The document summarizes key details from the movie Babies and compares how four babies from different parts of the world are raised. It describes that Ponijao lives in a mud hut in Namibia and is often held by family members, while Bayar in Mongolia spends more time alone as his mother works. It also notes that while Hattie in San Francisco attends a parent group, Bayar and Ponijao's lives are more connected to the natural world around them.

1. Q2e Reading and Writing 4 Final Test
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _________________
© Oxford University Press. Permission to edit and reproduce for instructional use. 1
Read the article. Then answer questions 1–4.
Babies Around the World
1 If you’re about to have your first baby, or find yourself drawn to the incredibly cute, you may
want to see the film Babies by Thomas Balmes. First-time parents are often nervous about the
adventure ahead of them. Experts tell them to buy books on good parenting, read up on the most
innovative toys, and start thinking about which classes will help little Mary or Hugo to be the
smartest kid in the neighborhood. But if Balmes’s movie is any indication, most kids will do just
fine no matter how they are raised.
2 The movie follows four children from the moment they take their first breath until they are able
to take their first steps. Ponijao lives in a dusty village in Namibia, Bayarjargal in a tent in
Mongolia, Mari in a skyscraper in Tokyo, and Hattie in a small house in San Francisco.
3 Ponijao lives in a mud hut surrounded by other children and their mothers. For the first few
months, she is held constantly, whether it is in her mother’s arms, strapped to her mother’s back,
or draped over the knee of an older child. She eats whenever she is hungry and falls asleep to the
rhythm of her mother’s work. In contrast, Bayar spends his early days nearly alone. His mother
bundles him tightly and lays him on the bed as she goes about her work in the fields with their
cows and goats.
4 In a scene that reinforces the different lifestyles, Hattie’s parents take her to a parent-child
group where all the parents sing a chant that sounds like it could be a Native American song,
“We are one with each other, we are one with the earth.” While we watch Hattie get up and walk
to the door, clearly unimpressed by the activity, we are reminded of Bayar and Ponijao, whose
lives are much more connected to the earth. Bayar, the baby who is left the most on his own,
seems to have great attachments to the animals in his world. In one scene, he wanders outside
and sits down with the baby goats. In another, an adult goat reaches in through the window to
drink from Bayar’s bathwater. And in perhaps the most potentially frightening scene, we see him
standing on a metal tub or can out in the midst of a herd of cows. We, as viewers, may be
frightened. Bayar is not. This is his world.
Read the statements. Write T (true) or F (false). Then correct each false statement to make
it true.
_____ 1. Ponijao is often surrounded by family members.
______________________________________________________________________________
_____ 2. Bayar often goes to work with his mother in the fields.
______________________________________________________________________________
_____ 3. Mari lives in a skyscraper in Tokyo.
______________________________________________________________________________

2. Q2e Reading and Writing 4 Final Test
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _________________
© Oxford University Press. Permission to edit and reproduce for instructional use. 2
_____ 4. Hattie stays at home while her parents go to a group to sing a chant.
______________________________________________________________________________
Read the article. Then answer questions 5–8.
The Power of Urban Nature
1 City dwellers know the value of green space. Residents of Tokyo seek out Ueno Park for rest,
relaxation, and recreation. On a visit to the park complete with ancient buildings, a zoo, and
fabulous trees and flowers, they can get away from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. In New
York City, tourists and locals alike make use of Central Park. Four kilometers (2.5 miles) long
and nearly a kilometer (0.5 mile) wide, the park offers meadows, playing fields, wooded areas,
and trails for walking, running, or biking. Around the world, cities have begun to preserve or
extend their green space—a good thing because recent research indicates just how important
nature is to our mental health.
2 Overall, nature seems to have positive effects on people’s emotions and thinking. It helps calm
and focus the mind. And, being exposed to nature has been shown to reduce negative emotions
like frustration and stress.
3 In addition to the calming effect of nature, it seems to have the ability to help people focus.
One reason may be that there is much less visual input, or things to pay attention to, in nature.
When you walk down a city street, paying attention can be a laborious process. There are so
many things competing for your attention all at once: traffic lights, honking cars, people
bumping into you, cell phone conversations, taxis picking up passengers, the rumble of subway
cars, and the wail of police and ambulance sirens. You’re constantly focusing on one thing, and
then the next, trying to decide what you really need to pay attention to. In a related study at the
University of Michigan, students were tested in one of two situations: walking through a park or
walking down a busy city street. Those who had walked through the park had better moods and
did better on a test of attention and working memory than those who had walked through the
city.
4 Research is helping us understand the reasons why parks appeal to city residents so much.
Policymakers and city planners should pay attention. Parks are not just pretty—they reduce
stress, frustration, and violence. They help people focus and remember better. Not only are
individuals happier and calmer, but cities as a whole may function better. If parks become
accessible to everyone living in cities, don’t be surprised if you hear something. It’s probably the
sound of you thinking.

