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Reading passage 1

A. NATO commanders are boasting of dramatic progress just weeks into the U.S.-led push intoTaliban strongholds around Kandahar province. They say the heavily pounded insurgents have

fled some areas for good, setting the stage for the Kabul government to finally establish its rule

in the region and to initiate reconstruction. These upbeat claims coincide with talk aboutbehind-the-scenes negotiations with the militants, suggesting that for all the fierce hostilities, an

endgame is in mind, if not in sight.

B. But the military's purported gains in the southern war zone do not align with the bleak picturepainted by most sources on the ground.

C. When General David Petraeus assumed command of U.S. and multinational forces in June, heinherited a slow-cooked counterinsurgency strategy that put a priority on protecting Afghans

over Taliban body count. There was also deepening skepticism about the war from the American

public and President Obama, who declared a summer 2011 timetable to start withdrawing

troops. And Petraeus had a deadline: a war review was slated for December, meaning

measurable results had to be posted within months, not years. So while counterinsurgency has

remained the stated strategy, military planners have gone back to what they do best: killing

insurgents as aggressively as possible, with the aim of dealing a decisive blow to the Taliban in

Kandahar, the movement's birthplace and strategic nerve center.

D. Now, as the fighting season winds down, the coalition's spin machine is in high gear. A host ofrecent stories have supported the military's assertion that clearing operations in districts

surrounding Kandahar are making headway, with some going so far as to say that insurgents

have been "routed." These stories tend to be lopsidedly sourced to military and civilian officials.

Yet many reports from journalists embedded with troops in the field are at variance with the

official assertions. Most describe a stalemate at best, or even describe the Taliban as having the

initiative. Aid organizations, meanwhile, note that civilian casualties in Kandahar are at an all-

time high. Thousands have fled their homes en masse. Development projects are at a near

standstill.

E. There's a familiar precedent to all of this. Before the Kandahar offensive, a military-drivenpublic-relations thrust came in advance of the siege of Marjah, a Taliban-held town in central

Helmand province's opium-poppy belt. In the weeks ahead of the February operation to oust

them, military officials framed the operation as a stepping-stone for the broader push east. With

most of the Taliban already long gone, U.S. forces encountered few hiccups in Marjah. A

governor was quickly installed as part of a government-in-a-box strategy that would connect

neighboring population centers and take them into Kabul's orbit. But since then, the insurgents

have regrouped in Marjah. Nine months on, despite some small improvements increased

commerce, reopened schools the Taliban still threatens anyone who might cooperate with

the Afghan government in Marjah, which has continued to struggle under a replacement

governor. Hit-and-run attacks harass U.S. forces there each day.

F. It is still too early to gauge the impact of operations around Kandahar. As they do every year,insurgents have begun to decamp for the borderlands for the winter which would bring a

decline in violence in any event. Embedded reporting is also limited to narrow snapshots and

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not the bigger picture. Sometimes, even those glimpses are not available. In October, for

instance, a day before a key operation kicked off in Arghandab district, all media embeds were

abruptly cancelled. (The two-week blackout was followed by bold assertions of success.) Some

of the secrecy may relate to the ongoing black ops carried out by special-forces units to

dismantle the Taliban's leadership structure. Senior military sources insist that on any given day,

two to three low- to mid-level commanders are killed, along with as many as 20 to 30 foot

soldiers. These figures are impossible to confirm.

G. In the meantime, NATO commanders have intimated that contacts between Afghan officials andthe Taliban are taking place with the U.S. military's consent. But with their efforts

overwhelmingly focused on wiping out insurgents, there's a growing consensus this is nothing

more than a psychological ploy to confuse the enemy and one that could backfire. By

targeting Taliban commanders, some say that the coalition risks further atomizing an insurgency

that already has many moving parts, leaving less experienced guerrillas to fill the vacuum and

extend the fighting. The political deal needed to take troops home could well be pushed further

out of reach. At the same time, optimistic reports from Kandahar could create unrealistic

expectations among the American public. If the Taliban remains robust when fighting resumes in

the spring, what remains of U.S. popular support may come crashing down. In that case, any

exaggeration of the current campaign's progress would be more than misleading. It would be

self-defeating.

Source: Time

Questions

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1 to 14 which are based on Reading Passage 1

Questions 1 to 7

Reading Passage 1 has seven paragraphs A

G.From the list of headings below, choose the most suitable heading for each paragraph.

