READING 1

RESURRECTION OF A DEAD MAN'S DREAM

Few great architects have been so adamant in their belief in the integration of architecture and design as Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Clients who tried to modify his grip on every detail of the structure, interior decoration or furniture often ended up with the architect losing his temper – and his commission. Now, 63 years after he died, Mackintosh has found the perfect patron, in the form of a 56-year-old structural engineer and fellow Glaswegian named Graham Roxburgh.

The story begins with a competition launched in December 1900 by Zeitschrift Für Innendekoration, an innovative design magazine published in the German city of Darmstadt. European architects were invited to design an Art Lover's House. Mackintosh sent in his entry in March 1901, his one chance to design a house unfettered by financial constraints or a conservative client. But he was disqualified for failing to include the required number of drawings of the interior. He hastily completed the portfolio, which he then resubmitted. Delighted with the designs, the judges awarded Mackintosh a special prize (there was no outright winner).

Publication of these drawings did much to establish Mackintosh's reputation abroad as an original and distinctive architect, particularly in Austria and Germany. The Art Lover's House is an important twentieth-century building because it anticipates the abstract forms of Modernism. At first glance it could be an illustration from the thirties. Artists of the avant-garde Vienna Secession described Mackintosh as “our leader who showed us the way” – an acclaim that he was never able to gain at home. Rich Glasgow businessmen never quite took him seriously.

But today Glaswegians hail Mackintosh as their local genius. Three years ago, the enterprising Mr Roxburgh, who has already rescued Craigie Hall, a mansion on the outskirts of Glasgow that Mackintosh helped design, hatched a plan to build the Art Lover's House – now close to completion on a site in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park. Strathclyde Council, the Scottish Development Agency and the Scottish Tourist Board have picked up a third of the hefty £3 million bill. Roxburgh has raised the rest through sponsorship and private loans.

The original designs contradict each other in places. Details of the elaborate external stone carvings and much of the furniture and fittings for the main interiors – which will be open to the public – are exact, but Mackintosh gave no indication of what should be done with the lower ground floor or the roof spaces. No matter, for the area will be rented out as offices to recoup some of

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the costs. The plans have been meticulously interpreted by Andy McMillan of Glasgow's Mackintosh School of Architecture and the furniture made by an expert cabinet-maker.

The elegant, mysterious music-room is lit by tall windows along one side; the vertical lines are repeated in the elongated female figures embroidered on linen that hang in the recesses, in the clusters of colored lamps suspended on slender wires and the uncomfortable high-backed chairs. The whole effect culminates in the strange superstructure of the piano.

What would Mackintosh have made of the Art Lover's House? There is a danger it will be all too perfect, like those expensive reproduction Mackintosh chairs you find in shiny magazines or on the dust-free floors of design buffs. Yet Roxburgh's attention to detail and refusal to cut corners makes him a man after Mackintosh's heart. He is now hunting for an extra £300,000 to complete the interiors according to his exacting requirements.

1 Why were there sometimes problems between Mackintosh and his clients?

A. Mackintosh resented interference from his clients.B. Clients refused to pay him in full for his work.C. Mackintosh did not pay enough attention to detail.D. Clients did not like the changes Mackintosh made.

2 According to the writer, Mackintosh decided to enter the competition because____

A. not many drawings had to be submittedB. no designs were required for furnitureC. there was no need to worry aboutD. he had designed similar buildings

3 What was significant about Mackintosh's entry for the competition?

A. It was considered to be ahead of its time.B. It was based on architecture from Austria and Germany.C. It changed the opinion of him in his own country.D. It was the most attractive building he had designed.

4 Mackintosh's original designs for the Art Lover's House_________

A. included areas intended for commercial use.B. gave full information about the interior.C. concentrated on external features.

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D. were incomplete in certain respects.

5 If Mackintosh could see the Art Lover's House now, the writer feels he would probably____

A. think that it had cost too much.B. wish he had completed his designs.C. think it was an improvement on his design.D. approve of Roxburgh's approach to building it.

READING 2

Read the following text, then answer the questions below it. Write complete sentences.

Ubix Computers Financial Profile

Ubix computers is a publicly traded corporation actively traded on the NASDAQ. The company was launched in 1999 with an IPO raising $70 million. Shareholders own more than 80% of the company while upper level management and employee stock options own the remaining 20%. Ubix is located in Denver, Colorado with manufacturing plants in Taiwan and Indonesia. The total cash flow during 2000 was $365 million. While total operating expenses for the past fiscal year totalled $180 million resulting in a pre-tax profit of $175 million. Ubix Computers market share in the US domestic market has grown from 2% to 5% during the past 18 months. Future plans include the development of a line of laptop computers to export to the Chinese Market. CEO, Robin Lancaster, was optimistic in his vision of the future. While other computer manufactures are loosing market share, we are increasing our market share at over 100% annually. Ubix offers consumers computers that are made to meet their specific requirements, while pricing these computers at mass market prices. This unique combination ensures Ubix will be a major market player in the near future.

1. Which market is Ubix traded on?

Computers

2. How much money did the IPO raise?

$70 million

3. Who owns 80% of stock?

Shareholders

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4. Where are Ubix manufacturing plants located?

Taiwan and Indonesia

5. How much has market share grown over the past 18 months?

From 2% to 5%

6. How much did Ubix spend on operating expenses?

180 million

7. Which market is Ubix trying to enter with its new line of laptop models?

Chinese market

8. What prediction is made about Ubix in the future?

Ubix will be a major market player in the near future.

READING 3 The Alaska Pipeline

  The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean.

  It stretches southward across the largest and northernmost state in

  the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly

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800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely

(5) complicated to operate.

  The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of

  delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through

  crooked canyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky

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  crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or

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under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter,

  and up to 2 million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude oil can

  be pumped through it daily.

  Resting on H-shaped steel racks called "bents," long sections of

  the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth.

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Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky

  ground and return to the surface later on. The pattern of the

  pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh

  demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the

  land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost

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(permanently frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline

  is elevated above the ground. The remainder is buried anywhere

  from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and

  the properties of the soil.

  One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately

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$8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction

  project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single

  business could raise that much money, so 8 major oil companies

  formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company

  controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and

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paid into the pipeline-construction fund according to the size of its

  holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate, supply

  shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous

  terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the

  Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. The passage primarily discusses the pipeline's

A. operating costs

B. employees

C. consumers

D. construction

2. The word "it" in line 4 refers to

A. pipelineB. oceanC. stateD. village

3. According to the passage, 84 million gallons of oil can travel through the pipeline each

A. day

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B. week

C. month

D. year

4. The phrase "Resting on" in line 13 is closest in meaning to

A. Consisting of

B. Supported by

C. Passing under

D. Protected with

5. The author mentions all of the following as important in determining the pipeline's route EXCEPT the

A. climate

B. lay of the land itself

C. local vegetation

D. kind of soil and rock

6. The word "undertaken" in line 26 is closest in meaning to

A. removed

B. selected

C. transported

D. attempted

7. How many companies shared the costs of constructing the pipeline?

A. 3

B. 4

C. 8

D. 12

8. The word "particular" in line 29 is closest in meaning to

A. peculiar

B. specific

C. exceptional

D. equal

9. Which of the following determined what percentage of the construction costs each member of the consortium would pay?

A. How much oil field land each company owned

B. How long each company had owned land in the oil fields

C. How many people worked for each company

D. How many oil wells were located on the company's land

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10.Where in the passage does the author provide a term for an earth covering that always remains frozen?

A. Line 3

B. Line 13

C. Line 19

D. Line 32

READING 4

"Research: Change in walking may indicate cognitive decline" By Janice Lloyd

Subtle changes in the way a person walks can be an early warning sign of cognitive decline and a signal for advanced testing, according to research out at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2012. 

