1

2 1
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Question-and-Answer Service

Readingand
Writing TestLanguage Test
65 M I NU TES, 4
35 542 QUESTIONS

Turn to Section 2
1 of your answer sheet to answer the questions in this section.

Each passage below

or pair is
ofaccompanied
passages below
by ais number
followedofbyquestions.
a numberFor
of questions.
some questions,
After reading
you
eachconsider
will passagehow
or pair,
thechoose
passagethe
might
bestbe
answer
revised
to to
each
improve
question
thebased
expression
on what
of ideas.
is stated
For or
implied
other questions,
in the passage
you willorconsider
passageshow
andthe
in any
passage
accompanying
might be edited
graphics
to (such
correct
aserrors
a table
inor
graph). structure, usage, or punctuation. A passage or a question may be accompanied by
sentence
one or more graphics (such as a table or graph) that you will consider as you make revising
and editing decisions.

Questions 1-10 are based

Some on thewill
questions following old man’s
direct you to an underlined portion of a listening
passage. ear,
Otherand to his wife’s
questions will ear, even
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................

passage. whenabout
direct you to a location in a passage or ask you to think the carthewas relatively
passage as afar away and beyond their
whole.
This passage is adapted from Amit Chaudhuri, A Strange and
range of vision. They had pondered over the sound,
Afterbyreading
Sublime Address. ©1991 each passage,
Amit Chaudhuri. choose the answer 30
A ten-year-old to and
eachfinally, he that
question had lit
mosttheeffectively
lantern and shuffled out.
improves the quality of writing
boy named Sandeep travels with his mother, his aunt in the passage or “I
that told her,”
makes he
the said,
passagereferring
conform totohisthe
wife. “I told her
conventions
(Mamima), and his uncle of standard
(Chhotomama) to visitwritten that I heard
family inEnglish. Many questions theacar,
include “NOI CHANGE”
knew it was the car, I told her
option.
Calcutta, India. Choose that option if you think the best choice is to you were
leave coming.”
the relevant portion of the
Once they were inside, Mamima gave the pot of
Two boys werepassageplayingascarrom
it is. on the steps of a
35 yoghurt and the pot of sweetmeats to the old
small, painted shed which had the following words lady. “There was no need,” she said. “Oh really,” she
on its wall in large, black letters: NATIONAL said. “This is too much,” she insisted, with the air of
Line ASSOCIATION OF SPORTSMEN. A single
Questions 1-11 are based on the following passage. 1 one who has just received the Kohinoor diamond as
...................................................................................................................................

5 table-tennis table inside the shed could be glimpsed

a birthday present. “Come, come, come,” said
through the window. The boys interrupted their A) NO CHANGE
40 Chhotomama, with the air of someone who has just
game to give Chhotomama directions to the house given
The inCase for Electronic
a series of sporadic, Health Records
enthusiastic gestures. Oh yes, B) prescribed; and diamond as a birthday present,
the Kohinoor
and refuses to be overawed by his own generosity.
they knew the old couple.
The US health-care system has madeAnd yes, their son and
significant C) prescribed:
“It’s nothing.” Itand
was nothing, of course, only
10 daughter-in-law had arrived last night with their
D) prescribed
Ganguram’s and, and yoghurt, but they fussed and
sweets
strides
firstinchild.
the implementation of systems that manage
45 fussed and created the illusion that it was something,
“Is it a girl or a boy?” asked Mamima, rolling something unique and untasted and unencountered.
electronic
down health records, which include information
the window. The son and the daughter-in-law emerged shyly
such as “A girl,” said
a patient’s the boy.
medical history, medications currently from the anteroom. They both stooped gently to
15 Mamima rolled up her window before the touch Chhotomama’s feet, and Sandeep’s aunt’s and
1 prescribed,
mosquitoesand came a list
in. of
Theallergies.
two boys From 2001 to
vanished behind 50 his mother’s feet, a traditional greeting and a mark of
them. When they reached the house, they found that obeisance towards one’s elders.
2013,the
theolduseman
of electronic
was waiting health record
on the systems
verandah bya
with “Oh no no no,” said Chhotomama, struggling to
lantern in his hand. Moths were shuddering round keep the son’s hand away from his feet. “There’s no
20 and round the lantern, though the old man was
need for all this.” This was half a token gesture
oblivious to them. He had come out because he had 55 towards modesty, and half towards the new,
heard the throbbing of the engine in the distance. “modern” India—Nehru’s secular India, free of ritual
The night had been silent except for the questioning and religion.
cry of an owl and the continual orchestral sound of
25 crickets in the bushes. The throbbing of the engine
had, therefore, travelled through the silence to the
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office-based physicians
“I have 2 for
not met you began
twotoyears,
decline only said
Dada,” in the
the 32

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
son, struggling to get his hands near Chhotomama’s
last
60 three years.must
toes. “You While this
not progress
stop is commendable,
me.” This was half a tokenthe Theused
As writer wants37toand
in lines complete themost
40, “air” sentence with
nearly means
gesture towards modesty, accurate and relevant information from the graph to
US health-care system needs toand halfthe
make towards the old, to
full transition A) atmosphere.
support the claim made about advances in the
“traditional” India—Gandhi’s India of ceremony and
electronic
custom. health records a high priority. B) absence.
implementation of electronic health record systems.
Sandeep, meanwhile, had come to the conclusion Which choice
C) demeanor. best accomplishes this goal?
65 that the grown-ups were mad, each after his or her Percentage of Office-Based Physicians with
D) melody.
own fashion. Simple situations were turned into Electronic Health Record Systems, 2001–2013
complex, dramatic ones; not until then did everyone
feel important and happy. Will they never grow up? 80
4
thought Sandeep irately. He glanced around him. A
70 single blue, fluorescent tube was burning on the wall. The60
characters’ behavior during the gift giving

Percent
It was not a big room. Despite its bareness, the 40 serves to
mainly
impression it gave was of austerity rather than A) emphasize the lavish value of the gift.
poverty. It made one remember that poverty meant 20
displacement as well as lack, while austerity meant B) inflate the significance of the gesture.
75 being poor in a rooted way, within a tradition and
0
C) convey indifference toward the gift.
culture of sparseness, which transformed even the 01 002 003 004 005 006 007 008 009 010 011 012 013
20 the
D) stress 2 2 for
2 need 2 2 behavior.
2 polite 2 2 2 2 2 2
lack, the paucity, into a kind of being.
Adapted from National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief
Number 143, US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers
5 for Disease Control and Prevention. Published in 2014.
1
Which
A) NOchoice
CHANGEprovides the best evidence for the
According to the passage, the old man was standing answer to the previous question?
on the verandah because B) increased most dramatically between 2011 and
A) 2012.
Lines 43-44 (“It was . . . yoghurt”)
A) he was watching cars travel down the road.
C) Lines
B) increased
44-46from less. than
(“they 20 percent of physicians
. . unencountered”)
B) the two boys had reported the visitors would
soon arrive. C) to nearly
Lines 80 (“Oh
52-54 percent
noof . . physicians.
. all this”)
D) Lines
D) fluctuated
58-60from year .to. . year
(“I have stopuntil
me”)about
C) he had heard what he believed to be the 80 percent of physicians were using electronic
visitors’ car. health records.
D) he enjoyed listening to the quiet sounds of 6
the evening.
The description of Chhotomama and the son’s
interaction mainly serves to
2 A) show how the characters diverge in their
In the passage, the yoghurt and sweetmeats are approaches to cultural practices.
compared to a B) emphasize the characters’ complex relationship.
A) jewel. C) stress the characters’ misinterpretations of
B) cuisine. Indian history.

C) wedding gift. D) depict how the characters created gestures that

became routine.
D) generous donation.

