A A A A ITU PREP.

PROGRAMME

A A A A PROFICIENCY EXAM

A A A September 5, 2006

SECTION II. READING COMPREHENSION / Questions 36-65 (30 x 1.5 = 45 points) Text 1. Read the text and choose the best alternative that answers each question. Vampires on the Leading Edge "Rabid vampire bats attack Brazilian children" may sound like something out of the tabloid Weekly World News, but the headline actually comes from the respected magazine New Scientist. Vampire bats have indeed been attacking Brazilian children. In fact, they've bitten over 1,300 people since September 2005 and 23 of their victims have died from rabies, a disease which causes people and animals to go mad and die. However, beneath the sensational and bizarre story is more hopeful news about the emerging field of conservation medicine. Conservation medicine is a relatively new discipline referring to the convergence of ecology and health science. It's a natural connection because the health of individual plants, animals and people is intimately connected to the health of the ecosystems in which they are embedded. What does this have to do with bats? Well, the reason for the recent increase in vampire bat attacks in Brazil is deforestation. The Amazon forests are being cleared for industry and agriculture especially grazing animals. With their homes gone, the bats are resting closer to humans and they have a new, plentiful supply of slow moving, warm-blooded victims cattle (cows and bulls). This has led to larger colonies in smaller areas, which makes the bats more aggressive and no longer fear humans and also makes ideal breeding grounds for rabies. Rabies isn't the only disease recently transferred to humans from bats. Bats are also a natural reservoir for SARS, the respiratory virus that caused panic in Toronto and spread through Southeast Asia two years ago. Originally, scientists thought civet cats were the reservoir for SARS, but they now believe the civets were infected by bats. Bats often don't eat all of their meals. Fruit bats, for example, chew fruit to extract the sugars and then spit out what is left and that is eaten by animals searching for food on the ground. Scientists now believe that this is how the Nipah virus was spread through pig farms in Malaysia five years ago, when farms began displacing forests and bats began resting in barns. Authorities there had to kill one million pigs, and over 100 farm workers died from the virus. But before hunting down these winged terrors, consider what ecologist Andrew Dobson wrote in an analysis in the journal Science: "Assuming we can control these diseases by simply controlling bats is both nave and short sighted. Instead, we must recognize that increased disease transmission from bats to humans may simply reflect an increase in their contact because of modification of the bat's natural environment." In other words, as humans continue to modify and destroy bat habitats, we will continue to run into these problems. To solve them, we must focus on conservation and learn more about bat ecology and immunology - about which we currently know very little. Ultimately, minimizing the conditions that lead to disease outbreak is much more effective than dealing with the problem after it has already occurred. In nature, everything is connected. And while people tend to think that human society is somehow excluded from nature, like some sort of observer, we are in fact deeply embedded in it. Because of this, our actions can have extensive, unexpected

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and mysterious consequences. The new field of conservation medicine can help us to unlock those mysteries and build a healthier world.

36. The word convergence in line 10 is closest in meaning to _________. a) division b) solution c) combination d) explanation 37. The word their in line 15 refers to _________. a) grazing animals b) the Amazon forests 38. The word there in line 29 refers to _________. a) barns b) forests c) pig farms 39. The word it in line 43 refers to _________. a) nature b) observer c) human society

c) bats

d) humans

d) Malaysia

d) disease outbreak

40. According to the article, _________. a) there will be more problems caused by bats unless humans continue to modify their habitat b) Dobson thinks the best way to control diseases transferred to humans from bats is to control bats c) more research needs to be done in the field of bat ecology and immunology d) the headline about bats shows that New Scientist has become a tabloid magazine 41. Which of the following can be inferred from the article? a) The Amazon forests have all been cleared to make barns for animals. b) Bats cant have played a significant role in the transfer of SARS to humans. c) Bats are not afraid of humans any more because they have got used to humans. d) Conservation medicine aims to modify the natural environment of animals. 42. Which of the following is true according to the article? a) There has been a decrease in the size of the natural environment of bats. b) Vampire bat attacks started after deforestation began. c) Fruit bats do not eat the pulp of fruit because they do not like sugar. d) Vampires face extinction because they have difficulty in finding food. 43. It can be inferred that the writer of the article _________. a) thinks that humans must be excluded from the natural world b) suggests finding a solution to the outbreak after it occurs instead of preventive action c) is critical about the concept of conservation medicine d) has a holistic approach to nature 44. The writers main purpose in writing this article is to _________. a) explain how to stop deforestation in the Amazon forests b) warn us about the diseases transferred to humans from bats c) inform readers of the possible benefits of conservation medicine d) underline the effects of bat attacks on Brazilian children

A A A A ITU PREP. PROGRAMME

A A A A PROFICIENCY EXAM

A A A September 5, 2006

Text 2. Read the text and choose the best alternative that answers each question.
Are Treasures Truly Safe?

