Aptis Advanced Reading Test

Welcome to the Aptis Advanced Reading Test.

There are 4 parts. You have 60 minutes to complete the test.

When you click on the start button the test will begin.

(En este test no tenemos cronómetro, así es que debes ponerte tú un timer de 60 minutos. Puedes ponerte el del móvil o el ordenador.)

Read the text and match the opinion to the initials of the person that expresses it.

For example: if the answer is Elena Chang, write EC.

The rise of women in Chinese film

A great deal has changed in the last 18 years, according to film director Elena Chang. In 2001, realising that the female trailblazers of Chinese cinema were repeatedly left out of the history books, she took it upon herself to rewrite the narrative. “There was almost nothing written on women directors. I knew they existed but when you tried to find out about them, they were practically non-existent,” she said.

She documented the work of female directors such as Tazuko Sakane, born in in Japan in 1904. There was just one major issue: the public had no interest in Chang’s research. “The book didn't have any real impact, no one was reading that type of book yet,” she explained.

Fast forwarding to today, Chang proudly shows off the February 2019 issue of Vita Magazine, featuring a huge spread on Chang and her work celebrating Esther Eng. This is especially exciting for Chang, not solely because the work of women filmmakers is finally being covered, but because the magazine is Chinese, and information is strongly censored in the country, which makes sharing Eng’s story rather challenging.

Across China, an increasing number of film festivals dedicated to women directors are also helping change the conversation. A notable example is the China Women’s Film Festival, an annual event that takes place in Beijing and Hong Kong, which first occurred in 2013. Its objective is to highlight the work of women filmmakers around the world and promote discussion in China and Hong Kong regarding women’s rights.

Festivals such as this one are particularly inspiring for young filmmakers like Jenny Won. There are practically no art cinemas in Hong Kong and without the festival it is tricky to view this kind of content. Following the China Women’s Film Festival in Hong Kong in March, she said, “The China Women's Film Festival is interesting as it brings quality, female-made documentaries to Hong Kong and China. It enables audiences to experience films such as Ava which is somewhat unusual – you don't have the chance to see that kind of film at the box office. Hong Kong normally goes for the big Avengers or superhero movies. I wouldn't have any idea about [films like Ava] if it weren't for the festival.”

Jack Tan, who founded the China Women’s Film Festival, believes film is a vital way to capture the attention of the Chinese people and encourage public debate on these kinds of issues. “[In China] it is not possible to spread information through mainstream media or big news media, which is all censored or controlled by government,” he explains. “But film… is a useful way to put social issues in the mainstream.”

However, in spite of the significant progress female filmmakers have been making in China and Hong Kong, big challenges remain. Producing films has become easier and cheaper due to technology, but without art cinemas or significant public funding it is still hard for promising filmmakers to make a name for themselves. Young filmmaker Lisa Liu says, “Now many of us are taking our cameras everywhere and shooting plenty of things, but it is surprising to me how little we earn… Newcomers are struggling. The veterans still dominate movies. Hollywood, superhero, big budget productions – that's what people opt for.”

While much has changed, the dreams of young filmmakers in China and Hong Kong today remain similar to those of women in the 1930s. As with the Japanese director Tazuko Sakane in 1936, Lisa Liu hopes to use her perspective of the world to make films: “I want to produce films about the female experience,” she says. “It's really exciting that there are more and more films about that, and I can't wait to add to that number, especially from an Eastern point of view. It's so unexplored, we've seen films produced by men all this time, but now we're on the verge of unearthing all these new perspectives.”

Which person:

1. believes female-made films have great potential?

2. struggled to find information about women in the history of Chinese cinema?

3. says that Chinese people prefer big, expensive productions?

4. is grateful to the film festival for the opportunity to see uncommon films?

5. wants to encourage the public to discuss female-made films?
6. thinks female filmmakers don't earn very much?

7. sees film as a great way to raise awareness?

Read the text below. Match the headings to the correspondent paragraphs. The first one is done for you.

Example: How long should your break be?

