statistics.caricom.orgstatistics.caricom.org/.../Literacy/Main_booklet.docx · Web viewThe patient, normally a vigorous 36-year-old, shows up in her doctor’s office looking ashen

RESPONDENT ID #

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Literacy SurveyMAIN BOOKLET

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Instructions: The next part of the survey is an exercise booklet for you to complete. It contains 57 questions. The exercises require you to read and answer questions about different topics that involve real life situations.

What do you have to do?

• Use the information provided about each topic to answer the question or questions in the exercise booklet.

• There might be some questions for which you have the choice of using a calculator to find the answer. If so, you will be provided with a calculator to use if you wish.

• If a question requires a numerical answer, you should estimate or round your answer using the same level of accuracy as you would in real life. You may do calculations in the open space anywhere on the page.

• Please provide your answer in the exercise booklet on the lines that are provided or according to the instructions that are given for each question. You may be asked to:

– write your answer in the space provided,– circle information, or– underline information.

• You should complete the questions in the order they appear. If you can’t answer a particular question, just move on to the next one.

You may find some questions easy and some more difficult. It’s all right if you can’t do all of them, but it’s important that you try each one.

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O s l e r’s W e b

The patient, normally a vigorous 36-year-old, shows up in her doctor’s office looking ashen and frail. Her throat hurts, her head and muscles ache and for several months she has often felt too weak to stand up in the shower. She can’t sleep for more than a few fitful hours at night, and her mind is a blur. Realizing that she has chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), the doctor offers both good news and bad. “The good news is, it won’t kill you,” he says. “And the bad news is, it won’t kill you.”

In her new book, Osler’s Web, journalistHillary Johnson brings that grim joke very much to life. Through nearly 700 pages of quick-cut vignettes, the author (herself a sufferer) chronicles the emergence of this mysterious, nonfatal affliction over the past decade while recounting the health establishment’s alleged failure to take it seriously.

The book is a prodigious piece of reporting,intended as a sort of sequel to And the Band

includes HIV). She turns up tantalizing signs that it may, but when the CDC publishes a paper saying it has been unable to replicate her findings, her support evaporates. By early 1995, the saga has cost Cheney and Bell their marriages, and a regretful de Freitas fears her career as a scientist is finished. The book closes with the image of an infectious disease spreading unchecked as an arrogant medical establishment looks the other way.

Johnson insists CFS must be contagious because people so often fall ill in clusters. But when a patients’ organization recently asked a group ofexperts to weigh that assertion, 12 out of 13 agreed it was premature. “The current body of scientific evidence argues against the possibility that CFS is caused by an infectious agent, known or unknown,” wrote Dr. William Reeves, the CDC’s current point man. Contagious disease can usually be traced from one locale to another through individual contacts. That hasn’t been true of CFS.

Johnson doesn’t dwell on treatment in Osler’s

thPlayed On, Randy Shilts’s history of AIDS in Web (named after a 19 century physician whoAmerica. But CFS isn’tAIDS.And while the analogylends drama to Johnson’s account, it mars the book’s credibility.

As the story opens, in 1984, doctors around the country are encountering patients with chronic, inexplicable flulike ailments. In theresort town of Incline Village, Nevada, Drs. Paul Cheney and Dan Peterson see such an onslaught of cases that they call on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to investigate. The agency sends out a pair of investigators who quickly conclude that nothing is seriously amiss. But people keep falling ill. When tests show that some have developed brain lesions and immunologic problems, the Nevada doctors suspect aninfectious agent is at work. By 1988, Cheney has joined Dr. David Bell, a pediatrician in upstate New York, and Elaine de Freitas, a

virologist at Philadelphia’s Wistar Institute, in a search for a new virus.

With sporadic funding from patient activists, de Freitas spends five years pursuing the possibility that CFS involves a previouslyunknown retrovirus (the class of virus that

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stressed the importance of listening to the patient), but soon after she finished her book, researchers reached what may be a turning point. In studying neurally mediated hypotension (NMH)–a condition in which inadequate upper-body blood pressure causes fainting spells–scientists at Johns Hopkins noticed that sufferers often experienced periods of CFS-like exhaustion. When the researchers strapped 23 CFS patients to “tilt tables” to see how prolonged vertical suspension would affect them, all but one got lightheaded or fainted. And when 19 of them tried drugs and high sodium diets to raise their blood pressure, nine reported “complete or near-complete resolution of all symptoms.” Dr. Peter Rowe, who helped direct the study, says the Hopkins group has been overwhelmed by desperate patients. “When they get better,” he says, “they’re ready to write us into their wills.”

Geoffrey Cowley and Mary Hager, Newsweek, April 29, 1996

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Questions 1- 4. Use the article about Osler’s Web on the opposite page to answer questions 1 through 4.

1. List two things we are told about the funding of Elaine de Freita’s research.

2. What is the main difference in opinion between Hillary Johnson andWilliam Reeves concerning the cause of CFS?

3. According to the text, what are the latest scientific findings about CFS?

4. Where does the title Osler’s Web come from?

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TimTHE B

eALT

sIC

FINANCE Expect consolidation of Baltic stock markets

Opinions concerning the need to consolidate the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian stock markets have been heard with increasing frequency during the past half year.

