Official TSA Assumptions Questions (2008-2019)

The Executive of the Students’ Union has recently carried out a survey to identify dangerous areas on campus. The survey led to the recommendation and implementation of measures such as improved lighting in suspect areas. Such reforms can only help to reduce the number of attacks on campus.

However, the University lake and its surrounding area was not included in the survey as, despite being considered part of the campus, it actually belongs to the City Council. This means the University has no direct influence over safety standards in the area. It should therefore definitely be avoided by lone students at night.

It is not always clear whether a doctor should tell the truth to a patient or not. On the one hand, patients have a right to know what is the matter with them and what the future holds, so that they can make their own informed decisions, however upsetting the truth may be. It is a simple issue of human rights. But on the other hand, a patient’s health may sometimes be better served by not knowing a frightening truth. For instance, a doctor may believe that a patient’s medical condition will actually worsen if they realise how serious it Therefore, there are cases in which doctors have no choice: they must decide in favour of deceiving the patient.

In the case of plastic drink bottles, recycling is not the best answer to the problem of garbage disposal. Ninety five per cent of soft-drink bottles sold in the United States are made of a compound of polyethylene (PET) which poses recycling problems. They are potentially carcinogenic if recycled into new food or drink containers. Recycled PET tends to absorb other chemicals before re-melting and these chemicals could leach into food or drink that is stored in a recycled container.   However, if disposed of in landfill sites, plastic is not harmful to the environment. It can be squashed flat, so that it occupies little space and it is inert. Unlike other waste, it does not leach into soil or water, nor does it produce a dangerous build-up of methane.

French golfer, Jean Van de Velde, appeared to throw away his big chance to win the Open Championship, after giving up what could only be described as an unassailable Most players would have been distraught to have victory snatched from them in such a way. But, interviewed afterwards, Van de Velde pointed out that it was, after all, only a game: There are worse things in life, he said. Really? It may be refreshing to hear a top competitor express such a philosophical attitude, but it also explains fully why the prize eluded him. At that level you have to believe that nothing is worse than losing.

Many people suffer from depression in modern society. This can be alleviated through drugs such as Prozac, which alter the chemical balance of the brain. However, the individual can undergo psychotherapy, which involves talking through problems with a sympathetic and skilled fellow human being with a view to putting the subject in a more positive frame of mind. Depressed individuals who do not like the idea of their brain chemistry being altered should therefore choose psychotherapy.

Unlike motorways in many European countries, British motorways were built with hard shoulders for use in a breakdown or emergency. The proposal to use the hard shoulders to relieve congestion during peak traffic hours should not be adopted. It would be inconvenient for emergency services because when the hard shoulders are in use, it would be difficult for emergency vehicles to reach an accident. Nor would it be likely to significantly reduce congestion because it would be difficult to remove obstructions caused by broken down vehicles, and in any case the volume of traffic is increasing massively each year. But the most important reason is that we should seek to maintain Britain’s relatively good record of safety on Other ways of relieving congestion must be sought.

A kidney can be taken safely from a living person, and can save the life of a dying patient. Given that the demand for kidney transplants exceeds the supply of donated kidneys, the law in the UK that forbids people to sell one of their kidneys should be abolished, because this would result in a greater number of successful kidney transplants. People are worried that it would involve rich patients exploiting poor potential donors. But selling one’s kidney to support one’s family is not very much different from supporting one’s family by working in a dangerous occupation. Some patients have bought kidneys and received transplants in other countries, where the risks to their life from such operations can be great.

Athletes who have huge potential to draw both live and television audiences expect to be rewarded financially for their skill and hours of dedication in training. However, large prize money at televised meetings does nothing to help future generations of athletes who need time off work and good facilities to achieve their potential. The only fair solution is to take a levy from top athletes’ pay to ensure money is available to help the up-and-coming Otherwise the burden will fall on the general taxpayer, or on the future athletes and their families, with the result that some will inevitably fail simply through lack of money.

If drivers were made to pay for road use according to the amount of time they spent on the road, they would drive more dangerously. Experiments were conducted with volunteers using a driving simulator. In the first experiment, the volunteers were charged for time spent driving below 10mph in order to see how people coped with trying to avoid congestion. In the second experiment, they were charged for the time spent in a particular area. The results were alarming. The volunteers in the first experiment jumped many red lights in an attempt to keep their speed up. Those in the second frequently broke the speed limit, and overtook in dangerous situations. In the interests of road safety, we should not introduce such payment schemes.

