English as a

Second Language
Sixth Form Assessment Test
PAPER 1: Academic Reading Test
Social Science and Humanities Subjects

Time Allowed: 1 hour

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES
Write your name and nationality in the spaces at the bottom of this page.
Answer all the questions.
When you have finished, transfer your answers onto the sheet at the back of the exam paper.
Translation dictionaries are not allowed.

Student Name
Nationality

FOR EXAMINERS USE

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Total

This question paper consists of 13 printed pages.

Source Material: IELTS Practice Tests Plus Longman 2001, pp.135-137, Cambridge IELTS 3, CUP 2002, pp.122124, Cambridge IELTS 4, CUP 2005, pp.11-114.

SECTION 1
This section of the exam tests whether you are able to understand and follow instructions in an
academic situation.
You are advised to spend 20 minutes on Questions 1- 12. Look at the book extract from a study skills
book.

Questions 1 6
From the list of headings below choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph
A G. Write the appropriate numbers, ( 1 X) in boxes 1 5 on your answer sheet.

List of Headings
(i)

Gathering source material

(ii)

Open-ended essays

(iii)

The importance of focussing on the task

(iv)

Writing the essay

(v)

Types of essay and their purpose

(vi)

Learning from the essay

(vii)

Making the support material relevant

(viii)

Reviewing and amending the essay

(ix)

Allocating your personal resources

(x)

Writing a framework

Example Question

Example Answer

Paragraph B

ix

1.

Paragraph A

2.

Paragraph C

3.

Paragraph D

4.

Paragraph E

5.

Paragraph F

6.

Paragraph G

STUDY NOTES SERIES

CHAPTER SEVEN
ESSAY WRITING
A

Essays, whether written as part of a secondary school programme or further education

course, are designed to test your thinking, writing and study skills.
freedom to demonstrate your abilities to communicate effectively.

Creative essays offer you the

Analytical essays, on the other

hand, will require you to show that you have researched the topic and drawn on the work of others to
come to your conclusion.

The amount of time and effort you devote to writing an essay will depend on how it fits into

the overall scheme of assessment and should be in direct proportion to the percentage of marks
allotted. If the essay constitutes part of your coursework, the time and effort required will depend on
what marks, if any, are going towards your overall mark and grade.

However interesting and well prepared your essay may be, if it does not address the question,

you will not receive a good mark.

It is therefore essential that you examine the question and

understand what is required. A list of key words which may appear in an essay question is provided
in Appendix 4. Be sure you know what is being asked for and then consider what information is
relevant and what is not.

Use a variety of relevant background texts, refer to your lecture notes and heed any advice

given by your lecturer. When you collect material, always ask yourself what questions need to be
answered and then take good notes in your own words. Begin notes on each source on a new page
and do not forget to record details of the author, title of the book and date of publication. Remember
that copying words from another writers work without acknowledging the source constitutes the
serious crime of plagiarism.
E

Once you have collected your source material you should then sketch out a plan. Begin by

writing three or four sentences, which provide a summary of the essay. You can amend or add to the
plan as your proceed and it provides a useful scaffold for your essay. It also ensures that you cover all
the main themes and that your essay focuses on the question. Ideally you should plan to examine the
question from all sides, presenting various views before reaching a conclusion based on the evidence.
F

The introduction to the essay should explain to the reader how you are going to tackle the

question and provide an outline of what will follow. Then move on to the main body of the essay.

Refer to your notes and develop two or three logical arguments. Begin each paragraph with a topic
sentence, which clearly states the subject to be discussed, and then use the remainder of the
paragraph to fill out this opening sentence. A god essay should finish rather than simply stop. That is
to say, the conclusion should provide a statement of your final position, summing up the arguments
that your opinions are based upon.
G

It is important to keep the essay relevant and to provide some examples, quotations,

illustrations, diagrams or maps wherever appropriate. However, it is equally important to avoid the
temptation to pad your essay with unwanted information: this wastes your time and undermines the
relevant parts of the essay.

