Task 1
You are going to read an article in which people talk about using artificial intelligence. For each question (1-12), choose one person from A-F. There is an example at the beginning (0→A).
Using Artificial Intelligence
A Anne
Can we rely on the information we get from AI? Yes, but while AI tools like ChatGPT can be useful, there is still a chance of them being incorrect. Disclaimers often say: ‘ChatGPT can make mistakes. Consider checking important data to be safe.’ This is also a timely reminder that AI is an assistant and not a replacement for having thinking skills. The harmful result of technology, however, is that more of today’s younger generations are graduating knowing how to do less in countless areas of life, including interacting with people. Fortunately, it gets better with time.
B Baker
I first got introduced to AI tools like ChatGPT some time ago during my time as a student and have used it for years. These tools could be used to perform various jobs like pattern recognition, comparing data, and more. AI tools can even generate coding prompts for programming. However, their accuracy in this respect is a different story, which I will, incidentally, steer clear of due to insufficient expertise. In short, these tools can do many things, and AI’s future is guaranteed whether you see it or not, so better embrace the change if you don’t want to be left behind.
C Claire
In my view, at the end of the day, AI is a tool that is made by us. This is because AI systems rely on training data that we give to the training model. But in effect, although designed to find correlations within the data they are fed, they can now generate novel outputs and solutions by combining existing knowledge in unique ways. And how can we continue to harness the power of AI? The key is to always stay open-minded, curious and socially alert, all preconditions of gathering knowledge beyond limits.
D Darren
Even though AI tools are already participating in highly complex problem-solving activities, there will always be areas of life where they fall short, like in education, and we will have to step in with our human input. So, when dealing with simpler and more routine jobs on a regular basis, AI creates space for that. AI-generation technology is here to stay and how we use it matters, so we will have to make sense of the issues artificial intelligence raises while trying to do what’s right on many levels, as well as how it reflects on society in general, including our own lives.
E Ella
The use of AI has grown exponentially over the past few years and is so ingrained in our routines that we tend to become rather oblivious to it. After all, when we think of artificial intelligence, we think of ChatGPT or machine learning and those involved in putting it together, and not simple things like spam filters in our inbox or Netflix’s recommendations. All this is a daunting and unmeaningful experience for most, especially if you take into account that without early training, practice and dedication, you can’t learn and become proficient in AI.
F Filip
I’ll avoid trying to surmise what AI will look like in the future, not being an expert, but I’m pretty sure AI will be at least part of our everyday life. So, I think we really need to pay attention to it as individuals but also as a society. It’s time we learned how to use this huge technological power to make our lives easier, not more complex – and maybe hope to develop the necessary social mechanisms to counteract the negative outcomes down the road, if there is potential for that. Not that AI tools pose the actual threat. It’s the companies or governments ready to abuse it.
Task 2
Read the text on the next page. For each question (13-18), choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).
Domesday Book – An Echo of the Past
Some two decades after the famous 1066 victory at Hastings established him as King of all England, William the Conqueror commissioned a survey of his realm, from the English Channel to the uncertain Northern frontiers he had inherited from his Saxon predecessors. This work would come to be known as Domesday Book. Counting every household and enumerating the landowning families of the time, it came to reinforce and embody the iron fist of Norman rule throughout the land, by itemising the revenue potential of a kingdom that had seen great upheavals since the overthrow of the previous order.
William decided on the project at Christmas 1085 and deemed it should take place over the following year. Commissioners were appointed to report on different regions. As the year progressed, the commissioners’ teams visited every manor in the country, noting down information about how things had stood before the 1066 Conquest, immediately after the Norman succession and in 1086 itself. The meticulous collection of information included numbers of livestock, amount of productive land, names of the landowners and even such facilities as mills and fisheries and other agricultural endeavours.
In Saxon England a ranked social system involving kings granting territory to a noble class who then distributed it to the peasantry had existed for centuries; the Norman version of feudalism, however, was much more systematised, and it required more detailed financial record keeping. This was imposed with great ruthlessness by the Norman aristocracy to whom William, after taking one fifth of the country for himself, granted the Saxon nobility’s estates. They, in turn, rapidly established their sway over the country, and in just one year, the commissioners succeeded in making an extraordinarily detailed inventory of all this.
Intriguingly, Domesday Book covers all of England at the time apart from the far-northern counties of Durham and Northumberland. Although some distance from London, they are no less accessible than Cornwall, which was included. Some historians propose that, as the ancient Anglian kingdom of Northumbria, the region was not properly part of England. Others cite the ‘harrying of the North’ – in which William laid waste to tracts of Northern England following a revolt – pointing out that Domesday recorded little or no economic life in these areas. Another theory is that Domesday was prepared in the face of a possible Danish invasion of richer areas of the country in the south and east of England.
The title of the book sounds quaint to modern ears, as it is pronounced ‘DOOMS-DAY’. When originally produced, it was known as the ‘Winchester Book’, as that was where it was kept. The title it came to be known by derived from the Saxon word for ‘law’ or ‘judgement’, which then lacked the ominous meaning it has today. For medieval people, it signified the seemingly never-ending continuity of authority over centuries and was a potent reminder to the English of their subjection to their Norman conquerors.
Domesday Book may be found today at the National Archives in Kew, London, which is open to all and free of charge. Despite its age, the wealth of information it contains is nowadays available to anyone who cares to look. Modern technology has ensured that its lists and descriptions are available in print and modern digital formats at the click of a mouse.
