UTBK - Literasi Bahasa Inggris

Reading Comprehension Drill

Tes Evaluasi Reading Comprehension 2
1. Cheetah, (Acinonyx jubatus), one of the world’s most-famous cats, known especially for its
speed. Cheetahs’ sprints have been measured at a maximum of 114 km (71 miles) per hour,
and they routinely reach velocities of 80–100 km per hour while pursuing prey. Source:
britannica.com. The underlined word can also be replaced with ….
A. knowledgeable; educated, skilled, competent, proficient.
B. impressive; inspiring, remarkable, notable,
C. recognized; known, acknowledged
D. despised (the feeling of being worthless and intense disguise); hated, dislike
Ex: When I meet my crush, I despised myself for being emotionally clingy
E. being chased; being hunted

2. The cheetah has lived in association with humans … at least 3000 BCE, when the Sumerians
depicted a leashed cheetah with a hood on its head on an official seal. During this period …
Egypt, the cheetah was revered as a symbol … royalty in the form of the cat goddess Mafdet.
Source: britannica.com Fill in the blank with the appropriate prepositions.
A. for; on; of
B. since; on; of
C. since; in; to
D. since; in; of
E. for; in; to

Since; specific time

For; duration of time
In; city, country
On; street, avenues
To; biasanya diikuti bare infinitive (give, want, live verb 1 pokoknya)

3. Egypt has one of the largest and most complex pantheons of gods of any civilization in the
ancient world. Over the course of Egyptian history hundreds of gods and goddesses were
worshipped. The characteristics of individual gods could be hard to pin down. Source:
britannica.com. The underlined sentence should be replaced with ….
A. Egypt have one of the largest and most complex
Present simple; fact
B. Egypt will have one of the largest and most complex
Future simple; action that start in the future
C. Egypt had one of the largest and most complex
Past simple; action that started in the past
D. Egypt is having one of the largest and most complex
Present continuous; action that happen at moment of speaking
E. Egypt has had one of the largest and most complex
 Present perfect; action that started in the past and still continue in the present

4. Cassowaries are curious, and they do attack from time to time, but attacks on humans are …
rare. Even when it happens, those attacks that do occur overwhelmingly involve soliciting
food … people. One of the most recent incidents came in 2012, when a tourist in Queensland,
Australia, was kicked by a cassowary off a ledge and into a body of water … remained
unharmed. Source: britannica.com Fill in the blank with the appropriate choice.
A. relatively; by; but
B. relatively; from; but
C. quite; from; although
D. quite; to; although
E. extremely; from; but

This text is for number 5 and 6

Olympic swimmer Nick D'Arcy, 21, had pleaded guilty to a charge of recklessly inflicting
grievous bodily harm on Simon Cowley in a nightclub brawl last year and was sentenced in a
Sydney court today.

Prosecutors had asked the court to jail D'Arcy but his lawyers pleaded for a non-custodial
sentence, arguing that D'Arcy had already suffered enough by being excluded from the 2008
Beijing Olympics. The judge in charge of the case agreed and handed D'Arcy a suspended
sentence of 14 months and 12 days, telling the court he had "very good prospects of
rehabilitation."

Magistrate John Favretto said: "There is nothing to suggest that he present a continuing
danger to the community.”(1) Favretto accepted that D'Arcy had been provoked by Cowley
but said his response was excessive and intended to cause harm. He placed D'Arcy on a good
behaviour bond and ordered him to undergo an unique counselling for alcohol, stress and
anger management (2) Favretto said: "While there was only one punch, it must have been
with considerable force given the extent of the injury. Simon Cowley must’ve been hurted
badly."(3)

Outside the court, D'Arcy told reporters he regretted his actions and hoped Cowley would
eventually forgive him. He said: "It was a terrible situation, which I have apologised for, and
I deeply regret and I do hope one day he will can forgive me." (4) The decision means D'Arcy
may be free to represent Australia at this year's World Championships in Rome after he
qualified by winning the 200 metres butterfly at this month's national trials. “To hurt a fellow
sportsperson is the biggest mistake I have ever made,” (5) D’Arcy was quoted in the press
conference, “I must strive to be a better person, and I will not repeat such vile behavior.”
Source: insidethegames.biz (with modifications)
5. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The counselling program prescribed for D’Arcy is a common one.
B. Cowley had forgiven D’Arcy for his mistakes. (It is not mentioned)
C. D’Arcy wanted to undergo counselling on his own decision. (It’s not him, but his lawyer
begs to judge)
D. Cowley was hit repeatedly by D’Arcy in the nightclub. (Completely wrong, instead the
Cowley who was hitted)
 E. D’Arcy decided to become a better person on his own accord. (Accord means official
agreement. It tells at the last line of passage).

