Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the

correct answer to each of the questions.

Passage 1:
In northeast India, there is a war being fought. However, it is not a war between countries or
groups of people. It is a war between animal and man. Assam, India is covered in rainforests which are
home to a wide range of wild animals. There are rare monkeys, deer, tigers, and a large number of
elephants. Assam had few people in the past, which meant that the animals were left alone in the forest.
Nowadays, the population of subsistence farmers is increasingly rapidly. These farmers have to make new
farm fields just to feed their families. When they begin cutting down the forests, conflict erupts.
In January 2008, villagers in Assam woke up in the middle of the night to a horrible vision. An
enormous group of elephants suddenly attacked their village destroying crops and over 100 houses. They
also killed an elderly man who was asleep at the time. No one would dream of such an attack in the past,
but they are becoming much more common. In Assam alone, hundreds of people and hundreds of
endangered elephants have died in this conflict. The government of India cannot find an easy solution to
the problem, so villagers continue to take the law into their own hands. They use poisons, traps, and
electrical fences to protect their farmland and kill the elephants. The elephants gather together and fight
back.
This problem is occurring not just in India. In poor nations such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and
Kenya, this same cycle of violence takes place. Rather than hunters, the real threat to large animals like
the elephant is farmers. When desperately poor farmers lose their crops to the elephants, it is a disaster for
their entire family. With the number of people in the world increasing so fast, is there any space left for
creatures like the elephant, or will they disappear from the wild forever?
1. Where did the incident take place?
A. In Bangladesh B. In Sri Lanka C. In India D. In Kenya
2. Which animals are there in Assam?
A. Deer, elephants, monkeys, and tigers. B. Reindeer, elephants, monkeys, and tigers.
C. Deer, elephants, monkeys, and lions. D. Bears, elephants, monkeys, and tigers.
3. The word “erupts” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _________.
A. increases B. decreases C. breaks in D. breaks out
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the incident in January 2008?
A. The elephants destroyed crops and houses.
B. The elephants took the farmers’ possessions away.
C. The elephants killed a sleeping person.
D. The elephants attacked the villagers at night.
5. The word “entire” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to __________.
A. tired B. tiring C. whole D. partial

Passage 2:
Contrary to popular belief, one does not have to be a trained programmer to work online. Of
course, there are plenty of jobs available for people with high-tech computer skills, but the growth of new
media has opened up a wide range of Internet career opportunities requiring only a minimal level of
technical expertise.
To specify the job description of a webmaster, one needs to identify the hardware and software
that the website the webmaster will manage is running on. Different types of hardware and software
require different skill sets to manage them. Another key factor is whether the website will be running
internally (at the firm itself) or externally (renting shared space on the company servers). Finally, the
responsibilities of a webmaster also depend on whether he or she will be working independently, or
whether the firm will provide people to help. All of these factors need to be considered before one can
create an accurate webmaster job description.
Webmaster is one type of Internet career requiring in-depth knowledge of the latest computer
applications.
Additionally, many of today’s Internet careers are becoming paid-by-the-job professions. With
many companies having to downsize in tough economic items, the outsourcing and contracting of
freelance workers online has become common business practice. The Internet provides an infinite pool of
buyers from around the world with whom freelancers are able to work on projects with companies outside
their own country of residence.
How much can a person make in these kinds of career? As with many questions related to today’s
evolving technology, there is no simple answer. There are many companies willing to pay people with
technical Internet skills salaries well above $70,000 a year.
1. The word “identify” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _____.
A. name B. estimate C. discount D. encounter
2. The word “them” in paragraph 2 refers to _____.
A. companies B. new job opportunities C. hardware and software D. webmasters
3. According to the passage, which of the following is true of webmasters?
A. They never work independently.
B. They require a minimal level of expertise.
C. The duties they perform depend on the organization they work for.
D. They do not support software products.
4. According to the passage, all of the following are true EXCEPT _____.
A. There are online job available for workers with minimal computer skills.
B. Online workers cannot free themselves from the office.
C. Webmasters must have knowledge of the latest computer applications.
D. “New media” is not easy to define.
5. What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To inform people about employment related to the Internet.
B. To inform people about the computer industry.
C. To inform people about the tasks and role of a webmaster.
D. To explain why webmasters make a lot of money.

