A

t he Notting Hill area

The Notting Hill Carnival is one of the world’s largest street festivals. It is held in the
of West London. Over one million people attend the carnival, which takes place over three days every
August. The event started in 1966 as a celebration of Caribbean culture, with people from the West
Indies, who had immigrated to London, organizing the festival. Nowadays, the event is very multi-cultural
and people from all the different communities of London come together at the festival. However, the
music, costumes, floats and food still have a strong Caribbean influence.

B
The Rio de Janiero Carnival
Carnival is the biggest and most famous street festival in the world. It is held annually
in the Brazilian city, over six days before the Christian festival of Lent. On each day, over two million
people come out on to the streets of Rio to dance and play music. There are competitions between the
different samba schools, with each school trying to have the best float, costume and music, as well as to
be the best at samba dancing. These days, some of the main events are ticketed and held in stadiums.
1 of 6
The passage explains how the carnival started.
Passage A
Passage B
Both Passages
2 of 6
The passage says how often the carnival is held.
Passage A
Passage B
Both Passages
3 of 6
The passage suggests what is available to eat at the carnival.
c arnival.
Passage A
Passage B
Both Passages
4 of 6
The passage says that people have to pay for parts of the carnival.
Passage A
Passage B
Both Passages
5 of 6
The passage describes what people see and do at the carnival.
Passage A
Passage B
Both Passages
6 of 6
The passage explains where the festival is held.
Passage A
Passage B
 Read both passages. Then read each statement and decide if it is supported by

 Passage A  Both passages

 Passage B  Neither passage

A
There are several mountains around the world which, based on various criteria, stake a
claim to the title of the world’s highest mountain. The best known of these is
undoubtedly Mount Everest.

Located where the borders of Nepal and China meet within the Himalayan mountain
range, Mount Everest rises to a magnificent 8,848 meters above sea level. This means
it is the point on the Earth’s surface that achieves the greatest distance above sea level.
It is believed that it is continuing to grow very slowly, as the Himalayan mountain range
is pushed upwards.

Because of its fame, the challenge of climbing Mount Everest is something many
climbers wish to achieve. Since the first time the peak was reached in 1953, over 4,000
climbers have made their way up the mountain. It is a difficult and dangerous climb,
though, and many people have lost their lives on its snowy slopes.

B
Mauna Kea in Hawaii is a contender for the highest mountain on Earth. Although it
only rises 4,205 meters above sea level, much more of it is under the water. When
measured from the seabed, it is over 10,000 meters high, much higher than Mount
Everest.

Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano that was created by the Pacific tectonic plate over a
million years ago, and many layers of lava have added to its height. Although it has not
erupted for over 4,000 years, it is expected to one day erupt again.

All five of the peaks on Hawaii are considered sacred by the Hawaiian people, but
Mauna Kea is the most holy, so only high-ranking religious people are supposed to visit
it. However, due to its location, the peak of the mountain is one of the best places in
the world to look at the stars and so, despite some controversy, a road was built to the
top, where an observatory was constructed.

1 of 10
The author describes the origin of the mountain.
Passage A Both Passages
Passage B Neither Passage

2 of 10
The passage explains why this mountain should be considered the highest
in the world.
Passage A Both Passages
 Both Passages Neither Passage
4 of 10
The author mentions that there are different opinions on the highest
mountain in the world.
Passage A Both Passages
Passage B Neither Passage

5 of 10
The passage mentions dangers associated with the mountain’s height.
Passage A Both Passages
Passage B Neither Passage

6 of 10
The author suggests that this mountain is really the highest.
Passage A Both Passages
Passage B Neither Passage
7 of 10
The passage explains the cultural significance of a mountain.
Passage A Both Passages
Passage B Neither Passage

8 of 10
The author mentions how the mountain is thought to be currently changing.
Passage A Both Passages
Passage B Neither Passage
9 of 10
The author believes people should not climb this mountain.
Passage A Both Passages
Passage B Neither Passage
10 of 10
The author implies that local people do not always agree with how the
mountain is used.
Passage A Both Passages
Passage B Neither Passage

A
Hanging clear, water-filled bags from doorways is an increasingly popular, and rather
unlikely, new method for deflecting annoying—and potentially disease-carrying—flies
from building entrances.

Some advocates claim that the flies recognize the liquid as the surface of a body of
water while others—ludicrously—insist the insect flies away because it is frightened by
object changes the ray’s velocity and direction, bending, or refracting, it. Refracted rays
of light can cause optical illusions, including such things as mirages that even confuse
human eyes.

A fly’s head consists primarily of a pair of large complex eyes, each composed of 3,000
to 6,000 simple eyes. This physiology allows the fly to see in multiple directions at once.
Even though these eyes cannot move or focus on objects like human eyes, they grant
the fly a mosaic view of its surroundings, and each simple eye provides one small piece
of the puzzle. A housefly bases its sense of direction on the direction sunlight comes
from, so when these complex, sensitive eyes experience refracted light, the fly becomes
confused and flies away.

Although this explanation is persuasive and plausible, research conducted to replicate

the results on fly-plagued poultry farms has been inconclusive.

B
While the water-bag method of fly repellent has many supporters, it has at least as many
detractors. Advocates claim that refracted light in w ater baffles the flies’ compound
eyes. This theory seems quite plausible, but critics classify it as a kind of coincidence
masquerading as cause and effect. They say that hanging water bags may seem to work
due to the placebo effect. In medicine this is a treatment without therapeutic value,
which is administered as if it were a therapy. The "medicine" makes people feel better
due to psychological effects rather than due to its curative values. The same effect is
likely to occur when people think they are treating a pest problem, and t hus notice that
the problem seems to diminish.

But what if the placebo even increases the problem? Recently, scientists conducted an
experiment over the course of thirteen weeks on two egg farms to measure fly activity
and encountered just such a situation. They installed commercial, water-based optical
fly repellents and concluded that the areas equipped with water bags actually attracted
more of these irritating creatures.

Since there are reasonable explanations that support the water-bag method and
significant evidence that argues against it, it’s up to you whether you keep hanging up
water-filled bags around your home or not.
1 of 12
The passage mentions experiments conducted in an agricultural
environment.
Passage A Both Passages
Passage B Neither Passage
2 of 12
The passage makes a convincing case for the effectiveness of the water-
bag method.
Passage A Both Passages
Passage B Neither Passage
3 of 12
 Which description best fits the Laruna Hotel?
A place designed to make families with young children comfortable
A vacation that includes the beach and some taste of local culture
A hotel especially suited to people who love to hike in r ugged landscapes
A trip for those who especially like night life
8 of 8
Which of the facts does the passage tell you about the Laruna Hotel?
The country where it is located
The language the people there speak
The number of rooms in the hotel
The distance from the hotel to the beach