Copy of English Skills Assessment

Word Opposite (Understanding)

Word Opposite (Intricate)

Word Synonyms (Lineage)

Word Synonyms (Abundant)

Find the antonym of intransigent.

He sincerely congratulated them……their success.

I cut the pears……half and divided the grapes……six portions.

They worked opposite……the railway station.

He will pass……his old school on his way to play……his new football
team.

Although afraid……the consequence, Peter was determined to attend court and face the man he accused……dishonesty.

Unorthodox?

Assessment?

Affirmative?

Nurture?

Ignore?

Current levels of domestic inflation make it a lot easier for the government of China to accept a stronger domestic currency (the Yuan). Until recently, the government was concerned that strengthening the Yuan would lead to domestic deflation. Chinese trade surpluses are resulting in the accumulation of foreign exchange reserves equal to $1 billion a day. Trading partners, especially the United States, are keen to see a stronger Yuan, hoping that it will pull back the level of trade surplus. Imported commodities – the raw materials necessary for China’s manufacturing industry – have become far more expensive and a stronger Yuan will help offset some of these increases.

Q: Two potential advantages of a stronger Yuan are described in the passage.

People should buy more fresh food that they then use to prepare proper meals and whenever possible buy locally produced food from local shops. Instead we treat food like fuel. We seek out the most convenient, which is often processed industrially and supplied by multinationals and this has consequences for both public health and the environment. We eat it in a hurry and on the move rather than together around a table. Pre-packed meals are wasteful because of all the packaging and distribution involved. People lack the skills and knowledge needed to turn back to good food.

Q:  The view that we do not respect food enough is consistent with the position adopted by the author in the passage.

People should buy more fresh food that they then use to prepare proper meals and whenever possible buy locally produced food from local shops. Instead we treat food like fuel. We seek out the most convenient, which is often processed industrially and supplied by multinationals and this has consequences for both public health and the environment. We eat it in a hurry and on the move rather than together around a table. Pre-packed meals are wasteful because of all the packaging and distribution involved. People lack the skills and knowledge needed to turn back to good food. 

Q: By ‘good food’ the author means industrially produced meals. 

Our international institutions and treaties have failed to move with the times. They were formed to provide a system through which to tackle common threats while protecting national interests. But interdependence has advanced beyond anything imagined then and in recent times the global institutions have proved totally powerless at providing successful global authority. All too often efforts to address the many common challenges are pulled down by narrow national interests.

Q: The passage does not touch on potential solutions, only the problem of ineffectual global governance.

Our international institutions and treaties have failed to move with the times. They were formed to provide a system through which to tackle common threats while protecting national interests. But interdependence has advanced beyond anything imagined then and in recent times the global institutions have proved totally powerless at providing successful global authority. All too often efforts to address the many common challenges are pulled down by narrow national interests.

Q:In the passage the term interdependence is explained.