READING COMPREHENSION TEST 2
The sense of taste is one of a person's
five senses. We taste with the help of taste-buds in the tongue.
There are four main kinds of taste: sweet,
sour, salty, and bitter. All other tastes are just mixtures of two or more of
these main types.
The surface of the tongue has more than
fifteen thousand taste-buds (or cells). These are connected to the brain by
special nerves which send the so-called 'tastes messages.
When the tongue comes into contact with food of any
kind, the taste-buds will pick up the taste. The nerves then send a message to
the brain. This will make us aware of the taste. All this happens in just a few
seconds.
There are four kinds of taste-buds, each
of which is sensitive to only a particular taste. These four groups are located
in different parts of the tongue.
The taste-buds for salty and sweet tastes
are found round the tip of the tongue and along its sides. Sour tastes can be
picked up only at the sides of the tongue. The taste-buds of the bitter taste
are found at the innermost edge of the tongue. There are taste-buds at the
centre of the tongue.
The senses of smell and sight can affect
taste. The good smell of food increases its taste. Similarly, attractive
colours can make food appear tastier and more delicious. If food does not smell
good or is dull-coloured, it will look tasty and may not taste good at all.
Very hot or cold sensations can make the taste-buds
insensitive. Food that is too hot or too cold, when placed in the mouth, will
have no tastes at all.
1.
The text
is about .....
A.
the explanation of the taste
B.
a report about the sense of
taste
C.
the sience of the senses
D.
the information of how important the tongue is
E.
the description of the use of
the tongue
2.
We can
taste any kind of food because of .......
A.
the good smell of food
B.
the four main kinds of taste
C.
the taste-buds in the tongue
D.
the senses of smell and sight
E.
the taste-buds round the tip of the tongue
3.
When we
eat very hot or cold food ........
A.
the food will lose its taste
B.
the food won't smell good
C.
the taste of the food increases
D.
the taste-buds will be sensitive
E.
the taste-buds will be very, responsive
4.
The senses
of smell and sight ........
A.
increase the taste of the food
B.
affect the taste of the food
C.
make food more delicious
D.
make the food look good
E.
make the food attractive
Toba Eruption
Approximately 74,000 years ago on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia , a volcanic eruption so violent occurred that it proved to be apocalyptic for the human race. Scientist estimate that the eruption may have ejected up to 6,000 km3 of magma pulverized rock and sufficient sulfur gases to form 5,000 megaton of stratospheric sulfuric acid aerosols. The suspension of so much material in the earth’s atmosphere resulted in a volcanic winter that lasted all year long, every year for several years .The severe drop in global temperature had catastrophic effect on vegetation and the food chain dependent upon it for survival-including humans.
Scientists have examined the genetic code of seemingly disparate and distance race of people and found there’s actually very little genetic variability in the entire human race. The evidence indicates that something happened to the human gene pool approximately 74,000 years ago where only very few humans remained alive on the planet (say 5,000 to 10,000), and the current population has grown from these selectively few genotypes. Our existence in such great number today (over 6 billion strong) is a testament to our tenacious ability to survive.
5.
What caused the
disaster to the human race after the Toba eruption ?
A. The severe drop in global temperature
B. The stratospheric sulfuric acid
C.
The sulfur gases
D. The magma and the pulverized rock
E.
The eruption of
the mountains Sumatra
6.
What was the most
destructive impact of the Toba eruption around 74.000 year ago?
A. The extinction of human race is Sumatra
B. The extinction of vegetation and food chains
C. Volcanic winter every year for several years
D. The rain of stratospheric sulfuric acid
E. The 6,000 km3 of magma covering the island of Sumatra
A. The extinction of human race is Sumatra
B. The extinction of vegetation and food chains
C. Volcanic winter every year for several years
D. The rain of stratospheric sulfuric acid
E. The 6,000 km3 of magma covering the island of Sumatra
7.
We know from the
text that . . . .
A. The eruption was the reason for the very
limited genetic variability in the entire
human race
B. A new human race appeared after the extinction
of humans 74.000 years ago
C.
Human beings were
stronger that vegetation against the affect the effect the eruption
D. The volcanic materials ejected by the eruption
consisted of magma and pulverized rock
E.
