PART 19

Threadfornumber1—7.
Agnieszka Yordanova Posted I find it very effective, especially for people
September who struggle with maintaining their focus for
26th,2018,2:02PM a longer time. It saved the day for me many
times. The best part about it is that it’s very
simple, too. Dividing your time into20–25-
minute intervals and then focusing on the task
is simply awesome. It’s a good time-gating
Strategy for tasks which I personally use my
Self. Not always with Pomodoro, but
Pomodoro can be where it all starts.
Robert Ferraro Posted It will work if you are doing routine work
February 21st, 2020,7:16PM where the systems are in place and you are
just churning through things without needing
any deep thought. However, I highly advise
against using it when you are engaged in deep
thought or creative work.
Leonard Alexandru Posted From my experience, it works with tasks that I
October12th, 2020,3:59PM am struggling with or that I don’t enjoy doing.
I use the classic 25mins/5mins, and it works
for me. When I am doing tasks that are aligned
with my goals, I get in the 'zone, then I don’t
need the timer. It just distracts me from, as I
might be sitting for 1–2 hours in order to write
a blog article.
ChristineLi Posted I don’t adhere to the Pomodoro technique in a
November 8th,2016,2:02AM very strict manner, but I consciously
intersperse solid breaks between periods of
work. In that way, I am a believer in the
technique. We all need to rest and recharge
after a period of work.
Lionel Valdellon Posted As effective as using your will power. It gives
August 17th, 2014,1:14AM you a physical alarm and a strict time
limitation that many people find effective in
forcing them to be productive. But it will only
work if you have the will power to follow the
guidelines.
Rahul Revne Posted July The Pomodoro Technique is a time
25th, 2023,10:59AM management method developed by Francesco
Cirillo in the late1980s. It involves breaking
work into intervals, traditionally25 minutes in
length, separated by short breaks. The
technique is named after the tomato-shaped
kitchen timer that Cirillo used during
university study sessions.

1. Which of the following reflects Agnieszka’s point of view on the subject

matter?
 A. The Pomodoro technique got named after a tomato-shaped kitchen
timer.
B. The Pomodoro technique is as effective as one’s will power in using it.
C. The Pomodoro technique works for people who do things they do not
enjoy.
D. The Pomodoro technique allows people to rest and recharge after some
time working.
E. The Pomodoro technique is a good place to start for people who struggle
with maintaining focus
2. What is Robert’s attitude towards using the Pomodoro technique for
creative work?
A. upset
B. discouraging
C. indifferent
D. supportive
E. cautionary
3. The word “intersperse” in Christine Li’s post is closest in meaning to ….
A. interrupt
B. merge
C. scatter
D. dispose
E. diversify
4. Which commentator posted the most irrelevant opinion?
A. Agnieszka Yordanova
B. Leonard Alexandru
C. Christine Li
D. Rahul Revne
E. Robert Ferraro
5. The phrase “a blog article” is mentioned in Leonard’s post to ….
A. point out the kind of activity the Pomodoro technique is good for
B. criticize the Pomodoro technique for putting people on alert all the time
C. give an example of things that may not call for the Pomodoro technique
D. provide evidence that Pomodoro technique is recommended by many
E. emphasize the superiority of the Pomodoro technique to maintain focus
6. Whose post provides information on the Pomodoro technique’s origin
story?
A. Rahul Revne
B. Christine Li
C. Leonard Alexandru
D. Robert Ferraro
E. Lionel Valdellon
7. How many commentators explicitly talked about their experience using a
time management method?
A. two
B. three
C. four
D. five
E. Six
Text for number 8—13.
Text 1
Some discoveries are not unexpected—but they’re still surprising. In Mexico, a
legend told of an enigmatic underground building called the Lyobaa, or “the
place of rest.” It was supposedly built a thousand years ago by the Zaptecs, who
used it as a religious temple until the late 15th century. There was even an
ancient record supporting the existence of the Lyobaa. In 1674, Spanish
missionaries documented and described the labyrinth before they apparently
sealed off the entrance and built a church over it.
While it’s well known that the Spanish raised a church on the site, called Mitla,
there was no evidence that the story of a sunken temple was real. In 2023,
researchers decided to test the myth once and for all and used different imaging
techniques to scan the area for underground spaces.
The results were amazing. They found a labyrinth of passageways and chambers
under the church. Most likely, the temple represented the underworld,
something the Zapotec strongly believed in. The study produced a
comprehensive map of the labyrinth, including what appears to be several
tombs, large chambers, corridors, and an entrance beneath the altar of the
church.
(Adapted from https://listverse.com)

Text 2
Oral histories have long suggested that the main altar of the church was
purposefully built over a sealed entrance to a vast underground labyrinth of
pillars and passages that originally belonged to a Zapotec temple known as
Lyobaa, which means "the place of rest."

