Bringing cinnamon to Europe 13 Academic Reading Practice Test 2

READING PASSAGE 1

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

Bringing cinnamon to Europe

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READING PASSAGE 2

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

Oxytocin: The positive and negative effects of the chemical known as the ‘love hormone’

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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)

READING PASSAGE 3

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

MAKING THE MOST OF TRENDS: Experts from Harvard Business School give advice to managers

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Questions 1-9

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

The Early History of Cinnamon
Biblical times	– Added to 1 – Used to show 2 between people.
Ancient Rome	– Used for its sweet smell at 3
Middle Ages	– Added to food, especially meat. – Was an indication of a person’s 4 – Known as a treatment for 5 and other health problems. – Grown in 6 – Merchants used 7 to bring it to the Mediterranean. – Arrived in the Mediterranean at 8 – Traders took it to 9 and sold it to destinations around Europe.

Questions 10-13

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

The spice trade maintained its economic importance during the 19th century.

TRUE

FALSE

NOT GIVEN

The Portuguese had control over the cinnamon trade in Ceylon throughout the 16th century.

TRUE

FALSE

NOT GIVEN

The Dutch took over the cinnamon trade from the Portuguese as soon as they arrived in Ceylon.

TRUE

FALSE

NOT GIVEN

The trees planted by the Dutch produced larger quantities of cinnamon than the wild trees.

TRUE

FALSE

NOT GIVEN

Questions 14-17

Reading Passage 2 has six sections, A-F.
Which paragraph contains the following information?

reference to people ignoring certain aspects of their research data

reference to research showing the beneficial effects of oxytocin on people

reasons why the effects of oxytocin are complex

mention of a period in which oxytocin attracted little scientific attention

Questions 18-20

Look at the following research findings and the list of researchers below.
Match each research finding with the correct researcher, A-F.

List of Researchers
A Markus Heinrichs
B Simone Shamay-Tsoory
C Jennifer Bartz
D Carolyn DeClerck
E Carsten De Dreu
F Sue Carter

The effect of oxytocin varies from one type of person to another.

People are more trusting when affected by oxytocin.

Oxytocin increases people’s feelings of jealousy.

Questions 21-26

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

The earliest findings about oxytocin and bonding came from research involving 21. It was also discovered that humans produce oxytocin during 22. An experiment in 2005, in which participants were given either oxytocin or a 23, reinforced the belief that the hormone had a positive effect.

However, later research suggests that this is not always the case. A study at the University of Haifa where participants took part in a 24 revealed the negative emotions which oxytocin can trigger. A study at the University of Antwerp showed people’s lack of willingness to help 25 while under the influence of oxytocin. Meanwhile, research at the University of Amsterdam revealed that people who have been given oxytocin consider 26 that are familiar to them in their own country to have more positive associations than those from other cultures.

Questions 27-31

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

In the first paragraph, the writer says that most managers

fail to spot the key consumer trends of the moment.

make the mistake of focusing only on the principal consumer trends.

misinterpret market research data relating to current consumer trends.

are unaware of the significant impact that trends have on consumers’ lives.

According to the third paragraph, Coach was anxious to

follow what some of its competitors were doing.

maintain its prices throughout its range.

safeguard its reputation as a manufacturer of luxury goods.

modify the entire look of its brand to suit the economic climate.

What point is made about Tesco’s Greener Living programme?

It did not require Tesco to modify its core business activities.

It succeeded in attracting a more eco-conscious slientele.

Its main aim was to raise consumers’ awareness of environmental issues.

It was not the first time that Tesco had implemented such an initiative.

What does the writer suggest about Nike’s strategy?

It was an extremely risky strategy at the time.

It was a strategy that only a major company could afford to follow.

It was the type of strategy that would not have been possible in the past.

It was the kind of strategy which might appear to have few obvious benefits.

What was original about the ME2?

It contained technology that had been developed for the sports industry.

It appealed to young people who were keen to improve their physical fitness.

It took advantage of a current trend for video games with colourful 3D graphic.

It was a handheld game that addressed people’s concerns about unhealthy lifestyles.

Questions 32-37

Look at the following statements and the list of companies below.
Match each statement with the correct company, A, B, C or D.

List of companies
A Coach
B Tesco
C Nike
D iToys

It successfully avoided having to charge its customers less for its core products.

It turned the notion that its products could have harmful effects to its own advantage.

It extended its offering by collaborating with another manufacturer.

It implemented an incentive scheme to demonstrate its corporate social responsibility.

It discovered that customers had a positive attitude towards dealing with difficult circumstances.

It responded to a growing lifestyle trend in an unrelated product sector.

Questions 38-40

Complete each sentence with the correct ending, A-D, below.

A employ a combination of strategies to maintain your consumer base.

B identify the most appropriate innovation strategy to use.

C emphasise your brand’s traditional values with the counteract-and-affirm strategy.

D use the combine-and-transcend strategy to integrate the two worlds.

If there are any trend-related changes impacting on your category, you should

If a current trend highlights a negative aspect of your category, you should

If the consumers’ new focus has an increasing lack of connection with your offering you should

READING PASSAGE 1