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Reading Passage 1 — Economic Evolution
A Living along the Orinoco River that borders Brazil and Venezuela are the Yanomami people, hunter-gatherers whose average annual income has been estimated at the equivalent of $90 per person per year. Living along the Hudson River that borders New York State and New Jersey are the Manhattan people, consumer traders whose average annual income has been estimated at $36,000 per person per year. That dramatic difference of 400 times, however, pales in comparison to the differences in Stock Keeping Units (SKUs, a measure of the number of types of retail products available), which has been estimated at 300 for the Yanomami and 10 billion for the Manhattans, a difference of 33 million times.
B How did this happen? According to economist Eric D. Beinhocker, who published these calculations in his revelatory work The Origin of Wealth (Harvard Business School Press, 2006), the explanation is to be found in complexity theory. Evolution and economics are not just analogous to each other, but they are actually two forms of a larger phenomenon called complex adaptive systems, in which individual elements, parts or agents interact, then process information and adapt their behaviour to changing conditions. Immune systems, ecosystems, language, the law and the Internet are all examples of complex adaptive systems.
C In biological evolution, nature selects from the variation produced by random genetic mutations and the mixing of parental genes. Out of that process of cumulative selection emerges complexity and diversity. In economic evolution, our material economy proceeds through the production and selection of numerous permutations of countless products. Those 10 billion products in the Manhattan village represent only those variations that made it to market, after which there is a cumulative selection by consumers in the marketplace for those deemed most useful: VHS over Betamax, DVDs over VHS, CDs over vinyl records, flip phones over brick phones, computers over typewriters, Google over Altavista, SUVs over station wagons, paper books over e-books (still), and Internet news over network news (soon). Those that are purchased “survive” and “reproduce” into the future through repetitive use and remanufacturing.
D As with living organisms and ecosystems, the economy looks designed—so just as Humans naturally deduce the existence of a top-down intelligent designer, humans also (understandably) infer that a top-down government designer is needed in nearly every aspect of the economy. But just as living organisms are shaped from the bottom up by natural selection, the economy is moulded from the bottom up by the invisible hand. The correspondence between evolution and economics is not perfect, because some top-down institutional rules and laws are needed to provide a structure within which free and fair trade can occur. But too much top-down interference into the marketplace makes trade neither free nor fair. When such attempts have been made in the past, they have failed—because markets are far too complex, interactive and autocatalytic to be designed from the top down. In his 1922 book, Socialism, Ludwig Von Mises spelt out the reasons why most notably the problem of “economic calculation” in a planned socialist economy. In capitalism, prices are in constant and rapid flux and are determined from below by individuals freely exchanging in the marketplace. Money is a means of exchange, and prices are the information people use to guide their choices. Von Mises demonstrated that socialist economies depend on capitalist economies to determine what prices should be assigned to goods and services. And they do so cumbersomely and inefficiently. Relatively free markets are, ultimately, the only way to find out what buyers are willing to pay and what sellers are willing to accept.
E Economics helps to explain how Yanomami-like hunter-gatherers evolved into Manhattan-like consumer traders. In the Nineteenth century French economist Frédéric Bastiat well captured the principle: “Where goods do not cross frontiers, armies will.” In addition to being fierce warriors, the Yanomami are also sophisticated traders, and the more they trade the less they fight. The reason is that trade is a powerful social adhesive that creates political alliances. One village cannot go to another village and announce that they are worried about being conquered by a third, more powerful village—that would reveal weakness. Instead, they mask the real motives for alliance through trade and reciprocal feasting. And, as a result, not only gain military protection but also initiate a system of trade that—in the long run—leads to an increase in both wealth and SKUs.