Write the appropriate numbers I ix in boxes 1 7 on your answer sheet.

i. The deceptive idea.ii. The siege of Marjah.iii. A host of recent stories.iv. The dramatic progress.v. The skepticism about the war.vi. The military's purported gains.vii. The political necessity.viii. The impact of operations around

Kandahar.

ix. The political deal.

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1 Paragraph A2 Paragraph B3 Paragraph C4 Paragraph D5 Paragraph E6 Paragraph F7 Paragraph G

Questions 8 10

Choose the correct letters, A, B, C or D

Write your answers in boxes 8 10 on your answer sheet.

8 U.S. forces encountered few hiccups inA. Kandahar.B. Kabul.C. Marjah.D. Afghanistan.9 A war review was slated forA. December.B. January.C. November.D. September.10 Clearing operations in districts surrounding KandaharA. Are making no way.B. Are making headway.C. Are making a good progress.D. Are in a slow process.

Questions 11 14

Complete each of the following statements (questions 11 14) with the best endingsA Gfrom the box

below

Write the appropriate lettersA G in boxes 11 14 on your answer sheet.

11 Contacts between Afghan officials and the Taliban are12 Before the Kandahar offensive, a military-driven public-relations thrust13 Military planners have gone back to what they do best:

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14 Insurgents have begun to decamp for

Reading passage 2

A. Singaporeans moan that besides shopping, dining and the movies, there's not a lot you can dohere. Ignore them. The must-see list for the one-day visitor to Singapore, especially the first-

timer, is absorbingly long. There is very little chance you'll get bored. Most tourists tend to

gravitate first towards the famed retail stretch of Orchard Road. Fine, get your fix of bold-faced

names like Louis Vuitton, Chanel and every other couture label under the sun. When you've

gotten that out of your system, dump your purchases back at the hotel and head out into the

'burbs where the real charm of Singapore lies. We're here to guide you to the top 10 places

where tourists don't normally go; in short, the places where Singaporeans in the know live and

play.

B. So, you've arrived. It's early and nothing really opens for business until around 11 a.m., so howare you going to kill time? Slip on the trainers and head out to the Botanic Gardens (open 5 a.m.

to midnight). At this time of the day, downtown Singapore's last remaining green lung is a cool,

bucolic retreat filled with joggers, dogs and tai-chi practitioners. Wander through the swaths of

virgin rainforest (the main boardwalk through it is entered from Upper Palm Valley Road) and

then take in the National Orchid Garden's many-colored collection of 1,000 orchid species and

2,000 hybrids. When you're done, drop into the food court near Tanglin Gate for a traditional

local breakfast of soft-boiled eggs, coffee and toast slathered with coconut jam.

C. It may seem a little strange to head to a hotel to look at artwork, but the Ritz-Carlton is noordinary hotel. The massive three-ton Frank Stella installation at the entrance and the pair of

Dale Chihuly crystal glass sculptures that anchor both wings of the building kick off one of

Southeast Asia's finest (and under the radar) collections of modern and contemporary art. The

majority of the pieces were specially commissioned for the public spaces and guest suites. The

treasures on view include Andy Warhol and David Hockney's exuberant colours, Rainer Gross's

geometric compositions, Henry Moore's restrained monochromatic and the lush botanicals of

Robert Zakanitch. It's all free to view, and you even get an iPod-guided tour.

D. Let the other tourist hordes charge over to the newly minted Peranakan Museum or the gloomyAsian Civilisations Museum. If you do only one cultural thing during your 24-hour Singapore

A The borderlands for the winter.B

Killing insurgents as aggressively as possible.C Taking place with the U.S. military's consent.D Came in advance of the siege of Marjah.E Is not going to win the game for them.F The lower altitudes for the winter.G Killing civilians.

http://www.sbg.org.sg/http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Singapore/Default.htmhttp://www.peranakanmuseum.sg/home/home.asphttp://www.acm.org.sg/home/home.asphttp://www.acm.org.sg/home/home.asphttp://www.peranakanmuseum.sg/home/home.asphttp://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Singapore/Default.htmhttp://www.sbg.org.sg/

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layover, it must be a tour of the unheralded Chinatown Heritage Centre, where entire sets of

bedrooms, kitchens and street scenes from the late-19th century and early-20th century have

been faithfully recreated. It's an authentic slice of Singapore's history that's made all the more

fascinating by the gleaming skyscrapers just a few blocks away. And if you must, pick up a

kitschy souvenir from the gift shop on your way out.

