20 exercices for gapped text (có đáp án và giải thích)

GAPPED TEXT

Daydreaming can help solve problems, trigger creativity, and inspire great works of art and
science. By Josie Glazier.
Most people spend between 30 and 47 per cent of their waking hours spacing out, drifting off, lost in
thought, wool-gathering or building castles in the air. Yale University emeritus psychology professor
Jerome L. Singer defines daydreaming as shifting attention “away from some primary physical or
mental task toward an unfolding sequence of private responses” or, more simply, “watching your own
mental videos.” He also divides daydreaming styles into two main categories: “positive-constructive,”
which includes upbeat and imaginative thoughts, and “dysphoric,” which encompasses visions of
failure or punishment.
119.

Such humdrum concerns figured prominently in one study that rigorously measured how much time
we spend mind wandering in daily life. In a 2009 study, Kane and his colleague Jennifer McVay asked
72 students to carry Palm Pilots that beeped at random intervals eight times a day for a week. The
subjects then recorded their thoughts at that moment on a questionnaire. The study found that about
30 per cent of the beeps coincided with thoughts unrelated to the task at hand and that mindwandering increased with stress, boredom or sleepiness or in chaotic environments and decreased
with enjoyable tasks. That may be because enjoyable activities tend to grab our attention.
120.

We may not even be aware that we are daydreaming. We have all had the experience of
“reading” a book yet absorbing nothing—moving our eyes over the words on a page as our attention
wanders and the text turns into gibberish. “When this happens, people lack what I call ‘metaawareness,’ consciousness of what is currently going on in their mind,” he says. But aimless rambling
can be productive as they can allow us to stumble on ideas and associations that we may never find if
we intentionally seek them.
121.

So, why should daydreaming aid creativity? It may be in part because when the brain is floating in
unfocused mental space it serves a specific purpose. It allows us to engage in one task and at the same
time trigger reminders of other, concurrent goals so that we do not lose sight of them. There is also the

belief that we can boost the creative process by increasing the amount of daydreaming we do or
replaying variants of the millions of events we store in our brains.


122.

The mind's freedom to wander during a deliberate tuning out could also explain the flash of insight
that may coincide with taking a break from an unsolved problem. A study conducted at the University
of Lancaster in England into this possibility found that if we allow our minds to ramble during a
moderately challenging task, we can access ideas that are not easily available to our conscious minds.
Our ability to do so is now known to depend on the normal functioning of a dedicated daydreaming
network deep in our brain.
123.

It was not until 2007, however, that cognitive psychologist Malia Fox Mason, discovered that the
default network — which lights up when people switch from an attention-demanding activity to
drifting reveries with no specific goals, becomes more active when mind wandering is more likely. She
also discovered that people who daydream more in everyday life show greater activity in the default
network while performing monotonous tasks.
124.

The conclusion reached in this ground-breaking study was that the more complex the mind wandering
episode is, the more of the mind it is going to consume. This inevitably leads to the problem of
determining the point at which creative daydreaming crosses the boundary into the realms of
compulsive fantasising. Although there is often a fine dividing line between the two, one question that
can help resolve the dilemma relates to whether the benefits gained from daydreaming outweigh the
cost to the daydreamer’s reputation and performance.
125.

On the other hand, there are psychologists who feel that the boundary is not so easily defined. They

argue that mind wandering is not inherently good or bad as it depends to a great extent on context.
When, for example, daydreaming occurs during an activity that requires little concentration, it is
unlikely to be costly. If, however, it causes someone to suffer severe injury or worse by say, walking
into traffic, then the line has been crossed.
A Although these two findings were significant, mind wandering itself was not measured during the
scans. As a result, it could not be determined exactly when the participants in her study were “on task”
and when they were daydreaming. In 2009 Smallwood, Schooler and Kalina Christoff


of the University of British Columbia published the first study to directly link mind wandering with
increased activity in the default network. Scans on the participants in their study revealed activity in
the default network was strongest when subjects were unaware they had lost focus.
B However, intense focus on our problems may not always lead to immediate solutions. Instead
allowing the mind to float freely can enable us to access unconscious ideas hovering underneath the
surface — a process that can lead to creative insight, according to psychologist Jonathan W. Schooler of
the University of California, Santa Barbara
C Yet to enhance creativity, it is important to pay attention to daydreams. Schooler calls this “tuning
out” or deliberate “off-task thinking.”, terms that refer to the ability of an individual to have more than
just the mind-wandering process. Those who are most creative also need to have meta-awareness to
realise when a creative idea has popped into their mind.
D On the other hand, those who ruminate obsessively—rehashing past events, repetitively analyzing
their causes and consequences, or worrying about all the ways things could go wrong in the future are well aware that their thoughts are their own, but they have intense difficulty turning them off. The
late Yale psychologist Susan Nolen-Hoeksema does not believe that rumination is a form of
daydreaming, but she has found that in obsessive ruminators, the same default network as the one that
is activated during daydreaming switches on.
E Other scientists distinguish between mundane musings and extravagant fantasies. Michael Kane, a
cognitive psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, considers “mind wandering”
to be “any thoughts that are unrelated to one's task at hand.” In his view, mind wandering is a broad
category that may include everything from pondering ingredients for a dinner recipe to saving the
planet from alien invasion. Most of the time when people fall into mind-wandering, they are thinking