The findings are the first to link a physical symptom to disease, which up until now, required doctors to begin a diagnosis by focusing on cognition and administering lengthy neurological exams. The evidence in the five studies is "robust," say experts, adding walking changes can occur even before cognition decline surfaces. The presentation on the opening day of the weeklong meetings follows a government plan announced in May to help train doctors to detect the disease earlier and to find a cure by 2025. 

"Monitoring deterioration and other changes in a person's gait is ideal because it doesn't require any expensive technology or take a lot of time to assess,'' says Bill Thies, chief medical and scientific officer for the Alzheimer's Association. 

The disease affects 5.4 million mostly older people in the USA, numbers expected to spike to 16 million in 2050 as the Baby Boomers age. Nearly 5,000 researchers are attending the meetings in Vancouver, where dozens of studies will address new treatments currently being tested in trials and how lifestyle influences the disease. 

"Walking and movements require a perfect and simultaneous integration of multiple areas of the brain,'' says Rodolfo Savica, author of a study done at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. 

Walking changes occur because the disease interferes with the circuitry between these areas of brain. Savica ruled out other diseases (Parkinson's, arthritis) as possible causes of gait change. 

In the Mayo Clinic study, researchers measured the stride length, cadence and velocity of more than 1,341 participants through a computerized gait instrument at two or more visits roughly 15 months apart. They found that study participants with lower cadence, velocity and length of stride

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experienced significantly larger declines in global cognition, memory and executive function. 

"These changes support a possible role of gait changes as an early predictor of cognitive impairment,'' Savica says. 

Another large study of 1,153 adults with a mean age of 78 done by researchers at the Basel Mobility Center in Basel Switzerland found gait became "slower and more variable as cognition decline progressed.'' 

Participants were divided into groups based on their cognitive diagnoses: cognitively healthy, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's dementia. Gait was measured using a walkway with nearly 30,000 integrated sensors. 

"Those with Alzheimer's dementia walked slower than those with MCI, who in turn walked slower that those who were cognitively healthy,'' says Stephanie Bridenbaugh, lead researcher. 

Bridenbaugh says analysis of walking could also be used to show if treatments to treat the disease are working. 

"At the annual wellness visit required by Medicare, a physician could add a walking test to the checklist without adding a lot of extra time,'' says Thies. 

Yet, one of the study's researchers said that one annual test wouldn't work with everyone. 

"You'd be surprised how many people say to me 'He doesn't walk that well at home,' when I give them a gait test in the office,'' says physician Lisa Silbert. 

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. The word "robust" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning toA) durableB) healthy

C) full-bodiedD) strong 

2. According to paragraph 2, why is this new evidence about walking so important to Alzheimer's researchers?

A) It demonstrates that walking longer distances may improve your chances of developing diseaseB) It could potentially be the earliest indication of potential Alzheimer's disease in patients who show no other outward symptomsC) It could help prevent doctor liability in diagnosing these casesD) It is something that could be observed and logged by family and friends 

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3. Why is the statistic in paragraph 4 about the potential spike in Alzheimer's patients significant?A) It shows that, because Alzheimer's primarily impacts older people, as largest generation (the Baby Boomers) ages, the number of cases will likely rise dramaticallyB) It suggests that if the next generation wants to be healthy, they must have their gait tested nowC) It is of no real concern to the younger generation because Social Security will pay for medical careD) The lifestyle of older generations is significantly poorer than that of younger generations 

4. The statement made in paragraph 5 implies all of the following EXCEPT A) Movements require many complex interactions within the brainB) Our movements and cognitive state could very well be closely linkedC) Movement may become impaired if any one brain activity is somehow alteredD) Our brains have no control over our walking or movements 

5. In paragraph 7, the word "cadence" is closest in meaning toA) musical beatB) rhythm of stepsC) intonationD) sequence of movement

6. What is the most significant discovery of the Mayo Clinic study described in paragraph 7?A) Cadence, velocity, and length of stride are all independent variables that

impact cognitive function in different waysB) The slower the participant's walk, the greater their memory capacityC) The pace of participants' walk demonstrated no correlation to brain

activityD) The ways in which the participants walked had a definitive relationship

to cognitive functioning 

7. Which of the following is NOT a population or group studied in the experiments the article discusses?

A) movement impairedB) mild cognitive impairment (MCIC) cognitively healthyD) Alzheimer's dementia 

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8. Throughout the article, "gait" is mostly often used to refer to

A) walking speedB) the time it takes to transition from a walk to a runC) a combination of cadence, length of stride, and velocityD) the posture used while walking 

9. What is the primary argument that the article makes AGAINST the link between gait and cognitive decline?

A) Areas of the brain that control movement are completely separate from those with cognitive functionB) Walking speed can change significantly depending upon the scenario and conditionsC) Dementia has no relationship to brain sizeD) An annual test is too often to show significant changes over time 

10. What best summarizes the overarching idea of the article?A) The speed at which we walk and potential decline in cognitive function as we age is clearly proven by the studies presented in the articleB) Whatever your current walking speed is, the better shape you are in and the faster you become can both directly lower your chance of developing Alzheimer'sC) Annual gait tests are an expensive and ineffective test to add to Alzheimer's screeningsD) There is a definite probability that aspects of human gait and cognitive function are related, but the evidence is far from definitive. 

READING 5"Surprise! Empire State Building Switches to LED" While New York slept, the Empire State Building switched on a new light show with the capability to produce millions of color combinations and effects. 

By Verena Dobnik

In the middle of the night, as most of New York slept, something big and bright lit up the Manhattan skyline for just seconds-a tightly kept secret to all but a handful of people.It was a tiny test for the huge public surprise four days later: the flipping of a switch at the Empire State Building to turn on its dancing new LED lights. They burst from the skyscraper while synchronized with R&B star Alicia Keys singing "Empire State of Mind" on nationwide radio.

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The LED system has "16.7 million color possibilities, in digital combinations of ripples, sparkles, sweeps and strobes," says Phil O'Donnell, of Burlington, Mass.-based Philips Color Kinetics that's responsible for the system and worked with a resident lighting designer. "It's the sum of all possibilities - a huge palette." The old lights came in only 10 colors.

From Manhattan and the Bronx to Staten Island and even New Jersey, "there were hundreds of thousands of people on the streets looking up, filming and videoing, clustered on street corners," when the new lights came on, said Anthony Malkin, whose family controls the iconic Art Deco building. In an interview with The Associated Press at his office, he glowed with pleasure describing Monday night's inaugural light show.Keys also sang "Girl On Fire" from her new CD.

After all, the 102-story skyscraper "has always been a symbol of what's possible in New York, and all the dreams that can come true in this city that never sleeps," Keys, a New York native, said before her performance, which was ready on tracks while she watched from a Manhattan studio. Malkin and his technical team wanted to test the new lighting system with as few people noticing as possible and chose early Thanksgiving morning.

Good luck, in the middle of Manhattan, with people walking around even at 2:30 a.m. That seemed the best moment, after most bars close and before dawn."We decided to do it facing west, in very short bursts between 2:30 a.m. and 3 a.m., because we knew we didn't have a camera trained on us from there," Malkin said. Apparently, the secret test worked. No images of the Empire State Building alight that night appeared anywhere, as far as Malkin knows.

To stage the show, he worked with Clear Channel radio, which has 239 million monthly listeners in the United States. The lights are part of a larger effort to modernize the 81-year-old edifice that is undergoing a more than half a billion-dollar renovation that includes making it "green." The computerized LED system will cut energy consumption by more than half, while delivering light and vibrancy superior to the old floodlights, which have huge timpani drum-size lenses that had to be changed every so often, O'Donnell said.