According to data published in theJune edition of the Central European Economic Review (CEER), a joint Baltic stock market would split the fifth and sixth places with the Slovenian stock market in terms of market capitalization.

A joint Baltic stock market would lag behind markets such as Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. It should be noted that the stock market capitalization of any of the above countries would still be five to nine times higher than that of the joint Baltic stock market.

According to CEER data, a jointBaltic stock market would rank fifth to seventh in Central and Eastern Europe interms of the average market turnover.

Consolidation of the Baltic stock markets may serve to improve marketliquidity and promote attracting larger investors.

It is certainly possible, however, that even after consolidation of the three stock exchanges the Baltic market still could betoo small to operate successfully. In such a case, a joint Baltic market might find a place in a possible future joint Scandinavian market structure.

Boriss Epsteins, BNS

I. Market capitalization (Eastern and Central Europe)in $billion, as of April 30, 1999

1. Russia2. Poland3. Czech. Rep.4. Hungary5. Slovenia6. Croatia7. Estonia8. Romania9. Lithuania10. Latvia

0 10 20 30 40

II. Average daily turnover (Eastern and Central Europe)in $million, as of April 30, 1999

1. Hungary2. Poland3. Czech. Rep.4. Russia5. Slovenia6. Slovakia7. Romania8. Estonia9. Ukraine10. Lithuania11. Bulgaria12. Latvia13. Croatia

0 15 30 45 60

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Questions 5- 10. Use the article and graphs about the Baltic Stock Markets on the opposite page to answer questions 5 through 10.

5. According to the article, what rankings in market capitalization will the joint Baltic stock market have in Central and Eastern Europe?

6. According to the graph, which country has the largest market capitalization?

7. According to the graph, what is the average daily turnover for Poland?

8. According to the article, what are two possible benefits of consolidating the Baltic Markets?

9. Identify two countries whose market capitalization is estimated to be between 10 and 15 billion dollars.

10. Identify the three countries that are listed in the graph for average daily turnover but not for market capitalization.

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Question 11

Question 12

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Questions 11- 12. Use the images on the opposite page to answer questions 11 and 12.

11. You roll two dice, one after the other. You roll a three on the first die.

What is the chance you will also roll a three on the second die?

12. You roll two six sided dice at the same time.What is the chance you will roll 2 sixes?

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Questions 13- 16. Use the TMN Anti- theft brochure from Portugal on the opposite page to answer questions 13 through 16.

Question 13. List all the documents you need in order to be able to ask for your mobile telephone to be blocked.

Question 14. According to the brochure, what function does the numeric IMEI code play in the company’s anti-theft service?

Question 15. What does the brochure say are the current benefits of the anti-theft service?

Question 16. Which document must you submit both to block and unblock your mobile phone?

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Questions 17- 20. Use the article about light bulbs on the opposite page to answer questions 17 through 20.

17. According to the article, what are the three types of light bulb?

18. Circle the rating of the type of light bulb that has the highest power rating in watts.

19. Which type of filament-free light bulb makes it possible to obtain a light similar to that produced by incandescent light bulbs?

20. According to the article, what is the main difference between the way incandescent and halogen light bulbs generate light?

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Customer ComplaintsNumber of complaints 460

450

440

2006

2007

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Question 21. Refer to the graph on the opposite page to answer question 21.

21. In a management meeting a manager showed the graph and claimed: “There was a huge drop in the number of customer complaints in 2007 compared to 2006”.

Does the graph support the manager’s claim? Explain your answer.

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INVE$TMENT$$

DOUBLE YOUR MONEYIN 7

YEARS10% fixed interest each year, over a period of 7

yearsMinimum deposit $1000.00

Handy financial hintFor a quick way to estimate how much your investment is worth, use this formula:

A = P(1 + r)t

A = new amount after the time period.P = principal (the amount you invest)r = interest ratet = time period in years

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Question 22. Refer to the information on the opposite page to answer question 22.

22. If you invested $1000, is it true your money would be doubled after 7 years?Support your answer with the results of your calculations.

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THE WORLD TODAYCity High LowAmsterdam 58 46Athens 71 54Bangkok 103 75Barcelona 65 51Belgrade 64 44Bermuda 72 63Beijing 74 60Berlin 66 46Bogota 65 52

Handy Hint for TravelersTo change between degrees Celsius,

OC, and degrees Fahrenheit, OF, use the conversion scale below.

Fahrenheit0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

-18 -12 -7 -1 4 10 16 21 27 32

Celsius

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Questions 23- 24. Refer to the piece of foreign newspaper on the opposite page to answer questions 23 and 24.

Refer to the piece of foreign newspaper that gives the temperatures of cities around the world in degrees Fahrenheit, oF and the Handy Hint for changing degrees Fahrenheit, Fo into degrees Celsius, oC.

23. Use the scale on the “Handy Hint” to estimate what 12 degrees Celsius would be in degrees Fahrenheit.

24. Use the scale to estimate what the high temperature predicted for Bangkok would be in degrees Celsius (if the scale were extended).

