True/False/Cannot Say (UK) – Basic Level – Test 1

Passage 1

Almost a week after news broke that contractors working for Apple had access to intimate and personal Siri recordings — a practice of quality control known as “grading” — the company said late Thursday that it would halt the practice.

Apple has maintained that only a tiny fraction — less than 1 percent — of Siri voice recordings are actually heard by human workers, and each recording is usually only a few seconds long.

The “grading” procedure is common among other tech firms, including Google and Amazon, that have similar voice assistants.

Source: Cyrus Farivar- NBC News

1. Apple, Google and Amazon all have issues with “grading” practices from their voice assistants.

Passage 1

Almost a week after news broke that contractors working for Apple had access to intimate and personal Siri recordings — a practice of quality control known as “grading” — the company said late Thursday that it would halt the practice.

Apple has maintained that only a tiny fraction — less than 1 percent — of Siri voice recordings are actually heard by human workers, and each recording is usually only a few seconds long.

The “grading” procedure is common among other tech firms, including Google and Amazon, that have similar voice assistants.

Source: Cyrus Farivar- NBC News

2. “Grading” will continue because people consented to being recorded when they bought their voice assistant devices.

Passage 1

Almost a week after news broke that contractors working for Apple had access to intimate and personal Siri recordings — a practice of quality control known as “grading” — the company said late Thursday that it would halt the practice.

Apple has maintained that only a tiny fraction — less than 1 percent — of Siri voice recordings are actually heard by human workers, and each recording is usually only a few seconds long.

The “grading” procedure is common among other tech firms, including Google and Amazon, that have similar voice assistants.

Source: Cyrus Farivar- NBC News

3. Each voice recording, which is less than 1% of all conversations, is heard by a human worker.

Passage 2

The prayer-meeting at Uncle Tom’s had, in the order of hymn-singing, been protracted to a very late hour; and, as Uncle Tom had indulged himself in a few lengthy solos afterwards, the consequence was, that, although it was now between twelve and one o’clock, he and his worthy helpmeet were not yet asleep.

“Good Lord! what’s that?” said Aunt Chloe, starting up and hastily drawing the curtain. “My sakes alive, if it an’t Lizy! Get on your clothes, old man, quick!—there’s old Bruno, too, a pawin round; what on airth! I’m gwine to open the door.”

And suiting the action to the word, the door flew open, and the light of the tallow candle, which Tom had hastily lighted, fell on the haggard face and dark, wild eyes of the fugitive.

“Lord bless you!—I’m skeered to look at ye, Lizy! Are ye tuck sick, or what’s come over ye?”

“I’m running away—Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe—carrying off my child—Master sold him!”

“Sold him?” echoed both, lifting up their hands in dismay.

“Yes, sold him!” said Eliza, firmly; “I crept into the closet by Mistress’ door tonight, and I heard Master tell Missis that he had sold my Harry, and you, Uncle Tom, both, to a trader; and that he was going off this morning on his horse, and that the man was to take possession today.”

Tom had stood, during this speech, with his hands raised, and his eyes dilated, like a man in a dream. Slowly and gradually, as its meaning came over him, he collapsed, rather than seated himself, on his old chair, and sunk his head down upon his knees.

Source: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852)

4. In this story, Uncle Tom was a slave master who had sold his slaves.

Passage 2

The prayer-meeting at Uncle Tom’s had, in the order of hymn-singing, been protracted to a very late hour; and, as Uncle Tom had indulged himself in a few lengthy solos afterwards, the consequence was, that, although it was now between twelve and one o’clock, he and his worthy helpmeet were not yet asleep.

“Good Lord! what’s that?” said Aunt Chloe, starting up and hastily drawing the curtain. “My sakes alive, if it an’t Lizy! Get on your clothes, old man, quick!—there’s old Bruno, too, a pawin round; what on airth! I’m gwine to open the door.”

And suiting the action to the word, the door flew open, and the light of the tallow candle, which Tom had hastily lighted, fell on the haggard face and dark, wild eyes of the fugitive.

“Lord bless you!—I’m skeered to look at ye, Lizy! Are ye tuck sick, or what’s come over ye?”

“I’m running away—Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe—carrying off my child—Master sold him!”

“Sold him?” echoed both, lifting up their hands in dismay.

“Yes, sold him!” said Eliza, firmly; “I crept into the closet by Mistress’ door tonight, and I heard Master tell Missis that he had sold my Harry, and you, Uncle Tom, both, to a trader; and that he was going off this morning on his horse, and that the man was to take possession today.”

Tom had stood, during this speech, with his hands raised, and his eyes dilated, like a man in a dream. Slowly and gradually, as its meaning came over him, he collapsed, rather than seated himself, on his old chair, and sunk his head down upon his knees.