The severe drops
of sulfuric acid aerosols caused the volcanic
Beggars have become a big problem for
us today. They come as street musicians, street boys, “sick” people, “lost”
people, or just beggars. As their number is getting bigger, the municipal
government feels the need to set a regulation to ban beggars. Many people
support this.
They say that begging makes people
lazy and bad survivors. They are like parasites. Criminals take advantage of
their extistence. Car drivers are strong-armed in crossroads, motorbikes are
seized, trucks are hijacked, etc. A man in a rural area takes them to the city
with his truck in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. They have made
an agreement to share what they get. Some children are reported to have been
kidnapped not for ransom. They are forced to be beggars.
Some people, however, say that we must
help beggars. They become beggars because they have no choice. What they get
everyday is only enough for buying food. Being a beggar is better than being a
thief or a robber. So it is a high time to apply their religious teaching to
care for others. In addition, what they do is to help the government to check
crime-rates.
Despite the controversy of their
existence, beggars continue to color the life of urban people.
8.
Where are beggars
mostly found?
A. In cities
B. In rural areas
C.
In small towns
D. In country sides
E.
In small villages
9.
Why do some people
disagree to help beggars?
A. They are rich
B. They are not criminals
C.
They are mostly
villagers
D. They are lazy and bad survivors
E.
They only make
use of their time
10. What does the writer think about the man who
transports beggars from their villages to the city?
A. He is generous
B. He is exploitative
C.
He is very
helpful
D. He is their protector
E.
He is doing
business
A Brief Summary
of Speech Production
Speech
production is made possible by the specialized movements of our vocal organs
that generate speech sounds waves.
Like
all sound production, speech production requires a source of energy. The source
of energy for speech production is the steady stream of air that comes from the
lungs as we exhale. When we breathe normally, the air stream is
inaudible. To become audible, the air stream must vibrate rapidly. The vocal
cords cause the air stream to vibrate.
As
we walk, the vocal cords open and close rapidly, chopping up the steady air
stream into a series of puffs. These puffs are heard as a buzz. But this buzz
is still not speech.
To
produce speech sounds, the vocal tract must change shape. During speech
we continually alter the shape of the vocal tract by moving the tongue and
lips, etc. these movements change the acoustic properties of the vocal tract,
which in turn produce the different sounds of speech.
11.
What does speech
production need?
A.
Speech sounds
waves
B.
Steady stream of
air
C.
A source of
energy
D.
The vocal cord
E.
Speech sounds
12.
What does the
text mainly tell us about?
A.
what we need to produce sounds
B.
The steps to
generate speech sounds waves
C.
The movement of
our vocal organs
D.
The air stream is
inaudible
E.
The process of
making speech production
13.
What makes the
air stream vibrate?
A.
The air we exhale
B.
A series of puffs
C.
The vocal cords
D.
The puffs
E.
A buzz
14.
Speech production
is made possible by the specialized movements of our vocal organs that generate
speech sounds waves.
The synonym of the underlined word
is ….
A.
Produce
B.
Make
C.
Create
D.
Cause
E.
Build
Will solar energy ever be a main source of energy for
industrial societies? The solar energy is cheaper than any fossil fuel because
we can get the abundant source of energy from the sun.
In sunny deserts, the sun’s radiation that reaches the
ground can be used to produce electricity for industries and homes. In one of
experiment, solar ponds can produce hot water to drive generators.
Unfortunately, we can’t power our homes entirely on
sunlight. Solar energy can only be exploited in bright light. Its great potential,
therefore, is in countries that have clear skies for most of the year. Most
houses, however, arre not in the sunniest part of the world. In addition to
convert sunlight directly into electricity, solar cells are needed. Although
they are very cheap to run, relatively they are expensive to buy and many
people can’t afford them.
15. Which of the
following can produce hot water to drive generators?
A. solar car
B. solar cells
C. solar ponds
D. solar heating
E. solar batteries
16. Which of the
following statements does not agree with the text?
A.
solar energy can only be harnessed in
bright sunlight
B.
The solar energy is cheaper than any other
fossil fuel
C.
Solar energy is non-polluted
D.
