44. Which of the following is the primary meaning of the underlined word "fluke" as it is used in the fourth
paragraph?

(A) A chance occurrence

(B) A general hypothesis

(C) An uncommon activity

(D) An unfortunate phenomenon

40. (A) adhered (B) adjusted (C) appealed (D) attested

41. (A) Rarely (B) Not only (C) What matters (D) In the following

42. (A) However (B) Likewise (C) Otherwise (D) Conversely **IV: Reading Comprehension (16%)** Answer the following questions according to the information provided or implied in the passages. Choose the best answer to each question. **Passage 1: Questions 43-46** The new and now ubiquitous phenomenon of emoji—the colourful glyphs, like smileys, winks, and the thumbs up symbol—has, in less than three years, taken the world by storm. It is no exaggeration to say that emoji represents the fastest growing communication tool in history. But not everyone is happy. Jonathan Jones, a newspaper reporter, suggests that emoji is taking us back to the dark ages of illiteracy. (W) And this is not an isolated perspective. I’ve often been told, sagely—being a Professor of Linguistics, I should, presumably, know better—that emoji really is a substandard form of communication； that it self-evidently leads to a drop in spelling and/or reading standards； that it may, in fact, be damaging our ability to communicate. (X) But not only is such prejudice unfounded, it fundamentally misunderstands the nature of human communication. It also radically underestimates the potentially powerful and beneficial role of emoji in the digital age, as a communication and educational tool. Many of us have experienced the apparently angry email. Email, and other forms of digital communication, seemingly possess the power to strip all forms of nuanced expression, even from the best of us. (Y) But here emoji can help: they fulfill a similar function in digital communication, to gesture, body language and intonation, in spoken language. Emoji, in text messaging, enables us to better express tone, and to interpret what the words are meant to convey. It is no fluke, therefore, that I have found that 72% of 18-25 year olds in the UK believe that emoji make them better at expressing their feelings. Emoji is a powerful tool for enhancing text-based communication precisely because of its visual nature: it matters not a jot whether your correspondent is English, French or Japanese: a smile looks the same in any language. Psychologists have long been aware of the power of visual representations in more effectively enabling us to express or identify our thoughts and feelings. (Z) As the nature and practice of using emoji continues to develop and evolve, its significance will, I predict, become less contested.

43. Which of the following statements is TRUE? (A) Emoji has long been widely used all over the world. (B) Emoji enhances our abilities to read and write. (C) Emoji enables the user to add tone and to figure out the meaning of the text. (D) Emoji is being used to replace words in our digital communications.

45. At which place in the article would the following sentence best be inserted? "Far from emoji dragging us back to the dark ages, their advent has helped recalibrate our emotional intelligence." (A) The place marked by W (B) The place marked by X (C) The place marked by Y (D) The place marked by Z

46. Which of the following adjectives best describes the author's attitude toward the use of emoji? (A) Doubtful (B) Ambitious (C) Supportive (D) Pessimistic **Passage 2: Questions 47-50** Music is a splendid thing. A number of studies have suggested the positive impacts of music on the mental state and brain. First, music helps fight depression. Depression reduces brain activity and hampers the mind's ability to plan and carry out tasks. Lack of the neurotransmitter, Serotonin, results in a depressed state of mind. Soothing musical notes help increase the Serotonin levels of the brain, thus alleviating mental depression. In addition, music helps relieve anxiety. Anxiety is a feeling of fear or uncertainty that clouds your mind and the feeling is mostly about an upcoming event having an unknown outcome. Increased anxiety levels and stress lead to sleeplessness. Music can calm the body nerves and soothe the mind. Flat musical notes induce sleep. Music also affects the process of learning and thinking. Listening to quiet and soothing music while working helps you work faster and in a more efficient way. Research has shown that music brings about remarkable improvements in the academic skills of students, who are made to listen to certain kinds of music while studying or working in the lab. Listening to pleasant music, while doing a difficult task, can make it seem easier. In fact, music has a positive effect on the interpersonal skills of an individual. Lack of confidence and very little or no desire to learn is most often the reason behind a failure. Music has the ability to make you positive and feel motivated. It can increase your capacity to believe in yourself. Moreover, music helps increase your concentration levels. It helps improve memory. It has been found to increase memory levels of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. Research has shown that the silence between two musical notes triggers brain cells which are responsible for the development of sharp memory. Flute music, and instruments like santoor and sarod are recommended for the enhancement of concentration and memory. Classical music improves the ability to recall what's retained in the brain in the form of memory. Strong beats cause the brain waves to resonate in synch with the beat, thus leading to increased levels of concentration and increased mental alertness. This also trains the brain to change speeds of processing easily. Music also plays a vital role in enhancing creativity. Music has a positive impact on the right side of the brain. Music triggers brain centers which deal with the enhancement of creativity. Certain ragas are known to activate the chakras of our body, thus giving us an added advantage in other creative tasks. Music increases spatial and abstract reasoning skills. These are the skills required in tackling problems, solving puzzles and taking decisions. Listening to Mozart's music is known to have a positive effect on the spatial-temporal reasoning. Last but not least, music speeds the recovery of health ailments. Music helps in the secretion of endorphins that help in speeding the process of healing. It acts as an effective distraction from pain and suffering. It not only diverts the mind from pain, but also helps bring about certain chemical changes in the brain that help speed the healing process. Music therapy is recommended for patients of high blood pressure, heart diseases and even cancer. Music is therapeutic in pain management. Listening to melodious, comforting music is sure to have a positive effect on the physical and mental well-being of patients. If not cure every ailment, music definitely creates hope in the minds of patients – a hope to recover.

47. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? (A) Pros and cons of music therapy (B) Types of music and their functions (C) Effects of music on the human mind and brain (D) Relationships between music and health ailments

複選題48. Which of the following statements is TRUE? (A) Music improves learning abilities and boosts confidence. (B) Music helps treat all kinds of mental and physical ailments. (C) Music increases the release of endorphins that help increase motivation. (D) Music with strong beats improves dementia patients’ problem-solving skills.

49. Which of the following is the theme of the fourth paragraph (Music also plays a vital role in enhancing creativity…)? (A) Music improves logical and analytical skills. (B) Music increases creativity and problem-solving skills. (C) Music enhances memory level of right brain-damaged patients. (D) Music activates those schemata most relevant to problem-solving activities.

50. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? (A) Musicians can be said to be right-brained. (B) Music improves students’ social and verbal skills. (C) The best musical instrument for music therapy is the flute. (D) There are many benefits of music therapy for cancer patients.