Comprehension [ 31 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

31 - ] Comprehension

Upper Intermediate & Advanced

 Read the following article , then answer the questions below :

           Distance learning is a method of study that involves using electronic means ( computers , Internet , etc. ) to receive and send work rather than going to a school or university .

            ‘Knowledge ,’ according to the proverb ‘is power’ . And in this electronic age , more and more of our information is gained not in the classroom , but via media such as the Internet , CE-ROM and cable TV … all of which are playing a key part in the distance learning revolution . Here are three figures in this key educational change which is transforming our lives in the 21^st century .

             Those who think that distance learning is a relatively new idea might be surprised to learn that English educator , Sir Isaac Pitman , had the same idea - only then they were called correspondence courses - more than 150 years ago . Taking advantage of the development of a reliable postal system in 1840 , Pitman began teaching shorthand by mail to thousands of students who did not have time to attend school . ‘Lessons’ consisted of copying short passages of the Bible in shorthand , and posting them to Mr. Pitman to be corrected . His brother , Benn Pitman , introduced the idea to the United States , and the Pitman shorthand system - which has been adapted to the fifteen other languages - is still one of the most widely used shorthand systems in the world .

                  When it was established in 1969 , the Open University offered courses via mail , with the back-up of regular TV and radio programs shown outside normal broadcast times . Each student was assigned a tutor who discussed the course work over the phone , and in group sessions in the evening or at weekends . Thirty years on , the Open University has expanded to include the Internet , videoconferencing , satellite broadcast and e-mail . There are no entry qualifications or admission interviews , and anyone over the age of 18 can follow one of their courses . It is now Britain’s largest single teaching institution , with more than 200,000 people studying its courses every year , with another 16,000 in other countries around the world .

                  After a successful career in university education , John S. Hendricks entered the TV business and launched the Discovery Channel - the first cable TV channel exclusively devoted to documentaries and nature programs - in June 1985 . Today the company’s programs reach over 150 million subscribers in more than a hundred countries . In an age where competition for TV audiences has never been tougher , the Discovery Channel’s high-quality , educational approach continues to defy those who believe that TV is only about mindless entertainment . The BBC program Walking with Dinosaurs became the most-watched documentary in TV history when it was shown on the Discovery Channel in 2000 .

1 -] Who first had the idea of teaching shorthand by correspondence ? How ?

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2 - ] Who too the idea of correspondence courses to the United States ?

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3 - ] What three methods were originally used for course work by the Open University ?

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4 - ] What entry qualifications are required to do a course at the Open University ?

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5 -] What type of programs are shown on the Discovery Channel ? 

Comprehension [ 30 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

30 - ] Comprehension

 Upper Intermediate & Advanced 

 Read this extract from a short story , then answer the questions below :

               In the lumberyard by the lake , where trees from the woods were turned into boards for construction work , there was an old brick building two floors high , and all around the outside wall were heaped great piles of soft sawdust . There were many of these golden mountains of dust covering that part of the yard right down to the blue lake . That afternoon , bored with

having nothing else to do , all the fellows followed Michael up the ladder to the roof of the old building and they sat with their legs hanging over the edge looking out across the lake. Suddenly Michael said ,‘I dare you to jump down,’ and without thinking about it , he pushed himself off the roof and fell on the sawdust where he lay rolling around and laughing . ‘I dare you all !’ he shouted . ‘You’re all cowards ,’ he said , encouraging them to follow him . Still laughing , he watched them looking down from the roof , white-faced and hesitant , and then one by one they jumped and got up grinning with relief .

                 In the hot afternoon sunlight they all lay on the sawdust pile telling jokes till at last one of the fellows said , ‘Come on up on the old roof again and jump down .’ There wasn’t much enthusiasm among them , but they all went up to the roof again and began to jump off in a determined , desperate way till only Michael was left and the others were all down below grinning up at him calling , ‘Come on , Mike . What’s the matter with you ?’ Michael wanted to jump down there and be with them , but he remained on the edge of the roof , wetting his lips , with a silly grin on his face , wondering why it had not seemed such a long drop the first time . For a while they thought he was only fooling them , but then they saw him clenching his fists tight . He was trying to count to ten and then jump , and when that failed , he tried to take a long breath and close his eyes . In a while the fellows began to laugh at him ; they were tired of waiting and it was getting on to the dinnertime . ‘Come on , you’re a coward , do you think we’re going to sit here all night ?’ they began to shout , and when he did not move they began to get up and walk away , still shouting . ‘Who did this in the first place ? What’s the matter with you all ?’ he called .