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A once famous American bank robber said he robbed banks because that is where the money is. Actually, today museums are where the money is. Where else can one find so many moveable items of great value within arms reach? In one art gallery alone, there can be paintings worth more than a whole fleet of expensive jets. Whats more, while banks can hide their money in vaults, museums are obliged to display their valuables. So, the theft of a well-known painting would be discouraging news not only for anyone who cares about art but especially for museum officials and gallery owners, who know how vulnerable their treasures are. Art theft is a vast problem around the world. As many as 10,000 precious items of all kinds disappear each year and it may not be a problem which smaller museums, in particular, can afford to solve. As an example, on August 22, 2004, two famous paintings, The Scream and Madonna both by Edvard Munch were stolen from the Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway. They were stolen by two men wearing masks, one of them armed, at 11:00 a.m., about an hour after the museum opened. Like many great works, neither painting was insured for theft. The high insurance premiums on very famous paintings would ruin the budgets of even the largest museums. An earlier version of The Scream had been stolen from the National Gallery in Oslo in 1994. Three months after the theft, officers from Scotland Yard, posing as experts from a museum in Los Angeles to catch the thieves, approached them with an offer to buy the painting and arrested them when they were given it. However, with some other high-profile art-theft cases, the outcome is still in doubt and many cases are still unsolved. Large museums have had their share of embarrassing robberies. For example, in 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum. However, the bigger problem is small institutions like the Munch Museum in Oslo or private homes open to the public. Neither can afford elaborate security systems. Large museums attach alarms to their most valuable pictures, but a modest alarm system can cost at least $500,000. Some museums are looking into tracking devices that would enable them to follow stolen items once they leave the building. But officials are concerned that if they have to insert something, it might damage the picture, says the former head of security at the Getty Museum. Meanwhile, smaller museums can barely afford enough guards. Instead, they depend on their elderly staff. After being caught, a museum thief confessed at trial that there were only two guards for the three floors of the museum which he had robbed, so he had simply slipped the painting, worth $240,000, under his shirt and just walked out of the door. He told the court, Its probably more difficult to steal a T-shirt from a shop. What can thieves do with the valuable paintings they steal? Their fame makes it very difficult to sell them on the black market. A famous stolen painting worth thousands of dollars is not the kind of thing that a buyer could display openly in his / her mansion. Thus, its hard to imagine an underworld drug lord owning a masterpiece that is known to be missing. Thieves sometimes try using artworks as a means of making other kinds of deals. For example, the men who organized the 1986 robbery of Russborough House near Dublin for the theft of 18 paintings tried unsuccessfully to exchange them for Irish Republican Army members who were being kept in British jails. Others demand ransom money from the museum that owns the pictures. In 1994, thieves in Frankfurt, Germany, ran away with two major paintings that had been borrowed from the Tate Gallery in London. The paintings were worth more than $80 million. They were recovered in 2002 after the Tate Gallery paid more than $5 million to people who had information about where they were. Although ransom is illegal in Britain, money for secret information in an 7

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investigation is considered legal, provided that the police agree that the source of this information is unconnected to the crime itself. Nevertheless, it is hard to draw the line between information money and ransom. In other words, where information money ends and ransom begins is unclear. 45. The phrase posing as in line 17 can best be replaced by ________. a) disagreeing with b) pretending to be c) aiming at d) promoted to 46. The word outcome in line 20 is closest in meaning to ________. a) ending b) benefit c) processing d) disadvantage 47. The word Neither in line 24 can best be replaced by Neither _______ nor _______. a) private homes / the public c) large museums / smaller museums b) the Louvre / Munch Museum d) small institutions / private homes 48. The word Others in line 42 refers to Other ________. a) bargains b) jails c) thieves d) members 49. The phrase draw the line in line 48 can best be replaced by ________. a) get confused b) make a picture c) make a distinction d) do a favor 50. Which of the following is not implied in the article? a) Museums are usually easier to rob than banks. b) Museums may be very tempting to thieves. c) Large museums are totally protected against thieves. d) Shops may have more protection than small museums. 51. Which of the following is true according to the article? a) Both of Edward Munchs paintings were found by experts from a museum in Los Angeles. b) Some large museums have also been robbed of masterpieces despite their alarm systems and guards. c) Most museums are using tracking devices to protect their valuable paintings. d) Many great works of art in both large and smaller museums are insured against theft. 52. The article states that _________. a) criminals like to buy stolen paintings because thieves do not charge them high prices b) most stolen paintings have been recovered quickly through the cooperation of experts and policemen c) the 1986 Russborough House robbers returned the 18 paintings they had stolen d) thieves who steal famous paintings from museums cannot find buyers even on the black market 53. Which of the following can be inferred from the article? a) The Tate Gallery probably paid the thieves themselves more than $5 million to get the two paintings back. b) Museum thieves in Britain do not ask for ransom money for the paintings they steal because ransom is illegal there. c) Thieves steal valuable artworks from museums to sell them to underworld people at prices higher than theyre worth. d) Museums are banned from hiding their valuable items. 54. The article mainly explains _________. a) the duties and responsibilities of senior museum officials b) how and why museums or art galleries are robbed c) why some museum theft cases are still unsolved d) the systems used for the security of museums and art galleries 8

