PTE Core Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks Predictions - 5 October – 11 October 2026 Weekly Study File

An herbal is a book of plants, describing their appearance, their properties, and how they may be used for preparing ointments and medicines. The medical use of plants is [recorded] on fragments of papyrus and clay tablets from ancient Egypt, Samaria, and China that date back 5,000 years but document traditions far older still. Over 700 herbal remedies were detailed in the Papyrus Ebers, an Egyptian text written in 1500 BC. Around 65 BC, a Greek physician called Dioscorides wrote an herbal that was [translated] into Latin and Arabic. Known as "De material medica", it became the most influential work on medicinal plants in both Christian and Islamic worlds until the late 17th century. An illustrated manuscript copy of the text made in Constantinople (modern-day [Istanbul)] [survives] from the sixth century. The first printed herbals date from the dawn of European printing in the 1480s. They provided valuable information for apothecaries, whose job it was to take the pills and potions [prescribed] by physicians. In the next century, landmark herbals were produced in England by William Turner, considered to be the father of British botany, and John Gerard, whose illustrations would [inspire] the floral fabric, wallpaper, and tile designs of William Morris four centuries later. Options :

Opportunity cost incorporates the [notion] of scarcity: No matter what we do, there is always a trade-off. We must trade off one thing for another because resources are limited and can be used in different ways. By acquiring something, we use up resources that could have been used to acquire something else. The notion of opportunity cost allows us to measure this [tradeoff] [. Most decisions] [involve] several alternatives. For example, if you spend an hour studying for an economics exam, you have one fewer hour to [pursue] [other activities. T] [o] [determine] the opportunity cost of an activity, we look at what you consider the best of these 'other' activities. For example, suppose the alternatives to studying economics are studying for a history exam or working in a job that pays $10 per hour. If you consider studying for history a [better] use of your time than working, then the opportunity cost of studying economics is the four extra points you could have received on a history exam if you studied history instead of economics. Alternatively, if working is the best alternative, the opportunity cost of studying economics is the $10 you could have earned instead. Options :

There has been a great variety [of] critical approaches to Shakespeare's work since his death. During the 17th and 18th century, Shakespeare was both admired and condemned. [Since] then, much of the adverse criticism has not been considered relevant, although certain issues have continued to interest critics throughout the years. For instance, charges against his moral propriety [were] made by Samuel Johnson in the 18th century and by George Bernard Shaw in the 20th. Early criticism was directed primarily at questions of form. Shakespeare [was] criticized for mixing comedy and tragedy and failing to observe the unities of time and place prescribed [by] the rules of classical drama. Dryden and Johnson were among the critics claiming that he had corrupted the language with false wit, puns, and ambiguity. [While] some of his early plays might justly be charged with a frivolous use of such devices, 20th-century criticism has tended to praise their use in later plays as adding depth and resonance of meaning. Options :

Why does the smell of cut grass remind you of summer? How can you measure your nerve endings with a paper fastener? And how can you create the sound of church bells with just a serving spoon and a piece of string...? These [fascinating] questions and more will be revealed by University of Manchester scientists when they take to the road on their 'Brain Bus'. The bus is taking hands-on [activities] to test the senses to the suburbs, to show young and old alike how the brain works and how science can answer some of life's most captivating questions. Organizer Dr Stuart Allan, lecturer at the Faculty of Life Sciences, explains: "Three-year-olds and upwards can understand the senses and it's an area that is [intriguing] to all ages." It takes effort to get out of bed on a Saturday morning and go to the Museum. We are bringing science to your doorstep and going further afield this year in the hope of finding [new and different] [audiences] . "We want people to see that science is interesting as well as important in our lives, [and to] [encourage] people who may not consider it possible to go to University." Options :

Durham University Sailing club was [founded] by Malcolm Dodds in 1966. We [have grown] a lot since then and now our members take part in team racing, fleet racing, match racing and yachting events around the country. We have [a jet] [flight] of eleven Fireflies and sail at Derwent Reservoir, which is about a 30-minute drive from Durham. Any Durham University students can join the sailing club, and while most of the sailing that we currently do is racing, there are other opportunities too, for example, [enjoying] the sunshine (hopefully!) in one of our summer sailing sessions. It is always possible to come along to one of our sailing socials whether you are part of the team or not and if you would like to do some sailing while at Durham then it couldn't be easier. Options :

Dear Mike, I hope you are doing well. I am writing to apply for the [position] at Nexus Finance. I came across this opportunity [and feel] [comfortable] applying, as my skills and experience align well with the role. This position [considers] candidates with my key skills set, qualifications and experience. With my background in finance, [I am] [confident] that I can contribute to your team and take on challenges in this role. I have attached my resume for your review. If you are well and available, please let me know if you need any further information. I will be happy to [look forward] to hearing from you and discussing how I can be a good fit for this position. Thank you for your time and consideration. Best regards, Options :

Regarding the burger shop, the owner was talking about the [strong] smell of the grilled onions, asking if you like it or not, because the [aroma] can travel nearly two blocks. He also mentioned that since we stay nearby, it is easy to drop in before you answer. Customers usually decide what to order before they [start] eating, as the place accepts cash only. If you are a fan of onions, you will be happy during your visit to Power Hamburger, a small shop [located] in the downtown area with a simple but popular menu. Options :

My name is T onia. My roommate and I are looking for a nice apartment near my college's campus. We are very quiet and study a lot. I study history, and my roommate studies French. We are very interested [in] renting your apartment. [We can] [pay] the rent on time because we do a part-time work, too. Some of our friends live in the same building and have recommended your place to us. They mentioned that you are a kind and responsible landlord, and we hope to [have] the same positive experience. I would like to [make] an appointment to view the apartment in person. Our application form is ready, and we are prepared to proceed with the process quickly. We look [forward] [to] hearing from you soon. Best regards, Tonia Options :

New B.C. Residents will only be required to provide their driver's licence history - proof of insurance is no longer required. However, their premiums will be [adjusted] for the first three years of driving in B.C. [due to] [the] increased risks associated with driving in a new area. Each year you remain crash-free, your discount increases. ICBC [will credit] you with up to 15 years of driving experience (up from eight years) upon receipt of a driver's abstract [showing] the original date that you received your licence. When obtaining your B.C. licence, you can provide your original driver's abstract in person at a driver licensing office. Options :

A drop in the incidence of lightning strikes could [impact] on the frequency of wildfires, especially in tropical regions. It could also lower the incidence of lightning strikes to infrastructure and affect how greenhouse gases in the atmosphere contribute to climate change. Scientists from the Universities of Edinburgh and Leeds and Lancaster University used a newly devised method to calculate the likely incidence of lightning flashes from storm clouds. [Unlike] traditional calculations of lightning flashes at the global scale, which are based on the height of clouds, their approach takes into account the movement of tiny ice particles that form and move within clouds. Electrical [charges] [build up] in these ice particles, and in cold water droplets and soft hail formed inside clouds. These are [discharged] during storms, giving rise to lightning flashes and thunder. Options :

I feel [safe] about the opportunity to take on new challenges and contribute to the team. [While] [I was] working at my previous job, I gained valuable experience that I believe will be beneficial in this role. I am eager to take a [position] at your esteemed company and I am confident that my skills and experience make me a strong candidate. Please let me [know] if there are any additional steps I need to take or information I need to provide. I am looking [forward] to your response. Options :

Getting a driver's license in British Columbia involves a [graduated] licensing program. It starts with the Learner's (L) stage, where new drivers must pass a [knowledge] test and follow restrictions like having a [supervisor] while driving. After a year, they can take a [road] test to advance to the Novice (N) stage, allowing them to drive independently with some restrictions, such as a zero-Í [alcohol] Í limit. After two years of safe driving, they are eligible for a final road test to obtain a full Class 5 license. This system helps new drivers gain experience gradually, [improving road] [safety] [. T] o apply, residents must provide identification, proof of [residency] , and pass vision [and] [knowledge] tests. Staying informed about licensing requirements ensures legal and responsible driving. Options :

In British Columbia (BC), vehicle insurance is [mandatory] for all drivers. The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) is the province's public auto insurer, providing basic coverage known as Autoplan. This mandatory [insurance includes third-party] [liability] , accident benefits, and protection against [underinsured] drivers. Drivers can also purchase optional coverage, such as [collision] and comprehensive insurance, to protect their [vehicles further. T] o obtain insurance, vehicle owners must visit an authorized [broker] , where they provide vehicle details and driving history to determine their premium. The cost of insurance depends on factors like driving experience, claim history, and vehicle type. Ensuring proper insurance coverage is essential for road safety and [financial] [security] in case of accidents. Options :

Life in the UK 2012 provides a unique overview of well-being in the UK today. The report is the first snapshot of life in the UK to be [delivered] by the Measuring National Well-being program and will be [updated] [and published] annually. Well-being is discussed in terms of the economy, people and the environment. Information such as the [unemployment rate or] [number] of crimes against the person are presented alongside data on people's thoughts and feelings, for example, satisfaction with our jobs or [leisure] time and fear of crime. T ogether, a richer picture on 'how society is doing' is provided. Options :

Good sense appears to have [prevailed] at last. With a fresh set of draught rules to replace last year's poorly conceived ones, the center has sought to withdraw the ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets. The draught rules are now open for comments and suggestions. When the Union Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change notified the rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act on May 23, 2017, there was [concern] that in the name of preventing cruelty to animals and regulating livestock markets, the government was surreptitiously throttling the cattle trade and furthering the BJP's cow protection agenda. The rules were criticized for restricting legitimate animal trade and interfering with [dietary] habits. Options :

Victorians were avid readers. Just as we bury our faces in our mobile devices on the morning commute, [so too] did Victorians with the latest penny fiction. Perhaps the best know serialized novels were the "Penny Dreadfuls". [Costing] just one old penny, they focused on the exploits of detectives, criminals, or supernatural entities. The price of new books-often only available as a set of three-was out of reach for most working-class people, so they borrowed from circulating libraries [such as] Mudie's (founded 1842), which dispatched books all over Britain for a modest subscription fee. For the wealthier classes who [could afford] first editions, reading from their own collection would be an everyday occurrence. Options :

Fancy locusts for lunch? Probably not, if you live in the west, but elsewhere it's a different story. Edible insects - termites, stick insects, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and giant water bugs are on the menu for an [estimated] [80] percent of the world's population. More than 1000 species of insects are [served] up around the world. For example, "kungfu cakes" made from [midges are a] [delicacy] in parts of Africa. Mexico is an insect-eating and entomophagous hotspot where more than 200 insect species are consumed. [Demand] is so high that 40 species are now under [threat] [, including] white agave worms. These caterpillars of the tequila giant-skipper butterfly fetch around $250 a kilogram. [Eating insects makes] [nutritional] sense. Some contain more [protein] than meat or fish. Female gypsy moths, for instance, is about 80 percent protein. Insects can be a good [source] of vitamins and minerals too: a type of caterpillar (Usta T erpsichore) eaten in Angola is rich in iron, zinc, and thiamine. What do they taste like? Ants have a lemon tang, apparently, whereas giant water bugs taste of mint and fire ant pupae of watermelon. You have probably, inadvertently, already tasted some of these things, as insects are often accidental tourists in other types of food. The US Food and Drug Administration even issues guidelines for the number of insect parts allowed in certain foods. For example, it is [acceptable] for 225 grams of macaroni to contain up to 225 insect fragments. Options :

The principal recommendation of the world conferences was that countries must take full responsibility for their own development. National responsibility for national development is the necessary consequence of [sovereignty] . The Monterrey Consensus states that 'Each country has primary responsibility for its own economic and social development, and the role of national policies and development strategies cannot be [over-emphasized] . The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation called for all governments to begin implementing national sustainable development strategies (NSDS) by 2005 and the 2005 Summit agreed on a target of 2006 for all developing countries to [adopt and start] [implementation] of these strategies to achieve the internationally agreed goals. The automatic corollary of that principle is that each country must be free to determine its own development strategy. It is essential that all donors and lenders [accept] the principle of country ownership of national development strategies. This implies the acceptance of the principle that development strategies should not only be attuned to country [circumstances] [but] also be prepared and implemented under the leadership of the governments of the countries themselves. The 2005 World Summit also acknowledged, in this regard, that all countries must recognize the need for developing countries to strike a [balance] between their national policy priorities and their international commitments. Options :

