Occupational English Test

Reading sub-test
Part A – Text booklet
Sample Test

You must record your answers for Part A in the

Part A – Answer booklet using pen or pencil.

Please print in BLOCK LETTERS

Candidate number – –

Family name

Other name(s)

City

Date of test

Candidate’s signature

YOU MUST NOT REMOVE OET MATERIAL FROM THE TEST ROOM

The OET Centre

GPO Box 372 Telephone: +613 9652 0800
Melbourne VIC 3001 Facsimile: +613 9654 5329
Australia www.occupationalenglishtest.org

© Cambridge Boxhill Language Assessment - Sample Test ABN 69 159 885 257
OET: Reading Part A
Glaucoma

Reading Sub-test
TIME LIMIT: 15 MINUTES

• Complete the following summary using the information in the four texts provided.

• You do not need to read each text from beginning to end to complete the task. You should scan the texts to
find the information you need.

• Gaps may require 1, 2 or 3 words.

• You should write your answers next to the appropriate number in the right-hand column.

• Please use correct spelling in your responses.

1
 OET: Reading Part A

Text 1
Title: Glaucoma (Robertson, 2009)
Description
Glaucoma is the name given to a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve at the back of the
eye is slowly destroyed. In most people this damage is due to an increased pressure inside the eye -
a result of blockage of the circulation of aqueous, or its drainage. In other patients the damage may
be caused by poor blood supply to the vital optic nerve fibers, a weakness in the structure of the
nerve, and/or a problem in the health of the nerve fibres themselves. Over 146,000 Australians
have been diagnosed with glaucoma. While it is more common as people age, it can occur at any age.
Glaucoma is also far less common in the indigenous population.

Symptoms
Chronic (primary open-angle) glaucoma is the commonest type. It has no symptoms until eye sight
is lost at a later stage.

Prognosis
Damage progresses very slowly and destroys vision gradually, starting with the side vision. One eye
covers for the other, and the person remains unaware of any problem until a majority of nerve
fibres have been damaged, and a large part of vision has been destroyed. This damage is
irreversible.

Treatment

Although there is no cure for glaucoma it can usually be controlled and further loss of sight either
prevented or at least slowed down. Treatments include: Eyedrops - these are the most common
form of treatment and must be used regularly. Laser (laser trabeculoplasty) - this is performed
when eye drops do not stop deterioration in the field of vision. Surgery (trabeculectomy) - this is
performed usually after eye drops and laser have failed to control the eye pressure. A new channel
for the fluid to leave the eye is created. Treatment can save remaining vision but it does not
improve eye sight.

2
 OET: Reading Part A

Text 2

Table 1: Study of eye pressure and corneal thickness as predictors of Glaucoma.

McCorrmack & McCorrmack 2005.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) Central corneal thickness (CCT) and Glaucoma correlations.

Intraocular Central corneal Intraocular pressure + Predictor of development

pressure thickness Central corneal of glaucoma (r²)
thickness
thickness of .36*
555 microns or
less
thickness of -.13*
more than 588
microns
pressure of less .38*
than 21 mmHg
pressure of more -.07*
than 22 mmHg
Thickness less than .49*
555 and pressure less
than 21 mmHg

*power >.05

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OET: Reading Part A

Text 3

Other forms of Glaucoma.

• Low-tension or normal tension glaucoma. Occasionally optic nerve damage can occur in
people with so-called normal eye pressure.

• Acute (angle-closure) glaucoma. Acute glaucoma is when the pressure inside the eye
rapidly increases due to the iris blocking the drain. An attack of acute glaucoma is often
severe. People suffer pain, nausea, blurred vision and redness of the eye.

• Congenital glaucoma. This is a rare form of glaucoma caused by an abnormal drainage

system. It can exist at birth or develop later.

• Secondary glaucomas. These glaucomas can develop as a result of other disorders of the
eye such as injuries, cataracts, eye inflammation. The use of steroids (cortisone) has a
tendency to raise eye pressure and therefore pressures should be checked frequently
when steroids are used.

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OET: Reading Part A

Text 4
Overview of Glaucoma Facts

Glaucoma Facts

• Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness world wide.

