Exam practice

• a.Nepal’s National Population and Housing Census 2078 (2021) counted 29,164,578 people: 14,253,551 males and 14,911,027 females, so there are more women than men. They lived in 6,666,937 households. The population grew by 0.92% a year between 2068 and 2078, much more slowly than in the decades before, partly because fewer children are born and partly because many Nepalis live abroad.
• b.Three things change a country’s population: births (fertility), deaths (mortality) and migration (people moving in or out). Behind them lie education (especially of girls), health care, family planning, the age of marriage, jobs, wars and disasters.

a – v, b – vii, c – iii, d – ii, e – ix, f – iv, g – i, h – vi, i – viii

• a.2.1 percent a year (between 1962 and 1965)
• b.9.7 billion (in 2050)
• c.fertility and mortality
• d.the largest (2.3 billion people, 29 percent of the world’s)
• e.over two billion
• f.the late 2030s
• g.2023

About 2.5 billion (in 1950).

2.1 percent a year, on average, between 1962 and 1965.

Because of reduced levels of fertility: women are having fewer children than before.

About 9.7 billion.

Fertility (births) adds people and mortality (deaths) takes them away. When there are more births than deaths, the population grows; when births fall to the level of deaths, it stops growing; when deaths are more, it shrinks. (Migration also changes a country’s population, but not the world’s.)

China, with more than 1.4 billion people, makes up most of Eastern and South-Eastern Asia’s population (Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam add most of the rest). India, the other country of over 1.4 billion, is in Central and Southern Asia.

Because they grow at very different rates. Where fertility is still high, as in sub-Saharan Africa (about three births per woman), the population keeps growing fast; where fertility has been low for a long time, as in Europe, Northern America and Eastern Asia, it will peak and begin to fall. Their age structures differ too: a region with many young people will have many parents in the coming years.

Eight countries will provide more than half of the growth: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.

I think it will increase, but probably a little less than projected. The next few decades are fairly certain, because most of the parents of 2050 are already alive, so the world will almost surely pass nine billion. But fertility is falling faster than expected in many countries: in Nepal, for example, families are much smaller than a generation ago, and many young people are abroad. The United Nations’ own newer report, of 2024, already expects the world to peak at about 10.3 billion in the 2080s and then fall. On the other hand, a war, a pandemic or a change in health care could change the numbers in either direction. So a projection is a careful guess from today’s trends, not a promise.

This figure shows how to help a person who is unconscious. First, check that the place is safe, then tap the person’s shoulders and ask loudly if they are all right. If they don’t answer, shout for help and call 102 for an ambulance. Next, open the airway by tilting the head back and lifting the chin, and check for breathing for no more than ten seconds. If the person is breathing, roll them into the recovery position, on their side with the upper knee bent, so that they can’t choke. If they are not breathing, start chest compressions at once. It is clear that a few simple steps, done quickly, can save a life.

The table shows the facilities that Nepali households had in 2011. The most common was the mobile phone, in almost two thirds of households (64.6%), followed by the radio, in just over half (50.8%). About a third had a television (36.5%) or a bicycle (32.4%). Very few households had modern facilities: only 7.3% had a computer, 7.2% a refrigerator, and just 3.3% the internet. Cars were the rarest, at 1.6%. This suggests that in 2011 most Nepalis were connected by mobile phone and radio, but computers, the internet and cars were still for a small minority.

a – v, b – vii, c – viii, d – i, e – iii, f – ii, g – ix, h – iv, i – vi

• a.We continued the match although it was raining heavily.
• b.Dolma was selected for the post even though she had no prior experience for the job.
• c.Christina attended the class despite the fact that she was not feeling well.
• d.I often leave home quite late; however, I always reach my office on time.
• e.Chintamani never participates in social functions despite looking very sociable.
• f.It was snowing heavily, yet it was not too cold.
• g.He did not give up smoking in spite of the warnings of the doctor.
• h.I have never been to Bandipur though it is not far from my home.
• i.We were lost in the town although we had the map of the town with us.

(Christina is the only one that takes despite the fact that, a clause; Chintamani takes despite + -ing.)

• a.Although I had not seen him before, I recognized him from his photo.
• b.Even though it was snowing outside, the children went out to play.
• c.In spite of his hard work, he could not pass the exam.
• d.Although she was very nervous, Sarmistha gave a good speech at the function.
• e.Even though she had never been to France, she spoke excellent French.
• f.I had not eaten anything since last evening, yet I did not feel hungry.
• g.Despite winning our last two games, we were not qualified for the final match.
• h.We had a wonderful dinner even though the restaurant was not very popular.
• i.Although I had studied hard, I could only attempt half of the questions.
• j.We apologized many times. However, she was not pleased with us at all.