The last tourists may have been leaving the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank in Luxor but the area in front of the [tomb of Tutankhamen] [remained] far from deserted. Instead of the tranquility that usually descends on the area in the evening, it was a hive of activity. The TV crew trailed masses of equipment, journalists milled and photographers held their cameras at the ready. The reason? For the first time since Howard Carter [discovered] the tomb in 1922, the mummy of Tutankhamen was being prepared for public display. Inside the subterranean burial chamber Egypt's archaeology supreme Zahi Hawass, [accompanied] by four Egyptologists, two restorers, and three workmen, were slowly lifting the mummy from the golden sarcophagus where it has been rested -- mostly undisturbed -- for more than 3,000 years. The body was then placed on a wooden stretcher [and] [transported] to its new home, a high-tech, climate-controlled plexiglass showcase located in the outer chamber of the tomb where, covered in linen, with only the face and feet exposed, it now greets visitors. Options :

Tokyo Tatemono En The Edo- [Tokyo T] atemono En is an open-air architectural museum but could be better thought of as a park. Thirty buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries from [all] [around T] okyo were restored and relocated to space, where they can be explored by future generations to come. The buildings are a collection of houses and businesses, shops, and bathhouses, all of which would have been present on a typical middle-class street from Edoera to Showa- [era T] okyo. The west section is [residential] , with traditional thatched roof bungalows of the 19th century. Meiji- era houses are also on view, constructed in a more Western-style after Japan opened its borders in 1868. The Musashino Sabo Caff occupies the [ground] floor of one such house, where visitors can enjoy a cup of tea. Grand residences like that of Korekiyo T akahashi, an early 20th-century politician assassinated over his controversial policies, demonstrate how the upper class lived during that time period. The eastern section is primarily businesses from the 1920s and '30s, preserved with their wares on display. Visitors are free [to wander] [through a] kitchenware shop, a florist's, an umbrella store, a bar, a soy sauce shop, a tailor's, a cosmetics shop, and an inn complete with an operational noodle shop. Options :

Over the last ten thousand years, there seem to have been two separate and conflicting building sentiments throughout the history of towns and cities. [One] is the desire to start again, for a variety of reasons: an earthquake or a tidal wave may have demolished the settlement, or fire destroyed it, or the new city [marks] [a] new political beginning. The other can be likened to the effect of a magnet: established settlements attract people, [who] [tend to] come whether or not there is any planning for their arrival. The clash between these two sentiments is evident in every established city [unless] its development has been almost completely accidental or is lost in history. Incidentally, many settlements have been planned from the beginning but, for a variety of reasons, no settlement followed the plan. A good example is Currowan, on the Clyde River in New South Wales, which [was] [surveyed] in the second half of the 19th century, in the expectation that people would come to establish agriculture and a small port. But no one came. Most country towns in New South Wales started with an original survey whose grid lines are still there today in the pattern of the original streets. Options :

Paris is very old, there has been a settlement there for at least 6000 years and its shape has been determined in part by the River Seine, and in part by the edicts of France's rulers. But the great boulevards we admire today are relatively new, and were constructed to prevent any more barricades [being created] by the rebellious population; that work was carried out in the middle 19th century. The earlier Paris had been [in part] a maze of narrow streets and alleyways. But you can imagine that the work was not only highly expensive, but caused great distress among the half a million or so residents whose houses were [simply] razed, and whose neighborhoods disappeared. What is done cannot usually be undone, especially when buildings are torn [down] . Options :

Great engineers have a passion to improve life; a burning conviction that they can make life better for everyone. Engineers need to have a talent for invention and innovation, but what [drives] them is the conviction that they can find a better way to do things; a cheaper and more efficient solution to the problems of human existence on this [planet of] [limited] resources that we call Earth. [Many of us] [spend] a lot of time complaining about the difficulties and problems of life. It is easy to find fault with things that make daily life arduous. For an engineer, these difficulties can be opportunities. How can this be made to work better? How can that process be made more efficient? How can [components] be made more cheaply, more accurately, and more fit-for-purpose? Great engineers are convinced that everything can be [improved] . Instead of complaining, they think of ways to make things better Options :

The recipe for making any creature is written in its DNA. So last November, when geneticists published the near- complete DNA sequence of the long-extinct woolly mammoth, there was [much] speculation about whether we could bring this behemoth back to life. Creating a living, breathing creature from a genome sequence that exists only in a computer's memory is not possible right now. But someone someday is sure to try it, [predicts] Stephan [Schuster, a] [molecular] biologist at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, and a [driving] [force behind] the mammoth genome project. Options :

Most important of all is the fact that for each new ballet-pantomime created at the Paris Opera during the July Monarchy, a new score was produced. The reason for this is simple: this ballet -pantomimes told stories -elaborate ones -and the music was considered an indispensable tool in getting them across to the audience. [Therefore] , music had to be newly created to fit each story Music tailor-made for each new ballet-pantomime, however, was only one weapon in the Opera's explanatory arsenal. [Another] was the ballet-pantomime libretto, a printed booklet of fifteen to forty pages in length, which was sold in the Operas lobby (like the opera libretto), and which laid out the plot in painstaking detail, scene by scene. Critics also took it upon themselves to recount the plots (of both ballet- pantomimes and operas) in their [reviews] of premieres. So did the publishers of souvenir albums, which also featured pictures of famous [performers] and of scenes from favorite ballet-pantomimes and operas. Options :

Recently, research into embryonic development has given us an even better insight [into] [how major structural] changes might occur in a given population of organisms. We now understand that there are two major types of genes: developmental and "housekeeping" genes. Developmental genes are those that are expressed during embryonic development, and their proteins [control] the symmetry, skeletal development, organ placement, and the overall form of the developing animal. [In contrast] , "housekeeping" genes are expressed during the animal's daily life to generate proteins that keep the cells, tissues, and organs in the body functioning properly. as you might suspect, mutations in developmental genes can have radical consequences for body form and function, whereas mutations in "housekeeping" genes tend to [affect] the health and reproductive success of the post-embryonic animal. Options :

Leadership is all about being granted permission by others to lead their thinking. It is a bestowed moral authority that [gives] the right to organize and direct the efforts of others. But moral authority does not come from simply managing people effectively or communicating better or being able to motivate. It comes from many [sources] , including being authentic and genuine, having integrity and showing a real and deep understanding of the business in [question. All these] [factors] build confidence. Leaders lose moral authority for three reasons: they behave [unethically] ; they become plagued by self-doubt and lose their conviction, or they are blinded by power, lose self-awareness and thus lose [connection] [with] those they lead as the context around them changes. Having said all this, it has to be assumed that if someone becomes a leader, at some point they understood the difference between right and wrong it is up to them to abide by a moral code and up to us to [ensure] that the moment we suspect they do not, we fire them or vote them out. Options :

The rest of the universe appears to be made of a mysterious, invisible [substance] called dark matter (25 percent) and a force that repels gravity known as dark energy (70 percent). Scientists have not yet [observed] dark matter directly. It doesn't interact with baryonic matter and it's completely invisible to light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation, making dark matter impossible to detect with current instruments. But scientists are confident it exists because of the gravitational effects it [appears to] have on galaxies and galaxy clusters. The visible universe, including Earth, the sun, other stars, and galaxies, is made of protons, neutrons, and electrons bundled together into atoms. Perhaps one of the most surprising [discoveries] of the 20th century was that this ordinary, or baryonic, matter makes up less than 5 percent of the mass of the universe revelation... [This lecture will] [summarize] . Options :

Timing is important for revision. [Have] you noticed that during the school day you get times when you just don't care any longer? I don't mean the lessons you don't like, but the ones you find usually find OK, but on some occasions, you just can't be bothered with it. You [may] have other things on your mind, be tired, restless, or looking forward to what comes next. Whatever the reason, that particular lesson doesn't get 100 percent [effort] from you. The same is true of revision. Your mental and physical attitude is [important] . If you try to revise when you are tired or totally occupied with something else, your revision will be inefficient and just about worthless. If you approach it feeling fresh, alert, and happy, it will be so much easier, and you will learn more, faster. However, if you make no plans and just slip in a little bit of revision when you feel like it, you probably won't do much revision! You need a revision timetable, so you don't keep [putting it off] . Options :

To learn the speech of alchemy, an early form of chemistry in which people attempted to turn metals into gold, it helps to think back to a time when there was no science: no atomic number or weight, no periodic chart, no list of [elements. T] o the alchemists, the [universe] was not made of leptons, bosons, gluons, and quarks. Instead, it was made of substances, and one substance-say, walnut oil-could be just as [pure] [as another-say, silver-even] [though modern] [scientists] would say one is heterogeneous and the other homogeneous. Without knowledge of atomic structure how would it be [possible] to tell elements from compounds? Options :

Interior design is a professionally conducted, practice-based process of planning and realization of interior spaces and the elements within. Interior design is [concerned] with the function and operation of the aesthetics and its sustainability. The work of an interior designer draws upon many other [disciplines] , such as environmental psychology, architecture, product design and aesthetics, in relation to a wide range of building spaces including hotels corporate and public spaces, schools, hospitals, private residences, shopping malls, restaurants, theatres, [and] airport terminals. Options :

The narrative of law and order is located fundamentally at the [level] of individual guilt and responsibility. Criminal acts are seen as individual issues of personal responsibility and culpability, to [which] the state responds by way of policing, prosecution, adjudication, and punishment. This is but one level at which crime and criminal justice can be analyzed. The problem is that so often analysis ends there, at the level of individual action, [characterized] [in] terms of responsibility, guilt, evil. In few other areas of social life does individualism have this hold. T o take but one [instance] , it would be absurd to restrict the analysis of obesity, to individual greed. It should similarly be widely seen as absurd to restrict analysis of criminal justice issues [to] the culpability of individuals. Options :

The foreign policy of a state, it is often argued, begins, and ends with the border. No doubt an exaggeration, this aphorism nevertheless has an [element] of truth. A state's relationship with its neighbors, at least in the [formative] years, are greatly influenced by its frontier policy, especially when there are no [settled] borders. Empire builders in the past sought to extend imperial frontiers for a variety of reasons; the subjugation of kings and [princes to gain] [their] allegiance (as well as handsome tributes or the coffers of the state), and, the security of the 'core' of the empire from external attacks by establishing a string of buffer states in areas adjoining the frontiers. The history of the British Empire in India was no different. It is important to note in this [connection] [that the] concept of international boundaries (between two sovereign states), demarcated and delineated, was yet to emerge in India under the Mughal rule. Options :

Organizations need to integrate their sales activities more both internally and with customers' needs according to a new book co-authored by an academic at the University of East Anglia. The book [addresses] how sales can help organizations to become more customer-oriented and considers how they are responding to challenges such as [increasing competition, more] [demanding] customers and a more complex selling environment. Many organizations are facing escalating costs and a growth in customer power, [which] makes it necessary to allocate resources more strategically. The sales function can provide critical customer and market knowledge to help inform both innovation and marketing. However, the authors say that within the industry [there] [is still uncertainty] about the shape a future sales team should take, how it should be managed, and how it [fits] [into their] organization's business model. Options :

When humans began farming some 12,000 years ago, they altered the future of our [species] [forever. Our] [ancestors were ecological] [pioneers] , discovering and cultivating the most valuable crops, scaling them up to feed entire communities, and transforming wild crops so fundamentally that they became dependent on humans for their survival. Farming, in the words of National Geographic's Genographic Project, "sowed the seeds for the modern [age] ." Options :

The platypus looks like no other creature on Earth. Physically, it appears to be a hybrid blend of a bird, beaver, reptile, and otter, with additional characteristics not contained in any of these four. On cursory examination, the platypus has a bill that most [resembles] that of a waterfowl, not the mouth of any known mammal. Yet it is not an ordinary bill. It is actually a well-designed sensory organ. Not a nose, but a highly sensitive electro-location sensor, detecting minuscule electrical impulses generated by its food source of small crustaceans and worms. No other mammal has a [sensor so highly] [developed] -- in fact; only one other mammal has this ability at all. Then [there] [are the] webbed feet, similar to those found on otters. Unlike an otter, however, the webbing is far more pronounced on the front feet of the platypus, which it uses like paddles for swimming. [While] in the water, the back feet are tucked into its body and hardly used at all. Options :

Formed two million years ago when low-density salt was pushed up through the much harder materials surrounding it, the Cardona Salt Mountain is one of the largest domes of its kind in the world, and unique in Europe. While small amounts of other minerals pervade the savory hill, the salt pile [would have] a near translucent quality if not for the thin layer of reddish clay coating the exterior. The [significance] of the mountain was recognized as early as the middle ages when Romans began exploiting the mountain for its salt, which began to bolster the young Cardonian [economy] . With the invention of industrial mining techniques, a mine was built into the side of the mountain and a thriving facility formed at its base as excavators dragged enormous amounts of potash (water-soluble) salt from the innards of the hill. [In addition] to the mineral export, the locals of Cardona began making salt sculptures to sell and invented a number of hard, salty pastries unique to the area. Options :