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W

B

MEMORY TRAINING Keep-fit Course forthe BrainEven an old headcan take in a lot of new material - if it needs to.

hat was that? There comes a point at which the brain gives way, if there isn’t

enough being demanded of it. And even if it is used to a fair degree, over the years the grey cells will start tochange the way they work. “While young people tend to be impressed more by images, older people tend to notice concepts. And seniors also get slower,” says Siegried Lehrl ofthe Gesellschaft fur Gehirntraining, (The Association for Brain Training), in the town of Erlangen.

But that doesn’t mean an elderly brain is caked up with limescale or lacking in flexibility. This is revealed in a study by university psychologists, Allison Sekuler and Randy McIntosh of Toronto, Canada. They examined people in their twenties and in their sixties with a simple thinking exercise: The subjects had to decide in a matter of a few seconds, by pushing a button, which of two patterns appearing one after another on a screen had more black bars - a task which calls for an acute information processing ability as well as memory.

To the scientists’ surprise, both groups came out equal. “That’s good news,” says Allison Sekuler. The older study participants arrived at their positive results because they

were activating different regions of the brain from the youngsters. Sekuler: “The old brain is not committed to the information channels created by experience, but can still find new paths; a discovery that could cause a major re- evaluation of the application of stroke rehabilitation therapy, for example.”

Positron Emission Tomogra- phies (PET) showed that the younger participants were making demands on three regions of the brain, in particular, during the test. The older participants showed attenuated activity in these regions; to compensate, additional areas of the brain were called into action. One of these areas, the hippocampus, is regarded as the seat of speech memory, and is active when learning something by heart.

“That’s the bad news,” says Sekuler. “If the brain needs to use the highly-specialized hippocampus for a task which is as simple as ours, it will be blocked for other or more difficult challenges.” This in turn, as the researchers see it, could be the reason why the older subjects failed in tests in which they had to deal with two things at once. Seniors cause road accidents more frequently because, when concentrating on the road ahead, they fail to see traffic coming from the side.

ut there is hope. “Specific training improves divided attention,” says Sekuler. “We

want to make use of the flexibility ofthe brain, in order to enhance its overall capacity.” And even into old age, cells are still growing in the hippocampus- provided the region is given a task to do.

Psychologist Anat Geva of the University of Michigan showed, using PET images, that with combined memory and calculation tasks, a group of young test participants who performed well were making use of the visual areas of the brain in particular. Both older and younger participants who performed poorly demonstrated activity messages in the logic- dedicated left hemisphere of the brain. Anat Geva is convinced that specific training could reduce this difference.

One thing the researchers are agreed on is that the brain remains capable of change throughout one’s life. Siegfried Lehrl is seeking to prove in Erlangen that well- trained seniors can even outpace younger competitors when it comes to intellectual exercises. “A training session of as little as two hours improves the test results of older people. Sustained training can work wonders.” He is now pressing ahead with intensive memory exercises with a group of elders in good health who are intending to compete next year against young memory whiz kids.

The degeneration of intellectual capacity can indeed be prevented, however, even without indulging in thought as an extreme experimental exercise. As Lehrl says, “Anyone who is interested in new things will keep the grey matter fit.”

JUTTA VON CAMPENHAUSEN

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Questions 25-28. Use the article about memory training on the opposite page to answer questions 25 through 28.

25. Which part of the brain is regarded as the seat of speech memory?

26. What scientific discovery could, according to Allison Sekuler, completely change therapy in rehabilitation after a stroke?

27. What is researcher Siegfried Lehrl’s simple recipe for preventing the degeneration of intellectual capacity and keeping the grey matter fit?

28. The text states that seniors are more often the cause of road accidents because, when concentrating on the road in front of them, they overlook traffic from the sides. In the researchers’ view, what might be the cause of this?

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6 packCoca-Cola

$180

was $225

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Questions 29 - 30.Refer to the Coca-Cola advertisement on the opposite page to answer questions 6 and 7.

29. What is the price per can during the sale?

30. What is the percent of this discount?

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a tile

Kitchen Floor plan

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Question 31. Refer to the plan of a kitchen floor that is going to be tiled.

In the corner you can see a sketch of the tiles that are going to be used.

31. How many tiles are needed to cover the kitchen floor?

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Perc

ent,

%Pe

rcen

t, %

Expectations for InflationOfficials in the Federal Reserve Bank are concerned about the rate of inflation. Recent data released by the Bank, summarized in the accompanying graph, shows the actual rate of inflation in the 12 months of last year, compared to the rate of inflation predicted by the bank’s economists.

Inflation rates

1.2

1.0predicted

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2actual

0J F M A M J J A S O N D

MonthActual Inflation Predicted Inflation

Note: Inflation rate is adjusted rate

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Questions 32-34 . Use the article about inflation on the opposite page to answer questions 32 through 34.

32. In which month was the prediction of the rate of inflation the most accurate?

33. Between which two months did the actual rate of inflation go up the most?

34. Please estimate: what was the average actual rate of inflation per month during last year? Explain how you figured this out.

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WHY USE CHLORINE?

As a drinking water treatment, chlorine makes sense for many reasons. Most municipalities in North America, including the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), use chlorine primarily because of its effectiveness against a wide- range of bacteria, viruses and other micro-organisms. Because of chlorine treatment, diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever have been virtually eliminated in North America.

Chlorine is a proven treatment. We know that we can count on chlorine to protect our health.