6. All but one of the underlined parts of the passage are grammatically incorrect. Which one is
grammatically correct?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4 I do hope one day, he will can forgive me => choose one modals verb
E. 5

7. There were two striking breakthroughs in recent times in the running world: Stephanie Davis,
a 30-year-old with a fulltime job in finance, running a personal record (PR) of 2:27:14 to win
the British Olympic Marathon Trials in London in March; and Beth Potter, a 29-year-old
Scottish triathlete, running 14:41 at the Podium 5K in Lancashire, U.K., a second quicker
than the previous world record.

Surprisingly, unlike most of their world-class rivals, Davis and Potter are not high-mileage
runners. Speaking to Runner’s World, Potter said she runs just 30 miles a week, while Davis
said her hard practice averaged 88K a week (54 miles) on the buildup to the Podium 5K.
Source: runnersworld.com (with modifications)
What can be inferred from the passage above?
A. The writer thinks that Davis’s and Potter’s victories were to be expected. (Not mentioned)
B. Stephanie Davis hardly practiced for the Podium 5K race. (5k race for Beth)
C. Beth Potter is way younger than Stephanie Davis. (Yes, but it’s not talking about age)
D. Stephanie Davis focuses all her effort and energy on racing. (Read this, Potter said she
runs just 30 miles a week. The word “just”, means not all with her effort)
E. Beth Potter finished the race slightly quicker than the previous record holder . (A second
quicker than previous record holder)

8. Skies brightened a lot in the afternoon yesterday (1). This Wednesday, we won’t be as lucky.
Wet weather will arrive and it will stick around through the evening. There’s a 75% chance of
rain, which can help the ongoing drought across the region (2). Thursday will end up being
the brightest, most pleasant day (3) with sunshine and seasonable temperatures. It will most
likely be sunny for the whole day (4). Clouds will overspread the area Thursday night. A
chilly rainfall is definitely coming on Friday evening, followed by a day-long thunderstorm
on Saturday (5). It looks like we will clear out in time for Mother’s Day on Sunday. Source:
nbcboston.com (with modifications)
Which of the underlined parts of the passage does not contain an adverb of place or time?
A. 1; in the afternoon yesterday
B. 2; across the region
C. 3
D. 4; the whole day
E. 5; on Saturday

9. 1. In 1969, Katharine Hepburn won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
 2. In the same year, Barbra Streisand also won the same award.
3. The reason for this tie is that the Academy couldn’t choose between them.
4. Hepburn won for the movie The Lion in Winter.
5. Streisand won for the movie Funny Girl.
6. Hepburn is really an impressive actress.
7. Streisand is also a really impressive actress.

Combine the sentences above into one perfect paragraph!

A. In 1969, both Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand won the Academy Award for Best
Actress, for the Academy couldn’t choose between them. Hepburn won for the movie The
Lion in Winter, while Streisand won for Funny Girl. They are both really impressive
actresses.
B. In 1969, Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand won the Academy Award for Best
Actress at the same time. This is because the Academy couldn’t choose between them.
Hepburn won for the movie The Lion in Winter, because Streisand won for Funny Girl. Both
of them are really impressive actresses.
C. In 1969, either Katharine Hepburn or Barbra Streisand won the Academy Award for Best
Actress, because the Academy couldn’t choose between them. Hepburn won for the movie
The Lion in Winter, while Streisand won for Funny Girl. They are both really impressive
actresses.
D. In 1969, Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand won the Academy Award for Best
Actress at the same time, since the Academy couldn’t choose between them. Hepburn and
Streisand won for the movies The Lion in Winter and Funny Girl. Both of them are really
impressive actresses.
E. In 1969, Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand won the Academy Award for Best
Actress at the same time, because the Academy couldn’t choose between them. Hepburn won
for the movie The Lion in Winter, so Streisand won for Funny Girl. They are both really
impressive actresses.