Solar ponds produce hot water to drive
generators
E.
The main important device to harness the
solar energy is cheap
17.
From the text we know that ....
A.
Converting solar energy into electricity
is expensive
B.
Solar energy generators can be found in
most houses
C.
It is easy to convert solar energy into
electricity
D.
The potential source of solar energy can
only be found in desert areas
E.
Most of people in bright sunny areas use
solar energy
A hot-air balloon is a very simple flying machine which can carry
a small number of people through the air.
It consists of the balloon itself, known as the envelope, the hot
air burner and the basket, which carries the people.
When the pilot wants to go up, he or she lights the burner which
is above the passenger’s heads. The burner heats the air inside the envelope
which blows up like a balloon. Because hot air rises, the air lifts the balloon
up into the air where it is carried by the wind. If the pilot wants to come
down, they simply turn down the burner so the air cools again. Hot air balloons
will never take over from aero planes because they are difficult to control and
carry only a few people. They are very beautiful, however, and are a popular
hobby with some people.
18.
What makes paragraph 2 different from
paragraph 3?
A.
Both paragraphs talk about the use of
air balloon
B.
Paragraph 2 talks about parts of
balloon while paragraph 3 tells about its functions.
C.
Paragraph 2 describes parts of balloon
and paragraph 3 tells about how to make a balloon works
D.
Paragraph 2 describes parts of balloon
and its function whereas paragraph 3 tells about its characteristics.
E.
Paragraph 2 talks about functions of
balloon while paragraph 3 tells about how to make a balloon works
19.
What makes an air balloon goes up?
A.
The lights
B.
The hot air
C.
The burner
D.
The cold air
E.
The envelope
20.
“…, he or
she lights the burner which is above the passenger’s heads.”
The
closest meaning of the underlined word is ….
A.
fire
B.
stove
C.
switch
D.
wood
E.
warmer
21.
What is the purpose of the text?
A. To
describe a hot-air balloon
B. To
inform about aero planes
C.
To tell about a
hot-air balloon
D.
To explain how
a hot-air balloon works
E.
To present two points of view on airoplanes
There are many arguments in favor of a boarding school education.
Nevertheless, the boarding school is not always the best education institution
for everyone.
At an early age interacting and
communicating with people is very important for a child’s personal life and can
be especially helpful for his/her future. In a boarding school, shy children
can take advantage of interaction through communal activities. The boarding
school is also offers a great variety of activities such as arts, sports, and
music that allow children to demonstrate and develop specialized skills in
their free time.
Furthermore, the structured way of life and strict rules at the
boarding school may help students to get used to a well ordered way of life.
The manners and social skill will help them to become more respponsible and
confident, and to develop their talents in leadership. Professionally trained
teachers and educators in the boarding school can offer excellent education
without the parents’ constant supervision.
In spite of these good points, it is not advisable to send a child to a
boarding school if she/he is a dependent learner. A boarding school usually
demands that students learn independently. In addition, the boarding school
should not be seen as a measure to solve inappropriate behaviour or
unsatisfactory study performance. Iinstead of improving, problematic children
may close off their peers and teachers.
In conclusion although a boarding school may provide good education to
many children, it is not recommended for those who are strongly attached to
their families. They may become frustated and socially isolated.
22. According to the
writer, children in a boarding school can develop specialized skills in ....
A.
Entrepreneurship
B.
Community service
C.
Reading
D.
Drama
E.
Music
23. Parents send their
children boarding school because ....
A. It is good for
shy children
B. It gives good
education for adult
C. Interacting and
communicating with people is very important
D. It doesn’t allow
children demonstrate excellence and develop their skills
E. It is safe and
makes children become responsible and develop talents in leadership
24. From the text we
can conclude that ....
A. The boarding
school can be very expensive
B. There are good
and bad boarding schools
C. The boarding
school is the solution to our educational problem
D. It is not
necessary to send children to a boarding school because the students can live
independently
E. Not everyone
thinks that the boarding school is the best educational institution for childr
TO BIOENGINEER OR NOT TO BIOENGINEER
Bioengineering which is a process in
which a set of genes from one plant is inserted into another plant is a hot
topic for debate these days.
