Reading Comprehension Test

Read the following texts very carefully and then choose the best answer.

(20 X 0,1 = 2.0 points)

TEXT I

Daniel Dias is a famous Paralympic athlete. He was born in Brazil in 1988 with no
hands and no feet. But he showed at a young age that he was talented and
determined. He took up swimming in his teens and mastered all the main swimming
strokes within two months. He achieved his dream of competing in the Paralympics and
was one of the leading medal winners at the Beijing Games in 2008. He won four gold
medals, four silver, and one bronze. Dias’ achievements make him an inspiration to
disabled and able-bodied young people alike. The success of Paralympic athletes like
Dias on an international stage is due in part to Dr. Ludwig Guttmann.
In the 1940s, just after the Second World War, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann had a dream that
changed the aspirations of disabled people forever. A lot of the patients at his hospital
were soldiers who were hurt during the Second World War. At that time, people often
used to feel ashamed of their disabilities, and they used to hide them away. It used to
be almost impossible for disabled people to live ordinary lives and join in with sporting
activities. Dr. Guttmann’s dream was to create a competition for disabled people, to
give them the chance to show to their talents to the world.
The first “International Wheelchair Games”’ took place in 1948 in Stoke Mandeville, UK.
There were only a small number of participants. By 1960, the games were a major
international event and 23 countries took part. By 1988, the Paralympic Games were a
regular and popular feature of the sporting calendar, and for the first time in that year
they were held just after the main Olympic Games, and in the same city, Seoul.
There are now both Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, held in the same year and
the same place as the regular Olympic Games. The events draw huge crowds of
disabled and able-bodied spectators. Wheelchair basketball is especially popular, not
because it features people who can’t walk, but because it is simply a very exciting
spectacle.
However, some Paralympic athletes see the existence of separate “disabled” events as
a form of discrimination. In fact some, like the South African runner Oscar Pistorius,
feel that true equality will only come when they can compete against able-bodied
competitors in the main Olympic Games.

1. Daniel Dias …
A started swimming when he was very young.
B found it very difficult to learn to swim.
C learned to swim very quickly.
D always wanted to be an Olympic swimmer.
E became disabled after an accident.

2. A lot of the patients at Dr. Guttmann’s hospital …

A didn’t want to fight in the Second World War.
B were very keen to do sport.

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 C didn’t feel ashamed of their disabilities.
D fought in the Second World War.
E were able to live normal lives.

3. In 1988 the Paralympic Games …

A were held at the same time as the Olympic Games.
B were held before the Olympic Games.
C were held in the same place as the Olympic Games.
D were as popular as the Olympic Games.
E had only a small number of participants.

4. Wheelchair basketball …
A is very popular with disabled athletes.
B is exciting for everyone to watch.
C is exciting because the people who play it can’t walk.
D is a very simple game.
E is especially exciting to watch if you are disabled.

5. Some disabled athletes …

A think they can never win against able-bodied athletes.
B think they don’t have a fair chance of winning at the Paralympic Games.
C believe there should be more events for them.
D think it’s wrong that there is a separate competition for them.
E think it isn’t fair if they have to compete against able-bodied athletes.

TEXT II

Every year catastrophic natural disasters happen around the world. But there are also
man-made disasters, and these can be just as deadly. In April 2010, the Deepwater
Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico while a large number of people were
working on it. Fortunately, the majority of these people were rescued, but eleven
people died in the disaster. Nearly five million barrels of oil spilled into the sea. It was
the largest US oil spill in history.
As soon as the disaster occurred, a huge clean-up operation began. Engineers worked
around the clock to stop more oil from spilling into the sea. Local volunteers worked
with emergency services on the shore to try to prevent the oil drifting onto beaches.
Later, scientists used chemicals to break up the large mass of oil.
Scientists say that it will take years or even decades to know the long-term effects on
sea life in the Gulf, and we don’t know how long it will take for things to get back to
normal. This is because the ecosystem is very complex. It is also difficult to get
accurate information on what is happening far out at sea. Nevertheless, new studies
show that the environmental impact on dolphins and other marine wildlife may be
eventually worse than feared.
The effects on human life are easier to measure. People involved in the fishing industry
have perhaps suffered the most. Local fishermen were worried that there wouldn’t be
any fish for them to catch. They also thought that customers would not want to risk
eating seafood that might be contaminated with chemicals. Many people who work in
the tourist industry have also lost their livelihoods as thousands of tourists have chosen
to go elsewhere for their vacations. And, because this was a man-made disaster,
people’s concerns soon turned to anger towards the company responsible for the oil
rig. Thousands of people are currently suing the oil company for compensation.
Experts say it could take 20 years and billions of dollars to settle all the claims.

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 6. Man-made disasters …
A can have the same harmful effects as natural disasters.
B happen more often than natural disasters.
C don’t happen as often as natural disasters.
D are worse than natural disasters.
E aren’t usually as bad as natural disasters.

7. When the oil rig exploded …

A oil was already spilling into the sea.
B the rescue efforts failed.
C most of the people on the rig survived.
D there were no survivors.
E people thought that it was a natural disaster.

8. When the disaster happened …

A the clean-up operation did not start soon enough.
B scientists immediately started using chemicals on the oil.
C people took action immediately to prevent damage to the environment.
D a lot of oil drifted onto beaches.
E engineers tried to stop the oil from reaching the shore.

9. New studies show that …

A the effects on marine life are not as bad as predicted.
B people were able to predict what the environmental effects would be.
C we will soon know the long-term effects on sea life.
D the ecosystem is very complicated.
E the environmental impact of sea life might be worse than originally thought.

10. Local fishermen feared that …

A dolphins would be killed.
B they would suffer most.
C their customers would get sick.
D they would have to get a different job.
E they wouldn’t be able to fish.

