Questions 11-14
Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.
Write your answers in boxes 11-14
on your answer sheet.
11. What is the difference between Ecstasy-related deaths reported in the UK and the US?
12. Research on the effect of ecstasy on humans’ mental and physical health…
13. How have researchers learned what they know about Ecstasy’s effect on the brain?
14. According to the article, how is Ecstasy different from other types of drugs, such as heroin or opium?
The answer is B. In the passage, the second paragraph states: "In Britain, it seems that nearly every case of an MDMA-related death has been primarily caused not by the drug itself, but by the body overheating, as well as well as dehydration caused by inadequate replacement of fluids. Meanwhile, studies focusing on American deaths from Ecstasy appear to implicate other causes since no deaths from overheating have yet been reported." This clearly shows that overheating deaths have only been reported in the UK, not in the US. Option (A) is incorrect because nothing in the text indicates there were more deaths in the US; (C) is incorrect because American deaths are not always linked with alcohol; (D) is incorrect because the passage does not say no Americans have died, but that the causes were different.
Associated Text:
"In Britain, it seems that nearly every case of an MDMA-related death has been primarily caused not by the drug itself, but by the body overheating, as well as well as dehydration caused by inadequate replacement of fluids. Meanwhile, studies focusing on American deaths from Ecstasy appear to implicate other causes since no deaths from overheating have yet been reported."
The answer is C. The third sentence of paragraph one and the last sentences in paragraph one suggest doubt about the overall harmfulness of Ecstasy: "...research remains unclear as to whether or not occasional Ecstasy use is, in fact, as dangerous as authorities seem to think it is." Further, paragraph three states that some effects have been reported but a direct link has not been conclusively shown, indicating that the research suggests it is somewhat or not very harmful, but does not prove it is extremely harmful (A), nor that it is harmless (D), nor that no research has been done (B).
Associated Text:
"research remains unclear as to whether or not occasional Ecstasy use is, in fact, as dangerous as authorities seem to think it is." "Some alarming effects in both the short and the long term have been reported, but a direct link from these to use of the drug has not been conclusively shown."
The answer is A. The fourth paragraph states: "Experiments with animals have led to results which suggest that MDMA causes long-term cellular damage to the brain." Then it continues, "However, no such research has been conducted with humans thus far." This shows that the knowledge is primarily based on animal studies, not on volunteer trials or interviews.
Associated Text:
"Experiments with animals have led to results which suggest that MDMA causes long-term cellular damage to the brain. However, no such research has been conducted with humans thus far."
The answer is C. The sixth and last paragraphs state: “unlike well-known addictive drugs, such as heroin, opium, morphine and so on, Ecstasy does not produce physical withdrawal symptoms. In fact, because one becomes quickly tolerant of its effect on the mind, it is necessary to forgo its use for a while in order to experience the full effect again.” This means Ecstasy does not produce the same physical dependency as other drugs do. Option (A) is false because adverse effects are still described, (B) is not mentioned, and (D) is false because other drugs are also known to be fatal.
Associated Text:
“unlike well-known addictive drugs, such as heroin, opium, morphine and so on, Ecstasy does not produce physical withdrawal symptoms. In fact, because one becomes quickly tolerant of its effect on the mind, it is necessary to forgo its use for a while in order to experience the full effect again.”
Questions 15-26
Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage? In boxes 15-26 on your answer sheet, write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.
The answer is FALSE. In paragraph one, the passage says: "In Britain, a total of fourteen deaths have been linked to the drug so far, though there’s a possibility that other drugs may have been part of what lead to these deaths." This line specifically states that it is not certain that Ecstasy alone was responsible for all 14 deaths; other drugs might have contributed.
Associated Text:
"In Britain, a total of fourteen deaths have been linked to the drug so far, though there’s a possibility that other drugs may have been part of what lead to these deaths."
The answer is FALSE. The second sentence of the first paragraph gives the number of documented deaths and negative health reactions, but nowhere does the passage state that using Ecstasy is usually fatal. In fact, the text also mentions that people who are overall healthy have a low risk of fatality when taking Ecstasy (paragraph two).