The bar graph shows the number of Nepali students who went abroad to study each year between 2009/10 and 2018/19.
Overall, the number rose sharply over the decade, although it first fell. In 2009/10, about 27,000 students (26,948) went abroad. The number then dropped to fewer than 12,000 in 2010/11 and reached its lowest point, 10,258, in 2011/12. After that it grew every year: it passed its 2009/10 level in 2013/14 (28,126), crossed 50,000 in 2016/17 and reached its highest, 63,259, in 2018/19.
In short, by the end of the period more than six times as many students were leaving for study as in its lowest year, and more than twice as many as at its start. This shows how strongly Nepali students are drawn to study abroad.

The pie chart shows the population of Kathmandu Metropolitan City by mother tongue, according to the census of 2011.
Nepali is by far the most common mother tongue: about 61% of the people (597,570) speak it at home. Newar (Nepal Bhasa), the language of the valley’s original people, comes second with 19% (185,330), so the two together are spoken by four out of five people. Tamang follows with 5.6%. Every other language is the mother tongue of less than 3%: Maithili (2.8%), Hindi (1.8%), Bhojpuri (1.6%), Gurung (1.2%), Magar (1.2%) and Sherpa (1.0%). All the remaining languages together make up about 4.5%.
This shows that Kathmandu is a city of many languages, where people from every part of Nepal have come to live, though Nepali is the language most of them share.

• a.Yes. Every winter, flocks of ducks arrive at the lakes and rivers of Nepal, such as Phewa Lake and the Koshi, and leave again in spring. In spring, cuckoos arrive and start calling in the hills.
• b.Mostly for food and a better climate: when the north gets cold and its lakes freeze, there is nothing to eat, so birds fly south to warmer places; in spring they fly back to the north, where long summer days give plenty of food to raise their young. Some also migrate to breed in a safe place.

(Commute, to travel to work every day, is neither a synonym nor an antonym of transform.)

a – iv, b – ii, c – iii, d – i, e – vi, f – v
(vii is not needed: the text doesn’t say why birds fly in groups. For b, the text’s example is the sandhill cranes, which eat corn on the Platte River before flying on.)

They fly over land and oceans, without a roadmap or compass, to places that are sometimes thousands of kilometers away, and find their way back to their summer homes in spring.

They pace themselves so as not to run out of energy, and keep adjusting their speed, height and flight path to the changing winds, their own weight and storms.

Insects, amphibians, reptiles, fish and mammals: for example, wildebeest in the Serengeti, free-tailed bats in Texas, northern fur seals in Alaska and Chinook salmon in Washington State.

To grab shellfish from the ocean floor. They can stay underwater for up to a minute.

Mountain birds, such as brindled titmice and mountain chickadees, which move about 300 meters (1,000 feet) down, from high evergreen forests to wooded valleys and streams.

When some birds of a species migrate while others do not. For example, northern robins fly south for the winter, but some robins live in the south all year.

Because they become waterlogged: their feathers soak up water.

Most stop along the way to rest and refuel, at stopovers such as bushes with berries or, for the sandhill cranes on the Platte River, cornfields, staying for days or weeks. Some, like swallows and swifts, feed while flying, catching insects in the air.

Their chattering calls, and their shapes when they pass in front of the moon.

Animals migrate mainly to survive and to raise their young. The first reason is food: in winter, the north and the high mountains freeze, plants stop growing and insects disappear, so birds like the ducks that come to Nepal fly to places where food is still found. The second is climate: they escape the cold, or in hot, dry places the dry season, as the wildebeest follow the rains to fresh grass. The third is breeding: salmon swim back up the rivers where they were born to lay their eggs, and many birds fly north in spring, where long summer days give plenty of food for their chicks and fewer enemies. Some animals also move to escape crowding, disease or danger. Today, people cause new migrations too, when forests are cut, wetlands drained or the climate changes.

• a.Many wild animal populations are getting smaller: forests are cut for farms and towns, rivers polluted, and animals hunted. Some, like the tiger and the rhino in Nepal, have grown again where they are protected.
• b.Wildlife keeps nature working: bees and birds pollinate our crops, birds and frogs eat pests, vultures clean away dead animals, and forests full of life give us clean water and air. Animals also bring tourists, and they have a right to live.