Those who are in favour of
bioengineering could lead to bigger crop yields and “new and improved” fruits
and make it possible to grow the most desirable crops. In addition, they look
at bioengineering as a high-tech version of cross pollination, which happens
naturally with certain types of plants.
However, those who are against
bioengineering say that there may be dangers of genetically altered food. There is no telling what the long-term effects
of bioengineering. Furthermore, they add that because it is difficult to
control cross-pollination when genetically modified crops interbreed with
conventional crops, there is also the risk that some of native or non modified
species would be extinct.
We have no idea how bioengineering
would impact not only the people who eat the crops, but also the wildlife that
feeds on them and the environment as a whole.
25.
The text mainly discusses about....
A.
Bioengineering is new method in producing qualified plants and
fruits
B.
The pro and contra of using bioengineering
C.
Bioengineering is not a new method in producing new and improved
fruits
D.
Bioengineering is dangerous
E.
Bioengineering can cause the extinction of some species
26.
What is the risk of bioengineering according to those who against
it?
A.
Bioengineering produces good variety of crops
B.
Bioengineering creates a new species
C.
Bioengineering is very difficult to control
D.
Bioengineering needs a lot of money
E.
Bioengineering may cause the extinction of some species
27.
There is no telling what the long-term effects of
bioengineering (Paragraph 3 ).The underlined word means...
A.
Impacts
B.
Disadvantages
C.
Objectives
D.
Purposes
E.
Advantages
28.
What can we imply from the text?
A.
Bioengineering has negative effects
B.
The use of bioengineering is still dilemmatic or controversial
C.
Bioengineering has more advantages than its disadvantages
D.
It is no useful to use bioengineering
E.
Bioengineering is the best way to produce qualified plants and
fruits
Prisons: Continuing Debate
The current concern with crime
and the problems of prisons have helped focus public attention on the continuing debate about the purpose
and effectiveness of prisons.
The proponent of prison institution have four major purposes.
These purposes are (1) retribution, (2) incapacitation, (3) deterrence, (4)
rehabilitation. Retribution means punishment for crimes against
society.Depriving criminals of their crimes is a way of making them pay a debt
to society for their crimes. Incapacitation refers to the removal
of criminals from society so they can no longer harm innocent. Deterrence
means the prevention for the future crime. It is hoped that prisons provide
warnings to people thinking about committing crimes, and that the possibility
of going to prison will discourage people from breaking the law. Rehabilitation
refers to activities designed to change criminals into law-abiding
citizens, and may include providing educational course in prison, teaching job
skills, an offering counselling with a psychologist or social worker.
However, studies have shown that good rehabilitation programs fail
to reform released prisoners. The apparent failure of such programs has led
many people to stress imprisonment as punishment rather than as treatment. On the
other hand, experts also have failed to prove that prisons reduce the crime
rate either by incapacitation offenders or by discouraging people from breaking
the law. For this reason, some experts believe that it would be cheaper, more
humane, and more productive to all except dangerous productive to keep all
except dangerous offenders in community correctional centres rather than in
prison.
Considering the reasons above , some courts are experimenting with
sentences that allow criminals to remain out prison. Some of these sentences
require criminals to replay the victims of their crimes, and others make
offenders perform various public services in the community.
29.
The
purpose of the text is ...
A.
To
continue the dabete
B.
To
discuss the purpose and effectiveness of prisons.
C.
To talk
about crime in specific
D.
To talk
about research on crimes
E.
To
discuss how the life in prisons like
30.
The main
idea of paragraph two is .....
A.
The main
purposes of prison institutions
B.
The function of retribution of a prison
C.
The
function of rehabilitation of a prison
D.
The
function of deterrence of a prison
E.
The
function of incapacitation of a prison
31.
Depriving
criminals of their crimes is a way of making them pay a debt to society for their
crimes. The underlined word refers to .......
A.
Proponent
B.
Society
C.
Criminals
D.
Citizens
E.
Institutions
32.
Good
rehabilitation programs fail to reform released prisoners because ....
A.
It is not
effective
B.
They
don’t like being treated as prisoners
C.
The
programs cannot answer the prisoners needs.
D.
It has
not succeeded in encouraging people to do crimes
E.