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Reading Test
3 Regrettably, electronic medical records require 3

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
infrastructure that can be expensive to build: they don’t Which phrase most effectively sets up the examples
65 M I NU TES, 5 2 QUESTIONSin the second part of the sentence?
require physical storage space, they don’t need to be
A) NO CHANGE
photocopied and collated,
Turn and 4 they
to Section areyour
1 of less likely
answer to sheet to answer the questions in this section.
B) Electronic health records provide many
be physically misplaced. More importantly, electronic advantages over paper ones:
C) Researchers have weighed the benefits and
records accelerate communication between 5 different drawbacks of electronic health records:
and various health-care providers,
Each passage allowing
or pair offor more below is followedD)
passages by aTypically,
number of questions.
electronic Afterrecords
health readingneed a
full-timebased
each passage or pair, choose the best answer to each question staff toonmaintain them: or
what is stated
efficient patient treatment. For example, when
implied in the passage or passages and in any accompanying graphics (such as a table or
paramedics have access graph).
to electronic records in
4
ambulances, they can learn what kinds of treatment they
A) NO CHANGE
should immediately begin on a 6 patient. Immediate
Questions 1-10 are based on the following B) man’s
old because they areear, and to his wife’s ear, even
listening
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................

passage.
treatment results in safer and earlier care. Even small when
C) being was relatively far away and beyond their
the car
This passage is adapted from Amit Chaudhuri, A Strange and
range of vision. They had pondered over the sound,
improvements in efficiency add up. The Veterans Health 30 D) DELETE
and finally, hethehadunderlined portion.
lit the lantern and shuffled out.
Sublime Address. ©1991 by Amit Chaudhuri. A ten-year-old
boy named Sandeep travels with his mother, his aunt “I told her,” he said, referring to his wife. “I told her
Administration, the largest integrated health-care system
(Mamima), and his uncle (Chhotomama) to visit family in that I heard the car, I knew it was the car, I told her
in the UnitedIndia.
Calcutta, States, reports that after the 5 you were coming.”
Two boysofwere
implementation playinghealth
electronic carrom on theinsteps
records 1995,ofits
a A) Once they were inside, Mamima gave the pot of
NO CHANGE
35 yoghurt and the pot of sweetmeats to the old
small, painted shed which had the following words B) different
lady. “There was no need,” she said. “Oh really,” she
totalon
productivity has increased
its wall in large, by 6 percent
black letters: NATIONALper year.
said. “This isdifferent
C) diverse, too much,” she insisted, with the air of
Line ASSOCIATION OF SPORTSMEN. A single
one who has just
D) singularly different received the Kohinoor diamond as
5 table-tennis table inside the shed could be glimpsed
a birthday present. “Come, come, come,” said
through the window. The boys interrupted their 40 Chhotomama, with the air of someone who has just
game to give Chhotomama directions to the house given the Kohinoor diamond as a birthday present,
in a series of sporadic, enthusiastic gestures. Oh yes, 6 and refuses to be overawed by his own generosity.
they knew the old couple. And yes, their son and “It’s nothing.” It waseffectively
nothing, of course, only
Which choice most combines the
10 daughter-in-law had arrived last night with their
Ganguram’s
sentences at the sweets and yoghurt,
underlined but they fussed and
portion?
first child. 45 fussed and created the illusion that it was something,
“Is it a girl or a boy?” asked Mamima, rolling A) patient,unique
something resultingand untasted and unencountered.
down the window.
B) Thepatient
son and the results
daughter-in-law emerged shyly
“A girl,” said the boy. from the anteroom. They both stooped
15 Mamima rolled up her window before the C) patient, and those treatments resultgently to
touch Chhotomama’s feet, and Sandeep’s aunt’s and
mosquitoes came in. The two boys vanished behind D) mother’s
50 his patient because it results greeting and a mark of
feet, a traditional
them. When they reached the house, they found that obeisance towards one’s elders.
the old man was waiting on the verandah with a “Oh no no no,” said Chhotomama, struggling to
lantern in his hand. Moths were shuddering round keep the son’s hand away from his feet. “There’s no
20 and round the lantern, though the old man was
need for all this.” This was half a token gesture
oblivious to them. He had come out because he had 55 towards modesty, and half towards the new,
heard the throbbing of the engine in the distance. “modern” India—Nehru’s secular India, free of ritual
The night had been silent except for the questioning and religion.
cry of an owl and the continual orchestral sound of
25 crickets in the bushes. The throbbing of the engine
had, therefore, travelled through the silence to the
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[1] “I
These
haveconcerns, however,
not met you for twoare also Dada,”
years, problems saidfor
the 37

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
son, struggling to get his hands near Chhotomama’s
paper records.
60 toes. “You [2]mustDespite these
not stop clear
me.” Thisbenefits,
was half somea token As
A) used
NO in lines 37 and 40, “air” most nearly means
CHANGE
gesture towards modesty, and half towards
patients and medical professionals still harbor concerns the old, B)
A) information to provide
atmosphere.
“traditional” India—Gandhi’s India of ceremony and C) information; providing
about the potential for error and the violation of patient
custom. B) absence.
Sandeep, meanwhile, had come to the conclusion D) demeanor.
C) information, provides
privacy
65 thatwhen electronic were
the grown-ups records areeach
mad, used. [3] his
after By noor her D) melody.
own fashion. Simple situations were
means free from errors, handwritten records are turned into
complex, dramatic ones; not until then did everyone 8
especially prone to and
feel important errors resulting
happy. Will from illegible
they never grow up? 4 A) NO CHANGE
thought Sandeep irately. He glanced around him. A
handwriting.
70 single blue,[4]fluorescent
Electronic tube
health record
was systems
burning on the canwall. B) Still,
The characters’ behavior during the gift giving
It was not aerrors
big room. Despite its bareness, the mainly serves
C) In this to
case,
actually reduce by, for instance, cross-referencing
impression it gave was of austerity rather than A)
D) emphasize
In fact, the lavish value of the gift.
7 information,
drugpoverty. It made one thisremember
provides doctors with meant
that poverty
displacement as well as lack, while austerity meant B) inflate the significance of the gesture.
automatic warnings about possible adverse drug
75 being poor in a rooted way, within a tradition and C) convey indifference toward the gift.
culture of[5] sparseness, which 9
interactions. 8 Likewise, at transformed
Brigham andeven Women’sthe D) stress the need for polite behavior.
lack, the paucity, into a kind of being. A) NO CHANGE
Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, serious medical errors
B) are
decreased by 55 percent after an electronic record system 5
1 C) are,
was According
implemented. [6]passage,
Furthermore, Which
D) are;choice provides the best evidence for the
to the the oldpatient
man wasprivacy is no
standing answer to the previous question?
the verandah
moreonthreatened because records than it is by paper
by electronic
A) Lines 43-44 (“It was . . . yoghurt”)
A) he
records, was watching
which cars traveltodown
9 are—according theDepartment
the US road. 10 B) Lines 44-46 (“they . . . unencountered”)
B) the two boys had reported the visitors would To make
of Healthsoon
and arrive.
Human Services, typically accessed by at C) Linesthis paragraph
52-54 (“Oh nomost
. . . alllogical,
this”) sentence 2
should be placed
D) Lines 58-60 (“I have . . . stop me”)
leastC)
150he had heard
different what he professionals.
health-care 10
believed to be the
visitors’ car. A) where it is now.
The best way to address these concerns about B) before sentence 1.
D) he enjoyed listening to the quiet sounds of 6
accuracythe privacy 11 are not to avoid adopting
andevening. C) after sentence 5.
The description of Chhotomama and the son’s
D) after sentence 6.
electronic health record systems but rather to implement interaction mainly serves to
2 effectively. The benefits of fully transitioning from
them A) show how the characters diverge in their
In the passage, the yoghurt and sweetmeats are 11 approaches to cultural practices.
paper to electronic health records far outweigh any
compared to a B) emphasize the characters’ complex relationship.
A) NO CHANGE
perceived disadvantages.
A) jewel. C) stress the characters’ misinterpretations of
B) have been
B) cuisine. Indian history.
C) had been
C) wedding gift. D) depict how the characters created gestures that
D) became
is routine.
D) generous donation.