Australia and New Zealand have many common links. Both countries were recently settled by Europeans, are predominantly English speaking and in that sense, share a common cultural [heritage] . Although in close proximity to one another, both countries are geographically isolated and have small populations by world [standards] . They have similar histories and enjoy close relations on many fronts. In terms of population [characteristics] , Australia and New Zealand have much in common. Both countries have minority indigenous populations, and during the latter half of the 20th century have seen a steady stream of migrants from a variety of regions throughout the world. Both countries have [experienced] similar declines in fertility since the high levels recorded during the baby boom, and alongside this have enjoyed the benefits of continually improving life expectancy. One consequence of these trends is that both countries are faced with an aging population and the [associated] challenge of providing appropriate care and support for this growing group within the community. Options :

Men and women are making different [choices] about their retirement savings, which could lead to very different investment outcomes, according to Dr. Claire Matthews, Director of Financial Planning at Massey University's Centre for Banking Studies. Speaking at the 2012 New Zealand Finance Colloquium, held at Massey University's Albany campus last week, Dr. Matthews said demographic characteristics had a substantial impact on the choices people made about KiwiSaver funds and retirement savings more generally. When it came to fund selection, she found there were significant differences based on gender. Men are more likely to invest in aggressive and growth funds, while women are more likely to choose conservative funds. "Males are risk-takers, [whether] it's in their choice of car or their investment fund," she says. "But when it comes to long-term savings, risk-taking can actually be an advantage." Dr. Matthews also found that men are more likely than women to have prior savings when joining KiwiSaver. Just over half of male respondents said they had savings already, while only 38% of women did. "These figures reflect and confirm, quite disappointingly, the difference [between] males and females and the level of interest they take in financial planning," Dr. Matthews says. "It's important for all New Zealanders to be better educated about their personal finances, but this is particularly so for women." Other demographic factors, including age, ethnicity, education, and income, can also influence the choices [being] made about retirement savings. Dr. Matthews found that those with bachelor and higher degrees, and those in households with a pre-tax income of $100,000 or more, were more likely to choose aggressive and growth funds. [Onthe other hand] , both the youngest and oldest age groups were more likely to be invested in conservative funds. While this might be appropriate for the life-cycle stage of older investors, it might not be so appropriate for younger, longer-term investors. Options :

Over sixty years after Amelia Earhart vanished mysteriously in the Pacific during her attempt to become the first person to circumnavigate the world along the equator, Linda Finch, a San Antonio businesswoman, accomplished pilot, and aviation historian, recreated and completed her idol's last flight as a [tribute] to the aviation pioneer's spirit and vision. On March 17, 1997, Ms. Finch and a navigator took off from Oakland International Airport, California, in a restored Lockheed Electra 10E, the same make and model aircraft that Earhart used on her last journey. The mission to fulfill Amelia Earhart's dream was called "World Flight 1997." Although Ms. Finch was not the first to attempt Earhart's around-the-world journey, she was the first to do it in a historic aeroplane. Linda Finch closely followed the same route that Earhart flew, stopping in 18 countries before finishing the trip two and a half months later when she [landed] back at the Oakland Airport on May 28. Over a million school children and others were able to follow the flight daily through an [interactive] web site part of a free multimedia educational program called "You Can Soar," provided by the project's sponsor. Options :

Part of the fun of experimenting with granular materials, says Stephen W . Morris, is the showmanship. In one stunt that [he has] [demonstrated] in settings ranging from high school classrooms to television studios, the University of Toronto physicist load clear plastic tubes with white table salt and black sand and start them rotating. What transpires in the tubes usually knocks the socks off of any [unsuspecting] bystander. Instead of mixing into a drab grey sameness, the sand particles slowly separate into crisp black bands, cutting across a long, narrow field of salt. As the spinning continues, some bands disappear and new ones arise. "It's a parlor trick," Morris says. Not to deny its [entertainment value, this] [demonstration] of how strangely granular materials can behave is also an authentic experiment in a field both rich in fundamental physics and major practical consequences. Options :

Understanding the number of species we have in our marine environment is a [basic] need if we are to protect and conserve our biodiversity. This is [vital] in today's rapidly changing world, not just here in Hong Kong, but [especially] in Southeast Asia which holds the world's most diverse marine habitats. SWIMS is playing a [major] role in trying to measure and conserve these important resources, both within Hong Kong but also, together with its regional collaborators, in Southeast Asia." said Professor Grey A. Williams, the leader of this study and the Director of HKU SWIMS. [The enormous] [array] of marine life in Hong Kong, however, has yet to receive its desired level of conservation as currently only less than 2% of Hong Kong's marine area is protected as marine parks or reserve as compared with approximately 40 % of our terrestrial area. The Government has committed to designate more new marine parks in the coming years. The Brothers Marine Park in the northern Lantau waters [will be launched] soon, which will bring Hong Kong's total protected marine area to more than 2%. The research team welcomed the initiative of the new [marine park] [while] also urging the Hong Kong government to move towards the global target of at least 10% marine protected area by the year 2020 under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Options :

The writer-or, for that matter, the speaker conceives his thought whole, as a unity, but must express it in a line of words; the reader- or listener-must take this line of symbols and from it [reconstruct] the original wholeness of [thought. There is] [little] difficulty in conversation because the listener receives innumerable cues from the physical expressions of the speaker; there is a dialogue, and the listener can [cut] in at any time. The advantage of group discussion is that people can overcome linear sequence of words by [converging] [on ideas from] different directions; which makes for the wholeness of thought. But the reader is confronted by line upon line of printed symbols, without b Options :

Populations can change through three processes: fertility, mortality, and migration. Fertility involves the number of children that women have and differs from fecundity (a woman's childbearing potential). Mortality [is] [the study of] the causes, consequences, and measurements of processes affecting death in a population. Demographers most commonly study mortality using the Life T [able, a statistical] [device] which provides information about the mortality conditions (most notably the life expectancy) in the population. Migration refers to the movement of persons from an origin place to a destination place across some pre-defined political boundary. Migration researchers do not designate movements as migrations' [unless] they are somewhat permanent. Thus demographers do not consider tourists and travellers to be migrating. While demographers who study migration typically do so through census data on place of [residence] , indirect sources of data include tax forms and labor force surveys. Options :

Progressive enhancement is a design practice based on the idea that instead of [designing] [for the least] capable browser, or mangling our code to make a site look the same in every browser, we should provide a core set of functionality and information to all users, and then [progressively] enhance the appearance and behavior of the site for users of more capable browsers. It's a very productive development practice. Instead of [spending] [hours] working out how to add drop shadows to the borders of an element in every browser, we simply use the standard- based approach for browsers that support it and don't even attempt to implement it in browsers that don't. After all, the users of older and less capable browsers won't know what they are missing. The biggest [challenge] [to] progressive enhancement is the belief among developers and clients that websites should look the same in every browser. As a developer, you can simplify your life and dedicate your time to more interesting challenges if you let go of this outdated notion and embrace progressive enhancement. Options :

The Classic era of Mayan [civilisation] came to an end around 900 AD. Why this happened is unclear; the cities were probably over-farming the land so that a [period] of drought led to famine. Recent geological [research] supports this, as there appears to have been a 200-year drought around this time. Options :

Snails are not traditionally known for quick thinking, but new research shows they can make complex decisions using just two brain cells in [findings] that could help engineers design more efficient robots. Scientists at the University of Sussex attached electrodes to the [heads] of freshwater snails as they searched for lettuce. They found that just one cell was used by the mollusk to tell if it was [hungry] or not, while another let it know when food was present. Food searching is an example of goal-directed behavior, during which an animal must integrate information about both its external environment and internal state [while] using as little energy as possible. Lead researcher Professor George Kemenes, said: "This will eventually help us design the 'brain' of robots based on the principle of using the fewest possible components necessary to perform complex tasks." What goes on in our brains [when] we make complex behavioral decisions and carry them out is poorly understood." Our study reveals for the first time how just two neurons can create a mechanism in an animal's brain which drives and optimizes complex decision-making tasks. Options :

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Friday at 1845 GMT (1445 EDT), reaching orbit 9 minutes later. The rocket lofted an unscrewed [mockup] of SpaceX's Dragon capsule, which is designed to one day carry both crew and cargo to orbit. 'This has been a good day for SpaceX and a [promising] [development for] the US human space flight program,' said Robyn Ringuette of SpaceX in a webcast of the launch. In a teleconference with the media on Thursday, SpaceX's CEO, Paypal co-founder Elon Musk, said he would consider the flight 100 percent successful if it reached [orbit] . ' Even if we just proved out that the first stage functions correctly, I'd still say that's a good day for a test,' he said. ' It's a great day if both stages work correctly.' SpaceX hopes to win a NASA [contract] to launch astronauts to the International Space Station using the Falcon 9. US government space shuttles, which currently make these trips, are scheduled to [retire] for safety reasons at the end of 2010. Options :

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. Due to its unique international character, and the powers vested in its founding Charter, the organization can take [action] on a wide range of issues and provide a forum for its 193 Member States to [express] their views, through the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies and committees. The work of the United Nations reaches every [corner] of the globe. Although best known for peacekeeping, peacebuilding, conflict [prevention] [, and] humanitarian assistance, there are many other ways the United Nations and its system (specialized agencies, funds and programmes) affect our lives and make the world a better place. Options :

Children have [sound] sleep patterns. They can [successfully] sleep for 8-9 hours and get up at a fixed time. But teenagers don't. Their need for an early start to schools or other schedules can [influence] [. their sleep] patterns. [Despite] of these factors, they actually need longer sleep. So, parents should try and speak to their [children, who are] [suitable] to help them understand that night of sound sleep is always helpful. Options :

Distance learning can be highly beneficial to a large variety of people from young students wanting to expand their horizons to adults looking for more job security, with programs that allow learners of all ages to take courses for fun, personal advancement, and degrees, distance learning can [meet] the needs of a diverse population. Perhaps one of the most notable and often talked about [advantages] of distance learning is the flexibility the majority of programs allow students to learn when and where it's convenient for them. For [those] who are struggling to balance their distance learning goals with working a fulltime job and taking care of a family, this kind of flexibility can allow many people to pursue education who would not otherwise be able to do so. [Since] there are no on- campus courses to attend, students can learn from their own homes, at work on their lunch breaks, and from virtually anywhere with internet access. For some, it can even be a big source of savings on the fuel costs and time required to commute to classes. Options :

Language comes so naturally to us that it is easy to forget what a strange and miraculous gift it is. All over the world [members of our] [species] fashion their breath into hisses and hums and squeaks and pops and listen to others [do the] [same] . We do this, of course, not only because we like the sounds but because details of the sounds contain information about the [intentions] of the person making them. We humans are fitted with a means of [sharing] our ideas, in all their unfathomable vastness. When we listen to the speech, we can be led to think thoughts that have never been thought of before, and that never would have [occurred] to us on our own. Options :

One of the most important things to remember is that "classic" does not necessarily translate to "favorite" or "bestselling". Literature is instead considered classic when it has stood the test of time and it stands the test of time when the artistic quality it expresses - be it an [expression] of life, truth, beauty, or anything about the universal human condition - continues to be relevant and continues to inspire emotional responses, no matter the period in which the work was written. Indeed, classic literature is considered as such [regardless] of book sales or public popularity. That said, classic literature [usually] merits lasting recognition - from critics and other people in a position to influence such decisions - and has a universal appeal. And, while effective use of language as well as technical excellence - is a must, not everything that is well-written or is characterized by technical achievement or critical acclaim will automatically be considered a classic. Conversely, works that have not been acknowledged or [received] [positively] by the writer's contemporaries or critics can still be considered as classics. Options :

The rest of T aylor's restaurant is student-run. Students in quantity food production and service management [classes] make the articulate and detailed dishes. "We teach students to understand where a product comes from and to respect that product," Garmy said. Skeptics might doubt the [quality] of a student-run restaurant, but one visit to T aylor's will immediately change their outlook. Dishes such as orecchiette, butternut squash, pappardelle with duck, and bistro chicken will please any appetite while imparting the need to return for a second taste. Students are taught to use ratios and proportions rather than recipes [when] creating dishes. "Understanding ratios and proportions when creating dishes instead of recipes makes students think and actually teaches them how to cook, rather than just reading a recipe and not learning from it," Garmy said. Garmy said he believes in using all aspects of a product, which T [aylor's] [menu] reflects. Options :

Since Austria sits at a high elevation and spends a quarter of the year under [snow] , it should come as no surprise that heating is a matter of considerable [importance] in the country. What may be surprising, however, is that Vienna, a grand imperial city of music, art, and history actually boasts a museum [dedicated] [specifically to] heating systems. Options :

The Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage property covers an area of 5.5 km2 (550ha) and is located in T elford, Shropshire, approximately 50km north-west of Birmingham. The Industrial Revolution had its 18th-century [roots] in the Ironbridge Gorge before spreading across the world, bringing with it some of the most far-reaching changes in human history. The site incorporates a 5km length of the steep-sided, mineral-rich Severn Valley from a point immediately west of Ironbridge downstream to Coalport, together with two smaller river valleys extending northwards to Coalbrookdale and Madeley. The Ironbridge Gorge offers a powerful [insight] of the origins of the Industrial Revolution and also contains extensive remains of that period when the area was the focus of international attention from artists, engineers, and writers. The site contains substantial remains of mines, foundries, factories, workshops, warehouses, ironmasters' and workers' housing, public buildings, infrastructure, and transport systems, together [with] the traditional landscape and forests of the Severn Gorge. In addition, there also remain [extensive] collections of artefacts and archives relating to the individuals, processes, and products that made the area so [important. T] oday, the site is a living working community with a population of approximately 4000 people. It is also a [historic] landscape that is interpreted and made accessible through the work of a number of organizations, in particular, the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust established in 1967 to preserve and interpret the remains of the Industrial Revolution within the Ironbridge Gorge) and the Severn Gorge Countryside Trust established in 1991 to manage the woodland and grassland in the Gorge. Options :

Chemistry is an extremely important topic in physiology. Most physiological processes occur as the [result] [of] chemical changes that occur within the body. These changes include the influx/efflux of ions across a neuron's [membrane, causing a] [signal] to pass from one end to the other. Other examples include the [storage] [of] oxygen in the blood by a protein as it [passes] through the lungs for [usage] throughout the body. Options :

The emperor is the giant of the penguin world and the [most] iconic of the birds of Antarctica. Gold patches on their ears and on the top of their chest brighten up their blackheads. Emperors and their closest relative, the king penguin, have unique breeding cycles, with very long chick-rearing periods. The emperor penguins breed the furthest south of any penguin species, forming large colonies on the sea-ice surrounding the Antarctic continent. They are true Antarctic birds, rarely [seen] in the subantarctic waters. So that the chicks can fledge in the late summer season, emperors breed during the cold, dark winter, with temperatures as low at - 50°C and winds [up] [to 200 km] per hour. They trek 50-120 km (30-75 MLS) over the ice to breeding colonies which may include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg in May then passes it over to her mate to incubate whilst she goes to the sea to feed. For nine weeks the male fasts, losing 45% of his body weight. The male balances the egg on his feet, which are [covered] in a thick roll of skin and feathers. The egg can be 70°C warmer than the outside temperature. Options :

If you see a movie, or a TV advertisement, that involves a fluid behaving in an unusual way, it was probably [made] using technology based on the work of a Monash researcher. Professor Joseph Monaghan, who pioneered an [influential] [method] for interpreting the behavior of liquids that underlies most special effects involving water, [has been] [honored] with election to the Australian Academy of Sciences. Professor Monaghan, one of only 17 members elected in 2011, was recognized for developing the method of Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) which has applications in the fields [of] astrophysics, engineering, and physiology, as well as movie special effects. His research started in 1977 when he tried to use computer simulation to describe the formation of stars and stellar systems. The algorithms available at the time were [incapable] [of describing] the complicated systems that evolve out of chaotic clouds of gas in the galaxy. Professor Monaghan and his colleague Bob Gingold took the novel and effective approach of replacing the fluid or gas in the simulation with large numbers of particles with properties that mimicked those of the fluid. SPH has become a central tool in astrophysics, [where] it is currently used to simulate the evolution of the universe after the Big Bang, the formation of stars, and the processes of planet building. Options :

The Eiffel T ower was the tallest building in the world [when] it was completed in 1889. It was built for the World's Fair to demonstrate that iron could be as strong as stone while being infinitely lighter. And in fact, the wrought-iron tower is twice as tall as the masonry Washington Monument and yet it weighs 70,000 tonnes less! It is repainted every [seven years] [with] 50 tonnes of dark brown paint. Called "the father of the skyscraper," the Home Insurance Building, [constructed] in Chicago in 1885 (and demolished in 1931), was 138 feet tall and 10 stories. It was the first building to effectively employ a supporting [skeleton] of steel beams and columns, allowing it to have many more windows than traditional masonry structures. But this new construction method made people worry that the building would fall, leading the city to halt [construction until they] [could] investigate the structure's safety. In 1929, auto tycoon Walter Chrysler took part in an intense race with the Bank of Manhattan Trust Company to build the world's tallest skyscraper. Just when it looked like the bank had captured the coveted title, workers at the Chrysler Building [jacked] a thin spire hidden inside the building through the top of the roof to win the contest (subsequently losing the title four months later to the Empire State Building). Chrysler also decorated his building to mirror his cars with hubcaps, mudguards, and hood ornaments. Options :

For all his fame and celebration, William Shakespeare remains a [mysterious] figure with regards to personal history. There are just two primary [sources] for information on the Bard: his work, and various legal and [church] documents that have survived from Elizabethan times. Naturally, there are many [gaps] [in this body] of information, which tells us little about Shakespeare the man. Options :

Complementary therapies - such as those [practiced] by naturopaths, chiropractors, and acupuncturists - have become increasingly popular in Australia over the last few [decades] . Interest initially coincided with [enthusiasm] for alternative lifestyles, while immigration and increased contact and trade with China have also [had an] [influence] . The status of complementary therapies is being revisited in a number of areas: legal regulation; the stances of doctors' associations; their inclusion in medical education; and scientific research into [their] [efficacy] . Options :

An eccentric mix of English, German and French has entered Japanese usage with grand abandon. A "Kariya" woman is a career woman, and a "mansion" is an apartment. This increasing use of katakana, or unique Japanese versions of Western words, and the younger generation's more casual use of the Japanese language have [prompted] Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to worry that these new words may not be understood by a wider audience. [As a] [result] , a government panel is proposing to publish a manual on how to speak proper Japanese. Foreign words [became katakana Japanese] [because] no existing Japanese words could quite capture a specific meaning or feeling. When the word "cool" travelled east, all of its English connotations did not make the journey. A kuru person in Japan is someone who is calm and never gets upset. On the other hand , someone who is kakkoii is hip, or in translation, "cool." [Similarly] , a hotto person is one who is easily excitable, perhaps passionate, but not necessarily a popular person or personality of the moment. Options :

No one in Parliament would know better than Peter Garrett what largesse copyright can confer so it may seem right that he should announce a [royalty] for artists, amounting to 5 percent of all sales after the original one, which can go on giving to their families for as much as 150 years. But that ignores the truth that copyright law is a [scandal] , recently exacerbated by the Free Trade Agreement with the US which required extension of copyright to 70 years after death. Is it scandalous that really valuable copyrights end up in the ownership of corporations (although Agatha Christie's no-doubt worthy great-grandchildren are still [reaping] the benefits of West End success for her whodunnits and members of the Garrick Club enjoy the continuing fruits of A.A. Milne's Christopher Robin books)? No. The scandal is that being peasant politicians have attempted to appear cultured by creating private assets that depend on an act of Parliament for their existence and by giving away [much] more in value than any public benefit could justify. In doing so they have betrayed our trust. Options :

Alaska's the Aleutian Islands have long been accustomed [to] shipwrecks. They have been part of local consciousness since a Japanese whaling ship ran [aground] near the western end of the 1,100-mile (1,800-km) [volcanic] [archipelago] in 1780, inadvertently naming what is now Rat Island [when] the ship's infestation, scurried ashore and made itself at home. Since then, there have been at least 190 [shipwrecks] in the islands. Options :

The invasion of non-indigenous plants is considered a primary threat to the integrity and function of ecosystems. However, there is little quantitative or [experimental] evidence for ecosystem impacts of invasive species. Justifications for control are often based on potential, but not presently realized, recognized, or quantified negative impacts. Should a lack of scientific certainty about the impacts of non-indigenous species result in postponing [measures to] [prevent] degradation? Recently, management of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) has been criticized for lack of evidence demonstrating the negative impacts of L. salicaria, and management using biocontrol for lack of evidence documenting the failure of conventional control methods. Although little quantitative evidence on negative impacts on native wetland biota and wetland function was available at the onset of the control program in 1985, recent work has demonstrated that the invasion of purple loosestrife into North American freshwater [wetlands alters] [decomposing] rates and nutrient cycling, leads to reductions in wetland plant diversity, reduces pollination and seed output of the native Lythrum alatum, and reduces habitat [suitability] [for specialized] wetland bird species such as black terns, least bitterns, pied-billed grebes, and marsh wrens. Conventional methods (physical, mechanical, or chemical) have continuously failed to [curb] the spread of purple loosestrife or to provide satisfactory control. Although a number of generalist insect and bird species utilize purple loosestrife, wetland habitat specialists are excluded by encroachment of L. salicaria. We [conclude] [that the negative] ecosystem impacts of purple loosestrife in North America justify control of the species and that the detrimental effects of purple loosestrife on wetland systems and biota and the potential benefits of control outweigh potential [risks associated] [with] the introduction of biocontrol agents. Long-term experiments and monitoring programs that are in place will evaluate the impact of these insects on purple loosestrife, on wetland plant succession, and other wetland biotas. Options :

Founded after World War II by 51 "peace-loving states" combined to oppose future aggression, the United Nations now counts 192 member nations, [including] its newest members, Nauru, Kiribati, and T onga in 1999, Tuvalu and Yugoslavia in 2000, Switzerland and East Timor in 2002, and Montenegro in 2006. United Nations Day has been [observed] on October 24 since 1948 and celebrates the objectives and accomplishments of the organization, which was established on October 24, 1945. The UN [engages] in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions across the globe. Though some say its [influence] has declined in recent decades, the United Nations still plays a tremendous role in world politics. In 2001 the United Nations and Kofi Annan, then Secretary-General of the UN, won the Nobel Peace Prize "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world." Since 1948 there have been 63 UN peacekeeping operations, 16 are currently underway. Thus far, close to 130 nations have [contributed] personnel at various times; 119 are currently providing peacekeepers. As of August 31, 2008, there were 16 peacekeeping operations underway with a total of 88,230 personnel. The small island nation of Fiji has taken part in virtually every UN peacekeeping operation, as has Canada. Options :

Measuring poverty on a global scale [requires] establishing a uniform poverty level across extremely divergent economies, which can result in only rough comparisons. The World Bank has defined the international poverty line as U.S. $1 and $2 per day in 1993 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), which adjusts for differences in the [prices] [of goods] and services between countries. The $1 per day level is generally used for the [least] developed countries, primarily African; the $2-per-day level is used for [middle-income] economies such as those of East Asia and Latin America. Options :

Impressionism was a nineteenth-century art movement that began as a loose association of Paris-based artists who [started] publicly exhibiting their art in the 1860s. Characteristics of Impressionist paintings include visible brush strokes, light colours, open composition, emphasis on the light in its [changing] qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subject matter, and unusual visual angles. The name of the movement is derived from Claude Monet's Impression, Sunrise (Impression, Soleil Levant). Critic Louis Leroy inadvertently coined the term in a satiric review published in Le Charivari. Radicals in [their] time, early Impressionists broke the rules of academic painting. They began by giving colours, freely brushed, primacy over the line, drawing inspiration from the work of painters such as Eugene Delacroix. They also took the [act] of painting out of the studio and into the world. Previously, not only still-lives and portraits, but also landscapes had been painted indoors, but the Impressionists found that they could capture the momentary and transient effects of sunlight by painting air (in plain air). Options :

In a sequence of bestsellers, including The Language Instinct and How the Mind Works, Pinker has argued the swathes of our mental, social and emotional lives may have [originated] as evolutionary adaptations, well suited to the lives our ancestors eked out on the Pleistocene savannah. Sometimes it seems as if nothing is immune from being explained this way. Road rage, adultery, marriage, altruism, our tendency to reward senior executives [with] corner offices on the top floor, and the smaller number of women who become mechanical engineers all may have [their] [roots] in natural selection, Pinker claims. The controversial implications are obvious: that men and women [might] [differ] in their inborn abilities at performing certain tasks, for example, or that parenting may have [little] influence on personality. Options :

Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop says she has seen no evidence that international students are graduating [from] Australian universities with poor English skills. Research by Monash University academic Bob Birrell has found a third of international students are graduating [without] a competent level of English. But Ms. Bishop says Australian universities only enroll international students once they have achieved international standards of language proficiency. "This has been an extraordinary attack [by] Professor Birrell on our universities," she said. "International students must meet international benchmarks in the English language in order to get a place at a university in Australia, and they can't get into university [without] reaching that international standard." University of Canberra vice-chancellor Roger Dean also says international students are required to sit an English test before being admitted to nearly all Australian universities. "There are, of course, intercultural difficulties as well as language difficulties," he said. "There are, of course, also many Australian students [who] don't speak such fantastically good English either." "So we're trying to push the standard even higher than a present, but it's a very useful one already." Ms. Bishop says of Australia's university system, which has high standards. "I've seen no evidence to suggest that students are not able to complete their courses because they're failing in English yet they're being passed by the universities," she said. "I've not seen any [evidence] to back that up." "International education is one of our largest exports, it's our fourth-largest export, and it's in the interest of our universities to maintain very high standards because their standard fame recognition achievement is at stake." Options :