Konjungsi korelatif yang paling tepat ditunjukkan dengan opsi B yg menyatakan bahwa
kedua aktris yaitu Hepburn dan Barbara memenangkan Award sebagai artis terbaik diwaktu
yg sama dengan film yg berbeda. Sementara opsi lain tidak menyatakan hal tersebut. Opsi A
menyatakan tidak keduanya menjadi artis terbaik, opsi C menyatakan hanya salah satunya
saja, opsi D menyatakan kedua artis bermain di dua film yg berbeda di waktu yg sama. Atau,
opsi D yg menyatakan ‘so’ yg maksudnya maka. Jawaban paling lengkap adalah opsi B

10. …. If it happens to you one day, don’t despair. Even if you dropped your cell phone into the
sink, toilet, or bathtub, you may be able to save it. The most important thing you can do is act
fast. Take it out of the water as soon as possible. Then, turn it off, take out the battery, and
remove all accessories. Try to remove as much water from it as you can with either towels or
a vacuum cleaner. Focus on drying both the headphone jack and the charging port. Then, put
it in a bowl of instant rice or any other absorbent material for 48-72 hours before turning it
on. With a little luck and fast action, your cell phone may survive its brush with death.
Source: wikihow.com (with modifications)
Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. It is OK to put a wet cell phone in an absorbent material not designed for drying cell
phones.
 B. If you dropped your cell phone in water, you’d only have two to three days to save it.
(Kalimat dua terakhir menyatakan; Then, put it in a bowl of instant rice or any other
absorbent material for 48-72 hours before turning it on)
C. A wet cell phone must be dried using towels and a vacuum cleaner.
D. When drying a wet cell phone, you can choose to dry the headphone jack or the charging
port.
E. If a wet cell phone were connected to wired earphones, it would be better to leave the
earphones plugged in

11. Two years after announcing that he had retired from comics, Alan Moore, the illustrious
author of Watchmen and V for Vendetta, has signed a six-figure deal for a “groundbreaking”
five-volume fantasy series as well as a “momentous” collection of short stories. Bloomsbury,
which published the Harry Potter novels, acquired what it described as two “major” projects
from the 67- year-old. The first, Illuminations, is a short story collection which will be
published in autumn 2022 and which moves from the four horsemen of the apocalypse to the
“Boltzmann brains” fashioning the universe. Bloomsbury editor Ken Hyland said it was
“dazzlingly original and brimming with energy”, promising a series of “beguiling and
elegantly crafted tales that reveal the full power of imagination and magic ”. The second
acquisition is a fantasy quintet titled Long London, which will launch in 2024. The series will
move from the “shell-shocked and unravelled” London of 1949 to “a version of London just
beyond our knowledge”, encompassing murder, magic and madness. Bloomsbury said it
“promises to be epic and unforgettable, a tour-de-force of magic and history”.
Source: theguardian.com (with modifications)
Which of the following questions is answered in the passage?
A. What genre of comics does Alan Moore specialize in? (Fantasy series karna di bagian
pertama dan kedua buku tersebut tentang cerita fiksi)
B. Which publisher published Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta?
C. What year does the book Illuminations take place?
D. Whose editor praised the book Illuminations?
E. Which author wrote the Harry Potter series?

12. The collapse of the colonial empires of the past and proclamation of independence of African
countries did not mean the end of an era of exploitation of former dependent countries, both
from the former colonial powers, and by the other industrialized world-powers. Classic
colonialism, based on military coercion and implying incorporation of colonial territories into
the political system of the metropolis, has given way to neocolonialism. The latter is a latent
form, not based on direct coercion and deprivation of sovereignty exploitation of developing
countries by the developed world-powers. Neocolonialism included numerous specific
methods of political and economic manipulation. These include the planting of corruption and
outright bribery of African political elites, the system of bonded loans, the use of so-called
humanitarian aid as a tool of manipulation, the use of armed force in the name of
maintenance of peace, and the use of inciting tribalist conflict.
Source: inafran.ru (with modifications)
Coercion; force / pressure
Incorporation; combination / integration
Metropolis; city
 Classic colonialism leads to neocolonialism, it included numerous specific methods of
political and economic manipulation such as corruption, bonded loans system, manipulation
(humanitarian), maintenance of peace (armed force), provocative conflict.

Which of these statements is correct according to the passage?

A. African countries have been exploited by the colonial empires before neocolonialism
arose.
B. Developing African countries have not been totally freed from colonialists. (It’s not only
African but all developing countries)
C. Developed world-powers have used military coercion to exploit African countries until
now. (It happens only in classic colonialism)
D. The colonial empires had planted corruption before neocolonialism arose. (The passage
tells otherwise, it happens after neocolonialism)
E. Developing African countries have been coerced indirectly by the developed world-
powers. (It’s coerced directly)