11. Many Tourists …

A still visit the area.
B are unable to visit the area.
C are angry that they cannot visit the area.
D have stopped visiting the area.
E want to return to the area.

TEXT III

Many teenagers are interested in keeping fit. But how much exercise should they do?
Some recent studies show that too much exercise can be just as bad for teenagers as
too little.
Dr. Adam Erdmann, an expert on exercise, says “Competitive team sports such as
baseball or basketball are great for teenagers – they’re fun, and they help young
people learn teamwork. But some kids take their sport very seriously. If they play for
their district or state, they could be involved in training for more than 20 hours a week.
That’s too much.” Physically, teenagers are still growing, so they are more likely than

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adults to suffer from injuries like pulling muscles or breaking bones. Dr. Erdmann thinks
that coaches should limit the amount of time they expect teenagers to spend on
repetitive exercises like pitching a baseball or trying to improve their tennis shots.
Psychologically, expecting kids to train for too long can cause to them lose interest in
sport altogether. If it becomes a chore, they may start to feel stressed about it, and
then they won’t want to do it anymore.
Another growing trend is teenagers joining their local gym, which must be good news.
Regular exercise is a great way to keep fit and stay in shape. But as with any form of
exercise, it’s important to keep things in balance. Gina Rossi, a gym owner from New
York, says, “I see some young girls spending hours on the exercise machines. When I
talk to them, they always say they want to lose weight quickly, but most of them aren’t
overweight.” Teenage boys are also joining gyms in increasing numbers. Gina says,
“Some boys spend hours working out and lifting weights, because they want to get
bigger muscles and a flat stomach.” No one wants to discourage teenagers from going
to the gym, but for a small number of young people the desire for a healthy lifestyle can
become an obsession with body image.
Most teenagers and health experts would agree that the most important thing overall is
for young people to have a healthy attitude towards exercise, and to do it because they
enjoy it. Then they are more likely to have a healthy lifestyle throughout their life.

12. Recent studies have shown that …

A most teenagers do too little exercise.
B some teenagers are encouraged to do too much exercise.
C parents and teachers don’t provide enough encouragement for teenagers.
D doing too much exercise is worse than doing too little.
E there are problems associated with doing too much or too little exercise.

13. Dr. Erdmann says that …

A baseball and basketball are not much fun for teenagers.
B some kids are spending too much time doing baseball or basketball training.
C it’s very important to train if you play baseball or basketball.
D kids who play baseball or basketball should train for at least 20 hours a week.
E competitive sports are not good for kids.

14. According to Dr. Erdmann, …

A exercising too much can cause physical and psychological problems.
B teenagers should focus on improving their skills.
C teenagers shouldn’t do repetitive exercises.
D it’s good for teenagers to do exercise when they’re feeling stressed.
E teenagers often lose interest in sport if they get an injury.

15. Some gym owners …

A want to encourage more teenagers to join their gyms.
B think that some teenagers are doing exercise for the wrong reasons.
C are worried that some teenagers have no interest in doing exercise.
D don’t allow teenage members in their gyms.
E think that most of their teenage members need to lose weight.

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 16. Teenage boys …
A are becoming less interested in joining gyms.
B join gyms because they want to lose weight.
C don’t spend enough time working out.
D work out to change their body shape.
E are less likely than girls to suffer injuries.

17. Experts agree that the most important thing for teenagers is …
A to change their lifestyle.
B to become more healthy.
C to start doing exercise early in life.
D to do more exercise.
E to enjoy doing exercise.

From: Achieve 2nd edition Level 1Reading worksheet unit 1, 2 and 3 EDITABLE
Oxford University Press 2014

TEXT IV

18. Why does Calvin decide to give Moe some money?

A Calvin feels sorry for Moe because he has a monosyllabic vocabulary
B  Moe convinces Calvin using persuasive arguments.
C Calvin suddenly remembers he has some coins in his pocket.
D Moe threatens to beat Calvin.
E Calvin remembers he owes Moe some money.

Adapted from: http://www.englishact.com.br/2016/06/interpretacao-tirinha-calvin-em-

ingles.html

TEXT V

A wave of anger is sweeping the cities of the world.

The protests have many different origins. In Brazil people rose up against bus fares, in
Turkey against a building project. Indonesians have rejected higher fuel prices. In the
euro zone they march against austerity, and the Arab spring has become a perma-
protest against pretty much everything.

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Yet just as in 1848, 1968 and 1989, when people also found a collective voice, the
demonstrators have much in common. In one country after another, protesters have
risen up with bewildering speed. They tend to be ordinary, middle-class people, not
lobbies with lists of demands. Their mix of revelry and rage condemns the corruption,
inefficiency and arrogance of the folk in charge.
Nobody can know how 2013 will change the world – if at all. In 1989 the Soviet empire
teetered and fell. But Marx’s belief that 1848 was the first wave of a proletarian
revolution was confounded by decades of flourishing capitalism and 1968 did more to
change sex than politics. Even now, though, the inchoate significance of 2013 is
discernible. And for politicians who want to peddle the same old stuff, news is not good.
The Economist, June 29, 2013. (adapted)

19. In comparing the protests that took place in 2013 to previous political movements,
the text states that:
A these protests seldom express collective demands.
B Marx’s predictions have come true, even after 1848.
C the protests of 1848 brought about significant political changes.
D we still don’t know if the 2013 protests will change the world
changes in social customs have been the main consequence of the previous political
movements mentioned in the text

20. According to the text, the protests of 2013

A have died down due to a lack of organization.
B question the actions of different lobbies in the demands of different social classes
C fight corruption and other inadequate practices of politicians.
D have clear economic reasons.
E have few aspects in common.
Adapted from: https://rachacuca.com.br/educacao/vestibular/tags/ingles/