People move to a new region for many different reasons. The [motivation] for moving can come from a combination of what researchers sometimes call 'push and pull factors' - those that encourage people to leave a region, and those that attract people to a region. Some of the factors that motivate people to move [include] seeking a better climate, finding more affordable housing, looking for work or retiring from work, leaving the congestion of city living, wanting a more pleasant environment, and wanting to be near to family and friends. In reality, [many complex] [factors] and personal reasons may [interact] to motivate a person or family to move. Options :

Comparing the intelligence of animals of different species is difficult, how do you compare a dolphin and a horse? Psychologists have a technique for looking at intelligence that [does] not require the cooperation of the animals involved. The relative size of an individual's brain is a reasonable indication of intelligence. Comparing [across] species is not as simple as an elephant will have a larger brain than a human simply because it is a large beast, [instead] we use the Cephalization index, which compares the size of an animal's brain to the size of its body. Based on the Cephalization index, the brightest animals on the planet are humans, [followed] by great apes, porpoises, and elephants. As a general [rule] , animals that hunt for a living (like canines) are smarter than strict vegetarians (you don't need much intelligence to outsmart a leaf of lettuce). Animals that live in social groups are always smarter and have larger EQs than solitary animals. Options :

The financing of Australian higher education has undergone dramatic changes since the early 1970s. Although the Australian Government provided regular funding for universities from the late 1950s, in 1974 it [assumed] [full] responsibility for funding higher education - [abolishing] tuition fees with the intention of making university [accessible] to all Australians who had the [ability] and who wished to participate in higher education. Since the late 1980s, there has been a move towards greater private contributions, [particularly] student fees. In 1989, the Australian Government introduced the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) which included a loan scheme to help students finance their contributions. This enabled university to remain accessible to students by delaying their payments until they could afford to pay off their loans. In 2002, the Australian Government [introduced] a scheme similar to HECS for postgraduate students - the Postgraduate Education Loan Scheme (PELS). Funding for higher education comes from various sources. This article examines the three main sources - Australian Government funding, student fees and charges, and HECS. While the proportion of total [revenue] raised through HECS is relatively small, HECS payments are a significant component of student university costs, with many students carrying a HECS debt for several years after leaving university. This article also focuses on the characteristics of university students based on their HECS liability status, and the level of accumulated HECS debt. Options :

It is important [to] emphasize the need for hard work as an essential part of studying law, because far too many students are tempted to think that they can succeed by relying on what they imagine to be their natural ability, without bothering to add the [expenditure] [of effort. T] o take an analogy, some people prefer the more or less [instant gratification] [which] comes from watching television adaptation of a classic novel to the rather more [laborious] process of reading the novel itself. Those who [prefer] watching television to read the book are less likely to study law successfully unless they rapidly acquire a [taste] for text-based materials. Options :

In an often-cited study about counterfactuals, Medvec, Madey, and Gilovich (1995) found that bronze medalists appeared happier than silver medalists in television coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympics. Medvec et al. [argued] that bronze medalists compared themselves to 4th place finishers, [whereas] [silver medalists] compared themselves to gold medalists. These counterfactuals were the most salient because they were either qualitatively different (gold vs. silver) or categorically different (medal vs. no medal) from what [actually] occurred. Drawing on archival data and experimental studies, we show that Olympic athletes (among others) are more likely to make counterfactual comparisons based on their [prior] expectations, consistent with decision affect theory. Silver medalists are more likely to be disappointed because their personal expectations are higher than [those] of bronze medalists. Options :

Drive down any highway, and you'll see a proliferation of chain restaurants -- most likely if you travel long and far enough, you'll see McDonald's golden arches as well as signs for Burger King, Hardee's and Wendy's, the "big four" of burgers. Despite its name, though, Burger King has fallen short of [claiming] the burger crown, unable to surpass market leader McDonald's No. 1 sales status. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, Burger King remains No. 2.worse yet, Burger King has experienced a six-year 22 percent decline in customer traffic, [with] [its overall] quality rating dropping while ratings for the other three contenders have increased. The decline has been [attributed] to inconsistent product quality and poor customer service. Although the chain tends to throw advertising dollars at the problem, an understanding of Integrated Marketing Communication theory would suggest that internal management problems (nineteen CEOs in fifty years) need to be [rectified] before a unified, long- term strategy can be put in place. The [importance] [of] [consistency] in brand image and messages, at all levels of communication, has become a basic tenet of IMC theory and practice. The person who takes the customer's order must communicate the same message as Burger King's famous tagline, "Have it your way," or the customer will just buzz up the highway to a chain restaurant that seems more consistent and, therefore, more [reliable] . Options :

You've probably noticed that [synthetic] t-shirts stink more after a workout, compared to cotton. But hey, it's not the fabric's fault. It's the microbes that hang out on synthetics that create that [characteristic] [stench. That's] according to a study in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology. Twenty-six volunteers-half men, half women worked out on spinning bikes for an hour. They did so outfitted with shirts of cotton, [polyester] , or a cotton/synthetic blend. The researchers then stuffed the sweaty shirts into plastic bags. The next day, a trained panel sniffed them, rating their funk. Unlucky job. Because yes, the polyester shirts were indeed more musty, sour, and ammonia-like than the cotton. DNA analysis revealed that Micrococcus [bacteria] was to blame. They aren't actually all that common in the armpit itself. And they don't flock to cotton. But researchers say they thrive on the open-air lattice of synthetic fibres where they sit chomping on the long-chain fatty acids [in] our sweat, turning them into shorter, stinkier molecules. These findings might just explain one of the most vexing questions of adolescence: why do stinky shirts smell so unpleasantly different from the body odour in the [armpits] [themselves] ? It could be because your favourite shirt has a microbiome of its own. Options :

Victoria University of Wellington has conferred an honorary degree on a distinguished astrophysicist in a recent graduation ceremony. Professor Warrick Couch [received] the honorary degree of Doctor of Science for his remarkable contribution to our knowledge of galaxies and dark energy. Professor Couch is a distinguished [astrophysicist who has] [played] a crucial role in the discovery that the Universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, a finding which led to the lead scientists being awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011, which he attended in recognition of his contribution. In his research, Professor Couch uses large ground-based and space-based telescopes to observe galaxy clusters, [which] are the Largest Structures in the Universe. He is also involved in a number of national and international committees overseeing the management of these telescopes. [In addition] [to] his own research activities, Professor Couch has worked to support young researchers and provide public comment on astronomy internationally. Options :

At the moment, there are between six and seven thousand languages in the world. According to linguists, fifty percent of these are in danger [of becoming] extinct. The speed of language loss has accelerated over the past few decades because businesses that need to communicate with a range of people from other cultures [prefer] to employ more widely used languages, such as English, Chinese, or Spanish. This attitude is understandable, but it means that many local languages are dying out before anyone [has had] the opportunity to study them. According to linguists, some of these languages could reveal a great [deal] of useful information about language learning and cognitive development. In addition, a local language that has been built on the local culture contains words and phrases that express that culture; lose the language and you arguably may lose the culture, too. And [finally, historians will] [argue] that a language contains evidence of a region's history and should, for that reason alone, be preserved. Options :

About 10,000 years ago, people learned how to make cloth. Wool, cotton, flax, or hemp was first spun into a thin thread using a spindle. The thread was then woven into a fabric. The earliest weaving machines [probably] [consisted of] little more than a per of sticks that held a set of parallel threads, called the wrap, while the cross-thread, called the weft, was inserted. Later machines called looms had roads that separated the threads to allow the west to be [inserted more] [easily] . A piece of wood, called the shuttle, holding a spool of thread, was passed between the separated threads. The basic [principles] of spinning and weaving have stayed the same until the present day, though during the industrial revolution of the 18th century many ways were found of [automating] the processes. With new machines such as the spinning mule, many threads could be spun at the same time, and, with the help of devices like the flying shuttle, broad pieces of cloth could be woven at great speed. Options :

Climate is the word we [use] for weather over a long period of time. The desert has a dry climate because there is [very] [little] rain. The UK has a 'temperate climate', [which] means winters are, overall, mild and, [summers] generally, don't get too hot. Options :

There has been increased research interest in the use of active video games (in which players physically interact with images on the screen) as a means to [promote] physical activity in children. The aim of this review was to assess active video games as a means of increasing energy expenditure and physical activity behavior in children. Studies [were] [obtained] from computerized searches of multiple electronic bibliographic databases. The last search was conducted in December 2008. Eleven studies focused on the quantification of the energy cost associated with [playing] active video games, and eight studies focused on the utility of active video games as an intervention to increase physical activity in children. Compared [with] traditional non-active video games, active video games elicited greater energy expenditure, which was similar in intensity to mild to moderate-intensity physical activity. The intervention studies indicate that active video games may have the potential to increase free-living physical activity [and] [improve] body composition in children; however, methodological limitations prevent [definitive] conclusions. Future research should focus on larger, methodologically sound intervention trials to provide definitive answers as to whether this technology is effective in [promoting] long-term physical activity in children. Options :

It is tempting to try to prove that good looks win votes, and many academics have tried. The [difficulty] [is that] beauty is in the eye of the [beholder] , and you cannot behold a politician's face without a veil of extraneous prejudice getting in the way. Does George Bush possess a disarming grin or a facetious smirk? It's hard to find anyone who can look at the president without assessing him politically as well as [physically] . Options :

To qualify as a conservancy, a committee must define the conservancy's boundaries, elect a [representative] conservancy committee, negotiate a legal constitution, prove the committee's ability to [manage] [funds and] produce an acceptable plan for [equitable] distribution of wildlife-related benefits. Once approved, [registered] [conservancies acquire the] [rights] to a sustainable wildlife quota, set by the ministry. Options :

In the fast-changing world of modern healthcare, the job of a doctor is more and more like the job of a chief executive. The people who run hospitals and physicians' [practices] don't just need to know [medicine] [. They] [must also be] [able] to balance budgets, motivate a large and diverse [staff] , and make difficult marketing [and legal] [decisions] . Options :

Music is an important part of our lives. We connect and interact with it daily and use it as a way of projecting our self- identities to the people around us. The music we enjoy - whether it's country or classical, rock n' roll or rap - [reflects] who we are. But where did music, at its core, first come from? It's a puzzling question that may not have a definitive answer. One [leading] researcher, however, has proposed that the key to understanding the origin of music is nestled snugly in the loving bond between mother and child. In a lecture at the University of Melbourne, Richard Parncutt, an Australian-born professor of systematic musicology, endorsed the idea that music originally spawned from 'motherese' - the playful voices mothers [adopt] [when] [speaking to] [infants] and toddlers. As the theory goes, increased human brain sizes caused by evolutionary changes occurring between one and 2,000,000 years ago resulted in earlier births, more fragile infants, and a [critical] need for stronger relationships between mothers and their newborn babies. According to Parncutt, who is based at the University of Graz in Austria, 'motherese' arose as a way to strengthen this maternal bond and to help [ensure] an infant's survival. Options :

Bones are extremely strong. One of their [main] functions is to protect organs. For example, the skull protects the brain; ribs protect [the] heart and lungs. There are three types of joints, including fixed joints, slightly moveable joints, and freely [moving] joints. Options :

Nature is no longer an [alien enigma] [but] something immediately beautiful, and exuberant opus [with] [space] for us to join in. Bird melodies have always been called songs for a reason. As long as we have been listening, people [have] presumed there is music coming out of those scissoring beaks. Options :

The environmental impact of the global textile industry is hard to overstate. One-third of the water used worldwide is spent fashioning fabrics. For every ton of cloth [produced] 200 tons of water is polluted with chemicals and heavy [metals. An] [estimated] 1 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity powers the factories that card and comb, spin and weave, and cut and stitch materials into everything from T -shirts to towels, [leaving] behind mountains of solid waste and a massive carbon footprint. "Where the industry is today is not really sustainable for the long term," says Shreyaskar Chaudhary, chief executive of Pratibha Syntex, a textile manufacturer based outside Indore, India. With something of an "if you build it, they will come" attitude, Mr Chaudhary has steered Pratibha [toward] [the] leading edge of eco-friendly textile production. Under his direction, Pratibha began making clothes with organic cotton in 1999. Initially, the company couldn't find enough organic farms growing cotton in central India to [supply] [its factories. T] o meet production demands, Chaudhary's team had to convince conventional cotton farmers to change their growing methods. Pratibha provided seeds, cultivation instruction, and a guarantee of fair-trade prices for [their] [crops. T] oday, Pratibha has a network of 28,000 organic cotton growers across the central states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Orissa. Options :

