Short Answer Questions

Multiple-choice questions

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Vocabulary- Watch out

Skills development Exam tip

Exam Practice

 

Vocabularies

The words below describe feelings. Are they positive or negative feelings?

afraid /amazed /amused /angry /annoyed /anxious /ashamed /bored /calm /confident /curious /delighted /depressed /disappointed /embarrassed /excited /frightened /glad  /guilty /happy /jealous /miserable /nervous /relaxed /sad /terrible /tired /wonderful

Watch out

A common mistake is to mix up boring with bored, or amused with amusing. The -ed ending normally describes feelings, and the -ing ending describes things (often the cause of the feelings).

X The film was long and I was boring.

yesThe film was long and it was boring.

yesThe film was long and I was bored.

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Complete the sentences using words ending in -ed or -ing. Use a form of the verbs in the box and try to make the sentences true for you. You can use the verbs more than once.
surprise-frighten-excite-embarrass-satisfy-annoy-disappoint-depress-amaze-tire-amuse-relax

1 In the evening I feel more than in the morning.

2 I usually find black and white films .

3 I have never found any of my exam results .

4 Classical music makes me feel  .

5 There are still a lot of poor people in the world, which is  .

6 I don't have any hobbies.

7 I think animals are .

8 I don't get easily .

 

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Skills development

Exam information I Short-answer questions

In the exam, you may have to look for facts in a passage and give short answers to questions. You will be told how many words you are allowed to use in the answers. A number can be written either as a word, e.g. four, or as a number, e.g. 4, and counts as one word. A word with a hyphen in it, e.g. mother-in-law, counts as one word. You will not be required to use contractions.

 

How many words are there in these sentences?

1- She keeps fit by running after her two five-year-olds.

2- To use the gym equipment safely, follow the step-by-step instructions.

3- The Internet is helping the over-sixties to find up-to-date health information.

4- They are offering exercise classes 3 mornings a week for the part-time workers.

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Exam tip

To keep to the maximum number of words, it can help to change a word form. Use a noun as an adjective the documents about the housethe house documents, or to omit a verb there is a variety of reasonsvarious reasons.

Question What were his parents afraid of?

Answer in the text there was a possibility that he would have problems with his health (12 words)

Short Answer his possible health problems (4 words).

 

Question When did they first find out there was a problem?

Answer in the text when doctors did a medical examination during the mother's pregnancy.

Short Answer

 

Question How does his illness affect him?

Answer in the text at the moment he is not affected by it at all but he needs to take medication.

Short Answer

 

Question What will happen in the future?

Answer in the text nobody knows that yet.

Short Answer

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Answer these questions in NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

1- What do you think is the best way to lose weight?

2- How do you feel about football?

3- What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

4- Why is exercise important?

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PRACTICE

1- Why do some people accept pain as a part of life?

2- What did Blaxter want to find out about?

3- What does the text say about how older people define health?

Now scan the text below and answer questions 1-3, using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.

Illness is defined in a variety of ways, which depend on a number of factors. One of these factors is age differences. Older people tend to accept as 'normal' a range of pains and physical limitations which younger people would define as symptoms of some illness or disability. As we age, we gradually redefine health and accept greater levels of physical discomfort. In Blaxter's (1990) national survey of health definitions, she found that young people tend to define health in terms of physical fitness, but gradually, as people age, health comes to be defined more in terms of being able to cope with everyday tasks. She found examples of older people with really serious arthritis, who nevertheless defined themselves as healthy, as they were still able to carry out a limited range of routine activities. 

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Exam Practice

Exam information I Short-answer questions

Just as with multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions are normally in the same order as the information in the text. Sometimes in short-answer tasks, the instructions will ask you to use words taken directly from the text.

 

Using NO MORE THAN FOUR WORDS for each, answer the following questions.

1- In what ways do our bodies physically differ?

P1- P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6

2- Why do our bodies differ physically?

P1- P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6

3- What types of jobs are poor people likely to have?

P1- P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6

4- What aspects of poor people's living environments are not good?

P1- P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6

5- What influences how groups of people value bodies?

P1- P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6

6- What have wealthy cultures changed their opinion about?

P1- P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6

7- In the past, what part of the body could indicate that people were rich?

P1- P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6

9- According to sociology, in what ways should we think about the body?

P1- P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6

10- Which two physical factors contribute to whether people are obese or not?

P1- P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6

11- What does society say that being obese is?

P1- P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6

The body

P1- The concept of 'the body' is closely related to the ideas of 'illness' and 'health'. All of us exist in 'bodies' of different shapes, heights, colours and physical abilities. The main reasons for the differences are genetic, and the fact that people's bodies change as they age. However, a huge range of research indicates that there are social factors too. (Back to Questions)

P2- Poorer people are more likely to eat 'unhealthy' foods, to smoke cigarettes and to be employed in repetitive, physically difficult work or the opposite: boring, inactive employment. Moreover, their housing conditions and neighbourhoods tend to be worse. All of these factors impact upon the condition of a person's health: the physical shapes of bodies are strongly influenced by social factors. (Back to Questions)

P3- These social factors are also closely linked to emotional wellbeing. People with low or no incomes are more likely to have mental health problems. It is not clear, however, whether poverty causes mental illness, or whether it is the other way around. For example, certain people with mental health issues may be at risk of becoming homeless, just as a person who is homeless may have an increased risk of illnesses such as depression. (Back to Questions)

P4- There are other types of social factors too. Bodies are young or old, short or tall, big or small, weak or strong. Whether these judgments matter and whether they are positive or negative depends on the cultural and historical context. The culture - and media - of different societies promote very different valuations of body shapes. What is considered as attractive or ugly, normal or abnormal varies enormously. Currently, for example, in rich societies the idea of slimness is highly valued, but historically this was different. In most societies the ideal body shape for a woman was a 'full figure' with a noticeable belly, while in middle-aged men, a large stomach indicated that they were financially successful in life. In many traditional African and Pacific island cultures, for example, a large body shape was a sign of success and a shape to be aimed at. (Back to Questions)

P5- It is easy for people to feel undervalued because of factors they have no power to change, for example, their age and height. Equally, they can feel pressured into making changes to their appearance when there is a choice, which in extreme cases can lead to obsessions with weight loss and fitness regimes. (Back to Questions)

P6- Sociologists, then, are suggesting that we should not just view bodies and minds in biological terms, but also in social terms. The physical body and what we seek to do with it change over time and society. This has important implications for medicine and ideas of health. Thus, the idea of people being 'obese' is physically related to large amounts of processed food, together with lack of exercise, and is therefore a medical issue. However, it has also become a mental health issue and social problem as a result of people coming to define this particular body shape as 'wrong' and unhealthy. (Back to Questions)