Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Read the passages and find the best mark the answers
The official language of the Czech Republic is Czech, a highly complex western Slavic tongue. Any attempt from
foreigners to speak Czech will be heartily appreciated, so do not be discouraged if people fail to understand you, as
most will be accustomed to hearing foreigners stumble through their language. If you don't know any Czech, brush
up on your German, since, among the older generation at least, it is still the most widely spoken second language.
Russian, once the compulsory second language has been practically wiped off the school curriculum, and the
number of English speakers has been steadily increasing, especially among the younger generation.
The religion of the Jewish people, Judaism, is based largely on the teachings of Moses and other leaders as
recounted in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is significant for being the oldest monotheistic religion - belief in one
supreme being, which is given various names by the Jews themselves, including Yahweh, Jehovah and God. The two
other important sacred books are the Talmud and the Torah, which contain the many laws and observances
orthodox Jews are supposed to keep. The principal festival is the Feast of Passover: the principal place of worship is
the synagogue and the priests are called Rabbis. Judaism is also noted for being the religion from which Christianity
and Islam developed. There are about 14 million followers, about 3 million in Israel itself, and the remainder
distributed throughout the world.
Laws are the collection of rules by which any state maintains order within a society. In Great Britain, the law-making
process is conducted by Parliament. Proposed new laws are presented as Bills and if, after debate, they are
accepted by a majority vote in the House of Commons, they duly become law. In Great Britain, as in most countries,
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there are several distinct types of laws. Constitutional law is concerned with the processes of the government itself
Company law deals with the operation of many of the nation's commercial and financial activities. These are
branches of State law, that is, laws made by acts of Parliament. Common law, by contrast, is based on past
decisions taken by the courts on various issues.
9-As is stated In the passage, the difference between State and common laws is that………. .
A)State laws only effect Members of Parliament, not common people
B)common law was only valid in the past, while State law is still used
C)only State laws actually have financial consequences to the people
***D)the former are made by acts of Parliament, the latter, by the courts
E)the latter is applied to common people, but not to parliamentarians
The term 'castle' is most commonly applied to the fortresses belonging to European kings or important nobles during
the Middle Ages. The first of this type were built by the Normans in France, during the eleventh century. They were
constructed of wood and consisted simply of a tower built on a mound and stood in a courtyard, which was
surrounded by a fence and a ditch. By the twelfth century, the wooden tower had given way to a stone one,
containing living accommodation for the whole household, centred on the Great hall, and surrounded by a strong
wall. As new methods of attack developed, the outer fortifications became more elaborate in order to withstand
them.
Mozart made his first visit to Prague with his wife Constance in 1787, staying with his friend and patron Count Thun.
A year earlier, his opera The Marriage of Figaro, which had failed to please the opera snobs in Vienna, was given a
marvellous reception in Prague. Encouraged by this, he chose to premiere his next opera, Don Giovanni, in Prague
rather than in Vienna. He arrived with an incomplete score in hand, and finished it there, dedicating it to the 'good
people of Prague'. Mozart's final visit to Prague took place in 1791, the year of his death. The climax of the stay was
the premiere of Mozart's final opera, La Calmness di Tito, according to legend, completed on the coach from Vienna
to Prague.
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***C)had obviously not been a success in Vienna
D)was clearly the first opera that Mozart had ever written
E)encouraged Mozart to write his next opera Don Giovanni
Ever since the 1978 Camp David Agreement and the 1979 peace treaty signed between Egypt and Israel, the Suez
Canal has been filled with a constant flow of maritime traffic. It is 163 km long, but still not wide enough to
accommodate modern ships sailing in opposite directions. There are plans to widen the canal but, for now, ships can
pass only at two points - the Bitter Lakes and Al-Ballan. With a depth of 19,5 metres, the canal is deep enough for
most ships, except for super tankers. The canal is the prime source of hard currency for Egypt's troublesome
economy. Each of the 50 ships that pass through the canal each day is charged a fee based on its size and weight.
The average fee is about $70,000.
The Normans originally came from Scandinavia and were of Viking descent. During the tenth century they invaded
and conquered the northern part of France, which is still called Normandy. In the next century, under William the
Conqueror, they invaded and subdued England. This event brought about the end of Saxon England and saw the
start of a new era of English history, with new forms of architecture and a new form of social and political order
called the feudal system. It is interesting to note that while William was conquering England, other Norman chiefs
sailed down the coast of France and Spain, entered the Mediterranean Sea and conquered Sicily and some parts of
southern Italy. Norman knights from France and Italy also played a leading role in the Crusades.
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***C)altered the way the English constructed buildings
D)forced the Saxons to help them invade Sicily and Italy
E)ordered the re-writing of English history books
Each year, about 7.000 people in the United States are bitten by poisonous snakes. Fewer than a dozen of these
persons die, but many are left with disability of a limb and scarring at the site of the bite. Persons at greatest risk
are those who handle snakes for purposes of entertainment, religion or science. Outside the high-risk group,
hunters, farmers and fishermen are the most likely to be bitten. The best way to tell the difference between a
poisonous and a non-poisonous bite is to identify the snake. A non-poisonous bite doesn't usually cause much pain
or swelling, though the wound may bleed freely. When there is any doubt as to whether the snake is venomous,
presume that the bite was poisonous and take precautions.
22-According to the passage, the people who have the highest chance of being bitten by a snake are
those who ………. .
A)hunt animals for sport or who deal with farming
B)try to catch snakes and put them in captivity
C)are unable to distinguish between different snakes
***D)work directly with snakes or worship using them
E)are very religious and don't think they'll be bitten
24-The author suggests that if you have been bitten, and haven't managed to identify the snake,
…………. .
A)you shouldn't panic but should wait to see whether the bitten area will swell or not
B)you should make the wound bleed in order to remove any poison
C)you can assume you're not at risk if the bite doesn't hurt a lot
D)it is doubtful that the snake that bit you was venomous
***E)you should be treated as if the snake was poisonous
The word 'politics' comes from the Latin politia, meaning 'policy', and politics is generally defined as the science or
art of government. Politics has played ah increasing part in human affairs since men and women first organised
themselves into societies, and most of history is an account of politics in one form or another. There were brief
periods, of relatively free or representative government during the Greek and Roman eras. But until the seventeenth
century, politics was mostly the concern of powerful monarchs or other people in positions of high authority, such as
church leaders. The rise of political parties during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries introduced the concept
of government by consent rather than by force.
26-Obviously, during the Greek and Roman eras, there were short periods…………. .
***A)when the government members represented the people
B)when people didn't have to give taxes to the government
C)which were completely free from any kind of politics
D)when government members all came from the same, royal family
E)when there was absolutely no government whatsoever
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B)there was a change in that governments started to rule by force
C)church leaders began to govern countries instead of kings
D)the state of politics was a cause of great concern to most leaders
***E)a radical change in the concept of government began to take place
Rubber trees are tapped - that is, cuts are made in the bark so that the latex, a milk-like Juice, containing about 30-
40% rubber, can be obtained. The latex is then processed by exposing it to heat and wood smoke, or by mechanical
means, so as to separate the rubber from the 'water, mineral salts, sugars, resins and protein matters. The rubber
obtained in this way is known as, 'crude' - latex is extensively used in industry for making foam rubber, products.
footwear, dolls etc. Untreated crude rubber is naturally soft and lacks the required strength for making into
manufactured articles. To improve its strength and usefulness, it is vulcanised, or heated with sulphur, and the
proportion of sulphur used determines the hardness and elasticity of, the rubber.
29-It~s stated in the passage that untreated crude rubber is not used in industry, because…….. .
A)its content of sulphur carries a nasty odour
B)its milky colour is undesirable
C)it lacks any kind of elasticity
***D)it's neither hard nor strong enough
E)it contains far too many impurities
The origins of a written literature can be found in most of the civilisations of the ancient world; in India. China and
among the Jewish people, whose great work of literature is the Old Testament of the Bible. However, it is the
Greeks whose literature is taken to represent the start of Western literature. Their greatest single contribution was
drama, a form of literature that has continued undiminished to the present day. Other literary forms that developed
from the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans onward have been poetry in its many different styles and forms,
the essay, biography and autobiography, and the novel. Other types of written work from these periods, dealing
with such matters as history, philosophy, politics, religion, science and criticism may also be classified as literature
from the point of view of style.
33- This passage suggests that written history, philosophy and science………….. .
A)generally appear to have much more style than other literature
B)are quite unrelated to what most scholars usually call literature
***C)can be considered literature because of the way they were written
D)are much more important than forms stitch as drama and poetry
E)frequently receive large amounts of criticism by literary people
Our tour group of forty people made the train Journey from Hong Kong to Guangzhou on Christmas Day, 1979. We
were taken to the thirty-three storey White Cloud Hotel. Even though it was only two years old, the rooms and
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furnishings already seemed frayed and old. Tips were not allowed and the hotel staff appeared rude. Breakfast was
served promptly at seven forty-five. Forty fried eggs appeared on forty plates laid out at four separate tables, ten to
a table. Most of our group were still asleep in their beds while their eggs awaited them. Metal teapots were banged
on to the tables, together with eighty pieces of toast, twenty per table. At nine sharp, breakfast was over. Eggs, tea
and toast were taken away by waitresses within five minutes. This was our introduction to life in Communist China.
35- It's implied in the passage that breakfast at the White Cloud Hotel……….. .
A)was served from seven to seven forty-five
B)was delivered by room service to some guests
C)could be selected from a wide-ranging menu
D)was generous and delicious with fast service
***E)was served whether guests wanted it or not
36-We can conclude from the author's statements that her overall impression of the hotel was
that…………. .
A)it was generally efficient and well-run
B)it was extremely luxurious and relaxing
C)the service was slow and inefficient
***D)it was shabby and totally impersonal
E)the catering at the hotel was superb
By his own account, Quintus Horatius Flaccus was a terrible soldier. He fought for the losing side in civil wars. When
the order came to "Attack!", he dropped his shield and ran in the wrong direction. Back in Rome, he got a job as a
petty bureaucrat. It was not a very good job, but it left him plenty of time to write. And his writing is what the poet
whom we know as Horace is still remembered for to this day. Maybe it is a good thing that he dropped his shield
and ran. Who remembers the ones who died, or their cause? This is, perhaps, the proof that the pen really is
mightier than the sword!
The Hindenburg was the last in a series of airships designed to carry passengers and cargo over long distances. It
could carry fifty passengers in twenty-five luxury cabins with all the comforts of a first class hotel. Cruising at 125
km per hour, it could cross the Atlantic in half the time of the great luxury ocean liners, which it had been built to
compete with. But in 1937, the Hindenburg came to an unfortunate end in New Jersey just as it was about to land.
In spite of extensive safety precautions, the highly flammable hydrogen with which it was filled burst into flames.
Remarkably though, sixty-two of the ninety-seven people on board were able to escape.
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C)in speed and size, the Hindenburg was much like a luxury ocean liner
D)the Hindenburg exploded as it was taking off from New Jersey
B)none of the passengers survived the disaster
Mountaineering as a sport has developed since about 1857, when the Alpine Club was founded in London. Earlier,
climbers did not climb for pleasure but for some scientific or monetary motive, Dr Paccard of Chamonix was the first
to scale Mont Blanc, in 1786, to show that man could live above the snow-line, but it was the lectures of Albert
Smith, who climbed the peak in 1851, that kindled British interest. In 1854, Wills climbed the Wetterhorn and
eleven years later, Whymper made his famous ascent of the Matterhorn. By 1880, all the major peaks of the Alps
had been scaled, and so climbers went further afield to the Andes and the Himalayas.
45-It is implied that European climbers first started climbing mountains outside Europe………….. .
A)because the Alps in Europe took far too long to climb
B)once they had been inspired by Albert Smith's lectures
C)in order to obtain the sizeable financial benefits on offer
D)so that they could make field maps of other areas
***E)as they wanted to climb previously unclimbed mountains
Fossil analysis reveals that at least five periods in the last 600 million years have seen a drastic reduction in the
number of species of flora and fauna on the Earth. However, on previous occasions such changes were brought
about by asteroids or dramatic climatic changes. Experts in general believe that this decline is the work of man. The
dominance of a single species type, homo sapiens, threatens to turn the rest of the living 'world upside down. With
a population of barely six billion, humans are rapidly destroying irreplaceable ecosystems. This sixth round of global
dying of species could be far larger than the first five.
47-From the passage, we understand that the term "homo sapiens” is…………. .