about everyday concerns, such as recent encounters and items on their to-do list.
F According to Schooler, there are two steps you need to take to make the distinction. First, notice
whether you are deriving any useful insights from your fantasies. Second, it is important to take
stock of the content of your daydreams. To distinguish between beneficial and pathological
imaginings, he adds, “Ask yourself if this is something useful, helpful, valuable, pleasant, or am I just
rehashing the same old perseverative thoughts over and over again?” And if daydreaming feels out of
control, then even if it is pleasant it is probably not useful or valuable. G Artists and scientists are
well acquainted with such playful fantasizing. Filmmaker Tim Burton daydreamed his way to
Hollywood success, spending his childhood holed up in his bedroom, creating posters for an
imaginary horror film series. Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish novelist who won the Nobel Prize in
Literature in 2006, imagined “another world,” to which he retreated as a child, Albert Einstein
pictured himself running along a light wave—a reverie that led to his theory of special relativity.
H Like Facebook for the brain, the default network is a bustling web of memories and streaming
movies, starring ourselves. “When we daydream, we're at the center of the universe,” says


neurologist Marcus Raichle of Washington University in St. Louis, who first described the network in
2001. It consists of three main regions that help us imagine ourselves and the thoughts and feelings of
others, draw personal memories from the brain and access episodic memories.
Your answers
119.
120.

121.

122.

123.

124.

125.

119E
“Yale University emeritus psychology professor Jerome L. Singer defines daydreaming as”
connects with “Other scientists distinguish between mundane musings and extravagant fantasies”
“Most of the time when people fall into mind-wandering, they are thinking about everyday concerns,
such as recent encounters and items on their to-do list” connects with “Such humdrum concerns”
120B
“That may be because enjoyable activities tend to grab our attention.” connects with “However,
intense focus on our problems may not always lead to immediate solutions.”
“The study found that about 30 per cent of the beeps coincided with thoughts unrelated to the task
at hand and that mind-wandering increased with stress, boredom or sleepiness or in chaotic
environments” connects with “Instead allowing the mind to float freely can enable us to access
unconscious ideas hovering underneath the surface — a process that can lead to creative insight” 121
G
“But aimless rambling can be productive as they can allow us to stumble on ideas and
associations that we may never find if we intentionally seek them.” connects with “Artists and
scientists are well acquainted with such playful fantasizing. Filmmaker Tim Burton daydreamed his
way to Hollywood success, spending his childhood holed up in his bedroom, creating posters for an
imaginary horror film series. Orhan Pamuk, the Turkish novelist who won the Nobel Prize in
Literature in 2006, imagined “another world,” to which he retreated as a child, Albert Einstein
pictured himself running along a light wave—a reverie that led to his theory of special relativity.”
122C
“So, why should daydreaming aid creativity?” connects with “Yet to enhance creativity, it is
important to pay attention to daydreams.” and “The mind's freedom to wander during a
deliberate tuning out could also explain the flash of insight that may coincide with taking a break
from an unsolved problem.”
123H
“Our ability to do so is now known to depend on the normal functioning of a dedicated daydreaming

network deep in our brain.” connects with “Like Facebook for the brain, the default network is a
bustling web of memories and streaming movies” and “It consists of three main regions that help us
imagine ourselves and the thoughts and feelings of others, draw personal memories from the brain
and access episodic memories.”
124A
“Marcus Raichle of Washington University in St. Louis, who first described the network in 2001” and
“It was not until 2007, however, that cognitive psychologist Malia Fox Mason, discovered that” connect
with “Although these two findings were significant, mind-wandering itself was not measured during
the scans.”
125F
“This inevitably leads to the problem of determining the point at which creative daydreaming
crosses the boundary into the realms of compulsive fantasising. Although there is often a fine


dividing line between the two, one question that can help resolve the dilemma relates to whether
the benefits gained from daydreaming outweigh the cost to the daydreamer’s reputation and
performance.” connects with “
“To distinguish between beneficial and pathological imaginings” and “On the other hand, there
are psychologists who feel that the boundary is not so easily defined. They argue that mindwandering is not inherently good or bad”


Exercise 2
HELP GUIDE US THROUGH THE UNIVERSE
Sir Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, launches this year's Young Science Writer competition
If you ask scientists what they're doing, the answer won't be 'Finding the origin of the universe',
'Seeking the cure for cancer' or suchlike. It will involve something very specialised, a small piece of the
jigsaw that builds up the big picture.
119.

