READING PASSAGE 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13 which are based on Reading Passage 1 below.

The History of Glass

(i will insert paragraphs here)

READING PASSAGE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26 which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.

Bring back the big cats

(i will insert paragraphs here)

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 27-40 which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

UK companies need more effective boards of directors

A (i will insert paragraphs here)

B (i will insert paragraphs here)

C (i will insert paragraphs here)

D (i will insert paragraphs here)

E (i will insert paragraphs here)

F (i will insert paragraphs here)

G (i will insert paragraphs here)

Questions 1-8

Complete the notes below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

The History of Glass

1
Early humans used a material called
to make the sharp points of their…
2
…sharp points of their
.
3
4000 BC:
made of stone were covered in a coating of man-made glass.
4
First century BC: glass was coloured because of the
in the material.
5
Until 476 AD: Only the
knew how to make glass.
6
17th century: George Ravenscroft developed a process using
to avoid…
7
…to avoid the occurrence of
in blown glass.
8
Mid-19th century: British glass production developed after changes to laws concerning
.

Questions 9-13

In boxes 9-13 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

9
In 1887, HM Ashley had the fastest bottle-producing machine that existed at the time.
10
Michael Owens was hired by a large US company to design a fully-automated bottle manufacturing machine for them.
11
Nowadays, most glass is produced by large international manufacturers.
12
Concern for the environment is leading to an increased demand for glass containers.
13
It is more expensive to produce recycled glass than to manufacture new glass.

Questions 14-18

Write the correct letter, A, B, C or D, in boxes 14-18 on your answer sheet.

14
What did the 2006 discovery of the animal bone reveal about the lynx?
15
What point does the writer make about large predators in the third paragraph?
16
What does the writer suggest about British conservation in the fourth paragraph?
17
Protecting large areas of the sea from commercial fishing would result in
18
According to the author, what distinguishes rewilding from other environmental campaigns?

Questions 19-22

Complete the summary using the list of words and phrases A-F below.

A   trees
B   endangered species
C   hillsides
D   wild animals
E   humans
F   farm animals

Reintroducing the lynx to Britain

19
…there is no evidence that the lynx has ever put
in danger…
20
…it would reduce the numbers of certain
whose populations have increased…
21
…It would present only a minimal threat to
, provided these were kept away…
22
…initiatives to return native
to certain areas of the country.

Questions 23-26

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 2?

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

23
Britain could become the first European country to reintroduce the lynx.
24
The large growth in the European lynx population since 1970 has exceeded conservationists’ expectations.
25
Changes in agricultural practices have extended the habitat of the lynx in Europe.
26
It has become apparent that species reintroduction has commercial advantages.

Questions 27-33

Reading Passage 3 has seven paragraphs, A-G
Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below.

List of Headings
i    Disputes over financial arrangements regarding senior managers
ii   The impact on companies of being subjected to close examination
iii  The possible need for fundamental change in every area of business
iv   Many external bodies being held responsible for problems
v    The falling number of board members with broad enough experience
vi   A risk that not all directors take part in solving major problems
vii  Boards not looking far enough ahead
viiiA proposal to change the way the board operates

27
Paragraph A
28
Paragraph B
29
Paragraph C
30
Paragraph D
31
Paragraph E
32
Paragraph F
33
Paragraph G

Questions 34-37

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3?

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

34
Close scrutiny of the behaviour of boards has increased since the economic downturn.
35
Banks have been mismanaged to a greater extent than other businesses.
36
Board meetings normally continue for as long as necessary to debate matters in full.
37
Using a committee structure would ensure that board members are fully informed about significant issues.

Questions 38-40

Complete the sentences below.
Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.

38
Before 2008, non-executive directors were at a disadvantage because of their lack of
.
39
Boards tend to place too much emphasis on
considerations that are only of short-term relevance.
40
On certain matters, such as pay, the board may have to accept the views of
.