Title VSTEP-Reading test 7.docx ✅

Code 7 - Page 1 of 14 READING PAPER 7 Time permitted: 60 minutes Number of questions: 40 _______________________________________________________________________ Directions: In this section you will read FOUR different passages. Each one is followed by 10 questions about it. For questions 1-40, you are to choose the best answer A, B, C or D, to each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen. Answer all questions following a passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage. You have 60 minutes to answer all the questions, including the time to transfer your answers to the answer sheet. PASSAGE 1 - Questions 1-10 Internet Jobs Contrary to popular belief, one does not have to be a trained programmer to work online. Of course there are plenty of jobs available for people with high-tech computer skills, but the growth of new media has opened up a wide range of Internet career opportunities requiring only a minimal level of technical expertise. Probably one of the most well-known online job opportunities is the job of webmaster. However, it is hard to define one basic job description for this position. The qualifications and responsibilities depend on what tasks a particular organization needs a webmaster to perform. To specify the job description of a webmaster, one needs to identify the hardware and software that the website the webmaster will manage is running on. Different types of hardware and software require different skill sets to manage them. Another key factor is whether the website will be running internally (at the firm itself) or externally (renting shared space on the company servers). Finally, the responsibilities of a webmaster also depend on whether he or she will be working independently, or whether the firm will provide people to help. All of these factors need to be considered before one can create an accurate webmaster job description.
Code 7 - Page 2 of 14 Webmaster is one type of internet career requiring in-depth knowledge of the latest computer applications. However, there are also online jobs available for which traditional skills remain in high demand. Content jobs require excellent writing skills and a good sense of the web as a "new media." The term "new media" is difficult to define because it encompasses a constantly growing set of new technologies and skills. Specifically, it includes websites, email, Internet telephony, CD-ROM, DVD, streaming audio and video, interactive multimedia presentations, e-books, digital music, computer illustration, video games, virtual reality, and computer artistry. Additionally, many of today's Internet careers are becoming paid-by-the-job professions. With many companies having to downsize in tough economic times, the outsourcing and contracting of freelance workers online has become common business practice. The Internet provides an infinite pool of buyers from around the world with whom freelancers can contract their services. An added benefit to such online jobs is that freelancers are able to work on projects with companies outside their own country of residence. How much can a person make in these kinds of careers? As with many questions related to today's evolving technology, there is no simple answer. There are many companies willing to pay people with technical Internet skills salaries well above $70,000 a year. Generally, webmasters start at about $30,000 per year, but salaries can vary greatly. Freelance writers working online have been known to make between $40,000 and $70,000 per year. 1. Which of the following is true about Internet jobs? A. Most of them require excellent technical expertise. B. Job opportunities are open to both proficient and non-proficient people. C. Only trained programmers are suitable for the jobs. D. It is not possible for people with limited technical expertise to find a job. 2. The word "identify" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to_______. A. name B. estimate C. discount
Code 7 - Page 3 of 14 D. encounter 3. According to the passage, what is a feature of webmasters? A. They never work independently. B. They require a minimal level of expertise. C. Their duties depend on the organization they work for. D. They do not support software products. 4. The word "them" in paragraph 2 refers to_______. A. companies B. new job opportunities C. hardware and software D. webmasters 5. In paragraph 3, what is mentioned as one requirement of a webmaster position? A. Good communication skill B. Excellent writing skill C. The ability to work independently D. Understanding of the latest computer applications 6. Websites can be defined as a kind of_______. A. computer illustration B. interactive multimedia presentations C. new media D. computer artistry 7. The outsourcing and contracting of online freelancers has become popular as a result of_______. A. the downsizing of companies in difficult economic times. B. the better quality of online workers. C. the expansion of online business. D. the abundance of online projects. 8. The word "vary" in paragraph 6 could best be replaced by which of the following? A. change B. decrease
Code 7 - Page 4 of 14 C. increase D. differ 9. It can beinferred from the passage that_______. A. freelancers can contract with foreign companies. B. only skilled workers make good money. C. it is easy to become a webmaster. D. workers with limited computer skills cannot work online. 10. What is the purpose of this passage? A. To inform people about the tasks and role of a webmaster B. To inform people about the computer industry C. To inform people about employment related to the Internet D. To explain why webmasters make a lot of money PASSAGE 2 - Questions 11 – 20 IF STATUES COULD TALK How did the Easter Island statues move? Archaeologists are still trying to work out how - and what their story really means. On a winter night last June, José Antonio Tuki, a 30-year-old artist on Easter Island, sat on Anakena beach and stared at the enormous human statues there – the moai. The statues are from 4 feet tall to 33 feet tall. Some weigh more than 80 tons. They were carved, a long time ago, with stone tools and then they were moved up to 11 miles to the beach. Tuki stares at their faces and he feels a connection. ‘This is something that was produced by my ancestors,’ he says. ‘How did they do it?’ The first Polynesians arrived at Rapa Nui (Easter Island), probably by canoe, hundreds of years ago. The island is 2,150 miles west of South America and 1,300 miles east of its nearest inhabited neighbour, Pitcairn. Nowadays 12 flights arrive every week from Chile, Peru and Tahiti. In 2011, 50,000 tourists – ten times the island’s population – flew to Easter Island. Almost all of the jobs on Easter Island depend on tourism. And the tourists go there for only one thing: the moai.