Text 1: From “Wild Food Crops to be ‘Rescued’” by
Victoria Gill, BBC News, 2012
Scientists have announced a
plan to collect and store the wild plant relatives of essential food crops,
including wheat, rice, and potatoes. The project, coordinated by the Global
Crop Diversity Trust, will collect and catalogue seeds from across the globe.
The aim is to safeguard valuable genetic traits that the wild plants contain,
which could be bred into crops to make them more hardy and versatile. This
could help secure food supplies in the face of a changing climate.
All of the plant material
collected will be stored in seed banks in the long term, but much of it will
also be used in pre-breeding trials to find out if the wild varieties could be
used to combat diseases that are already threatening food production. Dr.
Paul Smith is head of the Millennium Seed Bank at London’s Royal Botanic
Gardens, Kew, which is playing a key role in the project. “There is a real
sense of urgency about this,” he told BBC News. “For some of these species, we
may just get this one bite of the cherry, because so many of them are already
threatened [with extinction] in their natural habitats.”
The hope is that the wild
relatives of food crops will help plant-breeders to ‘correct for’, not only a
changing climate, but plant diseases and loss of viable agricultural land. Cary
Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust explained:
“All our crops were originally developed from wild species – that’s how farming
began.” But they were adapted from the plants best suited to the climates of
the past. “Climate change means we need to go back to the wild to find those
relatives of our crops that can thrive in the climates of the future.”
Are the
statements true or false?
1. Scientists will be
collecting wild relatives of domesticated crops.
2. Many of these wild plants
are in danger of dying out.
3. The project will collect
wild variants only of wheat, rice and potatoes.
4. The Millennium Seed Bank is
the leader of the project.
5. Scientists will use the
stored seeds to research solutions.
6. Dr. Smith feels that there
is no reason to rush into this project.
TEXT 2 Excerpt
from “Island of the Blue Dolphins” by Scott O’Dell
I do not remember much of this
time, except that many suns rose and set. I thought about what I was going to
do now that I was alone. I did not leave the village. Not until I had eaten all
of the abalones did I leave and then only to gather more.
Yet I do remember the day that
I decided I would never live in the village again. It was a morning of thick
fog and the sound of far-off waves breaking on the shore. I had never noticed
before how silent the village was. Fog crept in and out of the empty huts. It
made shapes as it drifted and they reminded me of all the people who were dead
and those who were gone. The noise of the surf seemed to be their voices
speaking.
I sat for a long time, seeing
these shapes and hearing the voices, until the sun came out and the fog
vanished. Then I made a fire against the wall of the house. When it was
burned to the earth I started a fire in another house. Thus, one by one, I
destroyed them all so that there were only ashes left to mark the village of
Ghalas-at.
Choose the
correct variant (A, B, C, or D):
7. We can infer from the text
that Ghalas-at is:
A. idyllically
beautiful
C. located by the sea
B.
quaint
D. a large settlement
8. At first, the narrator only
leaves the village to:
A. find food
B. watch the sun rise and set
C. go
swimming
D. the narrator never leaves
the village
9. What does the narrator
perceive in the fog?
A. Nothing.
B. The voices of the villagers
speaking.
C. Empty huts.
D. The shapes of the people
who are dead and gone.
10. In the last paragraph,
‘vanished’ means:
A. drifted
B. disappeared
C. thickened
D. vanquished
11. The burning of the village
can be best described as an act of:
A. survival
B. war
C. mourning
D. pleasure
12. What was the only mark of
the village of Ghalas-at?
A. the remains of a
fire.
B. fog
C. voices
D. far-off waves
TEXT 3 From
“Lonely Planet Review: Australia”, “Sydney Aquarium”, 15th Edition, 2009
This place brings in more
paying visitors than any other attraction in Australia– even with its hefty
admission charges. Aqua fans enter through huge, kitsch, metallic shark jaws
into 160 m of underwater tunnels, looking at 11,000 happy Australian sea creatures.
Highlights include clownfish, an intimidating array of sharks in the Open Ocean
section, and the Great Barrier Reef exhibit’s swoon-worthy Van Gogh coral
colours. Residents of the Seal Sanctuary have lawless amounts of fun. Needless
to say, kids love it. Arrive early to beat the crowds (but less chatter makes
it harder to ignore the piped-in indigestive whale noises). Disabled access is
good. Booking online will save you a few dollars. Discounted combo tickets are
also available accessing Sydney Tower and/or Sydney Wildlife World.
Choose the
correct variant (A, B, C, or D):
13. In the opinion of the
writer, the price of a ticket to the Aquarium is
A. incredibly cheap
B. affordable
C. high
D. unreasonable
14. Visitors enter the
aquarium through
A. a metal detector
B. a kitchen where seafood is
prepared
C. a replica of a shark’s
mouth
D. a tunnel filled with 11,000
sea creatures
15. What does the word ‘beat’
mean in the text?
A. hit
B. arrive after
C. avoid
D. come together
16. Which of the following does
the review NOT tell the reader to expect?
A. beautiful coral
B. marine life
C. sounds of whales eating
D. excursions to the open
ocean
17. Why does the review
recommend arriving early?
A. You can get discounted
tickets.
B. There will be fewer people.
C. The animals are more
active.
D. There are more shows early
in the day.
18. It is cheaper to enter the
aquarium by….