A)a method of analysing fossils
B)a way of referring to a large number of species of flora and fauna
***C)another term for the human race
D)an irreplaceable ecosystem which is being destroyed
E)a hostile environment in which many species die
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48-The author predicts that …………. .
A)there will be no harmful effects from so many species dying
B)the world might be turned upside down by colliding with an asteroid
C)mankind will find a solution to the problem
***D)more species may die out this time than ever before
E)the human population will soon reach six billion
Rays of sunlight travel from 150 million kilometres away, and when they reach the Earth, they are parallel rays. The
curve of the Earth means that the rays are vertical at the Equator but at quite a low angle when they reach
temperate latitudes. As the rays lose heat passing through the atmosphere, the more direct the journey, the greater
the heat which penetrates through to the surface of the Earth. The vertical rays in equatorial latitudes mean that it
is much hotter at the Equator than it is in the regions where the sun's rays strike at a low angle. It is these
variations in temperature that are largely responsible for the changes in weather.
51-The angle at which the sun's rays strike the surface of the Earth is determined by……. .
A)the density of the Earth's atmosphere
B)the parallel nature of the sun-rays
C)the direct journey which the sun-rays make to equatorial regions
***D)the curvature of the Earth
E)the variations in temperature on the Earth
The concept of a national library is a recent one in. the developing countries. In the developed countries, national
libraries have existed since at least the sixteenth century. By the nineteenth century, most countries in Europe had
already established national libraries. The typical national library is meant to be the finest collection of books in the
country, the national book archive, and a source of national pride. Although it is important for a national library in a
developing country to collect the national literature, and any other literature pertaining to that country, it is also
important for the library to collect a wide range of scholarly literature published in other countries.
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The 'forest fire season' in Canada generally extends from the latter part of April to mid-October. During last year's
fire season, 9,317 forest fires burned a total of 2,618,299 acres of forest land. Weather conditions contributing to
fire spread, coupled with unusually frequent and violent electrical storms, resulted in one of the most severe
outbreaks of forest fires on record. Over the, season, 35.3% of all fires 'were caused by lightning. While these fires
are generally considered to be more disastrous because of their tendency to start in difficult-to-reach areas -'88% of
the total acreage burned last was attributed to lightning - man is nonetheless responsible for the greatest portion of
forest fires. Human negligence was blamed 'for a total of 6,018 forest fires last year.
55-The passage informs us that last year's forest fires were Particularly bad because of......... .
***A)unfavourable weather conditions, combined with violent lightning
B)the amount of damage caused to wildlife
C)the inefficiency of the fire-fighters in reaching the burning area quickly
D)the unusually long 'forest fire season’
E)human ignorance and carelessness
56-We are told that fires started by lightning cannot easily be controlled because…….. .
A)they are extremely violent and severe
B)they happen so frequently
***C)they usually start in inaccessible places
D)they generally take place at night
E)storms make it hard for firemen to work
57- In view of the figures given In the-age, most of the damage caused by forest fires last year
A)was a result of fires started deliberately by humans
***B)came from fires which were started by lightning
C)resulted from the lack of, people available to fight fires
D)happened because of fires started accidentally by humans
E)came about because people lit fires in remote places
That evening we arrived in Delhi, the great walled city of the Mogul Empire, scattered with tombs and forts, many
decayed or built over. Some scholars say that there are seven cities on the sites of Old and New Delhi, while some
say more. The history is rich and stretches back centuries. At one time, Shah Jahan, the ruler who built the Taj
Mahal, reconstructed Old Delhi, restoring large bazars and streets leading to the fortress. As there was no wall on
the eastern side, where the River Yumuna flows; Delhi was sacked regularly over the centuries, the last time being
in the eighteenth century, when the Persian ruler Nadir Shah looted treasures that included the Peacock Throne and
the Koh-i-noor diamond.
58- From the description in the passage, It is apparent that Delhi …….. .
A)is about seven centuries old, according to some scholars
B)has obviously not changed very much since it was first built
C)is an extremely wealthy city, with many rich inhabitants
***D)is full of poorly-maintained and neglected historical sites
E)was completely surrounded by walls during the Mogul Empire
The shiny metal supermarket shopping trolley. port of the landscape since the 1960s, is on the way out. Sainsbury's
is introducing what it calls a bionic trolley, made of recyclable plastic, which is lighter, easier to control and, in
theory, lasts for ever. Its headquarters in Ashford, Kent, has ordered 450 plastic trolleys and eventually the
company plans to replace 250.000 metal ones at its 395 stores. The new brightly coloured plastic trolley is made of
a substance called Durethan, which is a recyclable material used for making cars. The only metal part of the trolley
will be the nuts used to hold it together. A Sainsbury's spokeswoman said that unlike the existing metal trolleys,
which have to be removed from service if damaged and have an average life of seven years. the new trolleys can be
taken apart and repaired.
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61-We may conclude from the passage that the old supermarket trolleys………… .
A)were supposed to last for ever when they were first introduced
B)are being replaced in response to customer demand
C)are not at all heavy or difficult for shoppers to use
D)are often removed from the shops and left lying around
***E)are less environmentally-friendly than the new ones
63-One way in which the new 'bionic' trolleys differ from the old metal trolleys is that……. .
A)the new ones will only have to be repaired about every seven years
B)the old style of trolley has to be repaired on a regular basis
C)the old metal ones have to be sent away for regular servicing
D)the new ones will last for about seven years longer than the old ones
***E)the new trolleys are reparable and thus don't have to be replaced
In 1948. in an effort to stabilise the currency, the Chinese government announced the issue of a new form of
currency, called the Gold Yuan Certificate. This measure was necessary because the people had lost all confidence in
the old currency, called the Fa Bi. Inflation had escalated to the point where one US dollar was worth 11 million Fa
Bi Official announcements called for all Chinese to turn in their old banknotes, their gold and silver and their foreign
currency. Gold Yuan Certificates would be given in exchange, supposedly backed by gold and each worth four to one
American dollar. Immediately there was a gold rush, as most private depositors withdrew their precious metals and
foreign currency from local banks, because no one with common sense believed that there was any gold to back
those certificates.
64-The writer states that the Chinese government had to issue the Gold Yuan Certificates………… .
A)in response to people and banks hoarding foreign currency
B)owing to financial pressure from American bankers
C)after the supply of the Fa Bi dropped to an all-time low
***D)because the people had lost faith in the old currency
E)in order to compete with the American dollar on an equal basis
66-One may deduce that people rushed to take their valuables out of the bank…….. .
***A)because they believed the certificates were worthless
B)in order to buy more gold in the gold rush
C)because banks were going bankrupt
D)so that they could buy Gold Yuan Certificates
E)because they wanted to buy US dollars
Cities are a universal symbol of civilisation. They have been found in every country that has gone beyond a simple
agricultural economy, regardless of whether there was industrial or technological development. The history of
civilisation is the history of the city. From their origins as places where people gathered for mutual safety or
defence, cities have gone on to become marketplaces for goods and ideas, seats of government, and centres of
religious devotion. By division of labour and by easing communication between people, cities created the opportunity
to invent new technologies and new ways of viewing life. While many individual geniuses have come from rural
backgrounds, it has been in the cities that they have found inspiration and scope for their talents.
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68-We learn from the passage that initially, cities ………. .
A)were simply places where people could find work
B)were primarily marketplaces where goods were traded
C)had importance. as governments were located there
***D)functioned as places of safety in times of danger
E)were centres where people gathered for religious reasons
One of the strangest sea stories is that of the sailing ship Mary Celeste. On November 5th 1872, she left New York
bound for Genoa with a cargo of industrial alcohol and eleven people on board. A month later, she was seen by
another ship, but the captain noticed that the Mary Celeste was sailing strangely, and decided to investigate. He
found the ship to be completely deserted. The sails were set and in good condition, there was plenty of food and
water, all the crew's personal possessions were on board, and there was food and drink on the cabin table. No one
has ever been able to explain what happened, though there have been explanations varying from a mutiny among
the crew to aliens in a spaceship taking everyone away.
70-The reason why there was no one on board the Mary Celeste………… .
A)was discovered by the captain of another ship
B)is that aliens took the captain and crew away in a spaceship
C)took several years to be discovered
***D)has never been found
E)was the mutiny among the crew
We are all born with a number of instinctive physical reactions, things we do automatically, which are called
primitive reflexes. One of the most interesting is called "grasp reflex". If you touch the palm of a baby's hand, the
fingers will close around, whatever object is doing the touching. The baby's grip is so strong that if a baby grasps a
rod with both hands, it can be lifted right off the ground. Some psychologists think that this goes back to our
evolutionary past when we had to be able to hang on to tree branches or to our mother's fur as she moved. The
reflex disappears at about six months of age.
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***A)"grasp reflex" can be explained by the evolutionary phases of the human species
B)a baby's grip is much stronger among the members of primitive societies
C)lifting a baby off the ground provides good exercise for growing babies
D)babies instinctively hang onto their mothers
E)human beings are all born with a number of instinctive physical reactions
In 1857, when scholars in the new reading room of the British Museum looked up from their books, they could gaze
upon the inspiring vastness of the blue and copper dome above them. By the time it closed, 140 years later, they
were cursing the many hours they had to look at the dome while they waited for their books to arrive. A book would
seldom arrive within two hours of being ordered, and sometimes readers would have to wait up to two days. This
was because, in addition to the museum, the books were stored all over London, and some as far away as a depot
in Yorkshire.
77-The passage states that readers in the reading room of the British Museum……….. .
A)were actually there to admire the architecture of the building
B)requested the authorities to keep the books on the premises
C)did not mind waiting for their books because the building was so beautiful
D)often complained about the inefficiency of the staff there
***E)often had to wait a long time for their books to arrive
78- According to the passage, the books read in the reading room of the British Museum ……. .
A) were published over a period of 140 years
B)attracted scholars from all over London and as far away as Yorkshire
***C)were not always stored there
D)were so boring that readers preferred to look at the dome
E)included the best examples of the national literature
The piranha, in spite of its tiny size, is one of the most feared fish in the world. Piranhas live in the Aaron River,
have very sharp teeth, and are capable of eating four times their body weight daily. This would not be so bad, if it
were not for the way they attack in numbers. Even the smallest movement, like splashing your hand in the water, is
enough to attract 300 piranhas in an instant A piranha attack can transform a live cow into a skeleton in a matter of
minutes. When there is nothing else to eat, they will even eat each other.
On August 11, 1911, the Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece, was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris.
The thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, a Louvre employee, stored the painting in the false bottom of a trunk in his flat for two
years and then tried to sell it to his native Italy for $95,000. Italian officials promptly arrested him and returned the
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300-year old masterpiece to France without a scratch. At his trial in Florence, Peruggia convinced the jury that his
act was one of patriotism - that his sole motive was to return the famous painting to the land of its creator. Because
of this declaration, he received a relatively light sentence of 1 year and 15 days.
82- It's understood from the passage that the thief, Vincenzo Peruggia, ……….. .
A)stole the Mona Lisa at the wish of the Italian authorities
***B)was an Italian living and working in 'France
C)had stolen many other priceless works of art
D)was a master criminal wanted in many countries
E)was a descendant of Leonardo da Vinci
A century ago, the feats of the magician Harry Houdini thrilled audiences in Europe and America. We now remember
him for his daring escapes from strait-jackets, chains and locked chests. His astonishing illusions of stage magic are
all but extinct in the West, but are alive and thriving in the East. The reason is simple., Houdini's kind of magic
relied or potent chemicals, which were easy to get in Victorian times. Today, however, the people in the West are
more safely conscious, and there is little hope ,of finding the highly toxic ingredients necessary for Houdini's spells.
But if you visit any Indian bazaar, even in the smallest towns, you can buy anything from phosphorus to nitric acid
at bargain prices.
85-Harry Houdini……….. .
A)was an Indian who performed his tricks mostly in Europe and the USA
***B)was a famous magician who lived about a hundred years ago
C)was the least safety-conscious chemist of the Victorian era
D)used to buy all his chemicals in Indian bazaars
E)had his life changed by a visit to India
There are two kinds of water pollution. The first is when rubbish, sewage or chemicals are thrown into the water.
This waste upsets the natural environment and can prove dangerous or fatal to fish and other life in the water. The
second type of pollution is thermal, or warm water pollution. This is most commonly caused by hydroelectric power
plants. These take water from a lake or river, convert it into steam for running the plant's turbines, change the
steam back into water, then return the water to the original lake or river. Though this water is no dirtier than when
it was taken out, it is often five to ten degrees above its original temperature. This causes a change in the
environment which can be as dangerous to, aquatic life as waste 'pollution.