So, unless they are cranks or geniuses, scientists don't shoot directly for a grand goal - they focus on

bite-sized problems that seem timely and tractable. But this strategy (though prudent) carries an
occupational risk: they may forget they're wearing blinkers and fail to see their own work in its proper
perspective.
120.

I would personally derive far less satisfaction from my research if it interested only a few other
academics. But presenting one's work to non-specialists isn't easy. We scientists often do it badly,
although the experience helps us to see our work in a broader context. Journalists can do it better, and
their efforts can put a key discovery in perspective, converting an arcane paper published in an
obscure journal into a tale that can inspire others.
121.

On such occasions, people often raise general concerns about the way science is going and the impact
it may have; they wonder whether taxpayers get value for money from the research they support.
More intellectual audiences wonder about the basic nature of science: how objective can we be? And
how creative? Is science genuinely a progressive enterprise? What are its limits and are we anywhere
near them? It is hard to explain, in simple language, even a scientific concept that you understand well.
My own (not always effective) attempts have deepened my respect for science reporters, who have to
assimilate quickly, with a looming deadline, a topic they may be quite unfamiliar with.
122.


It's unusual for science to earn newspaper headlines. Coverage that has to be restricted to crisp
newsworthy breakthroughs in any case distorts the way science develops. Scientific advances are
usually gradual and cumulative, and better suited to feature articles, or documentaries - or even books,
• for which the latent demand is surprisingly strong. For example, millions bought A Brief History of
Time, which caught the public imagination.
123.

Nevertheless, serious hooks do find a ready market. That's the good news for anyone who wants to

enter this competition. But books on pyramidology, visitations by aliens, and suchlike do even better: a
symptom of a fascination with the paranormal and 'New Age' concepts. It is depressing that these are
often featured uncritically in the media, distracting attention from more genuine advances.
124.

Most scientists are quite ordinary, and their lives unremarkable. But occasionally they exemplify the
link between genius and madness; these 'eccentrics' are more enticing biographees.
125.

There seems, gratifyingly, to be no single 'formula' for science writing - many themes are still underexploited. Turning out even 700 words seems a daunting task if you're faced with a clean sheet of
paper or a blank screen, but less so if you have done enough reading and interviewing on a subject to
become inspired. For research students who enter the competition, science (and how you do it) is
probably more interesting than personal autobiography. But if, in later life, you become both brilliant
and crazy, you can hope that someone else writes a best-seller about you.
A. However, over-sensational claims are a hazard for them. Some researchers themselves 'hype up'
new discoveries to attract press interest. Maybe it matters little what people believe about Darwinism
or cosmology. But we should be more concerned that misleading or over-confident claims on any topic
of practical import don't gain wide currency. Hopes of miracle cures can be raised; risks can be either
exaggerated, or else glossed over for commercial pressures. Science popularisers perhaps even those
who enter this competition - have to be as skeptical of some scientific claims as journalists routinely
are of politicians.
B. Despite this there's a tendency in recent science waiting to be chatty, laced with gossip and
biographical detail. But are scientists as interesting as their science? The lives of Albert Einstein and
Richard Feyman are of interest, but is that true of the routine practitioner?


C. Two mathematicians have been treated as such in recent books: Paul Erdos, the obsessive itinerant
Hungarian (who described himself as 'a machine for turning coffee into theorems') and John Nash, a
pioneer of game theory, who resurfaced in his sixties, after 30 years of insanity, to receive a Nobel
prize.

D. For example, the American physicist Robert Wilson spent months carrying out meticulous
measurements with a microwave antenna which eventually revealed the 'afterglow of creation' - the
'echo' of the Big Bang with which our universe began. Wilson was one of the rare scientists with the
luck and talent to make a really great discovery, but afterwards he acknowledged that its importance
didn't sink in until he read a 'popular' description of it in the New York Times.
E. More surprising was the commercial success of Sir Roger Penrose's The Emperor's New Mind. This
is a fascinating romp through Penrose's eclectic enthusiasms - enjoyable and enlightening. But it was a
surprising best seller, as much of it is heavy going. The sates pitch 'great scientist says mind is more
than a mere machine' was plainly alluring. Many who bought it must have got a nasty surprise when
they opened it.
F. But if they have judged right, it won't be a trivial problem - indeed it will be the most difficult that
they are likely to make progress on. The great zoologist Sir Peter Medawar famously described
scientific work as 'the art of the soluble'. 'Scientists,' he wrote, 'get no credit for failing to solve a
problem beyond their capacities. They earn at best the kindly contempt reserved for utopian
politicians.'
G. This may be because, for non-specialists, it is tricky to demarcate well-based ideas from flaky
speculation. But its crucially important not to blur this distinction when writing articles for a general
readership. Otherwise credulous readers may take too much on trust, whereas hard- nosed skeptics
may reject all scientific claims, without appreciating that some have firm empirical support.
H. Such a possibility is one reason why this competition to encourage young people to take up science
writing is so important and why I am helping to launch it today. Another is that popular science
writing can address wider issues. When I give talks about astronomy and cosmology, the questions
that interest people most are the truly `fundamental' ones that I can't answer: 'Is there life in space?',
Is the universe infinite?' or 'Why didn't the Big Bang happen sooner?'