They may still have nostalgic value to some who watched them light up New York City for every special occasion from Christmas to the Fourth of July. They were part of "the grande dame of the New York skyline, now state-of-the-art, but still stately," says Malkin, adding that the light show was "a gift we gave to the world, these lights. We don't get paid for this."

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On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, with a spectacular view of the new World Trade Center and New York Harbor, a vacant space under reconstruction on the building's 72nd floor was filled with the retired floodlights, sitting side by side in long lines, veterans of years of New York weather. What will be done with them is also a secret - for now. One old light will not be discarded in favor of a 21st century novelty: a red beacon - "half the size of a Volkswagen Beetle," as Malkin puts it - that serves as a warning signal for aircraft constantly flying over New York City.

1. What is the primary purpose of the first sentence of the article? A) To explain that New Yorkers are commonly asleep in the middle of the

night. B) To mislead readers into thinking the light flash was some sort of attack.C) To build suspense and curiosity so that the reader wants to know more" D)To suggest that there is a secret organization working late at night at the

Empire State Building 

2. The phrase "huge palette" in Paragraph 3 is most likelyA) A metaphor for the scope and range of combinations the new LED lights

have B) A literal explanation of the shape of the new lights, which form an artist's

palette C) An extreme over exaggeration meant to draw more onlookers to the new

display D) A way to emphasize the amount of lights, since 16.7 could never fit onto

a palette 

3. What does Alicia Keys suggest the Empire State building is a symbol of?

A) A way for Americans to have a landmark similar to other major global cities 

B) The iconic American capacity to push boundaries and break new ground in art and architecture. 

C) Lights that are always on due to the number of New Yorkers who work night shifts 

D) That any person can use the new lights as a way to make a wish, as people do with other world landmarks. 

4. To help keep the new lights secret during their initial test, all precautions were taken EXCEPT:

A)Conducting the test in the middle of the night 

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B) Conducting the test facing west, away from cameras C) Conducting the test in short bursts, so that there was no sustained lighting D)Conducting the test with additional sound effects to distract anyone who might be on the street 

5. What was the primary reason Malkin and his team choose to test the new LED lights in the middle of the night?A) Because the lights are impossible to see in the daylight B) So that no spies would be awake to steal the new lighting design C) Because his team only works at night, to enhance their creativity D) So that when they made the formal reveal to the city and world, it would be a true surprise 

6. How does the new LED display contribute to the Empire State Building's efforts to become more "green"?A) The lights will be bright enough to reflect into the building, allowing less lighting to be used indoors B) The new lighting will consume almost half the amount of energy the old lights did C) The lights can become green in color, to cover the entire building D) The lights will be solar-powered, generating their own electricity. 

7. The article suggests that some older people might miss the old lights. Why is this?A) The elderly who have poorer eyesight have an easier time seeing the old lights B) The older generation might not understand the technology behind the new LED lighting C) Those who used to work in the Empire State Building will no longer be able to recognize it without the old, larger lights D) The old lights represented momentous occasions in American history, and may still have nostalgic value 

8. In the second-to-last paragraph, the old floodlights are described as "veterans." What is the most suitable explanation for this word in context?A) The old lights have worked through the years, despite harsh weather conditions and continual use for special occasions B) The old lights have been up through many previous wars, making them literal veterans C) The old lights were dedicated to the Empire State Building to memorialize war heroes D) The old lights were only used before to celebrate Veteran's Day 

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9. Currently, how many of the former lights are set to be preserved for a specific purpose? A) All, to replace other major lights around the city B)None, they are all set to be discarded entirely C) Five, spaced across Central Park for more light and better security D) One, to serve as a warning beacon for aircraft 

10. Why might it be important for the Empire State's global image to replace its lighting?A) To represent that it is both environmentally conscious as well as technologically advanced B) To prove that other world landmarks are not as spectacular C) To suggest that despite its being decades-old, the Empire State Building is still relevant D) To provide New Yorkers and visitors with better entertainment

READING 6

Carving

With Robert Laurent and William Zorach, direct carving enters into the story of modern sculpture in the United States. Direct carving ― in which the sculptors themselves carve stone or wood with mallet and chisel ― must be recognized as something more than just a technique. Implicit in it is an aesthetic principle as well : that the medium has certain qualities of beauty and expressiveness with which sculptors must bring their own aesthetic sensibilities into harmony. For example, sometimes the shape or veining in a piece of stone or wood suggests, perhaps even dictates, not only the ultimate form, but even the subject matter.

The technique of direct carving was a break with the nineteenth- century tradition in which the making of a clay model was considered the creative act and the work was then turned over to studio assistants to be cast in plaster or bronze or carved in marble. Neoclassical sculptors seldom held a mallet or chisel in their own hands, readily conceding that the assistants they employed were far better than they were at carving the finished marble.

With the turn-of-the-century Crafts movement and the discovery of nontraditional sources of inspiration, such as wooden African figures and masks, there arose a new urge for hands-on, personal execution of art and an

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interaction with the medium. Even as early as the 1880's and 1890's, nonconformist European artists were attempting direct carving. By the second decade of the twentieth century, Americans ― Laurent and Zorach most notably ― had adopted it as their primary means of working.

Born in France, Robert Laurent(1890-1970)was a prodigy who received his education in the United States. In 1905 he was sent to Paris as an apprentice to an art dealer, and in the years that followed he witnessed the birth of Cubism, discovered primitive art, and learned the techniques of woodcarving from a frame maker.

Back in New York City by 1910, Laurent began carving pieces such asThe Priestess, which reveals his fascination with African, pre-Columbian, and South Pacific art. Taking a walnut plank, the sculptor carved the expressive, stylized design. It is one of the earliest examples of direct carving in American sculpture. The plank's form dictated the rigidly frontal view and the low relief. Even its irregular shape must have appealed to Laurent as a break with a long-standing tradition that required a sculptor to work within a perfect rectangle or square.

1. The word “medium” in line 4 could be used to refer to(A) stone or wood(B) mallet and chisel(C) technique(D) principle

2. What is one of the fundamental principles of direct carving?(A) A sculptor must work with talented assistants.(B) The subject of a sculpture should be derived from classicalstories.

(C) The material is an important element in a sculpture.(D) Designing a sculpture is a more creative activity than carving it.

3. The word “dictates” in line 6 is closest in meaning to(A) reads aloud (B) determines (C) includes (D) records

4. How does direct carving differ from the nineteenth-century tradition of sculpture?

(A) Sculptors are personally involved in the carving of a piece.(B) Sculptors find their inspiration in neoclassical sources.

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(C) Sculptors have replaced the mallet and chisel with other tools.(D) Sculptors receive more formal training.

5.The word “witnessed” in line 21 is closest in meaning to(A) influenced(B) studied(C) validated(D) observed

6. Where did Robert Laurent learn to carve?(A) New York(B) Africa(C) The South Pacific(D) Paris

7. The phrase “a break with ”in line 27 is closest in meaning to

(A) a destruction of (B) a departure from (C) a collapse of (D) a solution to

8. The piece titled The Priestess has all of the following characteristics EXCEPT (A) The design is stylized. (B) It is made of marble. (C) The carving is not deep. (D) It depicts the front of a person.

READING 7Birds that roost

Birds that feed in flocks commonly retire together into roosts. The reasons for roosting communally are not always obvious, but there are some likely benefits. In winter especially, it is important for birds to keep warm at night and conserve precious food reserves. One way to do this is to find a sheltered roost. Solitary roosters shelter in dense vegetation or enter a cavity - horned larks dig holes in the ground and ptarmigan burrow into snow banks - but the effect of sheltering is magnified by several birds huddling together in the roosts, as wrens, swifts, brown creepers, bluebirds, and anis do. Body contact reduces the surface area exposed to the cold air, so the birds keep each other warm. Two kinglets huddling together were found to reduce their heat losses by a quarter and three together saved a third of their heat.