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***D)thermal pollution occurs when the temperature of a river or lake is raised
E)aquatic life is merely disturbed by thermal pollution
The SAT is a a-hour test of both verbal and mathematical abilities which is used as part of the process for evaluating
applicants for admission to American universities. In 1995, the College Board, which administers the SAT, re-
centred the scoring scale for the test. It did so by re-establishing the original average score of 500 on the 200-800
scale. The scale had not been adjusted since 1941, when it reflected the norm of some 10,000 students, frequently
from public schools and applying to the nation's most selective universities. Over the years the average score had
shifted below 500 as a larger number of students began taking the test, and verbal and maths scores had ceased to
become comparable. Now the scores represent a more diverse university-bound population of about 2 million
students.
93-The article tells, us that the average score on the SAT ……. .
A)rose dramatically in 1995 because of the number of students taking it
B)can be either 200 or 800 in any given year
C)was achieved by approximately 2 million students in 1995
***D)dropped a bit during the period from 1941 to 1995
E)cannot be computed due to the large numbers used
In the face of advancing Japanese troops during World War II, US and Filipino forces under General Douglas
MacArthur abandoned Manila and retreated west to the Bataan Peninsula. Crippled by malaria, weakened from their
decision to share their food rations with the civilians, and demoralised after MacArthur's departure for Australia, the
surviving defenders surrendered when they became convinced that no outside help would arrive. What followed
became known as the Bataan Death March. The Japanese led 55,000 American and Filipino prisoners on a brutal six-
day, 120-mile trek to a prison in the Pampanga Province. Each day on the way ended with the slaughter of all
prisoners too ill to continue. More than half the captives died in this way and another 25% perished in the camp
before the war ended.
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C)was led by thousands of Americans and Filipinos
D)cost the lives of 55,000 Americans and Filipinos
E)was stopped when everyone was too ill to go on
New research suggests that among smokers who get lung cancer, women are nearly twice as likely as men to
develop the most deadly form of the disease. Experts say that the British study represents the first time scientists
have discovered a significant difference between the sexes in the risk of small-cell lung cancer. Virtually always
caused by smoking, it is the hardest form of lung cancer to treat successfully. The study showed that women under
65 were 1.7 times more vulnerable than men to small-cell lung cancer, which spreads so rapidly that by the time it
is diagnosed, it is usually too late to operate.
98-It has only recently been discovered that small-cell lung cancer ……….. .
A)also affects women as frequently as it does men
B)can be successfully treated
C)is the worst type of cancer
***D)is more common among- women than among men
E)can be diagnosed in earlier stages
One of the most famous panics in the United States was begun by a radio broadcast. In 1938, CBS radio broadcast
a dramatisation of a science fiction novel by H.G. Wells called 'War of the Worlds". It told the story of an invasion
from Mars with the Martians landing in New Jersey and taking over New York fifteen minutes later. The story was
told in a realistic fashion with the actors playing reporters giving "live" reports from the scene. At the beginning of
the broadcast, there was an announcement that the story was fictional, but most people tuned in too late to hear it.
As a result, there were traffic jams all over New York and New Jersey as people tried to flee what they thought was
a real invasion.
15
***E)sometimes people will believe things no matter how improbable they are
The worst hurricane in memory to hit the south-eastern part of the North Carolina coast was Hurricane Hazel in
1954. This storm destroyed every building on three islands. Apparently, the disaster didn't occupy people's minds
for long, as in the decades that followed, beach houses sprang up everywhere, most of which were built by people
who had never experienced a major storm. By the time Hurricane Fran struck in 1996, so dense was the
development that a storm weaker than Hazel inflicted much greater damage. A man who had his newly renovated
beach front home commented that he had had no idea that a storm could simply sweep his house away.
103-After Hurricane Hazel hit the North Carolina coast in 1954, ………… .
A)strict building codes made it impossible to build in coastal areas
B)every building in North Carolina was destroyed
***C)people seemed to forget how bad the destruction had been
D)the president declared a National Disaster
E)Hurricane Fran followed soon after
104-It can be inferred from the passage that the beach houses built after 1954 were……….. .
A)constructed by the native inhabitants of the area
***B)mostly built by newcomers to the area
C)better built than the earlier ones
D)mostly destroyed by Hurricane Hazel
E)able to withstand more powerful storms due to new building technology
105- It is stated in the passage that compared to Hurricane Hazel, Hurricane Fran……….. .
A)inflicted greater damage because it was a much stronger storm
B)was responsible for more deaths because the area was more densely populated
C)was a weaker storm and so caused less damage
D)led to about the same amount of destruction
***E)caused greater destruction even though it was a weaker storm
The prospectors who braved the Canadian winters to find gold in the Yukon and Klondike Rivers experienced the
most difficult conditions imaginable. Every man who entered the area had to carry a years supply of food and mining
equipment over the steep and frozen mountain passes. In order to do this, each man had to carry 25 kilos of stores
about 10 kilometres, leave it there, and return for another load. Therefore to remove all of his stores less than 80
kilometres, each man had to walk nearly 1500 kilometres. It is estimated that of the 100,000 men who set out for
the Klondike, fewer than 40,000 actually arrived. Only 4000 ever found gold, and very few of these became rich.
107-The conditions around the Yukon and Klondike Rivers were so difficult because ………. .
A)the gold mines were all on the steep and frozen mountain passes
B)each man needed 25 kilos of stores to get him through the winter
C)the area was not big enough to support all of the 100,000 men who set out for the Klondike
****D)of a number of reasons including difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions
E)they were nearly 1500 kilometres away from the nearest store
Contrary to common knowledge, the water, milk and meat of coconuts only begin the list of uses of this versatile
tree. The outer husk of the ripe nuts contains fibres that, when separated, can be twisted into twine rope of amazing
toughness. It is quite resistant to rot from dampness or seawater. Despite the advent of nails and screws, this rope
continues to be widely used for binding together the timbers of houses and the parts of canoes, tools and the like.
Expert craftsmen can make sizeable ropes, which, after use, become quite flexible. The inner shell of the ripe nut
can be cut and carved into ladles, scrapers, combs and cups and will take a high polish. Furthermore, the sap of the
coconut -1 can be fermented to make a pleasant tasting wine, while the fresh sap can be used as food for babies.
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109- According to the passage, twine rope………. .
***A)can be used for some of the same functions as nails
B)is the best possible material for making small boats
C)cannot be made into small ropes, but only big ones
D)can easily be damaged if not protected from rain and sea water
E)is sometimes used in the manufacture of polishes
110-We learn from the passage that, despite the many uses of the coconut, it is……… .
***A)better known among people as a source of food
B)not very profitable for the grower
C)very difficult to grow, harvest and process the nut
D)only the experts who know how to use it to the full
E)most commonly used as a material for making ropes
The central Arctic is an ice mass formed from part of the ocean, whereas the Antarctic is continental. Surrounding
the Arctic are land masses which, in most cases, extend southward to the tropics. The Antarctic, on the other hand,
is the only continent entirely set off from the rest of the world by great oceans. Furthermore, at some point of man's
history, all of the other continents, except Austria, were joined by land bridges. Even Australia had been easy to
reach by canoe. However, the only place Antarctica even approaches another continent is the long finger of the
Antarctic Peninsula, reaching within 600 miles of Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America. In addition to
distance, ice and stormy seas kept anyone from seeing this continent until about 1820.
In order to overcome the limits of the nine-to-five schedule and to grant workers increased independence,
thousands of companies have been experimenting with flexible work hour schedules, or flexitime, with flexitime,
workers set their own schedules as long as the hours are compatible with company needs and are sufficient to
complete assignments. Thus one worker may work from seven to three while another works from ten to six. One
variation of flexitime is the four-day work week, in which workers put in four ten-hour days rather than five eight-
hour days. When possible, employees are allowed to choose their days off, with many choosing three-day
weekends.
17
A)to force workers to complete their assignments on time
B)to compel workers into working ten-hour days
C)to allow a more flexible dress code
***D)to give workers more freedom
E)to make workers on a nine-to-five schedule more efficient
117-The passage tells us that one reason a worker might choose flexitime is………… .
A)to avoid colleagues he or she does not like by working different hours
B)to be able to work longer hours and impress his or her boss
C)to earn more money by working more overtime hours
D)to avoid the rush-hour traffic by commuting at different hours from the majority
***E)to get a longer weekend in return for longer working days
Painting is the application of some coloured pigment to a surface and has developed into an expressive art form.
The most common types of paints used today are oil paints and water colours. Most oil painting is done on a
prepared canvas or wooden board. Oil paints take several days to dry, which allows the artist to work and rework on
the canvas or other surface in the meantime. Water colour painting requires a totally different technique. As the
name implies, water is the fluid mixed with the pigments, while paper is the only surface suitable for the paints.
Because the water dries quickly into the paper, the work itself has to be done quickly, and it is difficult to correct
mistakes. Gouache paints are also water-soluble, but stronger in colour and tone than true water colours.
120-It can be inferred from the passage that gouache paints ……….. .
A)are much more expensive than water colours
***B)are not considered to be true water colours
C)produce longer lasting paintings than water colours
D)take longer to dry than water colours do
E)are used by more artists than water colours are
About 1500 years ago, King Vaktang Gorgasali shot a peacock while hunting in the dense forests of the Kura Valley.
When he bent down to pick the bird up, he felt the warmth of a hot spring on his fingers. At once, he announced
that this would be the, site of his new city, which he named Thilisi, a word meaning "warm" in the Georgian
language. Later Thilisi replaced Mtskheta as the country's capital. Since then, Thilisi has become the economic and
cultural centre of Georgia. It has an area of 350 square kilometres and a population of 1.5 million, which is
comprised mainly of native Georgians with a number of other peoples, such as Russians, Armenians and Azeri
Turks, represented.
18
B)there are fewer natives than the outsiders
***C)there are several ethnic minorities
D)Azeri Turks form the greatest portion
E)Georgians and Russians are the biggest minorities
An orchestra is a fairly large ensemble of musical instrumentalists. The orchestra, and the history of orchestral
music, is considered to have started with the operas of Claude Monteverdi. Its familiar composition, divided into four
basic groups of instruments - strings, woodwind, brass and percussion - dates from the second half of the 18th
century and is especially connected with the work of Joseph Haydn. The orchestra grew dramatically in size during
the 19th century, from an ensemble of 35 players to a company of well over 100. During the same period, the
composition of orchestral music and the particular use made of individual instruments or groups of them,
increasingly became the hallmark of a composer's individual style.
This summer Britons are predicted to spend £6 billion on package holidays. According to a new survey, the happiest
holiday-makers are those who book with small, specialist companies. The survey suggests that choosing the right
tour company may be more important than choosing the right resort or hotel. So, how can you make sure you end
up with the sort of holiday you had in mind? If your budget is tight, work out exactly what you can afford. Then, find
a travel agent who has time to listen to your requirements. This can be hard though, as many large high street
chains set sales targets for heir staff, and may even limit the amount of time employees spend per customer.
128-Following the advice in the passage, if you want to have a low-budget holiday, ……….. .
A)it would be a good idea to go on a working holiday
B)make sure that you choose an excellent resort
C)decide exactly what you want before approaching an agency
D)a package holiday would be the best option
***E)you should plan your finances carefully
129-The author warns that you may have difficulty in finding a travel agent who will ……….. .
A)offer you a cheap holiday
B)give you a discount on the price
***C)listen to you at length
D)offer decent holidays at lower prices
E)offer a wide variety of package holidays
Scientists have warned that the Great Barrier Reef, meant to be one of the most strictly protected natural wonders
of the world, is dying, and this is because of the western appetite for prawn cocktails, and a combination of other
human activities, including tourism and oil mining. The Australian Conservation Foundation has said that the reef
could soon be listed as "endangered". It is one of the world's richest natural sites, with more than 400 species of
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coral and 1,500 fish species. Every living thing in the 140,000-square-rnile park is extremely sensitive to
disturbance. The scientists' report reveals that large-scale prawn fishing - both illegal and licensed - has in a few
years reduced seabed animals by more than half. For every tonne of prawns caught, up to 10 tonnes of marine life
is being sacrificed.
130-One can understand from the passage that the Great Barrier Reef…………. .