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Reading Test
Questions 12-22 are based on the following passage 12

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
and supplementary material.
A) NO CHANGE
65 M I NU TES, 5 2 QUESTIONSB) vital: to the sustainability of the others
The Beaver as Ecosystem Engineer C) vital, to the sustainability of the others,
Turn to Section 1 of your answer sheet to answer the questions in this section.
[1] An ecosystem is a complex web of interactions D) vital; to the sustainability of the others
between organisms and their habitats. [2] Each
component is 12 vital to the sustainability of the others 13
Each passage or pair of passages below is followedA)by aNO
number of questions. After reading
CHANGE
and to the system as a whole. [3] Beavers, large rodents
each passage or pair, choose the best answer to each question based on what is stated or
B) interdependent
that use sticks, mud, and leaves
implied in to
thebuild dams
passage orin streams,and in any accompanying graphics (such as a table or
passages
graph). C) societal
are perhaps one of the best examples of the
D) associative
13 interpersonal relationship among all aspects of an
ecosystem. [4] New
Questions 1-10efforts to cultivate
are based beaver populations
on the following 14 old man’s listening ear, and to his wife’s ear, even
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................

passage. when the car was relatively far away and beyond their
reflect a growing recognition of the vital role beaver dams To make
range this paragraph
of vision. They hadmost logical,over
pondered sentence 4
the sound,
This passage is adapted from Amit Chaudhuri, A Strange and
should
30 and be placed
finally, he had lit the lantern and shuffled out.
play Sublime
in combating
Address.the effects
©1991 of drought
by Amit andA preserving
Chaudhuri. ten-year-old
boy named Sandeep travels with his mother, his aunt “I
A)told her,”ithe
where said, referring to his wife. “I told her
is now.
species diversity.
(Mamima), and[5]
his Beavers fell trees to to
uncle (Chhotomama) build
visittheir
familydams,
in that I heard the car, I knew it was the car, I told her
Calcutta, India. B) after
you were sentence
coming.”1.
and the ponds that form behind a dam can flood the C) Once
after they were5.inside, Mamima gave the pot of
sentence
Two boys were playing carrom on the steps of a 35 yoghurt and the pot of sweetmeats to the old
surrounding area. [6]
small, painted shedDespite
whichthe hadseeming drawbacks
the following wordsto D) after sentence 6.
lady. “There was no need,” she said. “Oh really,” she
on dams,
beaver its wallemerging
in large, black letters:
research NATIONAL
confirms that they said. “This is too much,” she insisted, with the air of
Line ASSOCIATION OF SPORTSMEN. A single
one who has just received the Kohinoor diamond as
5 table-tennis
actually table insideenvironmental
provide significant the shed couldbenefits.
be glimpsed
14 15 a birthday present. “Come, come, come,” said
through the window. The boys interrupted their 40 Chhotomama, with the air of someone who has just
Scientists
game to give have called the beaver
Chhotomama an “ecosystem
directions to the house A) NO CHANGE
given the Kohinoor diamond as a birthday present,
in a series of sporadic, enthusiastic gestures. Oh yes, B) streams; dams
engineer” because its dams can alter the ecological and refuses to be overawed by his own generosity.
they knew the old couple. And yes, their son and C) streams,
“It’s nothing.”damsIt was nothing, of course, only
10 daughter-in-law
makeup of its habitat.had
By arrived lastwater
regulating nightflow
within
their Ganguram’s
D) streams—dams sweets and yoghurt, but they fussed and
first child. 45 fussed and created the illusion that it was something,
15 streams.
“Is it aDams
girl orhave ripple
a boy?” effects
asked that radiate
Mamima, to
rolling something unique and untasted and unencountered.
down the window. The son and the daughter-in-law emerged shyly
“A girl,” said the boy. from the anteroom. They both stooped gently to
15 Mamima rolled up her window before the touch Chhotomama’s feet, and Sandeep’s aunt’s and
mosquitoes came in. The two boys vanished behind 50 his mother’s feet, a traditional greeting and a mark of
them. When they reached the house, they found that obeisance towards one’s elders.
the old man was waiting on the verandah with a “Oh no no no,” said Chhotomama, struggling to
lantern in his hand. Moths were shuddering round keep the son’s hand away from his feet. “There’s no
20 and round the lantern, though the old man was
need for all this.” This was half a token gesture
oblivious to them. He had come out because he had 55 towards modesty, and half towards the new,
heard the throbbing of the engine in the distance. “modern” India—Nehru’s secular India, free of ritual
The night had been silent except for the questioning and religion.
cry of an owl and the continual orchestral sound of
25 crickets in the bushes. The throbbing of the engine
had, therefore, travelled through the silence to the
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20 CO NTI N U E
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“I have not
all surrounding met you for
organisms. 16 two
Theyears,
pondsDada,” said the
that form 16
3

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
son, struggling to get his hands near Chhotomama’s
as60a result of dams
toes. “You mustretain nutrient-rich
not stop me.” Thissediment,
was half a token At this
As usedpoint, the37writer
in lines is considering
and 40, addingmeans
“air” most nearly the
gesture towards modesty, and half towards the old, following sentence.
17 fostering a variety of plant life and multiplying A) atmosphere.
“traditional” India—Gandhi’s India of ceremony and
B) A beaver’s life span averages 10–12 years.
absence.
foodcustom.
sources such as plankton. Attracted by these
Sandeep, meanwhile, had come to the conclusion Should
C) the writer make this addition here?
demeanor.
resources,
65 that the many different
grown-ups kinds
were of wildlife
mad, 18hisinhabits
each after or her D)
A) melody.
Yes, because it reinforces the scientists’
own fashion. Simple situations were turned into
beaver ponds. characterization of beavers as “ecosystem
complex, dramatic ones; not until then did everyone
engineers.”
feel important and happy. Will they never grow up? 4
thought Sandeep irately. He glanced around him. A B) Yes, because it clarifies information in the
70 single blue, fluorescent tube was burning on the wall. The previous
characters’ behavior
sentence during
about the the gift giving
impact of beavers.
It was not a big room. Despite its bareness, the mainly serves to
C) No, because the detail is not necessary for
impression it gave was of austerity rather than A) understanding beavers’
emphasize the lavish impact
value ongift.
of the their
poverty. It made one remember that poverty meant ecosystems.
displacement as well as lack, while austerity meant B) inflate the significance of the gesture.
75 being poor in a rooted way, within a tradition and D) convey
C) No, because it does not
indifference provide
toward enough
the gift.
culture of sparseness, which transformed even the explanation of the factors affecting the beaver’s
D) stress the need for polite behavior.
lack, the paucity, into a kind of being. life span.

5
1 17
Which choice provides the best evidence for the
According to the passage, the old man was standing A) NOtoCHANGE
answer the previous question?
on the verandah because B) adopting
A) Lines 43-44 (“It was . . . yoghurt”)
A) he was watching cars travel down the road. C) raising
B) Lines 44-46 (“they . . . unencountered”)
B) the two boys had reported the visitors would D) rearing
soon arrive. C) Lines 52-54 (“Oh no . . . all this”)

C) he had heard what he believed to be the D) Lines 58-60 (“I have . . . stop me”)
visitors’ car. 18
D) he enjoyed listening to the quiet sounds of 6 A) NO CHANGE
the evening.
B) inhabit
The description of Chhotomama and the son’s
C) are inhabited
interaction mainly serves to
2 D) show
A) have inhabited
how the characters diverge in their
In the passage, the yoghurt and sweetmeats are approaches to cultural practices.
compared to a B) emphasize the characters’ complex relationship.
A) jewel. C) stress the characters’ misinterpretations of
B) cuisine. Indian history.

C) wedding gift. D) depict how the characters created gestures that

became routine.
D) generous donation.

