We had a quarrel about money, but we decided to clear the air by sitting together and discussing things frankly.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 39 to 43.

Contrary to the perception that small talk is inconsequential, researchers have found that chit-chat actually has many profound benefits. “As we broke down daily interaction, we realized our most meaningful interactions are not when we’re talking about actual work. It’s when we’re greeting administrative staff, or the friendly gabbing before a meeting,” said Jessica R. Methot of Rutgers University and University of Exeter.

To measure the impact of small talk on employee well-being, the researchers surveyed 151 full-time employees working at traditional 9 to 5 jobs outside the home. After controlling for participants’ baseline engagement for small talk, the researchers queried about levels of small talk throughout the day, and asked respondents to rate their emotions, work productivity, and overall engagement.

“It didn’t matter if you were an introvert whose average amount of small talk was lower than what it is for an extrovert, small talk enhanced employees’ daily positive social emotions and contributed to employees feeling connected,” Methot said. Methot was quick to explain what small talk is not. It is not long-winded ranting about an ineffective supervisor. It is not a sensitive discussion about someone’s personal life. “It is surface level. It is ‘Weather looks great this weekend, any plans?’ Surface level is what gives it its benefits.”

Because small talk builds trust and connections, it also can lead to creative ideas and foster inclusiveness. “Culturally, there are differences in the content and cadence of small talk, which can create a barrier for new employees to engage with colleagues. In this age of greater awareness about diversity and inclusion, small talk can be an asset to a company. It can be a road to more inclusion by helping socialize and embed employees into the organizational culture.” Methot said.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 44 to 50.

In a paper published in Science Advances, an international team of researchers have examined traits of marine megafauna species to better understand the potential ecological consequences of their extinction under different future scenarios.

Defined as the largest animals in the oceans, with a body mass that exceeds 45kg, examples include sharks, whales, seals and sea turtles. These species serve key roles in ecosystems, including the consumption of large amounts of biomass, transporting nutrients across habitats, connecting ocean ecosystems, and physically modifying habitats. Traits, such as how large they are, what they eat, and how far they move, determine species' ecological functions. As a result, measuring the diversity of traits allows scientists to quantify the contributions of marine megafauna to ecosystems and assess the potential consequences of their extinction.

The team of researchers -- led by Swansea University's Dr Catalina Pimiento -- first compiled a species-level trait dataset for all known marine megafauna to understand the extent of ecological functions they perform in marine systems. Then, after simulating future extinction scenarios and quantifying the potential impact of species loss on functional diversity, they introduced a new index (FUSE) to inform conservation priorities.

The results showed a diverse range of functional traits held by marine megafauna, as well as how the current extinction crisis might affect their functional diversity. If current trajectories are maintained, in the next 100 years we could lose, on average, 18% of marine megafauna species, which will translate in the loss of 11% of the extent of ecological functions. Nevertheless, if all currently threatened species were to go extinct, we could lose 40% of species and 48% of the extent of ecological functions. Sharks are predicted to be the most affected, with losses of functional richness far beyond those expected under random extinctions.