A)has more regulations than any other natural wonder in the world
***B)is not being as carefully protected as it ought to be
C)houses many species that are listed endangered
D)is not open to tourists unless they have a special permit
E)has no regulations governing activity in the area
All contact lenses are now made of plastic, but hard and soft varieties are available. The newer and more expensive
soft lenses can be bent and will return to their original shape. Made of water-absorbing plastic, they cause very little
discomfort and can be worn for as short or as long a period as you like. Lenses of hard plastic do cause discomfort
during the adjustment period and must be worn regularly so that another break-in period isn't necessary. However,
vision through soft contacts isn't as good as through hard contacts. Another disadvantage of soft lenses is their
tendency to absorb eye secretions and mists from hair spray, room deodorant and the like.
133-One advantage soft contact lenses have over hard ones is that they………… .
A)are made of natural products
***B)are completely flexible
C)correct short-sightedness
D)aren't as expensive
E)come in two varieties
135-We can conclude from the passage that a person wearing soft plastic lenses………… .
A)ought to use them for short periods
B)has to get them adjusted by the optician
C)won't have any difficulty seeing clearly
***D)should avoid using aerosol sprays
E)doesn't need to have them checked frequently
Nowhere else in Italy is the art of making pasta so perfected as in Emilia. An ordinary housewife, in half an hour,
can make enough taglierini, a kind of pasta, for a dozen people. With eggs and flour and just a drop of water she
makes the dough. With a long rolling pin, she presses it out into circular sheets, paper thin. She then cuts it into
ribbons a quarter of an inch in width. In Rome this pasta is called fettucfrie, and is boiled and drained like spaghetti,
and served swimming in butter and melted cheese. In Emilia, they prefer it served with a sauce of meat, tomato,
herbs and mushrooms. In Genoa, the same pasta, made in exactly the same way, is served al pesto - with an
uncooked sauce of garlic, herbs and olive oil.
20
D)make most of the pasta produced in Italy
***E)are the best at making pasta in Italy
138-From what the author says about taglierini and al pesto, we can understand that……….. .
A)they are cooked in different ways
B) the people in Genoa eat much less pasta
C)the Genoans generally use more herbs in cooking
***D)they are the same pasta with different names
E)the people from Emilia like a thicker sauce
Trinity College, or Dublin University, in the Republic of Ireland, dates from the sixteenth century. However, during
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, many Irish students went abroad, to Italy, Spain and France, to be
educated, as Catholics, forming the majority of the population were forbidden to have schools. During that time in
Ireland, many teachers operated outside the law. Known as Hedge Shoolmasters, they taught their pupils by the
hedgerows in summer and in hillside huts in winter due to a lack of buildings of their own. They managed to teach
Latin and Greek well, Without texts, masters and pupils had to rely on memory. Not until the nineteenth century did
these banned 'hedge' schools disappear, when a system of public education was finally approved by the British
Government.
141-One difficulty that Hedge Schoolmasters and their pupil were faced with was that………… .
A)the school masters weren’t properly trained
B)the students had to study Latin and Greek
***C)they didn't have any school books
D)the masters and pupils spoke different languages
E)there were not enough teachers for all the students
An average child of 5 years old uses only 1,500 of the 150,000 "dictionary" words that a modern language contains.
But this small treasury is used very intensively, by him during the years of learning, at the rate of about 1,000
words an hour, or from 7,000 to 15,000 words each day for an active child. School quickly increases his vocabulary,
but leaves him with less opportunity for using it. At 10 years old, his treasury amounts to 7,000 words, of which
about 30% are used actively -the remainder is seldom or never used- and in an hour he will use about 700 words.
By the time he enters university, his word inventory will have grown to 20.000, and on graduation to 60.000, but of
these only 10%-20%will be in active use.
21
D)he finds more opportunity to use his ,vocabulary
E)he starts using about 7.000 words daily
In the Pacific Ocean, over 4000 kilometres from the coast of Chile, the closest mainland, is a tiny island named
Easter Island that amazed the first seafarers to land there in the 18tr century. What surprised them were the
hundreds of colossal statues scattered all over the island. They were the remains of massive sculptures that had
been cut from the volcanic mountains. No one has ever been able to explain why these statues were built. They are
between ten and twenty metres high and weigh up to fifty tonnes. Even now, scientists are unable to explain how
such huge monuments were constructed and moved about on such a remote island.
It is ironic that the name of such a corrupt and immoral politician as John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, has
come down to us, while the names of some of his more honest colleagues are forgotten. He held several important
positions in the 18th century, most notoriously as First Lord of the Admiralty. He is thought to have stolen from the
Admiralty budget, and to have purchased inferior equipment for the navy at a profit to himself, causing the British
Navy serious problems at sea. But of course what he is most remembered for is the invention of the "sandwich". A
confirmed gambler, he is thought to have asked for slices of meat to be put between two pieces of bread and
brought to him at the gaming table, go that eating would not cause him to waste any gambling time.
149-Some of the British Navy's problems in the 18th century resulted from………… .
A)the gambling habit of the fourth Earl of Sandwich
B)the corruption and immorality of the manufacturers
C)the dismissal of the honest admirals of the time from the navy
***D)the bad equipment John Montagu bought for the navy
E)the economic depression the country was suffering in general
150-The author finds it ironic that John Montagu, an immoral person, ………….. .
A)was able to hold such important positions in the navy
***B)is still remembered today. but some of his more honest contemporaries aren't
C)was awarded by the British Navy for his admirable work
D)was held responsible for the increase in gambling in the country
E)had become one of the four important figures of the region of Sandwich
22
Although the Kilim-Ijim forest in Oku, Cameroon, lies only about six degrees north of the Equator, at an elevation of
over 2,500 metres, it has a pleasant climate. After the stifling humidity of the country's main city, Douala, this
highland area feels decidedly cool. Kilim-Ijim is the highest and largest forest left in West Africa, with fifteen bird
species found only in this mountain area of Cameroon. One, a dazzlingly beautiful bird called the turaco, is found
nowhere else on the Earth. Although the turaco is confined almost entirely to the 200,000 hectares of the Kilim-Ijim
area, it is not difficult to locate it. From dawn to dusk, its call can be heard. Because of this, the local people call the
turaco the timekeeper, announcing the start and end of each working day in the fields.
151-The author mentions that the Killm-Ijim forest has a nice climate………… .
A)though it is not as good as the climate in Douala
B)even though it can be really quite cold there
***C)despite the fact that it is near the Equator
D)because it is in a northerly area of Cameroon
E)although it is not as cool as it is in Douala
152-The turaco………. .
***A)is only found in the KiIim-ljim forest
B) is not easy to find in the 200,000 hectares of the forest
C)is the only bird species which is native to Cameroon
D)has fifteen different varieties found only in the Kilim-Ijim forest
E)can be found throughout Cameroon, but nowhere else
Lacrosse is the national game of Canada and was developed there around 1850, and later in the US in 1877, from
the centuries old Indian baggataway, played by rival tribes with teams numbering thousands. The name, French for
"the crook," is from the stick used. The modem game is played on a field 100 by 60 metres, with caged goals about
two metres square. A team consists of ten players: defence men, midfield players, attack players and a goalkeeper.
The object is to score goals by carrying, throwing or batting a sponge rubber ball with the stick, which has a 25-
centimetre net at the end. Only the goalkeeper may touch the ball with his hands, and the game is divided into four
quarters of 15 minutes each.
What have recently been found in Egypt could be the earliest known writings. The clay tablets have been carbon
dated to between 3300 BC and 3200 BC. This discovery will upset the belief commonly held by hi8toriaas that the
first people to write were the Sumerians of Mesopotamia, in about 3000 BC. Most of the tablets were found in the
tomb of a king called Scorpion, south of Cairo. The writings in the form of line drawings of animals, plants and
mountains are on clay tablets barely bigger than postage stamps. They have been deciphered as records of linen
and oil delivered to King Scorpion I. Thus it seems that man's first writings were not a creative outpouring but the
23
result of economics: when the chieftains expanded their areas of control, they needed to keep a record of taxes,
paid in the form of goods
157-According to the passage, the discovery of the clay tablets in Egypt………. .
A)has upset a great many historians interested in this area
B)has proved that the Sumerians were the first to write
C)apparently took place in approximately 3000 BC
***D)will change the current understanding of the history of writing
E)has not yet been officially confirmed by authorities
According to local legend, the Russian Mikhail Bukanin entered a Prague cafe in 1848 and ordered tea. When the
owner said that he'd never heard of the drink Bukanin marched into the kitchen and made the city's first cup of tea.
Eighty years later, there were an estimated 150 tea-houses in Prague, but the culture died out under the
Communist regime. Today's tea-houses are mostly a 1990s' phenomenon. Partly a reaction to the smoke-filled
atmosphere of the Czech pub, and partly a reaction against the multinational, fast food culture that has recently
arrived in Prague, tea-houses are non-smoking, peaceful places to enjoy a quiet cup of tea and relax. The tea
drinking is taken very seriously, and many of the tea-houses stock a huge array of different kinds of tea.
The development of geology owes much to the work of non-professional observers. In no other science, with the
possible exceptions of astronomy and archaeology, has the keen amateur participated so actively or contributed so
much. This is mainly because experimental methods of investigation involving complicated apparatus typical of
chemistry, physics and biology are of only limited use in geology, which results from the fact that geological
processes work slowly and depend on factors beyond human control. The advance of geological knowledge has
depended on simple observations, patiently gathered, of the outcrops of rocks, their thicknesses, their angles and
their fossil content.
24
164-It is clear from the passage that complex equipment for geological investigation………… .
A)is vital to almost every part of the geologist's work
B)is of no use whatsoever in the development of geology
C)may be easily mastered and used by the amateur
***D)only plays a small part in the field of geology
E)is much the same as that used in other scientific fields
165-The author informs us that because of the way geological processes take place, …………. .
A)humans will never really understand how geology works
B)sophisticated equipment is vital to the geologist's work
C)several other sciences can be useful to the study of geology
***D)data needs to be gathered over a long period of time
E)it takes a long time to train in order to become a geologist
In Memphis, Tennessee, the unofficial capital of the Mississippi Delta, many people, black and white, have always
been drawn to the blues music. It is this racial cross-over that helped inspire Memphis's most famous adopted son,
Elvis Presley, to fuse black blues and white country and gospel music into rock'n'roll. Whereas rock'n'rol became
universally popular, very few black blues musicians gained commercial success, and the blues remained no more
than a side-show, appreciated mainly by the poor blacks who created it in the first place. Surprisingly though, it was
white rock groups from Britain, particularly the Rolling Stones, who popularised the great American blues guitarists
and singers by acknowledging their debt to them.
Of the countries of Latin America, none has had a more melancholy history than Paraguay. For nearly 180 years,
from 1811, when the country became independent from Spain, it had a very succession of dictators, some bad,
some very bad. One allowed no newspapers or schools. Another claimed half of the country for himself. When the
last one was overthrown in 1989, it was assumed that Andres Rodriguez, the general who organised the coup
against his old master, would be a dictator too. To many people's astonishment, starting a democratic movement,
he freed political prisoners, ended the ban on opposition political parties, lifted newspaper censorship, and
successfully stood for president in what was acclaimed as the cleanest dirty election in the country’s history.
170-The most surprising thing about General Andres Rodriguez is that he …………. .
A)was a hero of the independence movement, which ended in 1811
B) was overthrown by a dictator in 1989
C)became a dictator exactly like his predecessors
D)claimed about half the country as his own personal property
***E)introduced democracy even though he came to power in a coup
25
171-The passage implies that …………….
A)all of the countries of Latin America have had a sad history
B)the most recent election in Paraguay w~ completely free and fair
C)Paraguay's first ever elections took place under Andres Rodriguez
***D)there has never been a completely free and fair election in Paraguay
E)Paraguay remained under the influence of Spain even after independence
Britain's Andy Green, piloting what looked like a wingless jet plane, became the first man in history to break the
sound barrier on land in October, 1997. The car is powered by two jet engines, which develop a thrust equivalent to
that of 1000 Ford Escort cars. Though the pilot, the vehicle and the team are all British, the feat was accomplished
in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, USA, because it is the flattest usable surface on the Earth. Coating his ten-
tonne vehicle toward the legendary Mach 1, the measure used for aircraft flying at the speed of sound, which is 750
mph. Green culminated the two-minute, 13-mile run with a supersonic spurt that sent him over the 760 mph mark
for almost 60 seconds.