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The second possible benefit of communal roosts is that they act as “information centers.” During the day, parties of birds will have spread out to forage over a very large area. When they return in the evening some will have fed well, but others may have found little to eat. Some investigators have observed that when the birds set out again next morning, those birds that did not feed well on the previous day appear to follow those that did. The behavior of common and lesser kestrels may illustrate different feeding behaviors of similar birds with different roosting habits. The common kestrel hunts vertebrate animals in a small, familiar hunting ground, whereas the very similar lesser kestrel feeds on insects over a large area. The common kestrel roosts and hunts alone, but the lesser kestrel roosts and hunts in flocks, possibly so one bird can learn from others where to find insect swarms.

Finally, there is safety in numbers at communal roosts since there will always be a few birds awake at any given moment to give the alarm. But this increased protection is partially counteracted by the fact that mass roosts attract predators and are especially vulnerable if they are on the ground. Even those in trees can be attacked by birds of prey. The birds on the edge are at greatest risk since predators find it easier to catch small birds perching at the margins of the roost.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) How birds find and store food(B) How birds maintain body heat in the winter(C) Why birds need to establish territory(D) Why some species of birds nest together

2. The word “conserve ”in line 3 is closest in meaning to(A) retain(B) watch(C) locate(D) share

3. Ptarmigan keep warm in the winter by(A) huddling together on the ground with other birds(B) building nests in trees(C) burrowing into dense patches of vegetation (D) digging tunnels into the snow

4. The word “magnified”in line 5 is closest in meaning to(A) caused(B) modified

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(C) intensified(D) combined

5. The author mentions kinglets in line 7 as an example of birds that (A) protect themselves by nesting in holes (B) nest with other species of birds (C) nest together for warmth (D) usually feed and nest in pairs

6. The word “forage” in line 10 is closest in meaning to(A) fly(B) assemble(C) feed(D) rest

7. Which of the following statements about lesser and common kestrels is true?

(A) The lesser kestrel and the common kestrel have similar diets.(B) The lesser kestrel feeds sociably but the common kestrel does not. (C) The common kestrel nests in larger flocks than does the lesser kestrel.(D) The common kestrel nests in trees; the lesser kestrel nests on the ground.

8. The word “counteracted” in line 19 is closest in meaning to(A) suggested(B) negated(C) measured(D) shielded

9. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as an advantage derived by birds that huddle together while sleeping?(A) Some members of the flock warn others of impending dangers.(B) Staying together provides a greater amount of heat for the whole flock. (C) Some birds in the flock function as information centers for others who are looking for food.(D) Several members of the flock care for the young.

10. Which of the following is a disadvantage of communal roosts that is mentioned in the passage?(A) Diseases easily spread among the birds.(B) Groups are more attractive to predators than individual birds.(C) Food supplies are quickly depleted.(D) Some birds in the group will attack the others.

11. The word “they”in line 20 refers to (A) a few birds (B) mass roosts (C) predators

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(D) trees

READING 8

Food evolution

Before the mid-nineteenth century, people in the United States ate most foods only in season. Drying, smoking, and salting could preserve meat for a short time, but the availability of fresh meat, like that of fresh milk, was very limited; there was no way to prevent spoilage. But in 1810 a French inventor named Nicolas Appert developed the cooking-and-sealing process of canning. And in the 1850's an American named Gail Borden developed a means of condensing and preserving milk.

Canned goods and condensed milk became more common during the 1860's, but supplies remained low because cans had to be made by hand. By 1880, however, inventors had fashioned stamping and soldering machines that mass-produced cansfrom tinplate. Suddenly all kinds of food could be preserved and bought at all times of the year. Other trends and inventions had also helped make it possible for Americans to vary their daily diets. Growing urban populations created demand that encouraged fruit and vegetable farmers to raise more produce. Railroad refrigerator cars enabled growers and meat packers to ship perishables great distances and to preserve them for longer periods. Thus, by the 1890's, northern city dwellers could enjoy southern and western strawberries, grapes, and tomatoes, previously available for a month at most, for up to six months of the year. In addition, increased use of iceboxes enabled families to store perishables. An easy means of producing ice commercially had been invented in the 1870's, and by 1900 the nation had more than two thousand commercial ice plants, most of which made home deliveries. The icebox became a fixture in most homes and remained so until the mechanized refrigerator replaced it in the 1920's and 1930's.

Almost everyone now had a more diversified diet. Some people continued to eat mainly foods that were heavy in starches or carbohydrates, and not everyone could afford meat. Nevertheless, many families could take advantage of previously unavailable fruits, vegetables, and dairy products to achieve more varied fare.

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1. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) Causes of food spoilage(B) Commercial production of ice(C) Inventions that led to changes in the American diet(D) Population movements in the nineteenth century

2. The phrase “in season” in line 3 refers to(A) a kind of weather(B) a particular time of year(C) an official schedule(D) a method of flavoring food

3. The word “prevent” in line 5 is closest in meaning to(A) estimate(B) avoid(C) correct(D) confine

4. During the 1860's, canned food products were(A) unavailable in rural areas(B) shipped in refrigerator cars(C) available in limited quantities(D) a staple part of the American diet

5. It can be inferred that railroad refrigerator cars came into use(A) before 1860(B) before 1890(C) after 1900(D) after 1920

6. The word “them ” in line 15 refers to(A) refrigerator cars(B) perishables(C) growers(D) distances

7. The word “fixture” in line 19 is closest in meaning to(A) luxury item(B) substance(C) commonplace object(D) mechanical device

8. The author implies that in the 1920's and 1930's home deliveries of ice…(A) decreased in number(B) were on an irregular schedule(C) increased in cost(D) occurred only in the summer

9. The word “Nevertheless” in line 23 is closest in meaning to(A) therefore(B) because(C) occasionally(D) however

10. Which of the following types of food preservation was NOT mentioned in the passage?(A) Drying(B) Canning(C) Cold storage(D) Chemical additives

11. Which of the following statements is supported by the passage? (A) Tin cans and iceboxes helped to make many foods more widely available.(B) Commercial ice factories were developed by railroad owners.(C) Most farmers in the United States raised only fruits andvegetables. (D) People who lived in cities demanded home delivery of foods.

Reading 9

Tumbling Cats

The ability of falling cats to right themselves in midair and land on their feet has been a source of wonder for ages. Biologists long regarded it as an example of adaptation by natural selection, but for physicists it bordered on the miraculous. Newton's laws of motion assume that the total amount of spin of a body cannot change unless an external torque speeds it up or slows it down. If a cat has no spin when it is released and experiences no external torque, it ought not to be able to twist around as it falls.

In the speed of its execution, the righting of a tumbling cat resembles a magician's trick. The gyrations of the cat in midair are too fast for the human eye to follow, so the process is obscured. Either the eye must be speeded up, or the cat's fall slowed down for the phenomenon to be observed. A century ago the former was accomplished by means of high-speed photography using equipment now available in any pharmacy. But in the nineteenth century the capture on film of a falling cat constituted a scientific experiment.

