tedu els english proficiency exam s a m p l e · lose weight. based on the results of that forest...

TEDU ELS ENGLISH PROFICIENCY EXAM S A M P L E

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SECTION I.

PART A. ACADEMIC READING

READING 1

A. Just imagine that our everyday objects would suddenly have a rich interactive display and multiple

functionalities. Indeed, in the not too far off future, all of the windows in our homes could very well be see-

through glass that doubles as smart home screens. The future of how you interact with computers

depends on a technology that is more than 3,000 years old. It's a technology we already use every day:

on our smartphones, our TVs, in our homes, our cars and most likely at work. It is even in the wires that

bring us Internet service at near-light speed. It is glass. Glass is going to shape our world in the future.

Some people believe the impact that glass has on our lives is only getting started.

B. Glass is the future of our technological world. Karol Wight is the manager of the Corning Museum of

Glass, in Corning, New York, and has a Ph.D. in art history focused on the ancient origins of glass. She

remembers when she first got interested in a material that so many people overlook. Glass is just

something people consider as a transparent object, nothing special or important. However, according to

Karol, it is a lot more than that. "The more I did the research, and the more I understood glass is a very

ancient material, I just fell in love with it," Wight says. "And I never turned back." Now, Wight leads the

Corning Museum of Glass. The museum was started by Corning, the company which became famous for

the cookware it developed years ago, CorningWare and Pyrex. But Corning has had an imperative role

in the production of a lot of significant products. It made the glass for Thomas Edison's light bulbs. It made

glass for the cathode ray tubes in TVs. It made the glass for mirrors in the Hubble telescope. More

recently, it was Corning's glass that made the Apple touch screen possible.

C. In fact, for the past few years, Corning engineers have been trying to push a new idea that glass is not

just an important product; it's actually the defining material of our time. Throughout history, materials have

transformed society and culture. There was the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. This is the

Glass Age; where materials science is constantly pushing boundaries and creating new possibilities for

glass-enabled technology and design. They claim that they are bringing their vision of glass technology

to life which would enable a future of communication, collaboration and connectivity. So what is next in

this glass age? Electrochromic glass or the windows in our bedroom that can be programed to let in

exactly the amount of light you want; automotive display glass or touch screens in our cars that are custom

contoured, touch capable, lightweight, and photosensitive; architectural display glass or the mirror in the

dressing room at the mall which is not only durable and touch sensitive but also electronics enabling.

Finally, Corning wants to install intelligent glass on a broader scale beyond our everyday experiences

and integrate them into two key fields: education and medicine. The physicists at Corning also suggest

that hospital and classrooms in the future could be made entirely of high-tech specialty glass. For

instance, full-scale wall projections could fundamentally change how doctors treat patients, and how

children interact with digital content.


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D. It is not just the people in Corning, New York, who believe glass has a budding future. Chris Pickett is

CEO of a Silicon Valley-based company called DigiLens. He wants to change the way information reaches

your eyes. "So we make thin, transparent, holographic waveguide displays," Pickett explains. What that

means is the displays are like computer screens, but see-through, just like in sci-fi movies. DigiLens

already has them in jets. It is working on a new kind of technology for cars that would turn drivers’

windshields into screens. "And they see that information and it doesn't look like it's reflecting off the

windshield," Pickett says. "It actually looks like it's out at some distance." Pickett says the idea is to make

the images appear as if they're in the real world, so there is less distraction to look away from the road.

DigiLens is also one of a number of companies that's trying to use glass to do the same augmented reality

approach for actual glasses that people can wear. It is similar to Google Glass but more improved. Picket

believes that it will fundamentally change the way people see and interact with data and images.

E. The applications of glass technology are becoming crucial in modern communications and industries. The

future of glass is vast. It is an unlimited material whose usage and number of applications are constantly

increasing and evolving around the globe. The high-tech applications are more and more relying on it. So

what's standing in the way of glass? Firstly, no one is really certain that those weird-looking augmented

reality glasses will take off. And those other futuristic ideas for glass, they need some work too. Secondly,

there is another rival on the scene, one with some admirable traits. Plastic; it bends, it folds and does not

break like glass. On the other hand, it also is not as clear for displays, and can be scratched. Glass has

been around a lot longer, and it has some big supporters looking to the future.