174-We learn from the passage that before October, 1997, ……….. .
A)it used to take 13 miles to reach the speed of sound
B)the engines of 1000 Ford escorts were used for supersonic craft
C)Andy Green had already travelled at over the speed of sound for one minute
***D)no one had gone faster than the speed of sound on land
E)a few other speed tests had been carried out in the Black Rock Desert
The man responsible for greatly reducing the suffering resulting from surgery was Joseph Lister, who was born in
1827. In 1886 he made the discovery that wound infections following surgery were due to bacteria, and he began to
use carbolic acid in an attempt to destroy the bacteria in the air around the operating table. Clean, sterile operating
theatres as we know them were unfamiliar in Lister's day, and he was the first surgeon to realise the importance of
antisepsis - killing the bacteria in and around the incision that is necessary for the operation. It was his pioneering
work with antiseptics which led to the strict routines which surround modern operating theatres, where surgical
instruments are sterilised before use, and all the theatre staff have to "scrub up" and wear sterilised gloves and
clothing.
26
In recent years, a whole new generation of cargo vessels have begun sailing the oceans of the world at speeds that
in the past were confined to fast passenger liners. They are known as container ships, monsters with powerful
engines developing up to 90,000 horse power. These ships are primarily important due to the fact that the container
method of transporting goods has revolutionised maritime cargo carrying because of the speed at which they can be
loaded and unloaded when they arrive at a port specially equipped to handle the containers. These containers look
like giant building blocks and are made to a standard size.
The word alphabet is made up from the first two letters of the Greek alphabet - alpha and beta - and describes any
group of symbols intended to represent the sounds used in speech. The letters of an alphabet can be assembled in
thousands of different combinations to form words, and are therefore much more flexible than other symbols, such
as pictograms or ideograms each of which can only stand for one particular object or idea. The origin of alphabets is
obscure. Some scholars believe that the first true alphabets developed from Egyptian Hieroglyphics; others contend
that the cuneiform scripts of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians hold the key.
182-It is clear from the passage that alphabets are well-suited for writing because......... .
***A)they are not as rigid as other symbolic systems
B)their letters represent specific words or ideas
C)they derive from ancient hieroglyphics
D)they can have thousands of different letters
E) they are easy to learn for any member of the community
India, one of the poorest countries in the world. has the most HIV positive citizens, an estimated 4 million people.
However, it is estimated that less than 1 percent of those living with HIV in India can afford the medication; about
20 pills of various types which has become known as the "AID cocktail". Indigenous production of drugs which will
eliminate the cost of import, and perhaps even development of a vaccine may be the only way for India to combat
AIDS But costs remain high, even though an Indian company has begun to produce some of the treatment drugs in
India.
27
C)HIV positive Indians may have got the disease at cocktail parties
D)if the HIV medication were a little cheaper, everyone would be able to afford it
***E)there is no country in the world with more HIV positive citizens than India
US citizens are legally permitted to arrive in the Netherlands as tourists, 'and then look for work while they're there.
However, nobody can work legally in the Netherlands, without a social-fiscal, SOFI, number: yet, the Tax Office
won't issue a SOFI number to non-EU nationals without a residence permit, and the Aliens' Police won't issue the
permit to anyone without a SOFI number. These regulations are designed to make things difficult, but there do
seem to be ways around them. If you can find an employer who will give both the Tax Office and the Aliens' Police a
written statement to say that you alone are the right person to do the job, you may be granted a residence permit
and a SOFI number. Otherwise, apart from marrying a Dutch citizen, there is little you can do legally to establish
yourself there.
188-The author suggests that for an American to have any hope of securing a residence permit, you
need…… . A)to be a non-EU national
B)to open your own business there
***C)something in writing from an employee
D)to have Dutch ancestors
E)a friend in the Dutch Aliens' Police
Many experiments have suggested that a child who has watched a violent video sequence is more likely to engage in
aggressive acts than one who has not. According to one study, a preference for violent TV shows is a more accurate
indicator of aggression than socio-economic background, family relationships, IQ, or any other single factor. Though
it is difficult to say which comes first, an aggressive personality or a preference for violent shows, the relationship is
certainly valid. A steady diet of TV violence can also make children numb to reality. One eleven-year-old was quoted
as saying that he had seen so many assaults and murders on the screen that if he saw someone really get killed, it
would not bother him.
190-According to the study mentioned in the passage, the most likely people to be aggressive are…….. .
A)those with violent family relationships
B)people with low IQ's
C)those who are numb to reality
***D)people who watch too much violence on TV
E)those from poor families
28
E) can make people indifferent to reality
Amphibious vehicles, those that can move on both land and water, have been in use for a number of years.
However, while most of them are quite fast on land, they move quite slowly when they are functioning as boats. The
only truly amphibious vehicle that can move with equal ease on both land and water, is the Hovercraft. A Hovercraft
actually travels on an air cushion produced by a large fan which blows air downwards between the body of the
vehicle and the water or the ground. This lifts up the craft. Because the Hovercraft floats on the air cushion, there is
no contact between the craft and the surface below. This allows it to travel over flat or rough ground, or water.
195- According to the passage, of all amphibious vehicles, only the Hovercraft……… .
A)offers the passengers seats supported with cushions
***B)operates with equal efficiency on both land and sea
C)has a large fan which keeps the engine cool
D)has become popularly known
E)requires smooth ground or a calm sea
The Rhine is a European river which rises in the Swiss Alps and flows northward for a distance of 1320 kilometres,
entering the North Sea just south of the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. It is navigable all the way from the
sea to Basle, Switzerland, and for this reason is of great commercial importance, serving the industrial region of
Ruhr and such inland ports as Cologne, Manheim and Strasbourg. It is connected by canal with the Danube and the
Rhone Its most famous stretch is the Rhine Gorge, the steep sides being given over to vineyards. Politically, too, the
Rhine has played a big part in European history, providing a natural frontier between French speaking people to the
west and Germanic peoples to the east.
196-It is stated in the passage that the industrial importance of the Rhine………. .
***A)stems from its role as a link between Switzerland and the sea
B)comes from its length of more than a thousand kilometres
C)is a direct result of its rising in the Alps in Switzerland
D)is due mainly to the river's political significance
E)has been lessened in recent years because of failed vineyards
197-We understand from the passage that, the Danube and the Rhone……….. .
A)have, over the years, lessened the commercial importance of the Rhine
B)flow through more countries than does the Rhine
C)are of greater significance for Europe than the Rhine
D)flow into the same sea as the Rhine
***E)are not connected with the Rhine naturally but artificially
29
Herodotus was a Greek historian born in Halicarnassus four years before the battle of Thermopylae. He is believed
to have been exiled in his later life because of his opposition to the tyrant Lygdamis. He spent much time on Samos,
thereafter travelling in the Persian Empire, Scythia and Egypt, observing with fascination the local customs and
beliefs. He lived some time in Athens and travelled as an Athenian colonist to Thurli, in Italy, where he is supposed
to have spent the rest of his life writing The Persian Wars, earning the title of Father of History from Caesar. This 9-
book work is an inquiry into the origins of, and a description of, the Persian invasions of Greece. The first 6 books
tell of the customs, geography and history of the combatants and their neighbours; the last three treat the war
itself.
200-It can be inferred from the passage that during the battle of Termophylae, Herodotus………. .
A)took detailed notes and did not fight
B)attacked the evil king Lygdamis
***C)was too young to have played a role
D)lost his father through a Persian arrow
E)was assisting the enemy Persian army
Vitamin C occurs most abundantly in oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and raw tomatoes and cabbage. Several other
fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, contain lesser amounts. It is, however, easily destroyed by cooking.
vitamin C is necessary for the development of bones, teeth, blood vessels, and other tissues, and plays a part in the
functioning of most of the cells in the hotly. Deficiency shows itself in painful haemorrhages around the bones and in
swollen, bleeding gums, a condition called scurvy. For a long time, in the days when a sailor's diet consisted of
salted and dried food and ship's biscuits, scurvy was the curse of sailors on long voyages.
203-The passage implies that scurvy among sailors was caused by……… .
***A)a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables
B)cooking food for too long
C)having to work under difficult conditions
D)the fact that their journeys were too long
E) their fondness for fish and biscuits
204-The best way to ensure having enough vitamin C in one's diet is to ………. .
A)thoroughly cook all food to destroy harmful bacteria
B)try to avoid diseases affecting bones and teeth
C)make sure that it includes lightly cooked meat
***D)eat plenty of salads and citrus fruits
E)include such items as salted and dried food
At least half of all visitors to Nepal go to the lakeside town of Pokhara. The symbol of the region is the 6.993-metre
high Machhapuchhare Mountain, which means “ fish tail” in English. Indeed the mountain is shaped like a fish tail
and viewed from Pokhara, is a majestic sight. Yet one detail singles out this giant mountain from the others in the
region: no one has ever climbed it, and it is unlikely that anyone ever will. In the 1960s, the Nepalese government
declared it a holy mountain, forbidden to mountaineers. Sherpas, in particular, respect this. And without sherpas,
the indispensable porters of the high valleys of Nepal, the Europeans and Americans who constantly attempt to
conquer the mountains in the region are helpless.
30
205-It is obvious from the passage that……. .
A)there are a lot of fish in Pokhara Lake
B)no one has ever climbed most of the mountains near Pokhara
C)the mountains around Pokhara have English names
D)tourism in Nepal has grown in importance since the 1960s
***E)Pokhara is one of the most popular destinations in Nepal
Plants can summon an insect rescue team when they are attacked by pests, just as if they were calling for a
microscopic ambulance. In fact, researchers say the signal is specific enough to tell the helpful insects exactly what
to expect when they arrive on the scene. For example, two kinds of caterpillars attack numerous crops and cost US
farmers about $6 billion annually. The plants summon a black, parasitic wasp that it is the natural enemy of the
caterpillars. Scientists have known for years that plants could send out distress calls to wasps and other insect
bodyguards, but they are just beginning to understand how sophisticated the messages can be. They hope to find
out more about the signals and eventually use them to develop chemical-free pest control systems.
209-According to the passage, further research into the plants' distress calls is necessary in order for
scientists…………. .
A)to act promptly when plants need help
B)to develop new chemicals to be used against pests
C)to understand whether plants really have this ability
D)to distinguish between useful and harmful insects
***E)to make use of them in the fight against pests
210-One can understand from the passage that "pest" means a……….. .
A)microscopic ambulance B)specific signal
***C)harmful insect D)type of researcher
E)helpful insect
Not so long ago, most companies were family affairs, owned by different members of the same family. Some still
are, but now many companies have survived the founding families and grown into big organisations which own
smaller, or subsidiary companies. These companies work in other countries to form multi-national groups, such as
the big oil companies like Shell or Esso, and the big car manufacturers like Ford. The big multi-national companies
each control more money than many countries do. These companies only exist to make profits for their owners, or
shareholders.
31
***B)some multi-nationals are richer than some nations
C)there are no longer any family-owned large companies
D)the biggest organisations are called subsidiary companies
E)the big oil companies are usually owned by single families
The "dead cities" of Syria are coming alive and archaeologists are seriously concerned. Pushed by a booming
population, farmers are moving into the hills of northern Syria and making homes in villages that have been
deserted but nearly intact for a millennium. The government is trying to limit the destruction of archaeological sites
by barring people from moving into hundreds of deserted ancient villages and imposing fines for destroying
antiquities. In some cases, officials can pull down newly-built houses that are too close to the dead cities. This has
outraged the new villagers; mostly poor Muslim farmers and shepherds who feel little connection to antiquities from
Syria's Christian past.
215-The passage suggests that the villagers’ lack of concern comes from ………. .
A)the government's policy of not fining them heavily for destruction
B)their belief that the cities have always belonged to Syrians
***C)their cultural and religious distance from Syria's Christian past
D)the government's lax attitude to drive them out of their new homes
E)the great profit to be made from selling antiquities to archaeologists
216-It may be gathered from the passage that the ancient cities of northern Syria……….. .
***A)are in very good condition despite being empty for a thousand years
B)are hard to find since they are simply shapeless piles of rocks
C)are really quite new cities but are very poorly maintained
D)have been continuously inhabited for a least a millennium
E)are also home to a large number of Christians
For the first time after the Apollo moon landings, NASA is launching a mission into outer space to bring back
extraterritorial material. This time, NASA is going after comet and interstellar dust. "Stardust", the robotic
spacecraft that will collect the tiny grains, is scheduled for a journey of seven years that will cover 5.1 billion
kilometres. It is NASA's first attempt to bring back pieces of a comet. This particular comet, Wild-2, rarely came
close to the Sun until the 1970s, and so still should contain the original, frozen components of the solar system. By
studying samples from this well-preserved comet, scientists hope to better understand how icy, rocky comets may
have provided the water and organics necessary for life to form on the Earth, and possibly elsewhere.