The experiment was described in a paper presented to the Paris Academy in 1894. Two sequences of twenty photographs each, one from the side and one from behind, show a white cat in the act of righting itself. Grainy and quaint though they are, the photos show that the cat was dropped upside down, with no initial spin, and still landed on its feet. Careful analysis of the photos reveals the secret ; As the cat rotates the front of its body clockwise, the rear and tail twist counterclockwise, so that the total spin remains zero, in perfect accord with Newton's laws. Halfway down, the cat pulls in its legs before reversing its twist and then extends them again, with the desired end result. The explanation was that while no body can acquire spin without torque, a flexible one can readily change its orientation, or phase. Cats know this instinctively, but scientists could not be sure how it increased the speed of happened until they their perceptions a thousandfold.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?(A) The explanation of an interesting phenomenon(B) Miracles in modern science(C) Procedures in scientific investigation(D) The differences between biology and physics

2. The word “process” in line 10 refers to A) the righting of a tumbling cat(B) the cat's fall slowed down(C) high-speed photography(D) a scientific experiment

3. Why are the photographs mentioned in line 15 referred to as an “experiment”?(A) The photographs were not very clear.(B) The purpose of the photographs was to explain the process.(C) The photographer used inferior equipment.(D) The photographer thought the cat might be injured.

4. Which of the following can be inferred about high-speed photography in the late 1800's?(A) It was a relatively new technology.(B) The necessary equipment was easy to obtain.(C) The resulting photographs are difficult to interpret.(D) It was not fast enough to provide new information.

5. The word “rotates” in line 18 is closest in meaning to(A) drops(B) turns(C) controls(D) touches

6. According to the passage, a cat is able to right itself in midair because it is(A) frightened(B) small(C) intelligent (D) flexible

7. The word “readily”in line 22 is closest in meaning to(A) only(B) easily(C) slowly(D) certainly

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8. How did scientists increase “the speed of their perceptions a thousandfold”(lines 22-23)?(A) By analyzing photographs(B) By observing a white cat in a dark room(C) By dropping a cat from a greater height(D) By studying Newton's laws of motion

Reading 10

Tokyo zoo gorillas get good luck bean shower

TOKYO, Feb 5 (Reuters Life!) - Piko the gorilla didn't know what hit her when crowds of humans gathered around the ape cage at Tokyo's zoo to shout incantations and throw beans. She soon figured out that while the people were loud and frightening, the roasted soya beans were very tasty.

Piko was subjected to a traditional Japanese blessing over the weekend that seeks to bring in good fortune. The ritual is usually reserved for humans but zoo authorities through the apes could do with a bit of luck. "We threw beans at the gorillas so they can live healthy and long lives and that the females and males get along better in order that they produce more gorillas," gorilla handler Ryo Imanishi told Reuters.

There are currently seven gorillas at Tokyo's zoo. Poaching, the destruction of their natural habitat in central Africa, commercial hunting and the Ebola virus are believed to have severely affected the ape population in the wild. "I really hope this helps the gorillas species increase," said 19-year old zoo visitor Akiko Ishikawa.

Throwing roasted beans is part of the traditional festival of Setsubun and it is believed to have purifying qualities. Setsubun was originally performed on what would have been the Chinese New Year eve, but since Japan now celebrates the New Year according to the western calendar, it is marked every February.

Summary Completion - Type 1 Complete the summary using the list of words (A-P) below.

Piko the gorilla didn't understand what was happening when groups of humans assembled around her cage at Tokyo's zoo to yell chants and throw beans.

However, it didn't take her long to 1_______________that although the people were noisy and 2.______________, the roasted soya beans were 3._________________.

Piko was given a traditional Japanese blessing for good 4._____________________.The ceremony is normally only for humans but zoo officials decided the apes could do with a bit of luck so they

can live healthy, long lives and 5. ___________________ the zoo's gorilla population.There are now seven gorillas at Tokyo's zoo. Poaching, the widespread damage of their natural 6.

________________in central Africa, commercial hunting and the Ebola virus have had a huge impact on wild ape numbers.

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A. fortunateB. work outC. awfulD. raiseE. deliciousF. luckG. environmentH. affect

I. impactJ. increaseK. take onL. get throughM. landscapeN. cheerfulO. scaryP. tasteful

Reading 11

Columbia tragedy raises questions over NASA budget

Washington, May 1 (Reuters) - Three months after the Columbia disaster, NASA chief Sean O'Keefe faced questions from Congress on Thursday about the U.S. space agency's "skimpy" budget and the shuttle program's future. "While we investigate Columbia, longer range issues must be addressed: the future of the shuttle and its successor, an aging workforce and an aging infrastructure," Sen. Barbara Mikulski told O'Keefe at a Senate appropriations panel hearing. "Unfortunately, the administration's budget does not do enough to address some of these long-term needs." (Paragraph 1)

Mikulski, a Maryland Democrat, said in a statement that NASA's budget appeared "skimpy" after this year, and Sen. Richard Shelby, an Alabama Republican, said, "Most of us believe that NASA is still vastly underfunded." Both Mikulski and Shelby have NASA space flight centers in their states. "The ripple effect of this (Columbia) tragedy inevitably will impact on the future funding of the manned space program as well as other missions in the space and earth sciences programs," said Sen. Kit Bond, a Missouri Republican. (Paragraph 2)

The Bush administration's proposed NASA budget for fiscal 2004 is $15.47 billion, an amount submitted before the Columbia tragedy. Congress has provided a "down payment" of $50 million to respond to the Columbia aftermath, and expects these costs to rise as an independent investigation proceeds. O'Keefe defended this budget proposal as "responsible, credible and compelling," even as he noted it was prepared before the Feb. 1 disintegration of shuttle Columbia over Texas. All seven astronauts aboard were killed. (Paragraph 3)

The search for pieces of the doomed shuttle is complete, O'Keefe said, with the debris fields in Texas and Louisiana having been combed for more than 11 weeks. Remnants accounting for about 40 percent of the shuttle's weight have

been recovered and are destined for a hangar at Kennedy Space Center. Even as the independent Columbia Accident Investigation Board continued its work, O'Keefe stressed the need to return to human space flight, speaking earlier on Thursday at a traditional May 1 Space Day ceremony at the National Air and Space Museum. (Paragraph 4)

Addressing an audience of several hundred school children and their parents and teachers, O'Keefe noted that some 1,600 teachers had applied to fly in space as part of NASA's Educator Astronaut program, which is going forward even though the three-ship shuttle fleet remains grounded following the Columbia accident. NASA plans to pick three to six teachers to join the astronaut program, O'Keefe said. (Paragraph 5)

Summary Completion Using the words from the reading exercise, complete the following text. You may need to change the form of some of the words. You have 10 minutes.

The 1. __________of NASA, Sean O'Keefe has been .2. ______________in Congress about the US space agency's budget and the future direction of the program. 3. ____________in Congress have criticized the administration's long term funding proposals as they feel NASA is 4.________. O'Keefe 5. _______________the budget submitted for 2004, despite the fact that this was made 6. __________________the Columbia tragedy over Texas in which all the 7. ____________were killed. The search, which lasted nearly three months, recovered about 8. ____________per cent of the shuttle's weight. O'Keefe claimed he was committed to returning to 9. _________space flight and outlined plans for NASA's Educator Astronaut Program, which plans to send 10. ___into space, as he addressed an audience at a traditional May 1 Space Day ceremony

10 minutes

Reading comprehension - summary completionUsing NO MORE THAN TWO words from the reading text, complete the summary below.

Alexander Shevchenko is one of the few people still alive who was involved in the early Soviet

1. ________________almost sixty years ago. Although he came from 2._________, as a young man, he was taken to the Kazakh steppe. He was forced to stay at the test site and watch what happened. He said they had no equipment for their 3. ________________and were completely

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4. ________________to the dangerous radiation. The Soviet government conducted the tests because it wanted to have nuclear 5. ______________with the United States. Alexander Shevchenko now paints pictures to show the world what happened to him and other people.

A doctor, Boris Gusev, also witnessed the nuclear tests. He understood the 6. ___________of the tests for humans and he saw many people become 7. _____________after such tests. He could not understand why the tests were necessary, because after Hiroshima and Nagasaki the world knew about the potential 8. _______________of radiation on the human body.