Passage 3:
Choosing a career may be one of the hardest jobs you ever have, and it must be done with care.
Work influences virtually every aspect of your life, from your choice of friends to where you live. Here
are just a few of the factors to consider.
Deciding what matters most to you is essential to making the right decision. You may want to
begin by assessing your likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses. Think about the classes, hobbies, and
surroundings that you find most appealing. Ask yourself questions, such as “Would you like to travel? Do
you want to work with children? Are you more suited to solitary or cooperative work?” There are no right
or wrong answers; only you know what is important to you. Determine which job features you require,
which ones you would prefer, and which ones you cannot accept. Then rank them in order of importance
to you.
The setting of the job is one factor to take into account. Geographical location may be a concern,
and employment in some fields is concentrated in certain regions. Advertising job can generally be found
only in large cities. On the other hand, many industries such as hospitality, law education, and retail sales
are found in all regions of the country. If a high salary is important to you, do not judge a career by its
starting wages. Many jobs, such as insurance sales, offers relatively low starting salaries; however, pay
substantially increases along with your experience, additional training, promotions and commission.
Don’t rule out any occupation without learning more about it. Remember that many jobs are not
what they appear to be at first, and may have merits or demerits that are less obvious. Flight attendants
must work long, grueling hours without sleeps, whereas plumbers can be as highly paid as some doctors.
Another point to consider is that as you mature, you will likely develop new interests and skills
that may point the way to new opportunities. The choice you make today need not be your final one.
1. The author states that “There are no right or wrong answers” in order to ______
A. indicate that the answers are not really important.
B. show that answering the questions is a long and difficult process.
C. emphasize that each person’s answers will be different.
D. indicate that each person’s answers may change over time.
2. The word “them” in paragraph 2 refers to ________.
A. answers B. questions C. features D. jobs
3. The word “assessing” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by _.......................
A. measuring B. disposing C. discovering D. considering
4. According to paragraph 3, which of the following fields is NOT suitable for a person who does not want
to live in a big city?
A. advertising B. retail sales C. law D. plumbing
5. In paragraph 5, the author suggests that ____________
A. you may want to change careers at some time in the future.
B. you will be at your job for a lifetime, so choose carefully.
C. as you get older, your career will probably less fulfilling.
D. you will probably jobless at some time in the future.