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Question-and-Answer Service
Reading Test
Recent studies suggest that beaver dams not only
create diversely populated ecosystems but also
65 M I NU TES, 5 2 QUESTIONSB)
19 preserve them during times of environmental stress.
A landmark 2008 study by to
Turn ecologists
Sectionat
1 the University
of your answerofsheet to answer the questions in this section.
Alberta found that the presence of beaver populations
can mitigate the effects of drought on wetlands. The
researchers observed that ponds in Elk Island National
Each passage or pair of passages below is followedWhich
each passage or pair, choose the best answer to each
Park in Canada that had developed active beaver colonies
implied in the passage or passages and in any accompanying graphics (such as a table or
held significantly more water during years when beavers
graph).
were present than they did during years when beavers
were absent. Furthermore, a group of ponds that had not
Questions 1-10 are based on the following
beenpassage.
recolonized by beavers showed a 20 smaller
This passage
increase in area is
ofadapted from over
open water Amit Chaudhuri, A Strange and
the same period.
Sublime Address. ©1991 by Amit Chaudhuri. A ten-year-old
boy named Sandeep travels with his mother, his aunt
(Mamima), and his uncle (Chhotomama) to visit family in
Calcutta, India.
Two boys were playing carrom on the steps of a
small, painted shed which had the following words
on its wall in large, black letters: NATIONAL
Line ASSOCIATION OF SPORTSMEN. A single
5 table-tennis table inside the shed could be glimpsed
through the window. The boys interrupted their
game to give Chhotomama directions to the house
in a series of sporadic, enthusiastic gestures. Oh yes,
they knew the old couple. And yes, their son and
10 daughter-in-law had arrived last night with their
first child.
“Is it a girl or a boy?” asked Mamima, rolling
down the window.
“A girl,” said the boy.
15 Mamima rolled up her window before the
mosquitoes came in. The two boys vanished behind
them. When they reached the house, they found that
the old man was waiting on the verandah with a
lantern in his hand. Moths were shuddering round
20 and round the lantern, though the old man was
oblivious to them. He had come out because he had
heard the throbbing of the engine in the distance.
The night had been silent except for the questioning
cry of an owl and the continual orchestral sound of
25 crickets in the bushes. The throbbing of the engine
had, therefore, travelled through the silence to the
April QAS 2017
Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal.
2
19
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
A) NO CHANGE
to preserve them
C) preserving them
D) they are preserved
20
by a number
choice of questions.
best After
reflects the reading provided
information
in question
figures 1 based
and 2? on what is stated or
A) NO CHANGE
B) marked decline
C) greater increase
D) man’s
gradual reduction
old listening ear, and to his wife’s ear, even
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................
when the car was relatively far away and beyond their
range of vision. They had pondered over the sound,
30 and finally, he had lit the lantern and shuffled out.
“I told her,” he said, referring to his wife. “I told her
that I heard the car, I knew it was the car, I told her
you were coming.”
Once they were inside, Mamima gave the pot of
35 yoghurt and the pot of sweetmeats to the old
lady. “There was no need,” she said. “Oh really,” she
said. “This is too much,” she insisted, with the air of
one who has just received the Kohinoor diamond as
a birthday present. “Come, come, come,” said
40 Chhotomama, with the air of someone who has just
given the Kohinoor diamond as a birthday present,
and refuses to be overawed by his own generosity.
“It’s nothing.” It was nothing, of course, only
Ganguram’s sweets and yoghurt, but they fussed and
45 fussed and created the illusion that it was something,
something unique and untasted and unencountered.
The son and the daughter-in-law emerged shyly
from the anteroom. They both stooped gently to
touch Chhotomama’s feet, and Sandeep’s aunt’s and
50 his mother’s feet, a traditional greeting and a mark of
obeisance towards one’s elders.
“Oh no no no,” said Chhotomama, struggling to
keep the son’s hand away from his feet. “There’s no
need for all this.” This was half a token gesture
55 towards modesty, and half towards the new,
“modern” India—Nehru’s secular India, free of ritual
and religion.
2
22 CO NTI N U E
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Question-and-Answer Service

“I have not met you for two years,

Figure 1 Dada,” said the 3

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
son, struggling to get his hands near Chhotomama’s
toes. “You must As used in lines 37 and 40, “air” most nearly means
60 Elknot stopNational
Island me.” This wasPonds
Park half a token
gesture towards modesty,
Recolonized by Beavers the old,
and half towards A) atmosphere.
“traditional”
200 India—Gandhi’s India of ceremony and
custom. B) absence.
Total area of open water (hectares)

180 beavers
Sandeep, meanwhile, had come to the conclusion C) demeanor.
160 present
65 that the grown-ups were mad, each after his or her D) melody.
140 Simple situations were turned into
own fashion.
complex,120dramatic ones; not until then did everyone
feel important and happy. Will they never grow up? 4
100
thought Sandeep irately. He glanced around him. A
70 80fluorescent tube was burning on the wall.
single blue, The characters’ behavior during the gift giving
It was not60a big room. Despite its bareness, the mainly serves to
impression beavers
40it gave was of austerity rather than A) emphasize the lavish value of the gift.
poverty. It made one absent
remember that poverty meant
20 B) inflate the significance of the gesture.
displacement as well as lack, while austerity meant
75 being poor0in a rooted way, within a tradition and C) convey indifference toward the gift.
1948 1950 1996 2001
culture of sparseness, which transformed even the D) stress the need for polite behavior.
lack, the paucity, into a kindYear
of being.
ponds in Group 1
5
1
Which choice provides the best evidence for the
According to the passage,Figure
the old2 man was standing answer to the previous question?
on the verandah because
Elk Island National Park Ponds A) Lines 43-44 (“It was . . . yoghurt”)
A) he was watching cars travel down
Not Recolonized the road.
by Beavers B) Lines 44-46 (“they . . . unencountered”)
B) the two200 boys had reported the visitors would
soon arrive. C) Lines 52-54 (“Oh no . . . all this”)
Total area of open water (hectares)

180
C) he had D) Lines 58-60 (“I have . . . stop me”)
160heard what he believed to be the
visitors’ car.
140
D) he enjoyed listening to the quiet sounds of 6
120
the evening.
100 beavers The description of Chhotomama and the son’s
80 absent interaction mainly serves to
2 60 A) show how the characters diverge in their
40 thebeavers
In the passage, yoghurt and sweetmeats are approaches to cultural practices.
compared20 to a absent B) emphasize the characters’ complex relationship.
A) jewel. 0 C) stress the characters’ misinterpretations of
1950 1996 2001 1948 Indian history.
B) cuisine.
Year D) depict how the characters created gestures that
C) wedding gift.
ponds in Group 2 became routine.
D) generous donation.
Figures adapted from Glynnis A. Hood and Suzanne E. Bayley, “Beaver
(Castor canadensis) Mitigate the Effects of Climate on the Area of Open
Water in Boreal Wetlands in Western Canada.” ©2008 by Biological
Conservation.

April QAS 2017

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3 CO NTI N U E
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2 1
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Question-and-Answer Service

Reading Test
21 In addition to studying wildlife, researchers are 21

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
collaborating with local officials to promote beaver Which choice provides the best transition from the
65 M I NU TES, 5 2 QUESTIONSprevious paragraph?
populations in habitats where they might be beneficial.
A) NO CHANGE
Washington State’s Lands
Turn Council, a nonprofit
to Section 1 of your answer sheet to answer the questions in this section.
B) Despite the beaver’s reputation as a nuisance,
organization, has begun working with the state’s C) Spurred by these findings,
Department of Ecology to reintroduce beavers to D) Motivated by this opportunity,

10,000 miles of suitable habitat.

Each passageOfficials
or pairpredict that below is followed by a number of questions. After reading
of passages
each passage or pair, choose the best answer to22each question based on what is stated or
beaver dams could help retain more than
implied in the passage or passages and in any accompanying graphics (such as a table or
A) NO CHANGE
650 trillion gallons of graph).
springtime melted snow, which
B) best—“engineering,”
could help stabilize water levels in streams during dry
C) best: “engineering”
months. This project provides a low-cost alternative to D) man’s
best, “engineering,”
Questions 1-10 are based on the following old listening ear, and to his wife’s ear, even
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................

