1. (1 point)  Which of the following statements best reflects the main idea of the article?

    a)  An obsession with pets is a cure for loneliness among Japan's childless couples [rule out; cf. Horikoshi and Akiba used as example (and perhaps typical) pet owners are both single]

    b)  Pets have many advantages over babies for young people in Japan. [rule out; does not adequately sum up the details in the article—roughly one-third of the article discusses the alarming drop in birthrate which this sentence does not mention]

    c)  Japan's growing pet population is a worrying sign of a declining birthrate. [This sentence contains the topic about Japan's pet boom. It is a general statement that sums up the contents of the article. All the other paragraphs in the article explain, illustrate or discuss details of this general idea. It tells the author's most important point.]

    d)  Japanese people are at risk of becoming extinct within the next 100 years. [rule out; no mention of topic: pets]

2. (1 point)  What is the purpose of the article?

    a)  To persuade Japanese people to marry and have more children.

    b)  To warn readers about a serious demographic problem in Japan.

    c)  To give examples that show how dogs in Japan are "man's best friend"

    d)  To explain the causes and possible effects of a current trend in Japan


3. (1 point)  In your own words, write a sentence that expresses the main idea of ¶4. 

¶4    And doggie fashion is just the beginning. There are gourmet dog food stores, yoga classes and restaurants where dogs sit on chairs to eat organic meals. There are hot spring resorts where, for $100 (THB 3,200) a session, a pet poodle can take a one-to-one swimming lesson, enjoy a relaxing bubble bath, or have an aromatherapy massage. There are dog hotels, and even daycare centers for pooches, like Tinkerbell and Ginger, with busy working "parents." All told, Japan's pet industry is estimated to be worth more than ¥1tn a year (about THB 40bn)!

Student A: In Japan, there are many facilities services available for pets.
[This main idea would sum up the details in the paragraph better if it included a sense of the cost which is reflected in the final summarizing sentence that contains the convenient clue to the main idea—the phrase "All told."]

Student B: Japan’s pet industry is growing continuously.

[This main idea sentence, focusing on continuous growth, does not reflect the details in the other sentences which illustrate variety and kinds of pricey services for pets. Also, because the prompt asks for "in your own words," it would be ]

Student C: Nowadays there are many services for a dog.

[This main idea sentence is too broad for ¶4. The details in the paragraph only illustrate the many types of businesses for pets in Japan, not elsewhere or in the world in general.]

Student D: There’re many businesses related to pet which cost a large amount of money.

["There are" is more appropriately formal for academic writing than "There're." This main idea sentence, with "many" captures the quantity aspect of pet businesses but does not adequately sum up the details in the paragraph which illustrate the wide range of pet services offered. Also, it does not reflect the illustrative sentences in the paragraph that refer only to the pet industry in Japan, not pet businesses in general.]

Student E: All the many kinds of pet-related businesses in Japan together involve a very large amount of money.

[This main idea sentence is a general sentence that sums up the details illustrated in the other sentences in the paragraph. It makes complete sense my itself. It contains the topic: Japan's pet industry, and it follows the instructions of the prompt to restate the main idea of the paragraph "in your own words" rather than lifting the exact wording of the last sentence of the article paragraph.]

4. (1 point)  In paragraph 4, why is the word “parents” between inverted commas (quotation marks)?

Student A: To say that these owners treat their pets as if they are their parents, but they are not their real biological parents.

Student B: To say that the owners treat their pets as their children but the human owners are not the pets' biological parents.

Student C: Because the writer wants to note to readers that these people are not really the real parents of pets.

Reference:

• scare quotes (The Chicago Manual of Style, 16^th ed.)
  Quotation marks are often used to alert readers that a term is used in a nonstandard (or slang), ironic, or other special sense. Nicknamed scare quotes, they imply “This is not my term” or “This is not how the term is usually applied.” Like any such device, scare quotes lose their force and irritate readers if overused.
  
  
• scare quotes (Oxford Dictionaries)
  Quotation marks placed round a word or phrase to draw attention to an unusual or arguably inaccurate use
  
  
• scare quotes (Collins English Dictionary)
  quotation marks placed around a word or phrase to indicate that it should not be taken literally or automatically accepted as true
  

5. (1 point)  In your own words, why are small dogs more popular in Japan than larger dogs?

Student A: Because most people live in small apartments.
[This answer will receive zero points because it does not follow the test instructions to say "in your own words." The phrases "most people" and "live in small apartments" are direct quotes from the article.]

