Thousands of books and blogs – and quite a bit of legitimate science – sing the praises of positivity. Optimistic, happy people tend to be healthier, more physically active and more successful. They may even live longer. But as shown by research, positivity, when deployed at the wrong time or in the wrong amount, can have negative effects. For example, when it comes to waiting for the results of an exam or a job interview, ‘being prepared for the worst’ is shown to be a better strategy for protecting ourselves than categorical optimism. When it comes to health, negative thinking spurs people into seeking information and engaging in healthy behaviour. Finally, relentlessly positive people may seem dismissive or insensitive to friends who are having difficulties, seeming to make light of their problems.
Which one of the following best expresses the main conclusion of the above argument?
Research into positivity has so far ignored its potential downsides.
Positive thinking is not always helpful.
Being overly positive can damage our relationships with friends.
Negative thinking about health can be beneficial.
People who think positively live longer.Deseleziona risposta

Although the idea of a driverless vehicle seems like the stuff of science fiction, we are moving very close to the reality of self-driving cars. But we are so engrossed in the technology that we are ignoring the legal implications – and legislating for new scenarios takes time. A whole new set of questions is raised by the development of these machines. One example is the question of who takes responsibility when an accident happens. Given that the vast majority of crashes are caused in part at least by human error, self-driving cars should have the capacity to save lives. But they will not be perfect. So if an accident happens, who is responsible? The owner of the car, or the manufacturer of the car? The car itself cannot be prosecuted or made to pay damages.
Which one of the following can be drawn as a conclusion from the above passage?
New laws are needed to determine liability for accidents involving driverless
We should not continue to develop self-driving
All the technology needed to create a self-driving car is already
It will be impossible to determine liability for accidents involving driverless
The design of driverless cars will continue to improve withDeseleziona risposta

In 1938 the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian left Paris to escape the threat of German invasion and went to livein London, where he painted what are now regarded as his best Mondrian had the option of moving to a more rural area in England, but chose London because of his love of the diverse and vibrant culture of big cities. This explains why London has more artists living in it than any other city in England.
Which one of the following is an underlying assumption of the above passage?
Artists can only create great works if they are happy and relaxed
Other big cities in England have the same attractive features as London
London is a big city because all the artists who live there boost its size and population
Other artists make the same choice as Mondrian for the same reasons
There is less inspiration for artists in rural areas areasDeseleziona risposta

In some countries, prisoners may purchase books with the money they earn by working. Hence receiving gifts of books may discourage prisoners from undertaking paid work while in prison. This work is important in building self-esteem and encouraging a work ethic among prisoners. In any case, prisoners have access to books through the prison Therefore prisoners should not be allowed to receive parcels containing books from friends or relatives while they are serving their sentence.
Which one of the following, if true, most strengthens the above argument?
The range of books available in prison libraries is
Many prisoners have difficulty finding work when they are released because of their low level of
Prisoners have to purchase a range of items from their wages, including a television
Many parcels of books sent by relatives or friends have been found to contain illegal
Prisoners often read detective stories which may encourage them to glamoriseDeseleziona risposta

People who take their holidays in Las Vegas love to gamble. Gerry will be going to France for his holiday so he must not like gambling.
Which one of the following most closely parallels the reasoning used in the above argument?
People who live in the city hate traffic jams. You live in the country so you must like traffic
In England cars are driven on the left side of the We are driving on the left, so we must be in England.
People who eat a lot of sweets have rotten teeth. You eat a lot of sweets, so your teeth must be
You have to find the password to complete the game. You haven’t finished the game yet so you can’t have found the
You always walk when you are visiting your You are not visiting your sister so that’s why you are taking the car.Deseleziona risposta

LoCost sells three different types of washing powder: Zoom, Zap and Ownbrand. Zoom is a double concentrate brand needing only half the amount of powder used by the other two brands. Which one of the boxes of powder below represents best value for money?




