103 Midterm #2 Worksheet

Part I. Fill in the blank with the best word or phrase from the list. Not all options will be used.
Use each word or phrase once only. (12 marks)

A. describe B. annoyed C. attention D. clear

E. element F. century G. hardened H. offspring
I. goal J. tools K. punish L. dish
M. dairy N. mineral O. habit P. worse

1. Your instructions were not _____________. This is why I did not complete the task.
2. You must _____________ children when they behave badly. Otherwise, they will never
learn.
3. Hurricanes are _____________ than rainstorms because they cause more damage.
4. Over time, plants become _____________ to hot weather. They develop a thick skin to
help them survive.
5. The _____________ of this project is to learn the value of teamwork.
6. Hot-weather plants produce _____________ in the summer, whereas cold-weather
plants re-produce in the winter.
7. My grandfather can use all kinds of technology even though he was born over a/an
_____________ ago!
8. Chewing gum is a bad _____________. You should stop doing it so much.
9. During class, you must give the teacher your full _____________.
10. These days, there are many _____________ that make life easier for humans. Can you
imagine trying to build a house without a hammer?
11. I cannot find your car. Can you _____________ it to me?
12. Cats are lactose-intolerant. They cannot eat _____________ products, such as cheese
and chocolate.

Part II. Match the underlined word with its synonym from the list. Not all words will be used.
Use each word once only. (10 marks)
 A. guard B. tough C. patiently D. component
E. desire F. compellingly G. bough H. welcome
I. rule J. grant K. requirement L. antiqued

13. Protein is an important element (______) of the human diet.

14. Do you want tea or coffee? Which is your preference (______)?
15. Many culture hold ancient (______) ideas about folk medicine.
16. To make a broom, you need a tree branch (______).
17. Please learn to control (______) your children! They are very badly behaved.
18. Books usually have a durable (______) cover that stops the pages from being damaged.
19. Water is a necessity (______) for all plants. Without it, they will die.
20. You need to protect (______) your computer against viruses.
21. He lies very convincingly (______). I believed every word!
22. When people visit your home, you should greet (______) them warmly.

Part III. Choose the best affix from the box to change the word in parentheses to its correct
form. Not all affixes will be used. Some affixes may be used more than once. Ignore any
spelling changes. (12 marks)
A. -er B. en- C. -ing D. -less
E. -tion F. -ity G. dis- H. -iest
I. -ence J. -ism K. -ier L. -y
M. -ly N. -ish O. -ing P. -ed

23. I’m sorry, but I ____agree with your opinion. In fact, I think you’re wrong.
24. Smart phones are an invent_____ that changed the world forever.
25. Because of modern medicine, most surgery is pain_____ these days.
26. This team works together excellent _____. You should all be proud of yourselves.
27. I want to go to Ikea at the weekend and buy a soft_____ mattress. My current mattress
is too hard.
28. Tour____ is a huge source of income in the UK. For example, it creates many jobs.
29. The Ancient Egyptians produce____ a lot of new technology, such as the sun dial.
30. You cheated on the exam! I will be punish____ you for this.
31. Ancient Rome was wealth____ than Ancient Greece because they had more efficient
ways of managing their civilizations.
32. I will not be buying you a birthday gift. The probable___ of me changing my mind is low.
33. In early civilizations, many humans were unfairly ____slaved.
34. Universal___, all cats enjoy fresh fish.
Part IV. Use critical thinking and reading comprehension to choose the best answer. (8
marks)
 35. People say that smoking is bad, but I don’t believe them. My uncle smoked all his life,
yet he lived to 102!
a. Smoking is only dangerous for specific types of people. Some people are immune
to its bad effects.
b. The research that says smoking is bad it flawed because not all smokers die.
c. Smoking is harmful, but not everyone who smokes will suffer its bad effects.
d. Smoking is dangerous, but it can also help people live longer.

36. My cat came home with scratches on his face and blood on his paw. This means that…
a. The cat got into a fight with another animal.
b. The cat was hit by a car.
c. The cat has a fatal blood disease.
D. The cat has a poor diet.

37. The students ordered KFC for lunch. All of the students choose a chicken meal deal.
However, Sarah ordered a salad meal deal, with no meat.
This means that…
a. Sarah does not get along with her classmates.
b. Sarah is likely a vegetarian.
c. Sarah will put some of her classmates’ chicken in her salad.
d. Sarah was not hungry.

38. I am not working tomorrow. However, I will still be up early because my baby needs to be
fed at 5am.
A. I only wake up early when I have to work.
B. I would prefer working to feeding my baby.
C. I will wake early only to feed my baby.
D. Babies are more important than work.