Reading 12

For Questions 1-6, read through the text below and then choose from the list the best phrase to fill each of the spaces.Some of the suggested answers do not fit at all.Example: (0) - 10 'which is usually overlooked'

Learning how to behave

Most people are unaware they possess a quite remarkable skill,(0) …………………. because it is exercised daily, and in the most ordinary of contexts. But without it, our lives would be unfulfilled and empty. It is the ability to relate to others, to engage them in conversation, to operate as social and sociable individuals and to develop both short-term and long-term relationships (1) .......................... We are not born with this ability. There is nothing wired into the human brain (2) .................... To perform effectively in a world (3) .................................encounters and relationships, we have to learn what to do.

Small babies, as any parent will remember, are among the least sociable beings (4) ........................... They are totally demanding, utterly selfish and scream with rage if their every whim is not immediately satisfied. Somehow this unlikely raw material is transformed over the years into a being (5) ……….. on being able to form reciprocal bonds with others and to follow complex rules (6) …………………..... The monstrous infant becomes the caring,responsible adult whose life experiences revolve around both the joys and pains, and the giving and receiving, of friendships and other relationships. It is this remarkable transformation which is the central characteristic of being human.

1. That you could imagine2. Which relies for its survival3. That relies so heavily on social interaction4. Which nobody understands, not even scientists5. Which lies at the heart of our very existence as human beings6. That takes a lifetime to learn and practice7. That govern every aspect of its social life8. That provides us with set responses to social situations9. That they do with conscious thought10. Which is usually overlooked

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Reading 13

Biofuels and the Environment

Leading investors have joined the growing chorus of concern about governments ad companies rushing into producing biofuels as a solution for global warming, saying that many involved in the sector could be jeopardizing future profits if they do not consider the long-term impact of what they are doing carefully.

It is essential to build sustainability criteria into the supply chain of any green fuel project in order to ensure that there is not adverse effect on the surrounding environment and social structures. The report produced by the investors expresses concern that many companies may not be fully aware of the potential pitfalls in the biofuel sector.

Production of corn and soya beans has increased dramatically in the last years as an eco-friendly alternative to fossil fuels but environmental and human rights campaigners are worried that this will lead to destruction of rain forests. Food prices could also go up as there is increased competition for crops as both foodstuffs and sources of fuel. Las week the UN warned that biofuels could have dangerous side effects and said that steps need to be taken to make sure that land converted to grow biofuels does not damage the environment or cause civil unrest. There is already great concern about palm oil, which is used in many foods in addition to being an important biofuel, as rain forests are being cleared in some countries and people driven from their homes to create palm oil plantations.

An analyst and author of the investor’s report says that biofuels are not a cure for climate change but they can play their part as long as governments and companies manage the social and environmental impacts thoroughly. There should also be greater measure taken to increase efficiency and to reduce demand.

Choose the correct option

1. ______________ are worried about the boom in biofuelsa. Few peopleb. Many peoplec. Only these leading investors

2. Biofuel producers ________know about the possible problems.a. do notb. might notc. must not

3. Environmentalists believe that increased production of corn and soya_________.a. has destroyed rain forestsb. may lead to the destruction of rain forestsc. will lead to the destruction of rain forests

4. Biofuels might____________________.a. drive food prices upb. drive food prices down

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c. have little or no impact on food prices.5. The increased production of palm oil____________________.

a. just affects the environmentb. just affects peoplec. affects both people and the environment

6. The author of the report says that biofuels _______________.a. have no role to play in fighting global warmingb. can be effective in fighting global warming on their ownc. should be part of a group of measures to fight global warming

Reading 14

And Europe’s Worst Linguists are…

The British are the European Union’s worst linguists while the citizens of Luxembourg are the best, according to an EU poll published Monday.

Almost two-thirds of Britons know no language apart from their mother tongue, the highest figure recorded in the 15 EU countries in the European Commission’s “Eurobarometer “ survey. That compares to just 2.2 percent in Luxembourg, 12.3 percent of Danes and an EU average of 47.3 percent of people who speak no other language but their own, the poll of 16,000 EU citizens said.

But British travelers to Europe need not worry. English is the second most common language in the EU , spoken by 41 percent of the bloc’s citizens. In Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, at least 78 percent of people speak English as a second language.

Although 47 percent of EU citizens know only their mother tongue, there is wide agreement that speaking a foreign language is a good thing. Across the EU, 72 percent of those polled believe foreign language skills are useful, 71 percent said everyone should know one foreign language and 69 percent said everyone should speak English.

The reasons given why people do not learn languages were lack of time, lack of motivation and the cost of language lessons. The poll conducted in December, marks the launch of the European Year of Languages, an EU initiative to promote language learning.

Are the following statements true , false, or the answer is not given ?

1. People from Luxembourg speak English better than people from Britain._______2. Only 2.2 % of people from Luxembourg can speak English. _________3. More people speak English than any other language in Europe._________4. 47 percent of Europeans do not speak a second language._____________5. 4 out of 5 Danes can speak English.____________6. Most people in Europe believe that it is good to learn a second language.________7. Learning a language is expensive.____________

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8. The EU wants English-speaking people to learn other languages._________

Vocabulary

Find a word in the text that matches each of the definitions given below:

1. ________________: a person who is skilled at languages.2. ________________: a number.3. ________________: first language.4. _______________: survey of people’s opinions.5. _______________: a minimum of.6. _______________: people who live in a city or country.7. _______________: a shortage8. _______________: indicates, or signifies.9. _______________: encourage the use of10. _______________:desire to do or achieve something’

READING 15

Questions 1-10 refer to the following passage.

The most familiar speleothems (from the Greek word spelaion for cave and thema for deposit), the decorative dripstone features found in caves, are stalactites and stalagmites. Stalactites hang downward from the ceiling of the cave and are formed as drop after drop of water slowly trickles through cracks in the cave roof. Stalagmites grow upward from the floor of the cave, generally as a result of water dripping from an overhead stalactite. A column forms when a stalactite and a stalagmite grow until they join. A "curtain" or "drapery" begins to form on an inclined ceiling when drops of water trickle along a slope. Natural openings on the surface that lead to caves are called sinkholes, or swallow holes. Streams sometimes disappear down these holes and flow through the cavern. Rivers may flow from one mountain to another through a series of caves. Some caverns have sinkholes in their floors. Water often builds up a rim of dripstone around the edge of the hole. Dripping water often contains dissolved minerals as well as acid. These minerals too will be deposited; and they may give rich coloring to the deposits. If minerals in the water change, layers of different colors may be formed.

1. Stalagmites are formed by

(A) drops of water which enter through cracks in the ceiling.

(B) underground rivers which flow through the cave.

READING SKILLSSection 3 Sample Test

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(C) water dripping from an overhead stalactite.(D) water which trickles down a slope.

2. Sinkholes are

(A) the decorative dripstone features found in caves.(B) natural openings on the surface that lead

to caves.(C) colorful layers of mineral deposits.(D) None of the above

3. Which speleothem grows upward from the floor ?

(A) Stalagmites(B) Stalactites

(C) Sinkholes(D) Curtains

4. An "inclined ceiling" is one which

(A) is straight.(B) is crooked.

(C) is slanted.(D) is wet.

5. Which of the following are NOT caused by dripping water ?

(A) Stalagmites(B) Stalactites

(C) Slopes(D) Curtains

6. The information in the passage is most relevant to which field of study ?

(A) Geography(B) Archaeology

(C) Physics(D) Geology

7. "Curtains" can also be called

(A) columns.(B) draperies.

(C) stalagmites.(D) rims.

8. The word speeleothem comes from which language?

(A) Latin(B) French

(C) Greek(D) English

9. Stalagmites are formed by

(A) drops of water which enter the cave through cracks in the ceiling.(B) underground rivers which flow through

the cave.(C) water which seeps through the cave floor.(D) water which trickles down a slope.

