Read the passage and answer the questions below 1.

Malaysia is one of the countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). It is divided into two regions, known as West Malaysia and East Malaysia. They are separated by about 640 km of the sea and together comprise an area of 329,758 sq km. Malaysia enjoys tropical climate. The Malaysian unit of currency is the ringgit, consisting of 100 sen. The capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur and it is also the largest city in the country. The population in 2001 was over 22 million. Islam is the country's official religion. In addition, there are other religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. The national language is Bahasa Malaysia (also known simply as Malay). English, Chinese, and Tamil are also wildely spoken. The language of instruction for primary school children is Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese, or Tamil. Bahasa Malaysia is the primary language of instruction in all secondary schools, although some students may continue learning in Chinese or Tamil. And English is a compulsory second language. 1. What is the passage about ? 2. The capital of Malaysia is .......... 3. The Malaysian unit of currency is .......... 4. What is NOT true about Malaysia ? 5. What does the word "it" in line 6 refer to..... 2. In Western countries, electricity, gas, and water are not luxuries but necessities. Companies now realize that consumers want products that will not only work effectively, but also save money. For most North American households, lighting accounts for 10 percent to 15 percent of the electricity bill. However, this amount can be reduced by replacing an ordinary 100- watt light bulb with an energy- saving bulb. These bulbs use a quarter of the electricity of standard bulbs and last eight time longer. Therefore consumers can save about US $7 to US $21 per bulb. In Europe, there is a labeling scheme for refrigerators, freezers, washing machines and tumble dryers. The label tells the consumers how much energy efficiency each model has, compared with other appliances in the same category.Ultimately, these innovations will save money as well as conserve the Earth's resources. 1. What is the passage about ? 2. Which of the following appliances is NOT mentioned ? 3. The author implies that .......... 4. The word "household" in line 4 most probably means that ........ 5. How many times does an energy- saving bulb last longer than an electricity of standard one.
3. In the United States, people celebrate Mothers Day and Fathers day. Mothers day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. On this occasion, mother usually receives greeting cards and gifts from her husband and children. The best gift of all for an American Mom is a day of leisure. The majority of American mothers have outside jobs as well as housework, so their working days are often very hard. The working mother enjoys the traditional Mothers Day custom of breakfast (or brunch) cooked by her family and served to her on a tray in bed. Later in the day, its also traditional for the extended family group to get together for dinner, either in a restaurant or in one of their homes. Flowers are an important part of Mothers Day. Mothers are often given a corsage or a plant for the occasion, particularly if they are elderly. Fathers Day is celebrated through out the United States and Canada on the third Sunday in June. The holiday customs are similar to Mothers day. Dad also receives greeting cards and gifts from his family and enjoys a day of leisure. 1. When do American people celebrate Mothers day and Fathers Day? 2. What kinds of gifts does the mother often get from her family members? 3. What kinds of gift does she love most? 4. Why are mothers working days often very hard?

5. Where do the family members have their dinner party on this occasion? 6. What are the similar things that father gets on Fathers Day? 4. There are at least 2,000 different languages in the world. Of all these languages English is the most widely used. It is used by business people, airline pilots and sea captains all over the world. It is also the first language of sport and science. So it is very important to learn English. Chinese is also an important language because it has the greatest number of speakers. There are not only over one billion people living in China today, but also many Chinese people living outside China. Chinese is widely spoken in many parts of Asia and Africa. Russian is spoken in both Europe and Asia. French is widely understood in Europe and in parts of Canada, Africa and Asia. From more than 2,000 languages the United Nation has chosen six of them for business. They are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. 1. How many languages are there in the world? 2. Why is English the most widely used? 3. Which language has the greatest number of speakers? 4. Where is French spoken? 5. How many languages are chosen to be used by the UN? 5. The first real bicycle was made in Scotland. It was built in 1839 by a man named Macmillan. His bicycle had two wheels like a modern bicycle. But it was much difficult to ride. It was heavier because it was made of wood and iron. It did not have rubber tires like a modern bicycle. Instead, it had wooden wheels. This made it very uncomfortable on bumpy roads. But Macmillan was lucky about one thing: he could not get a flat tire! Bicycles are very popular today in many countries. Many people use bicycles for exercise. But exercise is only one of the reasons why bicycles are popular. Another reason is money. Bicycles are not expensive to buy. They do not need gas to make them go. They also are easy and cheap to fix. In cities, many people like bicycles better than cars. With a bicycle, they never have to wait in traffic. They also do not have to find a place to park. And finally, bicycles do not cause any pollution! 1. Where and when was the first real bicycle made?

