2.
The following statement is TRUE according to the 2 nd
Floods are second only to fire as the most
common of all natural disasters. They occur almost
everywhere in the world, resulting in widespread
damage and even death. Conse-quently, scientists have
long tried to perfect their ability to predict floods. So far,
the best that scientists can do is to recognize the po-
tential for flooding in certain conditions. There are a
number of conditions, from deep snow on the ground to
human error, that cause flooding.
When deep snow melts, it creates a large amount
of water. Although deep snow alone rarely causes
floods, when it occurs together with heavy rain and
sudden warmer weather, it can lead to serious flooding.
If there is a fast snow melt on top of frozen or very wet
ground, flooding is more likely to occur than when the
ground is not frozen. Frozen ground or ground that is
very wet and already saturated with water cannot absorb
the additional water created by melting snow. Melting
snow also contributes to high water levels in rivers and
streams. Whenever rivers are already at their full
capacity of water, heavy rains will result inthe rivers
overflow-ing and flooding the surrounding land.
Rivers that are covered in ice can also to
flooding. When ice begins to melt, the surface of the ice
cracks and breaks into large pieces. These pieces of ice
move and float down the river. They can form a dam in
the river, causing the water behind the dam to rise and
flood the land upstream. If the dam breaks suddenly,
then the large amount of water held behind the dam can
flood the ar-eas downstream too.
Broken ice dams are not the only dam problems
that can cause flooding. When a large human-made dam
breaks or fails to hold the water collected behind it, the
results can be devastating. Dams contain such huge
amounts of water behind them that when sudden breaks
occur, the destructive force of the water is like a great
tidal wave. Unleashed dam waters can travel tens of
kilometers, cover the ground in meters of mud and
debris, and drown and crush every thing and creature in
their path.
Although scientists cannot always predict
exactly when floods will occur, the do know a great deal
about when floods are likely, or probably, going to
occur. Deep snow, ice covered rivers, and weak dams
are all strong conditions for potential flooding.
Hopefully, this knowledge of why floods happen can
help us reduce the damage they cause.
1. The best title of the passage is ....
A. The Most Common Natural Disaster
B. Potential Circumstances for Flooding
C. Scientists' Ability to Predict Floods
D. Damages Caused by Flood
E. Pervention of Potential Flooding
paragraph ....
A. Flooding accurs when melting snow makes the
level of a river rise.
B. Melting deep snow together with heavy rain
rarely cause flooding
C. Melting snow causes pieces of ice to block the
river, which causes flooding.
D. Pieces of ice move and float down the river,
makeing the water too cold
E. Ground saturated by water will easily absorb
melting snow.
3. The word "debris" in paragraph 4 is closest in
meaning to ....
A. residue D. leavings
B. leftovers E. garbage
C. wreckage
4. It can be concluded from the text that the scientists . . .
A. have come very close to knowing when floods
will occur
B. are required to provide some help when flooding
occurs
C. believe that flooding is the most common
natural disaster
D. have sufficient knowledge to recofnize potential
flooding conditions
E. are trying to reduce damage caused by floods
conditions
5. The purpose of the writer is ....
A. to criticize the scientists
B. to ask for actions to help flooding vic-tims
C. to inform the readers on how to stop flooding
D. to clarify the impacts of flooding
E. to explain the conditions that can cause flooding
Research has found that people sleep better at
different times during their daily cycle. For example,
some people Function better if they go to sleep early and
rise early, ....6.... other feel more rested if they stay up
late and sleep in. Many people don't pay atten-tion to the
....7.... of their sleep. Yet delay-ing or ....8.... the time
you go to sleep can have a major impact on how you feel
when you wake up. The ....9.... of sleep the aver-age
adult needs each night also varies. Some people may he
fine with six hours sleep, while others need up to nine
hours per night. A scientist points out that those who
follow a ....10.... sleep schedule are more apt to fun-citon
better on fewer hours, but seh adds that most adults need
at least six hours of sleep each night.
6. ....
A. when D. so that
B. although E. while
C. since
7. ....
A. timing D. Habit
B. way E. Regularly
C. effects
8. ....
A. alter D. alteration
B. altered E. alternative
C. altering
9. ....
A. number D. whole
B. total E. amount
C. sum
10. ....
A. regular D. regularity
B. regulator E. regulation
C. regularly
The green movement is catching on in many
pockets of the world. This is especially true in the
construction industry. Today’s buzz words, which include
global warming and zero emission, are causing everyday
people to look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint .
Purchasing environmentally-friendly property is a good
investment for those who are concerned about their own
health and the well being of the earth. Based on this
trend, entire districts known as eco-communities. Its
goal is to become the world’s first zero-emissions
neighborhood.
Builders of Dockside Green have the environment in
mind with every choice they make. They ensure proper
ventilation, and guarantee residents 100% fresh indoor
air. Interior and exterior building materials, sucj as
paints and wood, are natural and non-toxic. Eco-
conscious buiders use bamboo wherever possible
because it is durable and does not require pesticides to
grow.
Energy efficiency is one of the top priorities in eco-
communities, such as Docjside Green. Not only do
energy-efficient appliances and light fixtures reduce the
environmental impact of heating and hot water, they also
save residents and business owners money. Dockside
green claims that home owners will use 55% less energy
than average residents in Canada. Though they are
sharing space by investing in condo-style living,
residents will have individual utility metres. Studies
show that people use approximately 20% less energy
when they are billed for exactly what they use. In
addition, water is treated at Dockside Green and reused
on site for flushing toilets.