10. Which speleothem hangs from the ceiling of a cave?

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(A) Stalagmites(B) Stalactites

(C) Columns(D) Rimstones

Questions 11-20 refer to the following passage

Horse owners who plan to breed one or more mares should have a working knowledge of heredity and know how to care for breeding animals and foals. The number of mares bred that actually conceive varies from about 40 to 85 percent, with the average running less than 50 percent. Some mares that do conceive fail to produce living foals. This means that, on average, two mares are kept a whole year to produce one foal, and even then, some foals are disappointments from the standpoint of quality. By careful selection, breeders throughout history have developed various kinds of horses with a wide variety of characteristics to suit many different needs. The Great Horse of the Middle Ages, for example, was bred for size and strength to carry a heavily armored knight. The massive horses of such breeds are often called "cold blooded." The Arabs bredlithe desert horses that were small and swift. These animals are often referred to as "hot -blooded. " Cross-breeding of hot-blooded and cold-blooded horses for certain characteristics produced breeds ranging from riding horses to draft horses. The Thoroughbred is considered by many to be the highpoint of elegance and fine selective breeding. Many persons mistakenly apply the name Thoroughbred to any purebred horse. But a Thoroughbred is a distinct breed of running horses that traces its ancestry through the male line directly back to three Eastern stallions: the Byerly Turk, the Darley Arabian, and the Godolphin Barb. For convenience the breeds of horses are often divided into three major groups: (1) ponies, (2) heavy, or draft horses, and (3) light horses.

11. Which of the following is not an example of an Eastern stallion?

(A) Byerly Turk(B) Darley Arabian

(C) Thoroughbred(D) Godolphin Barb

12. Which of the following was NOT a characteristic of the Great Horse of the MiddleAges?

(A) Large size(B) Swiftness

(C) Strength(D) "Cold-bloodednes

13. It can be inferred from the passage that cold-blooded and hot-blooded horses were cross-bred for what reason?(A) Such cross-breeding was a safer means of reproduction.(B) Cross-bred horses were preferred by Arabs.(C) By cross-breeding, horses with desirable mixed characteristics could be produced.(D) Cross-breeding produced Thoroughbred horses.14. In line 11, "lithe" most nearly means

(A) graceful.(B) clumsy.

(C) massive.(D) bulky.

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15. Which of the following is NOT one of the major divisions of horse breeds?

(A) Draft horses(B) Ponies

(C) Foals(D) Light horses

16. According to the passage, which of the following horses is considered to be the finest purebred?

(A) Darley Arabian(B) Thoroughbred

(C) Godolphin Barb(D) Byerly Turk

17. To conceive is to

(A) become sick.(B) become pregnant.

(C) die.(D) be born.

18. A foal is a

(A) male horse.(B) female horse.

(C) old horse.(D) baby horse.

19. The average amount of mares bred which actually conceive is less than what percent?

(A) 40(B) 85

(C) 50(D) 75

20. A mare is a

(A) male horse.(B) baby horse.

(C) female horse.(D) old horse.

Questions 21-30 refer to the following passage.

Animals that produce large amounts of offspring depend upon the sheer size of the litter for the perpetuation of their species. The young mature very quickly and are not educated, as the parents are usually involved with obtaining their own food and with reproduction. Should some of the offspring become endangered, the parent will not interfere, because it is not expected that all the young survive, which is the reason for a large litter.One animal that produces large litters is the hamster. A female hamster is able to bear young when she is six weeks to two months old. The gestation period is about 16 days. Although an average litter size is from five to ten, hamsters commonly have as few as three or as many as a dozen offspring at a time. Mothers will sometimes eat their own young, particularly when the number of offspring is large. Females may produce litters up to an age of about 15 months at monthly intervals. The blind, hairless young begin to grow fur in two to three days. Their eyes open after about two weeks. After ten days they begin eating solid food, though the mother will continue to nurse them for about two more weeks. In captivity, a typical hamster may live for two to three years.

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21. The gestation period for hamsters is about

(A) nine months.(B) one month.

(C) 16 days.(D) six weeks.

22. Female hamsters will sometimes eat their young for what reason?

(A) Hunger(B) Because of a large number of offspring

(C) Deformed babies(D) The young mature too quickly

23. Female hamsters may reproduce as young as

(A) six weeks old.(B) six months old.

(C) 15 months old.(D) two weeks old.

24. "Perpetuation" in line 2 means

(A) extinction.(B) annihilation.

(C) variation.(D) continuation

25. Hamsters can produce offspring until what age?

(A) two years(B) six weeks

(C) 15 months(D) 16 days

26. What is the tone of the passage?

(A) Argumentative(B) Informative

(C) Biased(D) Farcical

27. What is the BEST title for this passage ?

(A) "Endangered Animal Litters"(B) "Reasons for Large Litters"

(C) "Parents of Large Litters"(D) "Educating Litters"

28. What is a litter?

(A) The amount of parents an animal has(B) The amount of garbage an animal has

(C) The amount of offspring an animal has(D) The amount of siblings an animal has

29. Why would an animal parent not be able to care for its litter?

(A) It is busy reproducing and food gathering.(B) It is busy educating the litter.

(C) It interferes with the litter.(D) It is busy playing.

30. Which of the following is NOT a reason for a large litter?

(A) The young are not expected to live.(B) The young are educated.

(C) The parents are too busy to protect them.(D) The young mature quickly..

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Questions 31-40 refer to the following passage.

Juan Ponce de Leon was the first Spaniard to touch the shores of the present United States. As Columbus had not remotely realized the extent of his momentous discovery, so de Leon never dreamed that his "island" of Florida was a peninsular extension of the vast North American continent. After coming to the New World with Columbus in 1493, he had led the occupation of Puerto Rico in 1508 and governed it from 1509 to 1512. In 1509, de Leon started a colony at Caparra, later abandoned in favor of San Juan. He was one of the firstadelantados—men who "advanced" the Spanish Empire by conquest, subjugation of the Indians, and establishment of a semi-military government. In Puerto Rico he heard a legend about an island called Bimini, where there was said to be a spring that restored youth to all who bathed in it. It is said he was seeking this spring when he discovered Florida. He sailed from Puerto Rico in March 1513. On Easter Sunday he sighted the coast. A few days later he landed on Florida's east coast, near what is now St. Augustine. He named the place La Florida after the Spanish term for Easter Sunday—Pascua florida, or "flowery feast." He then sailed around the peninsula and up the west coast. He returned to Florida in 1521.

31. In what year did de Leon discover Florida?

(A) 1508(B) 1513

(C) 1521(D) 1492

32. What was the title of the first colony started by Ponce de Leon in Puerto Rico?

(A) San Juan(B) La Florida

(C) Caparra(D) St. Augustine

33. What was the name of the legendary island where the fabled Fountain of Youth was said to be?

(A) Cuba(B) Bimini

(C) Atlantis(D) Bermuda

34. Which of the following is implied by the passage?(A) Ponce de Leon was the true discoverer of the North American continent.(B) Ponce de Leon rejected the philosophy of the adelantados.(C) Ponce de Leon may have discovered Florida "by accident."(D) Ponce de Leon's greatest contribution was his discovery of the Fountain of Youth.

35. Pascua florida is the Spanish term for which holiday?

(A) Easter Sunday(B) Christmas

(C) Thanksgiving(D) Palm Sunda

36. According to the passage, which of the following was NOT a means of advancement of the Spanish Empire in the New World?

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(A) Conquest(B) Subjugation of Indians(C) Establishment of semi-military

governments(D) Treaties and negotiation

37. From the passage, it can be assumed that a "peninsula" is

(A) a volcanic island.(B) an island completely surrounded by water.

