PTE Academic Multiple Choice Choose Multiple Answers – Full Explanation

PTE Reading Multiple-choice, Choose Multiple Answer – Read the passage and answer by selecting all the correct responses. More than one response is correct. Here is PTE Academic Multiple Choice Choose Multiple Answers – Full Explanation.

PTE Academic Multiple Choice Choose Multiple Answers – Full Explanation

10. Read the passage and answer the following question.

Although there are significant differences among the Nordic countries, they all share some common traits. These include support for a “universalist” welfare state (relative to other developed countries) which is aimed specifically at enhancing individual autonomy, promoting social mobility and ensuring the universal provision of basic human rights, as well as for stabilizing the economy, alongside a commitment to free trade. The Nordic model is distinguished from other types of welfare states by its emphasis on maximizing labour force participation, promoting gender equality, egalitarian and extensive benefit levels, the large magnitude of income redistribution, and liberal use of the expansionary fiscal policy.

The Nordic model is described as a system of competitive capitalism combined with a large public sector (roughly 30% of the workforce). In 2013, The Economist described its countries as “stout free-traders who resist the temptation to intervene even to protect iconic companies” while also looking for ways to temper capitalism’s harsher effects, and declared that the Nordic countries “are probably the best-governed in the world.” The Nordic combination of extensive public provision of welfare and a culture of individualism has been described by Lars Tragardh, of Ersta Skondal University College, as “statist individualism.” Some economists have referred to the Nordic economic model as a form of “cuddly” capitalism, with low levels of inequality, generous welfare states and reduced concentration of top incomes, and contrast it with the more “cut-throat” capitalism of the United States, which has high levels of inequality and a larger concentration of top incomes.

The Nordic model, however, is not a single identical set of policies and rules in every country; each of the Nordic countries has its own economic and social models, sometimes with large differences from its neighbours. While Sweden’s neoliberal reforms have reduced the role of the public sector over the last decades and saw the fastest growth in inequality of any OECD economy, Sweden’s income inequality still remains lower than most other countries’.

Question – According to the text, which of the following statements can be concluded about the Nordic model?

1. Nordic model is a type of welfare state
2. Nordic countries do not have anything in common
3. Nordic model applies to all the Nordic countries in same way
4. Nordic model encourages gender equality
5. According to the Economist, Nordic countries have good governments

PTE Academic Multiple Choice Choose Multiple Answers – Full Explanation

In the beginning, you should read the question properly which is “According to the text, which of the following can be concluded about the Nordic model?” So that means in the passage, you have to read for the information on the Nordic model and after that, you have to compare those with the options that which one is the correct.

After that what you can do is to quickly look at the passage first, so that you know in which paragraph they are talking about “what”. Then you return to the question and look each of those choices. So you must know what they are talking about in first, second, third and other paragraphs. So when you look at the options and depending on what the options are, then you can go to the right place in the passage and confirm your choice.

Correct Answers are 1. Nordic model is a type of welfare state, 4. Nordic model encourages gender equality and 5. According to the Economist, Nordic countries have good governments.

In the first paragraph, they talked about the support of welfare state and mentions the emphasis on maximizing labour force participation, promoting gender equality. So that confirms first and fourth options. In the second paragraph, they described Nordic countries are probably the best-governed in the world, so the fifth option is also correct.

In the second paragraph – Economist described that “what are the different things that are common” – for example, they say that Nordic countries are the best governed in the world and combination of extensive public provision of welfare, the culture of individualism, so all these things are common. So that means the second option is incorrect.

The third paragraph says that the Nordic model, however, is not a single identical set of policies and rules in every country, so that means – it does not apply to all the Nordic countries in the same way. So that’s why the third option is the wrong option.

Important points to remember –

♦ Wheather you mark a choice as correct or whether you mark it as wrong, your decision should be based on the information that has been exclusively provided in the passage.

♦ Don’t use your own judgement or don’t try to draw your own conclusions.

♦ Don’t be in a hurry or don’t rush to make a decision.

♦ Make sure that your answers are based on the information provided in the passage and this is the only right way to do it well.

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