Planners pf eco-communities such as Dockside
Green must take the future into account. Dockside Green
will reuse 90% of its construction waste. They also plan
to continue using local suppliers for all of their transport
and maintenance needs. This is a great way to reduce
emissions. Dockside residents will be encourage to make
use of a mini transit system and buy into the
community’s car share program. Finally, plans are in the
works for a high-tech heating system that will use
renewable biomass instead of fossil fuels.
11. By saying “Today’s buzz words, which include
global warming and zero emissions, are causing
everyday people to look for ways to reduce their carbon
footprint.” The author implies that . . .
A. environmental issues have made people more
cautious of their actions.
B. Global warming and zero emissions become
everyone’s concern
C. People have to take care of their greenhouses
carefully
D. Eco-friendly environmental programs should be
strongly enforced
E. All people around the world are aware of global
warming
12. which of the following best restate the sentence “The
green movement is catching on in many pockects of the
world” ?
A. Many people consider it crucial to have eco-
friendly environments.
B. People who are aware of environmental issues
love safe and healthy surroundings.
C. House designers should consider the importance
of green materials
D. Everyone should understand the effect of global
warming and zero emissions well
E. Environmentalists are cncerned with the green
environment.
13. the false idea that the author may hold about
Dockside Green is that . . .
A. It provides all eco-friendly properties.
B. It is a good asset to buy a property in it.
C. It is encourages all houses to utilize efficient
energy.
D. It reduces global warming and emissions
E. It is where more natural livings can exist.
14. the author organizes the ideas in the passage by . . .
A. Describing a new housing trend and providing a detailed
example
B. Discussing an environmental issues and providing ways
to solve the issue
C. Identifying a community problem and discussing
possible solutions to the problem
D. Explaining an environmentally friendly initiative and
discussing the impacts of the initiative
E. Establishing a new community initiative that is eco-
friendly and explaining the ideas behind the initiative.
 More than one-third of foreign students graduating
from Australian universities, mainly Asians. Have such
poor English skills they should never have been
admitted, research showed. A study by demographer
Bob Birrell found that more than 50 percent of South
Korean and Thai students did not have sufficient English
to work professionally in Australia, along with more
than 43 percent of Chinese graduates. Some 17 percent
of students from Singapore and India, where English is
more widely spoken,a lso failed to reach the required
level. Overall, 34 percent of the graduating foreign
students offered permanent residence visas in 2006 did
not have competent English.
Birell of Melbourne’s Monash University, said
almost all the 12,000 graduates testes for the survey
were from Asia because these students are the most
likely to apply fr permanent residency on completing
their studies. However, he said that he believed the study
to be representative of all foreign students, partly
because Asia was a major source of fee-paying overseas
students for Australian Universities. ‘It does raise
question about university standards, ’ Birell told AFP.
Tertiary institutions are reliant on international students
because they provide 15 percent of funding,leading to
suggestions that academic standards are sacrificed in
favor of financial rewards.
Education Minister Julie Bishop described the
survey as “an extraordinary attack by Professor Birell on
our universities.” ‘International students must meet
international benchmark in language in order to get a
place in a university in Australia,’ she said. The study
found all graduates tested had enough command of the
language to cope in most situations. ‘But people who
have reached this standard are still not capable of
conducting a sophisticated discourse at the professional
level,’ it said.
In his report, Birell said there was a “mountain of
anecdotal material” that many overseas students struggle
to meet their course requirements and that universities
cope by lowering the English demands of the courses.
‘there is widening recognition of the English problem,’
he said. ‘But the universities were hesitant to make
students take exttra language courses because this would
make them more expensive and therefore less attractive
than rival institutions,’ he said. However, Professor
Gerrad Sutton, the president of the Australian Vice-
Chancellors Commitee, said most foreign students
would be proficient in reading, writing and listening to
English. ‘What I think has been highlighted is a
deficiency in spoken language told AFP, adding that a
deficiency in this area would not prevent them from
completing a university course.’
15. The respondents of the survey were ....
A. students entering Australian universities from
Asia
B. all foreign students graduating from Australian
universities
C. mostly Asian students who graduated from
Australian universities
D. foreign students at graduate programs in
Australian universities
E. Australian and foreign graduates of all
Australian universities
16. This passage is probably taken from ....
A. a demographic report for the Australian
Ministry of Education “
B. a handbook for foreign university students in
Australia
C. an article in the education column of a
newspaper
D. a brochure about tertiary education in Australia
E. a popular life-style magazine for young people
17. Which of the following statements is FALSE about
Asian students studying in Australian universities?
A. Most of these students do not meet the requirements
for Australian universities.
B. Students from Singapore and India are better in their
English that, those from China.
C. They pay the highest fees for their education
compared to other foreign students.
D. There is no problem for graduating foreign students
to get permanent resident visas.
E. Australian universities consider Asian students as
the major source of their income.
18. From the text we can infer that Australian
universities ....
A. are lowering their standards to get more foreign
students
B. are making it easier for Asian students to learn
English
C. are willing to provide English language courses
for students
D. are hesitant to admit students with insufficient
English skills
E. don’t require foreign students to take courses in
English
19. The minister of Education thinks that the report is an
attack on Australian universities because it ....
A. was made to undermine the position of the
Australian Minister of Education
B. could damage the good reputation of Australian
universities
C. aims at destroying the image of the universities
accepting foreign students
D. has been published without getting the approval
of the Ministry of Education
E. shows that Australian universities are not
successful in teaching English