A A A A ITU PREP. PROGRAMME

A A A A PROFICIENCY EXAM

A A A September 5, 2006

Text 3. Read the text and choose the best alternative that answers each question.
The 11-Year Quest to Create Disappearing Colored Bubbles Tim Kehoe has stained his face, his car and several bathtubs. He has also left marks on a few dozen children. He and his family have had to evacuate their house quickly because he had filled it with dangerous gas. Hes ruined every kitchen hes ever had. Kehoe, a 35-year-old American inventor, has done all this work to realise an idea he first had more than 10 years ago. Its one hes been told repeatedly cannot be realised: a colored bubble. No, not the rainbow effect you see when the light catches a clear bubble, but a bubble that gives off a single bright color through the entire sphere, a green bubble, an orange bubble, or a hot-pink bubble. Kehoe made a bubble like that when he was 26, after only two years of ruined pans and chemical fires. He showed it to toy company executives, who were absolutely amazed. But then it broke, as bubbles always do. When it did, the dye inside escaped onto clothes and carpets and walls and skin, tingeing everything it touched. The executives told him to come back with a bubble they could wash off their boardroom table. With a baby on the way and a house to pay for, Kehoe had to concentrate on other things. However, in 2003 the software company Kehoe was working for was sold, putting him out of a job but making its founders rich. Their high opinion of Kehoe inspired them to launch a new toy company with him. Kehoe contributed 219 ideas, they contributed half a million dollars. Only after the deal was secure and Kehoe had cashed the check, did he tell them about the bubbles. Id been avoiding it because I knew theyd get excited and want to do it, Kehoe says. And I didnt know that I could. In eight years of experiments, he had created bubbles with dozens of colors, with dozens of dyes, yet never one that was washable enough to sell. I tried to talk them out of it, but they were adamant. I told them that neither money nor manpower would be enough, but they still insisted that I try. This happened on a Friday. His business partner Guy Haddleton, the man who paid his salary, told him to bring the bubbles in on Monday morning, so Kehoe started destroying his wifes new kitchen. And I couldnt get it, he says. All Friday night, into Saturday morning, I tried everything I had done before, and all I saw was clear bubbles. I really panicked. Finally, he started trying new dyes. I emptied stores of any products with color. The salesclerks thought I was crazy. I spent hundreds of dollars buying one of everything. One store had specialty inks that were $30 a bottle that I had never tried. This new ink worked even better than he hoped. Not only did it produce colored bubbles, but also when Kehoe dumped the bubble solution on his clothes and his kids clothes, much to his surprise it washed out every time. When Haddleton saw the bubbles on Monday, he was thrilled. A few months later, in July 2004, Kehoe and his partners invited dozens of kids and their parents to a media event to unveil their new bubbles. They hired a film crew and rented massive bubble machines to fill the air with their new bubbles. At first the party was great. Mothers were amazed at the sight of the strangely bright bubbles glowing in the sunlight. Kids yelled for joy and chased after them. Eventually, however, the bubbles broke, on the kids, on the parents and on cars. It looked as if there had been a paint fight. Kehoe told the parents that the color would wash out, but that wasnt enough, not when their kids were covered from head to toe in blue and pink spots, and the color was getting into their shoes and hair. In the faces of the horrified mothers, Kehoe immediately understood the lesson: You cant put something on the market that leaves so much color, even if it is washable. He needed color that disappeared on its own, but in the history of organic chemistry, no one had ever created a dye like that. Kehoe put an advertisement on the Internet, looking for someone who could make a disappearing dye that could color the very thin wall of a bubble. Only one person thought he could do it. Ram Sabnis is one of the very few people who has a Ph.D. in dye-chemistry. Like Kehoe, Sabnis didnt seem to consider the possibility that a problem could not be solved, but he had no idea how hard this one would turn out to be. Nevertheless, after a year of experimenting, he finally created a dye that would attach itself to the surface of a bubble, giving it a bright color. The bubble would also lose its color with friction, water or exposure to airnot fade or transfer to something else, but go away completely as if it had never been there. When one of these bubbles broke on your hands, you could rub them together a few times and the color would disappear. If the bubble broke on your shirt or the carpet or the dog, you would have two choices: use plain water and remove it immediately, or forget about it for half an hour. Either way, the color would be gone.