HOW DOES CHLORINE WORK?

Keeping our water supply clean is a complex task, but the way chlorine works is quite simple.

Chlorine is added to the water at the beginning of the distribution system to provide primary disinfection. This means that by adding chlorine to the water, possible bacterial threats are killed or rendered ineffective.

But the chlorine doesn’t stop with just primary disinfection. Unlike other disinfectants (such as ozone), chlorine remains in the water system for a period of time. This provides protection against any possible growth of coliform bacteria as the water travels from the reservoirs through many kilometers of pipes to

your tap. The use of chlorine ensures that bacteria cannot survive in

our water supply.

WHAT IS CHLORINE?

Chlorine when added to the water breaks down into chloride which is a naturally occurring saltfound in the ocean, rivers, earth and even the human body.

The chlorine used in our water supply is manufactured by passing an electric current through salt water and is the same chlorine that is found in table salt. Chlorine is a well-known substance that has been used as a simple, natural, and safe way to disinfect public water supplies since 1908.

DID YOU KNOW?

The GVRD supplies an average of 1.1 billion litres of drinking water

per day to nearly 1.7 million people and performs close to 80,000 tests

annually to ensure water quality.

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Using chlorine helps ensure fresh, clean and safe water for all GVRD

residents.

IS CHLORINE SAFE?

Yes. As a water treatment method, chlorine is safe. There may be some small risks associated with by-products produced when chlorine reacts with organic matter in the water. But even after a lifetime of consumption, these risks are extremely low, especially when compared to the risks of using untreated water. In fact, the levels of chlorine by-products in GVRD water are less than the maximum allowed by Health Canada.

Some people are concerned about an excess of chlorine being added to the water on any given day. To ensure this does not occur, the GVRD monitors the water supply 24 hours a day. In fact, there is more concern that the chlorine level will drop too low.

WHAT ABOUT THE TASTE OF THE WATER?

Although the amount of chlorine in the water is small, it can leave a taste or smell that some people do not like. If the taste of chlorine bothers you, just put a jug of water in your fridge. This improves the taste and, in a short time, the chlorine will evaporate.

“Chlorine is a safe and effective means of killing

germs and providing critical protection for drinking water

consumption.”

DR JOHN BLATHERWICK

CHIEF MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICER FOR GREATER VANCOUVER

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Questions 35 - 39. Use the brochure about chlorine use in Canada on the opposite page to answer questions 35 through 39.

35. According to the brochure, how does chlorine differ from other disinfectants?

36. According to the brochure, what happens to the chlorine in treated water if you put a jug in the refrigerator and let it sit for awhile?

37. Based on the information included in this brochure, what can you infer are some of the arguments people make against treating drinking water with chlorine?

38. According to the brochure, chlorine has been used to disinfect public water supplies since what year?

39. The brochure maintains that chlorine is a “natural” way to treat drinking water. What evidence is included to support that argument?

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Blood alcohol levelThe National Board of Health recommends that women should not drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week - men not more than 21. Always remember to offer non-alcoholic beverages such as water when you offer someone a drink. It is also important that you drink 2 liters of non-alcoholic liquid a day - preferably water.

A unit of alcohol corresponds to 12 grams of pure alcohol. As a rule of thumb, you can estimate that there is 1 unit of alcohol in each of the following drinks and amounts:

1 bottle of beer1 glass of wine (about 12 cl)1 glass of port wine (about 8 cl)1 glass of spirits (about 4 cl)

Blood alcohol level in percent of weight to volume after one unit of alcohol according to the National Board of Health Book of Facts:

Weight Woman Man60 kg .036 .02970 kg .031 .02580 kg .027 .02290 kg .024 .020

Blood alcohol levels depend on:– how quickly and how many units you drink– your weight– whether you are a man or a woman

Alcohol is broken down at a constant speed in the liver. The rate of break down is not increased by drinking cof-fee, taking a shower or going for a walk. It is solely body weight that determines how many grams of alcohol are broken down per hour.

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Questions 40 - 44. Use the article on the opposite page about alcohol content in the blood to answer questions 40 through 44.

40. According to the National Board of Health, a man should not drink more than how many units of alcohol per week?

41. What determines the number of grams of alcohol that are broken down per hour?

42. According to the article, what are the three things that determine blood alcohol levels?

43. How many grams of alcohol are there in a glass of port wine?

44. Use the information in the table to compare blood alcohol levels for men and women of similar weight.

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Wine drinking around the worldThe Wine Institute keeps records of wine consumption around the world.

In 1996, France led the world in amount of wine drunk per person. Italy and Po r tugal followed close behind.

Yearly ConsumptionIn gallons per person, 1996

Rank Gallons 1. France 15.852. Italy 15.68 3. Portugal 15.444. Luxembourg 13.31 5. Argentina 10.966. Switzerland 10.88 7. Slovenia 10.258. Spain 9.96 9. Austria 8.4510. Romania 8.32 30. United States 1.92

Source: Wine Institute

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Questions 45 - 50. Refer to the article on the opposite page to answer questions 45 through 47.

45. One gallon of wine is approximately equal to five bottles of wine.Approximately how many bottles of wine did an average person in Spain drink in 1996?