(C) an extension of land surrounded almost completely bywater.(D) an island inhabited by Indians.

38. The tone of the word "advanced" in line 7 suggests that

(A) adelantados favor progress.(B) progress could not have occurred without subjugation.(C) progress is related to conquest and

subjugation.(D) conquest, subjugation, and semi-military government are not progress.

39. According to the passage. Ponce de Leon believed the land he discovered was

(A) part of the .Bahamas.(B) the new "island" of Florida.

(C) the mainland of the United States.(D) Puerto Rico.

40. Ponce de Leon was classified as an adelantado because he(A) was a great explorer.(B) was the first Spaniard to see the shores of the United States.(C) conquered and ruled by military force.(D) claimed Florida for the King of Spain.

 Questions 41 to 50 refer to the following passage:Any list of the greatest thinkers in history contains the name of the brilliant physicist Albert Einstein. His theories of relativity led to entirely new ways of thinking about time, space, matter, energy, and gravity. Einstein's work led to such scientific advances as the control of atomic energy, even television as a practical application of Einstein's work. In 1902 Einstein became an examiner in the Swiss patent office at Bern. In 1905, at age 26, he published the first of five major research papers. The first one provided a theory explaining Brownian movement, the zig-zag motion of microscopic particles in suspension. The second paper laid the foundation for the photon, or quantum, theory of light. In it he proposed that light is composed of separate packets of energy, called quanta or photons, that have some of the properties of particles and some of the properties of waves. A third paper contained the "special theory of relativity" which showed that time and motion are relative to the observer, if the speed of light is constant and the natural laws are the same everywhere in the universe. The fourth paper was a mathematical addition to the special theory of relativity. Here Einstein presented his famous formula, E = m(cc), known as the energy mass equivalence. In 1916, Einstein publishedhis general theory of relativity. In it he proposed that gravity is not a force, but a curve in the space-time continuum, created by the presence of mass.Einstein spoke out frequently against nationalism, the exalting of one nation above all others. He opposed war and violence and supported Zionism, the movement to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, they denounced his ideas. He then moved to the United States. In 1939 Einstein learned that two German chemists had split the uranium atom. Einstein wrote to President Franklin D. Roosevelt warning him that this scientific knowledge

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could lead to Germany developing an atomic bomb. Hesuggested the United States begin its own atomic bomb research.

41. Einstein's primary work was in the area of

(A) chemistry.(B) biology.

(C) physics.(D) engineering.

42. Which of the following inventions is mentioned in the passage as a practical application of Einstein's discoveries?

(A) Radio(B) Automobiles

(C) Computers(D) Television

43. According to the passage, Einstein supported all of the following except

(A) the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.(B) nationalism.

(C) atomic bomb research in the United States.(D) the defeat of the Nazis.

44. In which country was Einstein born?

(A) Switzerland(B) United States

(C) Germany(D) Israel

45. What is "Brownian movement"?

(A) The zig-zag motion of microscopic particles in suspension(B) The emission of electrons from solids

when struck by light(C) The motion of photons in light(D) The basis of the theory of relativity

46. Einstein was a citizen of all of the following countries EXCEPT

(A) Belgium.(B) Germany.

(C) United States.(D) Switzerland.

47. It is clear from the tone of the passage that the author feels(A) Einstein's work in physics was somewhat tarnished by his conservative political views.(B) Albert Einstein was one of the most brilliant thinkers in history.(C) Einstein's work in physics, though theoretically impressive, led to few practical applications.(D) Einstein's theories have been consistently proven incorrect.48. According to Einstein's special theory of relativity,(A) all properties of matter and energy can be explained in a single mathematical formula.(B) light is composed of separate packets of energy.(C) time and motion are relative to the observer.(D) some solids emit electrons when struck by light.49. In line 18, the word "exalting" most nearly means

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(A) elevation.(B) criticism.

(C) support.(D) elimination.

50. According to Einstein, light is composed of separate packets of energy called

(A) electrons.(B) photoelectrons.

(C) quanta.(D) gamma rays

Questions 51-60 refer to the following passage.

We believe the Earth is about 4.6 billion years old. At present we are forced to look to other bodies in the solar system for hints as to what the early history of the Earth was like. Studies of our moon, Mercury, Mars, and the large satellites of Jupiter and Saturn have provided ample evidence that all these large celestial bodies were bombarded by smaller objects in a wide variety of sizes shortly after the larger bodies had formed. This same bombardment must have affected Earth as well. The lunar record indicates that the rate of impacts decreased to its present low level about 4 billion years ago. On Earth, subsequent erosion and crustal motions have obliterated the craters that must have formed during this epoch.Scientists estimate the Earth's age by measuring the ratios of various radioactive elements in rocks. The oldest Earth rocks tested thus far are about 3 1/3 billion years old. But no one knows whether these are the oldest rocks on Earth. Tests on rocks from the moon and on meteorites show that these are about 4.6 billion years old. Scientists believe that this is the true age of the solar system and probably the true age of the Earth

51. In line 8, the word "obliterated" means

(A) created.(B) destroyed.

(C) changed.(D) eroded.

52. According to this passage, how do scientists estimate the age of the Earth?

(A) By measuring the ratios of radioactive elements in rocks(B) By examining fossils

(C) By studying sunspots(D) By examining volcanic activity

53. Scientists estimate the age of the Earth as

(A) 3 1/3 billion years old.(B) 4 billion years old.

(C) 4.6 billion years old.(D) 6 billion years old

.54. Which of the following processes led to the obliteration of the craters formed by the bombardment of the Earth by celestial bodies?

(A) Volcanic activity(B) Solar radiation

(C) Gravity(D) Crustal motions

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55. According to the passage, why are scientists forced to look at other bodies in the solar system to determine the early history of the Earth?

(A) Human alteration of the Earth(B) Erosion and crustal motions

(C) Solar flares(D) Deforestation

56. What is the BEST title for this passage?

(A) "Determining the Age of the Earth"(B) "Determining the Age of the Solar System"

(C) "Erosion and Crustal Motion of Earth"(D) "Radioactive Elements in Rocks"

57. Which of the following bodies was NOT studied to give evidence that the Earth was bombarded in its early history?

(A) Mars(B) Mercury

(C) Jupiter(D) Earth's moon

58. Bombardment of the Earth at one time by various sized bodies is

(A) inferred from what happened on other planetary bodies.(B) documented fact.

(C) proven by the lunar record.(D) indicated by erosion

.59. The level of impacts of the bombardments of Earth have

(A) decreased to below normal.(B) increased to a current high.

(C) increased after a periodic low.(D) decreased to a current low.

60. In line 6, the word "bombardment" means

(A) an avoidance.(B) an assault.(C) an effect.(D) a cause

Summary Completion - Type 1 Complete the summary using the list of words (A-P) below.

Piko the gorilla didn't understand what was happening when groups of humans assembled around her cage at Tokyo's zoo to yell chants and throw beans.

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However, it didn't take her long to 1_______________that although the people were noisy and 2.______________, the roasted soya beans were 3._________________.

Piko was given a traditional Japanese blessing for good 4._____________________.The ceremony is normally only for humans but zoo officials decided the apes could do with a bit of luck so they

can live healthy, long lives and 5. ___________________ the zoo's gorilla population.There are now seven gorillas at Tokyo's zoo. Poaching, the widespread damage of their natural 6.

________________in central Africa, commercial hunting and the Ebola virus have had a huge impact on wild ape numbers.

A. fortunateB. work outC. awfulD. raiseE. deliciousF. luckG. environmentH. affect

I. impactJ. increaseK. take onL. get throughM. landscapeN. cheerfulO. scaryP. tasteful

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