Exam Unit 8 Reading-يوسف العمري

1. Read the following texts and answer the questions that follow.

   The doors shut with a thud behind me as I walk into the shopping centre. Immediately, there’s a buzz of noise. I can hear two or three different types of music being played in various shops. A woman walks past me, carrying lots of shopping bags. I can hear the sound of them rubbing against each other. I try to shrug it off, but it’s made me feel a bit more anxious. The lights are too bright. A man is shaking a pot full of coins – I think he’s collecting money for charity. It’s really loud. I carry on through the shopping centre. I can smell fried food. I bump into a friend, but I can’t stop to talk to her because it’s all so overwhelming. I need to calm down. I need to get out of here.

   This is a description of what it might feel like for some people with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) to go to a shopping centre. While people’s experiences vary a lot, one of the key issues for many individuals with autism is a hypersensitivity to sights, sounds, smells and tastes, which can make a simple activity, such as going shopping extremely stressful. Some people are able to cope with this kind of sensory overload reasonably well, though the stress might eat away at them inside.

   1- Why can’t the narrator stop to talk to their friend?

   • They’re late for an appointment
   • The friend ignores them
   • They feel overwhelmed
   • The friend is carrying too many bags

2. 2- Why is the man shaking a pot of coins based on the narrator’s opinion?

   • To sell the coins
   • To advertise a shop
   • To play music
   • To collect money

3. 3- Find the phrasal verb which means meet by chance.

   • bump into
   • rub against
   • eat away at
   • shrug off

4. 4- Who does the pronoun “her” refer to in the text?

   • buzz
   • woman
   • man
   • friend

5. 5- Which sensory inputs are experienced by the narrator as overwhelming overload?

   • Sounds and lights
   • Smells and textures
   • Tastes and crowds
   • Sights, sounds and smells

6. 6- Shopping can be “extremely stressful” for some with ASD because of  _____.

   • Social judgment
   • Fear of crowds
   • Financial pressure
   • Sensory overload

7. 7- How do some people cope with sensory overload?

   • Seek immediate help
   • Avoid public spaces
   • Use noise-canceling devices
   • Hide internal stress

8. VR has also been used to give people the experience of being disabled, or being in a flood. But can these experiences really help us to walk in someone else’s shoes? A major difference between simulated and actual experiences is that we volunteer to put on the VR headset. We can break off at any time and go back to our normal lives, whereas the people whose lives we’re experiencing don’t have that luxury. And, while we can experience the sounds and sights of a flood, we don’t come up against the same difficulties.

   8- What key difference exists between VR and real-life experiences?

   • We choose to start/stop VR
   • Real-life is less intense
   • VR lacks visuals
   • VR is more expensive

9. 9- What attitude towards VR is expressed by the writer?

   • It is harmful and should not be experienced at all.
   • It has some value but should be treated with caution.
   • It is fairly pointless compared with real life experience.
   • It is a passing fashion that will fade away.

10. 10- How does the writer illustrate the limitations of VR experiences?

    • By comparing VR to video games.
    • By highlighting the ability to return to reality.
    • By emphasising that VR provides 100% feelings.
    • By stating that VR is more realistic than actual experiences.