MUET MARCH-2017 READING-Exercise 5 (Question)

Questions 30 to 37 are based on the following passage.

More than most countries, Japan thinks of itself as uniquely homogeneous and, in terms of language, culture and origin, Ethnographers broadly agree. But the fair-skinned Ainu — supremely hairy of body, with luxuriant beards on the men and tattooed lips on the women — are the notable exception.

Or were. The Ainu's traditional heartland is Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan's four main islands. Not long ago, they were also found in Sakhalin and the Kurile islands. Although there had been a Japanese presence in south-west Hokkaido since the Middle Ages, it was only in the 19th century that it was annexed to become what the West was for America: A new frontier to be opened by persecuting the hunter-gatherers already there. While the Ainu called their place Ainu Mosir, "the land of human beings". Hokkaido means -"the road to the northern sea", and the Japanese settling of their new frontier was every bit as brutal as America's.

Today only 24,000 call themselves Ainu, most of them of mixed blood. Only ten native Ainu speakers remain, while a solitary century-old woman is thought to have a tattooed lip. The Ainu's origins are vague. Certainly, they are related to ethnic groups in Russia's Far East. But one genetic marker is shared only by people in Tibet and the Andaman Islands. Jared Diamond, a biogeographer. says their mystery makes the Ainu the world's most studied indigenous group. One thing is increasingly clear: They are more obviously the descendants of Japan's original inhabitants, the Jomon, inventors of the world's earliest pottery, than are modern Japanese, who are descended from later settlers from Korea. This infuriates Japan's racial chauvinists.

So only now, has Japan's parliament passed a resolution recognising the Ainu as a people in their own right. The first law about the Ainu that was passed, in 1899, defined them as aborigines in need of assimilation. But until the law's repeal in 1997, Japan officially denied having any indigenous minorities.

The recognition, says Tadashi Kato, head of the Ainu Association of Hokkaido, comes dangerously late. But it may encourage more Ainu to admit to their identity, having concealed it because of discrimination at school and work, and in the marriage market. Mr. Kato thinks that maybe ten times more than the official number think of themselves as Ainu, even if many are of mixed blood. He argues that the parliamentary resolution is just a first step. It offers no legal protection, and carries no obligations for the state. There is little talk yet of an apology for Japan's past treatment of the Ainu, let alone a restitution of lands or hunting rights.

Today, the Ainu's dances, handicrafts and animist beliefs are on display mainly for touristic consumption. Their traditional respect for nature is much in vogue with urban Japanese in search of a more innocent Japan. But it is unclear how these purists would take to a revival of what once was the Ainu's central ritual, called iyomante. This involved the public sticking of a giant bear, considered a god whose spirit could return to heaven only through prolonged taunting and death.

30 In paragraph 1, the writer is making the point that
A. Japan is not really homogeneous
B. the Ainu look different Irom the Japanese
C. the Japanese language and culture are unique
D. the ethnographers are wrong in their perception about the Japanese

31 This sentence Or were. (line 5) means
A. the Ainu were hunter gatherers
B. the Ainu's territory had been taken over
C. Ainu women no longer tattooed their lips
D. the Ainu nowadays do not look that different from the Japanese

32 What is true about the Ainu?
A. They were persecuted by the Japanese.
B. They reared animals and planted crops for food.
C. They were forced to intermarry with the Japanese.
D. They moved from Sakhalin and Kurile to Hokkaido.

33 Paragraph 3 is mainly about
A. why the Ainu were most researched
B. the origin of the Ainu, an indigenous group in Japan
C. the racial differences between the Ainu and the Japanese
D. the assimilation of the Ainu into the Japanese culture

34 Why are Japan's racial chauvinists (line 23) infuriated?
A. They are not direct Japanese descendants.
B. They do not want to be identified as Koreans.
C. They were not given as much attention as the Ainu.
D. They were not associated with the invention of the world's earliest pottery.