Source: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852)

5. Eliza successfully escapes slavery and makes her way north to freedom.

Passage 2

The prayer-meeting at Uncle Tom’s had, in the order of hymn-singing, been protracted to a very late hour; and, as Uncle Tom had indulged himself in a few lengthy solos afterwards, the consequence was, that, although it was now between twelve and one o’clock, he and his worthy helpmeet were not yet asleep.

“Good Lord! what’s that?” said Aunt Chloe, starting up and hastily drawing the curtain. “My sakes alive, if it an’t Lizy! Get on your clothes, old man, quick!—there’s old Bruno, too, a pawin round; what on airth! I’m gwine to open the door.”

And suiting the action to the word, the door flew open, and the light of the tallow candle, which Tom had hastily lighted, fell on the haggard face and dark, wild eyes of the fugitive.

“Lord bless you!—I’m skeered to look at ye, Lizy! Are ye tuck sick, or what’s come over ye?”

“I’m running away—Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe—carrying off my child—Master sold him!”

“Sold him?” echoed both, lifting up their hands in dismay.

“Yes, sold him!” said Eliza, firmly; “I crept into the closet by Mistress’ door tonight, and I heard Master tell Missis that he had sold my Harry, and you, Uncle Tom, both, to a trader; and that he was going off this morning on his horse, and that the man was to take possession today.”

Tom had stood, during this speech, with his hands raised, and his eyes dilated, like a man in a dream. Slowly and gradually, as its meaning came over him, he collapsed, rather than seated himself, on his old chair, and sunk his head down upon his knees.

Source: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852)

6. The prayer meeting was continuing into a later hour than usual.

Passage 2

The prayer-meeting at Uncle Tom’s had, in the order of hymn-singing, been protracted to a very late hour; and, as Uncle Tom had indulged himself in a few lengthy solos afterwards, the consequence was, that, although it was now between twelve and one o’clock, he and his worthy helpmeet were not yet asleep.

“Good Lord! what’s that?” said Aunt Chloe, starting up and hastily drawing the curtain. “My sakes alive, if it an’t Lizy! Get on your clothes, old man, quick!—there’s old Bruno, too, a pawin round; what on airth! I’m gwine to open the door.”

And suiting the action to the word, the door flew open, and the light of the tallow candle, which Tom had hastily lighted, fell on the haggard face and dark, wild eyes of the fugitive.

“Lord bless you!—I’m skeered to look at ye, Lizy! Are ye tuck sick, or what’s come over ye?”

“I’m running away—Uncle Tom and Aunt Chloe—carrying off my child—Master sold him!”

“Sold him?” echoed both, lifting up their hands in dismay.

“Yes, sold him!” said Eliza, firmly; “I crept into the closet by Mistress’ door tonight, and I heard Master tell Missis that he had sold my Harry, and you, Uncle Tom, both, to a trader; and that he was going off this morning on his horse, and that the man was to take possession today.”

Tom had stood, during this speech, with his hands raised, and his eyes dilated, like a man in a dream. Slowly and gradually, as its meaning came over him, he collapsed, rather than seated himself, on his old chair, and sunk his head down upon his knees.

Source: Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852)

7. Eliza’s child is named Harry.

Passage 3

Video games are a technology-based form of entertainment that have evolved drastically throughout their short history. Compared with popular, modern titles such as “God of War” and “Red Dead Redemption 2,” the plodding simplicity of early games such as Atari’s “Pong” can seem almost comical. With fans eager to advance to the latest, most cutting-edge game, titles of the past are no longer flying off store shelves.

Yet while fans will continue to seek out the newest games, buying them soon after release, the best-selling games of all time continue to be those that are all-around outstanding. These are the titles that gamers return to despite – in certain cases – outdated aspects such as graphics and gameplay.

Some video games – such as Nintendo’s “Duck Hunt” and “Super Mario Bros.” – are extremely old relative to the medium, having been first released in the mid-1980s. These games are fan favorites that have spawned merchandise, movies, and even popular snack foods.

Source: Charles Stockdale & John Harrington, USA Today, July 5, 2019

8. “Super Mario Bros” is an example of a game that is still considered cutting edge and advanced.

Video games are a technology-based form of entertainment that have evolved drastically throughout their short history. Compared with popular, modern titles such as “God of War” and “Red Dead Redemption 2,” the plodding simplicity of early games such as Atari’s “Pong” can seem almost comical. With fans eager to advance to the latest, most cutting-edge game, titles of the past are no longer flying off store shelves.