The
prisoners don’t like being isolated
An eclipse is an
astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object moves into the shadow
of another. The term is most often used to describe either a solar eclipse,
when the Moon's shadow crosses the Earth's surface, or a lunar eclipse, when
the Moon moves into the shadow of Earth.
Eclipses may occur when the Earth and Moon are aligned with the
Sun, and the shadow of one body cast by the Sun falls on the other. So at New
Moon (or rather Dark Moon), when the Moon is in conjunction with the Sun, the
Moon may pass in front of the Sun as seen from a narrow region on the surface
of the Earth and cause a solar eclipse. At Full Moon, when the Moon is in
opposition to the Sun, the Moon may pass through the shadow of the Earth, and a
lunar eclipse is visible from the night half of the Earth.
An eclipse does not happen at every New or
Full Moon, because the plane of the orbit of the Moon around the Earth is
tilted with respect to the plane of the orbit of the Earth around the Sun, so
as seen from the Earth, when the Moon is nearest to the Sun (New Moon) or at
largest distance (Full Moon), the three bodies usually are not exactly on the
same line.
33.
What is
paragraph 3 about?
A.
The time eclipse occurs
B.
An orbit of the moon.
C.
The process of an eclipse
D.
The time eclipse cannot be seen.
E.
Reason why an eclipse does not happen.
34.
When does a
lunar eclipse visible?
A.
When the Moon is in opposition to the
Sun.
B.
When the earth is aligned with the
sun.
C.
When the Moon is nearest to the Sun.
D.
At the full moon.
E.
At new moon.
35.
What is the
purpose of the text?
F.
To describe an eclipse
G.
To inform about an eclipse
H.
To tell about the event of eclipse
I.
To explain how an eclipse happens
J.
To present two points of view on an
eclipse
36.
Eclipses may
occur when the Earth and Moon are aligned
with the Sun.
The
underlined phrase means ….
A.
liked
B.
similar
C.
parallel
D.
hidden
E.
covered
Small children seem to learn very quickly, while adults sometimes
appear to lose the ability to pick up new subject such as languages, music,
games, or computer programs. In this essay, I will discuss whether children or
adults make the best learners.
It is undoubtedly true that children seem to learn very quickly.
In just a few years, they can learn how to play musical instrument, speak one
or even two new languages, and deal with many subjects at school. They even
have time for sports and hobbies, and become experts in their favorite
pastimes. However, how much of this is social pressure and how much is genetic?
I am convinced that while children’s brains have a natural ability to absorb
new information as part of their developmental growth, much of their
achievement is because of social pressure. Schools force them to take many
subjects. Parents force them to practice new sports or to learn music. Even
their playmates force them to become better at computer games or to read Harry
Potter novels faster. In summary, children may enjoy learning, but their
environment also is a big motivating factor.
Adults on the other hand are supposed to be poor learners.
However, I disagree with people who say that adults cannot learn quickly.
Adults have many skills that compensate for the decline in the ability of the
brain to grasp and remember new material. They can build on skills and
experiences they know already. Adults usually cannot learn to do ballet or to
play to play the violin, but even despite these physical challenges, their
motivation can often be higher than a child’s. Unfortunately, society does not
encourage many adults to learn. People are busy with families and work, and
some adults may feel that further learning is pointless, since they have already achieved many goals at work or
in their personal life.
In conclusion, I feel that we cannot generalize about children or
adults being better learners. It depends on the situation and the motivation of
the person, and the level of enthusiasm he or she has for learning.
37. Which of the
following statements reflects the writer’s opinion?
A. children learn new things better than adults
B. adults cannot learn new things faster
C. both and adults have their own advantages as
learners
D. both children and adults are poor learners
E. environment does not influence learning
38. What is the
writer’s aim in writing the article?
A. to describe the learning process in children
and adults
B. to argue that children and adults learn in
different ways
C. to persuade the readers to believe that
children are fast learners
D. to discuss the benefits of social pressure
towards children learning
E. to compare learning abilities between
children and adults
39. The word ‘pointless’ in the text is closest in
meaning to which of the following?
A.
Beneficial
B.
Crucial
C.
Useless
D.
less important
E.
helplless