119. F
In the first sentence of F, the first it refers back to the phrase what they're doing in the opening
paragraph, which it at the beginning of the second sentence in the opening paragraph also refers to.
The writer continues with this point in the first sentence of the paragraph after the gap.
120. D

In D For example, links the paragraph before the gap with the example of Robert Wilson, who the
writer believes was 'wearing blinkers' and “not seeing his work in its proper perspective'.


In the paragraph after the gap, having made the point that scientists can become too absorbed in their
work and not relate it to other people, the writer says that personally he wants his work to be of
interest to non-specialists rather than only a few other academics.
121. H
At the start of H, Such a possibility refers back to the possibility of someone 'converting an arcane
paper' into something inspiring for other people, mentioned at the end of the paragraph before the
gap. At the start of the paragraph after the gap, on such occasions refers back to the writer's talks
mentioned at the end of H and means 'when I am giving talks'.
122. A
In the first sentence of A, them refers back to the science reporters mentioned in the last sentence of
the paragraph before the gap. The writer says that a problem they face is over- sensational
(exaggerated in order to surprise and attract attention) claims on the part of scientific researchers. In
the paragraph after the gap, the writer moves on to a new aspect of his subject - the lack of coverage
(the extent to which something is present or discussed) that science gets in newspapers,
123. E
In the first sentence of E, More surprising refers back to the success of the book mentioned at the end
of the paragraph before the gap. The writers says that the success of the book he mentions in E was
more surprising than the success of the other book, and he then describes the second book. In the
paragraph after the gap Nevertheless refers back to what he says about the second book at the end of
E.
124. G
At the beginning of G, This refers back to the `depressing' fact he describes at the end of the
paragraph before the gap, of certain scientific matters being given more publicity than others he
regards as “more genuine'. In the paragraph after the gap, the writer moves on to another aspect of
the subject the characteristics of most scientists.
125. C

In the first sentence of C, have been treated as such refers back to what he says about certain
scientists in the paragraph before the gap, and means have been treated as eccentrics'. He then gives
examples of two scientists who fit into this category. In the final paragraph, the writer moves on to
another aspect of the subject and talks about the topic of science writing from the point of view of
people who may be considering entering the competition.


Exercise 3
WELCOME TO ECO-CITY
The world has quietly undergone a major shift in balance. According to UN estimates, 2008 marked the
first year in history when more than half of the world's population lived in cities. There are now
around 3.4bn human beings stuffed into every available corner of urban space, and more are set to
follow. At a time when humanity has woken up to its responsibility to the environment, the continuing
urban swell presents an immense challenge. In response, cities all over the world are setting
themselves high targets o reduce carbon emissions and produce clean energy. But if they don't
succeed, there is another option: building new eco-cities entirely from scratch.
119.

`Rather than just design a city in the same way we'd done it before, we can focus on how to
minimise the use of resources to show that there is a different way of doing it', says Roger Wood,
associate director at Arup. Wood is one of hundreds of people at Arup, the engineering and
architecture giant, hired by Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation to set out a master plan for
the Dongtan eco-city.
120.

When the first demonstrator phase is complete, Dongtan will be a modest community of 5000. By
2020, that will balloon to 80,000 and in 2050, the 30km2 site will be home to 500,000. Arup says that
every one of those people will be no more than seven minutes' walk from public transport. Only
electric vehicles will be allowed in the city and residents will be discouraged from using even those
because each village is planned so that the need for motorised transport is minimal.

121.

That's a big cornerstone of Arup's design for Dongtan. The aim is that the city will require 66 percent
less energy than a conventional development, with wind turbines and solar panels complementing
some 40 percent that comes from biological sources. These include human sewage and municipal
waste, both of which will be controlled for energy recovery and composting. Meanwhile, a combined
heat and power plant will burn waste rice husks.
122.