F Free and fair trade occurs in societies where most individuals interact in ways that provide mutual benefit. The necessary rules weren’t generated by wise men in a sacred temple or lawmakers in congress, but rather evolved over generations and were widely accepted and practised before the law was ever written. Laws that fail this test are ignored. If enforcement becomes too onerous, there is rebellion. Yet the concept that human interaction must, and can be controlled by a higher force is universal. Interestingly, there is no widespread agreement on who the “higher force” is. Religious people ascribe good behaviour to God’s law. They cannot conceive of an orderly society of atheists. Secular people credit the government. They consider anarchy to be synonymous with barbarity. Everyone seems to agree on the concept that an orderly society requires an omnipotent force. Yet, everywhere there is evidence that this is not so. An important distinction between spontaneous social order and social anarchy is that the former is developed by work and investment, under the rule of law and with a set of evolved morals while the latter is chaos. The classical liberal tradition of von Mises and Hayek never makes the claim that the complete absence of top-down rules leads to the optimal social order. It simply says we should be sceptical about our ability to manage them in the name of social justice, equality, or progress.
Questions 1–5: True/False/Not Given
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage? 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.
- 1
SKUs is a more precise measurement to demonstrate the economic level of a community.
- 2
No concrete examples are presented when the author makes the statement concerning economic evolution.
- 3
Evolution and economics show a defective homolog.
- 4
Martial actions might be taken to cross the borders if trades do not work.
- 5
Profit is the invisible hand to guide the market.
Question 6: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- 6
What ought to play a vital role in each field of the economy?
- A. a strict rule
- B. a smart strategy
- C. a tightly managed authority
- D. a powerful legislation
Questions 7–8: Multiple Choice (Choose TWO)
Choose TWO correct letters, A–E. Which TWO of the following tools are used to pretend to ask for union according to one explanation from the perspective of economics?
- 7
Which TWO of the following tools are used to pretend to ask for union according to one explanation from the perspective of economics?
- A. an official announcement
- B. a diplomatic event
- C. the exchange of goods
- D. certainly written correspondence
- E. some enjoyable treatment in a win-win situation
- 8
Which TWO of the following tools are used to pretend to ask for union according to one explanation from the perspective of economics?
- A. an official announcement
- B. a diplomatic event
- C. the exchange of goods
- D. certainly written correspondence
- E. some enjoyable treatment in a win-win situation
Questions 9–13: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the Reading Passage for each answer.
In response to the search for reasons for the phenomenon shown by the huge difference in the income between two groups of people both dwelling near the rivers, several researchers made their effort and gave certain explanations. One attributes 9 ________ to the interesting change claiming that it is not as simple as it seems to be in appearance that the relationship between 10 ________ and ________ which is a good example of 11 ________ which involved in the interaction of separate factors for the processing of information as well as the behavioural adaptation to unstable conditions. As far as the biological transformation is concerned, both 12 ________ and the blend of genres from the last generation brings about the difference. The economic counterpart shows how generating and choosing the 13 ________ of innumerable goods moves forward the material-oriented economy.
- 9
One attributes 9 ________ to the interesting change...
- 10
...the relationship between 10 ________ and ________ which is a good example of 11 ________...
- 11
...the relationship between evolution and ________ which is a good example of 11 ________...
- 12
As far as the biological transformation is concerned, both 12 ________ and the blend of genres from the last generation brings about the difference.
- 13
The economic counterpart shows how generating and choosing the 13 ________ of innumerable goods moves forward the material-oriented economy.
Reading Passage 2 — Sea Change for Salinity
One of the most serious problems facing Australian farmers is an increase in the salt content in the soil. However, there are new weapons emerging in the fight against salinity.
A Beneath the flat, impassive surface of Australia lie hidden mountains, valleys and gorges—ancient traps and channels for the deadly salt that is stealthily killing so much of the Australian landscape. The war on salt is calling forth new weapons. A suite of high technologies used by geologists to see underground and prospect for gold and minerals is now being used to pinpoint the presence of salt beneath the landscape, and predict where it might move.
B Unless this process is clearly understood, warns Chief of Exploration and Mining Dr Neil Phillips, the hard work now underway of planning and tree-planting on the surface may be rendered ineffective: salt can still sneak past and erupt, following one of the ancient river channels formed millions of years ago. The use of airborne electromagnetic to detect salt hidden beneath the landscape has been around for a decade, but the past two years have seen a major development in its precision and powers of detection. Like the use of radar in battles, it has the potential to turn the tide of the struggle in favour of the defence by helping to pinpoint, plot and predict the movements of the foe.
