LSP401 Final Examination : QUESTION 1 Reading Comprehension (50 marks)

SAMPLE
TEXT A (24 marks)
Read the text below and answer all the questions that follow.

Selfies

1. In a world obsessed with social media, selfies have become a teenager’s

online identity. A selfie is no different from arriving at a job interview looking
your best, says Pamela Rutledge, a media psychologist and director of the
Media Psychology Research Center in Newport Beach, California. The photos
intend to present yourself in your best light, and with social media, young
people especially the teenagers have the power to do so whenever they want.
Selfies are primarily a form of communication that is more immediate and
more authentic. Teenagers care what other people think of them, so how they
present themselves matters. Although older generations may not relate to the
selfie culture, as parents, it is important to understand the phenomenon
and their teenage children’s social environment.   

2. Teenage years in an individual’s life involve forming identity through

socializing and social interactions that can occur 24/7 through smartphones.
In fact, social media helps many introverted adolescents make connections
they may not have otherwise, says David Proost, a psychologist in Dallas
who specializes in child and adolescent psychology. According to Proost,
adolescents are much more closely tied to each other than they have ever
been. They post selfies for people and the world to see. There is a certain
type of empowerment with that and how they present themselves.

3. Selfies contribute to the online personas teenagers create for themselves.

From pictures to statuses, each component builds their online identity.
Although it might seem overly self-interested to some adults, teenagers
today are no more concerned about their appearances than teenagers of the
past. It is the same culture but just presented in a new format. What is seen in
profiles is people’s aspirational self or their best self. This shifting in identity is
 not unusual and it is just people are aware of it now. Proost says when a
teenager posts a selfie, his or her desire for likes or comments is part of the
natural desire for peer approval. It is a form of recognition for them. That is the
danger with teenagers overly looking for that external form of validation rather
than trying to foster internal validation.

4. There is research to say that people who post too many selfies and people
who talk about themselves too much alienate their friends. Rutledge says,
what is seen is the visual version of that. Rutledge and Proost agree that
selfies should be posted in moderation. While there is not a specific number of
selfies a teenager should or should not post, once it becomes an obsession
that he or she is constantly thinking about, it could indicate a social media
addiction. Social media use can turn into a problem when a teenager's sense
of self-worth relies on peer approval, Proost says. Whether they are posting
from the football game bleachers or on a family vacation, teenagers can
access social media anywhere and all the time. Having constant connection
can be dangerous for young people being overly concerned with others'
opinions. "There is that danger that one negative comment can send you
down this spiral of ridicule and depression,” he points out. They may feel like
they can never escape the social environment and are constantly faced
with peer pressure.

5. Proost says spending extended portions of time every day updating their own
profile or looking at others’ profiles could indicate an addiction or impact
people’s mental health. He adds that parents should look for changes in
behavior or if a teenager seems stressed by social media. It is typical for
teenagers to isolate themselves with their phones but drastic changes in
mood could be a red flag. According to Proost, the mental health outcomes
that we are starting to notice are body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive
compulsive disorder, depression and anxiety which are related to the
conditions of excessive social media use.

6. Parents often do not understand photo filters and hashtags such as #TBT
(Throwback Thursday) and #MCM (Man Crush Monday); hence young people
are exploring new social territory without guidance or limits and by navigating
 this new terrain alone, some run into problems. In moderation, selfies and
social media can be positive tools for self-expression. Proost says parents
can help their teenagers by allowing access to social media when they feel
their son or daughter reaches an age when they can manage it. Knowing how
long your teenager spends online is also important to ensure they are not
spending an excessive amount of time on social networks. 

7. While schools may teach about cyber bullying and online predators, parents
should educate their teenagers on the mental dangers of social media
addiction and advise them against posting anything too personal or identifying
information such as their cellphone number or address. Parents should also
talk to their teenagers and not lecture them. Making pronouncements does
not really work with most teenagers as well as negotiating. Parents should
also help their teenagers form an identity uninhibited from their online profiles
besides empowering them to explore their strengths and develop their skills.
This is because teenagers’ decision-making abilities are still maturing, it is
imperative to always keep the discussion about healthy online behavior open.
“It is all about balance, balance of purpose as well as balance of use,”
Rutledge says.

