Comprehension [ 19 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

19 - ] Comprehension

Upper Intermediate & Advanced

 

Read the following passage , then answer the questions below . Do not look back at the passage . Compare your answers to the Answer Key . Check any incorrect answers by reading the passage .

          At the end of the 20^th century , the world is changing in important ways. Until recently , nations acted independently . Each country did its business and tried to solve its problems alone . But now , the economy is worldwide and communications technologies have connected people all over the globe . Many problems are global , too , and can no longer be solved by individual nations .

             Environmental destruction is one of these problems . As the world’s population has grown and technology has developed , the environment has suffered . Some nations have begun to try to stop the pollution and the environmental destruction . But the environment is global - the atmosphere , the oceans , and many forms of life are all connected . Thus , the solutions require global thinking .

               The problem of ocean pollution is a good example . All the oceans of the world are connected . Pollution does not stay where it begins . It spreads out from every river and every harbor and affects bodies of water everywhere.

                For centuries , people have used the oceans as a dumping place . Many cities take tons of garbage out to sea and dump it there . The quantity of garbage that ends up in the water is incredible . Five million plastic containers are thrown into the world’s oceans every day ! Aside from Plastics , many other dangerous substances are dumped in oceans . These include human waste and chemicals used in agriculture . And every year , oil tankers accidentally spill millions of gallons of oil into the sea .

                Some people believe that the oceans are so large that chemicals and waste will disappear . However , many things , such as chemicals and plastics , stay in the water and create problems . They eventually float to shore and are eaten by tiny sea creatures . Then the larger animals that eat the tiny creatures are poisoned and die . Harbors and coasts around the world have become unsafe for humans or animals . The world’s fish populations are rapidly shrinking .

                Another global pollution problem concerns the atmosphere . Until recently , chlorofluorocarbons ( CFCs ) were used around the world in manufacturing refrigerators . Scientists discovered that these CFCs were destroying the ozone layer in the atmosphere .The ozone layer helps protect the earth from the sun’s rays . Without this layer , most forms of life on earth - including humans - probably would not be able to live .

                  CFCs will soon be completely banned in the United States and in most developed countries . But many other countries still use CFCs in manufacturing . Among these countries are some of the most populous on earth , such as India and China . These countries need to change their refrigerator factories to non-CFC process . But they may not be able to make this change alone . They will need help from the industrialized countries . This is what global thinking means - working together for solutions .

Circle the best answers to the following questions . Do not look back at the passage .

1 . This passage is about

( A ) air pollution .

( B ) old ways of thinking .

( C ) global thinking .

( D ) refrigerator factories in China .

2 . You may infer from this passage that in the past

( A ) problems were more local .

( B ) nations were more interested in the environment .

( C ) the economy was more global .

( D ) individual nations did not have as many problems .

3 . Until now , most nations followed the principal that

( A ) all countries should share their problems .

( B ) all nations were enemies .

( C ) each nation should take care of its own problems .

( D ) what happens in China affects everyone .

4 . According to this passage , many environmental problems

( A ) are caused by global thinking .

( B ) are caused by old ways of thinking .

( C ) are caused by the United States and Japan .

( D ) cannot be solved by local laws .

5 .  The solution to ocean pollution requires global thinking because

( A ) no one cares about the ocean .

( B ) the oceans are so large .

( C ) all the world’s oceans are connected .

( D ) more oil is needed in the developing countries .

6 . increasing global population and the development of technology

( A ) will solve the problem of ocean pollution .

( B ) have made the pollution problem worse .

( C ) is a result of global thinking .

( D ) have resulted in more business opportunities .

7 . From this article , we can infer that , in manufacturing refrigerators ,

( A ) CFCs must be used all around the world .

( B ) only China uses CFCs .

( C ) other chemicals can be used in place of CFCs .

( D ) only CFCs are available in China .

8 . Nations must learn to think globally because

( A ) communication technologies will solve our problems .

( B ) large businesses will spread around the world .

( C ) changes in the world require stronger nations .

( D ) that is the only way to solve global problems .

Answer Key

1 . C 2 . A 3 . C 4 . D 5 . C 6 . B 7 . C 8 . D