Deseleziona risposta

36% of the contents of a tin of sweets have been Today, 25% of the remaining sweets will be eaten. The same number of sweets will be eaten on each of the following 2 days.
What % of its original contents will it then contain?
9
15
24
16
25Deseleziona risposta

As part of a maths project, a class of 30 children conduct a survey amongst themselves of how many brothers and sisters they have. They each write their name in the appropriate space on the chart below. No one in the class has a brother or sister who is also in the class.

How many of the 30 families involved in the survey have a total of 3 or more children?
11
6
7
8
10Deseleziona risposta

Jeff is looking to buy a new car. He will only be using it for commuting to his workplace for 1 year and will have a total annual mileage of 20 000. He wants to buy the car which would make his total spend over the year, including the initial cost of the car, the lowest.



Using the table above, which type of car should he buy?
autogas
diesel
hydrogen
electric
petrolDeseleziona risposta

A piece of paper is laid on a table in landscape orientation (i.e. the longer side running left to right and the shorter side running top to bottom).
This piece of paper is then folded in half four times, alternately by moving the left hand side across over the right hand side and folding, and by moving the top half down over the bottom half and then folding. After each fold a dot is made with a pen in the centre of the face showing on the table.
After the four folds and four dots, the paper is unfolded in the reverse sequence and is then turned over so that the four dots are showing.
What is the pattern of the dots on the paper? (Dotted lines represent the fold marks)




Deseleziona risposta

Which of the following languages is not a member of the ‘Romance’ language family?
Spanish
Catalan
French
Bulgarian
RomanianDeseleziona risposta

Which of these people did NOT win the Nobel Prize in Literature?
Pablo Neruda
Harold Pinter
Thomas Mann
Bob Dylan
Charles DickensDeseleziona risposta

Which one of the following is the director of the film Amarcord?
François Truffaut
Alfred Hitchcock
Francis Ford Coppola
Stanley Kubrick
Federico FelliniDeseleziona risposta

Which of the following books was NOT written by Primo Levi?
If This Is a Man
Beyond Good and Evil
The Truce
If Not Now, When?
The Drowned and the SavedDeseleziona risposta

The name of the German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss is famously associated with
the sine function
the normal distribution curve
the law of supply and demand
the uncertainty principle
Bayes’ theoremDeseleziona risposta

Which one of the following was the first human to complete an orbit of the Earth in 1961?
Yuri Gagarin
Neil Armstrong
Buzz Aldrin
Valentina Tereshkova
John GlennDeseleziona risposta

Which one of the following pairs of archipelago/country is NOT correct?
Azores – Portugal
Canary Islands – Spain
Cape Verde – Brazil
Galapagos Islands – Ecuador
Hawaii – United States of AmericaDeseleziona risposta

Which one of the following international organisations maintains a list of the World Heritage Sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance?
WHO
UNICEF
OECD
WTO
UNESCODeseleziona risposta

Which one of the following pairs of currency/country is NOT correct?
Peso – Argentina
Baht – Thailand
Rand – South Africa
Euro – Hungary
Rupee – IndiaDeseleziona risposta

Which of the following institutions of the Republic of Italy is democratically elected by direct universal suffrage?
Senate of the Republic
Government
President of the Republic
President of the Council of Ministers
High Council of the JudiciaryDeseleziona risposta

Which one of the following is NOT a principle of the sharing economy?
Access is preferable to ownership
Transparent and open data increases innovation
Stranger danger can be overcome
Competition is dangerous
Unused value is wasted valueDeseleziona risposta

The Fields medal is a prestigious award in the field of
Psychology
Biology
Mathematics
Economics
MusicDeseleziona risposta

The diagram represents the fluid mosaic model of a cell membrane.

Which one of the labels 1-5 shows a hydrophobic region of a molecule?
1
2
3
4
5Deseleziona risposta

The structure of the amino acid asparagine is shown. In each image (V-Z) a part of the structure is enclosed by a line.

Which line completely encloses the part of the molecule that is common to all naturally occurring amino acids and the R-group for this amino acid?


Row 1
Row 5
Row 3
Row 2
Row 4Deseleziona risposta

Which of the following statements about healthy living organisms are correct?

1. They are made up of one or more cells.
2. They have DNA as the genetic material.
3. They use energy to stay alive when their surroundings change.
4. They undergo phases of growth.