Adapted from: https://health.usnews.com (July, 2014)

Section A (5 marks)
For each meaning below, find a word in the text that matches it.
No. Meaning Word

1. instant (paragraph 1) ____________________

developing (paragraph 2) ____________________

2.

3. acknowledgement (paragraph 3) ____________________

4. observe (paragraph 5) ____________________

 5. unconstrained (paragraph 7) ____________________

Section B (8 marks)
State what the following words refer to in the text.

1. they (paragraph 1) ______________________________

2. they (paragraph 2) ______________________________

3. it (paragraph 3) ______________________________

4. it (paragraph 6) ______________________________

TOTAL
TOTAL
58

Section C (6 marks)
Circle the letter corresponding to the best answer e.g. A , if A is the answer.

1. From the text, we know that a selfie is

A. not relevant to the older generations.

B. similar to doing your best at a job interview.
C. an immediate and pseudo form of communication.
D. an avenue for teenagers to present themselves best.

2. What are the adverse effects of posting too many selfies online?

I. Teenagers become boastful.

II. Social media addiction can happen.
III. Teenagers are trapped in their social environment.
IV. A person’s self-worth is dependent on peer approval.

A. I and II
B. I and III
C. II and IV
 D. III and IV

TOTAL
6

Section D (5 marks)
Answer all of the following questions.

1. What was the similar view shared by both psychologists on posting selfies
online and why?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
(3 marks)

2. According to Proost, the display of behavior in teenagers that is

(i) normal : ____________________________________________________

(ii) an indication of danger : _______________________________________
(2 marks)

TOTAL
5
TEXT B (26 marks)
Read the text below and answer all the questions that follow.

Nursing is a Job of the Future for Men

1. Jake Creviston, a nurse practitioner, has been repeatedly mistaken for a

doctor. Adam White says the veterans he cares for as a student nurse at the
Veterans Health Administration (V.A.) hospital feel comfortable around him
because he is a big burly guy with a beard. Glenn Fletcher, after being
retrenched from a lumber mill during the financial crisis, found a new career in
nursing. This job gave him a really good feeling putting his head on the pillow
realizing he has helped other people.

2. The experiences of male nurses offer lessons that could help address a
problem of our time on how to prepare workers for the fastest-growing jobs, at
a time when more than a quarter of adult men are not in the labor force. Only
13 percent of nurses in the United States are men, but that share has grown
steadily since 1960, when the number was 2 percent, according to a working
paper published in October by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth.

3. Abigail Wozniak, an economist at the University of Notre Dame, who wrote

the paper with Elizabeth Munnich, an economist at the University of Louisville
said that it is not a flood but a change. The biggest drivers found were the
changing economy and expanding gender roles. Wozniak and Munnich talked
to a dozen male nurses with various career paths and specialties.
Recruitment efforts were rigorous and have brought men into nursing. Some
were drawn to the caregiving, others to the adrenaline of the work. It is a
reliable, well-paying job at a time when jobs are hard to come by but they feel
proud of being in nursing.
4. Women have been entering male-dominated fields for decades but it is less
common for a predominantly female occupation to have a substantial increase
in its share of men. Yet the jobs that are dwindling tend to be male ones, and
those that are growing are mostly female. Nursing is no paragon of gender
equality. Even though men are a minority, they are paid more than women.
The stigma against men still runs deep, particularly among older patients and
in parts of the country with more conventional gender roles.

5. For some men, the notion that caregiving jobs are women’s work is outdated.
Adam White asserted that the idea that men cannot provide care in the way
that women can is part of that broad cultural narrative that misunderstands
what nursing is about. White, who is currently earning his nursing degree at
Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, also felt that there is a
need to talk with young people about caring as a gender-neutral idea, but also
as something that is rooted in skills or expertise.