39. Studies have shown that children with divorced parents are more likely to be badly-behaved
at school. This means that…
A. Children with divorced parents lead unhappy lives at home and school.
B. Divorce has a negative effect on the behavior of school children.
C. All children with divorced parents behave badly in school.
D. There is no link between the relationship status of two parents and the behavior of their
child.

40. People who play video games tend to buy more expensive computers and equipment. In
fact, teenage boys spend the most amount of money on computer technology.
A. If you want to learn how to play video games, you should buy an expensive computer.
B. Teenage boys spend the most on computers because they often play video games.
C. Video games are the most expensive part of owning a computer.
D. Teenage boys play video games because they like spending money on computers.

41. I work in a care home for elderly people. I have noticed that most residents have little hair,
bad eyesight, and poor hearing. This means that…
A. As humans age, they lose some of their senses and physical attributes.
B. This care home is causing unnatural reactions in its residents.
C. The senior citizens in this care home are stressed and worried.
D. The elderly need more help because they live in care homes.

42. When I was younger, I played with dolls every day. However, as an adult, I read books
everyday instead. This means that…
A. The writer played with dolls too much and, as a result, no longer likes them.
B. Since dolls are no longer fashionable, the writer reads books instead.
C. It is likely that the writer is reading books about dolls.

D. The writer’s tastes have changed as she aged.

Reading #1
There are numerous advantages and disadvantages to preparing your own lunch at home. This
paper will discuss the pros and cons of making a lunch box and also give you some tips on how
to do this in the best way possible.

There are a number of advantages to making your lunch at home. Firstly, it is much cheaper
than buying food at work or school. To make a packed lunch costs around $1, whereas a “meal
deal” from McDonald’s costs around $6. That’s a saving of $5 every day! Secondly, home-
cooked food tends to be healthier than takeaway food. Takeaway food is usually filled with
additives, such as salt and sugar, to make it last longer than it would naturally. These chemicals
are believed to have little nutritional value, and they may have adverse effects on a person’s
behavior too. Therefore, by making your lunch at home, you can avoid these additives entirely
by making sure to use only organic ingredients. Thirdly, a home-cooked lunch will usually be
more suited to your individual tastes. If you go to a sandwich shop, you will be limited by the
products available. However, if you prepare something at home, you can make sure it is
something you will certainly like.

However, even though there are three clear benefits to a pre-prepared lunch, there are some
negatives too. Firstly, you will have to spend or evenings, or maybe even your mornings,
preparing your lunch. It might be hard to motivate yourself into cooking after a hard day’s
work. The process of buying a sandwich is much quicker. Secondly, bringing a lunch from home
might make you seem anti-social to your colleagues or class mates. For example, if your
colleagues all decide to go to McDonald’s for lunch, you will be left behind with your lunch box.
This might make you seem unfriendly. Thirdly, meal preparation can lead to predictive meals.
Since you know what you like, you will probably end up making similar meals each day. This
means that you won’t try new foods.

Given the information presented here, it is clear that preparing a lunch box can be both
beneficial and negative. I recommend taking a lunch box a two times a week, and then eating
out three days a week. This will create a nice balance between the advantages and
disadvantages. I also recommend buying some good-quality plastic boxes to store your lunch in.
If you do take a lunch box regularly, you’ll want a reliable storage container that you can use
every day. My last piece of advice is to try different recipes in your lunch box. Don’t rely upon
pasta or sandwiches every day. You should try new things. With this in mind, You should buy a
good cookbook to give you some ideas.

43. What is the main idea of the reading?

a. The problems of packed lunches
b. The advantages and disadvantages of lunch boxes
c. A definition of packed lunches
d. How to make a packed lunch

44. What is the main idea of the 3rd paragraph?

a. The benefits of packed lunches
b. The negatives of packed lunches
c. Ideas for packed lunches
d. A history of packed lunches

45. What is the best synonym for ‘tips’ as used in paragraph A?

a. facts b. numbers c. foods d. advice

46. What is the best synonym for ‘adverse’ as used in paragraph B?

a. nutritious b. negative c. beneficial d. preferential

47. What is the best synonym for ‘organic’ as used in paragraph B?

A. natural b. dangerous c. homegrown d. medicinal

48. What is the best synonym for ‘motivate’ as used in paragraph C?

a. energize b. damage c. value d. teach

49. What does the pronoun ‘it’ in paragraph B refer to?

a. colleague b. home c. nutrition d. the meal

50. Based on this reading, which of the following statements is true?

A. The author thinks that people should make a home-cooked lunch every day.
B. The author thinks that takeaway food is healthier than home-cooked food.
C. The author thinks that people should have a variety of home-cooked and takeaway lunches.
D. The author thinks that eating takeaway food is anti-social.