In coursework and assessment essays not written under examination

conditions, do not forget to acknowledge your sources in a bibliography,

Now read the information below and answer Questions 7 12 on the following page.

SCHOOL OF DESIGN
COURSE GUIDELINES
.1

Assignments

Course assignments will involve the production of an artefact (something shaped by human beings
rather than by nature) OR an investigation of some kind followed by a report. This is to demonstrate
the relevance of your study to society today. If you opt to produce an artefact, (e.g. a working model
or piece of machinery) you will also be expected to provide some written explanation of how and why
you produced it.
You need to follow these steps:
-

Find out precisely what is expected of you. Talk to your tutor and refer to the syllabus
document.

Be aware of what skills and abilities you must demonstrate.

Always plan a project thoroughly before you begin it but be realistic about how much time you
can seriously devote to it.

Choosing a topic
Remember that this course is essentially concerned with the achievement of desired ends. So first
identify a real-life problem, then consider it in detail, specify a precise need and then define your
design task. As you plan, wherever possible, consider using new materials, techniques and
technology such as computer-aided design (CAD).
There is nothing wrong with talking to knowledgeable people about your project; in fact, this shows
initiative. However, the project is yours so you must do the work yourself.
You will need a fairly flexible plan because sometimes resources, apparatus and consumable may not
be available when you need them. It is a god idea to work backwards when planning so you know you
will meet your final deadline. Finally, when you plan the various stages of your project give due regard
to safety and costs.

Questions 7 12
Look at the Course Guidelines for students on how to approach their coursework design project.
Complete the sentences below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer. Remember
your answers must be logical and grammatical.
Write your answers in boxes 7 12.
7.

There are .. types of assignment to choose from.

8.

A working model must be accompanied by .. of some sort.

9.

In order to understand the purpose of the assignment, students are advised to

read..

10.

Topics must be based on.

11.

To a v o i d h a n d l i n g t h e a s s i g n m e n t i n l a t e , i t i s s u g g e s t e d t h a t
students.

12.

As well as being cost effective, the method chosen must also be..

SECTION 2

Questions 13 25

The following sections of the test looks at your ability to read and understand texts related to the
subjects you will be studying.
Look at the reading passage below about the use of uniforms in different business contexts.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS COUNT
A

Traditionally uniforms were and for some industries still are manufactured to protect the
worker. When they were first designed, it is also likely that all uniforms made symbolic sense
those for the military, for example, were originally intended to impress and even terrify the
enemy; other uniforms denoted a hierarchy chefs wore white because they worked with
flour, but the main chef wore a black hat to show he supervised.

The last 30 years, however, have seen an increasing emphasis on their role in projecting the
image of an organisation and in uniting the workforce into a homogeneous unit particularly
in customer facing industries, and especially in financial services and retailing. From
uniforms and workwear has emerged corporate clothing. The people you employ are your
ambassadors, says Peter Griffin, managing director of a major retailer in the UK. What they
say, how they look, and how they behave is terribly important. The result is a new way of
looking at corporate workwear. From being a simple means of identifying who is a member of
staff, the uniform is emerging as a new channel of marketing communication.

Truly effective marketing through visual cues such as uniforms is a subtle art, however.
Wittingly or unwittingly, how we look sends all sorts of powerful subliminal messages to other
people.
Dark colours give an aura of authority while lighter pastel shades suggest
approachability. Certain dress style creates a sense of conservatism, others a sense of
openness to new ideas. Neatness can suggest power. If the company is selling quality, then
it must have quality uniforms. If it is selling style, its uniforms must be stylish. If it wants to
appear innovative, everybody cant look exactly the same. Subliminally we see all these
things, says Lynn Elvy, a director of image consultants House of Colour.

But translating corporate philosophies into the right mix of colour, style, degree of branding
and uniformity can be a fraught process. And it is not always successful. According to
Company Clothing magazine, there are 1000 companies supplying the workwear and
corporate clothing market. Of these, 22 account for 85% of total sales - 380 million in
1994.

