Questions 16~20

Declan Mayes, President of the Music Buyers Association, is furious at a recent announcement by the recording industry regarding people downloading MP3 music files from the Internet as actual criminals.

A few parallels may be instructive. If someone copies an audio music cassette for their own private use, they are, strictly speaking, breaking the law. But recording companies have usually turned a blind eye to this practice because prosecuting the few people involved would be difficult, and the financial loss to the company itself is not considered significant. Now the Music Recording Association has announced that it regards individuals downloading music from the Internet as pirates, claiming that they damage the industry in just the same way. "The industry is completely overreacting; it'll be a laughing stock," says Mayes. "They're going to arrest some teenager downloading files in his bedroom—and sue him for thousands of dollars! This isn't going to frighten anyone into buying CDs".

Mayes may have a point. There is a general consensus that CD pirates should be subjected to the full wrath of the law, but few would see an individual downloading music for his or her own pleasure in the same light. However, downloading music files illegally is not as innocuous as making private copies of audio cassettes. The scratchy, distorted cassette copy is a poor version of the original recording, whereas an MP3 file is of high quality and can be stored—on a CD, for example. It is this that makes the practice a powerful temptation for music fans, given the high cost of CDs.

What does Mayes think about claims that music companies could be forced out of business by people downloading music illegally? That's nonsense. Music companies are always whining about high costs, but that doesn't prevent them from recording hundreds of CDs by completely unknown artists, many of whom are "packaged" by marketing departments to appeal to young consumers. The companies are simply hoping that one of these new bands or signers will be a hit, and although it can be expensive to promote new artists, the cost of manufacturing the CDs is actually very low.

This last point would appear to be the focus of resentment against music companies: a CD is far cheaper to produce than its price in the shops would indicate, and profit margins for the music companies are huge. An adult with a reasonable income may not object to paying £15 for a CD of classical music, but a teenager buying a CD by the latest pop sensation may find that price rather steep—especially since the latest pop sensation is almost certain to be forgotten within a few months. And while the recording industry can't be held responsible for the evanescent nature of fame, given the teenage appetite for anything novel, it could lower the prices it charges—especially since technology is making CDs even cheaper to produce.

This is what Mayes hopes will happen. If the music industry stops exploiting the music-buying public, it can survive. Everyone would rather buy a CD, with an attractive jacket and booklet, than mess around downloading files, but the price has to be reasonable. The problem isn't going to vanish if the industry carries on trying to make a quick profit. Technology has caught up with the music companies, and trying to fight it by taking people to court will only earn money for the lawyers.

16. Mayes thinks that the recording industry's recent announcement ______.

(A) fails to take into account the difficulties of prosecuting offenders

(B) makes the industry appear ridiculous

(C) will deter consumers from buying CDs

(D) will encourage resentment of CD piracy

17. Why does the writer feel that MP3 files are unlike copies of audio cassettes?

(A) Downloaded MP3 files are generally not for private use.

(B) The financial losses to the music industry are greater.

(C) The price of MP3s is higher than that of audio cassettes.

(D) There is a significant difference in quality.

18. According to the passage, Mayes implies that music companies ______.

(A) could cut costs by making cheaper CDs

(B) should not promote artists who are unknown

(C) are speculating when they promote new artists

(D) should use different manufacturing processes

19. The author points out that the music industry cannot be blamed for ______.

(A) the fact that fewer teenagers are buying classical music CDs

(B) the fact that fashions change quickly

(C) the poor quality of modern music

(D) the prices that are charged for CDs in shops

20. What does Mayes think is at the root of the survival problem facing the music industry?

(A) The unprecedented speed of technological development.

(B) Unrealistic legal advice and practice.

(C) Its failure to adopt an appropriate pricing strategy.

(D) The rapidly changing nature of contemporary music.

Questions 21-25

The basic story is very old indeed and familiar to most of us. The heroine, Cinderella, is treated cruelly by her stepmother and mocked by her two ugly stepsisters. And even though her father loves her, she can't tell him how unhappy she is because her stepmother has bewitched him. One day Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters are invited to a ball at the royal palace. Cinderella is told she cannot go and is understandably very unhappy. However, her fairy godmother comes to the rescue and, waving her magic wand, produces some beautiful clothes for Cinderella as well as a carriage to convey her to the ball. There, she dances with the handsome prince, who falls in love with her...

Just a sweet, pretty tale? Not in the view of Ellen Macintosh, who has written extensively about fairy tales. 'This story features the stock, two-dimensional characters of most fairy tales, and little character development is attempted,' she says. Indeed, although her comment does make one wonder why simplicity of this sort should be out of place in a story for children. Be that as it may, Ellen's main problem is with what the story implies. 'Instead of standing up to her cruel stepmother and absurd stepsisters, Cinderella just waits for a fairy godmother to appear and solve her problem. But wouldn't you want a daughter of yours to show more spirit?'