Associated Text:
"The 1992 British Medical Journal claims that at least seven people died that year from using Ecstasy, with many other serious negative health reactions also having been documented." "It appears that people who are overall healthy have a low risk of fatality when taking Ecstasy."
The answer is TRUE. Paragraph two says: “nearly every case of an MDMA-related death has been primarily caused not by the drug itself, but by the body overheating, as well as well as dehydration caused by inadequate replacement of fluids.” It clearly states that dehydration has been linked to deaths involving Ecstasy usage.
Associated Text:
"In Britain, it seems that nearly every case of an MDMA-related death has been primarily caused not by the drug itself, but by the body overheating, as well as well as dehydration caused by inadequate replacement of fluids."
The answer is TRUE. Paragraph two specifically states: "those with pre-existing conditions, such as chronic heart or asthma, should be cautioned against taking it, as they are more likely to experience serious adverse reactions to the drug." This indicates people with asthma are at higher risk of health complications from Ecstasy usage.
Associated Text:
"those with pre-existing conditions, such as chronic heart or asthma, should be cautioned against taking it, as they are more likely to experience serious adverse reactions to the drug."
The answer is NOT GIVEN. Nowhere in the passage does it mention specific plans or intentions by the UK to spend more time or money researching Ecstasy in the near future. No statement about additional research initiatives or funding is present.
Associated Text:
The answer is FALSE. Paragraph three says: “studies of the effect of the drug on animals have not revealed this kind of damage, researchers have readily admitted that these results are far from conclusive, as animal and human species react to the drug in a variety of different ways.” Therefore, animal studies do not provide absolute proof of the effect of MDMA on humans.
Associated Text:
"researchers have readily admitted that these results are far from conclusive, as animal and human species react to the drug in a variety of different ways."
The answer is FALSE. Paragraph four states: "Ecstasy has been implicated in causing brain damage in this way, but in most cases, the serotonin level returns to normal, albeit after a long time." This means serotonin levels usually do go back to normal, contradicting the statement.
Associated Text:
"Ecstasy has been implicated in causing brain damage in this way, but in most cases, the serotonin level returns to normal, albeit after a long time."
The answer is TRUE. In paragraph four, the passage leads with "Experiments with animals have led to results which suggest that MDMA causes long-term cellular damage to the brain." and in paragraph five, "Early experiments with monkeys, in which they were found to have permanent brain damage as a result of being administered MDMA..." This confirms that animals like monkeys have suffered long-term brain damage in research experiments with Ecstasy.
Associated Text:
"Experiments with animals have led to results which suggest that MDMA causes long-term cellular damage to the brain." "Early experiments with monkeys, in which they were found to have permanent brain damage as a result of being administered MDMA..."
The answer is TRUE. Paragraph five states: "some claim that using Ecstasy can provide a liberating sense of relaxation and confidence, allowing users to deal with other psychological problems such as anxiety. The downside of these positive effects is that they are usually quite short-term..." This agrees with the statement that immediate effects of Ecstasy can give users relaxation and confidence.
Associated Text:
"some claim that using Ecstasy can provide a liberating sense of relaxation and confidence, allowing users to deal with other psychological problems such as anxiety. The downside of these positive effects is that they are usually quite short-term..."
The answer is NOT GIVEN. The passage does not make a direct comparison between the safety of Ecstasy versus heroin or other drugs in terms of death rates or safety. It only states some differences in withdrawal symptoms and mechanism of dependency, but not in terms of deaths or safety hierarchy.
Associated Text:
The answer is NOT GIVEN. The passage refers to the increasing use of Ecstasy in Britain and gives related figures, but it does not discuss teenagers nor mention the extent of the problem globally.
Associated Text:
The answer is FALSE. The passage says: "unlike well-known addictive drugs, such as heroin, opium, morphine and so on, Ecstasy does not produce physical withdrawal symptoms." Therefore, Ecstasy and heroin are different in this respect; the statement is incorrect.
Associated Text:
"unlike well-known addictive drugs, such as heroin, opium, morphine and so on, Ecstasy does not produce physical withdrawal symptoms."
