UH 1 : DESCRIPTIVE TEXT (PLACES)

Read the texts carefully and then choose the right option to answer the questions!

Text 1
Niagara Falls, one of the most famous North American natural wonders, has long been a popular
tourist destination. Tourists today flock to see the two falls that constitute Niagara Falls: the 173-
foot-high Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side of the Niagara River in the Canadian province of
Ontario and the 182-foot-high American Falls on the U.S. side of the river in the state of New
York. Approximately 85 percent of the water that goes over the falls goes over Horseshoe Falls,
with the rest going over American Falls.
Most visitors come between April and October. One of the quite popular activities they do during
the visit is to take a steamer out onto the river and right up to the base of the falls for a close-up
view. It is also possible to get a spectacular view of the falls from the strategic locations along
the Niagara Falls, such as Prospect Point or Table Rock, or from one of the four observation
towers which have heights up to 500 feet. The visitors can also enjoy the picturesque Niagara
Falls from the parks surrounding them.
Tourists have been visiting Niagara Falls in large numbers since the 1800s; annual visitation now
averages above 10 million visitors per year. Because of concern that all these tourists would
inadvertently destroy the natural beauty of this scenic wonder, the state of New York in 1885
created Niagara Falls Park to protect the land surrounding American Falls. A year later Canada
created Queen Victoria Park on the Canadian side of the Niagara, around Horseshoe Falls. With
the area surrounding the falls under the jurisdiction of government agencies, appropriate steps
could be taken to preserve the pristine beauty of the area.

1. What is the major point that the author is making in the passage?
A. Niagara Falls has a lot of visitors annually.
B. Niagara Falls has had an interesting history.
C. A trip to the United States isn’t complete without a visit to Niagara Falls.
D. Niagara Falls can be viewed from either the American side or the Canadian side.
E. It has been necessary to protect Niagara Falls from the many tourists who go there.
Answer: E

2. According to the passage, which of the following best describes Niagara Falls?
A. American Falls is considerably higher than Horseshoe Falls.
B. Niagara’s beauty has been destroyed by the tourists coming every year.
C. Niagara Falls consists of two rivers, one Canadian and the other American.
D. The Niagara River has two falls, one in Canada and one in the United States.
E. Although Niagara River flows through the United States and Canada, the falls are only in
the United States.
Answer: D

3. According to the passage, why was Niagara Park created?

A. To show off the natural beauty of Niagara Falls
B. To force Canada to open Queen Victoria Park
C. To protect the beauty around Niagara Falls
D. To encourage tourists to visit Niagara Falls
E. To keep tourists out of Niagara Falls
Answer: C

4. The word “close-up” in the 2nd sentence most probably similar to ….

A. clear
B. precise
C. zoomed-in
D. wide-ranged
E. carefully-taken
Answer: C

5. The words “this scenic wonder” in the last paragraph refers to ….

A. Queen Victoria Park
B. Niagara Falls Park
C. Niagara Falls
D. American Falls
E. Horseshoe Falls
Answer: C

6. The word “pristine” in the last paragraph is similar to ….

A. overused
B. well-regulated
C. pure and natural
D. highly developed
E. extreme weather
Answer: C

7. The passage implies that tourists prefer to ….

A. visit Niagara Falls during the warmer weather
B. come to Niagara Falls for a winter vacation
C. see the falls from a great distance
D. take a ride over the falls
E. cruise under the falls
Answer: A
Questions 8-17

In the first half of the 19th century, the US government decided that it needed to set up a system
for protecting its coastline. It then began building a series of forts along the coast of the eastern
part of the country to facilitate its defenses.

The largest of this force was for Jefferson, which was begun in 1846. This fort was built on
Garden key, one of the cluster of small coral island 70 miles west of Key West. At the time of its
construction, Fort Jefferson was believed to be of primary strategy of importance to the United
States because of its location at the entryway to the gulf of Mexico. Because of its location at the
entrance to a great body of water; it became known as the Gibraltar of the gulf, in reference to
the island located at the mouth of the Mediterranean. The fort itself was a massive structure. It
was hexagonal line 10 in shape, with 8 foot thick walls, and was surrounded by a medieval-style
moat for added security. Covering most of the Garden Key, it line 11 was approximately half a mile
in circumference.

In the latter half of the 19th century, during the Civil War and its aftermath, the fort was used as a
prison rather than a military installation. The most materials of its prisoner was Dr.Samuel Matt,
a physician who is most probably innocently involved in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
The actual assassin, John Wilkes Booth, broke his leg as he lept from the stage of the Ford
Theatre during the assassination. Dr. Mudd set Booth’s broken leg, unaware of both involvement
in the assassination. As a result of this action, Dr. Mudd was sentenced to life in prison and
remanded to Fort Jefferson. He was pardoned after only four years because of his courageous his
efforts in combating an epidemic of yellow fever that ravaged the fort.

