Exercise 1: Read the following passage about mental health and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks ⇱
The decline in teen mental health dates from 2010-12, ___(1)___, so is it that simple? For a thoughtful, expert looks at how far correlation is likely to mean causation, I read psychologist Jacqueline Nesi, ___(2)___. Nesi does believe social media is likely to be a significant factor, but points out as how varied social media use is (it’s the place you find support and connection, too, after all) and how multifaceted any explanation of this kind of large-scale crisis needs to be.
___(3)___, this kind of alarming news tends to prompt people to air their pet assumptions and I suppose mine is that online is basically the air we, including teenagers, breathe now. It’s ___(4)___, but what’s the alternative? All we can do is ___(5)___.
(Adapted from Think)
Exercise 2: Read the following passage about culture and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks ⇱
According to English Anthropologist Edward B Taylor, culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. Culture is something that a person learns from his family and surroundings, and ___(6)___. It does not have any biological connection because even if a person is brought up in a culture different from that in which he was born, he imbibes the culture of the society where he grows up. It is also not a hidden fact that some people feel the need to follow the beliefs and traditions of their own culture, even though ___(7)___.
Culture is the means through which people interact with others in the society. It acts in a subconscious way and whatever we see and perceive, seems to be normal and natural. Sometimes, other societies and people seem to be a little odd because they have a different culture from ours. We must remember that every society has a distinct culture that forms the backbone of the society. Culture does not remain stagnant, ___(8)___ and is in fact somewhat influenced by the other cultures and societies.
Every society has a different culture, ___(9)___. Culture gives them an identity which makes them unique and different from people of other cultures. When people of different cultures migrate and settle in another society, the culture of that society becomes the dominant culture and ___(10)___. Usually, people who settle in other nations imbibe the new culture, while at the same time strive to preserve their own.
(Adapted from Think)
Exercise 3: Read the following passage about culture and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the option that best fits each of the numbered blanks ⇱
A few years ago, a Japanese student I was tutoring shared an interesting cultural experience with me. She had attended a dinner at an American friend’s home. While he was still preparing the dishes, ___(11)___. The problem was, in her culture, it’s impolite to begin eating if your host hasn’t started, so ___(12)___. However, this made the host think that she didn’t like the food that he made. ___(13)___. If we don’t understand, then we could possibly insult people, ___(14)___.
Although we’re just learning English, it’s also important to understand culture because ___(15)___. To learn a language better, we must become part of the culture too!
(Adapted from Think)