Passage 4:
You have learned about dinosaurs in school. Maybe you have seen them in museum. But how
much do you really know about these animals?
Not all dinosaurs were just big reptiles. For years, scientists thought dinosaurs were big, dumb, and
cold blooded - in other words, just giant reptiles. Some dinosaurs were huge. But many were about the
size of modern-day birds or dogs. Were dinosaurs warm- or cold blooded? Paleontologists are not sure.
But they believe some were intelligent. Of course, no dinosaur was as smart as a human or even a
monkey. However, some smaller dinosaurs - like the two-meter (six-foot) Troodon - had fairly large
brains.
Was Tyrannosaurus rex a powerful predator? Some scientists think the opposite is true. In the
movies, T.rex is often a speedy giant, but in fact, this dinosaur could not run very fast. Physically, it was
too large. In reality, T.rex probably moved as fast as an elephant. Also, T. rex had very small arms.
Without strong legs or arms, this dinosaur probably wasn't a powerful hunter. It may have been a
scavenger instead, only eating animals that were already dead.
Did an asteroid kill the dinosaurs? An asteroid hit Mexico's Yucantan Peninsula about 65 million
years ago. It created a 180-kilometer (110-mile) wide crater called Chicxulub. Many believe this asteroid
caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. But even before this, dinosaurs were already dying out around the
world, for many reasons. At the end of the Cretaceous period, for example, the global climate was
changing our Earth's temperature was getting colder.
Dinosaurs completely disappeared about 65 million years ago. However, scientists believe
modern-day birds are descendants of certain dinosaurs. If this true, then dinosaurs' relatives are still
walking - and flying - among us!
1. The best title for this reading could be ____.
A. What Really killed the Dinosaurs C. Dinosaurs Discovered in Mexico
B. The Facts and Fiction about Dinosaurs D. Our Favorite Dinosaurs
2. Which statement about the Troodon is probably true according to the passage?
A. It was as smarter as a monkey. C. It was warm-blooded.
B. It was a huge animal. D. It was quite intelligent.
3. Some paleontologists think T.rex was scavenger (paragraph 3). What does this mean?
A. It had small arms. B. It was similar to an elephant.
C. It was a powerful killer. D. It ate animals that were already dead.
4. According to the passage, at the end of the Cretaceous period ____.
A. some dinosaurs started to fly B. the Earth's temperature was changing
C. humans appeared on Earth D. dinosaur numbers were increasing in Mexico
5. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A. Dinosaurs were giant reptile and powerful predators.
B. Dinosaurs were probably intelligent but less smart than monkey.
C. Dinosaurs may have become extinct due to global climate changes.
D. Dinosaurs may have become extinct after an asteroid collided with the earth

Passage 5:
The word "robot" first appeared in a 1921 stage play by Czech writer Karel Capek. In the play, a
man makes a machine that can think, which he calls a robot and which ends up killing its owner. In the
1940s, the American science fiction writer, Isaac Asimov, wrote a series of stories about robots and
invented the term 'robotics', the science of robots. Meanwhile, in the real world, the first robots were
developed by an engineer, Joseph F. Engelberger, and an inventor, George C. Devol. Together they started
Unimation, a manufacturing company that produced the first real robot in 1961, called the Unimate.
Robots of this type were installed at a General Motors automobile plant and proved to be a success. They
worked reliably and saved money for General Motors, so other companies were soon acquiring robots as
well.
These industrial robots were nothing like the terrifying creatures that can often be seen in science
fiction films. In fact, these robots looked and behaved nothing like humans. They were simply pieces of
computer-controlled machines, with metal "arms" or "hands". Since they were made of metal, they could
perform certain jobs that were difficult or dangerous for humans, particularly jobs that involve high heat.
And since robots were tireless and never got hungry, sleepy, or distracted, they were useful for tasks that
would be tiring or boring for humans. Industrial robots have been improved over the years, and today they
are used in many factories around the world. Though the use of robots has meant the loss of some jobs, at
the same time other jobs have been created in the design, development, and production of the robots.
1. When did the word robot appear?
A. before the 1920s B. in the early 1920s C. in the mid-1920s D. in the late 1920s
2. Which of these statements is TRUE about Karel Capek?
A. He was famous American playwright.
B. He was the first to create the word "robot”.
C. He invented a machine that can think like humans.
D. He made a robot kill a person.
3. What does the word they in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. terrifying creatures B. humans C. science fiction films D. industrial robots
4. What are industrial robots like?
A. They are computer-controlled machines. B. They are built with metal arms and legs.
C. They behave like humans. D. They can think like humans.
5. Which of the following best paraphrases the sentence in bold in the first paragraph?
A. Because they were reliable and economical to General Motors, other companies started to use robots.
B. Other companies started to produce reliable and efficient robots for General Motors.
C. Every other company made use of robots because they were time-consuming and safe.
D. Robots worked well for General Motors, but caused certain trouble to others.