C Angus Howell, who farms near Warrenbayne, in Southeast Australia, saw his first outbreak of salt in 1948. Over the ensuing decades the patches spread and multiplied until they consumed almost 100 hectares. By the late 1970s, Howell and his fellow farmers had decided it was time for action and established a government-funded 'Landcare' group in a bid to save Australia's farmland. But despite a mounting effort by scientists, farmers and governments, the 'white death' continued to encroach. Small successes were eclipsed by larger defeats and fresh outbreaks.
D ‘The technical solutions just aren't there yet for dealing with broadacre salinity, nor are the social and economic solutions. How do you introduce the land-use changes that are needed when people still need to make a living?' Howell asks. There is no satisfactory solution yet. Part of the problem has lain in salt's ability to mount ambushes, emerging somewhere new, sometimes unexpected and unexplained, beating plans to intercept it. Only now are scientists starting to really disclose its secret subterranean stores and passages.
E The need for such knowledge is pressing. Salt has already afflicted six million hectares of once-productive country. At present rates it is predicted that, by 2050, it will have sterilised a total of 17 million hectares and the waters of Australia's Murray River will regularly exceed the World Health Organisation's salt limits for drinking water. Defeating this assault may take centuries, not decades.
F Electromagnetic surveys measure the electrical conductivity of soil to reveal the distribution of salt and the nature and variability of the regolith—the weathered rock and sediment that may lie above the bedrock. Magnetic surveys measure small differences in the Earth's magnetic field, enabling scientists to probe the deep past and reconstruct ancient landscapes—rivers, basins and faults now buried under tens of metres of sediments. These features help to reveal where groundwater is stored, dictate the direction of groundwater movement, and are critical to predicting or ruling out salinity hot-spots.
G Radiometric analysis is based on the detection of radiation emitted by elements contained in rocks and soils, allowing scientists to delineate landforms. These factors influence the mobility of salt through the soil profile and help determine where to plant particular crop species to tackle the problem.
Using data from the Murray River region, scientists have revealed a network of ancient drainage channels buried metres beneath the current landscape. These buried channels may carry salt and sometimes run at right angles to channels on the surface. This implies that the salt could move underground in quite a different direction to what one would expect by looking at surface slope and drainage.
H One of the biggest advances in detection, says Professor Neil Phillips, has come with the integration of different techniques such as magnetics, electromagnetics and radiomagnetics, and ground mapping. Individually, these technologies only gave clues to what was going on underground. Together they provide a far more revealing picture of the subsurface landscape, several hundred metres deep. Advanced airborne electromagnetics, in particular, enables scientists to take ‘slices’ of the landscape at depths of five metres, ten metres, fifteen metres and so on, to determine where salt may be stored at depth. This is building up a four-dimensional picture of the subsurface landscape, enabling researchers to understand movements of salt in width, depth, breadth and time. From such technologies it will be possible to locate salt stores, identify how saline they are, look at man-made and natural changes to the landscape that may cause it to mobilise, and then predict where it will head to and over what time span. This in turn will give the salt warriors time to model various ways of containing or curbing the menace, see what works best and then try it out on the ground.
Questions 14–20: Matching Information
Which section A–H contains the following information? Write the correct letter A–H on your answer sheet, together with the number of each question. NB You may use any letter more than once.
- 14
A prediction of the future risk of salt to water supplies.
- 15
The reason why technologies must be combined to be effective.
- 16
A reference to the recent improvements in the accuracy of airborne electromagnetics.
- 17
The organization of concerned farmers into an official body.
- 18
The estimated length of time salinity is likely to be a problem.
- 19
A summary of stages in a proposed plan of action to combat the salt problem.
- 20
The possibility that current re-vegetation practices are a waste of time.
Questions 21–23: Matching Techniques to Uses
Match each technique with the correct use. Write the correct letter A–D on your answer sheet, together with the number of each question.