The siting of mobile phone masts is a controversial matter in the UK, particularly when they are situated at or near schools and hospitals. The Stewart Report concluded that the balance of evidence indicated that there was no general risk to the health of people living near mobile phone masts but recommended a regular audit of Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR) emissions from masts sited near schools and hospitals. The Government have complied with this latter recommendation and carried out regular audits all of which show that RFR emissions are far below the levels of national and international guidelines. Therefore, mobile phone masts are safe and not injurious to health and can be sited anywhere.

Powdered rhinoceros horn has often been claimed to have aphrodisiac properties. However, a recent investigation showed no evidence that it has any chemical effect whatsoever on the human nervous system. What is more, in an experiment in which 100 people were given powdered rhinoceros horn and another 100 people were given powdered rice, without knowing what they were taking, more of those taking the rice indicated that they felt an increase in sexual arousal than did those taking the rhinoceros horn. This demonstrates conclusively that rhinoceros horn is not an aphrodisiac.

Success in modern America is very much measured by the quantity of material possessions one has. A lack of material possessions means one is judged to be unsuccessful. Those people with few material possessions therefore must feel a strong sense of failure.

Cannabis smoking is widespread, even though it is illegal. It is also more dangerous to health than most people realise. If we want to reduce the use of cannabis, it should be legalised. People do not turn away from dangerous habits unless they are fully aware of the damage these habits can cause. We should have learnt this lesson from the example of tobacco smoking, which has declined dramatically because people have seen that it results in deaths from lung cancer.

At first glance, there is no phenomenon creepier than crop circles – huge geometric designs that appear in fields overnight seemingly without cause, explanation or reason. UFO enthusiasts are quick to supply all three, by attributing the patterns to alien visitors seeking to communicate with humans, using laser beams or other advanced technology to flatten the crops. These fanciful claims can fortunately be dismissed thanks to two quite mundane observations. Firstly, ordinary Earth-born individuals have repeatedly demonstrated how to produce the effects with nothing more elaborate than a rope and a plank. Secondly, there is a clear parallel for the phenomenon in the form of urban graffiti. Sneaking into fields to make crop circles is simply a rural variation of a widespread and well-documented human urge.

A recent study by a drugs company found that the amount of money spent on a specific pill used for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in the UK showed wide regional variation. Alzheimer’s is a condition associated with the ageing process. In some areas the expenditure was as low as £1 per head of the population over 65 whereas in others it was as high as £10 per head. These pills are the most effective treatment for this condition that is currently available. Therefore, this is another example of ‘post-code lottery’ where the effectiveness of treatment for a health condition will depend upon where you live.

University education is not a matter of forcing through the largest number of graduates at the lowest possible short-term cost. This would not serve the needs of the current generation of students and, even from a narrow economic viewpoint, it would not promote economic prosperity in the long term. It is often a poor economic practice to skimp on the production costs of a product, even when you are only interested in the eventual monetary profit to be made from it. But in any event university education has wider purposes than merely the promotion of economic prosperity.

In the UK 45% of the workforce is female, but the percentage of women in senior positions, both in the professions and in business, is considerably lower. This is unfair to women, and also bad for the economy, in that those who are promoted to senior positions may not be the most able. Women may be discouraged from seeking promotion because employers require senior employees to work long and inflexible hours. Women may also be perceived as being unwilling to subordinate the demands of family to the demands of the So employers must be urged to offer flexibility in working hours, and to seek to move away from the UK’s culture of long working hours.

‘People who see America as ‘The Great Satan’ often forget how, whatever the nation’s faults, it is truly heaving with free debate. After his re-election in 2004 the public and media began turning against George W Bush with a ferocity which matched only their bewildering support for him Every day newspapers revealed polls that were more damaging for the president. The bookshops were packed with anti-administration best-sellers. At number one was Fiasco by Thomas E Ricks about, obviously, the war in Iraq. Nor are the shops just small, political outlets, you could find: 100 Ways America Is Screwing Up The World; Losing Our Democracy; How GWB Misleads America, and dozens of similar titles, even in major chain stores.’

Many drivers deliberately break traffic laws, both because they are convinced that there is little chance of getting caught and because, even if they are caught, the penalties do not act as a sufficient For example, people who would never think of stealing money even when they needed it, think nothing of routinely exceeding a 30mph limit even in a street where children are playing. It is clear, then, that a substantial reduction in road accidents can be achieved only by catching more motorists who break the law and by increasing the penalties for such law-breakers.