Holidays make us feel good; even just planning them is a source of happiness for many. Upon returning to work, we tend to feel refreshed and more inspired. The question is: how long should they last? Could this be determined by an economic concept called the “bliss point”? Some think this concept could be the key to establishing exactly how long we should make our getaways, whether they are city breaks or safari adventures.

The term “bliss point” is a familiar one in the food industry, where it means identifying the optimal levels of salt, sugar and fat required to ensure a combination that consumers love and crave. As an economic concept, however, it refers to the peak level of consumption for attaining satisfaction – any less and we still want to consume more, but any more than this amount and we actually feel less satisfied. It is like when we listen to a new song: first, we can't get enough of it. Eventually, however, hearing this song too often will actually make it less enjoyable for us to listen to.

Some psychologists believe that dopamine may be the key to understanding the link between activities and our positive response to them. This is a chemical released by the brain to provide a pleasurable feeling in response to rewarding activities such as eating, being in love or even gambling, for example. Discovering a new place on holiday creates challenges and unfamiliar situations, and adapting to these also stimulates the release of dopamine. Going on holiday somewhere comfortable and familiar may result in a less stimulating experience, whereas an exciting step into the unknown could make for memorable, dopamine-fuelled adventures.

It has been said that almost half of the satisfaction a holiday provides us comes from the sense of novelty involved; new and unfamiliar stimuli we encounter, a refreshing release from the grind of our daily routines. This doesn't last forever, however: staying in one destination for a long time and doing the same activities repeatedly – in a hotel resort, for example – may diminish this sensation as we soon become accustomed to our new surroundings and develop new routines.

It is thought that there are various ways to achieve leisure bliss, particularly through activities that educate and challenge us, or give us a sense of purpose. Volunteering and helping others, for instance, may engage us more than sunbathing on a beach. Equally, activities that are physically or mentally tiring, such as long walks or partying all night, may increase the intensity of the holiday and bring us to the “bliss point” more quickly than we might expect.

The environment in which we find ourselves on holiday could potentially be an important factor too. The hustle and bustle and bright lights of a city break may excite us greatly, but they can also take a physical and emotional toll as we find ourselves stressed, anxious and struggling to sleep – particularly if we are not used to living in an urban area. On the other hand, city dwellers may feel more at ease exploring another city rather than a rural destination. While we tend to like the idea of having new experiences, it could be the case that familiar stimuli leave us feeling happier in the end.

We do actually have some element of control over when our bliss point arrives – in fact, we are already doing this somewhat subconsciously as we book the types of holidays and activities, and choose their length, according to our existing preferences. That said, taking into account fellow travellers, such as family or friends, may render this more difficult as our individual preferences are compromised. When we accommodate the desires of others, the bliss point often arrives sooner than we would like.

Quality, not just quantity1 of 6.

Just the right amount of something2 of 6.

Surroundings have a say3 of 6.

Keeping it fresh4 of 6.

The happy chemical that could be key5 of 6.

Know what works for you6 of 6.

Read the text and type the correct word from the three options given to complete sentences in the text.

When Paul McCartney, 15, met John Lennon, 16, in 1957, little did the world know its music scene was about to be (radicalised/transformed/transcended) forever. Lennon invited McCartney to join his band, The Quarrymen, on rhythm guitar. He was soon followed by a certain George Harrison, and the original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe.

An encouraging start in Liverpool lead The Beatles' first manager, Allan Williams, to arrange a stay in Hamburg, Germany. Further line-up changes took place with Pete Best joining as drummer – not long after replaced by a young Ringo Starr – and Sutcliffe failing to impress meant that McCartney ended up replacing him on bass.

After several performances in Hamburg, the Beatles came home in 1961 to a lead role in the thriving Mersey beat scene at the time. After a run of shows at The Cavern Club, they were (viewed/elicited/spotted) by Brian Epstein, who would become their new manager in 1962. He signed them to EMI's Parlophone label and before long they began their first recording session at Abbey Road Studios.