2. Why was it heavier than a modern bicycle?

3. What were its wheels made of? 4. What do many people use bicycles for today? 5. Are bicycles complicated and expensive to repair? 6. Why do many people like bicycles better than cars in cities? 6. Every year, millions of tourists visit California. California is known for its beautiful scenery, warm climate and excellent food. There are twenty national parks in California. They are visited by over thirty million people every year. Many world-famous museums are located there too. The state is divided into two parts, called Northern California and Southern California. San Francisco is located in Northern California. It is surrounded by water on three sides and is a city with beautiful bay and several bridges. Its streets are always filled with tourists. There is an area in south of San Francisco that is famous for its computer industries; it is called Silicon Valley. Los Angeles, Hollywood and Disneyland are found in Southern California. Southern California is known for its desert areas, which are sometimes next to snowcapped mountains. Southern California is one of the few places in the world where you can ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon. 1. What is California known for? 2. 3. 4. How many national parks are there in California? Which parts is California divided into? Where is the Silicon Valley?

5. 6.

Where can desert areas be found? Why can you ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon in California?

7. Wales has a population of about three million. English is the main language and only twenty percent speak both Welsh and English. Every year in August there is a Welsh-speaking Festival. It takes place in a different town each year so everyone has a chance to go for it. Local people spend years making plans for the festival when it is organized in their town. Each Festival is attended by about 160,000 people. They travel not only from nearby town and villages but also from the rest of the British Isles and even from abroad. There are concerts, plays and competitions to find the best singers, poets, writers, and so on. Shops sell Welsh music, books, pictures and clothes as well as food and drink. The Festival provides the chance for Welsh-speaking people to be together for a whole week, with the Welsh language all around them. 1. Where and when is Welsh-speaking Festival organized? 2. How many people often attend the festival? 3. Which language do people speak in the festival? 4. How can they find the best singers, poets and writers? 5. What can people buy in the shops? 7. How long does the festival last? 8. Nylon was invented in the early 1930s by an American chemist, Julian Hill. Other scientists worked with his invention and finally on 27, October, 1938, Nylon was introduced to the world. It was cheap and immediately became successful, especially in the making of the ladies' stockings. During the Second World War, the best present for many women was a pair of nylon stockings, but more importantly, it was used to make parachute and types. Today, nylon is found in many things: carpets, ropes, seat belts, furniture, computers, and so on. It has played an important part in our lives for over 50 years. Next year about 36 million tons of it will be manufactured. 1. Who is Julian Hill? 2. When was nylon first introduced to the world? 3. What do they use nylon for? 4. Is nylon important to our lives? 5. What is 'it' in the last sentence replaced for?

9. Earthquakes: Ninety percent of earthquakes occur around the Pacific Rim, which is known as the "Ring of Fire". In 1995, a huge earthquake struck the city of Kobe in Japan. A large number of people were killed when homes, office blocks and highways collapsed. Tidal waves: Tidal waves are the result of an abrupt shift in the underwater movement of the Earth. In the 1960s, a huge tidal wave hit Anchorage, Alaska. The tidal wave traveled from Alaska to Califorlia ! Typhoons: When a tropical storm reaches 120 kilometers per hour, it is called a hurricane in North and South America, a cyclone in Australia, and a typhoon in Asia. The word "typhoon" comes from Chinese: tai means "big" and feng means "wind", so the word "typhoon" means "big wind". Volcanoes: We can usually predict when a volcano will erupt. Mount Pinatubo, which is a volcano in the Philippines, erupted in 1991. It was the world's largest volcanic eruption in more than 50 years. Hundreds of people died, but thousands were saved because scientists had warned them about the eruption. Tornadoes: Tornadoes are funnal- shaped storms which pass overland below a thunderstorm. They can suck up anything that is in their path. In Italy in 1981, a tornado lifted a baby, who was asleep in its baby cariage, into the air and put it down safely 100 meters away ! 1. What is the passage mainly concerned about ? 2. Which natural disaster occurred in the 1960s ? 3. "Hurricane" in line 8 refers to ...........