A successful uniform needs to balance two key sets of needs. On the one hand, no uniform
will work if staff feel uncomfortable or ugly. Giving the wearers a choice has become a key
element in the way corporate clothing is introduced and managed. On the other, it is
pointless if the look doesnt express the businesss marketing strategy. The greatest challenge
in this respect is time. When it comes to human perceptions, first impressions count.
Customers will size up the way staff look in just a few seconds, and that few seconds will
colour their attitudes from then on. Those few seconds can be so important that big
companies are prepared to invest years, and millions of pounds, getting them right.

In addition, some uniform companies also offer rental services. There will be an increasing
specialisation in the marketplace, predicts Mr. Blyth, Customer Services Manager of a large
UK bank. The past two or three years have seen consolidation. Increasingly, the big
suppliers are becoming managing agents, which means they offer a total service to put
together the whole complex operation of a companys corporate clothing package which
includes reliable sourcing, managing the inventory, budget control and distribution to either
central locations or to each staff member individually. Huge investments have been made in
new systems, information technology and amassing quality assurance accreditations.

Corporate clothing does have potential for further growth. Some banks have yet to introduce
a full corporate look; police forces are researching a complete new look for the 21st century.
And many employees now welcome a company wardrobe. A recent survey of staff found that
90 per cent welcomed having clothing which reflected the corporate identity.

Questions 13 25
The passage, First Impressions Counts has seven paragraphs A G. Each paragraph has a main idea
or point.

Which paragraphs discuss the following points?

Write the correct letters A G in boxes 13 25 on your answer sheet.
Example Question
The number of companies supplying the corporate clothing market
13.

different types of purchasing agreements for uniforms

14.

the original purposes of uniforms

15.

the popularity rating of staff uniforms

16.

involving employees in the selection of a uniform

17.

the changing significance of company uniforms

18.

how different types of dress or clothes are viewed

Example Answer

Questions 19 25
Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer of the passage?

In boxes 19 25 on your answer sheet write

YES

if the statement agrees with the writers views

NO

if the statement disagrees or says the opposite of the writers views

NOT GIVEN

if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks

19.

Uniforms were more carefully made in the past than they are today.

20.

Uniforms make employees feel part of a team.

21.

Using uniforms as a marketing tool requires great care.

22.

Being too smart could have a negative impact on customers.

23.

Most businesses that supply company clothing are successful.

24.

It is best if uniforms are chosen by marketing consultants.

25.

Clothing companies are planning to offer financial services in the future.

SECTION 3 Questions 26 - 40
Read the passage below about the development of early cinema and answer Questions
26- 40.
The History of Early Cinema
The history of the cinema in its first thirty years is one of major and, to this day,
unparalleled expansion and growth. Beginning as something unusual in a handful of big
cities New York, London, Paris and Berlin the new medium quickly found its way
across the world, attracting larger and larger audiences wherever it was shown and
replacing other forms of entertainment as it did so. As audiences grew, so did the places
where films were shown, finishing up with the great picture palaces of the 1920s, which
rivalled, and occasionally superseded, theatres and opera-houses in terms of opulence
and splendour. Meanwhile, films themselves developed from being short attractions
only a couple of minutes long, to the full length feature that has dominated the worlds
screens up to the present day.
Although French, German, American and British pioneers have all been credited with the
invention of cinema, the British and the Germans played a relatively small role in its
world wide exploitation. It was above all the French, followed closely by the Americans,
who were the most passionate exporters of the new invention, helping to start cinema in
China, Japan, Latin America and Russia. In terms of artistic development it was again
the French and the Americans who took the lead, though in the years before the First
World War, Italy, Denmark and Russia also played a part.
In the end, it was the United States that was to become, and remain, the largest single
market for films, By protecting their own market and pursuing a vigorous export policy,
the Americans achieved a dominant position on the world market by the start of the First
World War. The centre of film-making had moved westwards, to Hollywood, and it was
films from these new Hollywood studios that flooded onto the worlds film markets in the
years after the First World War, and have done so ever since. Faced with total
Hollywood domination, few film industries proved competitive. The Italian industry,
which had pioneered the feature film with spectacular films like Quo vadis? (1913) and
Cabiria (1914), almost collapsed. In Scandinavia, the Swedish cinema had a brief period
of glory, notably with powerful epic films and comedies. Even the French cinema found
itself in a difficult position. In Europe, only Germany proved industrially capable, while
in the new Soviet Union and in Japan the development of the cinema took place in
conditions of commercial isolation.
Hollywood took the lead artistically as well as industrially. Hollywood films appealed
because they had better-constructed narratives, their special effects were more