A. booking on the Internet.
B. arriving early.
C. underwater tunnels.
D. buying tickets at the
entrance.
TEXT 4 From
“How to Flip an Omelet” by Wendy Coleman, HowToDoThings.com, 2010
People of all ages love
omelets especially for breakfast and on Sundays. Bring additional fun to the
table by learninghow to fold and flip an omelet, like the chefs on TV! With
enough practice, you can perfectly execute the same techniques and dazzle
people. Below are tips on how to fold and flip an omelet.
What you need to
create an omelet. You need a nonstick skillet, oil, butter, fork or whisk, bowl, flexible
spatula and two eggs. Make your omelet succulent by adding filling
ingredients like ham, cheese, tomato, onion, sausage, bell peppers, bacon, and
mushrooms. You can add avocado, salsa, cilantro and sour cream after the omelet
has been cooked.
Prepare your
omelet. Crack the eggs in
a bowl. Beat them with a fork or whisk until the egg whites and yolks are
thoroughly blended. Add the fillings for your omelet. You can add them while
cooking or cook them separately if needed.
Cook your omelet. Put your non-stick skillet on a hot plate or stove on
low heat. Dab and melt some oil and butter. Your omelet will stick and it will
absorb much oil if the pan is not hot enough. Your pan is hot if smoke begins
to appear. You can also put your palm near the pan to check if it’s hot.
Don’t heat your pan too much or the omelet might burn. Use a spatula to lift
the corners of your omelet if it solidified on the pan’s bottom.
Flip your omelet. Hold the pan handle tightly. Use your spatula to
gradually separate the egg corners from the pan. Gradually lift up the omelet
in the pan in circular movements. The omelet must slide and be lifted on the
pan easily. Watch the omelet slide on the pan while you’re preparing yourself
for the trick. If you feel that you’re ready, quickly plunge the pan down
before performing the flipping technique. Flip the omelet two or three times to
intensify the thrill of your audience. Add the additional toppings after your
omelet flipping performance. Serve and enjoy.
Choose the
correct variant (A, B, C, or D):
19. As used here, the word
‘execute’ means
A. imbibe
B. carry out
C. put off
D. kill
20. We could replace the word
‘succulent’ with each of the following words except:
A. flavorful
B. delicious
C. delectable
D. sufficient
21. According to the author,
why might your omelet stick to the pan?
A. You added too much oil or
butter.
B. You didn’t wait for the pan
to heat up.
C. You added other ingredients
to your eggs too soon.
D. You’re using the wrong kind
of spatula.
22. The main reason the writer
likes flipping omelets is because…
A. it impresses an audience
B. it makes the omelet tastier
C. it is a good trick for
auditioning for cooking shows on TV
D. it is a good exercise for
her arms
23. The opposite of
‘gradually’ is
A. gracefully
B. thankfully
C. quickly
D. conveniently
24. A non-stick skillet is
important because…
A. it heats the omelet faster.
B. it allows the omelet to be
easily flipped.
C. it heats the omelet slower.
D. it is a healthier way to
cook.
TEXT 5 From “The
Cat” by Andrew Barton Paterson
Paragraphs A- F are in the
wrong order. Decide on the correct order of the paragraphs, and write the
letter next to the number below.
25
____
28 ____
26
____
29 ____
27
____
30 ____
(A) When the family sits down
to tea, the cat usually puts in an appearance to get his share, and purrs
noisily, and rubs himself against the legs of the family; and all the time he
is thinking of a fight or a love-affair that is coming off that evening.
If there is a guest at table the cat is particularly civil to him, because the
guest is likely to have the best of what is going. Sometimes, instead of
recognizing this civility with something to eat, the guest stoops down and
strokes the cat, and says, “Poor pussy! Poor pussy!”
(B)He – or she – is an
athlete, a musician, an acrobat, a Lothario, a grim fighter, a sport of the
first water. All day long the cat loafs about the house, takes things easy,
sleeps by the fire, and allows himself to be pestered by the attentions
of our womenfolk and annoyed by our children.
(C)Most people think that the
cat is an unintelligent animal, fond of ease, and caring little for anything
but mice and milk. But a cat has really more character than most human beings,
and gets a great deal more satisfaction outof life. Of all the animal kingdom,
the cat has the most many-sided character.
(D)To pass the time away
he sometimes watches a mouse hole for an hour or two – just to keep himself
from dying of ennui; and people get the idea that this sort of thing is all
that life holds for the cat. But watch him as the shades of evening fall, and
you see the cat as he really is.
(E)The guest dares not do what
he would like to do – kick the cat through the window – so, with tears of rage
and pain in his eyes, he affects to be very much amused, and sorts out a bit of
fish from his plate and hands it down. The cat gingerly receives it, with a
look in his eyes that says: “Another time, my friend, you won’t be so dull of
comprehension,” and purrs maliciously as he retires to a safe distance from the
guest’s boot before eating it. A cat isn’t a fool – not by a long way.
(F)The cat soon tires of that; he puts up his claw and quietly but firmly
rakes the guest in the leg. “Ow!” says the guest, “the cat stuck his claws into
me!” The delighted family remarks, “Isn’t it sweet of him? Isn’t he
intelligent? HE WANTS YOU TO GIVE HIM SOMETHING TO EAT.”
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