- Read the passage and answer the question. A lot of people love koalas bears. All over the world children play with stuffed toys. However it is rare to see this animal alive, because it is becoming extinct.From the point of view of its aspect, it seems a mixture of a monkey and a cangaroo.Koalas are native to Australia.They mainly live in New South Wales and in Queensland.They are protected animals: their number has very much diminished in the last ten years. Today hunting koalas is punished by the law.Covered with grey fur, they show small and black eyes, large ears and not tail.They move at night and don't stay on the ground. They go from tree to tree to eat the leaves of eucaliptus.Their worst enemy is fire: they can't run fast enough to save themselves.Where do koalas live?   In Australia

- Read the passage and answer the question. It might be thought an amazing coincidence if Earth were the only planet in the galaxy on which intelligent life evolved. If it happened here, the one planet we have studied closely, surely one would expect it to have happened on a lot of other planets in the galaxy planets we havenot yet had the chance to examine. This objection, however, rests on a fallacy: it overlooks what is known as an 'observation selection effect', so it wouldn't be such a coincidence. Whetherintelligent life is common or rare, every observer is guaranteed to originate from a place where intelligent life did, in fact, arise. Since only the successes give rise to observers who can wonder about their existence, it would be a mistake to regard our planet as a randomly selected sample from all planets.Which one of the following best expresses the main conclusion of the above argument?   There would be no amazing coincidence if we discovered that Earth were the only planet in the galaxy on which intelligent life evolved

- Read the passage and answer the question. Modern technology has given us the power to use renewable natural resources faster than they can be replaced. The decline of fish numbers provides one example of the way in which modern technology can rapidly use up a natural resource. Modern fishing ships equipped with fish detecting systems and huge nets can gather up vast quantities of fish quicker than the sea can renew them. Because high technology gives us such harmful powers, we must learn to use the renewable resources of the earth carefully, rather than waste them.Which one of the following best expresses the main conclusion of the above passage?   Humans must preserve renewable resources by learning how to use them carefully

- Read the passage and answer the question. Robert Louis Stevenson was born in Edinburgh in 1850 in a rich family. Only son of a successful engineer, he went to Edinburgh University. After taking a degree in law he preferred the study of literature. With poor health since childhood, he decided to leave Edinburgh in 1873 for the French Riviera to find a better climate. Later he went to California where he married Fanny Osbourne. Come back to England, he wrote his first novels, among which "Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" gained a great success. In 1890 he settled in Samoa, where he died in 1894. Robert Louis Stevenson took a degree:   in law

- Read the passage and answer the question. Roughly 60 percent of today's world population is bilingual or multilingual and it is argued that this is a new phenomenon. Today Spanish and Arabic are widely spoken whilst English is the world's most commonly spoken and written language. However, 500 years ago it was Latin which was the main language of education, religion, commerce and government in the Western World despite this not being most people's first language. In the 17th century, French and Italian gained in importance as languages of international trade. Which one of the following can be drawn as a conclusion from the above passage?   Speaking another language has always been an important practical consideration

- Read the passage and answer the question. The fallout from the global slowdown in the airline industry is still casting a shadow over airline suppliers, despite the resurgence of budget airlines. L Gardner, the engineering company, said yesterday that it had got rid of its final dividend and would cut 250 staff in the face of uncertain short-term prospects after the events of September 11. The supplier to Boeing and Rolls-Royce said that it would cut about 10 per cent of its workforce in a costcutting drive, announced last month, to pre-empt lower business levels. The group, which generates two-thirds of its income from making aircraft components, also said it felt that it was inappropriate to pay a dividend. Brett Welch, the finance director, said the cost-cutting exercise would help the company when the airline industry returned to normality. Separately, Ryanair, the no-frills Republic of Ireland airline, is expected to confirm Frankfurt as its second European hub today. The move, eagerly anticipated by observers in the airlines sector, would enable the budget airline to step up its efforts to take cost-conscious business passengers from the flag carriers. A "cost-conscious passenger" wants....   Cost-effective service