passage.
the construction of artificial dams, which could cost
This passage is adapted from Amit Chaudhuri, A Strange and
billions of dollars. Through such initiatives, beaver
Sublime Address. ©1991 by Amit Chaudhuri. A ten-year-old
boy named
populations areSandeep travels
doing what withdo
they his 22
mother,
best;his aunt
(Mamima), and his uncle (Chhotomama) to visit family in
“engineering” healthier, more stable ecosystems.
Calcutta, India.
Two boys were playing carrom on the steps of a
small, painted shed which had the following words
on its wall in large, black letters: NATIONAL
Line ASSOCIATION OF SPORTSMEN. A single
5 table-tennis table inside the shed could be glimpsed
through the window. The boys interrupted their
game to give Chhotomama directions to the house
in a series of sporadic, enthusiastic gestures. Oh yes,
they knew the old couple. And yes, their son and
10 daughter-in-law had arrived last night with their
first child.
“Is it a girl or a boy?” asked Mamima, rolling
down the window.
“A girl,” said the boy.
15 Mamima rolled up her window before the
mosquitoes came in. The two boys vanished behind
them. When they reached the house, they found that
the old man was waiting on the verandah with a
lantern in his hand. Moths were shuddering round
20 and round the lantern, though the old man was
oblivious to them. He had come out because he had
heard the throbbing of the engine in the distance.
The night had been silent except for the questioning
cry of an owl and the continual orchestral sound of
25 crickets in the bushes. The throbbing of the engine
had, therefore, travelled through the silence to the
April QAS 2017
when the car was relatively far away and beyond their
range of vision. They had pondered over the sound,
30 and finally, he had lit the lantern and shuffled out.
“I told her,” he said, referring to his wife. “I told her
that I heard the car, I knew it was the car, I told her
you were coming.”
Once they were inside, Mamima gave the pot of
35 yoghurt and the pot of sweetmeats to the old
lady. “There was no need,” she said. “Oh really,” she
said. “This is too much,” she insisted, with the air of
one who has just received the Kohinoor diamond as
a birthday present. “Come, come, come,” said
40 Chhotomama, with the air of someone who has just
given the Kohinoor diamond as a birthday present,
and refuses to be overawed by his own generosity.
“It’s nothing.” It was nothing, of course, only
Ganguram’s sweets and yoghurt, but they fussed and
45 fussed and created the illusion that it was something,
something unique and untasted and unencountered.
The son and the daughter-in-law emerged shyly
from the anteroom. They both stooped gently to
touch Chhotomama’s feet, and Sandeep’s aunt’s and
50 his mother’s feet, a traditional greeting and a mark of
obeisance towards one’s elders.
“Oh no no no,” said Chhotomama, struggling to
keep the son’s hand away from his feet. “There’s no
need for all this.” This was half a token gesture
55 towards modesty, and half towards the new,
“modern” India—Nehru’s secular India, free of ritual
and religion.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 2

24 CO NTI N U E
 1
2 1
2
Question-and-Answer Service

Questions 23-33
“I have notare
metbased ontwo
you for the years,
following passage.
Dada,” said the 23
3

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
son, struggling to get his hands near Chhotomama’s
60 toes. “You must not stop me.” This was half a token As
A) used
NO in lines 37 and 40, “air” most nearly means
CHANGE
The gesture
Giant: Michelangelo’s
towards modesty, Victory
and half towards the old, B)
A) it’s
atmosphere.
“traditional” India—Gandhi’s India of ceremony and C) its’
Toward the end of the 1400s, as the Renaissance was
custom. B) absence.
Sandeep, meanwhile, had come tomembers
the conclusion D) demeanor.
C) their
reaching 23 its height in Florence, Italy, of the
65 that the grown-ups were mad, each after his or her D) melody.
city’sown
powerful
fashion.Wool Guild
Simple were celebrating
situations were turned their
into
complex, dramatic ones; not until then did everyone 24
recently completedand
feel important city happy.
cathedral.
WillItthey
was never
a triumph
growthat
up? 4 A) NO CHANGE
added to Florence’s reputation 24 from sophisticationA
thought Sandeep irately. He glanced around him.
70 single blue, fluorescent tube was burning on the wall. B) for
The characters’ behavior during the gift giving
and Itbeauty,
was notyetathe
bigguild
room.members were
Despite its eager tothe
bareness, C) to serves to
mainly
impression it gave was of austerity rather than A)
25 fancy it up even more. They wanted D) emphasize
with the lavish value of the gift.
poverty. It made one remember thatapoverty
series ofmeant
statues
displacement as wellexterior,
as lack, while austerity meant B) inflate the significance of the gesture.
to adorn the cathedral’s 26 placing high on
75 being poor in a rooted way, within a tradition and C) convey indifference toward the gift.
buttresses
culturesoofthat the art could
sparseness, whichbetransformed
admired from afar.
even theThe 25
D) stress the need for polite behavior.
lack, the paucity, into a kind of being. A) NO CHANGE
first result of the members’ plan brought great acclaim,
B) make it look super rich.
though not quite in the way they had anticipated. 5
1 C) increase its splendor.
Which
D) givechoice provides
it a wow factor.the best evidence for the
According to the passage, the old man was standing answer to the previous question?
on the verandah because
A) Lines 43-44 (“It was . . . yoghurt”)
A) he was watching cars travel down the road. 26 B) Lines 44-46 (“they . . . unencountered”)
B) the two boys had reported the visitors would A) Lines
NO CHANGE
soon arrive. C) 52-54 (“Oh no . . . all this”)
B) Lines
D) they were placed
58-60 (“I have . . . stop me”)
C) he had heard what he believed to be the
visitors’ car. C) which were placed
D) he enjoyed listening to the quiet sounds of D) placed
6
the evening.
The description of Chhotomama and the son’s
interaction mainly serves to
2 A) show how the characters diverge in their
In the passage, the yoghurt and sweetmeats are approaches to cultural practices.
compared to a B) emphasize the characters’ complex relationship.
A) jewel. C) stress the characters’ misinterpretations of
B) cuisine. Indian history.

C) wedding gift. D) depict how the characters created gestures that

became routine.
D) generous donation.

April QAS 2017

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3 CO NTI N U E
 1
2 1
2
Question-and-Answer Service

Reading Test
In 1501, guild members began the project by 27

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
commissioning a statue of David, a biblical hero who had A) NO CHANGE
65 M I NU TES, 5 2 QUESTIONSB) other sculptors had previously used it,
defeated a giant named Goliath. The sculptor chosen was
C) it was used by them before,
Michelangelo, a twenty-six-year-old
Turn to Sectionartist
1 of who
youralready
answer sheet to answer the questions in this section.
D) they used it previously to begin other sculptures,
had a reputation for great talent. He was directed to use
an enormous block of marble from the cathedral’s
28
workshop to create the statue. Nicknamed “the Giant,”
Each passage or pair of passages below is followedThe
by awriter
number of questions.
is considering After reading
deleting the underlined
each passage or pair, choose the best answer to each question
sentence. based
Should onsentence
the what is stated
be oror deleted?
kept
the block had many problems. It had been quarried more
implied in the passage or passages and in any accompanying graphics (such as a table or
than forty years earliergraph).
and had started to weather from A) Kept, because it provides evidence to support the
claim that Michelangelo would succeed where
exposure to the elements. Even worse, 27 they had others had failed.
previously used it, chipping away material to rough out a B) Kept, because it includes details that explain
Questions 1-10 are based on the following why the
old man’s citizensear,
listening of Florence
and to hismight
wife’shave
ear, been
even
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................

basicpassage.
shape but giving up midtask. 28 The marble came whencritical
the carofwas
commissioning
relatively far aaway
sculptor from a their
and beyond
rangedifferent city.
of vision. They had pondered over the sound,
fromThis
thepassage is adapted
Fantiscritti fromin
quarries Amit Chaudhuri,
Carrara, A Strange
a small town and 30 and finally, he had lit it
the lantern and shuffled out.
Sublime Address. ©1991 by Amit Chaudhuri. A ten-year-old C) Deleted, because adds irrelevant information
almost
boy80 milesSandeep
named north oftravels
Florence. Michelangelo
with his was
mother, his aunt “I told
that distracts from the paragraph’s focus on her
her,” he said, referring to his wife. “I told the
(Mamima), and his uncle (Chhotomama) to visit family in that obstacles
I heard the car, I knew itfaced.
Michelangelo was the car, I told her
facedCalcutta,
with trying
India.to sculpt a monumental statue out of a you were coming.”
D) Once
Deleted,
theybecause it failsMamima
were inside, to explain why
gave thethe
potblock
of
Two
stone that wasboys were playing
generally carrom
considered on the steps of a
ruined. 35 had not already been made into
yoghurt and the pot of sweetmeats to the old a sculpture.
small, painted shed which had the following words lady. “There was no need,” she said. “Oh really,” she
on its wall in large, black letters: NATIONAL said. “This is too much,” she insisted, with the air of
Line ASSOCIATION OF SPORTSMEN. A single
one who has just received the Kohinoor diamond as
5 table-tennis table inside the shed could be glimpsed
a birthday present. “Come, come, come,” said
through the window. The boys interrupted their 40 Chhotomama, with the air of someone who has just
game to give Chhotomama directions to the house given the Kohinoor diamond as a birthday present,
in a series of sporadic, enthusiastic gestures. Oh yes, and refuses to be overawed by his own generosity.
they knew the old couple. And yes, their son and “It’s nothing.” It was nothing, of course, only
10 daughter-in-law had arrived last night with their
Ganguram’s sweets and yoghurt, but they fussed and
first child. 45 fussed and created the illusion that it was something,
“Is it a girl or a boy?” asked Mamima, rolling something unique and untasted and unencountered.
down the window. The son and the daughter-in-law emerged shyly
“A girl,” said the boy. from the anteroom. They both stooped gently to
15 Mamima rolled up her window before the touch Chhotomama’s feet, and Sandeep’s aunt’s and
mosquitoes came in. The two boys vanished behind 50 his mother’s feet, a traditional greeting and a mark of
them. When they reached the house, they found that obeisance towards one’s elders.
the old man was waiting on the verandah with a “Oh no no no,” said Chhotomama, struggling to
lantern in his hand. Moths were shuddering round keep the son’s hand away from his feet. “There’s no
20 and round the lantern, though the old man was
need for all this.” This was half a token gesture
oblivious to them. He had come out because he had 55 towards modesty, and half towards the new,
heard the throbbing of the engine in the distance. “modern” India—Nehru’s secular India, free of ritual
The night had been silent except for the questioning and religion.
cry of an owl and the continual orchestral sound of
25 crickets in the bushes. The throbbing of the engine
had, therefore, travelled through the silence to the
April QAS 2017