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Without Sabnis breakthrough, Kehoe might have plodded on in his basement for many more years and never made the dye he needed. Without Kehoes dedication and belief in the idea, the project would never have been funded. But thanks to their efforts, you will be able to find Zubbles, Kehoes name for his colored bubbles, in a store near you soon.

55. The word evacuate in line 2 is closest in meaning to _______ . a) clean b) dry off c) leave d) turn off 56. The word one in line 4 refers to _______ . a) what Kehoe has done b) an inventor c) an idea d) doing all this work 57. The word it in line 17 refers to _______ . a) a half million dollars c) cashing the check b) telling the companys founders about the bubbles d) the deal 58. The word adamant in line 20 can best be replaced by _______ . a) unlucky b) determined c) frustrated d) delighted 59. The word unveil in line 32 is closest in meaning to _______ . a) introduce b) debate c) produce d) supply 60. The phrase plodded on in line 52 is a synonym for _______ . a) relaxed b) hidden c) worked d) given up 61. The bubbles Kehoe made when he was 26 years old _______ . a) had the rainbow effect you see when light catches a clear bubble b) were well-liked by toy company executives until they broke c) made the executives so angry that they never wanted to see him again d) were actually easier to clean up than the executives realized 62. The media event was a disappointment because _______ . a) it was clear that mothers would not buy Kehoes bubbles b) the bubbles left permanent stains on the childrens clothes c) the bubbles broke more quickly than Kehoe expected d) the children had a fight because of the bubbles 63. Ram Sabnis _______ . a) was able to find a solution to the staining problem quicker than he expected b) made a dye that transferred its color before going away completely c) and Tim Kehoe were both experts in dye-chemistry d) succeeded in making a dye that went away completely by itself 64. Which one of the following statements can be inferred from the text? a) After the executives rejected his colored bubbles, Kehoe spent more time than ever working on them. b) When Kehoe left the software company in 2003, he had saved enough money to start his own toy company. c) In July 2004, Kehoe and his partners thought they had invented a colored bubble that would become very popular. d) Ram Sabnis was confident he could help Kehoe because he had worked on a similar dye while doing his Ph.D. 65. Which of the statements below about Zubbles is not supported by the text? a) They will come in a variety of colors b) They will not leave stains on either clothes or skin. c) If they leave a mark, you can rub it and it will disappear. d) Sabnis must still improve his dye if Zubbles are to be in stores soon.

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A A A A ITU PREP. PROGRAMME

A A A A PROFICIENCY EXAM

A A A September 5, 2006

SECTION III. WRITING (20 points) Write an essay of 250 300 words on ONE of the topics given below. Your essay must have an introduction with a clear thesis statement that includes controlling idea/s, at least 2 body paragraphs with relevant supporting ideas and a concluding paragraph. Your ideas should be organized properly. 1. Life in the future will be much better than it is today. Agree or disagree. 2. High school students in Turkey feel the need to go to private courses in order to be successful in the university entrance exam. What are the causes of this? Discuss. 3. What are the effects of living in another country on people? Discuss.

DO NOT WRITE HERE

WRITE YOUR ESSAY ON THE SHEET PROVIDED.

Essays written on the pages of this booklet will NOT be graded.

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SEPTEMBER 5, 2006 PROFICIENCY EXAM KEY A VERSION 1. C 2. C 3. C 4. A 5. D 6. A 7. C 8. B 9. B 10. D 11. A 12. B 13. B 14. C 15. C 16. B 17. D 18. B 19. B 20. A 21. C 22. C 23. C 24. A 25. B 26. C 27. A 28. B 29. C 30. A 31. C 32. D 33. A 34. A 35. D 36. C 37. C 38. D 39. A 40. C 41. C 42. A 43. D 44. C 45. B 46. A 47. D 48. C 49. C 50. C 51. B 52. D 53. A 54. B 55. C 56. C 57. B 58. B 59. A 60. C 61. B 62. A 63. D 64. C 65. D