SECTION I: READING COMPREHENSION (30 MARKS)

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

“No dessert until you have finished your dinner!” If that’s what your mother taught you, you’ll probably have
a better life than if she had let you have your dessert right away. Some psychologists believe that children who
have good self-control are more likely to make it in life than their more impatient friends.
The idea that self-control is important for success isn’t new. In the 1960s, Professor Walter Mischel
studied the behaviour of children left alone in a room with a plate that had a marshmallow on it. Professor
Mischel explained that if the children rang a bell, they could eat the marshmallow, but they couldn’t get
a second one. If the children waited 15 minutes, they could have two marshmallows. Some children couldn’t wait
a minute before ringing the bell, while others held out1 for the full 15 minutes. Interestingly, the children who
were better at resisting temptation also did better at school.
More recently, Professor Terrie Moffitt, a professor of psychology, conducted a study of willpower2.
Professor Moffitt and her team followed 1,000 people from the age of 3 until they were 32. They studied the
children’s impulsivity, persistence at a task, patience while waiting in a queue and levels of hyperactivity. Moffitt’s
studies, like those of Mischel, showed that the children with more self-control had better paying jobs as adults,
were healthier and were less likely to have addiction problems or to be in trouble with the police.
While some of us may be better than others at resisting that bar of chocolate, exercising self-control is
rarely easy. However, technology can also help those of us with weaker self-control. In 2008, Professors Dean
Karlan and Ian Ayers as well as Jordan Goldberg founded the website stickK.com to encourage people to
achieve their goals. Users sign a contract in which they agree to achieve a certain goal, like losing weight. They
can allow the company to fine3 them if they don’t stick to4 their goals. The money goes to a charity or person of
the user’s choice. These days, a stickK phone app is also available.
With or without the help of technology, self-control is something we can improve and can be
an important tool for achieving success.

1 2
hold out: resist willpower: the ability to control your thoughts and actions
3
fine: make someone pay money as a punishment 4 stick to: to continue with something difficult or unpleasant

1. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS: 1.1 AND 1.2 TRUE OR FALSE, WITH EVIDENCE AND 1.3 AND 1.4 CHOOSE
THE RIGHT ANSWER.

1.1. Children with more self-control tend to have better jobs and are healthier as adults.
1.2. Children in Mischel’s experiment were allowed to eat both marshmallows immediately.
1.3. According to the article, why should you finish dinner before eating dessert?
A Dessert isn’t healthy.
B It teaches self-control.
C You should listen to your mother.
1.4. Users of stickK.com …
A have no self-control.
B use the site to help them achieve goals.
C donate to charity.
2. Complete each sentence with information from the text but using your own words (about 10-15
words of your own per sentence). DO NOT COPY LITERALLY from the text nor from statements 1.1 to
1.4. Write the two sentences on your answer sheet. [Score: 2 items x 0.5 mark = 1 mark]
2.1 In Professor Mischel’s experiments, some children succeed in …
2.2 More recently, a study of willpower …
3. Find the word or expression that matches the definition:
3.1. are posible (paragraph 2) expression:
3.2. a soft, chewy ítem of confectionery made with sugar and gelatin (paragraph 2) noun:
3.3. behaved or managed oneself: (paragraph 3 verb)
3.4. write your name on a document to indicate agreement or acceptance (paragraph 4 verb)
SECTION II: OVERALL LANGUAGE ABILITY (USE OF ENGLISH) (3 marks)
3. Complete the text choosing the best option (A, B, or C) for each gap (1-15). On your answer sheet,
draw a table like the one below and, for each gap (1-15), copy the letter that corresponds to your
answer (A, B, or C). Use CAPITAL LETTERS. [Score: 15 items x 0.1 mark = 1.5 marks]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Would you describe yourself as an optimist or a pessimist? For (1) ___ , people have claimed that these
are personality traits you are born (2) ___ . And of course, having the trait for optimism is more favourable.
Recent research has shown that optimism can help people become smarter and more productive.
Numerous studies claim that a positive attitude promotes (3) ___ effective thinking. It can make you more
attentive and (4) ___ you to switch between tasks more easily – something that is often necessary in
today’s busy world.
One (5) ___ advantage is that being positive can enhance your (6) ___ and make you a better thinker.
For example, in one experiment, researchers worked with a group of doctors and showed them
a “feel-good” film. Consequently, the doctors (7) ___ up with more accurate diagnoses because they were
able to think of more disease possibilities.
(8) ___ , being positive can improve your problem-solving skills even when dealing with complicated tasks,
(9) ___ the famous “candle problem”. In this problem, you are given a candle, a matchbox and some pins,
and are asked to attach the candle to the wall in a way that it will burn without dripping any wax on the floor.
More positive research participants managed (10) ___ out that by pinning the matchbox to the wall, it can
be used as a shelf for the candle.
So, it (11) ___ like being positive has many benefits, but what if you are not a naturally positive
person? The scientists’ advice is, “Fake it till you make it!” It is true that people smile when they are happy,
but, as (12) ___ turns out, people are also happy when they smile. When you are happy, your brain sends a
signal to your facial muscles, making them smile. (13) ___ , if you smile first, your facial muscles send a
message to your brain, saying, “I’m happy!” and the brain tries to catch up. This creates a cycle of
happiness and, as researchers proved, works to lift your mood even better (14) ___ chocolate!
So, if you have some long and difficult task in front of you, greet it with a smile – (15) ___ it will make
succeeding that much easier!
1. a) periods b) ages c) times 9. a) containing b) included c) such as
2. a) for b) in c) with 10. a) to figure b) figure c) figuring
3. a) more b) much c) plenty 11. a) hears b) listens c) sounds
4. a) disable b) enable c) able 12. a) this b) it c) that
5. a) further b) last c) better 13. a) Therefore b) For example c) However
6. a) creative b) creativity c) creating 14. a) that b) than c) then
7. a) came b) brought c) caught 15. a) and b) but c) that
8. a) Nevertheless b) Finally c) To sum up
4. Complete THREE of the following sentences so that each sentence keeps the meaning of the
sentence printed before it and includes a clear change of linguistic structure. COPY THE
COMPLETE SENTENCES (including the beginnings and the endings already given to you) onto
your answer sheet. [Score: 3 items x 0.5 mark = 1.5 marks]
4.1 I didn’t find Joan, so I couldn’t give her the books.
If I … the books.
4.2 I enjoyed the lecture even though I don’t like history.
Despite … the lecture.
4.3 They are building a new office block in our town.
A new office block … in our town.
4.4 You didn’t see Paul last night because he’s in France.
You can’t … because he’s in France.
4.5 “Don’t be so impatient!”
My coach warned … so impatient.

SECTION III: WRITING (4 marks)

5. Choose ONE of the four options below (a, b, c, or d) and write the corresponding text (150-
175 words). Write your text on your answer sheet. [Score: 4 marks x 1 item = 4 marks]
a) Opinion Writing. Students’ access to the Internet should be limited. Do you agree?
WRITE AN OPINION TEXT providing the necessary arguments to convince the reader of your
opinion.
b) Formal email Writing. You went on holiday last summer and you booked two tickets for a
concert in advanced. But when you got there, they didn’t allow you to enter because you were
not on the list. Write a complaint letter to the manager of the event.
c) Argumentative Writing. All plastic should be banned.
WRITE AN ARGUMENTATIVE TEXT providing reasons for and against the statement above.
Remember you need to provide a balanced discussion.
d) Email Writing. “I’m about to make a very important decision.”
WRITE AN EMAIL to a friend describing an important decision that you need to make.