35 Until lately, many Ainu do not admit that they are Ainu for the following reasons except
A they are of mixed blood
B they have no legal protection from the government
C they want to avoid being discriminated against at work
D they do not want to spoil their chances of finding a spouse

36 The writer uses the phrase let alone (line 35) for
A. demonstration
B. comparison
C. illustration
D emphasis

37 The writer ends the passage by describing iyomante (line 41) to make the point that
A. the Ainu are highly superstitious
B. the Japanese will reject the Ainu culture
C. the traditional Ainu ritual should be preserved
D. there is a doubt about the full revival of Ainu culture

MUET MARCH-2017 READING-Exercise 4 (Answer)

MUET MARCH-2017 READING-Exercise 4 (Answer)

Questions:

22 The word hallmark (line 1) means
A. a common habit
B. an unusual behavior
C. the most typical feature

Answer: C

23 The findings regarding reading will be useful in
A. stopping the decline in reading
B. preventing depression among teenagers
C. discouraging teenagers from listening to music

Explanation: Paragraph 4 says that reading has the reverse effect of listening to music.

Answer: B

24 Primark's comment This is worth emphasizing (line 19) suggests that
A. teenagers should read more
B. depression among teenagers will increase
C. teenagers should not be exposed to many forms of media

Answer: A

25 Which of the following is true of paragraph 5?
A. People who listen to popular music are usually happy.
B. When people are depressed, they listen to music.
C. Music may or may not cause depression.

Explanation: "But that does not necessarily mean that music causes depression" This line in paragraph 5 gives the answer.

Answer: C

26 What can be concluded from the 2009 and the current study?
A. The findings are contradictory.
B. The findings discourage listening to music.
C. The findings identify watching television as a cause of depression.

Explanation: Points from that paragraph are

• more TV watching-> depressed adulthood. 
• no such relation with listening to music. 
• Hence the findings are contradictory between the two study 

Answer: A

27 preclude time spent reading (line 41) means the depressed

A. find reading difficult
B. are discouraged from reading
C. claim that reading worsens their

Explanation: Preclude mean prevent

Answer: A

28 The passage ends with
A. an advice for parents of teenagers
B. a caution on the use of the findings
C. a possible application of the findings

Explanation: Points from the last paragraph This can be used by parents as ways to spot troubled teen.

Answer: A

29 From the passage. we can conclude that
A. reading is the recommended activity for depressed teenagers
B. it is true that different media will affect teenagers differently
C. further research on the link between depression and various media forms is needed

Explanation: The answer is given in paragraph 9

• Points of that paragraph: Points: 
• More research needed to understand the connection between depression and various forms of media

Answer: C

MUET MARCH-2017 READING-Exercise 4 (Question)

Questions 22 to 29 are based on the following passage.

Being plugged into an iPod is a hallmark of adolescence, but a new study suggests that teens who spend too much time listening to music may be at higher risk of depression.

The study, led by Dr. Brian Primack, an assistant professor of medicine and paediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, found that teens who reported listening to music more often — rather than using other types of media like TV and books — were at higher risk of having major depressive disorder (MDD), compared with teens who listened to music less frequently. With each level increase in music use, teens had an 80 percent higher risk of depression, the study found

The study did not measure total listening times, but based on previous data, the study authors estimated that teens in the highest-use group were likely listening to music for at least four or five hours a day. "At this point, it is not clear whether depressed people begin to listen to more music to escape, or whether listening to large amounts of music can lead to depression or both," said Primack in a statement.

By contrast, researchers found that reading books had the opposite association: With each level increase in time spent reading, teens' risk of depression dropped 50 percent. "This is worth emphasizing because overall in the US, reading books is decreasing, while nearly all other forms of media use are increasing," Primack said.

Of all the media reported, only music showed significant associations with increased depression risk, after researchers controlled for factors like age, sex, and ethnicity. But that does not necessarily mean that music causes depression — for some depressed teens, music may even help. The authors explain that sadness is a common theme in popular music, and it may be that individuals with depression turn to these messages to make themselves feel less alone in their sadness. Conversely, it may also be that individuals with MDD turn to happy music to "tune out" their negative moods or to elevate their moods. Other researchers have suggested that heavy exposure to the sometimes dark themes of popular music may contribute to the development of conditions such as MDD.