The story is enduring, whatever its shortcomings, and it doesn't take much in the way of analytical skills to see its influence on a number of recent Hollywood productions, all aimed at girls aged five to fifteen. In these versions for the silver screen, the Cinderella character no longer has to clean the house and has no siblings to make her life a misery, though she persists in not showing much backbone. The character of the rich and handsome stranger, however, is retained, and in some cases really is a prince. The role of the fairy godmother is often played by coincidence or sheer luck; we live in an enlightened age when even very young children might reject the notion of fairies. The wicked stepmother may be transformed into a villain of some sort. In the majority of film versions, the heroine has a profession and is even permitted to continue working after marrying her prince—this is the twenty-first century, after all.http://tr.hjenglish.com

Doesn't the success of these films indicate that the story has relevance to children even today? 'Yes,' admits Ellen, who sees its message as being rooted in a fundamental childhood desire for love and attention. 'Most children experience a sense of inner loneliness as they are growing up and empathies with the protagonist who faces some sort of test or challenge. This can be seen in the original story of Cinderella, where the fairy godmother tells the heroine that she must learn to be gracious and confident if she is to go to the ball. She has to grow spiritually, and by maturing, she becomes attractive to the prince, thus ensuring that the ending of the story will be happy. 'In the later versions, this element is missing,' says Ellen, 'and the theme of the story is simply that a girl's role in life is to be more beautiful than other little girls so that she can carry off the prize: the handsome prince. Is this really what we want girls to grow up believing?'

21. What is Ellen's main objection to the Cinderella story?

(A) The heroine is treated cruelly.

(B) The heroine is not assertive enough.

(C) The ugly stepsisters are figures of ridicule.

(D) The stepmother is a stereotypical character.

22. In film versions of the Cinderella story ______.

(A) two characters from the original story are omitted

(B) the prince is invariably replaced by a rich stranger

(C) luck plays a lesser role than in the original story

(D) the Cinderella character no longer has to work

23. According to the passage, modern variants on the story generally ______.

(A) portray Cinderella as a successful professional

(B) imply that Cinderella will become a real princess

(C) reflect children's beliefs and aspirations

(D) make concessions to modern women's lives

24. In Ellen's view, what makes the Cinderella story so appealing?

(A) Children can identify with the heroine.

(B) Little girls enjoy being challenged.

(C) It has an element of magic.

(D) Cinderella is more beautiful than other girls.

25. Unlike the original tale, modern versions of the Cinderella story ______.

(A) suggest that girls need the strength of character

(B) do not require the heroine to develop spiritually

(C) underestimate the desire for love and attention

(D) are aimed solely at young children

Questions 26-30

Ten thousand years ago, as the last ice age drew to a close, sea levels around the world were far lower than they are today. Much of the land under the North Sea and the English Channel was part of a huge region of forests and grassy plains. Then the climate gradually become warmer and the water trapped in glaciers and ice caps was released. This ancient land was submerged in the resulting deluge and all that remains to tell us that it was once lush and verdant—and inhabited—is the occasional stone tool, harpoon or mammoth tusk brought up from the sea bed by fishing boats.

Now the development of advanced sonar technology, known as bathymetry, is making it possible to study this flooded landscape in extraordinary detail. While previous devices have only been able to produce two-dimensional images, bathymetry makes use of computers, satellite positioning devices and special software to create accurate and remarkably detailed maps. For the first time an ancient river bed leaps out of the three-dimensional image, complete with rocky ledges rising up from the bottom of the valley. The sites of pre-historic settlements can now be pinpointed, and it is also possible to see in stunning detail the sunken shipwrecks that litter this part of the sea bed.

According to archaeologist Dr Linda Andrews, this technological development is of huge significance. 'We now have the ability to map the sea bed as accurately as we can map dry land,' she says. She is, however, scathing about the scale of government funding for such projects.' We have better images of Mars and Venus than of two-thirds of our own planet! In view of the fact that Britain is a maritime nation, and the sea has had such a massive influence on us, it's an absolute scandal that we know so little about the area just off our shores!'

Once bathymetric techniques have identified sites where people might have built their homes and villages, divers could be sent down to investigate further. The idea of Britain as a natural island kingdom will be challenged by these findings: Britain has been inhabited for about 500,000 years, and for much of this time it has been linked on and off to continental Europe. It remains to be seen how far this new awareness is taken on board among our 'island' people.

In fact, the use of bathymetry scanners will not be limited to the study of lost landscapes and ancient settlements. It will also be vital in finding shipwrecks. Records show that there are about 44,000 shipwrecks off the shores of Britain, but there is good reason to believe that the real figure is much higher. In addition, commercial applications are a real possibility. Aggregates for the construction industry are becoming increasingly expensive, and bathymetry scanners could be used to identify suitable sites for quarrying this material. However, mapping the sea bed will also identify places where rare plants and shellfish have their homes. Government legislation may prevent digging at such sites, either to extract material for a profit or to make the water deeper: there are plans to dredge parts of the English Channel to provide deeper waterways for massive container ships.

26. We can learn from the passage that this particular area under the sea ______.

(A) was not previously thought to have been populated

(B) was created by the last Ice Age

(C) has yielded some archaeological artifacts

(D) has had many of its inhabitants drowned

27. What is the most important aspect of the new scanning technique?

(A) It can attract more government funding for mapping.

(B) It only requires the use of an echo sounder.

(C) It can measure the depth of the sea bed with accuracy.

(D) It reveals important details of underwater topography.

28. How does Dr. Andrews feel about the lack of accurate information about the waters around Britain?

(A) Outraged.

(B) Resigned.

(C) Astonished.

(D) Amused.

29. The author suggests that a better understanding of the ancient settlements on the sea bed may ______.

(A) inspire more young people to take up archaeology

(B) modify the attitudes of the British to their country's history

(C) provide confirmation about the dangers of global warming

(D) alter the perception other countries have about Britain

30. Quarrying is cited as an example to show that ______.

(A) there will be little difficulty obtaining funds for research

(B) underwater research should be completed as soon as possible

(C) damage to the sea bed has not been recorded accurately so far

(D) the use of scanners may have practical benefits for industry

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