List of techniques:
21. Electromagnetic surveys
22. Radiometric analysis
23. Airborne electromagnetics
List of uses:
A. Can help farmers choose the best location for plants.
B. Can show the composition of the top layer of the ground.
C. Can detect how far below ground the salt is.
D. Can determine how old the salt is in a particular area.
- 21
- 22
- 23
Airborne electromagnetics
Questions 24–27: Multiple Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
- 24
What link does the writer make between salt and gold?
- A. They can both be found in the same locations.
- B. Both have been found to have an impact on the landscape.
- C. The same techniques can be used to find both.
- D. Neither are present in mountainous areas.
- 25
What is the process referred to in Section B?
- A. the killing of vegetation by salt
- B. salt’s ability to travel below ground
- C. the ability of trees to decrease salt levels
- D. the detection of salt by tracing other minerals
- 26
According to Angus Howell, one problem in the fight against salinity is that
- A. not enough farmers are concerned about the fight.
- B. farmers’ requests for help have been ignored.
- C. some possible measures may cause farmers to lose income
- D. the government has not provided farmers with sufficient financial support.
- 27
Which of the following best describes the writer’s view of the salinity problem in Australia?
- A. Farmers are fighting an enemy that moves secretly and hides well
- B. Farmers have been able to contain this enemy in a small area.
- C. Farmers have already had significant success in fighting this problem.
- D. Farmers need to form more organized groups to solve this problem.
Reading Passage 3 — Should space be explored by robots or by humans?
A The advisability of humans participating directly in space travel continues to cause many debates. There is no doubt that the presence of people on board a space vehicle makes its design much more complex and challenging, and produces a large increase in costs, since safety requirements are greatly increased, and the technology providing necessities for human passengers such as oxygen, food water must be guaranteed. Moreover, the systems required are bulky and costly, and their complexity increases for long-duration missions. Meanwhile, advances in electronics and computer science allow increasingly complex tasks to be entrusted to robots, and unmanned space probes are becoming lighter, smaller and more convenient.
B However, experience has shown that the idea of humans in space is popular with the public. Humans can also be useful; there are many cases when only direct intervention by an astronaut or cosmonaut can correct the malfunction of an automatic device. Astronauts and cosmonauts have proved that they can adapt to conditions of weightlessness and work in space without encountering too many problems, as was seen in the operations to repair and to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. One human characteristic which is particularly precious in space missions, and which so far is lacking in robots, is the ability to perform a great variety of tasks. In addition, robots are not good at reacting to situations they have not been specifically prepared for. This is especially important in the case of deep space missions. While, in the case of the Moon, it is possible for someone on Earth to ‘tele-operate’ a robotic device such as a probe, as the two-way link time is only a couple of seconds, on Mars the two-way link time is several minutes, so sending instructions from Earth is more difficult.
C Many of the promises of artificial intelligence are still far from being fulfilled. The construction of machines simulating human logical reasoning moves towards ever more distant dates. The more the performance of computers improves, the more we realise how difficult it is to build machines which display logical abilities. In the past it was confidently predicted that we would soon have fully automated factories in which all operations were performed without any human intervention, and forecasts of the complete substitution of workers by robots in many production areas were made. Today, these perspectives are being revised. It seems that all machines, even the smartest ones, must cooperate with humans. Rather than replacing humans, the present need appears to be for an intelligent machine capable of helping a human operator without replacing him or her. The word ‘cobot’, from ‘collaborative robot’, has been invented to designate this type.
D A similar trend is also apparent in the field of space exploration. Tasks which were in the past entrusted only to machines are now performed by human beings, sometimes with the aim of using simpler and less costly devices, sometimes to obtain better performance. In many cases, to involve a person in the control loop is a welcome simplification which may lower the cost of a mission without compromising safety. Many operations originally designed to be performed under completely automatic control can be performed more efficiently by astronauts, perhaps helped by their ‘cobots’. The human-machine relationship must evolve towards a closer collaboration.
E One way this could happen is by adopting the Mars Outposts approach, proposed by the Planetary Society. This would involve sending a number of robotic research stations to Mars, equipped with permanent communications and navigational systems. They would perform research, and establish the infrastructure needed to prepare future landing sites for the exploration of Mars by humans. It has also been suggested that in the most difficult environments, as on Venus or Jupiter, robots could be controlled by human beings located in spaceships which remain in orbit around the planet. In this case the link time for communication between humans and robots would be far less than it would be from Earth.
