ACA FLEX Reading 9-10

Though fun to watch, chimpanzees should not be kept as pets. They are dangerously stronger that any NFL lineman. Adult chimps weigh only 100 to 160 pounds but have been measured pulling six to nine times their own weight— with one hand. Thus, to match the strength of an average chimp, a human being would have to be able to register a two-handed pull of about a ton it takes a very strong man to pull a quarter of that. Combined with this strength is the fact that a chimp is capable of losing its temper —for reasons known only to the chimp. Chimps signal their feelings with subtle cues of behavior that aren't apparent to most humans. It is quite possible for a chimp to be on the verge of violence while its owner sits unaware or even unknowingly continuous to provoke. Furthermore, it's not wise to keep a cute young chimp and release it into the wild when it becomes dangerous. Wild-raised chimps will routinely gang up on and kill those raised in captivity.

• AChimpanzees are not as reliable as dogs.
• BChimpanzees should not be kept as pets for a variety of reasons.
• CKeeping chimpanzees as pets and then releasing them into the wild is a danger to the pet chimpanzee.
• DNo man is as strong as a chimpanzee.

Being a living language, English is always changing. New words are invented every day. Many are linked to developments in computer science and other areas of technology. However, technology doesn’t just influence a language by increasing its vocabulary, it also causes language to change more frequently. In the Internet age, we’ve become used to using emails as a quick and convenient means of communication. However, when writing these messages, we’re a bit careless about our use of grammar. Does this mean that the quality of written English is poorer because of emails? In this chapter, it is argued that people’s actual use of language doesn’t prove this to be true.

• Athe increase in the number of messages sent by email
• Bthe difference between emails and traditional writing
• C the effects of new vocabulary on emails
• Dthe effect of emails on the standard of written English

One of the most ________ (3) of psychologists, Clark Hull, claimed that the essence of reasoning lies in the putting together of two 'behavior segments' in some ________ (4) way, never actually performed before, so as to reach a ________ (5) . Two followers of Clark Hull, Howard and Tracey Kendler, devised a test for children that was ________ (6) based on Clark Hull's principles. The children were given the ________ (7) of learning to operate a machine so as to get a toy. In order to succeed they had to go through a two-stage sequence.

The last time you ________ (8) on a live lobster for dinner, you might not have given any thought to how much the little guy was going to suffer as he boiled to death. Until recently many researchers ________ (9) the crustacean nervous system too primitive to process pain. But scientists at Queen's University in Belfast now think that crustaceans may be more sensitive to pain than ________ (10) thought. The researchers used crabs as their test animals. And they found that crabs that ________ (11) an electric shock when they hid under a safe, dark rock would ________ (12) learn to avoid the hiding place. And that avoidance is key: the animals' ability to remember the unpleasant shock and avoid it is consistent with the ability to feel and remember pain. If the behavior was merely a reflex, the critters would continue to visit the shelter. The study is in the Journal of Experimental Biology. [Also see Nicola Stead, Painful Feelings in Crabs] The situation is likely the same with lobsters. So before you break out the bibs and melted butter, it might be nice to put your future dinner on a little anesthetic ice.

Teens write for a variety of reasons—as part of a school assignment, to ________ (13) a good grade, to stay in touch with friends, to share their artistic creations with others or simply to put their thoughts to paper (whether virtual or otherwise). In our focus groups, teens said they are motivated to write when they can ________ (14) topics that are relevant to their lives and interests, and report greater enjoyment of school writing when they have the opportunity to write creatively. Having teachers or other adults who challenge them, ________ (15) them with interesting curricula and give them detailed feedback also serves as a motivator for teens. Teens also ________ (16) writing for an audience motivates them to write and write well.

The debate on whether Australia will have a nation-wide carbon trading scheme ended last week with the government committed to a national emissions scheme from 2012. However, the decision-making as to how we power the economy in a carbon constrained world is only just beginning. Fossil fuels like coal and oil have underpinned our economic growth and standard of living for decades. The current resources boom is there because other countries want our fossil fuels, and for all these reasons it is profitable to keep mining them. Ironically, the income may help develop the technologies to replace them, but it is a matter of which and when. Almost certainly, in the race to reduce emissions, new technologies such as solar, wind and geothermal (heat from rocks) power will compete against gas, clean coal, and perhaps nuclear energy to win the hearts and minds of the business world. In the end, business will favour whatever is a cheap, abundant, and reliable solution. You can imagine the lobbying that will ensue from the different interest groups, to attract business capital and government support so that their technology wins out. There may be many collapsed ventures and lost fortunes along the way.