46. In which countries did people drink an average of more than a gallon of wine each month?

47. Can you conclude from the information in the table that the total amount of wine consumed in Spain in 1996 was more than in the United States?Explain why or why not.

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Price PlansThe more you talk, the less you pay

The price you pay per minute each month depends on how much you call. The more you talk each month, the less you pay per minute. And at the end of each month Orange will always charge you the lowest appropriate rate on all the standard minutes you used.

One single call chargeWith Orange the price you pay for all standard calls is the same, no matter what time of day you call. You never need to worry about peak and off-peak times again.

Per-second billingEvery Orange customer enjoys per-second billing after the first ten seconds of the call, so you only get charged for the time you actually use to make the call.

How we charge• Standard minutes include calls to Orange mobile numbers, Orange Box (calls to retrieve messages),

Swisscom mobile and fixed numbers and diAx mobile numbers.• Calls not charged as standard minutes include calls to international numbers, Premium rate services

(0900 numbers), Free phone numbers (0800 numbers), Directory Enquiries and Orange Genie.• Calls to Orange Customer Care and to Emergency numbers are free of

charge.• All stated prices include

VAT.

Orange Membership plansHow to choose the best Membership plan

Orange offers three price plans to fit different needs:• Orange Plus 100 is for people who use the phone mainly in the evening and on weekends.• Orange Personal is for people who use the phone any time of the day and talk less than 10 minutes per day or less than 300 minutes per month.• Orange Professional is for people who need to use their phone for work and usually talk more than 300 minutes per month.

How much you pay in each Membership plan• SIM card cost: CHF 40.-• Activation fee: free• Standard monthly call charges apply retroactively to all minutes for the month

Orange Plus 100 Orange Personal Orange Professional

Monthly fee(CHF) 2 0 2 0 5 0

Free minutes included in the monthly fee 1 0 0 * - -

Standard monthly call charges (CHF/min)

Less than 30 minutes per month 1.10



More than 30 minutes but less than 60 minutes per month 1.00



More than 60 minutes per month 0.90



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* Free minutes apply only to evening and weekend calls.

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Question 48 - 51. Use the Price Plan advertisement on the opposite page to answer questions 48 through 51.

48. What are the two major factors referred to in the advertisement that you should consider when determining which membership planis best for you?

49. What is meant by the phase, “Standard monthly charges apply retroactively to all minutes for the month”

50. Identify two calls listed in the brochure that would be free of all charges.

51. Which two rate plans have the same monthly fee?

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Are you a healthy weight?The medical community is recommending that people become more aware of possible health

risks associated with their weight. The body mass index (BMI) is a number indicating the relationship between height and weight, found by using the formula below. The graph shows different weight zones for various combinations of heights and weights, for both men and women.

To calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI) you multiply the weight in pounds (W) by700, then devide by the square of the height in inches (H).

So the formula for the Body Mass Index (BMI) is: BMI= WX 700 H2 where W is the weight in pounds and H is the height in inches.

Weight Zone

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Questions 52 - 53.Refer to the article about healthy weights on the opposite page and use the information to answer the question 52 and 53

52. A man weighs 200 lbs. His height is 71 inches.What is his weight zone?

53. A woman weighs 144 pounds. Her height is 66 inches.What is her BMI? (Use the formula)

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Energy ReservesOil Reserves Known oil reserves in South America and

in MERCOSUR countries

South America 14.152 million cubic meters MERCOSUR 1.225 million cubic meters

Ecuador2,4%

Argentina2,9%

Colombia3,1%

Brazil5,4%

Argentina34%

Chile1,9%

Peru0,9%

Chile0,2%

Bolivia0,1%

Venezuela84,2% Other

0,7%

Bolivia1,7% Brazil

62,3%

Natural Gas Reserves Known natural gas reserves in South America and in MERCOSUR countries

South America 6.429 million cubic meters MERCOSUR 1.066 million cubic meters

Argentina10,6%

Brazil2,5%

Bolivia2,0%

Chile1,5%

Colombia6,3%

Ecuador1,6%

Other7,0%

Peru3,1%

Venezuela65,4%

Argentina64,2%

Brazil13,7%

Bolivia11,8%

Chile10,3%

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Questions 54 - 57. Use the charts on the opposite page to answer questions 19 through 22.

54. Circle the name of the country in South America with the lowest percentage of oil reserves.

55. Explain why the figures belonging to oil reserves in Argentina are different in each graph.

56. Within MERCOSUR, does Chile have a larger percentage of oil or gas reserves?

57. According to the information in the set of graphs, how many million cubic meters of gas are there in South America?

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SCORING GUIDELINES

Osler’s Web Questions 1 - 4

Question 1. List two things we are told about the funding of Elaine de Freita’s research.Scoring Guide:1: Mentions any TWO of the following:

• She was funded by patient activists.• Her funds evaporated as a consequence of a CDC paper.• Her funding was sporadic

7: Any other response0: Question refused / not done

Question 2. What is the main difference in opinion between Hillary Johnson andWilliam Reeves concerning the cause of CFS?

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions or paraphrases:

Hillary Johnson insists that it is a contagious disease, while WilliamReeves disputes that.

7: Any other response0: Question refused / not done

Question 3. According to the text, what are the latest scientific findings about CFS?