                But for a long time he remained on the edge of the roof , staring unhappily and steadily at the ground . He remained all alone for nearly an hour while the sun like a great orange ball getting bigger and bigger , rolled slowly over the grey line beyond the lake . His clothes were wet from nervous sweating . At last he closed his eyes , slipped off the roof , fell heavily on the pile of sawdust and lay there a long time . There were no sounds in the yard , the workmen had gone home . As he lay there he wondered why he had been unable to jump ; and then he got up slowly and walked home feeling deeply ashamed and wanting to avoid everybody .

              He was so late for dinner that his stepmother said to him coldly , ‘You’re big enough by this time surely to be able to get home in time for dinner . But if you won’t come home , you’d better try staying in tonight . ‘She was a well-built woman with a fair , soft skin and a little touch of grey in her hair and an eternally patient smile on her face . She was speaking now with a controlled severity , but Michael , with his dark face gloomy and miserable , hardly heard her ; he was still seeing the row of grinning faces down below on the sawdust pile and hearing them laugh at him .  

1 . Why did the boys first climb on the building ?

( A ) to test their courage

( B ) to pass the time

( C ) to keep out of the way of the workmen

( D ) to get a better view of the woods

2 . When the boys jumped after Michael , they

( A ) were grateful to him for the idea .

( B ) wanted to do it again immediately

( C )  felt pleased at what they had done .

( D ) found the jump harder than expected .

3 . Why didn’t Michael make the second jump immediately ?

( A ) The ground seemed further away .

( B ) He thought his friends had been foolish .

( C ) He was trying to trick his friends .

( D ) He wanted something to drink .

4 . How did Michael’s friends react when he didn’t jump ?

( A ) They left immediately .

( B ) They were not surprised .

( C ) They remembered how they had felt themselves .

( D ) They thought he was joking .

5 . When Michael finally jumped the second time , he

( A ) was proud of himself .

( B ) improved on his first jump .

( C ) could not understand what had stopped him .

( D ) was not so angry with his friends .

6 . When his stepmother criticized his behavior , Michael

( A ) wished he had come home earlier .

( B ) was thinking about something else .

( C ) had not expected her to behave like this .

( D ) was glad she was a patient woman .

7 . What is the writer trying to do in this text ?

( A ) describe a difficult experience in Michael’s life

( B ) show how children can work together

( C ) show the dangers of life in the countryside

( D ) describe Michael’s fear of his family 

Comprehension [ 29 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

29 - ] Comprehension

Upper Intermediate & Advanced

Read the following passage , then answer the questions below : 

               I was dirty , smelly , hungry and somewhere beneath all that , suntanned . It was the end of an Inter-Rail holiday . My body couldn’t take any more punishment . My mind couldn’t deal with any more foreign timetables , currencies or languages .

                ‘Never again ,’ I said , as I stepped into home ground . I said exactly the same thing the following year . And the next . All I had to do was buy one train ticket and , because I was under twenty-five years old , I could spend a whole month going anywhere I wanted in Europe . Ordinary beds are never the same once you’ve learnt to sleep in the corridor of a train , the rhythm rocking you into a deep sleep .

                Carrying all your possessions on your back in a rucksack makes you have a very basic approach to travel , and encourages incredible wastefulness that can lead to burning socks that have become too anti-social , and getting rid of books , when finished . On the other hand , this way of looking at life is entirely in the spirit of Inter-Rail , for common sense and reasoning can be thrown out of the window along with the paperback book and the socks . All it takes to achieve this carefree attitude is one of those tickets in your hand .

                Any system that enables young people to travel through countries at a rate of more than one a day must be pretty special . On that first trip , my friends and I were at first unaware of the possibilities of this type of train ticket , thinking it was just an inexpensive way of getting to and from our chosen camp-site in southern France . But the idea of non-stop travel proved too tempting , for there was always just one more country over the border , always that little bit further to go . And what did the extra miles cost us ? Nothing .

                     We were not completely uninterested in culture . But this was a first holiday without parents , as it was for most other Inter-Railers , and in organizing our own timetable we left out everything except the most immediately available sights . This was the chance to escape the guided tour , an opportunity to do something different . I took great pride in the fact that , in many places , all I could be bothered to see was the view from the station . We were just there to get by , and to have a good time doing so . In this we were no different from most of the other Inter-Railers with whom we shared corridor floors , food and water , money and music .

