CONFIDENTIAL 1 LG/FEB 2017/ELC231/ELC230

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

COURSE : INTEGRATED LANGUAGE SKILLS III /

INTEGRATED LANGUAGE SKILLS: WRITING
COURSE CODE : ELC 231/ELC230
MID-SEMESTER : FEBRUARY 2017
EXAMINATION
TIME : 1 HOUR

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. This question paper consists of two (2) parts : PART A (7 Questions)

PART B (1 Question)

2. Answer ALL questions in the Question Paper.

3. Fill in the details below:

UiTM STUDENT CARD NO. : ________________________________________

PROGRAMME / CODE : ________________________________________

PART : _________________________________________

ENGLISH LANGUAGE GROUP : _________________________________________

NAME OF LECTURER : _________________________________________

4. Do not bring any material into the examination room unless permission is given by the invigilator.

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 9 printed pages.
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PART A: (10 MARKS)

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

History of Chickenpox Vaccine

I Chickenpox is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by the Varicella

zoster virus. Its sufferers will develop a fleeting itchy rash that can spread
throughout the body. The disease can last up to 14 days and may occur in both
children and adults, of which the young are particularly vulnerable. Individuals
infected with chickenpox are expected to experience a high but tolerable level of 5
discomfort and fever as the disease works its way through the system. The
ailment was once considered to be a ‘rite of passage’ by parents in the United
States (U.S.) and thought to provide children with greater and improved
immunity to other forms of sickness later in life. This view, however, was altered
after additional research by scientists demonstrated unexpected dangers 10
associated with the virus.

II A vaccine against chickenpox was first invented by Michiaki Takahashi, a

Japanese doctor and research scientist, in the mid-1960s. Dr. Takahashi began
his work to isolate and grow the virus in 1965. Later, in 1972, he began clinical
trials with a live but weakened form of the virus that caused the human body to 15
create antibodies. Japan and several other countries began widespread
chickenpox vaccination programmes in 1974. However, it took over 20 years for
the chickenpox vaccine to be approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration
(FDA), and it was only in 1995 that the vaccine earned the U.S. government’s
seal of approval for widespread use. Even though the chickenpox vaccine was 20
available and recommended by the FDA, parents did not immediately choose to
vaccinate their children against this disease. Parents typically cited the notion
that chickenpox did not constitute a serious enough disease against which
children needed to be vaccinated.

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III However, strong belief in that view eroded when scientists discovered the link 25
between the Varicella zoster virus and shingles. Both chicken pox and shingles
are caused by the same virus. In fact, shingles is a far more serious, harmful,
and longer-lasting disease in older adults that impacts the nervous system. They
reached the conclusion that the Varicella zoster virus remains dormant inside
the body, making it significantly more likely for someone to develop shingles. In 30
light of this, the medical community in the U.S. encouraged the development,
adoption, and use of a vaccine against chickenpox to the public. Although the
appearance of chickenpox and shingles within one person can be many years
apart, there is increased risk in developing shingles as a younger adult. This
proved to be enough to convince the public on the importance of having 35
immunisation.

IV Another reason that the chickenpox vaccine was not immediately accepted and
used by parents in the U.S. is due to observations made by scientists that the
vaccine did not confer a lifetime immunity. In other words, scientists considered
the benefits of the vaccine to be temporary when given to young children. They 40
also feared giving the vaccination at an early age could increase the odds of a
person becoming infected with chickenpox later as a young adult, when the rash
is more painful and prevalent and could last up to three or four weeks. Hence,
allowing young children to develop chickenpox rather than taking a vaccine
against it was believed to be the ‘lesser of two evils.’ This idea changed over 45
time as booster shots of the vaccine elongated immunity and countered the
perceived limits on the strength of the vaccine itself.

V Today, the use of the chickenpox vaccine is common throughout the world.
Pediatricians suggest an initial vaccination shot after a child turns one year old
and booster shots after the child turns eight. The vaccine is estimated to be up to 50
90% effective and has reduced worldwide cases of chickenpox infection to
400,000 cases per year from over 4,000,000 cases before vaccination became
widespread.

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VI In light of such statistics, most doctors insist that the potential risks of developing
shingles outweigh the benefits of avoiding rare complications associated with
vaccinations. Of course, many parents continue to think of the disease as a 55
harmless ailment, refusing to take preventive steps against it. Thus parents have
failed to completely halt the decline of chickenpox among the most vulnerable
populations.

Adapted from www.magoosh.com/toefl

QUESTION 1
State whether the following statements are TRUE (T) or FALSE (F).

a) Sufferers of chicken pox develop itchy rashes for more than 14 days.

b) Parents started to give their children the chicken pox vaccination in 1995.

c) Chicken pox or shingles may appear in each individual at different

times of his/her lives regardless of age.

d) There are still parents who do not take their children for chicken
pox vaccination.

(2 marks)

QUESTION 2
What do the following words mean as used in the passage?

a) ailment (line 7) : ___________________________________________

b) notion (line 22) : ___________________________________________

c) dormant (line 29) : ___________________________________________

d) confer (line 39) : ___________________________________________

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(2 marks)

Answer the following questions in complete sentences.

QUESTION 3
Why was there a change of view by parents regarding chicken pox vaccinations?
_________________________________________________________________________

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(1 mark)

QUESTION 4
Why were parents in the U.S. reluctant to vaccinate their children against chicken pox when
the vaccine was made available in 1995?
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_________________________________________________________________________

(1 mark)

QUESTION 5
‘However, strong belief in that view eroded when scientists discovered the link between the
Varicella zoster virus and shingles’ (lines 25-26). What is the result of this notion?
_________________________________________________________________________

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(1 mark)

QUESTION 6
‘Hence, allowing young children to develop chickenpox rather than taking a vaccine against
it was believed to be the lesser of two evils’ (lines 44-45). What does the phrase ‘lesser of
two evils’ mean?
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(1 mark)

QUESTION 7
In your opinion, should parents change their perception on the issue of chicken pox
vaccination of their children?
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(2 marks)

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PART B: (10 MARKS)

Study the diagrams given below.

A survey was conducted on smartphone users’ Internet usage and the reasons for its use.
Using the information provided, write a short report about the results of the survey. Your
paragraph should be about 150 - 200 words.

Figure 1: Smartphone Users' Internet Usage

100
90
80
70
Percentage (%)

younger than 25 years of

60
age
50 25-34 years of age
40 35-44 years of age
30 45 or older
20
10
0
2014 2015 2016
Year

Table 1: Reasons for Smartphone Users’ Internet Usage (2016)

Age Group
(years) Younger
25-34 35-44 45 or older
than 25
Reasons
Use social media 4 3 2 2
Find information 2 4 4 3
Educational purposes 3 1 1 1
Purchase products online 1 2 3 4

1 - the least common reason

4 - the most common reason
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(10 marks)

END OF QUESTION PAPER

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