Past research has also found links between depression and other forms of media like TV and video games. A seven-year study published in 2009, also led by Primack, showed that teens who watched more TV were more likely to become depressed in adulthood, compared with teens who watched less. So the researchers were surprised to find no such association in the current study, but suggest that further research is necessary to clarify potential links.

Previous longitudinal research has also found that reading may have a mentally protective effect: Teens who read more are less likely to become depressed as adults. The current study suggests that being depressed may also preclude time spent reading. "We sort of thought to ourselves that when you have depression, your brain is not working properly. So it's much harder to sit down to a book and have to use a lot of the frontal lobe of your brain to create the story and the characters in your head, whereas, it should be quite easy to flop down in front of a TV and turn on whatever's there," Primack said.

Although the connections between depression and various forms of media are significant, more research is needed to understand them better, especially considering the conflicting information.

But for now, Primack said the findings may be a way for parents to spot a potentially troubled teen. "It may be valuable for people to help pick up cues for common behaviors like listening to music," he said.

Questions:

22 The word hallmark (line 1) means

A. a common habit

B. an unusual behaviour

C. the most typical feature

23 The findings regarding reading will be useful in

A. stopping the decline in reading

B. preventing depression among teenagers

C. discouraging teenagers from listening to music

24 Primark's comment This is worth emphasizing (line 19) suggests that

A. teenagers should read more

B.depression among teenagers will increase

C. teenagers should not be exposed to many forms of media

25 Which of the following is true of paragraph 5?

A. People who listen to popular music are usually happy.

B. When people are depressed, they listen to music.

C. Music may or may not cause depression.

26 What can be concluded from the 2009 and the current study? 

A. The findings are contradictory.

B.The findings discourage listening to music.

C. The findings identify watching television as a cause of depression.

27 preclude time spent reading (line 41) means the depressed 

A. find reading difficult

B. are discouraged from reading

C. claim that reading worsens their 

28 The passage ends with

A. an advice for parents of teenagers

B. a caution on the use of the findings

C. a possible application of the findings  

29 From the passage. we can conclude that

A. reading is the recommended action for depressed teenagers

B. it is true that different media will affect teenagers differently

C. further research on the link between depression and various media forms is needed

MUET MARCH-2017 READING-Exercise 3 (Answers)

15 The writer begins the passage with
A .a surprising fact
B. a statistical evidence
C. a shocking discovery

Explantion : The author uses the word "remarkably" . This gives away that it is a surprising fact.

Answer : A

16 Paragraph 2 is mainly about
A. theories that explain handedness
B. reasons why humans are the only species with handedness
C. the link between higher testosterone level and left-handedness

Explanation: They talk about multiple theory and Hence 'A'

Answer : A

17 The word sets (line 9) can be replaced by
A .distinguishes
B. determines
C. monitors

Answer : B

18 Left-handed people tend to

A. cope with stress better
B. be good at languages
C. be more emotional

Explation : Paragraph 3 talks about this

Answer: C

19 — otherwise no left-handers would ever jump out of a plane or brave New York City streets as a taxi driver (lines 18 and 19). This comment supports the idea that
A. lefties can overcome their fear
B. not all lefties are prone to fear
C. lefties are as fearless as righties

Explation : It says that not all left-handed people are scared.

Answer : B

20 flipped (line 27) means
A. mixed
B. reversed
C. changed

Answer: B

21 The main idea of paragraph 6 is
A. the advantages of left-handedness
B. the benefits and risks of being a left-hander
C. the link between stroke, speaking ability and handedness

Answer : B

MUET MARCH-2017 READING-Exercise 3 (Question)

MUET MARCH-2017 READING-Exercise 3

Questions 15 to 21 are based on the following passage.

While the body is remarkably symmetrical in many ways, in some key areas, it's decidedly one-sided. About 10 percent of people are left-handed, a proportion that has remained relatively stable.