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 2

26 CO NTI N U E
 1
2 1
2
Question-and-Answer Service

[1] “I
His seventeen-foot-high,
have not met you for two intricately detailed
years, Dada,” said the 29
3

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
son, struggling to get his hands near Chhotomama’s
figure depicts
60 toes. “YouDavid
must notin the actme.”
stop of confronting
This was halfGoliath.
a token As
A) used
NO in lines 37 and 40, “air” most nearly means
CHANGE
gesture towards modesty, and half towards
[2] Michelangelo had solved the problem of the awkward the old, B)
A) reflected
atmosphere.
“traditional” India—Gandhi’s India of ceremony and C) had reflected
size custom.
and shape of the marble block by positioning David B) absence.
Sandeep, meanwhile, had come to the conclusion D) demeanor.
C) will reflect
turned
65 thatslightly sidewayswere
the grown-ups with mad,
his weight shifted
each after hisonto one
or her D) melody.
own fashion.
leg, poised Simple
as if ready situations
to burst were turned
into action. [3] Butinto
complex, dramatic ones; not until then did everyone 30
Michelangelo took and
feel important on the GiantWill
happy. withthey
zealnever
and finished
grow up? 4 To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 3
thought Sandeep irately. He glanced around him. A should be placedbehavior during the gift giving
the
70 statue
single in justfluorescent
blue, two years. [4]
tubeThe
wasstatue’s
burning form andwall.
on the The characters’
It was not athebig proportions
room. Despite its bareness, the mainly serves
A) where it istonow.
posture echoed of classical Roman
impression it gave was of austerity rather than B) emphasize
A) before sentence 1. value of the gift.
the lavish
sculpture,
poverty.butItits expressiveness
made one rememberand that
levelpoverty
of detailmeant
displacement as well as lack, while austerity meant C) inflate
B) after sentence 1.
the significance of the gesture.
29
75 has
beingreflected
poor inRenaissance
a rooted way,sensibilities.
within a tradition and D) convey
C) after sentence 4.
indifference toward the gift.
culture of sparseness,
[5] Michelangelo had overcome the which transformed
limitationseven the
of the D) stress the need for polite behavior.
lack, the paucity, into a kind of being.
marble block and, moreover, had turned it into a 31
technical and artistic masterpiece. 30 5 Which choice gives a second reason and additional
1
supportchoice
Which for theprovides
main idea
theofbest
the evidence
paragraph?
for the
Upon viewing
According thepassage,
to the stunning statue,
the guild
old man members
was standing answer to the
A) NO CHANGE previous question?
on thethe
discarded verandah
plan to because
hoist the statue to an exterior
A)
B) Lines 43-44 (“It
and depicted was . . .biblical
a favorite yoghurt”)story of the
A) he
buttress. was far
It was watching cars travel
too beautiful ( 31 down the unlike
and was road. citizens of Florence
B) Lines 44-46 (“they . . . unencountered”)
B) the two boys had reported the visitors would C) and later would
other Renaissance depictions of David) to be placed high
soon arrive. C) Lines 52-54 (“Ohcome
no . .to. all
symbolize
this”) Florence’s
defense of its civil liberties
C)itshe had heard D) Lines 58-60 (“I have . . . stop me”)
above viewers. Afterwhat he believed
meeting to officials
with city be the and D) and, at more than eight tons, far too heavy
visitors’ car.
D) he enjoyed listening to the quiet sounds of 6
the evening.
The description of Chhotomama and the son’s
interaction mainly serves to
2 A) show how the characters diverge in their
In the passage, the yoghurt and sweetmeats are approaches to cultural practices.
compared to a B) emphasize the characters’ complex relationship.
A) jewel. C) stress the characters’ misinterpretations of
B) cuisine. Indian history.

C) wedding gift. D) depict how the characters created gestures that

became routine.
D) generous donation.

April QAS 2017

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3 CO NTI N U E
 1
2 1
2
Question-and-Answer Service

Reading Test
prominent citizens, the members agreed that the statue 32

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
should instead stand outside of Florence’s town hall A) NO CHANGE
65 M I NU TES, 5 2 QUESTIONSB) to symbolize and represent
32 as a symbol and representation of the city’s strength
C) as a symbol of
and independence. Thus,
Turnthe guild members
to Section achieved
1 of your answer sheet to answer the questions in this section.
D) as a representation that symbolized
their goal of enhancing Florence’s 33 prestige.

33
Each passage or pair of passages below is followedThe
by awriter
number of questions.
wants After
to revise the reading portion so
underlined
each passage or pair, choose the best answer to each
thatquestion based on
the concluding what issummarizes
sentence stated or the main
implied in the passage or passages and in any accompanying
ideas of the graphics
passage. (such
Whichaschoice
a tablebest
or accomplishes
graph). this goal?
A) prestige, and Michelangelo was hailed as a hero
in his own right for conquering the Giant and
Questions 1-10 are based on the following givinglistening
old man’s Florenceear,
a fitting
and tomonument.
his wife’s ear, even
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................

passage. B) prestige,
when the car and
was Michelangelo would
relatively far away andsoon leavetheir
beyond
This passage is adapted from Amit Chaudhuri, A Strange and
rangeFlorence forThey
of vision. Rome, hadwhere he would
pondered overpaint the
the sound,
Sublime Address. ©1991 by Amit Chaudhuri. A ten-year-old 30 and ceiling
finally, of
hethe
hadSistine
lit the Chapel.
lantern and shuffled out.
boy named Sandeep travels with his mother, his aunt “I
C)told her,” he
prestige, said, referring
especially to his
after parts ofwife. “I toldwere
the statue her
(Mamima), and his uncle (Chhotomama) to visit family in that decorated
I heard thewith
car, gold.
I knew it was the car, I told her
Calcutta, India. you were coming.”
D) Once
prestige,
theybut
wereeven though
inside, it boasts
Mamima works
gave of art
the pot of
Two boys were playing carrom on the steps of a 35 like Michelangelo’s David, Italy
yoghurt and the pot of sweetmeats to the oldtoday ranks only
small, painted shed which had the following words lady.fifth in terms
“There was noof need,”
revenue generated
she said. “Ohbyreally,”
tourism.
she
on its wall in large, black letters: NATIONAL said. “This is too much,” she insisted, with the air of
Line ASSOCIATION OF SPORTSMEN. A single one who has just received the Kohinoor diamond as
5 table-tennis table inside the shed could be glimpsed a birthday present. “Come, come, come,” said
through the window. The boys interrupted their 40 Chhotomama, with the air of someone who has just
game to give Chhotomama directions to the house given the Kohinoor diamond as a birthday present,
in a series of sporadic, enthusiastic gestures. Oh yes, and refuses to be overawed by his own generosity.
they knew the old couple. And yes, their son and “It’s nothing.” It was nothing, of course, only
10 daughter-in-law had arrived last night with their Ganguram’s sweets and yoghurt, but they fussed and
first child. 45 fussed and created the illusion that it was something,
“Is it a girl or a boy?” asked Mamima, rolling something unique and untasted and unencountered.
down the window. The son and the daughter-in-law emerged shyly
“A girl,” said the boy. from the anteroom. They both stooped gently to
15 Mamima rolled up her window before the touch Chhotomama’s feet, and Sandeep’s aunt’s and
mosquitoes came in. The two boys vanished behind 50 his mother’s feet, a traditional greeting and a mark of
them. When they reached the house, they found that obeisance towards one’s elders.
the old man was waiting on the verandah with a “Oh no no no,” said Chhotomama, struggling to
lantern in his hand. Moths were shuddering round keep the son’s hand away from his feet. “There’s no
20 and round the lantern, though the old man was need for all this.” This was half a token gesture
oblivious to them. He had come out because he had 55 towards modesty, and half towards the new,
heard the throbbing of the engine in the distance. “modern” India—Nehru’s secular India, free of ritual
The night had been silent except for the questioning and religion.
cry of an owl and the continual orchestral sound of
25 crickets in the bushes. The throbbing of the engine
had, therefore, travelled through the silence to the
April QAS 2017