F But if space is to be more than a place to build automatic laboratories or set up industrial enterprises in the vicinity of our planet, the presence of humans is essential. They must learn how to voyage through space towards destinations which will be not only scientific bases but also places to live. If space is a frontier, that frontier must see the presence of people. So the aim for humankind in the future will be not just the exploration of space, but its colonisation. The result of exploring and living in space may be a deep change in the views which humankind has of itself. And this process is already under way. The images of Earth taken from the Moon in the Apollo programme have given humankind a new consciousness of its fragility, its smallness, and its unity. These impressions have triggered a realisation of the need to protect and preserve it, for it is the place in the solar system most suitable for us and above all it is the only place we have, at least for now.
Questions 28–33: Matching Headings
Reading Passage has six paragraphs, A–F. Choose the correct heading for each paragraph from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i–ix in boxes 1–6 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. Robots on Earth - a re-evaluation
ii. The barriers to cooperation in space exploration
iii. Some limitations of robots in space
iv. Reduced expectations for space exploration
v. A general reconsideration of human/robot responsibilities in space
vi. Problems in using humans for space exploration
vii. The danger to humans of intelligent machines
viii. Space settlement and the development of greater self-awareness
ix. Possible examples of cooperation in space
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
Questions 34–35: Multiple Choice (Choose TWO)
Choose TWO letters, A–E. According to the writer, which TWO predictions about artificial intelligence have not yet been fulfilled?
A. Robots will work independently of humans.
B. Robots will begin to oppose human interests.
C. Robots will be used to help humans perform tasks more efficiently.
D. Robots will think in the same way as humans.
E. Robots will become too costly to use on space missions.
- 34
According to the writer, which TWO predictions about artificial intelligence have not yet been fulfilled?
- A. Robots will work independently of humans.
- B. Robots will begin to oppose human interests.
- C. Robots will be used to help humans perform tasks more efficiently.
- D. Robots will think in the same way as humans.
- E. Robots will become too costly to use on space missions.
- 35
According to the writer, which TWO predictions about artificial intelligence have not yet been fulfilled?
- A. Robots will work independently of humans.
- B. Robots will begin to oppose human interests.
- C. Robots will be used to help humans perform tasks more efficiently.
- D. Robots will think in the same way as humans.
- E. Robots will become too costly to use on space missions.
Questions 36–40: Summary Completion
Complete the summary below. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Humans in space - the Mars Outposts approach and its implications
One way of exploring space would be through collaboration between humans and robots. For example, when exploring the planet Mars, robots could be used to set up 36 ________ and do initial research before humans arrive. In other cases, humans could stay in orbiting 37 ________ and give orders to robots working on the surface of the planet. This would increase the speed of 38 ________ with the robots. In such ways, robots might be used to work in space in commercial enterprises or 39 ________. However, the final aim of humankind may be the 40 ________ of space and this could in turn change people's attitudes towards Earth.
- 36
robots could be used to set up 36 ________ and do initial research before humans arrive.
- 37
humans could stay in orbiting 37 ________ and give orders to robots working on the surface of the planet.
- 38
This would increase the speed of 38 ________ with the robots.
- 39
robots might be used to work in space in commercial enterprises or 39 ________.
- 40
the final aim of humankind may be the 40 ________ of space
Tampilkan kunci jawaban
Kunci jawaban
1. TRUE
TRUE is correct because the passage says SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) show a much bigger difference between the Yanomami and Manhattan people than income does, making it a more precise measurement of economic level.
2. FALSE
FALSE is correct because the passage gives concrete examples such as VHS over Betamax and DVDs over VHS to illustrate economic evolution.
3. FALSE
FALSE is correct because the passage says evolution and economics are not just similar but are both complex adaptive systems, showing a strong, not defective, relationship.
4. TRUE
TRUE is correct because the passage quotes Bastiat: “Where goods do not cross frontiers, armies will,” meaning if trade fails, conflict may happen.