People who study the brain have a number of theories about what drives handedness, but are at a loss to explain why humans are the only species with handedness. One theory holds that hand dominance is established in the womb by the hand that babies prefer to hold to their mouths, while another says higher testosterone in the womb can increase the chances of becoming a lefty.

But regardless of what sets the pattern, handedness can play a role in how we think, behave and interact with others. The brain, after all, is asymmetrical, with many thinking and intellectual skills centered in the left hemisphere, while emotional and mood-related functions are concentrated in the right. Some studies, for example, find that left-handed people tend to be more vulnerable to negative emotions such as depression and anger, possibly because southpaws, as they're known, engage the right sides of their brains more actively.

Scientists have also found that lefties may be more prone to fear than righties, and therefore may be vulnerable to post-traumatic stress disorder. Clearly, these associations aren't absolute — otherwise, no left-handers would ever jump out of a plane or brave New York City streets as a taxi driver. But scientists have found that left-handers have more symmetry between the right and left sides of their brains compared with right-handers. And that can have implications for everything from language to motor skills.

"The majority of people who are right-handed are left-hemisphere language dominant," says Dr. Daniel Geschwind, a professor of neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles. That means most of their language processing occurs in the left side of the brain. "Almost 10 percent of left-handers have that flipped, and have right-hemisphere language dominance, and many have almost equal distribution of language skills in both hemispheres," Geschwind says. "The notion is that left-handers are less constrained when it comes to brain asymmetry, so their skills are most randomised and less specified" to one side of 30 the brain or the other.

That can have advantages, particularly after a stroke. Right-handed patients who have a stroke on the left side of the brain tend to recover their speaking abilities more slowly than left-handers, since they don't have the wider distribution of language networks throughout both sides of the brain. But there's also a reason why left-handedness isn't more common, even if it provides such advantages. "Having more distributed language abilities probably makes the system more complicated, so it may increase the susceptibility to developmental abnormalities and neurodevelopmental disorders," says Geschwind. That could explain some studies that correlated risk of autism with being left-handed.

Appreciating how that lack of symmetry translates into benefits or risks is still a work in progress. In the meantime, lefties should celebrate their differences — or, in the case of their brains, the lack of difference between their right and left sides.

Questions: 

15 The writer begins the passage with 

A. a surprising fact 

B. a statistical evidence 

C. a shocking discovery 

16 Paragraph 2 is mainly about 

A. theories that explain handedness 

B. reasons why humans are the only species with handedness 

C. the link between higher testosterone level and left-handedness 

17 The word sets (line 9) can be replaced by 

A. distinguishes 

B. determines 

C. monitors 

18 Left-handed people tend to 

A. cope with stress better 

B. be good at languages 

C. be more emotional 

19 — otherwise no left-handers would ever jump out of a plane or brave New York City streets as a taxi driver (lines 18 and 19). This comment supports the idea that 

A. lefties can overcome their fear 

B. not all lefties are prone to fear 

C. lefties are as fearless as righties 

20 flipped (line 27) means 

A. mixed 

B. reversed 

C. changed 

21 The main idea of paragraph 6 is 

A. the advantages of left-handedness 

B. the benefits and risks of being a left-hander 

C. the link between stroke, speaking ability and handedness 

MUET - Marking Scheme

MUET - Malaysian University Entrance Test. This test is used to gauge the students command over English. There are four parts to the exam.

1. Reading
2. Listening
3. Writing
4. Speaking

The distribution of marks is not equally distributed.

TOPIC	Paper no	Marks distribution	Timing
Reading	800/3	45%	120 Mins
Listening	800/1	15%	30 Mins
Writing	800/4	25%	90 Mins
Speaking	800/2	15%	30 Mins (Max)

Total Mark summary:

Band 6	260-300	Very good user
Band 5	220-259	Good user
Band 4	180-229	Competent User
Band 3	140-179	Modest user
Band 2	101-139	Limited User
Band 1	<100	Extremely Limited user

You need a Minimum of Band 3 for Arts and Band 4 for Science stream.