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions at least ONE of the following:

• (CFS may be) caused by low blood pressure• (CFS may be) treatable with drugs and a sodium rich diet• Not caused by infectious agent OR Can’t be traced from one locale to

another7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 4. Where does the title Osler’s Web come from?

Scoring Guide:1: From a 19th Century physician (who stressed listening to patients)7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

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Baltic Stock market Questions 5 – 10

Question 5. According to the article, what rankings in market capitalization will the joint Baltic stock market have in Central and Eastern Europe?

Scoring Guide:1: (Split) 5th and 6th (places with the Slovenian stock market)7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 6. According to the graph, which country has the largest market capitalization?

Scoring Guide:1: Russia7: Any other response0: Question refused, not done

Question 7. According to the graph, what is the average daily turnover for Poland?

Scoring Guide:1: (About) $45 million [accept any number from 43-47]

[Note: “million” is a required part of the correct response]7: Any other response0: Question refused, not done

Question 8. According to the article, what are two possible benefits of consolidating the Baltic markets?

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions BOTH of the following:

• improve liquidity• attract larger investors

7: Any other response0: Question refused, not done

Question 9. Identify two countries whose market capitalization is estimated to be between 10 and 15 billion dollars.

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions both of the following:

• Czech Republic• Hungary


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Question 10. Identify the three countries that are listed in the graph for average daily turnover but not for market capitalization.

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions all THREE of the following:

• Bulgaria• Ukraine• Slovakia


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Dice Questions 11 - 12

Question 11. You roll two dice, one after another. You roll a three on the first die.What is the chance that you will also roll a three on the second die?

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions ONE of the following:

• 1/6 or 1:6 or "one sixth" or "one out of six" (or similar expressions)• Any value between and including 0.166 and 0.17 (e.g., 0.1666,

0.167, 0.16667, etc)• Any value between 16.6 % or 17 % (e.g., 16.66%, 16.7%,

16.6667% etc.)7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 12. You roll two six-sided dice at the same time.What is the chance you will roll two sixes?


• 1/36 or 1:36 or "one thirty-sixth" or "one out of thirty six" (or similar expressions)

• Any value between 0.027 and 0.03 (e.g., 0.0277,0.0278, 0.028, etc)• Any value between 2.7 % and 3 % (e.g., 2.77%, 2. 78%, 2.8%, etc.)

7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

47

TMN Anti-theft Questions 13- 16Question 13. List all the documents you need in order to be able to ask for your mobile

telephone to be blocked.


• Proof of purchase (of the mobile phone)• Proof that you have reported the theft OR loss (to the authorities)• (A properly completed) liability form (available from any TMN shop, on

which you should include the make, model and IMEI number of the mobile phone)


Question 14. According to the brochure, what function does the numeric IMEI code play in the company’s anti-theft service?

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions or paraphrases at least ONE of the following:

• Provides (a unique) identifier (code) for your phone (in case it is lost or stolen)

• The company needs to know the code in order to block your serviceOR unblock your service


Question 15. What does the brochure say are the current benefits of the anti-theft service?

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions or paraphrases at least TWO of the following:

• To dissuade people from stealing mobile phones• So that mobile phones cannot be improperly used by third parties if

they are stolen or lost• To make it possible to get the mobile phone back if it is recovered• Blocks or prevents undesired use of your mobile phone (on any

Portuguese mobile network)

[If response includes GSM networks, this should be considered an incorrect response and receive a code 7]


Question 16. Which document must you submit both to block and unblock your mobile phone?

Scoring Guide:1: (A properly completed) liability form7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

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Light Bulbs Questions 17- 20

Question 17. According to the article, what are the three types of light bulb?


• Incandescent• Halogen• Fluo-compact OR Fluorescent (Tubes)

7: Any other response.0: Question refused / not done.

Question 18. Circle the rating of the type of light bulb that has the highest power rating in watts.

Scoring Guide:1: Circles 1,500 W [under tube-shaped halogen]2: Circles tube-shaped halogen light bulb7: Any other response.0: Question refused / not done.

Question 19. Which type of filament-free light bulb makes it possible to obtain a light similar to that produced by incandescent light bulbs?

Scoring Guide:1: Spherical Fluo-compact7: Any other response.0: Question refused / not done.

Question 20. According to the article, what is the main difference between the way incandescent and halogen light bulbs generate light?


• The type of gas surrounding the filament.• The filament in a halogen is surrounded by halogen gas but the gas in an

incandescent light bulb is different.7: Any other response.0: Question refused / not done.

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Complaints Question 21

Question 21. In a management meeting, a manager showed the graph and claimed: “There was a huge drop in the number of customer complaints in 2007 compared to 2006”.

Does the graph support the manager’s claim? Explain your answer.

Scoring Guide:1: EITHER:

• (No) Explanation makes a judgment that the drop is not huge: Examples:

- The real/actual drop is not as large as it looks in the graphgiven the actual numbers (450 to 440, or a drop of 10), or

- the graph exaggerates the size of the drop because the scaledoes not start from zero, or

- the graph is not shown in full.• (Yes) explanation says that there is a drop of about 10 complaints but

even a small reduction is important.7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Notes:1. Although the expected answer would disagree with the claim that the drop was huge, we

do allow an answer that agrees and gives a valid reason for that opinion. Both answers need to give evidence that they have referred to the vertical scale on the graph.