Student B: Because in crowded cities, the spaces where people usually live are small, so having smaller dogs that take up only a little room seems to be more suitable than having bigger dogs.

6. (1 point)  Of the reasons given in the article for Japanese  preferring pets to children, which one best explains why Toshiko Horikoshi has dogs instead of children? Explain.

Student A: Response

7. (1/2 point)  What word or phrase in paragraph 6 has the same meaning as “recession” in paragraph 5?

Student A: economic stagnation

8. (1/2 point)  The best transitional word for the blank in paragraph 6 is __________.

Student A: Therefore


9. (1 point)  In the article, Jiro Akiba is used as an example of __________.

Student A: young men who, in part because of Japan's ongoing economic stagnation, don’t have enough money to get married and have a proper family, so they are happier to spend what money they have to take care of their pets.


10. (1 point)  What make “Kotaro” (¶6) a good name for Jiro Akiba’s pet dog?

Student A: Because he thought that it’s like his real first baby.

[This response may get half a point because it does not mention the Japanese meaning of Kotaro.]

Student B: Because Kotaro means "first-born son" in Japanese and Akiba feels like his pet dog is his first baby.

11. (1 point)  In your own words, how is Japan’s “one-child policy” different from the policy in China (¶7)?

Student A: In China, the one-child policy is the government’s policy but in Japan, it is the trend of Japanese people without any forcing or any official policy.

12. (1 point)  Why do some officials predict that the birth rate in Japan will continue to fall in 2012?

Student A: Because there are many young Japanese people are more uncertain to have babies

[This response is too vague and broad. It does not mention the information in paragraph 7 that lead to National Institute of Population deputy director Kanebo to say "We realise that we are living in dangerous times" and make the prediction that "Many young people are even more hesitant to have children now."]

Student B: Because in 2011 the population of Japan dropped significantly. This is combined with an earthquake in March of the same year and a nuclear accident which makes officials think that young people will even less desire to have children.

13. (1 point)  Give two examples of things the government has done to increase the birth rate in Japan.

Student A: Offering child benefits and providing nursery places

Student B: Offering lower taxes for families that have children and giving maternity leave

14. (1 point)  In paragraph 7, the writer tells us “Japan’s population has the longest life expectancy in the world which—coupled with the falling birth rate—means a pensions time bomb looms.” Explain what this mean in your own words.

Student A: Japan has much more older people than young people. With the birthrate decreasing, there will be a serious problem because Japan will not have enough young people to work for the country and pay to take care of the increasing old population.

15. (3 points)  Indicate whether the following statements are true of false (T/F) based on the information given in the reading passage. Provide the evidence from the text that supports your answer.

    F  a)  There are more pets than people in Japan.

        Evidence:

Student A: There are more pets than children.

    F  b)  Japan's population of old people is shrinking.

        Evidence:

Student A: Japan’s population has the longest life expectancy in the world

    F  c)  Japan has had a stable government in recent years.

        Evidence:

Student A: We all—companies, the government, people young and old—need to think seriously about this problem...or Japan will have a very hard time.

[This evidence does not give any supportive information about the instability of the government. Student A will receive zero points for c) even though F is correct.]

Student B: In the last two decades [Japan] has struggled through a recession.

[A recession is an economic problem; it does not necessarily translate to political instability. Using this information as evidence does not support your indication that the statement about the stability of the government is false. Student A will receive zero points for c) even though F is correct.]

Student C: critics complain that [government incentives] are...subject to frequent political change

16. (1/2 point)  Paragraph number _____ is a reasons paragraph.

    a)  2                b)  4                c)  5                d)  7

17. (2 1/2 points)  Write a suitable synonym for each of the following. Pay attention to word form when writing your answer.

    a)  plummeting (¶2)

Student A: fall

["fall" is not an -ing form like plummeting is. This response will get no points.]

Student B: falling

Student C: dropping

    b)  pampered (¶3)

Student A: spoiled

    c)  couture (¶3)

Student A: designer

    d)  fathom (¶5)

Student A: understand

    e)  arrest (¶9)

Student A: stop

18. (1 point)  What do the following refer to? 

    a)  It (¶6)

Student A: Having a dog

Student B: Having a dog to take care of like a baby

Student C: Kotaro

[The antecedent for "it" in this passage is Akiba's statement that having a dog is a good thing: "It is good to have a dog." So, "it" here does not refer to Kotaro. This response receives no points.]

    b)  this (¶9)

Student A: persuading Japanese people that having a dog is not a good replacement for having a real baby