1, 2 and 4 only
1, 3 and 4 only
1, 2 and 3 only
1, 2, 3 and 4
2, 3 and 4 onlyDeseleziona risposta

The diagram shows how recombinant DNA can be used to make cotton plants produce an insect toxin. The insect toxin kills any insect that can damage the cotton crop.

What are the TWO functions of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens bacteria in this process?

1. They stimulate cell division in cotton plant seeds.
2. They supply the plasmid vector.
3. They are the source of the gene for the production of the insect toxin.
4. They are the source of the gene for antibiotic resistance.

1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
1 and 4 only
2 and 3 only
2 and 4 onlyDeseleziona risposta

Which one of the structures listed is NOT involved in the reabsorption of water in a healthy human?
glomerulus
distal convoluted tubule
collecting duct
loop of Henle
proximal convoluted tubuleDeseleziona risposta

Which of the following statements about bile in the digestive system are correct?

1. It emulsifies fat globules.
2. It dilutes the contents of the small intestine.
3. It lowers the activation energy of lipase.
4. It helps to reduce the acidity of the contents leaving the stomach.

1 and 4 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 2 only
1, 2 and 4 only
1, 2 and 3 onlyDeseleziona risposta

The heart of a developing human fetus normally has a hole in the septum. The septum separates the right atrium and the left atrium. Which one of the statements about the circulation in the developing fetus with a hole in the septum is correct?
Blood entering the right atrium can bypass the lungs and go to the rest of the body.
Blood in the right atrium may return directly to the vena cava.
Blood in the pulmonary artery will go directly to the aorta.
The maximum pressure in the aorta is the same as the maximum pressure in the contracting atrium.
The atrioventricular node will not cause ventricular systole.Deseleziona risposta

Which row shows three structures found in a healthy human male liver cell, in order of size from largest to smallest?

[Assume that there are no mutations in the cell.]
row 1
row 2
row 3
row 4
row 5Deseleziona risposta

What is the correct order of the following events that occur immediately after acetylcholine binds to postsynaptic receptors of a muscle fibre, causing the muscle to contract?

1. Ca²⁺ ions diffuse into the sarcoplasm.
2. The muscle fibre membrane is depolarised.
3. The myosin binding site on the actin filament is uncovered.

2, 3, 1
1, 2, 3
2, 1, 3
1, 3, 2
3, 2, 1Deseleziona risposta

Which of the following is/are features of HIV?

1. It has a capsid.
2. It contains DNA.
3. It has ribosomes.

1 only
2 only
3 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 onlyDeseleziona risposta

The diagrams show five different microscopic structures. The structures are not drawn to the same scale. Which of these structures is the smallest?

1
2
3
4
5Deseleziona risposta

Which of the following healthy cells contain circular DNA?

1. Escherichia coli
2. Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast)
3. human liver cell

1 only
2 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3Deseleziona risposta

The occurrence of which of the following could allow you to distinguish between the processes of DNA replication and transcription?

1. The breaking of hydrogen bonds.
2. The formation of hydrogen bonds.
3. The formation of phosphodiester bonds.

2 only
3 only
none of them
1 and 2 only
1 onlyDeseleziona risposta

In 1981, an immature male finch (Geospiza conirostris) arrived on an island in the Galapagos. This male finch was similar to finches of the species (G. fortis) living on the island. However, G. conirostris was 70% larger than G. fortis and had a distinctly different song. The diagram shows how, after observing further generations, a new species has evolved.

The success of the new species is due to its larger bill and body size and its unique song. Which of the following terms is/are illustrated by this information?

1. sympatric speciation
2. reproductive isolation
3. post-zygotic isolation

2 only
1 only
3 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 onlyDeseleziona risposta

A single base mutation occurs in a gene. Which of the following is/are possible effects on the protein produced as a result of this mutation?

