Cambridge 16 Reading Test 1 - Answers With Explanation

1. "Humans with comparative levels of adipose tissue would be considered obese and would be likely to suffer from diabetes and heart disease. Yet the polar bear experiences no such consequences" — the fat causes no health problems for bears — FALSE.

2. Liu's team "compared the genetic structure of polar bears with that of their closest relatives... the brown bears," not different groups of polar bears — FALSE.

3. We're told what Liu's study found, but never whether earlier researchers had already made this genetic comparison — NOT GIVEN.

4. "Polar bears had a gene known as APOB, which reduces levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) — a form of 'bad' cholesterol" — a genetic mechanism — TRUE.

5. "This process results in about six months of fasting, where the female bears have to keep themselves and their cubs alive" — TRUE.

6. "When they finally emerged from the den with their cubs, there was no evidence of significant loss of bone density" — the opposite of weak bones — FALSE.

7. "If the mechanism of bone remodelling in polar bears can be understood, many bedridden humans, and even astronauts, could potentially benefit" — TRUE.

8. "Bears... seem to be perceived as stupid and in many cases violent."

9. GoGo "has even been observed making use of a tool to manipulate his environment. The bear used a tree branch."

10. The branch was used "to dislodge a piece of meat hung out of his reach."

11. A wild bear made "a calculated move... running and jumping onto barrels in an attempt to get to a photographer standing on a platform."

12. Ames observed "bears putting objects in piles and then knocking them over in what appeared to be a game."

13. "Many bears have been seen to hit out at ice and snow — seemingly out of frustration — when they have just missed out on a kill."

14. Paragraph A ends: "there is no question that... it began with one monument to one king designed by one brilliant architect" — the one certainty among the debated facts around it.

15. Paragraph B: Imhotep "conceived of building a taller, more impressive tomb... by stacking stone slabs on top of one another" — a new idea for tomb design, replacing the old rectangular clay-brick style.

16. Paragraph C quotes Van de Mieroop: "Much experimentation was involved" and "the weight of the enormous mass was a challenge for the builders" — a difficult undertaking.

17. Paragraph D describes the complex's size, its wall, false doors and trench — an overview of what lay outside the pyramid itself.

18. Paragraph E covers the burial chamber, tunnels and the 40,000 stone vessels found inside — the pyramid's internal spaces and contents.

19. Paragraph F: despite the tomb being robbed, "there was enough left throughout the pyramid and its complex... to astonish and amaze the archaeologists who excavated it."

20. Paragraph G: the Step Pyramid "became the archetype which all the other great pyramid builders of Egypt would follow."

21. "The complex... is considered to be as big as an Egyptian city of the past."

22. The complex included "living quarters for the priests."

23. "The entire wall was then ringed by a trench 750 meters long and 40 meters wide."

24. Visitors would have needed to know "the location of the true opening in the wall."

25–26. "Djoser is thought to have reigned for 19 years, but some historians and scholars attribute a much longer time for his rule" (disagreement over his reign length) and "all archaeologists found were a small number of his valuables overlooked by the thieves" (a few possessions remained in the tomb).

27. The first paragraph covers how much workers will need to "adapt as their occupations evolve alongside increasingly capable machines" — the extent of AI's impact on the nature of work.

28. Pachidi believes "the most fundamental changes are happening as a result of the 'algorithmication' of jobs" in the knowledge economy — she sees it as a key driver of current workplace change.

29. Pachidi reports: "We are seeing cases where workers feed the algorithm with false data to reach their targets" — staff gaming the system to get the outcome they want.

30. McGaughey's research shows "social policies can tackle this through retraining and redeployment" — a demonstration of successful handling of job-market change.

31. These are jobs "dependent on data rather than on production" — the knowledge economy runs on information.

32. Workers "learn through the 'algorithm's eyes' and become dependent on its instructions" — a growing reliance on AI recommendations.

33. "Alternative explorations — where experimentation and human instinct lead to progress and new ideas — are effectively discouraged" — instinct is intuition.

34. Researchers want AI "more trustworthy and transparent, so that organisations and individuals understand how AI decisions are made" — building users' confidence.

35. Low argues automation won't cut total jobs: "The number of jobs will increase: we would expect there to be 150 jobs."

36. Pachidi lists multiple motives: organisations use algorithms for "perfect information," to "reduce costs and enhance productivity."

37. McGaughey compares AI's promise to past upheavals: "Just as the industrial revolution... and the corporate revolution... a third revolution has been pronounced."

38. Pachidi says "we need to make sure we fully understand the dilemmas that this new world raises regarding expertise, occupational boundaries and control."

39. Low envisages a break from "the traditional trajectory of full-time education followed by full-time work followed by a pensioned retirement" toward "a multistage employment life."

40. McGaughey wants governments "to improve policy to enforce good job security" and "guarantee full employment, fair incomes."