Work on Dongtan had been scheduled to begin in late 2008 with the first demonstration phase
completed by 2010. Unfortunately, problems resulting from the complicated planning procedures in
China have led to setbacks. Dongtan's rival project in Abu Dhabi has suffered no such hold-ups.


Engineers broke ground on the Masdar eco-city in March 2008. Although it will take a different
approach in terms of design, like Dongtan, the city is planned to be a zero-carbon, uber-efficient
showcase for sustainable living.
123.

In the blistering desert of the Gulf state, where it's almost too hot to venture outdoors for three or four
months of the year, the big question for Masdar is how to keep cool without turning on the airconditioning. In this equation, insulation and ventilation suddenly become more important than the
performance of solar panels. To maximise shade, I the city's streets are packed closely together, with
limits of four or five storeys set on the height of most buildings.
124.

The other major design feature for Masdar is that the whole city is raised on a deck. The pedestrian
level will be free of vehicles and much of the noisy maintenance that you see in modern cities. Cars are
banned from Masdar entirely, while an underground network of `podcars' ferries people around the
city.
125.

Given that this concern is legitimate, developers of both cities would do well to incorporate both a
range of housing and jobs to make them inclusive to everyone. This will be difficult, obviously, but then
just about everything is difficult when you're completely reinventing the way we build and live in a
metropolis. And supposing these sustainable and super-efficient cities are successful, could they even
usher in a new world order?

A. The city will be built on a corner of Chongming Island in the mouth of the Yangtze River. It will be
made up of three interlinked, mixed-use villages, built one after the other. Each will combine homes,
businesses and recreation, and a bridge and tunnel link will connect the population with Shanghai on
the mainland.
B. The skin of each building will be crucial. Thick concrete would only soak up heat and release it
slowly, so instead engineers will use thin walls that react quickly to the sun. A thin metal layer on the
outside will help to reflect heat and stop it from penetrating the building. Density is also critical for
Masdar. The city is arranged in a definite square with a walled border. Beyond this perimeter, fields of
solar panels, a wind farm and a desalination plant will provide clean energy and water, and act as a
barrier to prevent further sprawl.
C. 'If you plan your development so people can live, work and shop very locally, you can quite
significantly reduce the amount of energy that's being used', Wood says. `Then, not only have you
made the situation easier because you've reduced the energy demand, but it also means that


producing it from renewable sources becomes easier because you don't have to produce quite as
much'.
D. Arup's integrated, holistic approach to city planning goes further still. Leftover heat from the
power plant will be channelled to homes and businesses. Buildings can be made of thinner materials
because the electric cars on the road will be quiet, so there's less noise to drown out. Dongtan will
initially see an 83 per cent reduction in waste sent to landfill compared to other cities, with the aim to
reduce that to nothing over time. And more than 60 per cent of the whole site will be parks and
farmland, where food is grown to feed the population.

E. Developers at Masdar and Dongtan are adamant that each city will be somewhere that people want
to live. Critics do not question this but they do, nevertheless, wonder if these cities will be realistic
places for people on a low income. They say that it would be easy for places like these to become a St
Tropez or a Hamptons, where only rich people live.
F. Funded by a 12bn (euro) investment from the government in Abu Dhabi, it has not passed the
attention of many observers that Masdar is being built by one of the world's largest and most
profitable producers of oil. Even so, under the guidance of architects as Foster and Partners, the city is
just as ambitious as its Chinese counterpart and also hinges on being able to run on low power.
G. Since cars and other petrol-based vehicles are banned from the city, occupants will share a
network of ‘podcars' to get around. The 'personal rapid transit system' will comprise 2500 driverless,
electric vehicles that make 150,000 trips a day by following sensors along a track beneath the
pedestrian deck. Up to six passengers will ride in each pod: they just hop in at one of 83 stations
around the city and tap in their destination.
H. Incredibly, this is already happening. Two rival developments, one in China and one in the United
Arab Emirates, are progressing in tandem. Work on Masdar, 17km from Abu Dhabi, began in 2008,
while Dongtan, near Shanghai, will eventually be home to half a million people. The aim for both is to
build sustainable, zero-carbon communities that showcase green technology and demonstrate what
smart urban planning can achieve in the 21st century.
Your answers
119.
120.

121.

122.

123.

124.

125.


