A spark, a flint: How fire leapt to life [The control of fire was the first and perhaps greatest of humanity’s steps towards a life-enhancing technology.] To early man, fire was a divine gift randomly delivered in the form of lightning, forest fire or burning lava. Unable to make flame for themselves, the earliest peoples … more →

Measuring organizational performance There is clear-cut evidence that, for a period of at least one year, supervision which increases the direct pressure for productivity can achieve significant increases in production. However, such short-term increases are obtained only at a substantial and serious cost to the organization. To what extent can a manager make an impressive … more →

Creating artificial reefs In the coastal waters of the US, a nation’s leftovers have been discarded. Derelict ships, concrete blocks, scrapped cars, army tanks, tyres filled with concrete and redundant planes litter the sea floor. However, this is not waste disposal, but part of a coordinated, state-run programme. To recently arrived fish, plants and other … more →

Is there anybody out there? The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence The question of whether we are alone in the Universe has haunted humanity for centuries, but we may now stand poised on the brink of the answer to that question, as we search for radio signals from other intelligent civilizations. This search often known by … more →

Questions 28-31 The passage has five sections A-E Choose the correct heading for section A and C-E from the list of headings below. Write the correct number i-viii in boxes 28-31 on your answer sheet. List of Headings i The connection between health-care and other human rights ii The development of market-based health systems. iii … more →

The Shock of the Truth A Throughout history, there have been instances in which people have been unwilling to accept new theories, despite startling evidence. This was certainly the case when Copernicus published his theory – that the earth was not the center of the universe. B Until the early 16th century, western thinkers believed … more →

Questions 27-32 The passage has seven paragraphs, A—G. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B—G from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i—x, in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet. List of Headings i The biological clock ii Why dying is beneficial iii The ageing process of men and women iv Prolonging … more →

The Nature of Genius There has always been an interest in geniuses and prodigies. The word ‘genius’, from the Latin gens (= family) and the term ‘genius’, meaning ‘begetter’, comes from the early Roman cult of a divinity as the head of the family. In its earliest form, genius was concerned with the ability of … more →

Striking Back at Lightning with Lasers Seldom is the weather more dramatic than when thunderstorms strike. Their electrical fury inflicts death or serious injury on around 500 people each year in the United States alone. As the clouds roll in, a leisurely round of golf can become a terrifying dice with death – out in … more →

Endangered Chocolate A  The cacao tree, once native to the equatorial American forest, has some exotic traits for a plant. Slender and shrubby, the cacao has adapted to life close to the leaf littered forest floor. Its large leaves droop down. away from the sun. Cacao doesn’t flower, as most plants do at the tips … more →