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28 CO NTI N U E
 1
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Question-and-Answer Service

Questions 34-44
“I have notare
metbased ontwo
you for the years,
following passage.
Dada,” said the 34
3

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
son, struggling to get his hands near Chhotomama’s
60 toes. “You must not stop me.” This was half a token
Which
As usedchoice
in linesprovides the “air”
37 and 40, best introduction to the
most nearly means
Sharing
gesturefor towards
Success modesty, and half towards the old, paragraph?
A) atmosphere.
“traditional” India—Gandhi’s India of ceremony and A) absence.
NO CHANGE
34 The twenty-first century has presented both
custom. B)
B) demeanor.
C) Companies are always searching for new and
unique Sandeep,
challengesmeanwhile, had come
and innovative to the
solutions toconclusion innovative ways to recruit the best employees.
65 that the grown-ups were mad, each after his or her D) melody.
work-related
own fashion. issues. Bothsituations
Simple Julie Levine andturned
were Julie Rocco
into C) In 2007, two highly successful full-time
complex, dramatic ones; not until then did everyone engineers at a US car company faced the same
desired
feel aimportant
healthier work/life
and happy. balance, butnever
Will they they were
grow up? dilemma.
4
thought Sandeep irately. He glanced around
hesitant to give up their managerial roles overseeing him.the
A D) According to one national survey, the average
70 single blue, fluorescent tube was burning on the wall. The characters’ behavior during the gift giving
full-time US employee works about 1,700 hours
production
It was notof new
a bigvehicles. In order
room. Despite itsto retain these
bareness, the top mainly serves to
per year.
impression it gave was of austerity rather than A) emphasize the lavish value of the gift.
engineers,
poverty. theItcompany
made oneproposed
remember a creative 35 solution;
that poverty meant
displacement as well as lack, while austerity meant B) inflate the significance of the gesture.
job sharing. 35
75 being poor in a rooted way, within a tradition and C) convey indifference toward the gift.
As the demand
culture for flexible
of sparseness, whichworking options
transformed in the
even A) stress
D) NO CHANGE
the need for polite behavior.
lack, the paucity, into a kind of being. B) solution. Job
today’s marketplace has grown, job 36 sharing, an
C) solution job
arrangement in which one full-time job is split between 5
1 D) solution: job
two employees—has become more common. For Which choice provides the best evidence for the
According to the passage, the old man was standing answer to the previous question?
on the verandah because
36 A) Lines 43-44 (“It was . . . yoghurt”)
A) he was watching cars travel down the road.
A) Lines
B) NO CHANGE
44-46 (“they . . . unencountered”)
B) the two boys had reported the visitors would
B) Lines
C) sharing—
52-54 (“Oh no . . . all this”)
soon arrive.
C) Lines
D) sharing;
58-60 (“I have . . . stop me”)
C) he had heard what he believed to be the
visitors’ car. D) sharing:
D) he enjoyed listening to the quiet sounds of 6
the evening.
The description of Chhotomama and the son’s
interaction mainly serves to
2 A) show how the characters diverge in their
In the passage, the yoghurt and sweetmeats are approaches to cultural practices.
compared to a B) emphasize the characters’ complex relationship.
A) jewel. C) stress the characters’ misinterpretations of
B) cuisine. Indian history.

C) wedding gift. D) depict how the characters created gestures that

became routine.
D) generous donation.

April QAS 2017

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3 CO NTI N U E
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Question-and-Answer Service

Reading Test
employees, it provides an appealing alternative to other 37

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
forms of part-time work, which might not offer Which choice best combines the sentences at the
65 M I NU TES, 5 2 QUESTIONSunderlined portion?
comparable health benefits, salary, or stability. For Levine
A) ladder, and they weren’t having
and Rocco, who wereTurncompensated
to Sectionat 180ofpercent of theirsheet to answer the questions in this section.
your answer
B) ladder; however, they didn’t have
full-time salaries and benefits, job sharing was a way of C) ladder without having
continuing to climb the career 37 ladder. They didn’t D) ladder while still not having

have to work the longEach

hours usuallyordemanded
passage of an below is followed by a number of questions. After reading
pair of passages
each passage or pair, choose the best answer to38each question based on what is stated or
employee in a high-level position.
implied in the passage or passages and in any accompanying graphics (such as a table or
Effective communication
graph). is crucial to the success of a A) NO CHANGE
B) there were steps taken by Levine and Rocco to
job-sharing arrangement. In determining how working ensure
time and responsibilities would be divided, 38 steps C) Levine and Rocco took steps to ensure
Questions 1-10 are based on the following old man’s listening ear, and to his wife’s ear, even
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................

werepassage.
taken by Levine and Rocco to ensure that the D) Levine
when and
the car wasRocco’s steps
relatively farensured
away and beyond their
This passage is adapted from Amit
range of vision. They had pondered over the sound,
arrangement provided fluidity and Chaudhuri,
consistencyA Strange
for the and 30 and finally, he had lit the lantern and shuffled out.
Sublime Address. ©1991 by Amit Chaudhuri. A ten-year-old
39 “I told her,” he said, referring to his wife. “I told her
employees whom
boy named they jointly
Sandeep managed.
travels with “It’s his
his mother, ouraunt
job to be
(Mamima), and his uncle (Chhotomama) to visit family in that
A) NO I heard the car, I knew it was the car, I told her
CHANGE
seamless,” they
Calcutta, noted. 39 Nevertheless, they each
India. you were coming.”
B) Once
To this end,
they were inside, Mamima gave the pot of
plannedTwo boysthree
to work were days
playing carrom
a week, ona the
with daysteps of a
of overlap 35 yoghurt and the pot of sweetmeats to the old
C) However,
small, painted shed which had the following words lady. “There was no need,” she said. “Oh really,” she
on Wednesdays;
on its wall inthey
large,also planned
black letters:toNATIONAL
talk on the phone D) Similarly,
said. “This is too much,” she insisted, with the air of
Line ASSOCIATION OF SPORTSMEN. A single
one who has just received the Kohinoor diamond as
5 table-tennis table inside the shed could be glimpsed
a birthday present. “Come, come, come,” said
through the window. The boys interrupted their 40 Chhotomama, with the air of someone who has just
game to give Chhotomama directions to the house given the Kohinoor diamond as a birthday present,
in a series of sporadic, enthusiastic gestures. Oh yes, and refuses to be overawed by his own generosity.
they knew the old couple. And yes, their son and “It’s nothing.” It was nothing, of course, only
10 daughter-in-law had arrived last night with their
Ganguram’s sweets and yoghurt, but they fussed and
first child. 45 fussed and created the illusion that it was something,
“Is it a girl or a boy?” asked Mamima, rolling something unique and untasted and unencountered.
down the window. The son and the daughter-in-law emerged shyly
“A girl,” said the boy. from the anteroom. They both stooped gently to
15 Mamima rolled up her window before the touch Chhotomama’s feet, and Sandeep’s aunt’s and
mosquitoes came in. The two boys vanished behind 50 his mother’s feet, a traditional greeting and a mark of
them. When they reached the house, they found that obeisance towards one’s elders.
the old man was waiting on the verandah with a “Oh no no no,” said Chhotomama, struggling to
lantern in his hand. Moths were shuddering round keep the son’s hand away from his feet. “There’s no
20 and round the lantern, though the old man was
need for all this.” This was half a token gesture
oblivious to them. He had come out because he had 55 towards modesty, and half towards the new,
heard the throbbing of the engine in the distance. “modern” India—Nehru’s secular India, free of ritual
The night had been silent except for the questioning and religion.
cry of an owl and the continual orchestral sound of
25 crickets in the bushes. The throbbing of the engine
had, therefore, travelled through the silence to the
April QAS 2017