E. In case you missed the memo, the place for plastic surgery is Asia. While many people head toBangkok and Seoul for assorted nips and tucks, the locals make a beeline for the ultra-swish,

Richard Meierdesigned Camden Medical Centre. You may not have time for a full makeover,

but squeeze in a spot of Botox or a non-surgical facelift with local celebrity surgeon Woffles Wu.

And then adjourn downstairs for snapper pie and Pavlova at Whitebait & Kale.

F. Tokyo may have the latest in electronic gadgets, but Singapore has the widest range, and luckilyfor the time-pressed shopper, they're all clustered in two massive multistory emporia.

Handicams, portable DVD players, mobile phones, hi-tech cameras, MP3 players and laptops in

just about every imaginable configuration are up for grabs at Funan Digitalife Mall and Sim Lim

Square. The prices are usually about 10% to 20% cheaper than at other commercial outlets. At

Sim Lim Square especially, good deals can be had with some serious haggling, and many retailers

will knock off a few extra dollars if you pay in cash.

G. This tiny lane, hidden away in the heart of the Muslim quarter, is a fashionista's paradise. Withvery little fanfare, the collection of narrow shop-houses have, in less than a year, been

transformed into an aggressively hip retail stretch recalling Le Marais in Paris or New York's

Meatpacking District. Know It Nothing is a stylish industrial space that stocks beautifully tailored

dress shirts stitched with silver skull buttons by Japanese label Garni. Next, pop into Pluck for its

shabby chic collection of Austin Powersinspired cushion covers and a cute ice-cream parlor. A

few doors down, Salad boasts a range of home accessories like laser-cut table mats and Hong

Kongbased Carrie Chau's quirky postcards. If you're feeling peckish, have an authentic Middle

Eastern lunch around the corner at Cafe le Caire.

Source: Time Travel

Questions

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 15 27 which are based on Reading Passage 2

Questions 15 19

Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 2?

In boxes 15 -19 in your answer sheet write

TRUE if the statement agrees with the informationFALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

15.Singaporeans doesnt have much to offer for a first time visitor.16.There are many couture brands that are available in Singapore.17.The best place for taking a plastic surgery is Asia.

http://www.chinatownheritage.com.sg/http://www.camdenmedical.com/http://www.woffleswu.com/http://www.joyofbaking.com/Pavlova.htmlhttp://www.whitebaitandkale.com/http://www.funan.com.sg/http://www.singaporemirror.com.sg/co_simlimsq.htmhttp://www.singaporemirror.com.sg/co_simlimsq.htmhttp://www.knowitnothing.com/http://pluck.com.sg/http://pluck.com.sg/http://www.knowitnothing.com/http://www.singaporemirror.com.sg/co_simlimsq.htmhttp://www.singaporemirror.com.sg/co_simlimsq.htmhttp://www.funan.com.sg/http://www.whitebaitandkale.com/http://www.joyofbaking.com/Pavlova.htmlhttp://www.woffleswu.com/http://www.camdenmedical.com/http://www.chinatownheritage.com.sg/

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18.People generally do not go to a hotel for looking at artworks.19.Singapore is a very dry and uncomfortable place.

Question 20 23

Look at the following topics (questions 20

23) and the list of statements below.

Match each topic to the correct statement.

Write the correct letterA G in boxes 1 4 on your answer sheet.

20.Funan Digitalife Mall21.Robert Zakanitch22.Asian Civilisations Museum23.Orchard Road

Questions 24 27

Complete the following statements with the correct alternative from the box.

Write the correct letterA Fin boxes 24 27 on your answer sheet.

24.Chinatown Heritage Centre is25. The main boardwalk through the swaths of virgin rainforest is26.The tourist hordes charge over to27.Handicams, portable DVD players, mobile phones are

A Filled with the lush botanicals.B Is filled with artefacts.C It is a gloomy place in Singapore.D Is a hub of shopping.E A hub of everything you think of buying.F Is famous for hi-fis.G There is a series of chemist shops.

A The newly minted Peranakan Museum.B Critical to the analysts.C Easily available throughout the streets.D A very famous place for its monuments and historic

remainings.