                     The excitement of travel comes from the sudden reality of somewhere that was previously just a name . It is as if the city in which you arrive never actually existed until the train pulls in at the station and you are able to see it with your own tired eyes for the first time .

                     Only by actually seeing Europe , by watching the changing landscapes and seeing the differences in attitudes and lifestyles , can you really have an accurate picture of the continent in your mind . Everybody knows what is there , but it is meaningless until you view it yourself . This is what makes other people’s holiday photos so boring .

                       While the train trip won’t allow you to discover anything new in the world sense , it is a valuable personal experience . Europe is a big place , and Inter-Rail gives people the best opportunity to recognize this ….. though in our case it didn’t happen immediately .

1 . At the end his first trip , the writer said ‘Never again’ because

( A ) he felt ill .

( B ) he dislikes trains .

( C ) he was tired from the journey .

( D ) he had lost money .

2 . What does the writer mean by ‘this way of looking at life’ in paragraph three ?

( A ) worrying about your clothes

( B ) throwing unwanted things away

( C ) behaving in an anti-social way

( D ) looking after your possessions

3 . Why did the writer originally buy an Inter-Rail ticket ?

( A ) to go on a tour of Europe

( B ) to meet other young people

( C ) to see a lot of famous places

( D ) to get to one place cheaply

4 . What the writer liked about traveling without his parents was that

( A ) he could see more interesting places .

( B ) he could spend more time sightseeing .

( C ) he could stay away from home longer .

( D ) be could make his own decisions .

5 . On his first trip , the writer found that the other young Inter-Railers were

( A ) unselfish .

( B ) irresponsible .

( C ) badly organized .

( D ) concerned about money .

6. What does the underlined word ‘it’ refer to ?

( A ) a name

( B ) the city

( C ) the train

( D ) the station

7. According to the writer , other people’s holiday photos can be boring if

( A ) they are badly taken .

( B ) they are similar to your own .

( C ) you haven’t visited the same place .

( D ) you could have done better yourself . 

 

Comprehension [ 28 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

28 - ] Comprehension

Upper Intermediate & Advanced 

Read the following newspaper article , then answer the questions below :

               Tens of thousands of ancient pictures carved into the rocks at one of Franc’s most important tourist sites are being gradually destroyed . Scientists and researchers fear that the 36,000 drawings on rocks in Mont Bego in the French Alps are being damaged so rapidly that they will not survive for future generations .

               The mountain , believed to have once been a site for prayer and worship , is scattered with 4,000-year-old drawings cut into bare rock . They include pictures of cows with horns , cultivated fields and various gods and goddesses . But as the popularity of the site increases , the pictures are being ruined by thoughtless graffiti .

                Jean Clottes is the chairman of the international Committee on Rock Art . He says , ‘People think that because the pictures have been there so long they will always continue to be there . But if the damage continues at this rate there will be nothing left in 50 years .’

               He describes seeing tourists stamping on the drawings , wearing away the rock and definition of the artwork as they do so . Some visitors , he says , even chop off parts to take some home as souvenirs .

               ‘When people think they can’t take a good enough photograph , they rub the drawings to get a clearer picture .’ he said . ‘The drawings are polished by the weather , and if the sun is shining and the visitors can’t see them properly they simply rub and scrape them to make them look fresher .’

               Other researchers describe how people arrive carrying long sticks with sharp ends to scratch their own drawings , or even their names , in the rocks .

               But experts are divided over the best way to preserve the drawings . Henry de Lumley , director of the Museum of Natural History in Paris , believes that the only way to save the site is to turn the whole mountain into a ‘no-go’ area , preventing the public from going there except on guided tours . Otherwise , he says , not only will the site be completely destroyed but important research work will be reduced .

              Clottes disagrees . ‘The measure proposed by Henry de Lumley is the most severe , and while it is the most effective, it is also certain to bring about protests from people who live there .’ he said . ‘The site was classified as a historic monument years ago by the Ministry of Culture , and we must do as much as possible to save what is there .’

              David Lavergne , the regional architect , also wants to avoid closing the site . ‘Henry de Lumley’s idea isn’t ideal ,’ he said . ‘Our department feels that the best solution is to let people look at the site , but because the area is very big it is difficult to prevent visitors from damaging it . I would prefer that everyone was able to look at it , but the main problem is financial . We do not have the funds to employ the necessary number of guards . We may have to consider charging a fee . There seems to be no prospect of government funding .’

