Text 4

Unsung hero: how culture influences movies and storytelling

¹ Have you ever been immersed in a film, TV show, or book and thought, "Wow, this feels so Japanese"? (or American, or French, or Chinese…?) There are so many ways our cultures differ when it comes to storytelling! A culture's values and beliefs shape the very foundation of their stories, from their underlying ideas and themes to the individuals who inhabit their worlds.

² Maybe you’re familiar with "The American Dream": the hope of achieving success through hard work, determination, and initiative. Because U.S. culture values self-reliance and personal autonomy, stories often focus on a single protagonist who has to overcome personal challenges and external obstacles to succeed. In the end, the hero is transformed and emerges a stronger, more resilient version of themselves.

³ Even imagining what a hero should be reflects the values and beliefs of each society, and nearly every culture has their own brand of hero! For example, back in Japan, heroes often prioritize the greater good over their own desires, showcasing the importance of duty and self-sacrifice in Japanese culture. In Britain, heroes are often characterized by their honor, chivalry, and intelligence (think: Sherlock Holmes and Hermione Granger). British heroes often showcase their wit, wisdom, and willingness to stand up for what's right. In South Africa, heroes are celebrated for their courage, resilience, and commitment to justice.


Source: Adapted from “Unsung hero: how culture influences movies and storytelling”, by Kate Barker, 2023. Available on: https://blog.duolingo.com/storytelling-across-cultures/

Examine the following statements about ‘Text 4’:
I. Citing the example of 'The American dream' as an American cultural aspect is essential to an intercultural approach to English learning using the text as the basis.
II. Only when comparing Japanese, British and South African heroes in paragraph 3, the text moves into intercultural aspects of storytelling.
Choose the CORRECT answer:
Associate the terms numbered 1 to 4 with the definitions in the second column.

(1) Phonetics
(2) Adjective
(3) Vocabulary
(4) Syntax

( ) All the words known and used by a particular person.
( ) The study of the sounds made by the human voice in speech.
( ) A word that describes a person or thing.
( ) The grammatical arrangement of words in a sentence.

In the order presented in the second column, the correct sequence is:

Read Text I and answer question.

Text I: The speed of sound



Some music fans now know 15-second sped up snippets of songs better than the real thing. It’s thanks to an emerging trend on social media, particularly TikTok, of creators changing the tempo of popular songs by 25-30%, to accompany short viral videos of dances or other themes. This phenomenon presents a very modern challenge – how can singers create the next hit tune when the one people actually listen to might sound so different?


Sped-up listening emerged in the early 2000s as “Nightcore”, launched by a Norwegian DJ duo of the same name, who sped up a song’s pitch and speed. This is now commonplace on social media apps, where the speed of podcasts, voice notes, movies and more can be increased so that people can consume them in less time. But what people might not know is that unofficial sped-up or slowed down tunes are different to a professional remix because they are far shorter and can be easily made by anyone, including on TikTok, Instagram Reels and other apps.


In 2023, more than a third of Spotify listeners in the US sped up podcasts and nearly two-thirds played songs at a quicker tempo. The streaming service recently confirmed to the BBC that it was testing a new and more widespread feature that could potentially allow its customers to remix the tempo of songs and share them. In addition, some popstars are embracing this phenomenon. In November 2022, for example, fan-made sped-up versions of RAYE’s single “Escapism” helped the artist to achieve her first ever number one on the UK Official Singles Chart, nearly three months after its original release. Furthermore, Billie Eilish has also released official fast and slow versions of songs and Sabrina Carpenter’s hits “Please Please Please” and “Espresso” received similar treatment.


Dr Mary Beth Ray, an author focused on digital music culture, says short-form video platforms like TikTok “constrain our ways of listening into snippets, but those constraints also let you experience a track in a new way”. She also said that “short clips provide a quicker line to that dopamine rush social media wants us to feel – so there is an addictive element which we’re pushed towards.”


BBC Radio 1 DJ Maia Beth feels it's now getting hard for established labels and musicians to ignore this trend because it can sometimes feel like if they don't release the sped up version, then someone else will. Beth, who admits she can't imagine sitting and listening to a sped-up version of a song the whole way through, believes the trend shouldn't necessarily be a major distraction for musicians though. “Sped-up versions of tracks can help artists break through or go viral, although that initial success may not last,” she added.


TikTok says it has noticed an increase in the number of sped-up and slowed down versions of catalogue tracks taken off the platform, then become officially released. These official changed-tempo releases are now grouped together with the original song in the UK Official Singles Chart, along with remixes, acoustic and live versions, helping artists to climb the ranks.


That said, not everyone is happy with the trend. The popularity of speed-altered versions can make it harder to distinguish original from remix while altering an artist'sintended pacing, mood and tone. However, while some artists like them and others less so, it seems they are here to stay.


Adapted from: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqv5x2qe8q6o Published: August 17, 2024

Analyze the sentence below from text I and choose the correct answer.
“It’s thanks to an emerging trend on social media, particularly TikTok, of creators changing the tempo of popular songs by 25-30%, to accompany short viral videos of dances or other themes.”
Text 4

Unsung hero: how culture influences movies and storytelling

¹ Have you ever been immersed in a film, TV show, or book and thought, "Wow, this feels so Japanese"? (or American, or French, or Chinese…?) There are so many ways our cultures differ when it comes to storytelling! A culture's values and beliefs shape the very foundation of their stories, from their underlying ideas and themes to the individuals who inhabit their worlds.