Investigating this claim with modern geophysical methods, the Project Lyobaa
research team announced on May 12 that they had found a complex system of
caves and passageways beneath the church. The project is a collaboration of 15
archaeologists, geophysical scientists, engineers and conservation experts with
the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the
National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the ARX Project.

Using three nondestructive methods — ground penetrating radar, electrical

resistivity tomography and seismic noise tomography — the team produced a
virtual 3D model of the subterranean ruins. These methods work by measuring
reflection properties of electromagnetic and seismic waves as they pass through
different subsoil layers and other material underground. A number of
measuring devices placed around the church recorded information about a large
void below the main altar and two connecting passages, all at a depth of 16 to
26 feet (5 to 8 meters)

"The newly discovered chambers and tunnels directly relate to the ancient
Zapotec beliefs and concepts of the Underworld," Marco Vigato, founder of the
ARX Project, told LiveScience in an email, "and confirm the veracity of the
colonial accounts that speak of the elaborate rituals and ceremonies conducted
at Mitla in subterranean chambers associated with the cult of the dead and the
ancestors."
 Although the team suspected that the underground temple existed, they were
surprised by scale and depth, according to Vigato. "More research is needed to
accurately determine the full extent of these subterranean features," he said.

(Adapted from https://www.livescience.com)

8. The word “enigmatic” in Text 1 Paragraph 1 Sentence 2 is closest in

meaning to ….
A. convoluted
B. cryptic
C. charismatic
D. complicated
E. cynical
9. The word “they” in Text 1 Paragraph 1 Sentence 5 refers to ….
A. the labyrinth
B. ancient record
C. the Zaptecs
D. Spanish missionaries
E. discoveries
10. The following statements are TRUE about the Project Lyobaa, EXCEPT ….
A. it used modern geophysical methods
B. it was launched on May 12th
C. it managed to produce a virtual 3D model of subterranean ruins
D. it involved people who are experts in their respective fields
E. it was a collaboration of two institutions and one project team
11. What is the author’s intention in writing Text 2?
A. To criticize the investigation conducted by the Project Lyobaa
B. To unravel the mystery and intrigue of the Lyobaa temple
C. To argue against investigating the Lyobaa temple
D. To compare the Lyobaa temple with other temples in Mexico
E. To explain the investigation made on the claim about the Lyobaa temple
12. Which of the following represents the overall tone of both texts?
A. critical
B. cautionary
C. encouraging
D. informative
E. persuasive
13. What is the relationship between Text 1 and Text 2?
A. Both texts talk about how to further investigate a mysterious temple in
Mexico.
B. Both texts discuss the downsides of investigating the Lyobaa temple.
C. Text 1 explains briefly about the existence of a mysterious place in
Mexico while Text 2 further explains the origin story of said place.
D. Text 1 talks about the existence of a mysterious place in Mexico while
Text 2 talks about efforts to further investigate it.
 E. Text 1 discusses efforts to investigate a claim about a place in Mexico
while Text 2 argues on why such efforts would be detrimental

Text for number 14—20

Text 1
In one experiment, students were given the choice to make their own
attendance mandatory. Contradicting common faculty beliefs, 90% of students
in the initial study chose to do so, committing themselves to attending class
reliably or to having their final grades docked.
Under this “optional-mandatory attendance” policy, students came to class more
reliably than students whose attendance had been mandated. The pattern has
held true. In additional studies across five classes that included 60–200
students, 73%–95% opted for mandatory attendance, and at most 10%
regretted their decision by the semester’s end
“Like Ulysses, students know they will face significant temptations. By making
their attendance mandatory, they exercise self-control over their future
behavior,” says first author Simon Cullen, assistant professor in the philosophy
department at Carnegie Mellon University. “We are born curious, and we
naturally enjoy mastering many challenging learning tasks, but controlling
course policies like mandatory attendance can undermine that motivation.”
According to Cullen, the findings challenge widely held beliefs about student
behavior. He continues that many educators worry that given the choice,
students would opt for the easiest path possible. However, this study paints a
starkly different picture. “Anytime in a class that you give freedom to choose,
you give students the feeling of control over their education,” says Danny
Oppenheimer, a professor in the social and decision sciences and psychology
departments and coauthor of the article. “It puts the learning in the students’
hands and increases their motivation.”
(Adapted from https://www.futurity.org/)