Continuous use of Fort Jefferson ended in the 1870s, although the U.S. Navy continued with
sporadic use of it into the 20th century. Today, the massive ruins still remain on the tiny island
that stands guard over the entrance to the gulf, undisturbed except for the occasional sightseer
who ventures from the coast to visit.

(Taken from: Preparation Course for TOEFL Test by Pearson)

8. The passage is mainly about …

A. a series of forts
B. a series of events at one fort
C. a single event at one fort
D. a series of events at several forts
E. Dr. John Wilkes Booth

9. All of the following are true about Fort Jefferson EXCEPT that…
A. is on an island
B. it was built because of its strategic location
C. it is in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico
D. it has been compared with an island at the opening of the Mediterranean
E. it is located in the entrance to a great body of water
10. The word “hexagonal” in line 10 is closest in meaning to …
A. five-sided
B. six-sided
C. seven-sided
D. eight-sided
E. irregular in shape

11. The pronoun “it” in line 11 refers to …

A. fort
B. shape
C. moat
D. circumference
E. coast

12. All the following are stated about Dr.Samuel Mudd EXCEPT that …
A. He was a medical doctor.
B. He cared for Lincoln’s assassin.
C. He was imprisoned at Fort Jefferson.
D. He was most likely guilty of Lincoln’s assassination.
E. He fought for cutting out the spread of yellow fever epidemic.

13. How was Fort Jefferson most likely used in 1865?

A. As a strategic defensive unit of the U.S military
B. As a penal institution
C. As a regularly functioning naval base
D. As a destination for tourist
E. As a natural conservation

14. “Yellow fever” in line 20 is most likely …

A. an military force
B. a prison regimen
C. a contagious desease
D. a mental illness
E. a secret code

15. What is implied about Fort Jefferson today?

A. It is a thriving community.
B. It is a relatively quiet place.
C. It is still in use by the U.S military.
D. It remains in good condition.
E. It is still functioned as a prison.

16. The information in the passage is presented …

A. In chronological order
B. By listing examples of a concept
C. A spatial order
 D. By arguing for a hypothesis
E. By contrasting some factual information

17. What is the main idea of paragraph 3?

A. The general information about the fort
B. The strategic location of the fort
C. The function of the fort as a prison
D. The remains of the fort at recent time
E. The history of the fort

Read the following text carefully.

One of the famous city in Italy is Venice. It gets its popularity because Venice is a rich and
interesting city. It has a lot of history documentations and offers a lot  of attractive things to
visitors.
Venice has been established over 2000 years ago when waves of barbarians drove people
out of their homes in various Roman cities. Around years 800-1100 AD, Venice underwent a
period of growth, and became more centralized. It gradually developed into a city state, which is
essentially a self-governed region of a country that trades freely among others.
As Venice gradually developed, it became a prominent player in the sea trade of the time. It
was set upon by many different threats. Pirates became the hugest problem. Fewer and fewer
shipments were making it through the treacherous water. It happened when the Republic of
Venice decided to move the operations to the eastern shores.
When we think of Venice, the first thing which comes to mind are canals. They are
considered the trademark of the city. Canals are mostly recognizable for providing the main form
of transportation throughout the city. Visiting Venice brings a rich aura of history and culture.
Floating through the canals for an afternoon makes for a memorable experience, and it’s one that
any traveller commonly enjoy.

18. The text mostly discusses about … .

A. the history of Venice
B. the story of Roman cities
C. the description of Venice
D. the canals in Venice
E. the origin of Venice

19. What did Venice firstly establish? When … .

A. pirates attacked the city and became the problem
B. Venice decided to become a republic and governed itself
C. the canals were surrounded the city and it was memorable
D. Venice opened for free trading place for all people
E. the barbarians kicked the people out from their homes

20. What is the purpose of the text?

A. To promote a new place in Italy
 B. To describe Venice as the famous city in Italy
C. To invite readers to visit Italy
D. To ask readers to come to Venice
E. To retell writer’s experience about Venice

21. “They are considered the trademark of the city.” What does the underlined word refer
to?
A. Venice people
B. Roman people
C. The barbarians
D. The canals
E. The city and the people

22. From the text, we know that … .

A. Venice is an attractive place for its beautiful canals and its history
B. Venice is a recent place for barbarians and pirates’ descendants
C. the history of Venice could entertain the visitors to come to the place
D. the Roman’s people are still inhabited in the place as the local people
E. the sea trade in Venice is still free and open for all of the countries

Change the verbs in the brackets by using the Simple Past or Past Perfect. Do not use capitals
and punctuations.

23. I was late. The teacher (give,already) had already given a quiz when (get) got to class.
24. The anthropologist (leave) left the village after she (collect) had collected enough data.
25. Class (begin,already) had already begun by the time I (get ) got there, so I (take, quietly)
quietly took seat in the back.