6. The researchers also found that economic factors have played a role. There
has been a decline in some jobs because of automation, trade and the
housing crisis, and a growth in jobs and wages in health care. Nursing is
growing much faster than the average occupation, and wages have increased
steadily since 1980. The median salary is $68,450, about the same as the
median salary for college-educated workers. David Baca, an emergency
department nurse in Medford, Oregon, highlighted that a lot of those
manufacturing jobs and things of that nature does not exist anymore. Male
nurses are paid a really livable wage, and that is now starting to attract more
male nurses.

7. Nursing is a career that both men and women often start later in life, in part
because it is possible to become certified midcareer and without a bachelor’s
degree. However, as hospitals increasingly require nurses to have a four-year
degree, it could become a hindrance for men who want to enter the field.
Male nurses are more likely than females to have worked as emergency
medical technicians, military nurses, lab technicians and acute caregivers in
hospitals rather than primary care clinics. Nearly half of nurse anesthetists,
one of the highest-paying nursing jobs, are men.
8. In interviews, men said they liked the variety of work. They can be caregivers,
surgery assistants, educators, technicians or administrators. Several said they
felt an advantage in applying for nursing jobs because men are a minority in
the field. Hospitals and patients benefit when nurses more closely reflect the
patient population. Sometimes patients prefer a nurse of a certain gender,
particularly for procedures like inserting a catheter, some men feel more
comfortable talking openly with another man. White admitted that when
working with male patients, they become more comfortable with him as they
feel more understood and can drop the tough guy attitude.

9. The Oregon Center for Nursing, a work force development group,

began recruiting male and minority prospects to nursing in the early 2000s. It
started a marketing campaign, ‘Are you man enough to be a nurse?’ That
campaign spread nationwide. Posters showed male nurses carrying a
snowboard or wearing a motorcycle jacket. “It was just rethinking how we
describe the work and focusing on the kind of person it takes to be a great
nurse,” said Deborah Burton, who founded the center and is now chief nursing
officer at Providence St. Joseph Health, a health care system in the West.
More recently, efforts to recruit male nurses have focused less on gender and
more on the rewards of the career. Nurses said they welcomed the change.

Adapted from: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive (January, 2018)

Section A (5 marks)
For each meaning below, find a word in the text that matches it.
No
Meaning Word
.

1. laid off (paragraph 1)

____________________

2. solve (paragraph 2)
____________________

3. shrinking (paragraph 4)
____________________

4. traditional (paragraph 4)
____________________
 5. reduction (paragraph 6)
____________________

TOTAL
5
Section B (8 marks)
State what the following words refer to in the text.

1. he (paragraph 1) ______________________________

2. those (paragraph 4) ______________________________

3. the idea (paragraph 5) ______________________________

4. they (paragraph 8) ______________________________

TOTAL
8

Section C (9 marks)
Circle the letter corresponding to the best answer e.g. A , if A is the answer.

1. From the research, it was found that males entered nursing because of
I. unavailability of other jobs.
II. intensive recruitment drives.
III. the attraction to the excitement of the job.
IV. the different career paths and specialties available.

A. I and II
B. I and IV
C. II and III
D. III and IV

2. Gender discrimination in nursing can be seen in the following EXCEPT

A. male nurses are paid higher than female nurses.

 B. the older generation still expects nurses to be females.
C. the growth of men in this occupation is insignificant.
D. some areas of the country view men’s involvement in nursing
negatively.

3. How will male nurses benefit healthcare services and patients?

A. Male patients can understand male nurses better.

B. The number of patients is almost equivalent to male nurses.
C. Male nurses can communicate effectively with male patients.
D. Some patients are more comfortable when undergoing certain medical
procedures.

TOTAL
9

Section D (4 marks)
Answer all of the following questions.

1. In order to clear the misunderstanding about nursing, what does Adam White
propose?

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

2. The positions that male nurses have experienced holding are

(i) ______________________________________________________
(ii) ______________________________________________________
(iii) ______________________________________________________
(iv) ______________________________________________________
(2 marks)

TOTAL
4