119. H
“But if they don't succeed, there is another option: building new eco-cities entirely from scratch.”
connects with “Incredibly, this is already happening.”
“The aim for both is to build sustainable, zero-carbon communities that showcase green
technology and demonstrate what smart urban planning can achieve in the 21st century.”
connects with “Rather than just design a city in the same way we'd done it before, we can focus on how
to minimise the use of resources to show that there is a different way of doing it”
“Work on Masdar, 17km from Abu Dhabi, began in 2008, while Dongtan, near Shanghai, will
eventually be home to half a million people.” connects with “Wood is one of hundreds of people at
Arup, the engineering and architecture giant, hired by Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation to
set out a master plan for the Dongtan eco-city.”
120. A
“Wood is one of hundreds of people at Arup, the engineering and architecture giant, hired by Shanghai
Industrial Investment Corporation to set out a master plan for the Dongtan eco-city.” connects with
“The city will be built on a corner of Chongming Island in the mouth of the Yangtze River”
“It will be made up of three interlinked, mixed-use villages, built one after the other.” connects with
“Only electric vehicles will be allowed in the city and residents will be discouraged from using even
those because each village is planned so that the need for motorised transport is minimal.”
121. C
“Then, not only have you made the situation easier because you've reduced the energy demand, but it
also means that producing it from renewable sources becomes easier because you don't have to
produce quite as much” connects with “That's a big cornerstone of Arup's design for Dongtan. The
aim is that the city will require 66 percent less energy than a conventional development, with
wind turbines and solar panels complementing some 40 percent that comes from biological
sources.”
122. D
“These include human sewage and municipal waste, both of which will be controlled for energy

recovery and composting. Meanwhile, a combined heat and power plant will burn waste rice
husks” connects with “Arup's integrated, holistic approach to city planning goes further still”
123. F
“Although it will take a different approach in terms of design, like Dongtan, the city is planned to be a
zero-carbon, uber-efficient showcase for sustainable living.” connects with “Even so, under the
guidance of architects as Foster and Partners, the city is just as ambitious as its Chinese counterpart
and also hinges on being able to run on low power”
124. B


“In the blistering desert of the Gulf state, where it's almost too hot to venture outdoors for three or
four months of the year, the big question for Masdar is how to keep cool without turning on the airconditioning” connects with “The skin of each building will be crucial. Thick concrete would only soak
up heat and release it slowly, so instead engineers will use thin walls that react quickly to the
sun”
125. E
“They say that it would be easy for places like these to become a St Tropez or a Hamptons, where
only rich people live” connects with “Given that this concern is legitimate, developers
of both cities would do well to incorporate both a range of housing and jobs to make them
inclusive to everyone”


Exercise 4:
The Rise of Silicon Valley
On January 11, 1971, an article was published in the trade newspaper Electronic News about the
companies involved in the semiconductor and computer industries in Santa Clara Valley at the
southern end of San Francisco Bay Area in California, USA. The article was entitled 'Silicon Valley USA',
a reference to the fact that silicon is the most important substance used in commercial semiconductors
and their applications. The name stuck, and in light of the commercial success of the companies there,
'Silicon Valley' is now used as a metonym for the high-tech sector.
119.

One such new business was the one founded by two graduates of the nearby Stanford University
called Bill Hewlett and David Packard. In 1938 the pair had $538, and along with Dave's wife Lucile,
decided to
rent a property at 367 Addison Avenue, Palo Alto. For $45 a month they got a ground floor apartment
for Dave and Lucile, a garden shed where Bill slept, and a garage from which to run the business, a
garage which has more recently been dubbed 'The birthplace of Silicon Valley'.
120.

As time passed, the 200A was improved and developed, resulting in the 200B. Eight of these improved
oscillators were bought by The Walt Disney Company, for use in testing and certifying the Fantasound
surround-sound systems installed in cinemas for the 1940 movie Fantasia. Success was beginning to
come.
121.

Although they are often considered to be the symbolic founders of Silicon Valley, they did not deal in
semiconductor devices until the 1960s. From then onwards, the semiconductor devices they made
were mostly intended for internal use, for such products as measuring instruments and calculators.
Today, however, Hewlett-Packard is the largest manufacturer of personal computers in the world.
122.

Terman also had a more direct influence through his role at Stanford University. The University had
been established in 1891 in the north-western part of the Santa Clara Valley, and from the start, its
leaders aimed to support the local region. The result was that the University played an important part
in establishing and developing local businesses, and indeed its alumni went on to found some major
companies, not just Hewlett-Packard, but such household names as Yahoo! and Google.


123.

Terman's proposal was taken up by Stanford University, and in 1951 Stanford Industrial Park was
created. The first tenant in the Park was Varian Associates, founded by Stanford alumni in the 1930s to
make components for military radars. Hewlett-Packard moved in two years later. The Park still
flourishes to this day, although it is now known as Stanford Research Park. Current tenants include
Eastman Kodak, General Electric and Lockheed Corporation.
124.

The 1950s were also a time of great development in electronics technology. Most importantly, the
development of the transistor continued. Research scientist William Shockley moved to the Santa Clara
Valley region in 1956, when he formed Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory. There his research team
started constructing semiconductors from silicon, rather than germanium, as did most other
researchers. The silicon transistors proved to perform much better, and started to be used in radios
and the early computers.
125.