                 In Nice , Annie Echassoux , who also worked on researching the site , is alarmed that as the mountain becomes easier to reach - tourists can now avoid the three-and-a-half-hour walk by hiring vehicles - the damage will increase rapidly . She thinks that the only solution is to rope off the area and provide guides . ‘You can’t say the plan can’t go ahead because there is no money .’ she said . ‘That is not good enough . Money must be provided because the Ministry of Culture has classified this area as a historic site . If we don’t take steps , we will be responsible for losing the drawings for the next generation .’

1 . What does the underlined word “they” refer to “

( A ) the rocks

( B ) the French Alps

( C ) the drawings

( D ) the tourist sites

2 . Jean Clottes says that people who visit the mountain

( A ) do not believe the drawings are old .

( B ) believe they are allowed to paint there .

( C ) think the drawings should be left alone .

( D ) assume the drawings will not change .

3 . According to Clottes , some of the visitors to the area have

( A ) helped to clean the drawings .

( B ) taken bits of the rock home .

( C ) been unable to take photographs .

( D ) misunderstood what the pictures mean .

4 . Henry de Lumley is keen to

( A ) set up research projects .

( B ) safeguard public rights .

( C ) keep out individual visitors .

( D ) ban traffic in the area .

5 . Clottes disagrees with Henry de Lumley’s suggestion because he thinks

( A ) it won’t work .

( B ) visitors will protest about it .

( C ) he has a better idea .

( D ) it will annoy local people .

6 . David Lavergne would prefer to

( A ) limit the number of visitors to the site .

( B ) arrange security to protect the site .

( C ) reduce the overall area of the site .

( D ) use tourist fees to finance repairs on the site .

7 . Which word best describes Annie Echassoux’s attitude ?

( A ) determined

( B ) despairing

( C ) unforgiving

( D ) understanding

8 . This article has been written about Mont Bego to

( A ) advertise the closure of the site .

( B ) warn visitors about the dangers of the site .

( C ) encourage scientists to visit the site .

( D ) describe fears about the future of the site . 

Comprehension [ 27 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

27 - ] 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 .

                National borders have no meaning for the atmosphere . This was demonstrated to the world by the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster and again by the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo . Whatever enters the atmosphere in one country soon travels around the world . And so , scientists are now worried about the global effects of air pollution . Research shows , in fact , that the earth’s atmosphere is changing in ways that could be destructive to life . Pollution could be a major cause of this .

                One of the pollutants that is causing the greatest concern is carbon dioxide . It is released into the air when coal or petroleum is burned . Carbon dioxide has always been a part of our atmosphere , the product of certain natural processes . However , in recent decades , the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has greatly increased . This is the result of an enormous increase in the amount of coal
and petroleum burned for fuel .

                 At the same time , the earth’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide has greatly decreased . Absorption of carbon dioxide occurs mainly in areas of thick forest . Those areas are rapidly disappearing as more and more forests are cut down .

                  The result of the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the so-called “greenhouse effect” . The carbon dioxide acts like a glass screen , making the sun’s heat more intense . There are already signs of global warming , say many scientists . Over the next century , average temperatures could rise by as much as four degrees centigrade .

                 Such a temperature change could be disastrous . Vast areas , such as the whole central United States , could become too hot and dry for agriculture . Because of the melting of polar ice , the water level of the oceans would rise and many low coastal areas would disappear . For example , large parts of Netherlands , Bangladesh , and the state of Florida would be under water .

                In most of the industrialized countries , there are now laws that limit carbon dioxide released into the air . However , in many other countries , such as India and China , there are no such laws . These countries plan , in fact , to double or triple the amount of coal they burn . They cannot afford to change to other kinds of fuel that pollute the air less . And so , they will be releasing even more carbon dioxide into the air .

                 Thus , laws passed in the industrialized countries will have little effect on the worldwide situation . Our planet is likely to continue to warm up unless the less-developed countries make some changes , too .

                 A global disaster can only be avoided by a global solution . The industrialized nations need to “think globally” . They need to look beyond their own borders at the needs of the earth as a whole . They must put some of their wealth and technology to work in poorer countries . This may be the only way to clean up our atmosphere and prevent disastrous changes .

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

1 . This passage is about

( A ) carbon dioxide in the atmosphere .

( B ) how some countries pollute the air .

( C ) how air pollution is a global problem .

( D ) the effects of global warming .

2 . The Chernobyl disaster showed that

( A ) the atmosphere has not changed .

( B ) pollutants in the air can travel far.

( C ) scientists do not understand air pollution .

( D ) air pollution is mainly a local problem .

3. Carbon dioxide

( A ) is produced by the burning of coal and petroleum .

