Social & Economic Trends: Past Insights and Analysis

September 2009 Analysis: Abortion Law & Public Opinion

Understanding Abortion Legislation

Question 1: Legal Status and Parental Consent

• 1a: Currently, it is a crime to have an abortion... [related to] her physical or mental health.
• 1b: The new abortion law would... [allow] abortion without parental consent.

Question 2: Provisions and Public Opposition

• 2a: True with a provision that would allow girls over 16 to have an abortion without parental consent.
• 2b: False. Hundreds of doctors, scientists, and other Spanish professionals also signed a manifesto earlier this month rejecting the government's plans.
• 2c: True. Only 15% of Spaniards oppose abortion under any condition.

Question 3: Related Terminology

• 3a: Support
• 3b: Clash
• 3c: Demonstrations
• 3d: Endangers

Answers for September 2009

• 1b
• 2a
• 3c

June 2010 Analysis A: The Power of Online Video

Impact of Video Cameras and Digital Platforms

Question 1: Video Content & Global Reach

• 1a: Never before had anyone with a video... been able to make money out of their hobbies.
• 1b: With this ability to grant an audience of... movement against the Iranian government.

Question 2: Online Video Trends and Influence

• 2a: False. Never before had anyone with a video camera been able to reach a potential audience of millions, and for many, they did so by accident.
• 2b: True. It's an illuminating choice of elements: cats are, of course, a pretty good bet.
• 2c: False. What many had dismissed as simply a site for teenagers became a battleground for one of the most interesting presidential fights in history.

Question 3: Vocabulary Related to Digital Media

• 3a: Dismissed
• 3b: Choice
• 3c: Generated
• 3d: Accident

Answers for June 2010 A

• 1b
• 2c
• 3a

June 2010 Analysis B: Consumer Behavior & Green Products

Environmental Shopping Habits and Perceptions

Question 1: Shopper Hypocrisy and Green Purchases

• 1a: Shoppers are hypocritical about buying environmentally friendly products... [more concerned with] neighbors than saving the planet.
• 1b: Mrs. Griskevicius points out that... "you care," said the report.

Question 2: Online Shopping and Celebrity Influence

• 2a: False. The privacy of online shopping brings out an entirely different behavior.
• 2b: False. Celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz have been photographed behind the wheel of a Prius.
• 2c: True. The study also showed that people were often more willing to buy green products when they were the most expensive option because it showed they could afford to be caring.

Question 3: Vocabulary Related to Consumer Choices

• 3a: Purchased
• 3b: Prime
• 3c: Privacy
• 3d: Concerned

Answers for June 2010 B

• 1a
• 2b
• 3c

September 2010 Analysis A: Store Brands vs. National Brands

Consumer Preferences and Market Trends

Question 1: Consumer Behavior and Brand Performance

• 1a: That is because cash-short consumers... are doing especially well.
• 1b: Major branded food companies... justifying a premium price.

Question 2: Store Brand Advantages and Disputes

• 2a: False. Store brand products, which tend to be cheaper than national brands and more profitable for grocers, are doing especially well.
• 2b: True. They also say it is hard to resist the low prices of store brands for staple goods like milk, sugar, and cheese.
• 2c: Major branded food companies dispute the idea that store brands are just as good as their products.

Question 3: Vocabulary Related to Retail & Products

• 3a: Retailers
• 3b: Stick
• 3c: Plunge
• 3d: Staple

Answers for September 2010 A

• 1b
• 2a
• 3a

September 2010 Analysis B: School Feedback & Teaching Quality

Improving Education Through Student Input

Question 1: Teacher Directives and Student Engagement

• 1a: A secondary school has ordered teachers to welcome... by setting work that is too hard.
• 1b: Yesterday, the Mail [reported on] feedback of teachers to senior staff.

Question 2: Feedback Mechanisms and Student Reports

• 2a: False. Staff have also been told to ensure they are not boring students by setting work that is too hard.
• 2b: False. Yesterday, the Mail revealed that 20 students at a Kent secondary school were given iPhones to provide instant feedback of teachers to senior staff.
• 2c: True. Some schools do ask teachers to get a report from the children about how lessons are going.

Question 3: Vocabulary Related to Education & Assessment

• 3a: Panel
• 3b: Incident
• 3c: Staff
• 3d: Feedback

Answers for September 2010 B

• 1b
• 2c
• 3a