With the increase in women's [participation] in the labour force, many mothers have less time available to undertake domestic activities. At the same time, there has been increasing [recognition] that the father's role and relationship with a child is important. A father can have many [roles] in the family, ranging from income provider to teacher, carer, playmate and role model. Therefore, balancing paid work and family responsibilities can be an important issue for both fathers and mothers in families. Options :

The exponential growth of the internet [was] heralded, in the 1990s, as revolutionizing the production and [dissemination] [of] information. Some people saw the internet as a means of [democratizing] [access to] [knowledge. For people] [concerned] with African development, it seemed to offer the possibility of leapfrogging over the technology gap that separates Africa from advanced industrialized countries. Options :

Clean water was very important to the Romans. Cities, towns and forts were built near springs. However, as Roman cities and towns grew, they needed to bring in water from [further afield] . As the population grew, [so] [did] the need for clean water. Trying to shift [large volumes] of water underground in pipes was not possible as lead pipes would be too weak and bronze pipes would be too expensive. The Romans could not make cast iron pipes as the [techniques] for doing this were not known to them. If water could not be brought via pipes, the Romans decided to bring it overland in what were conduits. When the water got to the city, it was fed off into smaller bronze or ceramic [pipes. T] o get the water to flow at an even (and slow) pace, conduits were built on a slight slope. Valleys were crossed by using aqueducts. One of the most famous of these is the Pont du Gard aqueduct at Nimes in southern France. Where possible, the Romans did take water through tunnels but the hills needed to be [relatively] small for this to be successful. Options :

New favorable traits evolve when genetic mutations arise that offer a survival edge. As the survivors of each generation pass on those beneficial mutations, the mutations and [their] adaptive traits become more common in the general population. Though it may take millions of years for complex traits [to evolve] , say allowing humans to walk on two legs, evolution itself happens with each generation as adaptive mutations become more frequent in the population. The genomic revolution has allowed biologists to see the natural selection process [in action] [by] making the genetic blueprint of hundreds of thousands of people available for comparison. By tracking the relative rise and fall of specific mutations [across] generations of people, researchers can infer which traits are spreading or dwindling. Options :

Genius, in the popular conception, is inextricably tied up with precocity - doing something truly creative, we're inclined to think, requires the freshness and exuberance and energy of youth. Orson Welles made his masterpiece, "Citizen Kane", at twenty-five. Herman Melville wrote a book a year [through] his late twenties, culminating, at the [age] of thirty-two, with "Moby-Dick". Mozart wrote his breakthrough Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-Flat-Major at the age of twenty-one. In some creative forms, like lyric poetry, the [importance] of precocity has hardened into an iron law. How old was T . S. Eliot when he wrote "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" ("I grow old ... I grow old")? Twenty- three. "Poets peak young," the creativity researcher James Kaufman maintains. Mih<ly CsRkszentmih<lyi, the author of "Flow", agrees: "The most creative lyric verse is believed to be that written by the young." According to the Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner, a leading [authority] on creativity, "Lyric poetry is a domain where [talent] [is] discovered early, burns brightly, and then peters out at an early age." Options :

People in parts of western Africa and southwestern Asia were the first to realize that the dark-silvery rocks poking out of the earth could be worked into tools and weapons, sometime around 1500 B.C., evidence shows. The metal was [probably discovered there] [by] accident when some ore was dropped into a fire and cooled into wrought iron, historians think. The eureka moment didn't reach Europe for [another] 500 years, traveling slowly north and west through Greece, Italy, central Europe and finally to the British Isles [with] the spread of the famous Celtic tribes. The Celts diffused iron technology over much of the continent through warfare, where their victory was assured due to the strength of iron weapons. Perhaps not the most peaceful of cultural exchanges, but where the technology did travel, it caught on fast. Iron [made] life a lot easier in those days, when just living to the age of 45 was a feat. By that time, much of Europe had settled into small village life, [toiling] the soil with bronze and stone tools. Iron farming tools, such as sickles and plough tips, made the process more efficient and allowed farmers to [exploit] tougher soils, try new crops and have more time for other activities. Options :

Scientists have discovered the cause of a mass extinction of sea-floor marine organisms 800,000 years ago - which also provides insight into how climate change can impact [on] deep ocean biota. In a new study [published] in the journal Nature Communications, scientists from the universities of Nottingham and Durham and the British Geological Survey (BGS), have discovered the cause of a mass extinction within marine organisms called foraminifera. Foraminifera are an important group in relation to biomass in the deep ocean and the cause of their extinction was [previously] unknown. Scientists tested various possible [causes] for the mass extinction and were able to discount others such as ocean cooling. [Instead] , they discovered that the extinction was caused by a global change in plankton at the surface of the ocean. Options :

The six gases: helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon have a myriad of modern uses. When they were first discovered, their strangely stand-offish properties were a mystery. Uniquely stable, they [seemed] [to participate] in no chemical reactions. But by understanding the stability of the noble gases, physicists discovered the key to [chemical bonding] [itself] . Dmitri Mendeleev added the noble gases to his periodic table in 1902, where he arranged the elements in rows and columns [according] to their atomic weight. Mendeleev was able to see repeating (or periodic) patterns in their properties. The noble gases appeared [regularly] in the periodic table, occurring in every eighth position, at least amongst the lighter elements. Options :

The wrist watch works by [tracking] information such as a person's pulse or movement.When it [detects] [a] change in a person's health,the watch sends information to a touchscreen hub [located] in the home. [The hub] [then] [alerts] pre-determined Contacts and calls for help immediately. Options :

Before the 20th century, the horse provided day to day transportation in the United States. Trains were used only for [long-distance transportation. T] oday the car is the most popular [means] of transportation in all of the United States. It has completely [replaced] the horse as a means of everyday transportation. Americans use their car [for] [nearly] 90 percent of all personal [trip] . Most Americans are able to buy cars. The average price of a [recently] made car was $2500 in 1950, $2740 in 1960, and up to $4750 [in] 1975. During this period American car manufacturers set about [improving] their products and work efficiency. As a result, the yearly income of the average family increased from 1950 to 1975 [faster] than the price of cars. For this reason, purchasing a new car takes a smaller part of a family's total earnings today. In 1951 [proportionally] it took 8.1 months of an average family's income to buy a new car. In 1962 a new car cost 8.3 of a family's annual earnings. By 1975 it only took 4.75 months' income. In addition, the 1975 cars were technically [superior] to models from previous years. The [influence] of the automobile extends throughout the economy as the car is so important to Americans. Americans spend more money to keep their cars running than on any other item. Options :

For too long we have held preconceived notions of 'the' market and 'the' state that was seemingly independent of local societies and cultures. The debate about civil society ultimately is about how culture, market, and state relate to each other. Concern about civil society, however, is not only relevant to central and eastern Europe and the developing world. It is very much of [interest] to the European Union as well. The Civil Dialogue initiated by the Commission in the 1990s was a first [attempt] by the EU to give the institutions of society and not only governments and businesses-a voice at the policy-making tables in Brussels. The EU, like other international institutions, has a long way to go in trying to [accommodate] the frequently divergent interests of non- governmental organizations and citizen groups. There is increasing [recognition] that international and national governments have to open up to civil society institutions. Options :

While workers worry about whether robots will take their jobs, teachers are wondering how to use education to insulate the next generation from such a fate. This [has worked] before. When the last wave of automation swept the developed world at the start of the 20th century, policymakers decided education was the answer. If machines were going to substitute for brawn, they [reasoned] , more people would need to use their brains. The [US invested] [heavily] in education, with good results. Workers reaped the benefits through better jobs and higher wages. Economists Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson summed it up like this: "The industrial revolution [started] a race between technology and education and, for most of the 20th century, humans won that race." Options :

Affordable early year's education and childcare potentially enable parents, particularly mothers, to be in paid employment. International studies have [found] that countries with greater enrolment rates in publicly funded or provided childcare also have higher maternal employment rates, although untangling causal relationships are complex. From the point of view of the household, additional income, especially for the less well-off, is itself associated with better outcomes for children, as child poverty has been [shown] to be a key independent determinant of children's outcomes. From the point of view of the public purse, as mothers [enter] [employment] they are likely to claim fewer benefits and to generate extra revenues [through] income tax. Options :

Decision making is central to the management of an enterprise. The manager of a profit-making business has to decide on the manner of implementation of the objectives of the business, at least one of which may [well] relate to allocating resources so as to maximize profit. A non-profit-making enterprise (such as a department of central or local government) will be making decisions on resource allocation so as to be economical, efficient, and [effective in its] [use] of finance. All organizations, whether in the private sector or the public sector, [take] decisions that have financial implications. Decisions will be about resources, which may be people, products, services, or longterm and short-term investment. Decisions will also be about activities, including whether and how to undertake them. Most decisions will at some stage involve consideration of financial matters, [particularly] cost. Options :

At the end of the last ice age, the melting ice disrupted the ocean currents in the North Atlantic and [caused] [a] drop in temperature of almost 5 degrees. [Even though] the rest of the planet was warming [up] , the North Atlantic region remained in a cold period for 1300 years. The same thing happened [around] 8000 years ago, when the cooling lasted about a hundred years, and it [could] happen again today. Even a short period of cooling in the North Atlantic could have a dramatic effect on the wildlife, and the human populations, living there. Options :

In the developed world, home appliances have greatly reduced the need for physical labor. Fewer people need to be involved in tasks that once left them little time to do much else. For example, the word processor and email have, to [a great] [extent] , replaced the dedicated secretarial staff that briefly flourished with the rise of the typewriter. [Atone] time all copies were made with manual scribes, carefully duplicating what they read. Then we had carbon paper. Then photocopiers. Then printers. Then the requirement for a physical copy reduced. An entire stream of labor appeared and disappeared as technology advanced. We freed ourselves from one kind of work; we just [replaced it] [with] another. Options :

Managing performance is about getting people into action so that they achieve planned and agreed results. It focuses on what has to be done, how it should be done, and what is to be achieved. But it is equally concerned with [developing] people helping them to learn - and providing them with the support they need to do well, now and in the future. The framework for performance management, provided by the performance agreement, [which] [is] the outcome of performance planning. The agreement provides the basis for managing performance throughout the [year and for] [guiding] improvement and development activities. It is used as a reference point when reviewing performance and the achievement of improvement and development plans. Options :

Since biological systems with signs of [complex] engineering are unlikely to have arisen from accidents or [coincidences, their] [organization] must come from natural selection and hence should have [functions] useful for survival and reproduction in the environments in which humans evolved. Options :

The general perception is that children are surrounded by a [variety] of musical experiences. There are often fewer and fewer opportunities for children to actively engage in music-making themselves. They are inundated with music emitting from a wide [array] of electronic devices, toys, and computers offering a limitless number of musical selections. However, much of the music in children's lives are "unchosen," in other words they are [passive] recipients in much of the music in their lives, and not actively engaged in its selection. They experience background music in computer games, cartoons, TV shows, films, on iPads, radios, and ringtones. They listen to music choices of their parents or siblings, and even the schools they attend often play music before the school day begins or in classrooms while students are working. Studies are being [conducted] on the effects of the ubiquitous pre-recorded music they encounter and whether or not it is intruding on their desire to [make] their own music or interact with each other on the playground. Options :

One of the Supreme Court's most important [responsibilities] is to decide cases that raise questions of constitutional interpretation. The Court decides if a law or government [action] violates the Constitution. This is known as judicial review and enables the Court to invalidate both federal and state laws when they [conflict] [with] the Constitution. Since the Supreme Court stands as the ultimate authority in constitutional interpretation, its [decisions can be] [changed] only by another Supreme Court decision or by a constitutional amendment. Options :

A music student at the University of Salford who wrote a song in two weeks is celebrating [after] [being featured] on a compilation album produced by Metropolis Studios. Pop mega-stars including Adele, Michael Jackson, and Sir Elton John have all recorded music at the world-famous Metropolis Studios. Last year, the recording studios [set] [about] compiling an album called 'Lost Songs', which features songs from relatively unknown musicians. First-year [student Zak T] aylor Fray decided to submit his song demo to be included in Volume Two of the Lost Songs album which was released this year after he saw [how] successful Volume One had been. Zak, 24, said: 'I found this [competition when simply] [searching] the internet for songwriting competitions one day, and was lucky that there was still time to [enter] . It amazes me that people who have worked with huge pop stars thought my song was good and worth something. Options :