We should restore capital punishment for the offence of pre-meditated murder. It is true that, in the past, occasional mistakes have been made and innocent men have been hanged. However, with the improvements in forensic science and DNA testing, the chances of a mistake have receded. Restoring capital punishment would ensure real justice is done and, incidentally, it would also save the country a considerable amount of money in housing prisoners on long life sentences.

At Everthorpe Prison in Yorkshire, prisoners made no attempt to escape using ladders placed against the outside walls by drug dealers and prostitutes plying their trades. A prison officer spokesperson said that this was because the authorities had made prisons too comfortable and thus failed to deter A large number of released prisoners quickly reoffended and returned to prison, where they had all the comforts of home: a television in each cell, breakfast in bed, a wage and cash bonuses for good behaviour.

Largely because of the influence of celebrity TV chefs and increased customer demand, many supermarkets have recently enlarged the amount of game (e.g. rabbits, pheasants and venison) in their meat sections. Factory farming is seen as cruel to the animals involved. Rabbit meat, in particular, is selling well as it is tastier than chicken and is cheaper than beef or Game is also low in fat and cholesterol. If people are really concerned about animal welfare they should take advantage of the increased availability of game in the supermarkets. They will also be getting a nutritious and cheap diet.

For the second year running the Silver Star Prize for art was awarded to a video artist, raising again the big question: What is great art? Many have condemned this year’s choice on the grounds that a documentary-style video film cannot be considered as creative art at all in the way that, say, painting and sculpture can. The Silver Star jury, however, praised the ’emotional force of the work and its complexity beneath an apparently simple surface’. If they are right in this evaluation then clearly video is as much a medium for great art as any other form of expressions.

One of the most catastrophic scenarios that could hit this planet would be a world without fish. Surely this is a matter for the UN to act on – and Areas of ocean should be set aside as no- go zones for trawlers of any nationality, to enable our dwindling fish stocks to have somewhere to reproduce with impunity. We are told that farmed fish is just as good, but this is futile if the wild fish that are fed to the farmed fish disappear. This crisis should be moved right to the top of the global agenda.

When Arnold Schwarzenegger was the Governor of California, he looked for ways to make savings in an effort to balance the California budget. He was particularly concerned about the high cost of school text books, which he considered to be outdated. Schwarzenegger, who portrayed a time-travelling robot killer in the Terminator films in which a computer network takes over the world, looked to information technology to solve the problem of the high cost of text He proposed that as an alternative to books, students could be given hand-held devices that store up-to-date books electronically and allow them access to online work for maths and science. Since students are experienced with computers and will readily accept the new technology, this is not just Hollywood sci-fi but common sense.

Recent news stories have mistakenly implied that animals can understand mathematics better than Participants in a study were asked to state a choice of one of three doors, behind one of which there was a prize. Then the researcher opened one of the other two doors, revealing that there was no prize behind it. Asked if they would like to change their choice, most chose not to change. Switching to the remaining closed door would have increased their chance of winning. Even after playing the game many times, which allowed them to observe that they would win more often if they switched, most did not do so. When pigeons played a similar game, after a few attempts they switched every time. So the pigeons learnt from experience, whereas the people overanalysed and became confused.

A palaeontologist has argued that rex could not have been a predator. He says this because few predators have small eyes (needed to see prey) small arms (needed to hold prey), and huge legs (meaning slow speed), all of which are true of T.rex and that there is no evidence for predation such as bones with T.rex teeth embedded in them. Instead, he argues, it must have been a scavenger as its skull shows it had a good sense of smell and its legs were suited for walking long distances. Other scientists disagree, pointing out that many predators do not use forelimbs in hunting and that the speed of any dinosaur is very hard to assess.

When preparing for examinations, it is important that students do not suppress any emotional or other problems they might be having during their course of study. A good way of revealing problems is the creation of a partnership and a discussion between students, parents and This is far preferable to the problems only becoming apparent with the arrival of the results causing upset and disappointment for all concerned. Therefore, if schools and colleges create as many opportunities as possible for three-way meetings between students, parents and teachers, they will make a valuable contribution to their students’ achievements in examinations.

Concern has been expressed about the UK Government policy of expanding the number of university places available. It is argued that the economy does not need the number of graduates that this policy produces. However, graduate unemployment has actually decreased since the policy of expansion was implemented. This shows that the Government has wisely anticipated the employment demands of an expanding modern ‘high-tech’ economy and that the policy of increasing the supply of university places is an appropriate response.