Answer the following questions by choosing the correct option. (10 x 1 pt. each = 10 pts.)

1) Which of the following is CLOSEST in meaning to overlook in paragraph B?

A. do not fully appreciate

B. do not understand

C. assume without questioning

D. fail to use effectively

2) Corning is responsible for creating glass for the following EXCEPT for __________.

A. Thomas Edison’s lamps

B. the Hubble telescope

C. Apple’s TV screens

D. Pyrex’s cookware

3) The MAIN purpose of paragraph C is to describe the __________.

A. historical background of the Glass Age

B. prevalence of glass in our everyday products

C. dominating role of Corning in the glass industry

D. importance of glass in shaping future technology

4) According to paragraph C, we can infer that in the future glass would __________.

A. double our dependency on technology

B. revolutionize our interaction patterns

C. transform the cookware industry

D. create more job opportunities


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5) In paragraph D, the word them refers to __________.

A. movies

B. displays

C. screens

D. windshields

6) According to paragraph D, what is DigiLens’ mission?

A. to bridge the gap between physical and digital world.

B. to make their augmented glasses more affordable.

C. to compete with Google Glass on a global scale.

D. to collaborate with Corning on future projects.

7) In paragraph E, the phrasal verb take off refers to something that will __________.

A. become available

B. change rapidly

C. become popular

D. create potential

8) What is the source for this text?

A. a glass factory brochure

B. a research analysis

C. a press release

D. an online article

9) The following sentence can be best placed at the end of which paragraph?

“Therefore, highly engineered glass technology would have the capacity of delivering extraordinary

benefits to important aspects of our lives.”

A. Paragraph B

B. Paragraph C

C. Paragraph D

D. Paragraph E

10) Which of the following would NOT be an appropriate title for the text?

A. A Future Made of Glass

B. The Ancient Origins of Glass

C. The Unlimited Potential of Glass

D. The Capacity of Glass Technology


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READING 2

Japanese Forest Bathing

A. Forests are an amazing resource which give us everything we rely on in order to exist. They produce

oxygen, cleanse the air we breathe and purify our water. They stop flooding rivers and streams and the

erosion of mountains and hills. They provide us with food, clothing, and shelter, and with the materials

we need for furniture and tools. In addition to this, forests help us to increase energy, decrease anxiety,

relieve us of our worries and ease our troubled minds. Until recently, however, there had been little

scientific evidence to support what we have always innately known about the healing power of the forest.

B. In Japan, there is a tradition that involves spending time in nature among trees commonly known as forest

bathing, or shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means 'forest,' and yoku means 'bath'. So shinrin-yoku

denotes bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses. This does not entail

exercise, or hiking, or jogging; it is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our sense of sight,

hearing, taste, smell and touch. Indoors, we often have the tendency to use only two senses, our eyes

and our ears whereas outside is where we can smell the flowers, taste the fresh air, look at the changing

colors of the trees, hear the birds singing and feel the breeze on our skin. So when we open up our

senses, we begin to connect with the natural world.

C. Dr. Qing Li, the author of Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness has

conducted numerous research studies into the health benefits of forest bathing. In her book, she talks

about how in the early 1980s, this concept was based only on common sense and the intuitive idea that

being in the beautiful green forests of Japan would be good for our health. The term was coined in 1982

by the director of the Environmental Agency of Japan, Tomohide Akiyama, who suspected that Japanese

people were in need of healing through nature because of the stress of city life. Akiyama began to

recommend that people spend time in nature to deal with the pressures of contemporary society. In

addition, the idea of shinrin-yoku was also invented as part of a campaign to protect the forests.

D. It was not until 2004 that scientific investigation of the link between forests and human health began in

earnest. The Forest Therapy Study Group was founded by Dr. Li and her research team with the aim of

discovering what it is about trees that makes us feel so much better. One of the studies included doctors

measuring the activity of cancer cells in their patients; they found a significant improvement in their health

and overall immune system. Dr. Li recalls that it was in the forests of Liyama that her team first

scientifically proved that forest bathing has many health benefits; it can lower heart rate and blood

pressure, reduce stress hormone production, boost the immune system, and improve overall feelings of

well-being for people. Further studies have also helped them to collect a wealth of data that shinrin-yoku

can also reduce blood pressure, lower stress levels, improve concentration and memory, and help you

lose weight. Based on the results of that forest bathing study in April 2006, Liyama became the first

location in Japan to receive forest-therapy certification. The 'green healing' power of Liyama's forests had

been scientifically demonstrated. There are now sixty-two certified forest-therapy bases in Japan.