13. Restaurante Botin is a cozy, family-owned restaurant in Madrid, Spain, located next to the
Plaza Mayor and known for its traditional Spanish dishes. It also holds the Guinness World
Record for being the oldest restaurant in the world! The restaurant was opened in 1725 by
French chef Jean Botin, initially as an inn and tavern, under unique conditions and
restrictions. Throughout the 18th century, it was illegal for tavern-owners to sell food
themselves. Instead, diners would bring their own meat, wine, and food, and the restaurant
would prepare it for them. This was a common Spanish practice not exclusive to Botin’s
establishment, but Restaurante Botin is one of the few inns and taverns that has survived to
this day, eventually transitioning into a modern-day restaurant.
Source: travelawaits.com
Inn; hotel, hostel
Tavern; bar, pub
Which of these statements is true according to the passage?
A. Restaurante Botin has already been selling their food for nearly 300 years. (Food and pub)
B. Spanish tavern owners have only been preparing diners’ food until now. (Food and pub)
C. Jean Botin has been owning the restaurant for nearly 300 years. (Impossible to live for 300
years and it’s family owned restaurant)
D. Restaurante Botin has been serving Spanish dishes for nearly 300 years.
E. Spanish diners have been transitioning to more traditional Spanish restaurants (More
modern day restaurant)

14. Some of the most notorious of the CIA’s operations to kill world leaders were those targeting
the late Cuban president, Fidel Castro. Attempts ranged from snipers to imaginative plots
worthy of spy movie fantasies, such as the famous exploding cigars and a poison-lined scuba-
diving suit. But although the CIA attempts proved fruitless in the case of Castro, the US
intelligence agency has since 1945 succeeded in deposing or killing a string of leaders
elsewhere around the world – either directly or, more often, using sympathetic local military,
locally hired criminals or pliant dissidents. Given the long list of US involvement in coups
and assassinations worldwide, the agency was forced to cut back on such killings after a US
Senate investigation in the 1970s exposed the scale of its operations. Following the
investigation, then president Gerald Ford signed in 1976 an executive order stating: “No
 employee of the United States government shall engage in, or conspire in, political
assassination.”
Source: theguardian.com
Notorious; dishonorable
Fruitless; unproductive
Coups; takeovers
Assasinations; murder
Cutback;
Which of these sentences best summarizes the passage?
A. The CIA had been trying to kill world leaders until president Ford found out about its
operations.
B. The CIA had been targeting world leaders after an executive order was signed. (Before)
C. The CIA has been engaging in assassinations until the US Senate investigated its
operations. (US that engage with CIA)
D. The CIA had been investigating assassinations until the US Senate exposed its operations.
E. The CIA had been engaging in assassinations until president Ford signed an executive
order. (Not CIA, but US)

15. Can’t stop checking your phone, even when you’re not expecting any important messages?
Blame your brain. A new study by researchers at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business has
found that information acts on the brain’s dopamine-producing reward system in the same
way as money or food. “To the brain, information is its own reward, above and beyond
whether it’s useful,” said Assoc. Prof. Ming Hsu, a neuroeconomist whose research employs
functional magnetic imaging (fMRI), psychological theory, economic modeling, and machine
learning. “And just as our brains like empty calories from junk food, they can overvalue
information that makes us feel good but may not be useful–what some may call idle
curiosity.”
Source: Neurosciencenews.com.
Which of these sentences corresponds to the text above?
Corresponds; agree, resemble, matches
A. Information addiction, a condition in which our brain produces dopamine, is real.
B. Assoc, researcher at UC Berkeley, has found that the brain overvalues information that
makes us feel good but may not be useful. (It states by Ming Hsu)
C. Information, whether it’s useful or not, ceases the brain’s dopamine-producing reward
system.
D. The neuroeconomist Prof. Ming Hsu has found that information makes our brains feel
good regardless of its usefulness. (It states by Assoc)
E. Information addiction, a condition in which the brain filters out information, hijacks the
brain’s dopamine producing reward system. (Not filters out, instead of brain dopamine)
 This text is for question number 16 to 20.
A mysterious dynasty of foreigners may not have invaded and taken control of ancient
Egypt as was long thought. Rather, the ethnic group known as the Hyksos seems to have
seized power from within Egypt. Although the Hyksos ruled Egypt from 1638 B.C. to 1530
B.C, a new study, which involved chemical analyses of teeth collected from Hyksos
cemeteries, suggests that this ethnic group had thrived in Egypt for generations.
Though the Hyksos were the first foreigners to rule ancient Egypt, written records of their
reign are scant. For hundreds of years, the only known mention of the Hyksos was in the
Greek tome "Aegyptiaca," or "History of Egypt," written by a Ptolemaic priest named
Manetho who lived in the early third century B.C. and who chronicled the rule of the
pharaohs.
According to Manetho, the Hyksos made their move after the end of Egypt's Middle
Kingdom, which crumbled around 1650 B.C. During a time when Egypt was in turmoil,
Hyksos leaders purportedly led an invading army "sweeping in from the northeast and
conquering the northeastern Nile Delta," researchers wrote in a new study, published online
today (July 15) in the journal PLOS One.
Deciphered hieroglyphics later provided historians with a little more detail about the
alleged Hyksos coup, but accounts of this dynasty remained biased and incomplete. Egyptian
rulers frequently destroyed records or spread propaganda about their predecessors, and the
Hyksos people were linked to "disorder and chaos" by the dynasties that succeeded them,
according to the study. Adapted from livescience.com (with modifications)
Seized; grabbed
Tome; work/ book
Chronicled; reported
Reign; supremacy/ power
Scant; limited (rare)

