TOEFL reading test 33 with answers
Life places us in a complex web of relationships with
other people. Our humanness arises out of these relationships in the course of
social interaction. Moreover, our humanness must be sustained through social
interaction—and fairly constantly so. When an association continues long enough
for two people to become linked together by a relatively stable set of
expectations, it is called a relationship.
People are bound within relationships by
two types of bonds: expressive ties and instrumental ties. Expressive ties are
social links formed when we emotionally invest ourselves in and commit
ourselves to other people. Through association with people who are meaningful
to us, we achieve a sense of security, love, acceptance, companionship, and
personal worth. Instrumental ties are social links formed when we cooperate
with other people to achieve some goal. Occasionally, this may mean working
with instead of against competitors. More often, we simply cooperate with
others to reach some end without endowing the relationship with any larger
significance.
Sociologists have built on the distinction
between expressive and instrumental ties to distinguish between two types of
groups: primary and secondary. A primary group involves two or more people who
enjoy a direct, intimate, cohesive relationship with one another. Expressive
ties predominate in primary groups; we view the people as ends in themselves
and valuable in their own right. A secondary group entails two or more people
who are involved in an impersonal relationship and have come together for a
specific, practical purpose. Instrumental ties predominate in secondary groups;
we perceive people as means to ends rather than as ends in their own right.
Sometimes primary group relationships evolve out of secondary group
relationships. This happens in many work settings. People on the job often
develop close relationships with coworkers as they come to share gripes, jokes,
gossip, and satisfactions.
A number of conditions enhance the
likelihood that primary groups will arise. First, group size is important. We
find it difficult to get to know people personally when they are milling about
and dispersed in large groups. In small groups we have a better chance to
initiate contact and establish rapport with them. Second, face-to-face contact
allows us to size
up others. Seeing and talking with one another in close physical
proximity makes possible a subtle exchange of ideas and feelings. And third,
the probability that we will develop primary group bonds increases as we have
frequent and continuous contact. Our ties with people often deepen as we
interact with them across time and gradually evolve interlocking habits and
interests.
Primary groups are fundamental to us and
to society. First, primary groups are critical to the socialization process.
Within them, infants and children are introduced to the ways of their society.
Such groups are the breeding grounds in which we acquire the norms and values
that equip us for social life. Sociologists view primary groups as bridges
between individuals and the larger society because they transmit, mediate, and
interpret a society's cultural patterns and provide the sense of oneness so
critical for social solidarity.
Second, primary groups are fundamental
because they provide the settings in which we meet most of our personal needs. [■]
Within them, we experience companionship, love, security, and an overall sense
of well-being. [■] Not surprisingly, sociologists find that the strength of a
group's primary ties has implications for the group's functioning. [■] For
example, the stronger the primary group ties of a sports team playing together,
the better their record is. [■]
Third, primary groups are fundamental
because they serve as powerful instruments for social control. Their members
command and dispense many of the rewards that are so vital to us and that make
our lives seem worthwhile. Should the use of rewards fail, members can frequently
win by rejecting or threatening to ostracize those who deviate from the primary group's
norms. For instance, some social groups employ shunning (a person can remain in
the community, but others are forbidden to interact with the person) as a
device to bring into line individuals whose behavior goes beyond that allowed
by the particular group. Even more important, primary groups define social
reality for us by structuring our experiences. By providing us with definitions
of situations, they elicit from our behavior that conforms to group-devised
meanings. Primary groups, then, serve both as carriers of social norms and as
enforcers of them.
Questions:
1. The word “complex” in the passage is closest
in meaning to
A.
delicate
B.
elaborate
C.
private
D.
common
2. According to paragraph 1, which of the
following is true of a relationship?
A.
It is a structure of associations with many people.
B.
It should be studied in the course of a social interaction.
C.
It places great demands on people.
D.
It develops gradually overtime.
3. The word "endowing" in the passage is
closest in meaning to
A.
leaving
B.
exposing
C.
providing
D.
understanding
4. Which of the following can be inferred
about instrumental ties from the author's mention of working with competitors
in paragraph 2?
A.
Instrumental ties can develop even in situations in which people would normally
not cooperate.
B.
Instrumental ties require as much emotional investment as expressive ties.
C.
Instrumental ties involve security, love, and acceptance.
D.
Instrumental ties should be expected to be significant.
5. According to paragraph 3, what do
sociologists see as the main difference between primary and secondary groups?
A.
Primary groups consist of people working together, while secondary groups exist
outside of work settings.
B.
In primary groups people are seen as means, while in secondary groups people
are seen as ends.
C.
Primary groups involve personal relationships, while secondary groups are
mainly practical in purpose.
D.
Primary groups are generally small, while secondary groups often contain more
than two people.
6. Which of the following can be inferred
from the author's claim in paragraph 3 that primary group relationships
sometimes evolve out of secondary group relationships?
A.
Secondary group relationships begin by being primary group relationships.
B.
A secondary group relationship that is highly visible quickly becomes a primary
group relationship.
C.
Sociologists believe that only primary group relationships are important to
society.
D.
Even in secondary groups, frequent communication serves to bring people into
close relationships.
7. The phrase “size up” in the passage is closest
in meaning to
A.
enlarge
B.
evaluate
C.
impress
D.
accept
8. Which of the sentences below best
expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage?
Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential
information.
A.
Sociologists think that cultural patterns establish connections between the
individual and the larger society.
B.
Sociologists believe that individuals with a sense of oneness bridge the gap
between society and primary groups.
C.
Sociologists think primary groups contribute to social solidarity because they
help maintain a society's cultural patterns.
D.
Sociologists believe that the cultural patterns that provide social solidarity
arise as bridges from primary groups.
9. This passage is developed primarily by
A.
drawing comparisons between theory and practice
B.
presenting two opposing theories
C.
defining important concepts and providing examples of them
D.
discussing causes and their effects
10. The word “deviate” in the passage is closest
in meaning to
A.
detract
B.
advance
C.
select
D.
depart
11. According to paragraph 7, why would a
social group use shunning?
A.
To enforce practice of the kinds of behavior acceptable to the group
B.
To discourage offending individuals from remaining in the group
C.
To commend and reward the behavior of the other members of the group
D.
To decide which behavioral norms should be passed on to the next generation
12. Look at the four squares [■] that
indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. Where
would the sentence best fit?
People who do not live alone, for
example, tend to make healthier life choices and develop fewer pathologies than
people who live by themselves.
13. Directions: Complete the table below
by selecting three answer choices that are characteristics of primary groups
and two answer choices that are characteristics of secondary groups. This
question is worth 3 points.
Primary Groups
Secondary Groups
A. Developing
socially acceptable behavior
B. Working
together against competitors
C. Experiencing
pressure from outside forces
D. Viewing
people as a means to an end
E. Existing
for practical purposes
F. Providing
meaning for life situations
G. Involving
close relationships
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Answers:
1.B, 2.D, 3.C, 4.A, 5.C, 6.D, 7.B, 8.C, 9.C,
10.D, 11.A, 12.B, 13. Primary Groups: AFG/
Secondary
Groups: DE
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