雅思模拟测试题3(4)

adults, our teddy bear connects us to our childhood and this protects it from obsolescence. Stahel argues that this is what sustainable design needs to do with more products.

The information age was supposed to lighten our economies and reduce our impact on the environment, but, in fact, the reverse seems to be happening. We have simply added information technology to the industrial era and speeded up the developed world?s metabolism. The cure is hardly rocket science: minimise waste, stop moving things around so much and use people more. So what will post-throwaway consumerism look like? It might be as simple as installing energy-saving light bulbs, more efficient washing machines or choosing locally produced groceries with less packaging. In general, we will spend less on goods and more on services. Instead of buying a second car, for example, we might buy into a car-sharing network. Rather than following our current wasteful practices, we will buy less and rent a lot more; why own things such as tools that you use infrequently, especially things are likely to be updated all the time?

Consumer durables will increasingly be sold with plans for their disposal. Electronic goods such as mobile phones will be designed to be recyclable, with the extra cost added into the retail price. Following Chapman?s notion of emotionally durable design, there will be a move away from mass production and towards tailor-made articles and products designed and manufactured with greater craftsmanship, products which will be repaired rather than replaced, in the same way as was done in our grandparents? time. Companies will replace profit from bulk sales by servicing and repairing products chosen because we want them to last.

Chapman acknowledges that it will be a challenge to persuade people to buy fewer goods, and ones that they intend to keep. At the moment, price competition between retailers makes it cheaper for consumers to replace rather than repair.

Products designed to be durable and emotionally satisfying are likely to be more expensive, so how will we be persuaded to choose sustainability? Tim Cooper, from Sheffield Hallam University in the UK, points out that many people are already happy to pay a premium for quality, and that they also tend to value and care more for expensive goods. Chapman is also positive: “People are ready to keep things for longer,” he says, “The problem is that a lot of industries don?t know how to do that.” Chapman believes that sustainable design is here to stay. “The days when large corporations were in a position to choose whether to jump on the sustainability bandwagon or not are coming to an end,” he says. Whether this is also the beginning of the end of the throwaway society remains to be seen.

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Questions 27-31

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

Write the correct letter in boxes 27-31 on your answer sheet.

27 In the second paragraph, the expression ‘conscience time’ refers to the fact that the owners A B C D

wish they had not bought the power tool. want to make sure the tool is stored safely.

feel that the tool will increase in value in the future.

would feel guilty if they threw the tool away immediately.

28 Jonathan Chapman uses the word ‘narrative’ in the third paragraph to refer to the fact that the owner

A told a story about how the item was bought.

B was aware of how the item had come into being. C D 29 A B C D 30 A B C D 31 A B C

felt that the item became more useful over time.

was told that the item had been used for a long time.

In the third paragraph, the writer suggests that mass-produced goods are inferior in quality.

less likely to be kept for a long time. attractive because of their lower prices.

less tempting than goods which are traditionally produced. Lack of personal connection to goods is described as producing a belief that older goods are superior. an attraction to well-designed packaging.

a desire to demonstrate status through belongings. a desire to purchase a constant stream of new items.

Jeans and teddy bears are given as examples of goods which have been very well designed. take a long time to show wear.

are valued more as they grow older.

D are used by the majority of the population.

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Questions 32-35

Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer in reading Passage 3? In boxes 32-35 on your answer sheet, write TRUE FALSE

if the statement agrees with the views of the writer if the statement contradicts the views of the writer if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

NOT GIVEN

32 People often buy goods that they make little use of.

33 Understanding the reasons for buying goods will help to explain why waste occurs.

34 People already rent more goods than they buy.

35 Companies will charge less to repair goods in the future.

Questions 36-40

Complete the summary using the list of words, A-l, below Write the correct letter, A-I, in boxes 36-40 on your answer sheet.

A cure for our wasteful habits

The writer believes that the recipe for reducing our impact on the environment is a simple one. He states that we should use less energy for things such as lighting or 36____________, and buy 37____________ that will not need to be moved across long distances. Some expensive items such as 38____________ could be shared, and others which may be less expensive but which are not needed often, such as 39____________, could be rented instead of being purchased. He believes that manufacturers will need to design high-technology items such as 40____________ so that they can be recycled more easily.

A D G

mobile phones laundry heating

B clothing H cars C tools F food I teddy bears E computers 18

WRITING WRITING TASK 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows the unemployment rates in the US and Japan between March 1993 and March 1999.

Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.

You should write at least 150 words.

Unemployment Rates: US and Japan

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WRITING TASK 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the following topic.

Improvements in health, education and trade are essential for the development of poorer nations. However, the governments of richer nations should take more responsibility for helping the poorer nations in such areas.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

You should use your own ideas, knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and relevant evidence. You should write at least 250 words.

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SPEAKING PART 1

The examiner asks the candidate about him/herself, his/her home, work or studies and other familiar topics. EXAMPLE Daily Routine ? ? ? ?

What would you like to change in your daily routine? Are all your days the same?

Tell me about your typical weekday and your typical weekend. What is the balance of work/study and free time in your normal day?

PART 2

Describe something you own which is very important to you. You should say:

where you got it from how long you have had it what you use it for

and explain why it is so important to you.

You will have to talk about the topic for 1 to 2 minutes. You have one minute to think about what you’re going to say.

You can make some notes to help you if you wish.

PART 3

Discussion topics: How values can change Example questions:

What kind of possessions show status in your country? Do you think it was different for your grandparents? The consumer society Example questions:

Modern society is often called ‘materialistic’. Why do you think this is? Do you think consumerism is a positive or a negative development? The consumer market Example questions:

What is the role of advertising?

How do you think the Internet will affect buying patterns in the future?

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