² Maybe you’re familiar with "The American Dream": the hope of achieving success through hard work, determination, and initiative. Because U.S. culture values self-reliance and personal autonomy, stories often focus on a single protagonist who has to overcome personal challenges and external obstacles to succeed. In the end, the hero is transformed and emerges a stronger, more resilient version of themselves.

³ Even imagining what a hero should be reflects the values and beliefs of each society, and nearly every culture has their own brand of hero! For example, back in Japan, heroes often prioritize the greater good over their own desires, showcasing the importance of duty and self-sacrifice in Japanese culture. In Britain, heroes are often characterized by their honor, chivalry, and intelligence (think: Sherlock Holmes and Hermione Granger). British heroes often showcase their wit, wisdom, and willingness to stand up for what's right. In South Africa, heroes are celebrated for their courage, resilience, and commitment to justice.


Source: Adapted from “Unsung hero: how culture influences movies and storytelling”, by Kate Barker, 2023. Available on: https://blog.duolingo.com/storytelling-across-cultures/

Examine the following statements about ‘Text 4’:
I. The text indicates that the culture's influence on a story acts on its popularity, themes and characters.
II. A way of paraphrasing paragraph 2 could be: U.S protagonists tend to grow stronger and through personal challenges because American culture seems more selfish.
III. By exemplifying British heroes as witty and wise, the text implies other countries' heroes are not as smart or valued by their cleverness.
Choose the CORRECT answer:
Text 4

Unsung hero: how culture influences movies and storytelling

¹ Have you ever been immersed in a film, TV show, or book and thought, "Wow, this feels so Japanese"? (or American, or French, or Chinese…?) There are so many ways our cultures differ when it comes to storytelling! A culture's values and beliefs shape the very foundation of their stories, from their underlying ideas and themes to the individuals who inhabit their worlds.

² Maybe you’re familiar with "The American Dream": the hope of achieving success through hard work, determination, and initiative. Because U.S. culture values self-reliance and personal autonomy, stories often focus on a single protagonist who has to overcome personal challenges and external obstacles to succeed. In the end, the hero is transformed and emerges a stronger, more resilient version of themselves.

³ Even imagining what a hero should be reflects the values and beliefs of each society, and nearly every culture has their own brand of hero! For example, back in Japan, heroes often prioritize the greater good over their own desires, showcasing the importance of duty and self-sacrifice in Japanese culture. In Britain, heroes are often characterized by their honor, chivalry, and intelligence (think: Sherlock Holmes and Hermione Granger). British heroes often showcase their wit, wisdom, and willingness to stand up for what's right. In South Africa, heroes are celebrated for their courage, resilience, and commitment to justice.


Source: Adapted from “Unsung hero: how culture influences movies and storytelling”, by Kate Barker, 2023. Available on: https://blog.duolingo.com/storytelling-across-cultures/

Examine the following statements about ‘Text 4’:
I. In the sentence: 'Wow, this feels so Japanese', the word Japanese does not act as an adjective, since it's a nationality.
II. In the sentence: 'Maybe you’re familiar with "The American Dream", there's only one adjective, 'familiar'.
III. In the sentence: 'In Britain, heroes are often characterized by their honor, chivalry, and intelligence.', honor, chivalry and intelligence act as adjectives that describe heroes.
Choose the CORRECT answer:

Read Text Iand answer question.

Text I

More More More: What Is Money Dysmorphia?



Do you ever worry that you don't have enough money, even though your bank account suggests you're doing fine? You might be experiencing "money dysmorphia.” This is a term for when a person has a distorted view of their financial situation — particularly when a wealthy person believes they don't have enough money to be secure. The idea is similar to body dysmorphia, where a person agonizes about flaws they perceive in their body, even if they are not noticeable to others.


American lawyer and financial expert Ali Katz may have been the first to use the term, having written about money dysmorphia extensively in 2016. But it wasn't until late 2023 that it started trending. Because, as it turns out, the feeling can be pretty common — especially among young people.


In August 2023, Bloomberg published the results of a survey of over 1,000 Americans making over $175,000 a year. And while earning this much would put these people among the 10% richest in the country, a quarter of them said they felt "very poor," "poor,” or that they were just managing to get by.


In addition, a December 2023 survey for Intuit Credit Karma found that, out of 1,006 Americans, 29% experienced money dysmorphia — which the survey defined as "having a distorted view of one's finances that could lead them to make poor decisions.” That figure rose to 41% among millennials, who are usually defined as those born between 1981 and 1996. And it was 43% among Generation Z, typically considered to have been born between 1997 and 2012.


Some believe social media is to blame. With Instagram and TikTok full of influencers flaunting lavish lifestyles, it's understandable that young people might feel insecure about their own financial situations. And as well as causing stress, money dysmorphia might make people stay in jobs they don't like, or choose work over spending time with their families.


Speaking to Business Insider, Katz said it's important to actually calculate how much is enough for you — and "know the difference between what you need and what you want."



Adapted from: https://engoo.com.br/app/dailynews/article/more-more-more-what-is-moneydysmorphia/eMBHgsr7Ee6RxDeDj30Epw

The sentence, from Text I, in which the word in italics is an adjective is:
As regards adjectives and adverbs, analyze the following sentences.

I. Coach Beth says I’m a fast swimmer.
II. All of your answers were wrong, Nathan.
III. Driving fast is dangerous.
IV. Have you seen Julie lately?

Choose the correct answer.