Text 2
Popular culture is filled with examples of teenagers skipping classes — and in
films like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, this is framed by humour and a gleeful sense
of freedom. But Ferris Bueller went back to school the next day without any
major impact on his life. This isn’t the case for many. Evidence shows worse
outcomes for students who miss a lot of school, including lower academic
achievement, lower graduation rates, higher rates of interaction with juvenile
justice systems, mental and physical health issues and lower employment. And
certain life circumstances, such as poverty, increase the risk of chronic school
attendance issues.
Chronic school attendance problems are usually defined as missing more than
10 percent of school days. School attendance in countries like Canada and
Australia is mandatory until between 16 and 18 years of age, depending on the
province or territory. There are legal penalties for families whose children are
chronically absent from school as well as for students themselves, and possible
involvement of child protection services.
There are many reasons why students miss school. Some because they are
disengaged, others because of significant anxiety or mental health and well-
being concerns. Some are absent because of frequent experiences of
harassment, bullying and racism. Others miss school because they have family
responsibilities such as younger siblings, or because of disability-related needs
that schools are struggling to support. Students may experience multiple types
of school attendance problems, and these may vary over time
Punishing attendance problems fails to address the issues students face, from
family responsibilities to barriers related to racism or inadequate support for
disabilities. There has been more evidence in recent years of the recognition of
the complex, multilayered and flexible approaches necessary to improve school
attendance. There have also been efforts to think about school attendance as
more than just “present” or “absent.” Are students participating? Are they
included? Are they engaged? Are they learning? Many initiatives are still based
on simplistic ideas of school attendance and punitive approaches that really
don’t work well in the long run.
(Adapted from https://theconversation.com/)

14. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “mandatory” as

used in Text 1?
A. Optional
B. Compulsory
C. Flexible
D. Tentative
E. Changeable
15. The main topic of Text 1 is ….
A. the importance of student autonomy
B. the reason behind students being passive
C. how schools should have total control
D. solutions to boost student participation
E. a thought experiment at schools
16. According to Text 2, what would be indicative of severe school attendance
problems?
A. Having child protection services involved.
B. Skipping more than 10 exams per semester.
C. Missing more than 10 consecutive school days.
D. Being absent for more than 10 percent of school days.
E. Calling in sick for more than 10 percent of school days
17. Which of the following statements is TRUE based on Text 2?
A. Racism is not one of the factors that explains why students miss school.
B. Punishing attendance problems successfully addresses the issues
students face.
C. Efforts have been made to think about students’ attendance beyond them
just showing up or not.
D. Punitive approaches seem to work really well in the long run.
E. Most students are disengaged simply because they are lazy.
18. Which of the following best paraphrases the sentence below?
 “Evidence shows worse outcomes for students who miss a lot of school,
including lower academic achievement, lower graduation rates, higher rates
of interaction with juvenile justice systems, mental and physical health issues
and lower employment.”
A. According to research, outcomes for students who miss school are worse,
including poorer academic performance, lower graduation rates,
increased involvement with justice systems, mental and physical health
problems, and decreased employment opportunities
B. Studies show that students who frequently miss school tend to excel
academically, graduate at lower rates, have fewer interactions with
juvenile justice systems, and enjoy better mental and physical health.
C. Evidence suggests that students who attend school regularly face more
challenges, including lower academic achievement, lower graduation
rates, and higher involvement with the justice system.
D. Research indicates that missing a lot of school has no impact on a
student's academic performance, graduation or future employment
opportunities.
E. According to studies, high absenteeism in students leads to improved
mental and physical health, higher academic success, and better job
prospects.
19. The word “undermine” in Text 1 Paragraph 3 means ….
A. todestroy
B. toenhance
C. tounderestimate
D. toweaken
E. toalleviate
20. What is the author’s attitude towards punitive measures on attendance
problems?
A. Supportive
B. Encouraging
C. Opposing
D. Neutral
E. Angry