Buying a house can seem like a daunting process -- first you need to work out how much you can borrow. This is [where] our services will really help you. Make sure you have an accurate and detailed budget that takes into account all associated with purchasing a property, including stamp duty, council rates, and other fees. We can help you identify these extra costs. Ask us for our budget planner if you don't already have one. Interest rates move constantly, so you will need to allow room in your budget for interest rate increases and for other unforeseen [events] . All purchase funds are paid at settlement. In the [ordinary] course of events, settlement takes place, the purchase price is paid in full and the deposit bond simply lapses group [certificates] for the past two years. Options :

When it comes to low-cost housing, architects are hardly ever involved. About 98% of the market is built [without] architects and the result is usually rows of clones of a building, regardless of whether they are [practical] [for an] area or not. Developers alone, without the input of an architect, do not see the big picture needed to make housing part of a safe, vibrant community. A little more thought could instantly improve [community] safety as well as lead to building houses that are both comfortable and cheap. Options :

The Department of Fine Arts is a vibrant department comprising active art professionals housed in a modern, well- equipped facility. The faculty enjoys collaborative relationships with local museums, numerous galleries and a variety of other art organizations. Fine Arts students benefit from studying with artistically [active] [mentors who exhibit] and research regionally, nationally and internationally. The department provides students with many opportunities for [artistic and personal] [growth] through daily contact with full-time faculty members who are noted artists and researchers. Classes are small to allow for personalised feedback and guidance. Well-appointed studios on campus [facilitate] the daily practice of art in combination with the study of liberal arts. During their studies, students gain exposure to world -class visiting artists and exhibitions, and also have local and international travel [opportunities] . Options :

The discovery of a set of what look like ancient hominin footprints on the island of Crete could throw our understanding of human evolution into disarray. Received wisdom is that after [splitting] from the chimp lineage, our hominin ancestors were confined to Africa until around 1.5 million years ago. The prints found in Crete, however, [belonged] to a creature that appears to have lived 5.7 million years ago - suggesting a more complex story. More research is needed to confirm what kind of animal made them. However, the prints seem to have been [made] [by] a creature that walked upright, on the soles of clawless feet (rather than on its toes), with a big toe positioned like our own, rather than sticking out sideways like an ape's. It may yet turn out to have been a [previously] [unknown] non-hominin that had evolved with a human-like foot; but the explanatory paper, in the Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, is not the first to suggest that hominins could have originated in Europe. A few months ago, a team put forward evidence, gleaned from fossils found in Greece and Bulgaria, that a 7.2 million-year old ape known as Graecopithecus was in [fact] a hominin. Options :

Some students say that they need complete quiet to read and study. Others study best in a crowded, noisy room because the noise actually [helps] them concentrate. Some students like quiet music playing; others do not. The point is, you should know the level of noise that is optimal for your own studying. However, one general rule for all students is that the television seems to be more of a distraction than music or other background noise, so [leave] the TV off when you are reading or studying. [Also] , don't let yourself become distracted by computer games, email, or Internet surfing. Options :

Uniquely stable, they seemed to participate in no chemical reactions. [But] by understanding the stability of the noble gases, physicists discovered the key to chemical [bonding] itself. Dmitri Mendeleev added the noble gases to his periodic table in 1902, where he arranged the elements in rows and columns according to their [atomic] weight. Mendeleev was able to see repeating (or periodic) patterns in their properties. The noble gases appeared regularly in [the] [periodic] table, occurring in every eighth position, at least amongst the lighter elements. Physicists struggled to find a model that would explain this curious observation. Options :

In these distant times, the sun was seen to make its daily [journey] across the sky. At night the moon appeared. Every new night the moon waxed or waned a little and on a few nights, it did not appear at all. At night the great dome of the heavens was dotted with tiny specks of light. They [became] known as the stars. It was thought that every star in the heavens had its own purpose and that the [secrets] of the universe could be discovered by making a study of them. It was well known that there were wandering stars, they appeared in different nightly positions against their neighbors and they became known as planets. It took centuries, in fact, it took millennia, for man to [determine] the true nature of these wandering stars and to evolve a model of the world to accommodate them [and to] [predict] their positions in the sky. Options :

Bees and flowers [have] evolved together for millions of years. It is a [mutual] relationship where the bee is provided with food (nectar or pollen) and the stationary plant gets to disperse its pollen (sperm cells) to other plants of the same species. For the plant, this is much more efficient than using wind to disperse its pollen. Consequently, over millions of years plants have developed flowers with increasingly specialized features to attract visiting bees who, in turn, would [distribute] pollen grains and optimize the plant's reproductive capabilities. Simultaneously, bees underwent physiological, behavioral, and structural adaptations to take [advantage] [of the nutritional] benefits offered by flowering plants. This is an example of a co-evolutionary relationship. Honey bees are considered generalist pollinators which means they will collect nectar and pollen [from] a variety of different plant species. However, this does not mean they pollinate all plants. Honey bees are considered the most important pollinators and animals on Earth. Options :

Participating regularly in physical activity has been shown to benefit an individual's health and [wellbeing] . Regular physical activity is important in reducing the risk of [chronic] diseases, such as heart disease and stroke, obesity, diabetes, and some [forms] of cancer. The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, preferably every day of the week, to obtain health benefits. The national guidelines do not prescribe what kinds of physical activities may be most beneficial for improving health. Health-related campaigns [tend] to focus on promoting activities such as walking, as this is likely to be of benefit across all age groups, and has minimal risk of injury. People participate in a wide range of sports and physical recreation, all of which may be important for general fitness. Participation in sports and physical recreation also provides important leisure and social [activities] for many people. Options :

It is important to emphasize the [need] for hard work as an essential part of studying law, because far too many students are tempted to think that they can succeed by relying on what they imagine to be their natural ability, [without] bothering to add the expenditure of effort. T o take an analogy, some people prefer the more or less [instant gratification] [which] comes from watching a television adaption of a classic novel to the rather more laborious process of reading the novel itself. Those who [prefer] watching television to reading a book are less likely to study law successfully unless they rapidly acquire a [taste] for text-based materials. Options :

The teaching of languages could be revolutionised following ground-breaking research by Victoria University, New Zealand, PhD graduate Paul Sulzberger. Dr Sulzberger has [found] that the best way to learn a language is through frequent exposure to its sound patterns--even if you haven't a [clue] what it all means. "However crazy it might sound, just listening to the language, even though you don't [understand] it, is critical. A lot of language teachers may not accept that," he says."Our ability to learn new words is directly related to how often we have been exposed to the particular combinations of the sounds [which] make up the words. If you want to learn Spanish, for example, frequently listening to a Spanish language radio station on the internet will dramatically boost your ability to pick up the language and learn new words." Dr Sulzberger's research challenges existing language learning theory. His main hypothesis is that simply listening to a new language sets up the structures in the brain required to [learn] the words. "Neural tissue required to learn and understand a new language will develop automatically from simple exposure to the language which is how babies learn their first language," Dr Sulzberger says. Options :

Even after thousands of years of exploring Earth, we're still uncovering new things like an ancient "superhighway" in the Guatemalan rain forest. Hidden beneath a thick layer of vegetation, the [network] of roads stretches over 150 miles and was most likely built by the Mayan empire some 2,000 years ago. The newly mapped roads are connected to the ruins of El Mirador (sometimes called the Kan Kingdom) in northern Guatemala. Archaeologists believe El Mirador was [founded] around the 6th century BCE and was at its most powerful around the early first century CE. At that time, it had a population of as many as a quarter of a million, a quarter the size of Rome itself at the time. It also has some of the largest pyramids in the world. It was the heart of the Mayan civilization and naturally needed some major roadways. The roads of El Mirador have been known about since 1967, but scientists had no idea [how] [extensive they were] until now. The thick jungle obscured the remnants of the road, making it difficult to see from the air. Researchers got around that using plane-mounted lidar, which can penetrate the forest canopy. It bounces laser pulses off the Earth, then the reflections are received by the plane and the distance readings are interpreted as a topographical map. The system is capable of how [mapping] 560,000 dots per second, providing an accurate topographical map of the land surrounding El Mirador. Options :

A renewed interest in well-being, especially among baby boomers, as [well] as rising personal incomes, led to more spending on health and fitness in 2005. This prompted an [expansion] in the number of fitness and recreation centers across the country. Golf courses also [enjoyed] renewed success, as the sport increased in popularity, possibly the result of retiring baby boomers heading to the links. In 2005, households spent an average of [$3,918] [on] recreation, up slightly from $3,678 in 2004. Items included in the 2005 figure are: an average of $166 on sports and athletic equipment; $665 to buy and operate recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles, bicycles, and trailers; and $299 for the use of sports and recreation facilities. Options :

If you are interested in studying but have other [commitments] , our online and distance learning courses offer [an] [alternative] flexible mode of study. T eaching is conducted through a mixture of audio-visual, written, and interactive materials. There are also opportunities for an online discussion and collaborative projects with tutors and other students. Some programs include residential modules taught on campus, giving you the chance to meet and work alongside your tutors and fellow students face-to-face. Our Graduate School provides comprehensive support for distance and part-time researchers, many of [whom] study for up to six years or more. Options :

The prospect of learning something from history is what makes sociologists tick. It is through [developing] [a] systematic understanding of the forces which shape our lives that we [can] exercise control over them. The founding thinkers of sociology, who [came] to prominence during the development of what we are pleased to call modernity, thought so. It is the intimate relationship between the development of sociology and the development of modernity that the course begins with. This relationship is an intimate one because it is [only] with the social change instituted in the development of the modern world that a discipline such as sociology and social science, in general, could either exist or have anything to study. Options :

Early humans were hunter-gatherers, roaming from place to place, but their movements were controlled by the need for water. When humans [started] to grow food and established permanent settlements, water was needed for crops and animals as well as for people, [so] settlements have always grown up near reliable sources of water. Most major towns lie on the banks of rivers, or, where there are no streams or rivers, settlements exist where underground water can be reached by digging wells. The management of water resources has a [long history] . The oldest known dam in the world was constructed in Egypt about 5000 years ago, and was used for storing drinking and irrigation water. Farmers in Arabia at this time used the craters of extinct volcanoes as storage tanks for irrigation water and dug deep wells for their drinking water. Excavated ruins in India of similar antiquity retain the remains of water supply and drainage systems, [which] included baths and swimming pools. Options :

Over the past two decades, around a third of the world's mangrove swamps have been converted for human use, with many turned into valuable shrimp farms. In 2007 an economic study of such shrimp farms in Thailand [showed] that the commercial profits per hectare were $9,632. If that were the only factor, conversion would seem an excellent idea. [However] , proper accounting shows that for each hectare government subsidies formed $8,412 of this figure and there were costs, too :$1,000 for pollution and $12,392 for losses to ecosystem services. These [comprised] damage to the supply of food and medicine that people had taken from the forest, the loss of habitats for fish, and less buffering against storms. And because a given shrimp farm only [stays] productive for three or four years, there was the additional cost of restoring them afterwards. Options :

Team Lab's digital mural at the entrance to T okyo's Skytree, one of the world's monster skyscrapers, is 40 metres long and immensely detailed. But [however] massive this form of digital art becomes - and it's a form subject to rampant inflation - Inoko's theories about seeing are based on more modest and often pre-digital sources. An early devotee of comic books and cartoons (no surprises there), then computer games, he recognised when he started to look at traditional Japanese art that all those forms had something in [common] : something about the way they captured space. In his discipline of physics, Inoko had been taught that photographic lenses, [along with] the conventions of western art, were the logical way of transforming three dimensions into two, conveying the real world onto a flat surface. [But] Japanese traditions employed 'a different spatial logic', as he said in an interview last year with j-collabo.org, that is 'uniquely Japanese'. Options :

In any given population, about ten percent of the people are left-handed and this figure remains [relatively] stable over time. So-called "handedness" runs in families, but what causes it and why the proportion of left-handed to right-handed people is a constant are still a mystery. One thing we do know is that hand [dominance] [is] related to brain asymmetry; and it seems to be generally agreed that the human brain is profoundly asymmetric, and that understanding how this works will tell us much about who we are and how our brains work. Brain (function) is [distributed] into the left and right hemispheres, and this is crucial for understanding language, thought, memory, and perhaps even creativity. For right-handed people, language activity is mainly on the left side. Many left- handers also have left-side language dominance, but a significant number may have language either more [evenly] distributed in both hemispheres or else predominantly on the right side of the brain. Because left- handedness is seen as a key to the complex anatomy of the brain, scientists are searching for links to other [conditions] , including immune disorders, learning disabilities, and reduced life expectancy. Options :