32
***C)could help them explain how life started
D)is considered to be the oldest comet in the universe
E)may melt if it goes too close to the Sun
In order to avoid the traditional form, writers like the Irishman James Joyce tried to find other structures around
which to build their novels. Joyce broke away from the regular beginning, middle, and end technique of earlier
writers with his novel 'Ulysses'. Using the Greek mythology contained in The Odyssey', written by Homer, Joyce
devised a completely new technique which combined Greek mythology with tales of modern life. In the novel, the
adventures of Homer's Ulysses are paralleled to the happenings of one day in the life of a group of characters in
Dublin, Ireland. As this novel shows, if a writer actually describes every single thing a character does throughout
one day, that one day can easily produce a whole long novel.
222-The passage states that the action of the novel takes place……… .
A)in a traditional settling
B)over a long period of time
C)in ancient Greece
***D)in a single day
E)in a mythical setting
Under the great Moghul emperors, artists emerged from their previous anonymity. They were allowed, for the first
time, to sign their work, and even encouraged to include self-portraits in their paintings. And the artists' skills did
not go unrewarded : one emperor even presented a favourite painter with an elephant, the ultimate status symbol
of the age. Yet little is known about the artists' lives. The more successful may have enjoyed an economic status
similar to lower-level nobles. However, their simple dress in the self-portraits suggests that the rewards for many
painters did not always match their unquestionable talent.
223-In the passage, the word "anonymity' in the first sentence refers to a condition in which………. .
A)the people had to live in extreme poverty
B)the artists were well-respected
C)the emperors employed only very talented artists
D)the artists worked for very little money
***E)the artists of paintings were not known by name
225-We can infer from the passage that one way artists were able to become better known was by ……..
.
***A)including pictures of themselves in their work
B)riding status symbols through town
C)selling paintings to Moghul emperors
D)having an economic status similar to lower-level nobles
E)matching their unquestionable talent with simple dress
Four years ago, Craig Keilburger, a Canadian boy then only 12 years old, founded Free the Children, a youth
organisation aimed at ending child labour and encouraging youth involvement in community service. Since then,
hundreds of local chapters have formed all over the world, participating in everything from letter-writing campaigns
33
to programmes like "Rugmark", a labelling system for carpets made without child labour. Now 16, Keilburger has
travelled extensively, meeting children from Pakistan to Brazil and giving speeches on child exploitation.
The producer is the person who starts and controls the whole process of making a film. He may buy the film rights
to a book or employ a scriptwriter to write a script. He employs all the staff, both technical and creative involved in
the making of the film, including the director. He is also in control of the finances of the film, and it is his
responsibility to see that the cost does not exceed the budget allowed. Unlike today, in the golden age of Hollywood
in the 1930s and '40s, the famous names were the producers like David Selnnick and Samuel Goldwin, and not the
directors.
At present, there are only two people in the world who have undergone successful hand transplants. This operation
has only recently been available and the second successful transplant was carried out in January, 1999. Since this
operation, more than one hundred people have contacted the doctor who carried out the operation. Potential
candidates are put through medical, psychiatric and psychological tests. Their medical histories are scrutinised.
Moreover, they are bluntly told of the risks of the medication that suppresses the immune system. This is necessary
to prevent the body from rejecting the foreign tissue in the new hand, which is taken from a dead body.
34
233-In the case of a hand transplant, the immune system……… .
***A)might reject the new hand if not controlled
B)plays the major role on the psychological situation of the candidates
C)is suppressed to reduce the risk of spreading the infection
D)is risky to people with certain medical histories
E)of a dead body might not be compatible with that of the person receiving the hand
One of the smallest of all mammals is the shrew, a mouse like creature with a head and body length of only 3.8
centimetres. All shrews are small, with dense, velvety fur, long tails, and tiny eyes and ears. Shrews have been
called bloodthirsty, though the label is not entirely accurate because they must eat almost constantly to stay alive.
The animal is believed to have a very high metabolic rate and cannot live more than a few hours without food. In
the absence of normal prey, it will turn to cannibalism to survive. The shrew, or some closely related animal, can be
found on every continent except Australia. Since this tiny animal has a reputation for having a very bad temper, the
adjective "shrewish" is sometimes used to describe a certain type of women.
237-From what is stated in the passage, we can infer that a shrewish woman is someone who………… .
A)has tiny eyes and ears
B)is very fond of velvet and fur
C)keeps shrews as pets
***D)easily gets annoyed
E)is noticeably smaller than the average
Over the past 30 years, children's consumption in Britain has increased dramatically. In the average family of two
parents and two children, spending on toys and children's clothing has more than tripled, and spending on sweets,
ice-cream and soft drinks has risen by one-third. Research has recently found that spending is around £3,000 per
child per year. The growth in spending reflects higher living standards, but it has been boosted by the efforts of the
advertising industry. Campaigns directed straight at children account for much advertising expenditure. Most
children in Britain over eight now have a television in the bedroom; on average, they watch 900 hours of TV a year,
which is more than the 750 hours the average child is actually being taught in school. Thus a child could see at least
10,000 commercials a year.
35
240-The author concludes the fact that most children over 8 now have their own television set
means…….. .
A)children prefer watching television to going to school
B)children are not as healthy as they were
C)more, children are missing school in order to watch television
***D)an increasing amount of commercials are being watched by children
E)children spend a lot of time away from their parents
A movement called Jubilee 2000 is campaigning for Third World debt cancellation as a fitting way to mark the
millennium. Launched two years ago, the group is now working in 42 countries, and is now supported by a large
number of celebrities. Leaders of the group are harsh critics of the big creditors' role in the developing world. In
Tanzania, for example, one child in six dies before the age of five due to the lack of proper health care, but the
government spends four times more on paying the interest on its debts than on primary health care. Money needed
for health and education programs goes instead to rich international creditors, whose billions have often supported
corrupt elites.
Palmistry is the practice of 'reading hands', of gaining knowledge about personality, past individual history, and
likely future events by examining the shape and size of the fingers and, most important, the lines and bumps on the
palms themselves. There is some evidence that palmistry may have begun in the Stone Age. Hand outlines can be
seen in black and red pigments on the walls of the ancient caves of Almira in Spain and in other European caves.
Palmistry as it exists today probably had its origins in ancient India long before recorded history and found its way
into western Europe through nomadic bands of Gypsies, who made contact with Europe in the 15th century.
244-Of the following, the one not mentioned in the passage as part of palmistry is………. .
A)foretelling the future
***B)changing the events of the future
C) exploring people's pasts
D)learning about things that may happen
E)learning about character
245-It is stated in the passage that the most essential thing for a palm reader to do is……….. .
A)to examine people's past histories
B)to inspect the fingers carefully
C)to practise by 'reading' many palms
***D) to look closely at the surface of the palm
E)to learn about different personality types
246-The passage explains that it is most likely that palmistry as we know it began……….. .
A)in various parts of Europe
***B)in India in ancient times
C)in caves in Spain
D)in the 15th century
E)in the Stone Age
36
Aphids are tiny green insects that are a chronic pest for farmers. Spiders and ground beetles living along field
margins can keep their numbers under control. But as fields have become larger, the spiders and beetles take
longer to get to the middle of them, so farmers began using pesticides for a problem that was once controlled
naturally. An insect ecologist came up with a new solution called "beetle banks". These are one metre-wide strips of
grass planted at 100-metre intervals across the fields. After two years, there will be enough beetles and spiders in
one beetle bank to eat 52 million aphids a week, and the farmer will get rid of aphids without using a single drop of
pesticide.
249-Though he does not state it directly, the author seems to believe that....……… .
A)natural methods are inadequate to control aphids
B)pesticides are usually the best way of controlling pests
C)beetle banks are one-metre wide strips of grass
D)spiders and beetles should stay in field margins so they won't bother the farmers
***E)natural methods are better than pesticides for controlling pests
The ancient Greeks built open-air theatres, usually on a hillside, with semi-circular rows of seats overlooking a
circular space called the orchestra. The restored theatre at Epidaurus, dating from about 350 B.C., is a good
example of a Classical Greek theatre. The Romans altered this plan by introducing a raised platform for the
performers. The first theatre in London was erected in Shoreditch by Richard Burbage, a colleague of Shakespeare;
a little later, in about 1590, he built the more famous Globe theatre across the River Thames at Southwark.
However, the first theatre in the modern sense was built at Parma, Italy in 1618, with the familiar plan of an
auditorium with a raised stage and a curtain.
251-We learn from the passage that the Globe theatre was……….. .
A)built by Shakespeare himself with the help of Richard Burbage
B)built in Shoreditch, a London district on the River Thames
***C)on the other side of the Thames from London's first theatre
D)the first theatre ever built in London
E) next to London's first ever theatre
A team of mountaineers is to search Everest to try to settle once and for all a claim that the world's highest peak
was conquered 29 years before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay's 1953 triumph. British climbers George Mallory
and Andrew Irvine disappeared about 700 feet from the top of Everest in 1924, inspiring one of mountaineering's
most enduring legends. Their bodies have never been discovered - and neither has the Vest-Pocket Kodak camera
Mallory was carrying in his knapsack. According to Kodak, the cold conditions may well have preserved the film. If
the film featured a photograph of either of the two men at the mountain peak, the discovery would turn their story
of glorious failure into one of sweet success.
37
253-A team of mountaineers is going to climb Everest in order to……….. .
A)prove that Hilary and Norgay actually climbed to the highest peak
B)try to found a settlement there on the world's highest mountain
C)find the bodies of Mallory and Irvine so that they can be buried
***D)attempt to solve a seventy-five-year old unsolved mystery
E)try to stake a claim for Britain on the world's highest peak
Incessant violence' has been only one aspect of Pakistan's national tragedy since independence. The country has
never had an elected government that survived long enough to be voted out of office. The country has spent half its
life under military, dictatorships, with the result that now soldiers outnumber doctors 9 to 1. More than half the
population is illiterate. Per capita economic growth is approximately zero, and Pakistan has been named as one of
the five most corrupt countries in the world. Yet no one in Pakistan believes that their country should have remained
part of India.
257-Of the following, the problem that the author hasn't mentioned is……….. .
***A)the religious disputes that led to the split from India
B)the disproportionate number of military men to medical staff
C)the unusual number of military governments since independence
D)the lack of any economic growth in real terms
E)corruption among Pakistani officials
258-We can conclude from the passage that the Pakistani citizens ………….. .
***A)would not be in favour of reunification with India
B)say that Pakistan has a bright future ahead of it
C)believe that Pakistan should never have broken away from India
D)seem content with the current economic growth
E)are hopeful that democracy in Pakistan has a bright future
Rarely does a century begin so clearly and cleanly as did the present one. In 1900, Freud published 'The
Interpretation of Dreams", ending the Victorian Era. Queen Victoria, as if on cue, died the following January after a
63-year reign. Her empire included one quarter of the world's population, but already the Boer War in South Africa
was signalling the end of the colonial era. In China, the Boxer Rebellion heralded the awakening of a new giant. In
America, cars were replacing horses, and the average life-span was about 50, which is today 75.
260-It is clear from the passage that around the year 1900, …… ..
A)people finally learnt the true meanings of their dreams
B)Queen Victoria disliked people who interpreted dreams
C)many African nations had already gained independence
38
***D)people in the United States did not live as long as they do today
E)cars had not yet been invented
Thirty years after his assassination, Martin Luther King is still regarded as a black leader of a movement for black
equality. That assessment, while accurate, is far too restrictive. For it is only because of King and the movement
that he led that the US can claim to be leader of the "free world" without inviting smirks of disdain and disbelief.
Had he and the blacks and 'whites who marched beside him failed, vast regions of the US would have remained
morally indistinguishable from South Africa under apartheid, with terrible consequences for America's standing
among nations.
Other nations have medical air services, but Australia's is the oldest and covers the most ground. For more than 70
years, the Flying Doctors Service has been a mainstay of the sparsely populated Australian Outback, providing
medical supplies and treatment to areas where there is often no alternative, and where the difference can be life
and death. If you drive just a few hours inland from the coast, where most Australians live, you are in Flying
Doctors country. The 53 pilots share duties in 38 planes stationed at 17 bases dotted across the country. They serve
7 million square kilometres of scrubland and desert, an area more than two-thirds the size of the United States.