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E. By 2050, 66% of the world’s population is predicted to live in cities. According to a study by the

Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends 93% of his or her time indoors. But even

a small amount of time in nature can have an impact on health. A two-hour forest bath will help you to

unplug from technology and slow down. It will bring you into the present moment and de-stress and relax

you. When you connect to nature through all five of your senses, you begin to draw on the vast array of

benefits the natural world provides. The forest can help you feel not only restored and refreshed, but also

bring you back to health and life. You can forest-bathe anywhere in the world, wherever there are trees.

You do not even need a forest; once you learn how to do it, you can do shinrin-yoku anywhere. There are

a number of ways to integrate Japanese forest-bathing into any lifestyle, from visiting the local park to

filling your home with indoor plants. Just look for a place where there are trees, and off you go!


11) The MAIN purpose of paragraph B is to__________________ of shinrin-yoku.

A. illustrate the proper use

B. explain the philosophy

C. outline the conditions

D. define the practice

12) Forest bathing is recommended for the following reasons EXCEPT for ______________.

A. helping people unwind

B. protecting the forests

C. encouraging exercise

D. healing through nature

13) Which of the following is CLOSEST in meaning to coined in paragraph C?

A. considered

B. introduced

C. learned

D. sourced

14) In paragraph D, the word they refers specifically to______________.

A. doctors

B. patients

C. Dr. Li and her team

D. Study Group members

15) The author of this text believes that forest bathing is _____________.

A. beneficial

B. crucial

C. strategic

D. subjective

16) The source of this text is a ________________.

A. personal letter

B. academic journal

C. research report

D. lifestyle magazine

17) Which of the following statements would the author of this text disagree with?

A. People should experience the healing powers of forest bathing.

B. Forest bathing can help anxious people overcome their fears.

C. Shinrin-yoku can improve our health in different ways.

D. The positive effects of forest bathing require a forest.


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18) The purpose of this text is to __________.

A. describe how trees can affect our well-being

B. expand on earlier research by Dr. Qing Li

C. convince the reader to plant more trees

D. promote a new book about shinrin-yoku

19) According to the text, forests can help us to __________.

A. reduce air pollution

B. increase employment

C. become more ambitious

D. strengthen our immunity


“All have been proved to have particular healthful properties, and between 2.5 and 5 million people now walk the forest trails every year.”

A. Paragraph B B. Paragraph C

C. Paragraph D D. Paragraph E


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Reading 3

A. One of the most effective ways of understanding the culture and history of a country or region is through

its language. Unfortunately, many languages are falling out of use and being replaced by others that are more widely used. Native languages, such as Eyak and Tunica, have been replaced by English in the United States. In Mexico, due to the rising popularity of Spanish, Nahuatl, the only indigenous language, is now only spoken by less than a million people. Unless current trends are reversed, certain languages will become extinct within the next century. Although language death is not new (languages have been dying since ancient times), it is becoming more prevalent today. According to the Catalogue of Endangered Languages, nearly thirty language families have died since 1960. There are nearly 7000 languages that exist in the world today. However, 43% are now considered endangered. Languages are dying out around the globe due to globalization, social change, and a shift in populations from rural areas to cities.

B. To provide an example of this trend, of the Native American languages of the U.S., 90% are not being passed on to a new generation, while also 90% of Australian aboriginal languages and over 50% of minority languages of Russia are in a similar situation. There were 312 American Indian languages in use when Europeans first arrived in North America; of these, 123 (40%) are known to be extinct. In the U.S., of the 280 languages known from the time of first European contact, only 151 still have speakers (54%); however all are endangered. Only 20 of these (13%) are being learned by children. Most of these languages will become extinct in our lifetime if language revitalization programs are not successful.