Since the 1970s, however, the most important developments pioneered in Silicon Valley have been in
software and Internet services rather than hardware. So even though Hewlett-Packard remains the
largest producers of computers in the world, the future of Silicon Valley might well lie elsewhere.
A. Throughout their early years, Hewlett and Packard were mentored by one of their university
professors, Frederick Terman. Terman was Stanford University's dean of engineering and provost
during the 1940s and 1950s, and had a positive influence on many of the successful companies in
Silicon Valley. Indeed, his influence was such that he has been dubbed 'the father of Silicon Valley'.
Terman encouraged his students to form their own companies and personally invested in many of
them, and in this way nurtured many highly successful companies, including not just Hewlett-Packard,
but others such as Varian Associates and Litton Industries.
B. Hewlett-Packard was arguably the first company to offer a mass-produced personal computer,
namely the 9100A. For marketing reasons, however, the 9100A was sold as a 'desktop calculator'. It
simply did not resemble what was then considered a 'computer', namely the large machines being sold
by IBM. The 9100A fitted comfortably on a desk, and possessed a small screen and a keyboard. In fact,
it was more like an oversized and over-expensive precursor of a pocket calculator than a modern PC,

since its keyboard lacked letter keys.
C. Following the end of the Second World War in 1945, universities in the United States were
experiencing enormous enrolment demands from the returning military personnel. Terman proposed
launching a scheme which would kill two birds with one stone. The idea was to lease out land owned
by Stanford University to high-technology companies for their offices. This scheme would firstly
finance the University's growth requirements and thereby facilitate a larger student intake, and


secondly provide local employment opportunities for graduating students.
D. The beginnings of Silicon Valley can be traced back to the early twentieth century. At that time,
Santa Clara Valley was known for its orchards which flourished in California's balmy climate. There
were nevertheless a number of experimenters and innovators in such fields as
radio, television and military electronics, and several people were trying to take advantage of any
business opportunities that might arise.
E. It was also in Silicon Valley that other revolutionary electronic components were developed. The
silicon-based integrated circuit, the microprocessor and the microcomputer were all invented by
companies there, as well as such electronic devices as the mouse and the ink-jet printer. Indeed,
Silicon Valley has been the world's most important site of electronic innovation over the past 50 years.
F. In those early years, Hewlett-Packard was a company without a focused direction. They made a
whole range of electronic products, with diverse customers in industry and agriculture. In the 1940s,
their principal products were test equipment, including such devices as voltmeters, oscilloscopes and
thermometers. They aimed to provide better quality products than their competitors, and made a big
effort to make their products more sensitive and accurate than their rivals.
G. Another bond between the University and the local high-technology businesses was established in
1954, with the creation of the Honors Cooperative Program. This programme allowed employees of
the businesses to pursue part-time graduate degrees at the University whilst continuing to work fulltime in their jobs. In this way, key workers in the electronics industry were able to hone their skills
and knowledge, creating the foundation for the development of Silicon Valley.
H. Of the many products Hewlett and Packard worked on, the first financially successful one was a
precision audio oscillator, a device for testing sound equipment. This product, the 200A, featured the
innovative use of a small light bulb as a temperature-dependent resistor in a critical section of the

circuit, which allowed them to sell it for $54.40, only a quarter of the price of their competitors' audio
oscillators.
Your answers
119.
120.

121.

122.

123.

124.

125.

119. D
“The name stuck, and in light of the commercial success of the companies there, 'Silicon Valley' is now
used as a metonym for the high-tech sector.” connects with “The beginnings of Silicon Valley can be
traced back to the early twentieth century”.
“There were nevertheless a number of experimenters and innovators in such fields as radio, television
and military electronics, and several people were trying to take advantage of any business
opportunities that might arise.” connects with “One such new business was the one founded by two
graduates of the nearby Stanford University called Bill Hewlett and David Packard”
120. H
“One such new business was the one founded by two graduates of the nearby Stanford University


called Bill Hewlett and David Packard” connects with “Of the many products Hewlett and Packard
worked on, the first financially successful one was a precision audio oscillator, a device for testing

sound equipment.”
121. F
“Eight of these improved oscillators were bought by The Walt Disney Company, for use in testing and
certifying the Fantasound surround-sound systems installed in cinemas for the 1940 movie Fantasia.”
connects with “In those early years, Hewlett-Packard was a company without a focused direction”
122. A
“Terman was Stanford University's dean of engineering and provost during the 1940s and 1950s, and
had a positive influence on many of the successful companies in Silicon Valley.” connects with
“Terman also had a more direct influence through his role at Stanford University”
123. C
“Terman proposed launching a scheme which would kill two birds with one stone.” connects with
“Terman's proposal was taken up by Stanford University, and in 1951 Stanford Industrial Park was
created.”
124. G
“Another bond between the University and the local high-technology businesses was established in
1954, with the creation of the Honors Cooperative Program.” connects with “The 1950s were also a
time of great development in electronics technology.”
125. E
“The silicon transistors proved to perform much better, and started to be used in radios and the early
computers.” connects with “It was also in Silicon Valley that other revolutionary electronic
components were developed”
Exercise 5
Rainmaker with his Head in the Clouds


