PART I: WRITTEN RECEPTION (70 points)

(ACCESS TO INFORMATION FROM WRITTEN TEXTS)

Read the text below and then answer questions 1–7.

THE END OF THE HANDSHAKE?

I Like most young people, Jim Shuster was taught as a child that shaking hands with people was
important in society. He was told that it was a sign of respect and that it created a good first impression.
But Jim has always hated shaking hands. Now, with the Corona pandemic, he no longer has to do it.
II It seems that the pandemic has completely ended the practice of shaking hands, which has been
5 an accepted tradition since ancient times. Some people believe that this custom began as a sign of
peace. Showing an empty hand meant that you were not holding a weapon. In the 1800s, doctors
discovered that bacteria are passed from person to person through touch. So they began washing their
hands after treating each patient. Very soon after that, the number of infections among hospital patients
was reduced, but doctors and everyone else continued to shake hands.
10 III "I worried about handshakes long before the pandemic began because it was already known
that viruses and bacteria are passed by handshakes," says Dr. Simon Benson of the Mayflower School
of Health. "But handshakes are a tradition and people love traditions because they remind them
of happy events in the past. Some people even feel that the handshake is an important part of our
culture. For them, a return to the handshake means that we are back to normal," he adds. "However, I
15 think it's time to replace the unhealthy handshake with something different. There are people who are
ready for a change."
IV "Any alternative to the handshake should allow people to have eye contact, that is, people should
look directly at each other. It should also include some physical contact," says Dr. Benson. So far, the
only possibility that includes both physical contact and eye contact is the "elbow bump," which has
20 become popular during the pandemic. Who knows? We may never shake hands again.

<u>QUESTIONS</u> (70 points)
Answer questions 1–7 in <u>English</u>, according to the text. In questions 2 and 4, circle the number of the correct answer. In the other questions, follow the instructions.