- Read the passage and answer the question. The Treasury Select Committee is to launch an inquiry into the planned take-over of Liffe, the London Futures exchange, by Euronext, the alliance of the Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam stock exchanges. The unusual move is thought to have been provoked by growing concern among committee members about the impact on the City of London of the 555 million cash take-over. The committee will hear evidence from Liffe and Euronext officials on December 13. It will then question officials from the London Stock Exchange, which lost out in the auction for Liffe despite tabling a higher offer. Philip Morris switch challenged": Philip Morris, the tobacco company, has become embroiled in a dispute about its proposed name change. Altria Healthcare, a private medical billing company in America, is concerned about Philip Morris's proposed name change to Altria Group. "It is of great concern to a healthcare business to have a big tobacco and alcohol company wish to adopt an identical name," Warren Smedley, Altria Healthcare's president, said. Philip Morris said it had conducted all necessary searches and was confident that it was not in breach of any laws and would not confuse Altria Healthcare's customers. An "alliance" is...   partnership

- Read the passage and answer the question. The visitor that has reached London can go about in taxis, buses or by Underground. The Underground is rapid, easy and cheap. There are so many cars and buses that one cannot drive along the roads quickly and without many stops. The Underground is therefore usually quicker than taxis or buses. On the Underground you find good maps which tell you the names of the stations and show you how to get to them, so that it is easy to find your way. Then you are allowed to relax looking at the people around you. London Underground is:   rapid, easy and cheap

- Read the passage and answer the question. Virginia Woolf was born in London in 1882. Her life was ruined by several breakdowns: depression never left her till a fatal suicide in 1941. When her father died she could meet writers taking part in the "Bloomsbury Group". She wrote her first novel in 1915, two years after her marriage with Leonard Woolf. Virginia Woolf was interested in giving voice to feelings and emotions. She represented the human personality as the mix of impressions and emotions. She gave a big contribution to the Modernism literary movement with her essay "Modern Fiction" of 1919. She is celebrated as one of the most fascinating female writer of the 20th century. Did depression affect Virginia Woolf's life?   Virginia Woolf was hit by many crisis and at the end committed suicide

- Read the passage and answer the question.Although the Earth supports life, it has a mysterious carbon deficit. Compared with other bodies in the solar system the Earth has far less carbon than would be expected for a planet that supports life. Originally it was thought that in the inner region of the dust disc where the Earth formed, temperatures soared high enough for the carbon to boil away. However, observations of developing solar systems have now suggested that the temperature would not have been high enough. It is more likely that fire is to blame. Hot oxygen atoms would have readily combined with carbon, burning to produce carbon dioxide. There would have been fewer of these oxygen atoms further away from the Sun.Wich one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the above argument?   The abundance of carbon in the asteroid belt surrounding the inner planets increases the further away you get from the Sun

- Read the passage and answer the question.An old man feared that some thief could take his money. Think and think, he decided to hide his treasure under the bed. He put it into a hole. However he was so old that he forgot the place where he had hidden the gold.One night a thief came into the bedroom.The old man, terrified, hid under the bed. In the meanwhile, the thief found the money. The old man gave a loud cry, the thief was frightened, dropped the money and ran away.The old man was happy because he had his money again.Did the old man fear that a thief could take his money?   The old man was frightened at the idea of being robbed

- Read the passage and answer the question.Car drivers understandably become very annoyed at high sales taxes on fuel. In the interests of fairness, money raised from fuel taxes should be spent on maintaining roads or even on subsidising public transport. In fact much of it is put to other uses, such as providing healthcare or improving national defence. Which one of the following is an application of the principle underlying the above argument?   Profits from sporting events should be spent on encouraging people to participate in sport