39
On the introduction of coffee to England, in about the middle of the 17th century, many coffee shops were opened
throughout central London. A great deal of business was transacted in these coffee shops, including public sales of
ships and goods. One among them, owned by a Mr Lloyd, appears to have been a great favourite among
businessmen. In 1696, Mr Lloyd started one of the earliest commercial newspapers in London, under the name of
Lloyd's News, containing commercial and shipping information both from home and abroad. This paper attracted
man customers from the shipping trade, and very shortly, led to Lloyd's coffee house becoming the headquarters of
the maritime insurance business. Today, hundreds of years later, Lloyd's of London remains the name of the world's
biggest maritime insurance company.
269-Mr Lloyd……… .
***A)increased the popularity of his coffee shop by starting a newspaper
B)was a very popular, well-liked businessman
C)was the original owner of what is now the largest shipping company
D)expanded his original coffee shop into a very successful chain of shops
E)started what may very well have been London's first ever newspaper
At the turn of the century, the European powers were hard at work attempting to claim as much land in Africa as
possible. Britain's General Kitchner had pushed through the gates of Khartoum, and French troops were fighting
Moroccans resisting them. A hundred years later, the possessors of the past have come and gone, and the continent
is unfettered from colonialism. It has been a long and painful march to freedom. The African people have been
weighed down beneath the yoke of historical circumstance and traumatized by some 400 years of a slave trade,
which only ended around 1850. Yet for better or for worse, Africa is finally its own master.
For hundreds of years, the nomadic Sami reindeer herders of Sweden have taken their animals to the lowland snow
forests over winter and spent the summer in the high Arctic. However, the timber companies are now excluding
them from their winter grazing. The animals survive the cold and snow by grazing on tree lichens, but the forest
owners claim that the reindeer damage their property by breaking the tops off the young trees, and are using the
courts to try to evict them. The Sami community, on the other hand, say that every village has its own forest areas
where they have been taking their reindeer for hundreds of years, since before the settlers arrived from the south.
However, the Sami have no written language and cannot prove their rights in court as they have no documents.
40
274-The conflict described in the passage……….. .
A)has been building up over many hundreds of years and has now reached a peak
***B)has arisen between the traditional inhabitants of the area and the timber industry
C)could be avoided if the Sami were prepared to remain in their native land
D)is about the Sami's use of certain mountain forests which they do not own
E)has only recently arisen because of ecological changes in the disputed area
276- The Sami say that their claim to grazing rights in the forests is based on………. .
A)legal papers which the Sami will produce in court
B)the fact that they bought the forests many years ago
C)documents which have unfortunately been lost
***D)the fact that they were using the land before anyone else
E)the forest areas being very close to the Sami's own villages
Born in 1898, Paul Robeson was the son of a runaway slave. He was the only black student to try out for the
Rutgers University football team. In response, the other players beat him up and pulled out his fingernails. He bore
the abu8e to prove his worth. He not only graduated at the top of his class, but had been an All-American, the top
honour for a university football player, twice. Within four years after graduation, he was one of the best-known
actors and singers in the United States. Yet because he was a black man with strong political beliefs, he was forced
to spend much of his life in England, and when he did return to the United States, his passport was taken away.
Touring the monuments to Thailand's past will take the traveller to all parts of the country. Just a short distance
west of Bangkok, for example, stands Phra Pathom Chedi, the world's tallest Buddhist monument. Travel a little
further west and an episode of more recent history is recalled at Kachanaburi, site of the infamous bridge over the
River Kwai. In contrast, north-east Thailand offers a glimpse of the ancient Khmer civilisation with a number of
extremely well-preserved temple ruins, which rank as the finest surviving Khmer monuments to be seen outside of
Cambodia. Elsewhere, ancient cities and venerable temples bear witness to the kingdom of Lanna, founded in the
late 13th century in northern Thaaand, while in the south traces of the Srivajaya kingdom survive as testament to
one of the most influential of the pre-Thai civilisations.
41
***A)the "Khmer" civilisation was probably centred in the country today called Cambodia
B)the world's tallest monument is in Thailand
C)many historical buildings in Thailand are not well-preserved
D)there are world-class facilities for tourists everywhere in Thailand
E)Cambodia has a better-developed tourist industry than Thailand
In a land famous for loving all creatures great and small, one of the smallest - the bat - is not at all popular in some
historic churches. The furry flying mammals, which are strictly protected by British law, like to bring up their little
offspring in the ceilings of old churches. But they can make a terrible mess of the inside of a church, and have
caused irreparable damage to rare medieval paintings, carvings, and brass work. The leader of the Movement
Against Bats in Churches was quoted as saying, "Our heritage itself is an endangered 3pecies when bats move into
churches and use them as public lavatories day and night."
283-According to the passage, one of the greatest dangers to Britain’s medieval churches is…….. .
A)the air currents caused by flying bats
B)baby bats playing in the ceilings of churches
C)the ignorance of people using their lavatories
***D)damage caused by the waste products of bats
E)public lavatories located near churches
Babies whose mothers smoke during pregnancy could be at higher risk of growing up to be criminals, new research
suggests. This is the first study to examine the relationship between mothers who smoke and their children's adult
behaviour. The findings were based on data for 4,169 males born in Copenhagen between September 1959 and
December 1961. Their arrest records at age 34 were studied. It was discovered that the number of cigarettes their
mothers had smoked during the last third of their pregnancy affected the men's arrests for both violent and non-
violent crimes. This was true even when other possible causes, such as use of alcohol, divorce, income, and home
environment had been taken into consideration.
288-From the passage, we can say that the researchers were careful because………. .
A)they monitored the lives of their subjects from birth to age 34
B)they chose subjects who had only committed minor crimes
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C)all men born between September 1959 and December 1961 were studied
***D)other possible causes of crime were also considered
E)they studied so many men from so many different countries
James Harrison thought he could make a fortune if he could freeze and transport surplus beef and mutton to
England, where meat prices were very high. Ice-making machines had been developed in the, 1830s, but in order to
keep the food frozen, a refrigeration machine had to be developed to ensure a stabilised temperature. Harrison
patented his machine in 1857 and by 1873 had perfected his method. He arranged a special meal to celebrate his
invention. The meat he served had been completely frozen for six months, but not one dinner guest could tell that it
wasn't freshly slaughtered.
290-The author suggests that a problem with transporting frozen food was………… .
***A)finding a way to keep its temperature constant
B)developing a profitable way to ship it abroad
C)knowing whether there would be a demand for it
D)the price difference between England and Australia
E)making enough ice to keep it from melting
Benjamin Franklin, who was to become one of the best known American writers, politicians and scientists, was born
in Boston in 1706. He was one of 17 children, and as a child, he worked in the shop of his father, who was a soap
and candle maker. As he loved to read and study, however, working for his father did not appeal to him, so when he
was 12, he was sent to assist his brother James, who had a printing shop. There, surrounded by books, he would
often stay up late at night reading on a wide range of subjects. As he read, he practised improving his own style of
writing.
293- We can conclude from the passage that the work Benjamin's brother was doing ……….. .
A)required Benjamin to work until late at night
B)was, in the first place, financed by their father
C)was a lot more profitable than his father's work
D)was too hard for a twelve-year-old
***E) was well suited to Benjamin's interests
The world's first liquid-fuelled rocket took off on a cold afternoon in March 1926, from a farm in New England. The
result of years of trial and error by a physics professor named Robert Goddard, it rose about 14 metres. Goddard
was certain that this modest flight was the first step towards future space flight, but few others shared his
enthusiasm. The director of the Smithsonian -Institution, from which he had been receiving a small amount of
financial assistance, was disappointed. The newspapers made fun of him. Yet today, space scientists consider the
1926 experiment an event as important as man's first successful flight.
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295-The passage makes it clear that……….. .
***A)hardly anyone took Goddard and his rocket seriously at the time
B)Goddard found financial support after the experiment
C)Goddard was not in the habit of exaggerating things
D)space flight was considered a real possibility by many people after 1926
E)it is best to experiment with rockets when the weather is cold
297-We can assume from the passage that before the experimental flight in 1926, ………… .
A)many others had tried to do a similar thing
B)the director of the Smithsonian Institution was not hopeful of any success
C)other scientists had attempted to do it
D)no one believed that it would be successful
***E)Goddard had made other trials but had failed
In 1920, after some thirty-nine years of problems with disease, high costs and politics, the Panama Canal was
officially opened. This linked the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by allowing ships to pass through the fifty-mile canal
zone instead of travelling some seven thousand miles around Cape Horn. It takes a ship approximately eight hours
to complete the trip through the canal, and costs a tenth of what it would cost the average ship to round the Horn.
More than fifteen thousand ships use the canal annually.
300-We can infer from the passage that before the Panama Canal opened, ………… .
A)there was a lot of disease in the region which has now been eliminated
B)fifteen thousand ships a year went around Cape Horn
C)there was no connection by sea between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean
D)there were too few ships to make such a project profitable
***E)the journey by ship from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean took much longer
A fire extinguisher, even a small one, located near the kitchen is a wise investment. But be sure that the
extinguisher is rated to put out kitchen fires. What the extinguisher is designed to do is stated on the outside.
Rather than bother trying to determine which one is best for you, just get an extinguisher that is rated to control all
three primary types of fires: (1) ordinary combustibles such as paper and wood; (2) flammable liquids, such as fat,
gasoline and grease; and (3) electric fires. Read the directions carefully. Teach everyone in the family how to
operate the extinguisher, and do not buy one that is too heavy for a child of nine or ten to lift.
302-The author advises people wanting to buy an extinguisher for kitchen fires to purchase one………. .
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A)that displays its functions on the outside
***B)that can put out the main types of fire
C)that comes with a full set of instructions
D)that is based on whether they have an electric or gas cooker
E)that does not work by gas or electricity
303-According to the information in the passage, when one has installed a fire extinguisher, …………. .
A)one should learn how to prevent fires in the first place
B)one should remember that youngsters will find it hard to use
***C)the whole household should be instructed in its use
D)one should' keep the instructions in a safe place
E)young children should be kept away from this equipment
In the early 20th century, the population of Macedonia was composed of many different peoples, usually fighting
one another. That such a land of violence and conflict in the last days of the Ottoman Empire would produce a future
winner of the Nobel Peace Prize would have seemed highly improbable. Yet in Skopje, one of the two men who
opened the town's first theatre was an Albanian married to a Serb. A daughter was born into this typically
cosmopolitan Macedonian family, who, as Mother Theresa, would find her vocation in far away places, doing
charitable work among the victims of poverty and neglect - particularly in the slums of Calcutta, India. In 1979, she
was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her humanitarian efforts.
Melville Bell, the father of Alexander Graham. Bell, the inventor of the telephone, studied the anatomy of speech
and approached his subjects with scientific thoroughness. In 1864, he completed a universally applicable phonetic
alphabet. by which he could describe the manner of production of the sounds of nearly all known languages. He
called this alphabet 'Visible Speech" and its various symbols - thirty-four in all -showed how the vocal organs would
be positioned to make a sound. This alphabet was to become the direct ancestor of the international phonetic
alphabet, which is used today.
308- It is clear from the passage that by using "Visible Speech" , …………….. .
***A)the sounds of almost every known language could be reproduced
B)subjects could be approached with scientific thoroughness
C)a language spoken by the whole world has been created
D)people who spoke different languages were able to communicate with each other
E)scholars were able to learn more about the languages spoken by their ancestors
309-One can conclude from the passage that the languages studied by Melville………. .
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A)require the use of different organs even when the same sound is produced
B)were the ones spoken in the major countries of the world
***C)belong to the same language family
D)include at least some of the 34 sounds he had noted
E)consist of exactly the same sounds
After several years of wandering around in the eastern part of the United States, supporting himself as a printer and
with his writing, Samuel Clemens returned to the Mississippi River to realise his old ambition of becoming a
steamboat pilot. In 1857, after 18 months apprenticeship, he earned his pilot's licence, and for the next four years
he steamed up and down the Mississippi getting to know the name and position of every feature on the river. In
addition, he learnt the special language used on the steamboats, where the phrase "mark twain” meant the water
was deep enough to be safe. He used his knowledge of the river and his experiences there later when he wrote his
most famous novel. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" under his pen name, Mark Twain.