1. The protein has an altered tertiary structure.
2. The protein is shorter in length.
3. The protein is unchanged.

1 only
1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3Deseleziona risposta

Which one of the following is an example of catabolism in healthy human cells?
oxidation of NADH
attachment of tRNA to mRNA
formation of RuBisCo
ATP made during glycolysis
replication of DNADeseleziona risposta

The diagrams show animal cells from organisms that sexually reproduce. Each diagram shows a single cell containing chromosomes during cell division.
Which one of the following diagrams has a correct description for a cell from an organism with a haploid number of 4?
[Assume that the sex of the organism is inherited in the same way as in humans.]

A
B
C
D
EDeseleziona risposta

Which one of the following will be caused by an appropriate stimulus of a rod cell in the retina of a healthy human eye?
rhodopsin will form an opsin and retinol
rhodopsin will form opsonin and retinol
an opsin and retinol will form rhodopsin
rhodopsin will form an opsin and retinal
an opsin and retinal will form rhodopsinDeseleziona risposta

What does the formula Br₂ represent?
a molecule of the element bromine
a compound of the element bromine
two separate atoms of the element bromine
a molecule of the compound bromine
two bromide ionsDeseleziona risposta

Sucrose, C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁, is added to water at 20 °C until no more sucrose will dissolve.
Four statements are made about sucrose and the solution that is produced:

1. A saturated solution of sucrose is produced
2. The freezing point of the solution is 0°C
3. Sucrose is a non-polar substance
4. Sucrose is the solute

Which two statements are correct?
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 4 only
3 and 1 only
3 and 4 onlyDeseleziona risposta

Which of the following is the equation for the reaction of magnesium with excess cold water?
Mg +  2H₂O  →  Mg(OH)₂  +  H₂
2Mg +  2H₂O  →  2MgOH  +  H₂ C Mg + H₂O
MgO + H₂
2Mg + H₂O → Mg₂O + H₂
Mg + H₂O → Mg(OH)₂ + H₂Deseleziona risposta

Which of the following substances has the weakest overall intermolecular forces?
[atomic numbers: H = 1; C = 6; N = 7; O = 8; F = 9]
CO₂
HF
H₂O
CH₄
NH₃Deseleziona risposta

An atom has atomic number x and a mass number of 2x + 6. How many neutrons are in the nucleus of this atom?
x – 6
x + 6
x + 3
x – 3
6Deseleziona risposta

In which of the following pairs of species does the vanadium, V, have the same oxidation state?
VO₂ and  VO₃^–
VO₂ and  V₂O₅
V₂O₅ and VO²⁺
VCl ₄ and VO²⁺
VCl ₄ and VO₃^–Deseleziona risposta

Which of the following pairs of molecules are structural isomers?

3 only
2 only
1 and 3 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3Deseleziona risposta

Which of the following functional groups is present in cysteine?

thiol
alcohol
ketone
amide
esterDeseleziona risposta

P, Q and R represent substances involved in a gaseous reaction. The equilibrium constant (K_c) and the sign of the enthalpy change for the reaction are:



Assuming that all other conditions remain constant, a change in which factor results in an increase of the value of the equilibrium constant, K_c?
a decrease in pressure
an increase in temperature
an increase in pressure
a decrease in temperature
use of a suitable catalystDeseleziona risposta

Which of the following molecules has a permanent overall dipole moment?
[C is in Group IV; N and P are in Group V; O and S are in Group VI; F and Cl are in Group VII]
CO₂
SF₆
CCl ₄
NF₃
PCl₅Deseleziona risposta

X and Y are acidic solutions.
X has a pH of 2 and Y has a pH of 4
Which of the following statements about the hydrogen ion concentrations of X and Y is correct?
Y has a hydrogen ion concentration 2 times  greater  than X.
X has a hydrogen ion concentration 4 times greater than Y.
X has a hydrogen ion concentration 2 times greater than Y.
X has a hydrogen ion concentration 100 times greater than Y.
Y has a hydrogen ion concentration 100 times greater than X.Deseleziona risposta

40 cm³ of a solution of sodium hydroxide is exactly neutralised by 25 cm³ of 40 mol L^-1 sulfuric acid.
2NaOH + H₂SO₄ → Na₂SO₄ + 2H₂O
What is the concentration, in g L^–1, of the sodium hydroxide solution? [M_r value: NaOH = 40]
20 g L^–1
10 g L^–1
5 g L^–1
5 g L^–1
25 g L^–1Deseleziona risposta