Losing a language can also mean losing crucial knowledge about the linguistic community’s history, culture, or even knowledge about their local environment. This is mainly why many linguists and academics who recognize the value of dying languages are working to preserve them through the use of modern technology. This can include recordings which can facilitate some of the language’s context. This can even include mobile phone applications which may have particular appeal to younger members of a culture. In addition to the accelerated use of technology to preserve the last live use of dying languages by native speakers, many dying languages are being re-introduced or re-emphasized by linguistic communities. It is also recognized that children, whose ability to learn a new language has been called ‘sponge time’, are the future.

C. Languages are classified from vulnerable to extinct based on research conducted by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This system focuses on the number of children that speak and understand the language and is a good indication of the health of the language, that is, the capability of the language to exist and survive. The category “Vulnerable” denotes a language where most children do speak it but only in certain circumstances, for example at home with their parents. “Definitely Endangered” refers to when children no longer use the suggested language as a mother tongue whereas “Severely Endangered” means a language which is only spoken amongst old generations, who may use it when speaking to each other but not to younger individuals. “Critical” languages are categorized as those that are rarely used even amongst the oldest members of that society while “Extinct” languages are those with no living speakers remaining.

D. The reasons for language extinction are complex and diverse. Some languages evolve slowly until the original language bears little resemblance to the modern version. Others experience a slight increase in the language death rate and eventually dissipate over fewer years; this is mostly common during conflict

or oppression. For example, Britain banned Irish in British and Northern Irish schools in an effort to phase it out completely. This had the effect of substantially reducing the number of Irish speakers in the country. Similar policies with Welsh in Wales and Catalan in Spain were less successful and these languages are now common in schools. Banning a language is one way of oppressing the users of the language. In other cases, language bans may also aim to assimilate or adapt people into society. For instance, nowadays in South Africa, English is favored over the local languages and is imposed onto


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students when as little as 9% of the population use English as their primary language. Moreover, English education is now widespread throughout Africa and many Asian countries have adopted English in their educational systems.

E. Several languages, including Sanskrit, Latin and ancient Greek, have died out in their original forms. Sanskrit, sometimes considered the mother of all languages, is a prime example of a dead language. This is due to the fact that it is the earliest ancient language and has influenced Hindi, Bengali, Nepalese, Urdu, and Punjabi. There are many other languages where Sanskrit words are found widely. Because of this, Sanskrit will forever live on but as a language, it is considered largely dead, with no fluent or native speakers – just a number of scholars who are familiar enough with Sanskrit to use it for academic purposes only. If the importance of Sanskrit to parts of Asia and South Asia with the importance of Latin to Europe was considered, it is clear that they are equally influential. Although Latin is a dead language, the Romance languages of Europe - Italian, French, Spanish, Romanian, Portuguese, Catalan, Venetian - are all derived from Latin and many words in languages across the world have Latin origins.

F. Keeping multiple native languages alive, many of which may be lesser-known languages, is a challenge. Because so many languages are in danger of dying, linguists are trying to learn as much about them as possible so even if a language dies out, all knowledge of the language would not cease to exist. Ultimately, finding a way to allow minority and majority languages to co-exist within a broader modern culture is the best way to prevent further languages from dying and losing the valuable knowledge, heritage and emotional link to the past and future of many cultures.


21) The MAIN purpose of this text is to __________.

A. persuade people to learn dying languages

B. ask people to research why languages die

C. express an opinion on dying languages

D. explain language death and extinction

22) What is the best title for this text?

A. How to Protect Languages

B. Endangered Languages

C. The Most Popular Languages

D. Languages and Communication

23) Which of the following is CLOSEST in meaning to revitalization in paragraph B?

A. recovery

B. discovery

C. consistency

D. diversity

24) The MAIN reason linguists are trying to learn about dying languages is to __________.

A. stop them from dying out

B. protect valuable knowledge

C. design language applications

D. teach the next generation

25) According to paragraph B, we can infer that certain languages __________.

A. cannot be taught by aboriginal communities

B. do not serve as useful communication tools

C. are not being learnt by younger generations

D. did not have crucial knowledge or value


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26) According to paragraph C, UNESCO __________.

A. records all dying languages

B. classifies languages by health

C. enables languages to survive

D. promotes language learning

27) Which of the following is CLOSEST in meaning to dissipate in paragraph D?

A. break

B. merge

C. struggle

D. disappear

28) According to paragraph D, we can infer that __________.