impressive, and the star system added a new dimension to screen acting. If Hollywood
did not have enough of its own resources, it had a great deal of money to buy up artists
and technical innovations from Europe to ensure its continued dominance over present or
future competition.
The rest of the world survived partly by learning from Hollywood and partly because
audiences continued to exist for a product which corresponded to needs which Hollywood
could not supply. As well as popular audiences, there were also increasing audiences for
films which were artistically more adventurous or which dealt with the issues in the outer
world.
None of this would have happened without technology, and cinema is in fact unique as an
art form. In the early years, this art form was quite primitive, similar to the original
French idea of using a lantern and slides back in the seventeenth century. Early cinema
programmes were a mixture of items, combining comic sketches, free-standing narratives,
serial episodes and the occasional trick or animated film. With the arrival of the featurelength narrative as the main attraction, other types of films became less important. The
making of cartoons became a separate branch of film-making, generally practised
outside the major studios, and the same was true of serials. Together with newsreels,
they tended to be shown as short items in a programme which led to the feature.
From early cinema, it was only American slapstick comedy that successfully developed in
both short and feature format. However, during this Silent Film era, animation,
comedy, serials and dramatic features continued to thrive, along with factual films or
documentaries, which acquired an increasing distinctiveness as the period progressed. It
was also at this time that the avant-garde film first achieved commercial success, this
time thanks almost exclusively to the French and the occasional German film.
Of the countries which developed and maintained distinctive national cinemas in the
silent period, the most important were France, Germany and the Soviet Union. O these,
the French displayed the most continuity, in spite of the war and post-war economic
uncertainties.
The German cinema, relatively insignificant in the pre-war years,
exploded on to the world scene after 1919. Yet even they were both overshadowed by the
Soviets after the 1917 Revolution. They turned their back on the past, leaving the style of
the pre-war Russian cinema to the migrs who fled westwards to escape the Revolution.
The other countries whose cinemas changed dramatically are: Britain, which had an
interesting but undistinguished history in the silent period; Italy, which had a brief
moment of international fame just before the war; the Scandinavia countries, particularly
Denmark, which played a role in the development of silent cinema quite out of proportion
to their small population; and Japan, where a cinema developed based primarily on
traditional theatrical and, to a lesser extent, other art forms and only gradually adapted
to western influence.

Questions 26 29
Choose THREE letters from A - F
Write your answers in boxes 26 29 on your answer sheet
Which THREE possible reasons for American dominance of the film industry are given in the text?
A

plenty of capital to purchase what it didnt already have which was needed
to produce films.
making films dealing with serious issues
being first to produce a feature film
well-written narratives
the effect of the First World War
excellent special effects

B
C
D
E
F

Questions 30 33
Answer the questions below using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each
answer.
Write your answers in boxes 30 33 on your answer sheet.
30 31. Which TWO types of film were not generally made in major studios?
(Your will be given one mark for each answer)
32.

Which type of film did America develop in both short and feature films?

33.

Which type of film started to become profitable in the silent period?

Please turn to the next page to continue with Questions 34 40.

Questions 34 40
Look at the following statements (Questions 34 40) and the list of countries below.
Match each statement with the correct country.
Write the correct letter A J in boxes 34 40 on your answer sheet.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
34.

It helped other countries to develop their own film industry.

35.

It was the biggest producer of films

36.

It was the first to develop feature film.

37.

It was responsible for creating stars.

38.

It made the most money from avant-garde films

39.

It made movies based more on its own culture than on outside influences

40.

It had a great influence on silent movies, despite its size.

List of Countries
A

France

Japan

Germany

Soviet Union

USA

Italy

Denmark

Britain

Sweden

China