RC 1

In recent years, Western business managers have been heeding the exhortations of
business journalists and academics to move their companies toward long-term,
collaborative "strategic partnerships" with their external business partners (e.g.,
suppliers). The experts' advice comes as a natural reaction to numerous studies
conducted during the past decade that compared Japanese production and supply
practices with those of the rest of the world. The link between the success of a certain
well-known Japanese automaker and its effective management of its suppliers, for
example, has led to an unquestioning belief within Western management circles in the
value of strategic partnerships. Indeed, in the automobile sector all three United States
manufacturers and most of their European competitors have launched programs to
reduce their total number of suppliers and move toward having strategic partnerships
with a few.
However, new research concerning supplier relationships in various industries
demonstrates that the widespread assumption of Western managers and business
consultants that Japanese firms manage their suppliers primarily through strategic
partnerships is unjustified. Not only do Japanese firms appear to conduct a far smaller
proportion of their business through strategic partnerships than is commonly believed,
but they also make extensive use of "market-exchange" relationships, in which either
party can turn to the marketplace and shift to different business partners at will, a
practice usually associated with Western manufacturers.

1) The passage is primarily concerned with

(A) examining economic factors that may have contributed to the success of certain
Japanese companies
(B) discussing the relative merits of strategic partnerships as compared with those of
market-exchange relationship
(C) challenging the validity of a widely held assumption about how Japanese firms
operate
(D) explaining why Western companies have been slow to adopt a particular practice
favored by Japanese companies
(E) pointing out certain differences between Japanese and Western supplier
relationships
2) According to the passage, the advice referred to in the highlighted text was a
response to which of the following?
(A) A recent decrease in the number of available suppliers within the United States
automobile industry
(B) A debate within Western management circles during the past decade regarding the
value of strategic partnerships
(C) The success of certain European automobile manufacturers that have adopted
strategic partnerships
(D) Research comparing Japanese business practices with those of other nations

3) The author mentions "the success of a certain well-known Japanese automaker"

most probably in order to
(A) demonstrate some of the possible reasons for the success of a certain business
practice
(B) cite a specific case that has convinced Western business experts of the value of a
certain business practice
(C) describe specific steps taken by Western automakers that have enabled them to
compete more successfully in a global market
(D) introduce a paradox about the effect of a certain business practice in Japan
(E) indicate the need for Western managers to change their relationships with their
external business partners

4) Which of the following is most clearly an example of the practice referred to in the last
sentence of the passage?
(A) A department store chain that employs a single buyer to procure all the small
appliances to be sold in its stores
(B) An automobile manufacturer that has used the same supplier of a particular axle
component for several years in a row
(C) A hospital that contracts only with union personnel to staff its nonmedical positions
(D) A corporation that changes the food-service supplier for its corporate headquarters
several times over a five-year period as part of a cost-cutting campaign.
 RC2

Progress became a theme in European thought in about 1750. The thinkers of the
Enlightenment wanted to replace the Biblical account of time (Genesis, Creation, Fall,
Redemption) with a myth which put Man, not God, at the center of the story. The narrative of
human progress was understood to be both a material and a moral process; not just changing
our technologies, but altering our instincts, and for the better.

We now live in ironic, anti-heroic times. Do we still believe in the story of progress? It sits in the
attic of our minds like a glorious Victorian antique, as magnificent as a stuffed moose head and
just as useless. Perhaps worse than useless. Modern political correctness has lodged a
suspicion in our mind about the Ascent of Man. What do you mean, Man? What about Woman?
And which Man? Surely not the European conquerors? And Ascent? Surely you’re not implying
that western civilization is superior to everything that’s gone before? And so on. The Ascent of
Man may be an idea we had better do without.

Only 20 years ago, this did not seem so. That great educator and scientist, Jacob Bronowski,
made it the title of his famous BBC documentary. For Bronowski, the Ascent of Man was the
story of human evolution. It began over 4m years ago with the emergence of hominid species in
Africa— furry, ape-like creatures who began the human ascent, about 1m years later, by
standing on their hind legs. This released their hands to use tools, increasing their food
production capacity, their brain size, and their superiority over other ape and animal competitors.
There were an unknown number of hominid competitors, which were gradually reduced to two
and then—100,000 years ago—to one: homo sapiens. Only this creature achieved language,
and this gave him mastery of himself and nature.