311-From the information in the passage, one can conclude that the setting in Twain's most famous
book……….
A)is purely from imagination
***B)resembles the actual geography of the river
C)is the wilderness in 19th century America
D)includes the coastal parts of the New World
E)has no connection with any real place on the Earth
As a boy, the famous inventor Thomas Edison was not a good student. His parents took him out of school after
three months and his mother taught him at home, where his great curiosity and desire to experiment often got him
into trouble. One day, he set fire to his father's barn. "to see what would happen". When he was ten, he built his
own chemistry laboratory. He sold sandwiches and newspapers on the local trains in order to earn money to buy
supplies for his laboratory. His parents became accustomed to his experiments and the explosions which sometimes
shook the house.
313-We can infer from the passage that young Thomas Edison……… .
A)was not an intelligent child
B)had very strict parents
C)would have been more successful. had he received formal education
D)got his curiosity from his mother
***E)had a questioning mind
315-The best generalisation we can make from the passage would be that……….. .
***A)someone's not doing well at school does not necessarily mean that he is dull
B)mothers can educate their children better than professional teachers
C)it is good to have a part-time job as a child
D)the society has always regarded inventors as strange people
E)unintelligent children may sometimes put the whole family in danger
Petroleum products vary greatly in physical appearance: thin, thick, transparent or opaque, but regardless, their
chemical composition is made up of only two elements: carbon and hydrogen, which form compounds called
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hydrocarbons. Other chemical elements found in union with the hydrocarbons are few and are classified as
impurities. Trace elements are also found, but in such minute quantities that they are disregarded. The combination
of carbon and hydrogen forms many thousands of compounds which are possible because of the various positions
and joinings of these two atoms in the hydrocarbon molecule.
There is an advantage to launching satellites from the equator. The Earth spins faster there, giving rockets a boost
in reaching orbit that allows them to carry heavier payloads. But there are few suitable launching sites on the
equator that would not involve political problems. Therefore, an international consortium has converted an oil-
drilling platform into a floating launch pad, rocket assembly plant, and mission control. They hope to develop the
capacity to launch commercial telecommunications satellites.
321-Considering the circumstances stated in the passage, the oil-drilling platform mentioned must be,
………… .
A)cheap to convert into a floating launch pad
B)positioned at the best point in the ocean
C)unable to launch rockets with heavier payloads
***D)in international waters, where it does not cause political problems
E)away from any of the equatorial countries
In 776 B.C., the first Olympic Games were held at the foot of Mount Olympus to honour the Greeks' chief god, Zeus.
The ancient Greeks emphasised physical fitness and strength in the education of youth. Therefore, contests in
running. Jumping, discus and javelin throwing. Boxing, and horse and chariot racing were held in individual cities,
and the winners competed every four years at Mount Olympus. Winners were honoured by having olive wreaths
placed on their heads and having poems sung about their deeds. Originally these were held as games of friendship,
and any wars in progress were halted to allow the games to take place.
322-It is implied in the passage that one purpose of the Olympic games was to……. .
A)increase the number of followers of their chief god, Zeus
B)help the participating athletes make a lot of money
***C)provide encouragement for young men to remain strong and physically fit
D)prepare an atmosphere f6r the poets to produce good literature
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E)to ensure the continuity of friendship between the different cities of the area
323-It is stated in the passage that the competitors in the Olympic games……….
A)had to take part in more than one sport
B)were poets who read out their poetry to an audience at Mount Olympus
C)used to spend 'the four years between the two games training
***D)were the winners of similar competitions held in provincial cities
E)were all followers of the cult of Zeus
324-A particularly impressive feature of the ancient Olympics mentioned in the passage was
that……….. .
A)the winners were regarded as heroes
B) the competitors came from different social classes
C)they took place annually at Mount Olympus
***D)wars were postponed while the games took place
E)the winners of individual events often became extremely wealthy
The most popular national amusement in Burma is the pwe. This entertainment may consist of acting, singing,
dancing, clowning or even puppetry. These plays are performed outdoors -most often on moonlit nights. They
usually last all night for several nights in succession. The audience sits on reed mats to watch the show. The pwes
are free, and more often than not are given by a wealthy individual for the entertainment of his friends and anyone
else who cares to attend. The pwe plays are usually legendary tales about princes and princesses and almost always
have a happy ending. Actors wear old-time court costumes and proclaim long speeches, but there is always a down
to relieve any boredom. Judging by the laughter the clowns provoke, they are found really funny.
A lost tribe of Stone Age people known as the Tasaday was discovered in the tropical rain forest in the Philippines in
the 1970s. The tribe consisted of 24 people, with completely unique customs and language. They displayed no
aggressive tendencies, either to outsiders or each other. They reached decisions at informal meetings at which men
and women spoke equally. Age alone commanded respect. They lived a nomadic existence, and knew nothing of
farming. Living mostly on wild potatoes, fruits and bamboo shoots, the Tasaday derived some protein from crabs
and small fish. Monkey meat was considered a delicacy to be brought out only on special occasions. Although they
appeared in good health, they practised no medicine, and confessed to leaving the sick to die.
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D)the oldest member takes decisions alone
E)the young are cared for by the old
On her first day at the University of Nebraska, Willa Cather was mistaken for a professor. She was only 16, fresh
from a small prairie town. Yet, the students were impressed when she peeked around a classroom door and asked,
"Is this elementary Greek?" They had been expecting someone like this, with a deep, commanding voice, a solemn
face topped with short hair, and a straw hat. So they nodded politely, then burst into laughter when the stranger
entered - and proved to be a young girl. Of course, they could not know that she would grow up to be a major
American writer.
331-After their first encounter with Willa Cather, the students laughed because………. .
A)she was a great American writer
B)they were impressed by the inherent humour of elementary Greek
C)her straw hat and short hair looked funny
D)she was the youngest professor they had ever seen
***E)they recognised their own mistake
There is an ancient belief that when a female wolf loses a young cub, she seeks a human child to take its place.
Romulus and Remus, the legendary twin founders of Rome, were supposed to have been cared for by wolves. The
idea actually became believable in the late 19th century when a French doctor found a naked ten-year-old boy
wandering in the woods. He did not walk upright, could not speak intel1igently, nor relate to people: he only
growled like a wolf and stared at them. Finally the doctor won the boy’s confidence and began to work with him.
After many long years of devoted and patient instruction, the doctor was able to get the boy to clothe and feed
himself, recognise and say a number of words, and even to write a little.
335-The doctor who found the boy must have concluded that…………. .
***A)the boy had possibly been raised by wolves
B)Romulus and Remus were the twins who founded Rome
C)it is not possible to train a human child who grew up in the wild
D)the boy could not speak because he was of sub-normal intelligence
E)the boy was half-human, half-wolf, with supernatural powers
336-Many years after the doctor began working with the boy, ………… .
A)he soon started to behave as a normal human child does
***B)he became more like a human child, but couldn't function completely normally
C)he behaved exactly like Romulus and Remus in the legend
D)he began writing a book about his experiences living with wolves
E)his progress was too slow for the doctor to continue with the initial enthusiasm
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In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman on the Earth, created by Zeus to avenge Prometheus's theft of
fire. Pandora, whose name means ‘all-gifted', was endowed with every charm, but sent to the Earth with a very
special deadly box. Prometheus was too wise to be deceived by Pandora's beauty, but his younger brother,
Epimetheus, fell in love with her and accepted the box as a wedding present from the gods. When Epimeteus
allowed Pandora to open the box, a cloud of evils flew out, spreading death, disease and destruction throughout the
world. All that remained inside the box was one small comfort - hope.
337-It can be inferred from the passage that in Greek mythology, …………. .
A)a long with the evils in the box, the gift of fire was included in it
B)women were seen to be wiser and more talented than men were
C)the gods were jealous of women's beauty and punished them for it
***D)the world was a much better place before women came into it
E)people were taught not to accept wedding gifts as they might be evil
Sir Isaac Newton was drinking tea under the apple trees in his garden one summer afternoon in 1665 when an apple
fell from an overhanging branch, hit him on the head and immediately provided the inspiration for his law of
gravitation. According to the story that is how it happened, anyway. It may indeed be true, but no one knows for
certain. Even the famed British astronomer Sir Harold Spencer Jones, who stated in 1944 that the story was
probably true, later changed his mind, noting that ‘one cannot be sure either way.' The story of Newton's Apple first
appears in Voltaire's Elements de la Philosophic de Newton, published in 1738, long after the great Englishman had
died and 73 years from the time the disputed apple fell.
Penn Wood, one of Britain's last surviving areas of ancient woodland, with.432 acres of mixed trees as well as
grassland, is in a place of outstanding natural beauty. The wood has a record of public usage, stretching back
through recorded history, but recently, the menace of 'development and improvement' threatened its survival. In a
region already well-endowed with golf courses, the owner submitted plans for yet another 18-hole course. However,
this angered local residents. They put up so much opposition to the plans that they were turned down by the
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Environment Secretary. Frustrated by the strength of the opposition he was receiving, the landowner eventually sold
up, and the land was bought by the Woodland Trust, which will preserve the whole site as a prime wildlife habitat.
Sleep researchers have found that people can make themselves wake up at a given time simply by deciding to do so
before they go to sleep. Scientists took two groups of volunteers and, at nightfall, told one group that they would be
woken at 6 a.m. and the other that they would be woken at 9 a.m. The sleepers' levels of the hormone
adrenocorticotropin, which is known to cause spontaneous awakening, were then measured. In each group, there
was a rise in the levels of the hormone one hour before the volunteers expected to get up. The three-hour difference
between the rise in hormones in the two groups suggests that the body can be programmed to wake up on
command.
The Romanesque style of architecture flourished in the 11th and 12th centuries. Its primary characteristics are the
round arch and thick walls, reminding people of the structures of ancient Rome. But the period is also noted for the
reappearance of large figure sculptures and for the achievement of uniting sculpture with architecture. In the
Romanesque period large numbers of figures began to be carved in stone in many cathedrals, churches and
monasteries. These figures generally portrayed religious scenes, as the principal intent was to proclaim the teaching
of the Christian faith. But at the same time, neither artists nor patrons had lost their taste for pure ornament. Thus,
along with the biblical narrative appeared brilliant abstract decoration, based on the forms of plants, trees and
animals.
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D)excelled in plain designs, with few illustrations
***E)must have worked closely with sculptors on the design
Stuttering is the term given to the condition in which the sufferer speaks with difficulty because he or she cannot
easily say the first sound of a word. Overall, there are about 50 million stutters in the world. Despite decades of
research, the cause of stuttering is not known, though - contrary to popular opinion - it is not thought to be caused
by emotional distress. Some believe it might be caused genetically, but scientists have been unable to pinpoint the
actual reasons. What is known, however, is that it affects four times more men than women, and that 25% of all
children go through a stage of development during which they stutter. Stuttering can be extremely demoralising.
Those who are severely affected often attempt to avoid speaking situations altogether.
Women do not compete against men in sport because of medical misconceptions about their bodies, says Ellis
Cashmore, a professor of sociology. He claims it's only in the past 300 years that anatomists have pointed out the
differences between men’s and women's bodies, apart from the most obvious ones. Before then, they were seen as
fairly similar. By the late 19th century, closer examination led to anatomists looking for inferiorities in women's
bodies and believing that even their organs had different functions to men's. Cashmore's argument is that despite
women's exclusion from most sports for the first half of this century, they have caught men up rather rapidly.
Women's best times in the marathon have improved by an average per year of 2 minutes 47 seconds while men's
have improved by a mere 66 seconds.
355-It can be inferred from this passage that Cashmore believes that……….. .
A)modern medicine is based more on myth than on genuine scientific fact
B)sociologists are better qualified to discuss human anatomy than medical researchers
C)in the last three centuries, there have been significant changes in the anatomy of women
D)it is quite obvious that women should not be allowed to participate in sport against men
***E)there's no good reason why men and women shouldn't compete against each other in sport
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***D)supported the idea that women were physically weaker than men
E)were concerned with the reasons why men seemed to outperform women in sport
357-The author quotes the times 2 minutes 47 seconds and 66 seconds to illustrate that…….. .
A)despite progress, women still take more than twice as long as men in marathons
B)women are actually superior to men in long distance running
***C)the gap between men's and women's performances in sport is shrinking
D)his theory is scientific by including mathematical figures
E)women will one day surpass men in athletic endeavours
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