2. If the answer is the expected one that disagrees with the claim, it can do so either directly or by inference, as in the answer, "They only dropped from 450 to 440." The word, "only" indicates the disagreement.

3. If the answer agrees with the claim, the explanation that even a drop of 10 is important must be explicitly stated. Thus, while an example like, “Yes, there was a drop of 10 complaints” does refer to the scale, it does not say why a drop of 10 from450 should be considered huge and should be coded as a 7.

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Compound Interest Question 22

Question 22. If you invested $1000, is it true your money will be doubled after 7 years? Support your answer with the results of your calculations.

Scoring Guide:1: YES or ALMOST or NO or NOT QUITE (in 7 years) with EITHER of the

following:• exact calculation of ($)1,948.72 or ($)1,948.71 (or rounded variants)• A computational ‘rule of thumb’ as the basis for deciding whether the

amount is doubled. (An example is “the rule of 72”, which says that dividing 72 by the interest rate gives you roughly the number of

years it will take the initial amount to double)7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

51

Temperature Scale Questions 23- 24

Question 23. Use the scale on the "Handy Hint" to estimate what 12 degrees Celsius would be in degrees Fahrenheit.

Scoring Guide:1: Any answer from 52 (°F) to 55 (°F) (about) or (approximately) or (~)7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 24. Use the scale to estimate what the high temperature predicted for Bangkok would be in degrees Celsius (if the scale were extended).

Scoring Guide:1: Any answer from 38 (°C) to 40 (°C) (about) (approximately) (~)7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

52

Memory Training Questions 25- 28

Question 25. Which part of the brain is regarded as the seat of speech memory?

Scoring Guide:1: (The) hippocampus7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 26. What scientific discovery could, according to Allison Sekuler, completely change therapy in rehabilitation after a stroke?


• The brain is not committed to channels formed by experience• The brain can seek out new paths for the transfer of information.


Question 27. What is researcher Siegfried Lehrl’s simple recipe for preventing the degeneration of intellectual capacity, and keeping the grey matter fit?

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions at least one of the following:

• Take an interest in new things• (Sustained) training


Question 28. The text states that seniors are more often the cause of road accidents because, when concentrating on the road in front of them, they overlook traffic from the sides. In the researchers' view, what might be the cause of this?


• Older people have problems if they have to deal with two things at once• The hippocampus is being used and is blocked for other tasks


53

Coca Cola Cans Questions 29- 30

Question 29. What is the price per can during the sale?


• 30 (¢) or “thirty (cents)”• ($).30 or ($)0.30• ($) .3 or ($) 0.3

7: Any other response, including .30 ¢0: Question refused/not done

Question 30. What is the percent of this discount?

Scoring Guide:1: 20 (%) or “twenty (percent)”7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

54

Tiles Question 31

Question 31. How many tiles are needed to cover the kitchen floor?


• 198 or "at least 198"• About or approximately 200• 189


Note: The answer 189 is correct if someone excluded the 9 tiles already laid. Since this response indicates the goal of accurate counting was met, it is scored as correct.

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Inflation Questions 32- 34

Question 32. In which month was the prediction of the rate of inflation the most accurate?

Scoring Guide:1: ONE of the following:

• August OR “A”• August clearly identified on the graph itself.


Question 33. Between which two months did the actual rate of inflation go up the most?

Scoring Guide:1: (between) February and March OR “F-M”

• Accept wording that mentions both February and March.• Reject answers that mention only one month.


Question 34. Please estimate: what was the average actual rate of inflation per month during last year? Explain how you figured this out.

Scoring Guide:1: 0.6 (%) or .6 (%) or any number between 0.58 - 0.62, [may or may not

include an explanation]7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

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Water Chlorination Questions 35 -39

Question 35. According to the brochure, how does chlorine differ from other disinfectants?


• It remains in the water system for a period of time• It provides protections against any possible growth of coliform bacteria

(as water travels from the reservoirs through pipes to your tap)• It ensures that bacteria cannot survive in the water supply


Question 36. According to the brochure, what happens to the chlorine in treated water if you put a jug in the refrigerator and let it sit for a while?

Scoring Guide:1: (The chlorine) evaporates7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 37. Based on the information included in this brochure, what can you infer are some of the arguments people make against treating drinking water with chlorine?

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions at least TWO of the following:

• Chlorine isn’t safe• Adding chlorine poses health risks• High chlorine levels on some days may be dangerous• Chlorine makes water smell and/or taste bad


Question 38. According to the brochure, chlorine has been used to disinfect public water supplies since what year?

Scoring Guide:1: 19087: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

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Question 39. The brochure maintains that chlorine is a “natural” way to treat drinking water. What evidence is included to support that argument?


• It breaks down into chloride which is a naturally occurring salt• It breaks down into chloride which is found in the oceans, rivers, earth

and in the human body• The chlorine in the water supply is the same chlorine found in table salt


58

Blood Alcohol Questions 40- 44

Question 40. According to the National Board of Health, a man should not drink more than how many units of alcohol per week?

