering university have the first idea what the difference is between plagiarising someone else's work and (27)_____ good use of someone else's ideas? Shouldn't they have been taught this at school? How many of them are really able to go about selfstudy skill that's essential at university because there are no teachers to tell you what to do - in an efficient way? Indeed, hoe many students graduate from university totally unable to spell even simple English words correctly? The system is letting our children down.

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