CONFIDENTIAL 1 LG/JUNE 2020/ELC151/150/SET 2

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

COURSE : INTEGRATED LANGUAGE SKILLS II

INTEGRATED LANGUAGE SKILLS: READING
COURSE CODE : ELC151 / ELC150
ASSESSMENT : READING TEST
TIME : 2 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. This question paper consists of three (3) parts: PART A : (2 QUESTIONS)

PART B : (1 QUESTION)
PART C : (2 QUESTIONS)

2. Answer ALL questions from all parts in the Question Paper.

3. Fill in the details below:

UiTM STUDENT CARD NO. :

PROGRAMME / CODE :

PART :

ENGLISH LANGUAGE GROUP :

NAME OF LECTURER : _

4. You are allowed to refer to a print English-English dictionary.

5. Please check to make sure that this examination pack consists of :

i) the Question Paper

DO NOT TURN THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

This examination paper consists of 12 printed pages

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PART A: READING COMPREHENSION (15 MARKS)

Read the passage below and answer all the questions that follow.

Road Rage

I Road rage is alarmingly common, with nearly 80 percent of drivers experiencing

some form of aggression behind the wheel. The “rage” feels like a reflex, powerful
enough to turn a pleasant mood into a foul one in the blink of a turn signal light.
A survey from Farah and Farah, a law firm, identified 12 behaviours that drivers might
interpret as road rage. The list includes making rude gestures, honking, tailgating and 5
texting while driving, among others. In another survey, it has also been identified that
a few people who experienced road rage have come up with a few solutions to
eliminate their negative emotion.

II Ana Jovanovic, a psychotherapist, links road rage to a deeper lying resentment or

other negative emotion that is not planted by the offending driver, but triggered by it. 10
She mentions that the initial turn in people’s mood usually has nothing to do with the
traffic. They tend to project their negative feelings onto the actions of others. One
angry thought leads to another one, spiralling out of control before they even have a
chance to check whether the intentions of other drivers are really malicious or
disrespectful. “Just imagine pumping a balloon until it bursts. This can be a good 15
illustration of how anger fills up the mental space of drivers to the point it makes them
snap,” says Jovanovic.

III However, a little soul-searching can eliminate road rage. Laura Louise, an author,
solves her rage issues that were manifesting on the road by trying to imagine what
those drivers might be going through to cause them to drive so irresponsibly. “I will 20
imagine the drivers need to use a restroom so badly in a panic. If they made a really
bad error in judgment when driving, I imagine they are rushing to a hospital. I will
often say a prayer for them and continue on my journey without anger,” she says.

IV Another way to eliminate road rage is to simply focus on other things rather than the
busy road. According to Dacota Kim, a writer, he would respond to his road rage by 25
turning on an engrossing podcast. He would rather listen to music than trying to
weave through lanes as this would ease his driving. Stephanie Hammell, a financial
advisor, has also coped with her road rage by listening to audiobooks on the car

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speakers. “When you are preoccupied and tuned into what the topic is, it puts your
attention on the wisdom you are taking while you are still paying attention to the road,” 30
Hammell says.

V Leaving earlier and using ride service can also help prevent road rage. According to
Tarez Dennis, a podcaster, he started allowing himself more time to travel, so he
would not get so upset when minor road issues happened. In addition, Garin Flowers,
a director, shares his opinion on how not being a driver has benefitted him. “By taking 35
the train or riding as a passenger in a car every day, you learn that most things are
not in your control, such as traffic congestion and bad drivers,” he says.

VI In conclusion, self-assessment and self-control are key components to keeping

drivers cool. The suggested components highlight that drivers have to recognise the
moment they have a choice whether or not to act in anger. They also have to develop 40
the willpower to choose not to indulge in negative actions. Such actions may take a
long time as they involve changing perspectives about other drivers and individual’s
driving behaviour.

Adapted from https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/what-causes-road-rage-

how-can-drivers-control-it-ncna982896

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QUESTION 1 (11 MARKS)

a) What do the following words and phrases in the passage refer to?
i) This (line 15) :
ii) them (line 20) :
iii) my (line 23) :
iv) key components (line 38) :
(4 marks)

b) Based on the passage, what is the consequence of having one angry thought?

(1mark)

c) What did Laura do to control her anger through soul-searching?

i)
ii)
(2 marks)

d) Read the statements below carefully. Write ‘T’ if the statement is TRUE and ‘F’ if it is
FALSE.

i) Rude gestures, honking, tailgating and texting while driving are not
examples of road rage.

ii) Road rage is usually triggered by other drivers’ malicious intent.

iii) Garin Flowers believes that riding as a passenger in a car has prevented

him from road rage.

(3 marks)

e) What is the topic sentence of Paragraph IV?

(1 mark)

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QUESTION 2 (4 MARKS)

a) Explain the following statement:

‘listen to music than trying to weave through lanes as this would ease his driving,’ (lines
26-27).

(2 marks)

b) In your opinion, what do you think about Malaysians’ behaviour while driving?

(2 marks)

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PART B : INTERPRETING VISUAL (5 MARKS)

Study the following visual and answer the questions that follow.

Average Monthly Basic Wage (RM) by Occupation and Gender in Malaysia, 2018.

Adapted from http://www.mhdr.my/page/198/The-Malaysian-Insider:-Discrimination-keeps-

most-Malaysian-women-out-of-formal-job-market,-says-report/

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QUESTION 1 (5 MARKS)

a) What does the visual describe?

(1 mark)

b) What was the total amount of monthly basic wage for male and female clerical workers
in 2018?