3. Q2e Reading and Writing 4 Final Test
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _________________
© Oxford University Press. Permission to edit and reproduce for instructional use. 3
Complete the outline for paragraphs 1, 2, and 3. Match each part of the outline with the
correct information.
I. Introduction
A. Thesis: (5) __________
II. Being in nature gives people emotional benefits.
A. It makes people feel calm.
B. (6) __________
III. (7) __________
A. In nature, people can pay better attention because
they experience less visual input.
B. (8) __________
A. In the city, there are many things to pay attention to, so it is harder to focus.
B. Spending time in nature can improve our thinking and our emotional health.
C. People can focus and concentrate better in nature.
D. It reduces frustration and stress.
Complete each sentence with the correct word from the word bank:
benefit expertise inevitable rigid
9. People who have worked in accounting for many years usually have more
____________________ than workers who have just graduated from college.
10. When biologists discover a new animal, it is ____________________ that the media will
report their discovery in newspapers, magazines, or on TV.
11. Easy access to fresh vegetables is one ____________________ of growing your own
garden.
12. My mother has very ____________________ rules about when I must be home; she
doesn’t like it when I’m late.

4. Q2e Reading and Writing 4 Final Test
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _________________
© Oxford University Press. Permission to edit and reproduce for instructional use. 4
Read the sentence. Use the underlined collocation to decide if the subject of the sentence is
the cause or the effect. Choose A or B.
13. The heavy rainstorm brought about flooding in the city.
A. cause
B. effect
Complete the sentence. Choose A, B, or C.
14. The students worked __________ on their group presentation.
A. collaborated
B. collaboration
C. collaboratively
15. The meaning of the word root –vis- (used in television and revise) is __________.
A. write
B. turn
C. see
16. When people engage __________ play as adults, they often feel happier.
A. in
B. from
C. about
Correct the error in reported speech in the sentence.
17. College students often wonder what will they do in the future.
___________________________________________________________________
Rewrite the sentence by changing the adverb clause to an adverb phrase.
18. Because he is a wildlife biologist, Dr. Harmon works with many wild animals.
___________________________________________________________________
Combine the sentences with and, but, or or. Use parallel structure or ellipsis.
19. We packed our rope. We packed our helmets. We packed our climbing boots.
___________________________________________________________________

5. Q2e Reading and Writing 4 Final Test
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _________________
© Oxford University Press. Permission to edit and reproduce for instructional use. 5
Read the sentence. Which statement is the argument? Choose A or B.
20. Although many adults feel they do not have time to have fun, they need to understand
how helpful play can be.
A. Adults do not have time to play.
B. Adults can benefit from playing.
Choose the best response.
21. Which sentence best summarizes the main idea of the article, “Babies Around the
World”?
A. Babies is a movie that compares the way babies are raised in four different parts
of the world.
B. In the movie Babies, Ponijao lives in a mud hut in Tanzania, and she often falls
asleep on her mother’s back.
22. Which is the correct thesis statement for a cause and effect essay?
A. Recent studies in nutrition have led to changes in the way people eat.
B. Recently, experts have found that the public is confused about nutrition.
C. Doctors should be people’s main source of information about nutrition.
D. There are more news stories about nutrition than there were ten years ago.
23. Which is the correct thesis statement for an opinion essay?
A. Recently, governments around the world have reduced funding for their space
programs.
B. Some people believe space exploration is worthwhile, but others think it is a
waste of time and money.
C. We should stop supporting space exploration because it has a number of
disadvantages.
D. Since the 1950s, humans have put people on the moon and satellites into space
to look for other life forms.
Rewrite the sentence. Change the sentence into an active sentence.
24. The group was led by an expert hiker.
__________________________________________________________________

6. Q2e Reading and Writing 4 Final Test
Name: ____________________________________ Date: _________________
© Oxford University Press. Permission to edit and reproduce for instructional use. 6
Read the body paragraph of a persuasive essay. Complete the paragraph with the correct
sentence. Choose A, B, C, or D.
(25) __________. Children need to be active to stay healthy, but they also need time to
relax, talk with, and play with their siblings and parents. Spending too much time out of the
house doing after-school activities makes this very difficult to do. Families with busy schedules
can feel less connected to each other. Children are too busy, often say they “miss” their families,
and vice versa, even though they see each other every day.
A. While these parents have good intentions, they may actually be making it more difficult
for their children to succeed.
B. Putting children in too many activities after school can also hurt their relationships with
their families.
C. Many parents think that involving their children in many activities helps them grow, but
in fact, it may actually do more harm than good.
D. When students get behind on homework, they can do poorly in school.