In 1963, the Beatles peaked at number 1 in the UK charts with their first LP, Please Me, bringing them (elation/adulation/ovation) across the country. This was followed by extensive touring in Europe, where their fame would follow them as thousands of fans (enamoured/scoured/clamoured) to get into the venues every night – these incredible levels of adulation lead to the term Beatlemania. A year later, the 'British Invasion' happened as The Beatles finally hit the USA. They were soon adored there too, holding the top five places in the Billboard Top 100 – still a record to this day.

Four years and over 1400 live appearances later – not to mention constant recording and touring – The Beatles were starting to feel the (toll/wear/grind) of their success and their last ever performance to the public was to take place in San Francisco in August 1966.

With no further shows on the horizon, The Beatles took to the studio and started experimenting more. Between 1966 and 1970, they would record and release a further six studio LPs, including the renowned Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The (next/consequent/subsequent) tragic death of their manager, Brian Epstein, lead to cracks in the group's unity and recording sessions became interrupted by members quitting and returning.

In spite of this, The Beatles' music continued to occupy the top spots with four releases in the UK and five in the US. (Protrusions/Lesions/Tensions/) were no secret by now and the group played one final performance on the rooftop of a building in London in January 1969, followed by their album Abbey Road topping the charts worldwide just before their break up in 1970. Following this, their final studio LP, Let It Be, was released in May 1970 – a hugely popular song now regarded as a (poignant/repugnant/stagnant) finale for a group which redefined music as we know it.

Read the texts and answer the questions. Write the letter of the correct answer next to the question.

Text 1:

Happy Home Magazine needs you!

Since our recent article, Penny Wise Pound Foolish, was published, we have been inundated with messages of gratitude and enquiries as to how else readers can save their hard earned cash.

It is truly heart-warming to hear that our article has helped so many, but equally we cannot claim to be the fountain of all knowledge either – in fact, some of you have written in with even better ideas that we wish we had thought of first!

We are, therefore, inviting you to contribute with your own suggestions as to how people can spend less and save more, the best of which will then be published in our next issue.

If your entry makes it, you will receive a voucher for 50% off your next trip to the supermarket – how's that for a saving?!

Text 2:

We asked our readers to come up with their own ideas for saving money – here are the best of a brilliant bunch!

Sell your old and unwanted things online. You'd be surprised how much people will pay for something you've left in your attic for years – I've never looked back! It's also a great way to declutter and leave space for things you actually want in your house. The key to selling at a good price is timing: people often browse auction websites at weekends, so that's a clever time to put your items up for sale. Mary F, Wakefield

Sign up to membership schemes. Most supermarkets and retailers, for example, offer a membership scheme – it takes a matter of minutes to sign up and you will soon reap the rewards in terms of points and monetary rewards, just for doing something you already do! You may receive discount vouchers and find out about special offers too. Jane T, Suffolk

Buy produce in season. Seasonal food can be bought at a cheaper price as it does not need to be imported from far-away countries. It also tastes fresher and you are doing your bit for the planet, not to mention supporting local farmers! A win-win if you ask me. I was amazed to find that I've saved hundreds through doing this over the last year alone. I've also enjoyed many delicious meals! Peter W, Cardiff

[Remember, you only need to type in the letter : a, b, c or d]

1) Why is the magazine asking for reader contributions?

a)The magazine doesn't have any more ideas

b)Readers have stated that they would like to submit contributions

c)The magazine is impressed by contributions it has received so far

d)Readers were not satisfied with the recent article's ideas

2) What does Mary list as an extra benefit to making money in her tip?

a)You will have more free space in your house

b)You will have better time management

c)You will learn to negotiate better

d)You will not need to buy anything new

3) How does Jane describe membership schemes?

a)They are a lot of hassle but worthwhile

b)It takes a long time to benefit from them

c)They are worth taking up for discount vouchers alone

d)They are very simple to sign up to

4) Which writers were taken aback by how beneficial their ideas were?

a)All three writers.

b)Mary and Peter.

c)Mary and Jane.

d)Jane and Peter.