B. READING
In this section of the test, you will read FOUR different passages, each followed by 10 questions about it. For questions 1-40, you are to choose the best answer to each question. Answer all questions following a passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage.
You have 60 minutes to answer all the questions.
Passage 1:
TikTok is now the most downloaded app in the world. One of the most popular ways users engage with the app is to carry out challenges encouraging people to video themselves doing activities like singing, dancing or acting. A successful challenge will go viral, with hundreds of thousands of people participating.
While copying another person’s video is hardly original or creative, its appeal, especially among young audiences, is clear. Anyone with a smartphone can get involved. No talent is required beyond a little extroversion and commitment. Consequently, challenges are ideal for those craving the limelight, particularly children, teenagers, and young adults.
The problem is that these young people are most at risk. This is because the part of the brain that handles rational thought is not fully developed in humans until the mid-20s, making them less able to make long-term plans and analyze risk. Since the young brain values inclusion and popularity, the more attention a stunt gets, the less likely a person is to consider potential dangers.
The TikTok challenge trend has had severe consequences. In 2020, the ‘skull-breaker’ challenge, involving two people kicking a third person’s legs to make them fall over, caused teenagers in both the UK and the US to be badly injured. Users searching for the skull-breaker challenge would only see a warning about its dangers.
This reaction was clearly not thorough enough because, in 2021, several fatal incidents occurred from the “blackout” challenge, encouraging people to choke themselves until they passed out. Several youngsters died, including two girls under ten. The bereaved families are now suing TikTok for spreading the challenge among impressionable youngsters. While the challenge did not originate on TikTok, parents claim the platform's ‘dangerous’ algorithms are responsible. They say that the videos were intentionally and repeatedly pushed onto their children’s feeds, encouraging their participation. They claim that the company has prioritized corporate profits over the health and safety of its users.
(Adapted from )