E An authentic slice of Singapore's history.F Entered from Upper Palm Valley Road.

http://www.funan.com.sg/http://www.funan.com.sg/http://www.acm.org.sg/home/home.asphttp://www.acm.org.sg/home/home.asphttp://www.chinatownheritage.com.sg/http://www.chinatownheritage.com.sg/http://www.peranakanmuseum.sg/home/home.asphttp://www.peranakanmuseum.sg/home/home.asphttp://www.chinatownheritage.com.sg/http://www.acm.org.sg/home/home.asphttp://www.funan.com.sg/

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Reading Passage 3

A. One in three households across Britain is now dependent on the state for at least half itsincome, it emerged today. Official government figures indicate that more than seven million

households are getting most of their income from government welfare payments. The figures

also reveal the huge gulf in welfare dependency between single parent and two-parent

households. The figures were quoted in a report by Civitas, a right-wing think-tank, and it is

scathing about how New Labour welfare policy has been designed to "create grateful voters

rather than independent people". In many single-parent homes with two children, the

proportion of families that would be financially crippled without state support is now as high as

61 per cent. That compares with just 9% in a two-parent home.

B. The figures, prepared by the Department for Work and Pensions but cited today in the newreport from Civitas, paint a stark picture of how Britain's dependency culture has grown over the

last few decades. Gordon Brown has been repeatedly attacked for building up a society heavily

reliant on tax credits and other state aid. The Chancellor's tax credits scheme was "only themost prominent example of welfare policies intended to create a grateful electorate rather than

free-thinking citizens", the report says.

C. However, the report also suggests that David Cameron's Conservatives are worried aboutseeming uncaring, and therefore not ready to take drastic action and copy American-style

policies that have produced huge drops in benefit claims in the United States . The claim was

denied by a spokesman for the shadow chancellor, George Osborne, who said the Tories were

developing policies to reduce the size of Mr. Brown's state.

D. According to David Green from Civitas, the author of the report, data on the real scale of statedependency have only been collected for the last five years or so. But he estimated that the

proportion of households dependent on state handouts for at least 50 per cent of income had

been probably as low as five per cent in the 1960s. It rose during the 1970s and 1980s, especially

because of soaring unemployment under the Thatcher government.

E. His report in the current issue of Civitas Review makes the wider point that politics is no longerproviding the answers to Britain's problems. The Blair years had "tested to destruction" the

notion that big spending on health, education and welfare was the answer. There was a

widespread perception that high crime, failing schools, unsustainable immigration and the low

quality of the NHS were "not being properly confronted by our political leaders".

F. Mr. Green went on: "Even Conservatives who are concerned about the failure of public sectormonopolies in health and education are slow to criticise the Blair Government's approach". Thatwas because "they know that calling for a reduced role for the state in health and education is

to invite being caricatured as uncaring". Mr Green urged the Tories not to accept the modern

view that individual action and liberty were the same as "selfish individualism".

G. A government spokesman last night defended the scale of state help, saying: "It is thanks to oursystem of tax credits and the New Deal that we have two million more people in work than in

1997. We have also raised hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty." The analysis of

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benefit dependency, based on the latest DWP statistics, will strike a chord with a report from

the Reform, another right-wing think-tank. Last year it warned that the Government had created

a benefits regime that "actively dissuades millions from bettering their position". Frank Field,

the Labour former welfare minister, has also called for the system to be reformed. Welfare

should be "a floor on which people built and not a ceiling which made it impossible for them to

pass through", Mr Field said. Last night David Laws, the Liberal Democrat's welfare spokesman,

also accused the Chancellor of helping to bolster the dependency culture.

Source: Time

Questions

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 2840which are based on Reading Passage 3.

Questions 28 32

The passage has seven paragraphs labelledA

G.

Which paragraph contains the following information?

Write the correct letter A-G in boxes 28-32 on your answer sheet.

NB: You may use any letter more than once.

28. Several households are getting most of their income from government welfare payments.29. Gordon Brown has been attacked for building up a society heavily reliant on tax credits.30. Conservatives are concerned about the failure of public sector monopolies in health and

education.

31. The data on the real scale of state dependency have only been collected for the last five years orso.

32. The figures are prepared by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Questions 33 36

Complete the sentences below with words taken from Reading Passage 3.

Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 33-36 on your answer sheet.

33. David Cameron's Conservatives are worried about .34. The Chancellor's tax credits scheme was "only the most prominent example .35. The proportion of families that would be financially crippled without state support is now .36. The figures were quoted in a report by Civitas.

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Questions 3740

Complete the summary of the paragraphs EG below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDSfor each answer.

Write your answers in boxes 37-40 on your answer sheet.

Politics is no longer providing the answers 37.. There was a widespread perception that high

crime, failing schools, unsustainable immigration and the low quality of the NHS were 38

Even Conservatives who are concerned about the failure of public sector monopolies in health and

education are slow to criticise the 39. Welfare should be "a floor on which people built

and not a ceiling which made it impossible 40