51. Which would be the best title for this passage?

A. Looking at Lunch Boxes
B. What are Lunch Boxes?
C. Why Should you Take a Lunch Box to School?
D. Lunch Boxes and Laughs: A Guide to Eating in When You’re Out.

Reading #2
 Globally, hot beverages are big business. 95% of all Americans buy at least one warm drink, such
as coffee, per day. However, the world’s obsession with coffee may not be entirely positive. This essay
will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of coffee, looking specifically at cost, taste, environmental
effects, and health.

Coffee is a bitter-tasting infusion which can be drunk hot or cold, or even used in food. It is
Coffee is prepared from roasted coffee beans, which are the seeds of berries from the coffea plant. No
one knows exactly how or when coffee was discovered, though there are many legends about its origin.
One such story claims that is was first found in Eithiopia in the 11th century by goat farmers searching
for new land. However, the linguistic history is much simpler. The word coffee comes from the late 16th
century: from Turkish kahveh, from Arabic qahwa, probably via Dutch koffie. Since its discovery, coffee
has become a staple part of the human diet. It is enjoyed by people of all ages, cultures, and
backgrounds all over the world, but in different ways. For example, in Italy, coffee is often served in
desserts, such as tiramisu. However, in Saudi Arabia, they serve it in small portions with cardamom.

The popularity of coffee can be seen as a good thing because there are three advantages to
coffee. Firstly, it is inexpensive to produce and buy. The coffee bean grows quickly meaning that farming
it is simple and cheap. Secondly, coffee has a unique and well-loved taste. The bitter flavor of this bean
means that it can be used in both sweet and savory dishes as is evidenced worldwide. For example, in
America, people can enjoy coffee-tasting candy bars as well as iced drinks. Thirdly, there are several
health benefits to regular coffee drinking. Coffee contains caffeine which helps keep the human mind
alert and focused. For example, nurses and doctors are known to drink coffee before dealing with
difficult physical tasks as it helps them stay awake.

However, despite these clear benefits, there are three disadvantages to coffee which will be
discussed in this paragraph. The first drawback is that coffee is bad for the environment. To grow just
one coffee bean uses ten gallons of water. Even worse, since coffee is usually grown in Africa, this takes
away precious resources from the local population. The second negative is the addictive properties of
coffee. Many people are beginning to rely upon coffee to get through the day. This reliance is actually an
addiction, which makes it bad for physical and mental health. The final disadvantage is that people
spend too much money on coffee. Even though coffee is cheap, buying it every day can get very
expensive. For example, buying a cup of coffee costing ten riyals every day will cost 3,650 riyals per year.

In conclusion, even though coffee is popular, there are benefits and negatives to it. Coffee is
good because it is inexpensive, nice-tasting, and has health benefits. In contrast to this, coffee is
negative because it is bad for the environment, addictive, and costs too much if bought every day.
Despite this, coffee’s popularity continues to rise. In fact, coffee will become the world’s top-consumed
drink by 2050.

52. What is the main idea of the reading?

a. The history of coffee throughout the world
b. The advantages and disadvantages of drinking coffee
c. The health benefits of coffee consumption
d. The medical problems with consuming too much coffee

53. What is the main idea of the 2nd paragraph?

a. A history of coffee
b. Coffee in modern times
c. The reasons why people drink coffee
d. The effects of coffee drinking

54. What is the best synonym for ‘legends’ as used in paragraph B?

a. facts b. modern research c. history books d. old stories

55. What is the best synonym for ‘linguistic’ as used in paragraph B?

a. language b. taste c. ancient d. scientific

56. What is the best synonym for ‘unique’ as used in paragraph C?

a. sour b. cultural c. average d. special

57. What is the best synonym for ‘properties’ as used in paragraph D?

a. background b. wealth c. elements d. solutions

58. What does the pronoun ‘it’ in paragraph D refer to?

a. bean b. coffee c. person d. money

59. Based on this reading, which of the following statements is true?

a. Everyone knows where and when coffee was discovered.
b. Coffee is popular worldwide, but different countries serve it differently.
c. Coffee is good for the environment
d. There are no health benefits to drinking coffee.

60. Based on this reading, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A. Coffee is drunk hot and cold
B. Some cultures use coffee beans in food
C. The drug in coffee makes people sleepy
D. Coffee is addictive