Disadvantages in early childhood pose multiple risks to children's development. Factors such as low socioeconomic status, long-term unemployment of parents, and social isolation may have lasting [impacts] on a child's chance of reaching their full potential. Whilst not eliminating disadvantage, preschool education can help to [lessen] [the] effects of these risk factors and can provide children with a better start to school. However, some of these factors [may also be] [barriers] to preschool attendance for groups that would benefit most from preschool education. In Australia, the early years of children's education is the responsibility of many government and non-government agencies and it occurs in a range of settings. Preschool is aimed at children around four years of age to [prepare] them for compulsory schooling from the age of six years. In most states and territories, children can start full-time schooling at five years of age, when they enrol in a kindergarten or preparatory year. In 2001, just over half of five-year-olds aged (57%) were at school, with about a third of those aged (34%) attending preschool. While in some states and territories children can [commence] preschool before they turn four, participation rates for three-year olds are much lower than four-year olds in (24% compared with 56% for four-year olds in 2001). The preschool participation rate of four-year olds in 2001 (56%) was similar to the rate in 1991 (58%). Options :

Over 800 Shakespeare scholars from almost fifty countries will gather at King's College London next week as the university co-hosts the 10th World Shakespeare Congress to explore and honor the Bard's life and work. Organized by the International Shakespeare Association (ISA), the World Congress [is] held every five years and 2016 is the first time it will be co-hosted [in] two locations that were integral to both the personal and working life of William Shakespeare. Delegates will arrive in London on Thursday following the start of the Congress on Sunday in Stratford- upon-Avon. [With] a main theme of "Creating and Recreating Shakespeare," Congress will [look at] [the] continuing global relevance of Shakespeare's work through a varied program of plenaries, panels, seminars and workshops. Options :

The speed of sound (otherwise known as Mach 1) varies with temperature. At sea level on a 'standard day', the temperature is 59°F , and Mach 1 is approximately 761 mph. As the altitude increases, the temperature and speed of [sound] [both] decrease until about 36,000 feet, after which the temperature remains steady until about 60,000 feet. Within that 36,000 - 60,000 foot range, Mach 1 is about 661 mph. Because of the [variation] , it is possible for an aeroplane flying supersonic at high altitude to be slower than a subsonic flight at sea level. The transonic band (the 'sound barrier') extends [from] around Mach 0.8 - when the first supersonic shock waves form [on] [the] wing - to Mach 1.2, when the entire wing has gone supersonic. Options :

A satisfying conclusion [allows] a reader to finish your paper with a clear understanding of the points you made and hopefully even a new perspective on the topic. Any one paper might have a number of conclusions, but as the [writer, you must] [consider] who the readers are and the conclusions you want them to reach. For example, is your reader relatively new to your topic? If so, you may want to restate your main points for emphasis as a way of starting the conclusion. Don't literally use the same sentence(s) as in your introduction, but come up with a comparable way of restating your thesis. You'll want to [smoothly] conclude by showing that the judgement you have reached is, in fact, reasonable. Options :

Your teenage daughter gets top marks in school, captains the debate team, and volunteers at a shelter for homeless [people. But] [while] driving the family car, she text-messages her best friend and rear-ends another vehicle. How can teens be so clever, accomplished, and responsible-and reckless at the same time? Easily, according to two physicians at Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School (HMS), who have been [exploring] [the unique] structure and chemistry of the [adolescent] brain. "The teenage brain is not just an adult brain with fewer miles on it," says Frances E. Jensen, a professor of neurology. "It's a paradoxical time of [development] [. These are] [people with very] [sharp] brains, but they're not quite sure what to do with them." Research during the past 10 years, powered by technology such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, has revealed that young brains have [both] fast-growing synapses and sections that remain unconnected. Options :

A smart brain might help you do well in tests, but there are many other ways it can affect your life, both positively and negatively. Exams are not the only [route] to success, as billionaire businessmen Richard Branson and Alan Sugar - who left school aged 15 and 16 - will attest. Nevertheless, good grades can open doors, and intelligence certainly [helps] [when] it comes to educational attainment. IQ test performance accounts for roughly two-thirds of the variance in people's school exam scores - other factors including motivation and mental and physical health also influence how well children do. But intelligence isn't just useful in school. IQ predicts how people will respond to workplace training and how well they will do their job, even in non-academic [professions] such as being a car mechanic or carpenter. This is, perhaps, because general intelligence reflects people's ability to handle complexity in everyday affairs. Many tasks, from supermarket shopping to juggling our diaries, require us to deal with unexpected [situations, to] [reason] and make judgements and to identify and solve problems. This is true of our social interactions too. Options :

Language is used in our everyday lives. If psychology is a science of behavior, scientific investigation of language use must be one of the most central topics - this is [because] language use is ubiquitous. Every human group has a language; human infants (except those who have disabilities) learn at least one language without being taught explicitly. Even when children, who don't have [many] languages to begin with, are brought together, they can begin to develop and use their own language. There is at least one known instance where children, who had had little [language, were brought] [together] and developed their own language spontaneously with minimum input from adults. In Nicaragua in 1980s, deaf children who were separately raised in various locations were brought together to schools for the first time. T eachers tried to teach them Spanish [with] little success. However, they began to notice that the children were using their hands and gestures, apparently to communicate with each other. Linguists were brought in to find out what was [happening] - it turned out the children had developed their own sign language by themselves. Options :

Dance has played an important role in many musicals. In some [cases] , dance numbers are included as an excuse to add to the color and spectacle of the show, but dance is more effective when it forms an integral part of [the] [plot] . An early example is Richard Rodgers On Your T oes(1936) in which the story of classical ballet meeting the world of jazz enables dance to be introduced in a way that [enhances] , rather than interrupts the drama. Options :

"Age is an issue [of] mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." This nugget of wisdom, often attributed to Mark Twain, has been turned into many an [inspirational] internet meme over the years. As a 51- year-old who is starting to feel the gathering momentum of the inevitable slide, it strikes me as little [more] [than] a platitude that makes people feel better about getting old. But according to a growing body of research, there is more to it than that. Subjective age - how old we feel - has a very real impact on health and [longevity] [. People] who feel younger than their years often actually are, in terms of how long they have left to live. The question of what controls our subjective age, and whether we can change it, has always been tricky to [address] scientifically. Options :

In the UK, it is recommended that drivers should turn off their car engines when they expect to be stationary for more than 1 minute. T o encourage drivers to [turn off] their engines while waiting at rail crossings, Kent City Council placed a permanent sign at the crossing asking drivers to "please switch off your engine when barriers are down to help improve air quality." [On average] , drivers had to wait between 2 and 3 minutes to cross after the barrier had gone down. However, the sign didn't seem to convince the [majority] of drivers to switch off their engines. "Although some research suggests that signs [alone] can change behaviour, the message on this sign was designed simply to be an informational request and was not guided by any particular behavioural theory," the researchers explain. So the research team, led by Rose Mellady of the University of East Anglia, designed an intervention study. Options :

Bhutan is the last standing Buddhist Kingdom in the World and, until recently, has preserved [much] [of their] culture since the 17th century by avoiding globalization and staying isolated [from] the world. Internet, television, and western dress were banned from the country up until ten years ago. But over the past ten years globalization has begun to change in Bhutan, but things remain perfectly balanced. Bhutan is the only country [in] the world that has a 'GNH.' You may think GNH is just another statistically based term with no real-life application, [but] it refers to "Gross National Happiness." The process of measuring GNH began when Bhutan opened to globalization. It measures people's quality of life, and makes sure that "material and spiritual development happen together." Bhutan has done an amazing Job of finding this balance. Bhutan has [continually been (ranked)] [as] the happiest country in all of Asia, and the eighth Happiest Country in the world according to Business Week. In 2007 Bhutan had the second fastest growing GDP in the world, at the same time as maintaining their environment and cultural identity. Bhutan is the only Buddhist Kingdom in the world; Mahayana Buddhism [is] the official religion of Bhutan. Over two thirds of the people are Buddhist, and Buddhism is supported by the government both politically and economically. The government gives subsidies [to] Buddhist monasteries, shrines, monks and other Buddhist programs. Options :

An important corollary of [this] focus on language as the window to legal epistemology is the central role of discourse to law and other sociocultural processes. Inparticular, the ideas that people hold [about] [how] language works combine with linguistic structuring to create powerful, often unconscious effects. In recent years, [linguistic anthropologists] [have] made much progress in developing more precisely analytic tools for tracking those effects. Options :

Bhutan used to be one of the most isolated nations [in] the world. Developments including direct international flights, the Internet, mobile phone networks, and cable television have increasingly modernized the urban areas [of] the country. Bhutan has balanced modernisation with its ancient culture and traditions under the guiding philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH). Rampant destruction of the environment has been avoided. The government takes great measures [to] preserve the nation's traditional culture, identity, and the environment. In 2006, Business Week magazine rated Bhutan the happiest country in Asia and the eighth-happiest in the world, citing a global survey conducted [by] the University of Leicester in 2006 called the "World Map of Happiness". Options :

Spanish is spoken [by] more than 300 million people in over 20 countries and is rapidly becoming one of the most popular choices for language learners around the world. A popular course for beginners, Suenos World Spanish is designed to meet the varied needs of adult learners, [whether] learning at home or in a class. From the very beginning it encourages you to develop your listening and speaking skills [with] confidence and provides many opportunities to practice reading in Spanish. Using the extensive range of media available, from the course book to the audio CDs or cassettes, to the popular accompanying television series and free online activities, Suenos World Spanish can help you reach the equivalent level [of] a first qualification, such as GCSE. Options :

A bonus of dendrochronology is [that] the width and substructure of each ring reflect the amount of rain and [the season] [at] which the rain fell during that particular year. Thus, tree ring studies also allow one to [reconstruct] [past] climate; e.g., a series of wide rings means a wet period, and a series [of] [narrow rings] means a drought. Options :

Hippopotamus is Greek for "river horse," and the animal has been known since ancient [times] [. Hippopotamuses] are often seen basking on the banks or sleeping in the waters of rivers, lakes, and swamps next to grasslands. Hippos [are] [well] adapted to aquatic life. The ears, eyes, and nostrils are located high on the head so that the rest of the body may remain submerged. The ears and nostrils can be folded shut to keep [out] water. The body is so dense that they can walk underwater, where they can hold their breath for five minutes. Although often seen basking in the sun, hippos lose water rapidly through the skin and become dehydrated without periodic [dips] [. They must] also retreat to the water to keep cool, for they do not sweat. Options :

In 1922, the world witnessed one of the [most] significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century - the unearthing of King Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt. [This] event marked a pivotal moment in our understanding of ancient Egyptian civilization. The young pharaoh, Tutankhamun, [who] reigned during the 18th dynasty, had been somewhat obscure until British archaeologist Howard Carter's remarkable discovery. Carter's quest for Tutankhamun's tomb was fueled by years of meticulous research and exploration. When he finally came upon the nearly intact tomb, it was a historical triumph. The tomb's contents, preserved for [over] 3,000 years, were astonishing. They included the iconic gold mask of Tutankhamun, a plethora of gold artefacts, and beautifully preserved wall paintings depicting the young king's life and journey to the afterlife. This discovery offered [unprecedented insights] [into] the art, culture, and daily life of ancient Egypt. Options :

The landscape of crime prevention is constantly adapting, reflecting a nuanced understanding [of] [the social] factors contributing to criminal behavior. Modern approaches emphasize the importance of social and community interventions, acknowledging that factors such as low education levels and family discord can significantly increase the likelihood of criminal activity. Programs like the Perry School Project in the USA and the Troubled Families Initiative in the UK have shown promise in addressing these root causes. Byfocusing on early intervention and community engagement, these programs aim to not only curb immediate criminal activity but also to foster long- term societal change, transforming potential offenders into contributing members of society. [However] [, critics] argue that while these programs address certain social factors, they may [overlook] deeper systemic issues like inequality inherent in the capitalist system, pointing to a need for a more holistic approach to crime prevention. Options :

The aim of this book is [to] give the reader an overview of study and practice in the field of public archaeology. It offers a series of snapshots of important ideas and areas of work brought together as an introduction, albeilt an inevitably brief and incomplete one, to one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of the wider archaeological discipline. Read the book from cover to cover and you will have a good working understanding of public archaeology as a complicated, rich and diverse field, as well as knowledge of some of the [most] [significant and iconic] examples of public archaeology in action. Dip into a specific chapter and you will find a concise and insightful introduction to one aspect of public archaeology with case studies and a list of readings to develop your understanding. [However] , you use this book I am confident that you will emerge with a better understanding of what public archaeology is, why it matters and what you can do about it. First, it is necessary and useful, drawing on the quotes above, to ask what we mean by public archaeology, and to examine some of the different ways it has been defined. Options :