- Read the passage and answer the question.E-cigarettes, which provide nicotine without cigarette smoke, have been praised by health campaigners. Research has suggested that success rates for quitting smoking are higher with e-cigarettes than with other methods. However, rather than tackling their nicotine addiction, e-cigarette users have simply replaced one habit with another. It is true that cigarette smoke contains many hazardous compounds, and also that quitting smoking increases life expectancy and reduces the risk of many health problems. But nicotine also has its dangers: it has been associated with a range of conditions that we do not fully understand, and research has yet to establish the long-term effects of nicotine use outside of cigarette smoke.Which one of the following is a conclusion that can be drawn from the above passage?   People should not assume e-cigarettes as a safe alternative to traditional cigarettes

- Read the passage and answer the question.Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.She was more young of the two daughters of a most affectionate, indulgent father; and had, in consequence of her sister's marriage, been mistress of his house from a very early period. Her mother had died too long ago for her to have more than an indistinct remembrance of her caresses; and her place had been supplied by an excellent woman as governess, who had fallen little short of a mother in affection. (J. Austen)Emma Woodhouse had been mistress of her father 's house in consequence:   of her sister's marriage

- Read the passage and answer the question.Over the last ten years there has been a huge increase in the number of television programmes involving the work of forensic scientists. This media attention has been matched by a massive increase in the number of courses and qualifications available in this field. Although this new attention has led to greater public awareness, it has not led to the creation of more jobs in this field. The work of forensics professionals has continued unchanged. Therefore, those who choose to study these courses will find that there is fierce competition for difficult and unpleasant work.Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the above argument?   Many students of forensic science go on to pursue careers in other areas

- Read the passage and answer the question.The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, within New York City. The "Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World" was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was designated as a National Monument in 1924. Employees of the National Park Service have been caring for the colossal copper statue since 1933. Which country gifted the Statue of Liberty to United States?   France

- Read the passage and answer the question.Though relatively few people know it by name, palm oil is found in over fifty per cent of processed supermarket goods, from soaps to snacks. This vegetable oil, which is taken from the fruit of the oil palm tree, causes a great deal of environmental concern. The clearing of tropical forests to grow oil palm plantations threatens the survival of orangutans and other endangered species. The land conversion often happens on carbon rich peat soils in a process which releases significant greenhouse gas emissions. Yet even some environmental organizations warn that alternative vegetable oil crops may require much larger areas of forest to be converted to agricultural land. Which one of the following is a conclusion that can be drawn from the above passage?   A ban on palm oil alone would not solve all of the environmental problems associated with vegetable oil production

- Read the passage and answer the question.Undercover police investigators sometimes commit 'crimes' in order to convince the 'real criminals' that they are on the same side as them. Some of these activities have victims,although in the main these are other criminals rival gang members for example. In committingwhat are technically offences the officers are preventing many more serious crimes by helping to convict and imprison dangerous criminals who might otherwise remain at liberty. But that is not really the point. A breach of the law is a breach of the law, whoever commits it and for whatever reason. Preventing a crime does not make it right to commit another crime.Which one of the following is the general principle underlying the above argument?   The end does not justify the means

- Read the passage and answer the question.Vincent Willem van Gogh (30 March 1853 - 29 July 1890)) was a Dutch painter who, during his life time, sold only one picture. However, he became, after his death, one of the most famous artist in the story of western art. He created about 2,100 paintings: landscapes, portraits and self- portraits. His life was plagued by psychotic episodes and deep depression, certainly the main cause of his suicide in the 29 July of 1890. After his death, the previous unsuccess was transformed into a glorification: Vincent van Gogh became famous and was hailed as a very important painter.How many paintings did Van Gogh sell during his life?   only one