• AFossil fuels will continue to be used because it is profitable.
• BNew technologies will replace the fossil fuels in the future.
• CCarbon emission rules will cripple new energy sources.
• DSolar, wind, and geothermal energy will survive.
• EMany oil and gas companies will lose their business in the future.

Peter Doig is one of the most respected living figurative painters. Though the influence of impressionist and post-impressionist artists such as Henri Matisse and Paul Gauguin is clear, Doig himself acknowledges music and film of the 1960s and 70s as providing as much inspiration for his work. Any visitor to his studio would be immediately struck not just by the obligatory paintings that adorn the walls (mainly by other artists) but by the presence of two enormous speakers, dating from the 1950s, which were originally used in an old cinema. An impressively wide-ranging collection of vinyl also signals his interest in popular culture. However, much of his early work, which caught the attention of the art world, was an expression of his own memories and interpretations of the Canadian landscapes based on his many visits there in the 1980s.

• Aoutlining the subject matter of the works which made Doig famous
• Bhighlighting the influence of other genres on Doig’s work
• Cexplaining why the influence of other painters on Doig has been overstated
• Ddiscussing the role of film and music in Doig’s work
• Eemphasising Doig’s originality as an artist

Learning through doing: Modern education attaches great importance to learning through doing. It is fully recognized that the knowledge gained through actually doing the task is more effective and lasting than that gained through mere reading. That is why all the modern methods of education give top priority to some hand-work round which they base the teaching of the curriculum. Three R’s replaced: In the past, whereas education laid stress on training of three R’s i.e. Reading, Writing and Arithmetic, modern education attaches great importance to the training of three H’s i.e. Head, Heart and Hand. It has been realized that the head, the heart and the hand get the best training through self-activity with hands and brain, especially when carried out in cooperation with others. Mere reading of books or listening to others does not help much in this direction. Participation, not listening: In modern education, the student is not merely a passive listener but is an active participant in the process of education. In the past, it was the teacher who did most of the talking. Now it is the student who is expected to be more active and up and doing and the teacher is merely a guide. For the healthy development of the mind, it is most essential that the student should be an active giver and not merely a passive receiver. It is this activity of the mind which will lead to emotional integration, so necessary for a healthy personality. If the child is merely a recipient, all the time listening to his teachers, his own personality gets dwarfed because the teachers’ personalities dominate over his personality.

• AA basic craft is compulsory in the curriculum of modern education.
• BKnowledge gained through practical training is permanent.
• CIt lays greater emphasis on activity based training.
• DHere the teacher plays merely a supportive/facilitating role.
• EModern education provides greater opportunity for development of distinctive personality.

Universities in the UK have been criticised for focussing too much on global issues while ignoring the communities closer to home. Recently, the UK government even accepted this was an error and promised they would work more closely with universities to make sure Higher Education institutions were giving enough attention to the people living around them. A better connection with local people could be achieved in a number of ways. Firstly, for example, the university could work together with local businesses on projects to improve the area or increase employment opportunities. They could also create partnerships with local schools and colleges. In addition, more coordination and communication between universities, local councils and national government would possibly be of benefit and would help make sure research has meaning for the people around them and results are passed on to the appropriate people involved. However, all of these measures will not be effective if universities do not first learn how to get local communities involved in their science and research, to make them interested and aware of what they are doing to improve people’s standards of living. Some are worried that the aim of universities to increase levels of equality in society could be damaged if they do not succeed in involving local people in what they do, and instead only cause more of a divide between various members of the community.

• AThey offer support to the local communities around their campus.
• BThey do research that is directly related to local people.
• CThey could create jobs by working with local companies.
• DThey risk reducing equality through low levels of public engagement.
• EThey successfully draw attention to their science and research.