Critics dismissed Craeme Mather's attempts to make clouds rain. But now recent experiments appear
to have vindicated him. Anjana Ahuya reports.
Dr. Craeme Mather lived his life with his head in the clouds, as a documentary film to be shown this
week shows. Against the advice of almost everybody else in the meteorological community, the
Canadian scientist devoted his professional life to trying to make clouds rain.

119.

Before Dr. Mather became involved, the science of weather modification had already claimed many
reputations. The idea that clouds could be manipulated first circulated in the 1940s, and efforts
gathered pace soon after the Second World War.
120.

However, the entire discipline fell into disrepute when commercial companies hijacked the idea, took
it around the world, and then failed to deliver on their promises. Cloud-seeding, as the process was
known, became the preserve of crackpots and charlatans.
121.

Scientists theorized that if they could inject the cloud with similarly shaped crystals, these imposter
crystals would also act as frames around which droplets would clump. The cloud would then be
tricked into raining. Silver iodide, whose crystals resemble those of ice, seemed the best bet. Sadly,
none of the experiments, including Dr. Mather's, which had been going for more than five years,
seemed to work. Dr. Mather was about to admit defeat when serendipity intervened.
122.

Dr. Mather was convinced that something that the place was spewing into the atmosphere was
encouraging the downpour. Subsequent experiments confirmed that hygroscopic salts pouring into
the sky from them were responsible. Hygroscopic salts attract water - once in the atmosphere, the
particles act as magnets around which raindrops can form.
123.

He was wary; Dr. Mather was known to be a smooth-talking salesman. 'He was charming and
charismatic, and many scientists don't trust that; he says. 'He was also not well-published because he

had been working in the commercial sector. Overall, he was regarded as a maverick. On that occasion,
he presented results that I was convinced were impossible. Yet the statistical evidence was
overwhelming, which I couldn't understand.
124.

'If those findings can be reproduced there, it will be the most exciting thing to have happened in the
field for 20 years. It will be remarkable because some of the results are not scientifically explainable.’
He adds, however, that scientists must exercise caution because cloud-seeding is still mired in
controversy. He also points out that, with water being such a precious resource, success will push the
research into the political arena.
125.

Dr. Cooper says: 'With the paper mill, he saw something that other people wouldn't have seen. I am
still uncomfortable with his idea because it throws up major puzzles in cloud physics. But if Dr. Mather
was right, it will demonstrate that humans can change clouds in ways that were once thought
impossible.'
A Dr. Mather refused to be daunted by this image. After all, the principle seemed perfectly plausible.
Water droplets are swept up to the top of the clouds on updrafts, where they become supercooled (i.e.,
although the temperature is below freezing, the water remains liquid). When a supercooled droplet
collides with an ice crystal, it freezes on contact and sticks. Successive collisions cause each ice crystal
to accumulate more water droplets; the crystals grow until they become too heavy to remain
suspended in the atmosphere. As the crystals fall through the cloud, they become raindrops. The ice
crystals, therefore, act as frames to 'grow' raindrops.
B Dr. Mather, unfortunately, will not be involved in the debate about such matters. He died aged 63,
shortly before the documentary was completed. It will ensure that this smooth-talking maverick is
given the recognition he deserves.
C He and a colleague decided to collect a last batch of data when they flew into a tiny but ferocious
storm. That storm, Dr. Mather says in the film, changed his life. Huge droplets were spattering on the
tiny plane's windscreen. No such storm had been forecast. Back on the ground, they discovered the
storm was located directly above a paper mill.

D A trial in Mexico has been running for two years, and the signs are promising. 'We were sufficiently
encouraged in the first year to continue the seeding research. But the results are preliminary because
we have only a very small sample of clouds at the moment. We need to work over two more summers
to reach a proper conclusion.
E He arranged to fly to South Africa 'with the full intention of explaining what was wrong with the
experiment'. Instead, he came back convinced that Dr. Mather was on to something. He is now running
two experiments, one in Arizona and one in northern Mexico to try to verify the South African results.
The experiments use potassium chloride, which is similar to table salt (sodium chloride) and, it is