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage ? 5. Thousands of people were saved from a volcano in the Philippines in 1991 because ........ 10. Linh is studying as an exchange student at Hobart College in New York State, U.S.A. She is now living with the Spates family on a farm in Canandaigua, about 6 hours drive from New York City. Mr. and Mrs. Spates run an organic farm. It is not very big, but they can still grow all kinds of vegetables like cabbages, carrots, lettuce, and so on. They grow different vegetables in different seasons. They also raise some cows for milk and a few chickens. Mr. and Mrs. Spates have a son and a daughter, but they both live a way from home. Therefore, Mr. Spates has to hire part- time workers to help him during the harvest season. Sometimes Linh also helps on the farm. She enjoys feeding the cows and the chickens. Sometimes she goes to the local market with Mrs. Spates to sell the products. On weekends, Linh often goes on picnics with Mr. and Mrs. Spates. There are beautiful picnic sites in Glenn National Park, just about one hour drive from their farm. Mr. and Mrs. Spates are very nice, so Linh feels like a member of the family. 1. How long does it take to go to the Spates farm from New York city ? 2. All of the following statements about the Spates farm are true EXCEPT THAT. 3. The word they in paragraph 3 refers to .................. . 4. When does Mr. Spates have to hire part- time workers ? 5. From the passage, what can be inferred about Glenn National park ? 11. There are at least 2,000 different languages in the world. Of all these languages, English is the most widely used. It is used by business people, airline pilots and sea captains all over the world. It is also the first language in sports and science. So it is very important to learn English. Chinese is also an important language because it has the greatest number of speakers. There are not only over one billion people living in China today, but also many Chinese people living outside China. Chinese is widely spoken in many parts of Asia and Africa. Russian is spoken in both Europe and Asia. French is widely understood in Europe and in parts of Canada, Africa and Asia. From more than 2,000 languages, the United Nations has chosen six of them for business. They are Chinese, Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spain. 1.How many languages are there in the world? 2.What is the first language in sport and science? 3.What language has the greatest number of speakers? 4.What languages are both spoken in Europe? 5.What languages are chosen for business by United Nations? 12. One of the main sources for the spreading of news and events throughout the world is the newspaper. The
purpose of newspapers is to inform the public of political, social, economic and entertainment happenings, among other things. Generally, there are three types of newspaper: daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, and special newspapers. Daily newspapers have at least one edition every weekday. Most dailies also have a weekend edition. Daily newspapers often have sections for news, sports, arts and entertainment, business, and classified advertising. Weekly newspapers are printed once a week and cover news of interest to readers in a smaller area than that of a daily paper. They focus on local happenings rather than national or international events. 1- What is the purpose of newspaper? 2- How many types of newspapers are there?

3- How many editions do daily newspapers have every weekday? 4- What do daily newspapers often have sections for? 5- How often are weekly newspapers printed? 6- What do weekly newspapers focus on? 13. Environmental pollution is one of the most serious problems of mankind today. Air, water and soil are necessary to all living things. Man operates machines and vehicles that fill the air with noise. They also dirty the air with gases and smoke. Badly polluted air can cause illness and even death. Man destroys natural beauty by littering garbage on the land and in the water. They poison the water with chemicals and other waste materials. Polluted water kills fish and other marine life. They damage the soil with too many fertilizers and pesticides. Pollution of soil reduces the amount of land that is available for growing food. Environmental pollution also brings ugliness to mans naturally beautiful world. Governments should pass laws that require people and factory owners to stop certain polluting activities. 1- What is mankinds most serious problem nowadays? 2- According to the writer, who makes the earth dirty? 3- Why do fish and other marine life die? 4- Is it good using a lot of fertilizers and pesticides? 5- Does pollution of soil reduce the amount of land that is good for growing? 6- What should governments do about this problem?