16. According to the text, which of the following is incorrect about the Hyksos?
A. They were an ethnic group that had lived in Egypt for generations by the time they took
the reins. (Yes, they are Hyksos)
B. Records about their reign are few and colored with possibly false information by their
successors. (Yes, it remained biased and incomplete)
C. Manetho was the only person living in the Hyksos’ time whose records of them are still
well preserved. (Yes, the passage said that, the only known mention of the Hyksos was in the
Greek tome "Aegyptiaca," or "History of Egypt," written by a Ptolemaic priest named
Manetho)
D. Hieroglyphics help historians unravel how the Hyksos overthrew Egypt’s then reigning
dynasty. (Yes, they give little more detail about Hyksos)
E. Instead of invading from outside, they might have taken over ancient Egypt from inside of
the kingdom. (But this sentence told otherwise. “Hyksos leaders purportedly led an invading
army "sweeping in from the northeast and conquering the northeastern Nile Delta,". It means
that they do invading)
17. There are barely any written records that immortalized the history of The Hyksos' reign in
Egypt because ….

Immortalized; commemorated, eternalized

A. possibly only Manetho, a Ptolemaic priest, had enough evidence to write about the
Hyksos’ reign
B. a coup took Egypt at one fell swoop and destroyed all existing records of the Hyksos and
their influence (Not all excisting records, Manetho had evidence)
C. as a representation of ‘disorder’, writing down their history was not on top of the Hyksos’
priorities
D. the Hyksos’ reign didn’t last long enough for their written records to be as extensive as
their predecessors’ (Otherwise, Hyksos ruled for generations)
E. the Hyksos’ successors possibly tried to blur their history and influence by vandalizing
their record (There is no evidence for this statement from the passage)

18. What is the most likely reason the author mentions Manetho and his writing in paragraph 2?

Though the Hyksos were the first foreigners to rule ancient Egypt, written records of their
reign are scant. For hundreds of years, the only known mention of the Hyksos was in the
Greek tome "Aegyptiaca," or "History of Egypt," written by a Ptolemaic priest named
Manetho who lived in the early third century B.C. and who chronicled the rule of the
pharaohs.

A. to show some solid evidence that the Hyskos indeed existed in the history of Egypt (this is
not complete statement, not only exist but also scant reign)
B. to emphasize how rare the written records about the Hyksos’ reign in ancient Egypt are
(Because it states that the written records are scant / rare)
C. to convince readers that the Hyksos as an ethnic group had thrived in Egypt for
generations (this is not complete statement, the ethnic group had thrived but the written
records are scant)
D. to provide support to the study that the Hyksos ruled Egypt from 1638 B.C. to 1530 B.C.
(The passage is not mentioned about the years ruled)
E. to further elaborate chemical analysis done on the teeth collected from the Hyksos’
cemeteries (not about teeth)

19. How does the author organize paragraph 4?

Deciphered hieroglyphics later provided historians with a little more detail about the alleged
Hyksos coup, but accounts of this dynasty remained biased and incomplete. Egyptian rulers
frequently destroyed records or spread propaganda about their predecessors, and the Hyksos
people were linked to "disorder and chaos" by the dynasties that succeeded them, according
to the study. Adapted from livescience.com (with modifications)
A. The author presents a statement, and then its contrasting argument. (There is a but as the
conjunction to present opposing argument)
 B. The author presents a problem, and then its possible cause.
C. The author mentions an event, and then describes its details.
D. The author presents a problem, and then its possible effects.
E. The author shows an argument, and then the evidence that it’s true.

20. The word ‘though’ in the second paragraph can be replaced with ….
Though the Hyksos were the first foreigners to rule ancient Egypt, written records of their
reign are scant. For hundreds of years, the only known mention of the Hyksos was in the
Greek tome "Aegyptiaca," or "History of Egypt," written by a Ptolemaic priest named
Manetho who lived in the early third century B.C. and who chronicled the rule of the
pharaohs.

A. despite (meskipun) as a preposition that can’t link clausses

B. however (namun)
C. yet (tapi)
D. although (meskipun) as a conjunction that can link the clauses
E. regardless of (terlepas dari)