Yes/No/Not Given Mock Tests

Passage excerpt: "Neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, has fundamentally changed how scientists understand brain development. In the past, researchers believed that the brain was largely fixed after childhood, with only limited capacity for repair. However, modern imaging techniques have revealed that the adult brain remains remarkably malleable. When a brain region is damaged, other areas can sometimes take over the lost functions. This discovery has profound implications for rehabilitation after stroke and traumatic brain injury, suggesting that intensive, targeted therapies can help patients recover skills previously thought to be permanently lost." The writer believes that neuroplasticity research will lead to effective stroke rehabilitation therapies. a) YES b) NO c) NOT GIVEN d) YES AND NO

Passage excerpt: "Companies are responding in different ways: some have tightened surveillance, while others have experimented with four-day workweeks. Microsoft Japan reported a 40% productivity boost during a trial of four-day weeks in 2019, while UK companies running similar trials have reported mixed but generally positive results. Employee satisfaction consistently improves, but the impact on revenue varies depending on the industry. Service-based businesses often struggle to maintain coverage, while knowledge-based sectors tend to see efficiency gains. The trend is accelerating, with over 50 companies globally now committed to permanent four-day week policies." The writer claims that all companies will eventually adopt four-day workweeks. a) YES b) NO c) NOT GIVEN

Passage excerpt: "Sleep plays a critical role in human health, yet modern society's obsession with productivity has led to a significant reduction in average sleep duration over the past century. Adults are now averaging six to seven hours of sleep per night, compared to eight or more hours a century ago. Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to a wide range of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and weakened immune function. Despite this growing body of evidence, many employers and schools continue to start early, contradicting scientific research that shows humans function best with adequate sleep and later circadian rhythms, particularly during adolescence." The writer believes that employers and schools should prioritize sleep over productivity. a) YES b) NO c) NOT GIVEN

Passage excerpt: "Some economists argue that universal basic income (UBI) would reduce work incentives and lead to widespread unemployment. However, pilot programs in Finland, Canada, and Kenya have shown mixed but generally positive results. In Finland's two-year trial, recipients reported lower stress and better mental health, though employment levels remained largely unchanged. Critics of UBI also point to the enormous cost of implementing such a program, estimating it could require up to 20% of a nation's GDP. Proponents counter that UBI could reduce spending on bureaucratic welfare administration and that automation-driven job displacement makes it an economic necessity rather than a luxury." The writer believes that UBI would definitely increase unemployment. a) YES b) NO c) NOT GIVEN

Passage excerpt: "The theory of plate tectonics explains how the Earth's outer shell is divided into several large plates that move slowly over the molten rock beneath. This movement, driven by convection currents in the Earth's mantle, causes continents to drift apart, collide, and slide past each other. When plates collide, one may be forced beneath another in a process called subduction, creating deep ocean trenches and volcanic arcs. When plates pull apart, magma rises to fill the gap, forming new crust. The theory of plate tectonics was first proposed in the 1960s and has since become the unifying framework of geology, explaining phenomena ranging from earthquakes to the distribution of fossils across continents." The theory of plate tectonics was widely accepted immediately after its proposal in the 1960s. a) YES b) NO c) NOT GIVEN

Passage excerpt: "The debate over online education versus traditional classroom learning has intensified as technology advances. Proponents of online learning emphasize flexibility, accessibility, and the ability to learn at one's own pace. Students can access courses from anywhere in the world, often at a lower cost than on-campus programs. However, critics argue that online education lacks the social interaction and engagement that face-to-face instruction provides. Studies have produced mixed results: some research shows online students perform equally well on standardized tests, while others suggest that students in traditional settings demonstrate deeper comprehension and higher retention rates. The effectiveness of either approach may depend on the subject matter, the learning style of the individual, and the quality of the instructional design." The writer believes that online education is superior to traditional classroom learning in every aspect.

Passage excerpt: "Artificial neural networks, the foundation of modern deep learning, are computing systems inspired by the biological neural networks of animal brains. A neural network consists of layers of interconnected nodes, or neurons, each performing simple computations. During training, the network adjusts the weights of connections between neurons to minimize the difference between its predictions and the actual answers. Deep learning refers to neural networks with many layers - hence the term deep - which can learn increasingly abstract representations of data. Convolutional neural networks excel at image recognition, recurrent neural networks are designed for sequential data like text, and transformer models have recently dominated natural language processing tasks. Critics argue that despite their impressive performance, deep learning models operate as black boxes, making it difficult to understand how they arrive at specific decisions." The writer believes that deep learning models are fully transparent in their decision-making process.

Passage excerpt: "Some critics argue that standardized testing creates an overly rigid educational environment that stifles creativity. However, proponents contend that standardized tests provide an objective measure of student performance and help identify students who need additional support. The debate continues, with some countries reforming their testing systems while others maintaining the status quo." The writer believes that standardized testing is entirely beneficial. a) YES b) NO c) NOT GIVEN