Task 3
Read the text on the next page.
For each question (19-24), choose the sentence (A-H) that best fits the gap.
There are two sentences that you do not need.
There is an example at the beginning (0→I).
Strength vs Brains
Is there any nature scene more iconic than a ram crashing down upon his rival with huge, curving horns that can weigh 15 kg apiece? (0) _. Humans have been fascinated by such animals for longer than anyone can remember. Some of the oldest art ever found depicts the horns of an ancient buffalo and the tusks of a boar, painted on the walls of caves ages ago. (19) _. A study published in the journal Behavioural Ecology and Socio-Biology provides the first evidence that, as male mammals evolve larger, elaborate antlers and horns used as weapons for combat or signals of their fitness, the females of those species develop larger brains than expected.
“I think that the females are an important aspect of biology that often gets overlooked”, says Julia Lopez, a socio-biologist and lead author of the study, “because visually they appear dull, usually not as elaborate as males”. (20) _. And it may change what experts think about how much decision-making ability they display when choosing a male.
“It’s not that as males invest more in their weapons, they become less smart”, clarifies Lopez. (21) _. Rather, male brain sizes appear to stay the same even as evolution appears to select ever larger headgear. At the same time, females seem to pour resources into brain size. And while it remains unclear if these traits are directly linked, which would tell us a lot more, the study shows that they do indeed correlate.
To dig deeper into the quality of the correlations, the authors of the study embarked on a quest in various museums to examine available specimens. (22) _. What might be happening is that males are investing more in their horns to make them more appealing signals for the females. This adds complexity to their social system. (23) _. Measurements of the skulls, brain volume, and horn sizes of some 400 specimens from 29 different species of deer, moose, goats, sheep and antelopes stand in support of this.
Evolutionary biologists, as independent experts, admit the study has enormous implications, but note several limitations. For instance, brain size does not necessarily translate to intelligence. (24) _. While applauding the authors for examining as many specimens as they did, they maintain that their sample represents only a fraction of the weaponed hoofed animals on Earth. Who knows if the pattern might change when other antlered, horned, or tusked species are evaluated?
Task 4
Read the text below.
For each question (25-32), choose the answer (A, B, C or D) that best completes the sentence.
There is an example at the beginning (0→D).
The Secret Underground City – Myth or Reality?
Archaeologists have made a shocking discovery beneath the Grand Canyon, uncovering a vast underground city of unknown origin and purpose. The size and complexity of the city have left experts (0) _, so they have sparked theories of a lost civilisation. Delving into the mystery of this massive underground discovery, most people would probably (25) _ their eyes from reading various theories, but this one is truly incredible. This compelling theory suggests that ancient civilisations (26) _ have lived within the Grand Canyon’s hidden depths long ago!
The Grand Canyon is not just a place of natural beauty; it was (27) _ as a World Heritage Site in 1979. To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of exceptional beauty and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria, (28) _ their outstanding natural value and geological significance. Despite a (29) _ knowledge regarding many underground cities, this story about intricate cave systems, and even a lost Egyptian city within the long passages of the canyon would stimulate anyone’s curiosity. Some theorists even claim that an ancient civilisation reached a high level of sophistication, at (30) _ point their history was lost to time.
There’s just one catch: the story is unequivocally false. The Smithsonian Institution, which supposedly sponsored the expedition, has even been inundated with enquiries about it over the years – even though the investigation in question never took place. However, the lesson is that each case should be judged (31) _ its merits. Based on the available evidence, the theory was notoriously inexact and was just an (32) _ guess. Yet, despite being more than 100 years old, this popular urban legend that tells of the remains of an Ancient Egyptian civilisation deep within the Grand Canyon is still alive.
Task 5
Read the text on the next page.
For each question (33-40), choose the answer (A-M) that best completes the sentence.
There are five options that you do not need.
There is an example at the beginning (0→N).
Taking Control of Your Health
Biohacking is a growing movement (0) _ at optimising human performance. It includes a variety of practices, ranging from simple dietary changes to the experimental use of implantable devices. Driven by the promise of improving physical, mental, and emotional well-being, biohacking challenges conventional approaches to personal health. It is, (33) _, often referred to as ‘do-it-yourself biology’.
Biohacking is about taking control of your body and mind. One of its most accessible forms is nutritional optimisation, where individuals experiment with supplements or intermittent fasting. Supporters argue that these strategies naturally (34) _ with the body’s rhythms and could improve performance and longevity.
Another aspect of biohacking is the integration of technology into human biology. For instance, some enthusiasts implant RFID chips under their skin, (35) _ users to unlock devices or doors with a wave of their hand. Others use continuous glucose monitors to track blood sugar levels, to (36) _ their diets for peak metabolic performance. Although these methods may sound unfamiliar, they show the movement’s emphasis on personal improvement.
Critics question, (37) _, the long-term safety of uncontrolled practices and the ethical implications of self-experimentation. For example, gene-editing tools are sometimes (38) _ by amateur biohackers. In addition, some worry that biohacking could worsen unequal opportunities, as access to advanced tools and supplements often comes at a high cost.
In summary, biohacking empowers you to assume responsibility for your health and to find out what works best for you. Its popularity has (39) _ as it is attracting a broad range of people keen on (40) _ their overall well-being. While its potential to revolutionise health and wellness is undeniable, it also raises some key questions about the ethics of human improvement. As the movement evolves, society must cope with how to apply the benefits in a responsible way.