Preparation Year Programme for IB Diploma (Year 11), and IB Diploma (Year 12) Entrance Test for English

Example
Read the following magazine article. For questions 15-20 choose the answer (A), (B), (C) or (D), which you think fits best according to the text. Write your answers on the answer sheet provided. Virtuous nature Chimps show signs of embarrassment, whales and ravens fall in love. But can animals really have a sense of right and wrong? Marc Bekoff thinks they do. If you think that we are the only creatures on Earth with a moral sense, then you are in good company. Most experts in behaviour believe that morality is a uniquely human trait, without which our complex social life would never have emerged- yet Im convinced that many animals can distinguish right from wrong. Decades spent watching wild and captive animals have persuaded me that species living in groups often have a sense of fair play built on moral codes of conduct that help cement their social relationships. The notion of Nature being naturally ruthlessly and selfishly competitive does not hold true for those of us who have observed and analysed animal relationships. Thats not all I suspect that herein lies the origin of our own virtue. Biologists have had real problem trying to explain why people are frequently inexplicably nice to each other. It just doesnt make sense in the evolutionary terms, unless there are ulterior motives behind our seemingly altruistic actions. Perhaps we expect a payback somewhere down the line, or maybe our good deeds are directed only towards kin, with whom we share a biological heritage. Nobody has really considered the possibility that being considerate to your neighbours might sometimes be the best way to survive. But Im starting to find evidence that a well-developed sense of fair play helps non-human animals live longer, more successful lives. Im particularly interested in social play amongst youngsters because it has its own special rules of engagement, allowing participants to reinterpret acts that might otherwise seem aggressive. My studies of infant dogs, wolves and coyotes reveal that they use a special signal to prevent misinterpretation of playful actions. They perform a bow- which entails crouching on the forelimbs while keeping the rear upright when initiating play, or in association with aggressive actions such as biting, to modify their meaning. And role reversal is common, so that during play a dominant animal will often allow a subordinate to have the upper hand. Such behaviours reduce inequalities in sizes, strength and dominance between playmates, fostering the co-operation and reciprocity that are essential for play to occur. Indeed, on the rare occasions when an animal says Lets play and then beats up an unsuspecting animal, the culprit usually finds itself ostracized by its former playmates. My belief is that a sense of fairness is common to many animals, because there could be no social play without it, and without social play individual animals and entire groups would be at a disadvantage. If

Im right, morality evolved because it is adaptive. It helps many animals, including humans, to survive and flourish in their particular social environment. This may sound like a radical idea, particularly if you view morality as uniquely human and a sort of mystical quality that sets us apart from other animals. But if you accept my argument that play and fairness are inextricably linked, youre half way there. The challenge then is to show that individual animals benefit from these behaviours. Its hardly radical to suggest that play is essential food for the brain- it hones an individuals cognitive skills, including logical reasoning and behavioural adaptability. The more we learn about how play affects the brain, the more apparent it becomes that the activity is far from idle time-wasting. Here I am not putting the case forward for a specific gene for fair or moral behavior. As with any behavioural trait the underlying genetics is bound to be complex, and environmental influences may be large. No matter. Provided there is variation in levels of morality among individuals, and provided virtue is rewarded by a greater number of offspring, then any genes associated with good behavior are bound to accumulate in subsequent generations. And the observation that play is rarely unfair and uncooperative is surely an indication that natural selection acts to weed out those who dont play by the rules. What does this tell us about human morality? First, we didnt invent virtue its origins are much more ancient than our own. Secondly, we should stop seeing ourselves as morally superior to other animals. True, our big brains endow us with a highly sophisticated sense of whats right and wrong, but they also give us much greater scope for manipulating others- to deceive and try to benefit from immoral behavior. In that sense, animal morality might be purer than our own. We should accept our moral responsibility towards other animals, and that means developing and enforcing more restrictive regulations governing animal use. While animal minds may vary from one species to another, they are not so different from our own, and only when we accept this can we truly be moral in our relations with nature as a whole.

16. In paragraph 1, what does the writer state about morality? A Humans are the only creatures that demonstrate true emotional behavior. B A well-developed moral code is not the main reason for civilization. C Humans and animals share the same selfish instincts for survival. D There is a common misconception that animals are not moral. 17. In paragraph 2, the writer believes that people who A are generous to one another are not always sure why. B dont have good social skills achieve less in life. C behave considerately have selfish reasons for doing so. D treat acquaintances better than relatives are unusual.

Example
The Namibia Challenge in Africa Read the following article. For questions 26 -35 choose the answer (A), (B), (C) or (D), which you think fits best according to the text. Write your answers on the answer sheet provided.

The Namibia Challenge is a seven-day race organized by Raleigh International, a company established in 1985. It is a competition for people (26) want to learn teamwork and communication skills. It (27) place in the Namib desert in Africa , where teams spend a week pushing themselves to their limit and (28).useful skills. As a final challenge, participants (29) . to climb Mount Brandberg, Namibias highest mountain.

Paul Webster, a university student, is willing to (30) his experiences with other students. The Namibia Challenge is especially useful if, (31) me, you havent had (32) experience of working in a team, he says. (33) the end of it, we were all trying to help each other in the team. It is also a great opportunity to (34) . people of many different nationalities in a very special environment. I am (35) . of going back to Namibia if I can.

26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

A. what A. takes A. following A. may A. inform A. against A. much A. In A. introduce A. thinking

B. which B. gets B. developing B. got B. let B. except B. lot B. By B. meet B. planning

C. who C. holds C. growing C. have C. talk C. for C. many C. Since C. know C. deciding

D. whose D. has D. becoming D. must D. share D. like D. few D. From D. greet D. considering

Preparation Year Programme for IB Diploma (Year 11), Maths Entrance Test Example

1. The number of people at a football match, estimated to the nearest hundred, was 32000. The true number, n , of people who attended the match is best given by

A. 31950 n 32050

B. 31500 n 32500

C. 31000 n 33000

D. 31955 n 33005

E. 31900 n 32100

2. A basketball player has been successful with 66% of his shots so far this season. If he is successful with 14 out of 21 shots in his next game, his success rate for the season would then be

A. exactly 66%

B. exactly 67%

C. slightly more than 66%

E. slightly less than 66%

E. unknown as we need more information

IB Diploma (Year 12) Maths Entrance Test Example

6. Solve 3(2x - 8) = 2(5 - x) for the value of x

(a) x = 2.75

(b) x = 4.25

(c) x = 3.25

(d) none of these

7. When factorised, the expression x2 - 7x + 6 is the same as (x - p)(x - q). The values of p and q are:

(a) 2 and 3

(b) -2 and -3

(c) 6 and 1

(d) -6 and -1

The End