Yet while fans will continue to seek out the newest games, buying them soon after release, the best-selling games of all time continue to be those that are all-around outstanding. These are the titles that gamers return to despite – in certain cases – outdated aspects such as graphics and gameplay.

Some video games – such as Nintendo’s “Duck Hunt” and “Super Mario Bros.” – are extremely old relative to the medium, having been first released in the mid-1980s. These games are fan favorites that have spawned merchandise, movies, and even popular snack foods.

Source: Charles Stockdale & John Harrington, USA Today, July 5, 2019

9. The classic game Pong is the best-selling video game of all time adjusting for inflation.

Passage 3

Video games are a technology-based form of entertainment that have evolved drastically throughout their short history. Compared with popular, modern titles such as “God of War” and “Red Dead Redemption 2,” the plodding simplicity of early games such as Atari’s “Pong” can seem almost comical. With fans eager to advance to the latest, most cutting-edge game, titles of the past are no longer flying off store shelves.

Yet while fans will continue to seek out the newest games, buying them soon after release, the best-selling games of all time continue to be those that are all-around outstanding. These are the titles that gamers return to despite – in certain cases – outdated aspects such as graphics and gameplay.

Some video games – such as Nintendo’s “Duck Hunt” and “Super Mario Bros.” – are extremely old relative to the medium, having been first released in the mid-1980s. These games are fan favorites that have spawned merchandise, movies, and even popular snack foods.

Source: Charles Stockdale & John Harrington, USA Today, July 5, 2019

10. “Duck Hunt” is a game that, while old, is still popular and considered a “classic”.

Passage 3

Video games are a technology-based form of entertainment that have evolved drastically throughout their short history. Compared with popular, modern titles such as “God of War” and “Red Dead Redemption 2,” the plodding simplicity of early games such as Atari’s “Pong” can seem almost comical. With fans eager to advance to the latest, most cutting-edge game, titles of the past are no longer flying off store shelves.

Yet while fans will continue to seek out the newest games, buying them soon after release, the best-selling games of all time continue to be those that are all-around outstanding. These are the titles that gamers return to despite – in certain cases – outdated aspects such as graphics and gameplay.

Some video games – such as Nintendo’s “Duck Hunt” and “Super Mario Bros.” – are extremely old relative to the medium, having been first released in the mid-1980s. These games are fan favorites that have spawned merchandise, movies, and even popular snack foods.

Source: Charles Stockdale & John Harrington, USA Today, July 5, 2019

11. According to the passage, “Pong” is slow, tedious and basic compared to modern games.

Passage 4

Twitter is at it again with another trend.

This time it doesn’t involve licking tubs of ice cream or posting a picture of yourself significantly aged, but getting to know your neighbor – sort of.

People are contacting their “textdoor” or number neighbor, or the person who has the same phone number but with the last number changed. For example, if your phone number ends in 1234, your textdoor neighbors’ numbers would end in 1233 and 1235 with the same area code and first three numbers.

Still confused? You’re not alone as many people who are receiving texts have no idea what’s going on.

Even if you’re in the know and onboard to meet your textdoor neighbor, you never know who you might get on the other end.

Source: Madeline Purdue, USA Today, August 7^th, 2019

12. “Textdoor” neighbours have the same phone number after the first number.

Passage 4

Twitter is at it again with another trend.

This time it doesn’t involve licking tubs of ice cream or posting a picture of yourself significantly aged, but getting to know your neighbor – sort of.

People are contacting their “textdoor” or number neighbor, or the person who has the same phone number but with the last number changed. For example, if your phone number ends in 1234, your textdoor neighbors’ numbers would end in 1233 and 1235 with the same area code and first three numbers.

Still confused? You’re not alone as many people who are receiving texts have no idea what’s going on.

Even if you’re in the know and onboard to meet your textdoor neighbor, you never know who you might get on the other end.

Source: Madeline Purdue, USA Today, August 7^th, 2019

13. The trend of texting one’s “Textdoor” neighbour started on Twitter.

Passage 4

Twitter is at it again with another trend.

This time it doesn’t involve licking tubs of ice cream or posting a picture of yourself significantly aged, but getting to know your neighbor – sort of.

People are contacting their “textdoor” or number neighbor, or the person who has the same phone number but with the last number changed. For example, if your phone number ends in 1234, your textdoor neighbors’ numbers would end in 1233 and 1235 with the same area code and first three numbers.

Still confused? You’re not alone as many people who are receiving texts have no idea what’s going on.

Even if you’re in the know and onboard to meet your textdoor neighbor, you never know who you might get on the other end.

Source: Madeline Purdue, USA Today, August 7^th, 2019

14. Thousands have received texts from their “textdoor neighbour” over the weekend.