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 2

30 CO NTI N U E
 1
2 1
2
Question-and-Answer Service

“I havetonot
each evening met you
discuss for two
the day’s years,40Dada,”
work. The jobsaid the 40
3

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
son, struggling to get his hands near Chhotomama’s
shared by“You
60 toes. Levine andnot
must Rocco
stopwas
me.”theThis
highest‑ranking
was half a token Which
As usedchoice
in linesbest
37 sets
and up
40,the information
“air” most nearlythat
means
gesture towards modesty, and half towards the old, follows in the next part of the sentence?
shared job at the company: when “you have to analyze A) atmosphere.
“traditional” India—Gandhi’s India of ceremony and A) absence.
NO CHANGE
B)
yourcustom.
day and share it with another brain, you show up
Sandeep, meanwhile, had come to the conclusion B) demeanor.
C) Levine and Rocco initially had doubts that the
the
65 next
that day ready to run,”
the grown-ups wereLevine
mad, said.
each Studies
after hishave
or her arrangement would be successful:
D) melody.
own fashion. Simple situations were turned into C) The job shared by Levine and Rocco requires
confirmed that job sharing can improve work quality by
complex, dramatic ones; not until then did everyone about 80 hours of work total per week:
feel important
encouraging and happy.
teamwork. Willsurvey
In a 2003 they never grow up?at
of employees 4 D) Both Levine and Rocco found that this
thought Sandeep irately. He glanced around him. A collaboration enhanced their job performance:
the
70 UK National
single Health Service,
blue, fluorescent for example,
tube was burning onmorethethan
wall. The characters’ behavior during the gift giving
It was not a big room. Despite its bareness, the mainly serves to
70 percent of job sharers felt that communicating with
impression it gave was of austerity rather than 41 A) emphasize the lavish value of the gift.
theirpoverty.
partnersItimproved
made onetheir
remember
ability that poverty meant
to understand and
displacement as well as lack, while austerity meant B) inflate
Which thebest
choice significance of the
sets up the maingesture.
discussion of the
execute
75 being their jobs.
poor in a rooted way, within a tradition and paragraph?
C) convey indifference toward the gift.
culture of sparseness, which transformed even the
41 Job sharing may present some challenges, D)
A) stress the need for polite behavior.
NO CHANGE
lack, the paucity, into a kind of being.
though. If job sharers have 42 discordant capabilities or B) Moreover, some workers have responsibilities
that are difficult to share.
are 5
1 unable to communicate effectively, the arrangement C) Still, only some positions are suitable for job
Which choice provides the best evidence for the
sharing.
mayAccording
not be successful. Job-sharing
to the passage, initiatives
the old man wasmay also
standing answer to the previous question?
on the verandah because D) Flexible work arrangements can reduce stress in
involve some extra cost for companies, since the salaries A) employees.
Lines 43-44 (“It was . . . yoghurt”)
A) he was watching cars travel down the road.
B) Lines 44-46 (“they . . . unencountered”)
B) the two boys had reported the visitors would
soon arrive. C) Lines 52-54 (“Oh no . . . all this”)
42
C) he had heard what he believed to be the D) Lines 58-60 (“I have . . . stop me”)
A) NO CHANGE
visitors’ car.
B) contrary
D) he enjoyed listening to the quiet sounds of 6 C) irreconcilable
the evening.
The description of Chhotomama and the son’s
D) mismatched
interaction mainly serves to
2 A) show how the characters diverge in their
In the passage, the yoghurt and sweetmeats are approaches to cultural practices.
compared to a B) emphasize the characters’ complex relationship.
A) jewel. C) stress the characters’ misinterpretations of
B) cuisine. Indian history.

C) wedding gift. D) depict how the characters created gestures that

became routine.
D) generous donation.

April QAS 2017

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3 CO NTI N U E
 1
2 1
Question-and-Answer Service
Reading Test
and cost of benefits for two job-sharing employees are
usually higher than 43 being for a single employee.
65 M I NU TES, 5 2 QUESTIONSB)
However, proponents contend that the investment is
worthwhile because 44 they
Turn to enable
Sectioncompanies to retainsheet to answer the questions in this section.
1 of your answer
the most talented employees. As can be seen from Levine
and Rocco’s success in developing a best-selling 2011
sport-utility vehicle, job sharing provides an effective
Each passage or pair of passages below is followedA)
each passage or pair, choose the best answer to each question based on what is stated or
flexible working solution when undertaken by motivated
implied in the passage or passages and in any accompanying graphics (such as a table or
employees and companies.graph).
Questions 1-10 are based on the following
passage.
This passage is adapted from Amit Chaudhuri, A Strange and
Sublime Address. ©1991 by Amit Chaudhuri. A ten-year-old
boy named Sandeep travels with his mother, his aunt
(Mamima), and his uncle (Chhotomama) to visit family in
Calcutta, India.
Two boys were playing carrom on the steps of a
small, painted shed which had the following words
on its wall in large, black letters: NATIONAL
Line ASSOCIATION OF SPORTSMEN. A single
5 table-tennis table inside the shed could be glimpsed
through the window. The boys interrupted their
game to give Chhotomama directions to the house
in a series of sporadic, enthusiastic gestures. Oh yes,
they knew the old couple. And yes, their son and
10 daughter-in-law had arrived last night with their
first child.
“Is it a girl or a boy?” asked Mamima, rolling
down the window.
“A girl,” said the boy.
15 Mamima rolled up her window before the
mosquitoes came in. The two boys vanished behind
them. When they reached the house, they found that
the old man was waiting on the verandah with a
lantern in his hand. Moths were shuddering round
20 and round the lantern, though the old man was
oblivious to them. He had come out because he had
heard the throbbing of the engine in the distance.
The night had been silent except for the questioning
cry of an owl and the continual orchestral sound of
25 If you in
crickets finish before
the bushes. time isofcalled,
The throbbing you may check your work on this section only.
the engine
had, therefore, travelled through the Dosilence
not toturn
the to any other section.
April QAS 2017
Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal.
2
...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
43
A) NO CHANGE
that of
C) those for
D) DELETE the underlined portion.
44
by aNO
number of questions. After reading
CHANGE
B) those enable
C) any of them enables
D) it enables
old man’s listening ear, and to his wife’s ear, even
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................
when the car was relatively far away and beyond their
range of vision. They had pondered over the sound,
30 and finally, he had lit the lantern and shuffled out.
“I told her,” he said, referring to his wife. “I told her
that I heard the car, I knew it was the car, I told her
you were coming.”
Once they were inside, Mamima gave the pot of
35 yoghurt and the pot of sweetmeats to the old
lady. “There was no need,” she said. “Oh really,” she
said. “This is too much,” she insisted, with the air of
one who has just received the Kohinoor diamond as
a birthday present. “Come, come, come,” said
40 Chhotomama, with the air of someone who has just
given the Kohinoor diamond as a birthday present,
and refuses to be overawed by his own generosity.
“It’s nothing.” It was nothing, of course, only
Ganguram’s sweets and yoghurt, but they fussed and
45 fussed and created the illusion that it was something,
something unique and untasted and unencountered.
The son and the daughter-in-law emerged shyly
from the anteroom. They both stooped gently to
touch Chhotomama’s feet, and Sandeep’s aunt’s and
50 his mother’s feet, a traditional greeting and a mark of
obeisance towards one’s elders.
“Oh no no no,” said Chhotomama, struggling to
keep the son’s hand away from his feet. “There’s no
...
need for all this.” This was half a token gesture
towards modesty, and half towards the new,
STOP
55
“modern” India—Nehru’s secular India, free of ritual
and religion.
2
32 CO NTI N U E