- Read the passage and answer the question.Why children go to school? It isn't an easy question. We send children to school to prepare them for the time when they will be big and will have to work for themselves. They learn foreign languages in order to be able to tell others what they want and what they know. They learn arithmetic in order to be able to measure and count things in their daily life.A man who really knows how to learn will always be successful, because whenever he has to do something new he will rapidly teach himself how to do it in the best way. There is more in education than just learning facts. We go to school, above all, to learn how to learn, so that, when we have left school we will always be successful .The uneducated person, is either unable to do something new, or does it badly. The purpose of school, therefore, is not just to teach languages, arithmetic, geography, but to teach students the way to learn.What is the purpose of school?   The purpose of school is to teach the students the way to learn

- Read the passage and answer the question.Widespread underage drinking in certain countries prompted their governments to place restrictions on selling alcohol to young people. The aim was to protect young people's health, but the result was not as intended. Soon after the restrictions were in place, hospitals saw several cases of young people becoming ill as a result of drinking alcohol- based liquids such as medical spirits, ethanol solutions and perfumes. The young people claimed that the restriction on legal alcohol was the main reason they were drinking other substances. If the restrictions were abolished, the health risk would be reduced.Which one of the following is the best statement of the flaw in the above argument?   It ignores the fact that if there had been no restrictions more young people would have suffered from drinking alcohol

- Read the passage and answer the question.World Wildlife Fund mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. Its vision is to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. As the world's leading conservation organization, WWF works in nearly 100 countries. At every level, WWF experts collaborate with people around the world to develop and deliver innovative solutions that protect communities, wildlife, and the places in which they live. They are determined to ensure that people and nature can thrive together, for generations to come. WWF works to conserve endangered species, protect endangered spaces, and address global threats to the planet such as climate changeWorld Wildlife Fund mission is:   to conserve nature and endangered species

- Read the passage and choose the answer which fits best according to the text. Many great whales like the Humpback have been so brutally massacred by mankind that whalers consider them commercially extinct. Whales are still over-exploited. Typical is the Blue whale, the largest animal that has ever lived on this earth - 100 feet (30 metres) long and weighing 160 tons. Since 1900 we humans have killed over 300,000 of them and there are only a few thousand left. Despite international demands to stop the slaughter, whalers - mainly Japanese and Russian - are destroying four other species of great whale; some have already been reduced to 20 per cent of their former population. Whalers can turn to other trades but the great whales can never be recreated. They have much to teach us. These peaceful creatures have highly developed brains and close family and social organization. They can communicate over great distances, and dive to great depths. We cannot yet explain their full role in the ecology of the seas, but if they are wiped out and we find their role was a vital one, it will be too late. The whales:   have highly developed brains

- Read the passage and fill in the blank.Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, ____________ race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination. International human rights law lays down the obligations of Governments to act in certain ways or to refrain from certain acts, in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals or ______.   regardless of /groups

- Read the passage and fill in the blanks. Keesh lived long ago on the rim of the polar sea, was head man of his village through many and prosperous years, and died full of honors with his name on the lips of men. So long ago did he live that only the old men remember his name, his name and the tale, which they got from the old men before them, and which the old men to come will ____to their children and their children's children down to the end of time. And the winter darkness, when the north gales make their long sweep ____ the ice-pack, and the air is filled with flying white, and no man may venture forth, is the chosen time for the telling of how Keesh, from the poorest igloo in the village, rose to power and place over them all. (Jack London)   tell / across

- Read the passage and fill in the blanks. The sun shone down from a clear sky, growing steadily hotter as he rose above the low hills. All the grass and other green plants had been burned brown some months before, so that the plain and hills were a uniform, infinitely sad, or infinitely restful colour - sad to those who had grown up surrounded by the meadows and woods of a green countryside, and could see no beauty in this bare land. I am one of those who love the desert. It brings peace to my mind. In the desert the sun is master, all else retires before its merciless rays. Only where there is ____ does the earth of the desert give a rich home to trees and flowers: a paradise. Strengthened in spirit, with rested nerves and a _________ mind , the visitor can return to the battle for existence in the towns.   water / peaceful