• a.get food (grow and eat food)
• b.under threat
• c.nearly 70%
• d.nearly 21,000
• e.up to 80%
• f.living a more sustainable life

• a.the planet’s overall decline (an indicator of the planet’s health)
• b.how we grow food (agriculture)
• c.in forests or grasslands (on land)
• d.in our kitchen

Nepal has protected about a quarter of its land in national parks, wildlife reserves and conservation areas, such as Chitwan, Bardiya and Sagarmatha, and in community forests managed by local people. The army guards the parks against poachers, and anti-poaching units and heavy punishments have made Nepal famous for years with zero poaching of rhinos. As a result, Nepal’s wild tigers have nearly tripled, from 121 in 2009 to 355 in 2022, and one-horned rhinos are increasing too. Nepal protects its wetlands, such as Koshi Tappu, under the Ramsar agreement, has vulture restaurants that give vultures safe food, and builds wildlife crossings on new roads. But there are problems: animals that grow in number come into villages and attack people and crops, so Nepal also helps families who suffer losses.

• a.we have different ideologies (the surprise: different ideas, yet close friends)
• b.Despite (+ the noun phrase our hard efforts)
• c.Even though (+ a clause)
• d.despite the fact (… that I grew up)
• e.However (a new sentence)
• f.scientists have done a lot of research (the surprise: much research, yet no evidence)
• g.In spite of (+ my efforts)
• h.although (+ a clause; yet would need a comma and make no sense here)
• i.but
• j.they came to the party

• a.Although I was really exhausted, I could not sleep well.
• b.In spite of not meeting the requirements, she was shortlisted for the job.
• c.I decided to work for the company even though the pay was quite low.
• d.We had prepared for the match really well, yet we lost it.
• e.Despite having badly injured her hand, Dipisha completed her assignment. (or Despite her badly injured hand)
• f.Kripa exercises every day. However, she is gaining weight.
• g.Barcelona were limited to ten players. Nevertheless, they won the match.
• h.I love to watch cricket on TV, while my brother loves to watch football.
• i.In spite of not going to bed until midnight, he woke up early in the morning.
• j.Although he had not played well, he was selected for the school team.

(In d and g the order of the two ideas is turned round, because the surprise must come after the connective.)

Plan four or five paragraphs: an introduction (the situation and your view in one sentence); the good effects (money sent home, skills, a wider world); the bad effects (empty villages, brain drain, families apart, hard and unsafe work); solutions (jobs at home, safe migration, using the skills of returnees); and a conclusion. Use connectives of contradiction to balance the two sides.

Youth Migration: Opportunity or Loss?
Every morning, the departure hall of Tribhuvan International Airport is full of young Nepalis with new bags and anxious families. Some are going to study in Australia or Japan; many more are going to work in the Gulf countries or Malaysia. In my opinion, this migration has helped many families, but it is costing the country more than it gives.
There is no doubt that migration has benefits. The money that workers send home pays for food, school fees and houses, and a large part of Nepal’s income comes from it. Young people who study or work abroad learn new skills, languages and discipline, and some return to start businesses. Migration also gives many a choice that Nepal could not give them.
However, the costs are heavy. Villages in the hills are left with old people and children, and fields lie empty. Many of our best doctors, engineers and nurses leave, and the country loses the skills it paid to build: this is called the brain drain. Families live apart for years, and children grow up without a parent. Many workers do dangerous jobs in extreme heat, and some come home injured, or not at all.
What can be done? First, the government and private companies should create jobs at home, in farming, tourism, hydropower and information technology, so that leaving is a choice, not a necessity. Second, those who go should go safely: through registered agencies, with training and with insurance. Third, Nepal should welcome back returnees, using their skills and savings to start businesses in their own districts.
In conclusion, although migration has brought money and skills, a country cannot be built by people who live elsewhere. If young people can find good work and a future at home, many of them will choose to stay.

• a.Those: demonstrative; Indian: proper.
• b.Whose: interrogative.
• c.a little: of quantity; three: numeral.
• d.Every: distributive; their: possessive.
• e.cold: descriptive (of quality).

• a.True (2.5 billion to more than 5 billion)
• b.False (it was highest in 1962–65; in 2020 it fell below 1% for the first time)
• c.False (they become more uncertain the further ahead they look)
• d.True
• e.True

b, e, f, a, c, d

a. Despite b. but c. Although d. However e. Despite

• a.In the eastern Terai of Nepal.
• b.From Siberia and Central Asia.
• c.Because the lakes of the north freeze, and they can no longer find food there.
• d.In January.
• e.Any two: fishing nets, pesticides from nearby farms, the loss of grassland.

(A practice passage written for this page.)

The table compares the percentage of Nepali households that had five facilities in the censuses of 2011 and 2021.
Every facility became more common. The mobile phone remained the most common, rising from 64.6% to 73.2% of households. The biggest change was in the internet, which grew from just 3.3% to 37.7%, more than eleven times. Motorcycles and refrigerators almost tripled, to 27.3% and 23.7%. Television rose by about thirteen points, to just under half of all households.
Overall, the table shows that in ten years Nepali homes became much better connected and equipped, although many still lacked these facilities.