5. FALSE
FALSE is correct because the passage says the economy is shaped from the bottom up by the invisible hand, which refers to the actions of individuals, not just profit.
6. D
D is correct because the passage says rules and laws are needed to provide structure for free and fair trade, making legislation vital.
7. C / E
C and E are correct because the passage says villages use trade (exchange of goods) and reciprocal feasting (enjoyable treatment) to form alliances.
8. C / E
C and E are correct for the same reason as above: trade and reciprocal feasting are used to pretend to ask for union.
9. complexity theory
'complexity theory' is correct because the passage says Beinhocker explains the difference between the Yanomami and Manhattan people using complexity theory.
10. evolution
'evolution' is correct because the passage discusses the relationship between evolution and economics as examples of complex adaptive systems.
11. economics
'economics' is correct because the passage compares evolution and economics as examples of complex adaptive systems.
12. random genetic mutations
'random genetic mutations' is correct because the passage says variation in biological evolution comes from random genetic mutations and mixing of parental genes.
13. permutations
'permutations' is correct because the passage says economic evolution proceeds through the production and selection of numerous permutations of products.
14. E
E is correct because the passage predicts that by 2050, salt will have sterilised 17 million hectares and the Murray River will regularly exceed safe salt limits.
15. H
H is correct because it explains that combining different technologies gives a much clearer picture of underground salt movement than using them separately.
16. B
B is correct because it mentions that airborne electromagnetic detection has become much more precise in the past two years.
17. C
C is correct because it describes how Howell and other farmers formed a government-funded 'Landcare' group to fight salinity.
18. E
E is correct because it says defeating the salt problem may take centuries, not decades, showing the problem will last a long time.
19. H
H is correct because it describes how new technologies allow scientists to model and test different ways to contain salt, summarizing the plan of action.
20. B
B is correct because it warns that without understanding underground salt movement, current planning and tree-planting may be ineffective.
21. B
B is correct because it says airborne electromagnetics have been used for a decade to detect salt beneath the landscape.
22. A
A is correct because radiometric analysis is described as detecting radiation from rocks and soils to help map landforms.
23. C
C is correct because it describes how advanced airborne electromagnetics can take 'slices' of the landscape at different depths.
24. C
C is correct because the passage says high-tech tools used for finding gold are now used to find salt, so the same techniques can find both. The tempting wrong answer A fails because the passage does not say salt and gold are found in the same locations.
25. B
B is correct because the process is about salt moving underground through ancient channels, not just killing plants or being detected by tracing other minerals.
26. C
C is correct because Howell says the needed land-use changes are hard to introduce since people still need to make a living, meaning some solutions could reduce farmers' income.
27. A
A is correct because the passage describes salt as a hidden enemy that can ambush and move secretly underground, making it hard for farmers to fight.
28. vi
vi is correct because Paragraph A introduces the debate about humans or robots in space exploration.
29. iii
iii is correct because Paragraph B discusses the advantages and disadvantages of humans in space.
30. i
i is correct because Paragraph C talks about the limits of artificial intelligence and robots.
31. v
v is correct because Paragraph D explains how humans and robots can work together in space.
32. ix
ix is correct because Paragraph E describes a plan for using robots to prepare Mars for humans.
33. viii
viii is correct because Paragraph F discusses the future goal of colonising space and the impact on human perspective.
34. A / D
A and D are correct because the passage says robots have not replaced humans completely (A), and machines that think like humans are still far from reality (D).
35. A / D
A and D are correct for the same reason: robots have not become fully independent of humans (A), and they do not think like humans (D).
36. infrastructure
'infrastructure' is correct because the passage says robots would set up infrastructure and do research before humans arrive on Mars.
37. spaceships
'spaceships' is correct because the passage suggests humans could stay in spaceships orbiting a planet and control robots on the surface.
38. communication
'communication' is correct because the passage says this arrangement would make communication with robots much faster.
39. laboratories
'laboratories' is correct because the passage mentions robots might work in space in commercial enterprises or laboratories.
40. colonisation
'colonisation' is correct because the passage says the final aim for humankind may be the colonisation of space.