I'm back! Finally have time to do the reading paper. As per usual, do have a healthy discussion in the comment section. Mind you, between the typos and the red flag questions.. I had a tough time coming up with the answers for this set. Here goes:
1. A (2025 minus 50 years is 1975)
2. A (2023: A-700, B-600, C-300)
3. B (8000 is bigger than A-2000, C-5000)
4. C (Singapore is a foreign country)
5. A (show my worth=prove herself, C is wrong because staff is professional, friendly not mentioned)
6. B (through the years.. command of various languages)
7. B (A is wrong because she is not just preparing a record of duties but leaving detailed instructions and up-to-date records for the person taking over her job=teaching)
8. B (A is wrong because she will send a tq message, not meet, C is wrong because she is leaving a forwarding address)
9. C (she thanks them..it's a pleasure working..meet again)
10. A (if she catches me staring at anything)
11. B (childhood walks.. she noticed everything)
12. C (no problem that will not be solved by the coming of spring.. several dozen neighbours believed this)
13. B (problem=annual challenge to do the impossible)
14. C (give her a magazine article..in which I wish her..)
15. A (needs a flower in addition to the animal and fern - more icons)
16. B (possibly disappear=rarest..the need to ensure its survival)
17. B (eminently suitable for pictorial use)
18. B (value of a patriotic emblem=love an pride)
19. C (different type of flowers is well discussed repeatedly in both texts)
20. B (A is wrong because only Text 1 compares different countries, C is wrong because only Text 2 discusses the results of a vote)
Part 5: AI helped locate the original article in Time:
Blank 21 (Paragraph 2)
MUET text:
“If water is so good for you, then boosting the hydrogen content should make it even healthier, right? … A handful of companies are now selling USD3 bottles… So much hype for something that tastes and looks like tap water.”
Correct option: C – That is what more and more businesses are hoping for.
Original TIME idea:
“...If water is so good for you, then boosting the hydrogen content should make it even healthier, right? So-called hydrogen water is increasingly popular. A handful of companies are now selling 3 dollar bottles of the stuff.”
→ Meaning: businesses hope people will buy this idea.
Blank 22 (Paragraph 3)
MUET text:
“Some of these companies say that adding more hydrogen to water increases energy and reduces inflammation. 22. They are backed only by a few encouraging studies…”
Correct option: F – Many health experts are doubtful about the supposed benefits of the claims.
Original TIME idea:
“Some of these companies say that adding more hydrogen to water increases energy and reduces inflammation. They are backed only by a few encouraging studies in rats and mice, and even fewer—and smaller—trials in people.”
→ The TIME article implies weak scientific support. Option F matches this idea best.
Blank 23 (Paragraph 4)
MUET text:
“The findings suggest that it may work as an antioxidant… However, the studies to prove whether that is the case have not been conducted. 23.”
Correct option: A – The science behind those claims is weak.
Original TIME idea:
“The studies to prove whether that is the case, however, haven’t been conducted.”
→ This directly means: the science is weak.
Blank 24 (Paragraph 5)
MUET text:
“He found that people who drank it seemed to have increased enzyme activity… 24. That was enough to convince him to study hydrogen water…”
Correct option: D – So far, people who have tried the water have found it safe.
Original TIME idea:
“It seemed to be harmless and cheap,” he says.
→ MUET changes wording but same meaning: safe to drink.
Blank 25 (Paragraph 6)
MUET text:
“There is no regulation to standardise formulas… mainly because there is not a solid scientific base… 25.”
Correct option: E – The amounts of hydrogen in the various products vary widely.
Original TIME idea:
“It is unclear how much hydrogen is needed… There’s no regulation to standardize formulas…”
→ This leads to variation across products.
Blank 26 (Paragraph 7)
MUET text:
“Aluminium containers seem to be effective… ‘We are still not sure how aluminium can retain hydrogen,’ Dr Perricone states. 26.”
Correct option: G – That means, at least in theory, hydrogen water could help to reduce many critical conditions.
Original TIME idea:
“It seems that this is something worth trying,” he added.
→ MUET rewords it to a more hopeful, forward-looking statement.
Final Answers (in order):
21 C
22 F
23 A
24 D
25 E
26 G
27. B (gait..is as unique to you as your fingerprint = personal information)
28. C (RED FLAG question as there seems to be no clear answer.. I choose C because the only similarity is that gait give all parties new ideas in both para 3 n 4)
29. D (summary of what computers can now do)
30. B (best summarises what he does)
31. C (upload lots of videos on social media)
32. C (Para 6 - 90% accuracy)
33. B (semi Red Flag..tricky too but I think this covers the benefits/upsides while mentioning the issue in the last paragraph about spoofing)
34. B (girl did it, the rest couldn't)
35. A (diff languages and cultures may impart diff cognitive skills)
36. C/D (another RED FLAG question.. difficult because Indonesian language doesn't change tenses whereas Mian tenses show time clearly so discussion would be difficult.. but D is also true because Americans have words for relatives but Russian verbs reveal the gender so communication would also be difficult)
37. B (spatial space, temporal - time)
38. A (example sentences)
39. D (distinctive because they first noted which way they are facing before arranging either left to right or right to left)
40. B (VERY RED FLAG QUESTION!!!! This is because the text did not provide sufficient info. A is closest because when faced east, the cards came towards your body but even in this diagram the arrow is going northwards not towards the body. At first B to me is unacceptable because there is no mention of facing west, C is wrong because when facing north cards go right to left but the arrow shows left to right and D is also wrong because when facing north it is supposed to go right to left but the arrow shows that the cards are coming towards you. The only indicator that B is the best answer as a friend just pointed out is that in line 64, they arranged from east to west confidently) CONCLUSION - CRAZY.. there is no real need for the question to be this confusing.
Ok.. dear MPM item builders and vetters.. 1. why are there so many 'ralat' in the rubric and the sources this time, I counted 3 at least. 2. Is it necessary to make Part 7 so mind boggling. There is nothing in the language that proves the right answer for question 40. I also counted 3 red flag questions in parts 6 and 7. But hey, I'm just a regular teacher, I am sure I must be wrong then. Kindly pls enlighten. Nevertheless, most of the questions are of good quality so kudos for this *claps*.
As for students and teachers using this guide, I can only SUGGEST my answers, no one is forcing you to use them or believe in them. Let us just wait for the 2025 official answers to be published.
Good luck to all! What is past is past! Move on, forward we march!
For those reading this and preparing for any upcoming MUET exam, u can pm me to register for any of my webinars and live preps. 01121098865, with love, Mdm Audrey