(1
mark)

c) List two (2) occupations with the lowest average monthly basic wage.
i)
ii)
(1 mark)

d) Based on the visual, what can be inferred from the average monthly basic wage of those
who worked as senior officers and managers?

(1 mark)

e) State one (1) possible reason why men generally earn higher than women.

(1 mark)

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PART C: READING COMPREHENSION (20 MARKS)

Read the passage below and answer all the questions that follow.

Thailand's Wild and Wonderful Festivals

I Thais love to celebrate, and so the yearly calendar is full of festivals, holidays
and other events. The end of the rainy season marks the advent of the tourist
season, with many wonderful festivals for travellers to take part in. If you are
travelling to Thailand in autumn, there are a few celebrations that make the
Land of Smiles a truly amazing place to visit. 5

II One of the most popular festivals celebrated in late October is the Naga Fireball
Festival. On the full moon of the month, which coincides with the rainy season,
a serpent swims in the Mekong river, shooting balls of fire from its jaws. The
Naga, as the serpent is called, appears in Nong Khai Province, where
thousands of spectators congregate along the banks of the river to watch the 10
phenomena. Non-believers of the festival have made two assumptions on the
cause of the fireballs. One is that methane gas is released from the river bottom
and erupts fire upon emergence from the water. The other is that Lao residents
who live across the river shoot fire into the air. Neither explanation, however,
has shaken the Thais who actually believe in the festival. 15

III Another significant festival is the Monkey Buffet Festival which is celebrated on
the last Sunday in November. It is held near the Khmer temple in Lopburi, aptly
nicknamed “the city of monkeys”. The town is nearly overrun with monkeys,
which scamper around temples making mischief by snatching food, purses,
cameras, and whatever else they can grab from people. The local people 20
believe that the monkeys bring good fortune to the visitors. As a way to thank
the monkeys for the tourist business they draw in, the residents of Lopburi hold
a feast for the animals.

IV On the other hand, the Surin Elephant Round-Up is celebrated every third
weekend in November. The elephant is regarded as a royal animal and a 25
symbol of Buddhism among the Thais due to its invaluable role in labour and
wars. Not only that, the former flag of Thailand actually had a white elephant as
the main symbol of wealth and power. The residents of Surin, in northeast

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Thailand, were known for their ability to capture and train elephants. These
days, elephants are no longer used in battle and are rarely used for labour, but 30
the animals’ importance is commemorated annually in the Surin Elephant
Round-up. Every year for the past 50 years, the Surin province has been hosting
the festival in elephant villages to pay respect and praise this gigantic animal.
This ten-day festival showcases the skills and talents of several hundred
elephants, that are dressed splendidly for the event. 35

V Moreover, in late November, Loi Kratong, Thailand’s most beautiful festival, is

celebrated. Loi Krathong pays respect to the river goddess at the end of the
rainy season to honour the original Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama. On the full
moon of the 12th lunar month, Thais set afloat small krathongs (floats) on rivers
and canals. The krathongs are made from banana stems wrapped in leaves, 40
and then adorned with flowers, candles, incense and coins. After sunset, the
Thais set the krathongs afloat, releasing grudges from the past year and making
wishes for the new one. This act is symbolic of letting go of all anger and
grudges. Moreover, many locals believe that releasing krathongs will also bring
good luck and happiness. In the sky, hundreds of floating lanterns are also 45
released, hence, the sky and water are lit with flickering, floating stars.

VI A big part of travelling is being able to immerse yourself in another culture. With
16 million foreigners flying into this country each year, Thailand is Asia’s primary
travel destination and offers a host of places to visit. In fact, in 2018 Thailand
was ranked the 10th most popular destination for global visitors, according to the 50
World Tourism Organisation.

Adapted from https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand

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QUESTION 1 (10 MARKS)

a) Give the meaning of the words as they are used in the passage.

i) spectators (line 10) :

ii) aptly (line 17) :

iii) royal (line 25) :

iv) adorned (line 41) :

(4 marks)

b) Explain the following statement:

‘Neither explanation, however, has shaken the Thais who actually believe in the festival,’
(lines 14-15).

(1 mark)

c) State two (2) reasons for people in Lopburi to hold a feast for monkeys.
i)
ii)
(2 marks)

d) Why is the elephant regarded as a royal animal and a symbol of Buddhism in Thailand?
i)
ii)
(2 marks)

e) What is the main idea for Paragraph IV?

(1 mark)

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QUESTION 2 (10 MARKS)

a) State whether the following statements are a Fact (F) or an Opinion (O).

i) Non-believers of the festival have made two assumptions on the cause

of the fireballs. (lines 11-12).

ii) As a way to thank the monkeys for the tourist business they draw in, the
residents of Lopburi hold a feast for the animals (lines 21-23).

iii) The former flag of Thailand actually had a white elephant as the main
symbol of wealth and power (lines 27-28).
iv) Many locals believe that releasing krathongs will also bring good luck
and happiness (lines 44-45).

(4 marks)

b) ‘Moreover’ (line 44) links two (2) ideas. What are the ideas?

i)

ii)

(2 marks)

c) Which of the following best describes the tone of the article?

iii) Humorous
iv) Judgemental
v) Enthusiastic
vi) Pessimistic (1 mark)

d) What is the purpose of this article?

i) To instruct
ii) To entertain
iii) To persuade
iv) To inform (1 mark)

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e) In your opinion, do you think Thailand can retain its global popularity as a tourism hotspot
in Southeast Asia in 2020? Explain your answer.

(2
marks)

END OF QUESTION PAPER

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