A. Welsh is banned in schools

B. Catalan is not only used in Spain

C. South African schools use English

D. Irish is spoken in Britain nowadays

29) According to paragraph E, Sanskrit is considered a dead language because __________.

A. other languages have replaced it

B. it has no relative importance now

C. it has no living native speakers

D. only a few academics study it


“Elsewhere, local languages are taught less to make room for more universally

understood languages like Mandarin, English and Spanish.”

A. Paragraph B

B. Paragraph C

C. Paragraph D

D. Paragraph E

TEDU ELS ENGLISH

PROFICIENCY EXAM S A M P L E

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B. LISTENING SECTION

LISTENING 1: You are going to listen to an interview. You are going to listen to it ONCE only. As you listen, answer the questions. You now have 1 minute to look at the questions.

31) In 2017, SpaceX became famous for launching a/an __________.

A. commercial satellite

B. advanced rocket

C. used spacecraft

D. electric car

32) Musk was able to establish SpaceX and Tesla due to ___________.

A. his motivation to succeed

B. the financial risks he avoided

C. the profits from selling PayPal

D. his interest in renewable energy

33) Musk is mostly inspired by the idea that he will ___________.

A. improve the human race

B. establish more companies

C. raise more capital for Tesla

D. promote sustainable solutions

34) Why does Musk feel so proud about his plans for human exploration?

A. His company is doing it this year.

B. They will be the first to land on Mars.

C. His team stated their plan publically.

D. The date for Mars landing is close.

35) Which of the following was NOT used to describe Musk’s personality?

A. creative

B. perfectionist

C. inspiring

D. brilliant

36) How does Musk describe his experience living in the university dorms?

A. judgmental

B. unfriendly

C. horrible

D. limited

TEDU ELS ENGLISH PROFICIENCY EXAM

S A M P L E

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37) The MAIN reason Musk dropped out of his PhD program was to ___________.

A. become a multi-millionaire

B. found his online company Zip2

C. maximize business opportunities

D. explore the potential of the Internet

38) Which of the following is NOT a company that was founded by Musk?

A. X.com

B. PayPal

C. e-Bay

D. Space X

39) Musk says he combined Tesla and Solar City to ___________.

A. integrate cars with solar energy

B. promote sustainable products

C. generate and preserve energy

D. produce more affordable cars

40) Musk’s long-term goals DO NOT include ___________.

A. improving our transportation system

B. sending human beings to other planets

C. increasing opportunities for employment

D. curing brain disease through new software

TEDU ELS ENGLISH PROFICIENCY EXAM

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LISTENING 2: You are going to listen to a lecture. You are going to listen to it ONCE only. As you

listen, answer the questions. You now have 1 minute to look at the questions.

41) According to the listening, social media __________.

A. will only be around for a short time

B. is difficult to live without for some people

C. has many benefits in its present form

D. would be used by everyone in the future

42) Which of the following statements is FALSE about the website Six Degrees?

A. It was used to connect friends.

B. It was replaced by social media.

C. It was influenced by Facebook.

D. It was based on a theory.

43) Some people think that blogs are NOT social media because blogs __________.

A. reach a small community

B. do not have enough content

C. include alternative media

D. do not involve interaction

44) According to the listening, some people believe that social media can make them more________.

A. stressed.

B. attentive.

C. productive.

D. flexible.

45) According to the lecture, Adele __________.

A. has many social media profiles

B. uses Twitter to advertise her music

C. won various awards for her first album

D. promoted her music through MySpace

46) In 2004, Harvard University had __________ Facebook users.

A. one billion

B. two billion

C. one million

D. five million

47) According to the speaker, which application is particularly linked to smartphone use?

A. Tumblr

B. Spotify

C. Pinterest

D. Foursquare

48) Social media is used in businesses to __________.

A. review products

B. boost popularity

C. build new tools

D. find new brands

49) Smaller social media platforms are preferred by people because they __________.

A. include photographs

B. allow more interaction

C. serve different interests

D. have less users

50) The lecturer thinks that in the future social media will be more ________.

A. integrated C. effective

B. beneficial D. prevalent

THIS IS THE END OF SECTION I.

tedu els english proficiency exam s a m p l e · lose weight. based on the results of that forest...

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