Given that
\(8^{2x+3}\) × \(\frac{1}{4^{3x}}\) = \(2^{x+3}\)
What is the value of x?
6
1/2
3/2
3
0Deseleziona risposta

Which of the following is equal to \(\frac{2}{2 +\sqrt{3}}\)
\(\frac{4}{7} - \frac{2\sqrt{3}}{7}\)
\(\frac{4}{7} + \frac{2\sqrt{3}}{7}\)
\(4 + 2\sqrt{3}\)
\(4 - 2\sqrt{3}\)
\(1 - \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\)Deseleziona risposta

What are the coordinates of the turning point of the graph of the quadratic equation \(y = 2x^2 + 5x - 2\)
\( (- \frac{5}{2}, - \frac{41}{16}) \)
\( (\frac{5}{4}, - \frac{41}{16}) \)
\( (- \frac{5}{2}, - \frac{41}{8}) \)
\( (- \frac{5}{4}, - \frac{41}{16}) \)
\( (- \frac{5}{4}, - \frac{41}{8}) \)Deseleziona risposta

39 male students and 36 female students were asked how many meals they had eaten in the school cafeteria during the first week of the term. The results are shown in the table:

What is the value of x?
\( 3 \frac{4}{5} \)
\( 4 \frac{2}{5} \)
\( 2 \frac{3}{5} \)
\( 4 \frac{2}{3} \)
\( 4 \frac{1}{2} \)Deseleziona risposta

The diagram represents a concave mirror, where F is the principal focus and f is the focal length.

The mirror is used to produce an image of an object. Which of the following statements are correct? [Assume the mirror is parabolic.]

1. Incident rays travelling parallel to the principal axis always pass through F after reflection.
2. Incident rays passing through F always travel parallel to the principal axis after reflection.
3. The image formed is always inverted.
4. The image formed is always real.
5. The image formed is always larger than the object.

1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
2 and 4 only
1, 3 and 4 only
3, 4 and 5 onlyDeseleziona risposta

A beaker contains 1000 g of a liquid that is stirred at its boiling point. A 100 W electric heater is completely immersed in the liquid. The heater provides the liquid with thermal energy, and 200 g of the liquid changes to vapour in 1600 s.
What is the specific latent heat of evaporation of the liquid?
[Assume that no thermal energy is transferred to or from the surroundings, and no vapour condenses.]
12.5 J/g
3200 J/g
800 J/g
160 J/g
16000 J/gDeseleziona risposta

A rocket is launched vertically from the surface of the Earth. As it leaves the launch pad, thetotal mass of the rocket and its contents is m. The gravitational field strength at the Earth’s surface is g. The rocket motor provides an upward vertical thrust T to the rocket.

What is the initial vertical acceleration of the rocket as it leaves the launch pad?
mg
\(\frac{T}{m}\)
\(\frac{T}{m} - g\)
T - mg
\(\frac{T}{m} - mg\)Deseleziona risposta

A boat crosses a river that has straight, parallel sides. In still water, the boat has a maximum speed of 4.0 m / s at maximum power. The boat is aimed at a point directly across the river from itsstarting point. The river flows at a constant speed of 3.0 m/s parallel to its sides.
What is the speed of the boat as measured by a person stationary on the bank, and what is the angle at which the boat travels, measured from a line at 90° to the bank?
[The boat travels at maximum power throughout its journey.]
speed of boat = 5.0 m/s ; angle \(cos^{-1} (\frac {3.0}{5.0}) \)
speed of boat = 5.0 m/s ; angle \(cos^{-1} (\frac {3.0}{4.0}) \)
speed of boat = 7.0 m/s ; angle \(cos^{-1} (\frac {4.0}{7.0}) \)
speed of boat = 7.0 m/s ; angle \(cos^{-1} (\frac {3.0}{7.0}) \)
speed of boat = 5.0 m/s ; angle \(cos^{-1} (\frac {4.0}{5.0}) \)Deseleziona risposta