Scoring Guide:1: 21 (units of alcohol a week)7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 41. What determines the number of grams of alcohol that are broken down per hour?

Scoring Guide:1: (Your body) weight7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 42. According to the article, what are the three things that determine blood alcohol levels?

Scoring Guide:1: Must mention or paraphrase at least THREE of the following:

• How quickly you drink• The number of units of alcohol you drink• Your weight• Whether you are a man or a woman.


Question 43. How many of grams of alcohol are there in a glass of port wine?

Scoring Guide:1: 12 (grams of alcohol)7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 44. Use the information in the table to compare blood alcohol levels for men and women of similar weight.

Scoring Guide:1: Any response that includes a comparison stating that ‘women have a

higher concentration’ OR that ‘men have a lower concentration’ [Do not accept copying numbers from the table without a comparison statement]


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Wine Questions 45- 47

Question 45. One gallon of wine is approximately equal to five bottles of wine.Approximately how many bottles of wine did an average person in Spain drink in 1996?


• 50 (approximately, about, almost, etc.) (bottles)• 49.8 (bottles)• 49 (approximately, about, almost, etc.) (bottles)


Question 46. In which countries did people drink an average of more than a gallon of wine each month?

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions all four countries: France, Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg OR

their ranking numbers: 1, 2, 3 and 4 OR “the first four countries”.7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 47. Can you conclude from the information in the table that the total amount of wine consumed in Spain in 1996 was more than in the United States?Explain why or why not.

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions the need to consider the size of the population in each country in

EITHER of these ways:• (No) Explains the need to consider the size of the population in each

country before making a conclusion.For example, “There are more people in the US than in Spain.”

• (Yes) or (No) Explains a consideration of the countries’ population by estimating the population sizes,For example: Spain (estimated population, 50 million), multiplied by10 = 500 million gallons while USA (estimated population, 200 million) multiplied by 2 = 400 million gallons.

[Note –computations and conclusions will vary depending on the estimates used.]


Note:Correct answers can make the point about the need to consider population in a general way. Or they may attempt to go further, making assumptions about the size of the two populations and carrying out the comparison. In this case, the conclusion can be either ‘yes’ or ‘no’, dependingon the assumptions made.

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Price plans Questions 48 – 51Question 48. What are the two major factors referred to in the advertisement that you

should consider when determining which membership plan is best for you?

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions BOTH of the following:

• When you will make most of your calls OR The time of day when you will make most of your calls

• The number of minutes you expect to use per month OR How much time you expect to use each month


Question 49. What is meant by the phrase, “Standard monthly charges apply retroactively to all minutes for the month?”

Scoring Guide:1: Respondent paraphrases or gives example of the following:

Monthly call charges are determined by total usage for that month2: Respondent copies or underlines:

The more you talk, the less you pay.7: Any other response0: Question refused / not done

Question 50. Identify two calls listed in the brochure that would be free of all charges.

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions at least two of the following:

• Emergency numbers• Customer care• 1-800 numbers or 0800 numbers


Question 51. Which two rate plans have the same monthly fee?

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions BOTH (Orange) plus 100 AND (Orange) personal7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

61

BMI Questions 52- 53

Question 52. A man weighs 200 lbs. His height is 71 inches.What is his weight zone?

Scoring Guide:1: Overweight (zone) OR “between 25 and 29 BMI”

[Do NOT accept specific BMI values within the range, such as 27.8]7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 53. A woman weighs 144 pounds. Her height is 66 inches.What is her BMI? (Use the formula)


• 23.1405 or rounded variant• (about) 23, or "a little over 23" or "slightly over 23"• Due to various common rounding and truncating procedures, other

answers can be considered as correct.

Examples:- Rounded or truncated variants of 23.076923. (Respondent

rounded to two decimal places before dividing.)- Rounded or truncated variants of 23.15789. (Respondent

truncated to two decimal places before dividing.)Note: For other “precise” answers whose value is a little more than 23, scorers should attempt to trace the computations that were used.


62

Energy Reserves Questions 54- 57

Question 54. Circle the name of the country in South America with the lowest percentage of oil reserves.

Scoring Guide:1: Circles Bolivia [must circle Bolivia under South America and under Oil

Reserves]7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 55. Explain why the figures belonging to oil reserves in Argentina are different in each graph.

Scoring Guide:1: Mentions or paraphrases ONE of the following:

• The number of countries are different• There are more countries in South America (than in MERCOSUR)• In one graph Argentina is considered as part of South America and in

the other as part of MERCOSUR [or equivalent answer]• In one pie chart the oil reserves of Argentina are compared to those of

all of South America and in the other they are compared only to those of MERCOSUR

• The reserves of Argentina are higher in comparison to the four countries of MERCOSUR than to all the other countries in South America


Question 56. Within the MERCOSUR, does Chile have a larger percentage of oil or gas reserves?

Scoring Guide:1: Gas7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

Question 57. According to the information in the set of graphs, how many million cubic meters of gas are there in South America?

Scoring Guide:1: 6.429 (cubic meters of gas)7: Any other response0: Question refused/not done

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statistics.caricom.orgstatistics.caricom.org/.../Literacy/Main_booklet.docx · Web viewThe patient, normally a vigorous 36-year-old, shows up in her doctor’s office looking ashen