In the 1920s and 1930s there were successes for extremist parties in elections across Europe. Several of these parties formed governments and were directly involved in starting the Second World War. In recent elections extremist parties were particularly successful at the expense of the more traditional parties. It is possible that this dangerous situation will get worse. Our schools must teach children about the link between extremist politics and war in order to reduce the likelihood of future wars.

School science lessons were once the place of bangs, flashes, smells, blood and droplets of mercury on the bench. Few, if any, people ever died from these experiences. Now, the activities that once made science fun are rare – banned on health and safety grounds. It has been reported that governments are concerned about the decreasing percentage of students enrolling on science courses at universities. If they do wish to reverse this trend, they need to take steps to curtail the pervasive ‘health and safety’ culture in which we now live.

Thankfully, logicians did not devise the British Constitution. It has evolved through the work of ordinary people, who have adapted the Government of the country to meet the needs of their age. They have always preserved sufficient flexibility to permit such adaptation. And we have avoided a lot of problems because we have never been guided in anything we have done by logic. If you study the period of history from the Civil War, in the middle of the 17th century, to the accession of George I in 1714, you will see the benefits of not making the Constitution too rigid by writing it down. It proves how much there is to be said for ignoring logic and following common sense.

Car owners must have insurance in case they have an accident. Similarly, home owners have insurance in case anyone on their property is injured and claims compensation. However, insurance is not required for dog owners. Any injury caused by a dog is compensated by taking the owner to court, which is not easy. A law must be passed to make insurance compulsory for every dog owner. Any injuries would be paid for by the insurance companies, not long-suffering taxpayers.

There is a lot more to interpreting and recognising faces than you might think. Forgetting people we used to know is not that uncommon, and is something we are in fact all guilty of. But next time you’re standing in the supermarket having a conversation with someone you don’t recognise but act like you remember them, take heed that the likelihood is that they will know you are lying. Lying is a lot harder than most people realise, and hiding the fact we are lying is harder still. This is because we all make brief, involuntary facial expressions when we try to conceal or repress something, such as trying to remember someone. These have been termed micro-expressions. So when someone you don’t recognise starts talking to you, you should just confess straight away because your micro-expressions will probably give you away anyway.

The funding situation for educational provision in UK prisons is a national disgrace. Prisons provide free room and board, and inmates are frequently given access to the internet, cable TV, and gym facilities. At the same time, lengthy waiting lists exist for prison literacy classes, and ever increasing budget cuts put pressure on prison library resources. Meanwhile, it is estimated that at least half of UK prisoners possess a reading age of eleven or less. If society wants to reduce the chances of prisoners reoffending upon their release, we must give them the opportunity to develop the literacy skills they need to build a successful life outside prison.

The number one reason for people changing their jobs is to escape from ‘difficult people’, followed by seeking higher pay and promotion. In particular, many people cite a poor relationship with their boss as a reason for leaving. Typically, they’ll go to another job and find another difficult boss and the process continues. One of the areas that contributes to altercations with other people is the issue of unmet expectations. We easily see ourselves as being let down by the difficult person who fails to do what we expect them to. Very often these expectations are entirely in our own heads. We put the responsibility for knowing our expectations onto the difficult person and then blame them when they disappoint us. If only people worked towards having honest conversations with difficult people, staff turnover might decrease.

Political legitimacy, the moral right to use state power, can only be derived from the consent of the governed. So, in democracies that uphold this principle, regular elections are held to ensure that political power is legitimate. Therefore, in these cases, the more voters participate in elections, the more legitimate the democratic political system is.

Over the years, many owners of businesses have appointed their sons to run the business when they retired or died. But this has been unfair to other workers in the company, some of whom were probably more talented and experienced than the boss’s son. It is highly unlikely that the son of the previous boss should happen to be the best candidate to take his place. The practice of favouring your own family when making senior appointments in industry and commerce should therefore be made illegal.

Several cities around the world have introduced congestion charging schemes. Drivers are expected to pay a fee in order to drive inside the charging zone. In recent years, some schemes have offered discounts or entirely waived the charge for vehicles that cause less pollution. This is, however, an illogical and unfair policy that should not continue. Congestion is unaffected by emissions, and those cars that have low emissions still contribute to congestion. Those who cannot afford to buy a low-emission car are still expected to pay the charge even if the roads they drive on remain congested.

A daily dose of chocolate could be the key to preventing Alzheimer’s disease, according to recent research. Blood flow to the brain was boosted and memory improved among volunteers who drank two cups of hot chocolate a day over a thirty day period. They were tested for memory and thinking skills, and ultrasound measured the blood flow to the brain. Participants showed an average 8.3% improvement in blood flow and memory scores improved, with recall times falling from 167 to 116 seconds on average. The study suggests that drinking hot chocolate regularly could help keep the brain healthy.

