Magy's English Edu. Club
Cambridge 11 Academic Reading Test Four Passage One
Research using twins
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
Write TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN.
1. There may be genetic causes for the differences in how young the skin of identical twins looks.
The answer is FALSE.
In paragraph one, any differences between them – one twin having younger looking skin, for example – must be due to environmental factors such as less time spent in the sun.
2. Twins are at greater risk of developing certain illnesses than non-twins.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph three, these two lines of research – studying the differences between identical twins to pinpoint the influence of environment, and comparing identical twins with fraternal ones to measure the role of inheritance – have been crucial to understanding the interplay of nature and nurture in determining our personalities, behavior, and vulnerability to disease.
3. Bouchard advertised in newspapers for twins who had been separated at birth.
The answer is NOT GIVEN.
In paragraph four, over two decades 137 sets of twins eventually visited Thomas Bouchard’s lab in what became known as the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart.
4. Epigenetic processes are different from both genetic and environmental processes.
The answer is TRUE.
In paragraph seven, epigenetic processes are chemical reactions tied to neither nature nor nurture but representing what researchers have called a ‘third component’.
Look at the following statements (Questions 5–9) and the list of researchers below.
Match each purpose with the correct researcher, A, B, or C.
NB You may use any letter more than once.
5. invented a term used to distinguish two factors affecting human characteristics
The answer is A. > Francis Galton
In paragraph four, the idea of using twins to measure the influence of heredity dates back to 1875, when the English scientist Francis Galton first suggested the approach (and coined the phrase ‘nature and nurture’).
6. expressed the view that the study of epigenetics will increase our knowledge
The answer is C. > Danielle Reed
In paragraph ten, epigenetics is the origin of a lot of those differences, in my view.
7. developed a mathematical method of measuring genetic influences
The answer is B. > Thomas Bouchard
In paragraph five, the key to their approach was a statistical concept called heritability.
8. pioneered research into genetics using twins
The answer is A. > Francis Galton
In paragraph four, the idea of using twins to measure the influence of heredity dates back to 1875, when the English scientist Francis Galton first suggested the approach (and coined the phrase ‘nature and nurture’).
9. carried out research into twins who had lived apart
The answer is A. > Francis Galton
In paragraph four, but twin studies took a surprising twist in the 1980s, with the arrival of studies into identical twins who had been separated at birth and reunited as adults.
Complete the summary using the list of words, A–F.
10 and 11. In epigenetic processes, …….. influence the activity of our genes, for example in creating our internal ……… .
The answer is D. > CHEMICALS
The answer is B. > ORGANS
In paragraph seven, epigenetic processes are chemical reactions tied to neither nature nor nurture but representing what researchers have called a ‘third component’. These reactions influence how our genetic code is expressed: how each gene is strengthened or weakened, even turned on or off, to build our bones, brains and all the other parts of our bodies.
12. The study of epigenetic processes is uncovering a way in which our genes can be affected by our ……….. .
The answer is E. > ENVIRONMENT
In paragraph nine, one way the study of epigenetics is revolutionizing our understanding of biology is by revealing a mechanism by which the environment directly impacts on genes.
13. One example is that if a pregnant rat suffers stress, the new-born rat may later show problems in its ……. .
The answer is F. > BEHAVIOR/BEHAVIOUR
In paragraph nine, studies of animals, for example, have shown that when a rat experiences stress during pregnancy, it can cause epigenetic changes in a fetus that lead to behavioral problems as the rodent grows up.