• One in 10 Australians over 80 will develop glaucoma.
• First degree relatives of glaucoma patients have an 8-fold increased risk of developing
the disease.
• At present, 50% of people with glaucoma in Australia are undiagnosed.
• Australian health care cost of glaucoma in 2005 was $342 million.
• The total annual cost of glaucoma in 2005 was $1.9 billion.
• The total cost is expected to increase to $4.3 billion by 2025.
• The dynamic model of the economic impact of glaucoma enables cost-effectiveness
comparison of various interventions to inform policy development.

5
 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY
ASSESSOR NO.

Occupational English Test

READING SUB-TEST
Part A - Answer Booklet
Practice test

You must record your answers for Part A in the

Part A - Answer Booklet using pen or pencil.

Please print in BLOCK LETTERS

Candidate number – –

Family name

Other name(s)

City

Date of test

Candidate’s signature

YOU MUST NOT REMOVE OET MATERIAL FROM THE TEST ROOM.

The OET Centre Telephone: +61 3 9652 0800

GPO Box 372 Facsimile: +61 3 9654 5329
Melbourne VIC 3001 www.occupationalenglishtest.org
Australia

© OET Centre — Practice test ABN 84 434 201 642

 READING: Part A – Answer Booklet
Instructions
TIME LIMIT: 15 MINUTES

Instructions
• Complete the following summary using the information in the texts for this task.
• Skim and scan the texts to find the information required.
• Gaps may require 1, 2 or 3 words.
• Write your answers in the appropriate space in the column on the right hand side.
• Make sure your spelling is correct.

1
According to the article by Robertson, the primary cause of
2
glaucoma is 1) ……………....... inside the eye, followed by 2)
…………..….. to the vital optic nerve fibers. More than 3) 3
…………… Australians are currently living with Glaucoma,
however the 4) ……………… population is less likely to 4
suffer. Primary open-angle glaucoma has no real 5) …..…..…..
until the onset of blindness. 5

6
Deterioration of eyesight starts with 6) …………and the
7
sufferer may not be conscious of glaucoma progression until a
7) ………… of optic nerves have been destroyed. The most 8
common form of treatment is/are 8) ………………. although
when this treatment and the use of lasers fails to stop 9
deterioration 9) ……………. , also know as 10
10)………………..can be preformed.
11

12
A Study looking at non-genetic predictors of glaucoma found
11) ………………….. and 12) ………………. were 13
significantly correlated with glaucoma. Noticeably, the results
show pressures more than 13) …………….. and thicknesses 14
greater than 14) …………… were negatively correlated with
15
the onset of glaucoma.
16

17

18
Combined, the two factors had a predictive value 19
of 15) ……………Turning to types other than non-chronic 20
glaucoma,16) …………….…… can occur with normal eye
pressure. Regarded as a birth defect17) …………..…….. may 21
be present at birth or develop later. In older age, when the drain
22
is blocked by the iris, the eye’s internal 18) …………..…..
rapidly increases and this is referred to as 19) …..………. 23
Similarly the use of steroids, such as 20) …..………., can affect
the internal balance of the eye. 24

25
Glaucoma is a major cause of 21) ……………….. globally,
with immediate family members of glaucoma sufferers having
an 22) ……………..risk of future diagnosis. Yet in the
Australian community 23) ………. of potential sufferers are
undiagnosed. The associated health care cost was 24)
……………….. in 2005 and the total social and economic costs
were calculated to be 25) ………… in the same year.
ANSWER KEY

1) increased pressure
2) damage
3) 146,000
4) indigenous
5) symptoms
6) the side vision
7) majority
8) Eyedrops
9) Surgery
10) trabeculectomy
11) Intraocular pressure / Central corneal thickness (either correct)
12) Intraocular pressure / Central corneal thickness (either correct)
13) 22 mmHg
14) 588 microns
15) .49
16) Low-tension glaucoma / Normal tension glaucoma
17) glaucoma / Congenital glaucoma
18) pressure
19) Acute glaucoma
20) cortisone
21) blindness
22) 8 fold / 8 times / eight fold
23) 50% / half
24) $342 million
25) $1.9 billion