As homo sapiens, we are the product not of one millennium, but of at least a thousand. We may
look up at the sky through the lenses of a scientific worldview, but the brain which receives the
signals is an organism imprinted with several million years of evolutionary terrors: of animals,
strange signs in the skies and the omnipresence of imminent death..

The author mentions the thinkers of the Enlightenment in order to:

(A) assert that the Bible was an impediment in the way of progress
(B) demonstrate that Man is superior to God
(C) affirm that human progress is akin to mastery over the world
(D) illustrate the transformation in man’s approach towards the concept of ‘progress’
According to the information in the passage, with which of the following
statements would the author most likely agree?

(A) Man is superior to other living beings in certain aspects such as the ability to
communicate using language.
(B) In modern times, it is preferable to support the anti-hero than the hero.
(C) Modern man does not believe in the story of progress.
(D) The Biblical account of time put God at the center of the story.

What is the main purpose of the author in writing the passage?

(A) To criticize the Biblical account of time

(B) To argue that the concept of ‘Ascent of Man’ is actually a myth propagated by
scientists such as Bronowski
(C) To describe how people’s perception of the concept of ‘Ascent of Man’ has changed
over time
(D) To prove that the narrative of human progress was both a material and a moral
process

What is the function of the third paragraph in the passage?

(A) To argue in favor of the concept of human progress

(B) To state the views of a renowned scientist
(C) To provide a contrasting view of a concept discussed earlier in the passage
(D) To conclude that man is the only creature capable of using language effectively
 RC3

Solar Radiation Management (SRM) is often proposed as a geoengineering solution to

combat global warming, offering the potential to temporarily reduce rising temperatures.
However, concerns have emerged that SRM could unintentionally undermine efforts to
address the root causes of climate change. Critics argue that by presenting SRM as a
viable option, there is a risk of creating a "moral hazard," where the urgency to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions is diminished.

Several studies suggest that awareness of SRM may reduce public support for critical
mitigation strategies, such as emission reductions, aligning with the moral hazard
theory. While some research points to increased backing for policies like carbon taxes
after exposure to SRM, these findings are not conclusive. The broader concern remains
that SRM may foster complacency, potentially delaying the necessary actions to
address climate change in a comprehensive way.

Ultimately, while SRM could serve as a part of the climate solution, its role must be
carefully evaluated. If overreliance on SRM shifts focus away from emissions reduction,
the progress made in mitigating climate risks could be significantly weakened.
Policymakers will need to weigh its potential benefits against the risk of reducing
momentum in the fight to lower emissions—an effort widely regarded as essential for
addressing the long-term impacts of climate change.

Which of the following best describes the primary concern of critics regarding
SRM?
A) SRM will completely replace the need for emission reductions.
B) SRM will increase public support for carbon taxes, undermining global warming
awareness.
C) SRM may reduce support to hasten the deployment of climate change mitigation
measures.
D) SRM usage will cause greenhouse gas emissions to go up.

What can be inferred about the author's perspective on SRM?

A) The author believes SRM will certainly shift focus away from emissions reduction.
B) The author believes SRM should not be prioritized over other climate interventions.
C) The author believes policymakers are best equipped to decide the risks of SRM.
D) The author believes SRM might prove useful in the battle against climate change.
Which of the following best describes the structure of the passage?
A) The author presents a problem, explores potential solutions, and concludes by
endorsing one of them.
B) The author introduces a solution, discusses its possible drawbacks, and ends by
weighing its overall viability.
C) The author outlines a debate, provides evidence supporting both sides, and then
argues for a compromise.
D) The author describes a controversial idea, refutes it with opposing arguments, and
dismisses it entirely.

OMO1

1] Like many new technologies, Web-based office products like Google Docs go through
an initial phase, where novelty is the main attraction.

2] In the programming world, this is known as the ‘worse is better’ approach.

3] That’s because it’s easier to lure in sceptics of a new technology if it’s simple and
straight-forward, even if that means sacrificing functionality.

4] It’s not necessarily a bad thing that Google Docs will never have all the tools and
gizmos that are built into its predecessor Microsoft Word.

OMO2

1] The USSR built the world’s first major concentration camp system: the Gulag.

2] The USSR’s economy, which many foreign observers imagined to be a fascinating

experiment, was made to work by suppressing all normal human incentives and
spontaneous initiatives.

3] The USSR’s socio-economic transformation was achieved through the most appalling
cruelty, violence, terror and mass murder.

4] In the ‘Great Terror’ of 1937–39 vast numbers of ordinary men and women were
simply shot at random to create the ultimate totalitarian climate where no one felt safe.