Passage 6:
Telecommuting is some form of computer communication between employees' homes and offices.
For employees whose job involve sitting at a terminal or word processor entering data or typing reports,
the location of the computer is of no consequence. If the machine can communicate over telephone lines,
when the work is completed, employees can dial the office computer and transmit the material to their
employers. A recent survey in USA Today estimates that there are approximately 8.7 million
telecommuters. But although the numbers are rising annually, the trend does not appear to be as
significant as predicted when Business Week published "The Portable Executive" as its cover story a few
years ago. Why hasn't telecommuting become more popular? 
Clearly, change simply takes time. But in addition, there has been active resistance on the part of
many managers. These executives claim that supervising the telecommuters in a large work force scattered
across the country would be too difficult, or at least systems for managing them are not yet developed,
thereby complicating the manager's responsibilities. 
It is also true that employees who are given the option of telecommuting are reluctant to accept the
opportunity. Most people feel that they need regular interaction with a group, and many are concerned that
they will not have the same consideration for advancement if they are not more visible in the office
setting. Some people feel that even when a space in their homes is set aside as a work area, they never
really get away from the office.
1. With which of the following topics is the passage primarily concerned? 
A. An overview of telecommuting B. The failure of telecommuting 
C. The advantages of telecommuting D. A definition of telecommuting
2. How many Americans are involved in telecommuting? 
A. More than predicted in Business Week B. More than 8 million
C. Fewer than last year D. Fewer than estimated in USA Today 
3. The phase “of no consequence” means ____.
A. of no use B. irrelevant C. of no good D. unimportant
4. The word “them” in the second paragraph relent to ____.
A. telecommuter B. systems C. executives D. responsibilities
5. The reason why telecommuting has not become popular is that the employees ____.
A. need regular interaction with their families.
B. are worried about the promotion if they are not seen at the office.
C. feel that a work area in their home is away from the office.
D. are ignorant of telecommuting.

Passage 7:
Tropical forests are located in some 70 countries, but about 80 percent are in Bolivia, Brazil,
Colombia, Gabon, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, Venezuela, and Zaire. The rain forests are home to nearly
half species of all the plants, animals, and insects in the world. According to notes from the World
Wildlife Fund, more species of fish live in the Amazon River than in the entire Atlantic Ocean.
Tropical plants produce chocolate, nuts, tannins, fruits, gums, coffee, waxes, wood and wood
products, rubber and petroleum substitutes, and ingredients found in toothpaste, pesticides, fibers, and
dyes.
In addition, several medical wonders of the twentieth century have come from plants found only in
rain forests. These plants have been used to treat high blood pressure, Hodgkin's disease, multiple
sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. The tiny periwinkle flower from the rain forest in Madagascar, for
example, is key to a drug that has been successfully used to treat lymphocytic leukemia. And rain forests
may hold the answer to treatment for several types of cancer. A study of the Costa Rican rain forest found
that 15 percent of the plants studied had potential as anti-cancer agents. 
“We are destroying the biological heritage that developed over billions of years and doing it in the
matter of a few human generations,” says Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University. “Our descendants, if any,
will be very much the poorer for it.”
1. What percentage of tropical forests are located in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Gabon, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Peru, Venezuela, and Zaire?
A. 70% B. 80% C. 50% D. 15%
2. Rain forests are home to nearly species of all the plants, animals, and insects in the world.
A. half B. one-third C. one-quarter D. two-thirds
3. The periwinkle flower from the rain forest in Madagascar could be used to treat .
A. high blood pressure B. Parkinson's disease
C. cancer D. lymphocytic leukemia
4. Which of the following statements is true?
A. More species of fish live in the Amazon River than in the entire Atlantic Ocean.
B. A study of Costa Rican rain forest found that 75 percent of the plants there were potential anti-cancer agents.
C. Tropical plants produce chocolate, nuts, gums, coffee, and paper.
D. The plants found in rain forests can be used to treat Hodgkin's disease, multiple sclerosis and cataract.
5. The inference we can draw from Ehrlich's quote is .
A. paradise lost: the ravaged rain forest B. rain forest: a cure-all
C. heritage in rain forest: doomed to exploitation D. rain forests: the best location