Cambridge Book 21 Test 1

Between 1908 and 1924, Gwendoline and Margaret Davies amassed one of the largest collections of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century French paintings in Britain.

Gwendoline (1882-1951) and Margaret (1884-1963) Davies were the granddaughters of David Davies, a Welshman and a fortune shipping and mining industrialist. In 1907, the sisters were given an inheritance which allowed them to follow their interests in charitable, cultural and artistic purposes.

While there was no real family history of art collecting, the sisters’ education was rigorous. They travelled with governesses and tutors, visited art galleries and art schools, and took notes on the paintings they saw.

However, it was only a few years before their collecting took a new direction and they turned to the work of the French Impressionists. Their early purchases included works by Monet, Manet and Renoir, and they also developed a strong interest in Cézanne and other modern French artists.

The First World War played a part in the development of the sisters’ collecting. They supported cultural and humanitarian work, helped artists and refugees, and used their wealth in ways that were very different from many wealthy collectors of the period.

After the war, they continued to travel and buy art, becoming more confident and more adventurous in their choices. Their collection grew through the interwar years and became one of the best-known private collections in Britain.

A Humans are finely attuned to noise, and for good reason. From an evolutionary perspective, sounds give us vital information, helping us navigate the world and avoid danger.

B The World Health Organization has recently designated excessive noise as a public health issue. Cities such as Mumbai, Tokyo and Buenos Aires have introduced quieter roads, road surfaces and traffic controls in response.

C The good news is that several cities are working to turn the volume down. London, for example, has modified buses and improved road surfaces, while Paris and Stockholm have introduced further anti-noise measures.

D Researchers are also seeking to understand what aspects of silence are most useful. One of the best-known studies looks at a floating tank, where people report relaxation, reduced muscle tension and a clearer mind.

E To further explore floating tanks as a therapeutic tool, researchers recruited 50 people with stress-related conditions. After a single 1-hour float, participants reported improved feelings of relaxation and well-being.

F Less is known about what the effects of sensory deprivation can have on the brain. In one study, 48 people spent 90 minutes either in a chair or in a flotation tank. Brain scans showed reduced activity in parts of the brain associated with mind-wandering.

G Not everyone will benefit from silence to the same extent, but silence may help people become more conscious of their surroundings and better able to focus.

Ube Bosma’s The World of Sugar is a genuinely global history. It begins with the world’s major sugar-producing places, including Cuba and Java, and follows sugar across empires, markets and labour systems.

Bosma’s discussion of the sugar market in Britain gives a sense of the book’s range. The narrative moves through the rise of cane sugar, the roles of trade and plantation production, and the spread of sugar as a mass consumer product.

Where once only tiny quantities of sugar could be produced, new technologies and new trade links transformed sugar into a commodity with worldwide importance. Later, sugar became tied to modern consumption, advertising and industrial food production.

The book is rich in detail, but its message is clear: sugar has shaped economic power, labour, politics and everyday life far beyond the simple idea of sweetness.