Section 12: Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 44 to 50.
Los Angeles dancer, Brian Perez, was eating out with his friends one evening when suddenly everyone went quiet. To his horror, he saw that the reason for this was that people were checking their phones. Realising he had to do something to stop this, Brian made a rather daring suggestion. What if they all put their gadgets in a pile in the middle of the table until they had finished the meal? If anyone picked up their phone, that person would have to pay the whole bill. And so, it is said, the game of 'phone stacking' was bom.
The necessity for action like this highlights a major problem in today's society: our inability to disconnect from technology. But while Brian's idea deals with the obsession in a social context, measures also need to be taken at home. Some people drop their smartphones into a box the moment they arrive home, which gives them the chance to interact with the people they live with. The fact that the phone cannot be heard - it is on silent - nor seen - the flashing lights are hidden by the box - means that they are no longer tempted to use it.
A less drastic solution is to ban electronic devices at certain times of day when the whole family is likely to be together, for example at meal times. This can be hard for everyone, from teenagers desperate to text friends to parents unable to switch off from work. On a normal day, however, dinner takes less than an hour, and the benefits of exchanging opinions and anecdotes with the rest of the family certainly makes up for the time spent offline.
Taking a break from technology is one thing, but knowing when to turn off a device is another. Time seems to stand still in the virtual world, and before you know it, you find that it is three o'clock in the morning. This is where a digital curfew comes in handy, a set time when all devices must be put away. Evenings without technology are usually nice and peaceful and make a more agreeable end to the day.
And then it's time for bed. One of the best ways of ensuring you can sleep at night is to ban electronic devices altogether from the bedroom. Lying next to a machine bursting with information is far from relaxing, and the sounds it emits during the night can easily wake you up. With technology out of the room, a line has been drawn between daytime and sleep time, which enables us to switch off ourselves and drift off to sleep.
(Adapted from Solutions 3rd Edition by Tim Falla and Paul A Davies)
Question 44. Which best serves as the title for the passage?
A. Shocking News: Technology Shapes Our Mind!
B. Too Much Dependence on Technology: Time for Change!
C. Getting Rid of Your Mobiles: For Better or Worse?
D. Addiction to Technology: Storm in a Teacup
Question 45. According to paragraph 1, Brian Perez was shocked to find that ______________
A. the prices for food were too expensive
B. everyone seemed quiet by nature
C. people were willing to remove all their gadgets
D. people were glued to their phones
Question 46. The word “highlights” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ____________
A. emphasizes B. proposes C. tackles D. expects
Question 47. The word “it” in paragraph 2 refers to __________
A. phone B. light C. fact D. box
Question 48. The word “drastic” in paragraph 3 can be best replaced by ___________
A. effective B. simple C. important D. serve
Question 49. Which of the following statements is true, according to the passage?
A. Teenagers can find it easier to turn off their phones compared to their parents.
B. People choose not to use their phones at home so that they can talk to other members.
C. Brian's idea is not new in terms of making people less dependent on technology.
D. Meal times are the most suitable for the whole family to use phones together.
Question 50. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. Having a conversation at dinner definitely strengthens the bonds among family members.
B. People are more pleasant to talk with when they use technology in the evenings.
C. Using electronic gadgets at bedtime is likely to deprive yourself of having a good sleep.
D. The line between daytime and sleep time has become increasingly blurred.
