With answer key for advanced

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A Aloza Henry
A modern mythology has developed about 
traditional customs holding up the financial evolution 
of a country; it suggests that shedding them will 
somehow prove liberating. There’s as much truth 
in this as in most legends. This is in contrast to the 
fears that many commentators raise about certain 
patterns closer to home, such as the average 
parental age for starting a family. Considering that 
seeking to establish a career has gained priority 
over committing to parenthood, I’m beginning to 
wonder whether our ancestors had it right. No one 
has ever satisfactorily explained the reason to me 
as to why the balance between work and home life 
has shifted so far towards the former. It stands to 
reason, however, that those who love their jobs will 
be more than content with this situation. On the 
other hand, as the majority of our workforce don’t 
share this luxury, there can only be one outcome in 
terms of the population’s degree of contentment.
B Guillermo Alvarez
There are countless surveys carried out worldwide 
every year which monitor the satisfaction levels 
of different populations, and the majority of these 
consistently demonstrate an upward trend. I can’t 
help but think that there’s a strong correlation 
between these figures and the increasing levels of 
prosperity that most nations, and the individuals 
within them, have experienced. This has come 
about through rapid development, which has 
inevitably meant sacrificing some old, well-loved 
ways of doing things. I’m not sure many people 
mourn the loss of the repetitive jobs of yesteryear, 
but the shorter hours that went alongside them 
have clearly been consigned to history. As people 
are generally putting off starting a family far more 
than in previous generations, this will bring them the 
kind of maturity that will help to make what is a very 
challenging few years more fruitful as their offspring 
develop and grow. 
C Kasper Voss
Whilst the average employee these days probably 
rues the direction in which the length of their week 
is going, I’d be surprised if they felt the same way 
about its mundanity. Factory work has become 
increasingly mechanised, leading to an expansion in 
more gratifying work. Given that there are also far 
more diverting leisure activities to occupy us these 
days, it’s little wonder that there’s a tangibly more light-
hearted mood than 30 years ago. As with all changes, 
there are inevitably losers as well as winners, and I’m 
far from convinced that having close to middle-aged