Government advice on alcohol drinking limits is based on studies carried out twenty-five years ago. It has often been expressed in terms of a maximum number of units per day. But advising people about a daily rate implies that drinking alcohol every day is acceptable, when up-to-date research suggests that the body needs more ‘recovery time’ than one day. Health promotion advice should avoid being so simple that it inadvertently encourages unhealthy behaviour. Better to have more complex messages than simple messages which promote unhealthy behaviour.

There is an urgent need to improve the recruitment procedures for teaching positions at universities. There have been numerous cases in which academics have failed to hire outstanding young researchers and talented lecturers. For example, a research fellow from Germany complained that his applications for lecturing jobs were rejected despite his impressive research and publication record. Another scholar from Spain, who had received the Excellence in Teaching Award, also failed to get a job. A number of similar complaints have forced the Department of Education to introduce a policy which requires universities to staff the relevant selection committees with representatives from independent human resources consultancies. This measure will improve recruitment procedures.

Mobile phone use and driving under the influence of alcohol are not the only examples of irresponsible driver behaviour. Tiredness when driving a vehicle is said to be responsible for 300 deaths per year. Astonishingly, almost half of male drivers and 22% of female drivers admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel. If we assume (and it seems reasonable to do so) that even more people are injured than killed as a result of accidents caused by tiredness, it is clear that tiredness while driving is a major road safety issue – and entirely preventable. If we wish to preserve our own lives and those of others we should not drive a car knowing that we have had insufficient sleep or rest to drive safely.

In a survey done by a school librarian during one year, borrowing of books in the library declined by 20%. Amongst books borrowed, rates of late return or loss of books also increased by 10%. On the other hand, student use of computers in the library increased by 25%. This finding was reinforced by frequent complaints from students that there were no computers available when they needed to use them. The librarian concluded that the best response to these findings was to cut the number of books and purchase more computers. 20% of books were sold off or given away, the space given over to additional computer tables, and the library’s entire available budget given over to purchasing new computers.

Children spend far too long in schools analysing poems when they should simply be learning to enjoy them. Thankfully, a new approach requires that, instead of focusing on analysing technical aspects of writing such as the writer’s use of imagery or alliteration, children will be required simply to learn poems so that they can recite them by heart. This makes good sense. What is the use of learning how to analyse literature if you have no appreciation of its actual value? If they then become interested in it enough to study it at A level or at university, that can be when they learn to analyse in detail the author’s craft.

Adults thinking back on their experience of school almost always remember with most gratitude the teachers who taught them more than just a subject, and prepared them for life, not just for an exam. But the current generation of students may not have the same experiences to look
back on in future years because the role of teachers has changed. The focus for both students and teachers is now mainly on exam results, and that is how their success or failure is measured. For teachers to share their lives with their students, offering them a model of adulthood to which to aspire, is therefore no longer considered desirable. So children today receive a less valuable education than their parents and grandparents did.

The government is planning an increase in fuel tax later this year as part of its strategy to meet carbon emissions targets. Yet motorists and road transport companies have suffered crippling price rises of up to 30% in petrol and diesel bills in the past year because of fuel taxes. The
government has enjoyed a £505 million windfall from high oil prices in the last six months alone, with extra revenue coming from North Sea oil reserves. A further increase in fuel tax will impact on all UK households because it will eventually push up the price of shop goods and inflation. So the government must abandon its planned tax increase.

Drivers found to be committing offences such as speeding are now offered the choice between paying the police for a re-education course or taking the traditional penalty of paying a fine and receiving penalty points on their licence. It is no surprise that the number of motorists opting for re-education courses has tripled in five years, but the high cost of such courses has led to accusations that police forces might use the new system for their own benefit. They could easily set up speed traps, catch a number of motorists slightly over the limit, and generate easy income for themselves. Re-education courses are a good idea in theory, but open to abuse by cash-starved police forces.

Long hours and poor pay have become commonly accepted, but they are taking a heavy toll on life at home. It is not a pretty picture: an economy where high levels of stress and anxiety are normal, where people get ill because they have lost control of their time, and where marriages are damaged and children suffer. Yet it is a situation that politicians invite us to applaud. They praise ‘strivers’ and ‘hard-working people’, not chilled-out, caring mums and dads. The longer and harder we work, the more admirable we are supposed to be. So the political slogans have clearly been effective, but the resulting glorification of work has made us miserable.