( B ) is produced by forests .

( C ) was produced by the Chernobyl disaster .

( D ) is no longer produced by natural processes .

4 . Air pollution from burning fuels has caused

( A ) a decrease in carbon dioxide levels .

( B ) no change in carbon dioxide levels .

( C ) a dramatic increase in carbon dioxide levels .

( D ) a small increase in carbon dioxide levels .

5 . The “greenhouse effect” will

( A ) lead to a cooler climate worldwide .

( B ) lead to a warmer climate worldwide .

( C ) cause the earth’s forests to disappear .

( D ) increase the levels of carbon dioxide .

6 . One effect of global warming could be

( A ) the melting of the polar ice .

( B ) the shrinking of the earth’s oceans .

( C ) the need for less coal and petroleum .

( D ) an increase in air pollution .

7 . At present , India and China plan to

( A ) limit the amount of coal they will burn .

( B ) stop burning coal for fuel .

( C ) greatly increase the amount of coal they will burn .

( D ) pass laws limiting carbon dioxide pollution .

8 . Global warming can be stopped only if

( A ) the United States passes better laws about pollution .

( B ) all nations work together on a global solution .

( C ) India and China start using more coal .

( D ) average worldwide temperatures rise four degrees .

Answer Key

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

 

Comprehension [ 26 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

26 - ] Comprehension 

Upper Intermediate & Advance  

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 .

               Around the world , billions of tires from trucks and cars are replaced every year . In the United States , about 260 million used truck and auto tires are thrown away every year . Where do the old tires go ? Quite often , they go into large dumps where they remain for many years .

              The mountains of worn-out tires in these dumps present a number of health and environmental dangers . . First , they attract mosquitoes and rats , which then spread disease among humans . The tires can also catch on fire , and these fires are very difficult to put on . They may burn from a few days to a few months . While the tires burn , they release cancer-causing gases into the air . These gases spread over nearby towns and cause health problems for people who live there .

             After a tire dump fire is put out ,pieces of burned tires remain on the ground . When it rains , chemicals from the burned parts wash into the soil and into the ground water . This pollutes the soil and the drinking water in the area .

             Aside from these problems , the tire dumps represent a terrible waste of resources . So , in order to avoid the problems and the waste , people are looking for ways to reuse or recycle tires . Recycling is common for other materials , such as paper , glass , and aluminum . Now tires are also being recycled in a number of creative ways .

            One solution is to burn the tires to create energy . An energy company with plants in Connecticut and California burns tires to produce steam for generating electricity . When the tires are burned properly , the fir does not pollute the air . Every day , workers check to make sure that no dangerous gases are allowed out of the energy plant’s chimney .A total of about 15 million tires are burned every year in the company’s two plants . This produces enough electricity to supply about 42,000 houses .

              Another solution is to find a new use for the tires . Tires are now being used to make various products , from doormats to fishing supplies . Several shoe companies have started using tires to make the soles of tennis shoes . This is not a new idea , in fact . During the Great Depression , shoes with tire soles were very common in the United States .

            The state of Maine has found yet another use for old tires . The climate in Maine is very cold , and in the winter the ground freezes solid . Large bumps are formed in the roads , and then in the spring , the bumps may turn into holes . Roads must be rebuilt often , at great expense to the state . To prevent this , road workers have started to use old tires broken into small pieces . These tire pieces are spread in a thick layer underneath the surface of a new road . The tires then act as a blanket , keeping the ground below the road from freezing . This way the road surface remains smooth .

               Up to now ,only a small percentage of used tires are being recycled in the United States . But there are plants and new ideas about ways to reuse more of the tires that5 end up in tire dumps .

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

 1 . This passage is mainly about the

( A ) effects of burning tires .

( B ) dangers of tire dumps .

( C ) problem of what to do with old tires .

( D ) ways old tires can be recycled .             

2 . A fire at a tire dump is

( A ) a good source of electricity .

( B ) a good way to get rid of old tires .

( C ) a source of dangerous pollution .

( D )  quickly put out .            

3 . When tires are burned at the energy plants ,

( A ) air pollution is a big problem .

( B ) air pollution is not a problem .

( C ) only a few tires are burned .

( D ) workers are exposed to dangerous gases .             

4 . You may infer from this passage that

( A ) the number of tire dumps will greatly increase .

( B ) very few uses can be found for old tires .

( C ) only western countries can recycle tires .

( D ) tire recycling methods could be used anywhere  .               

5 . Recycling tires is

( A ) a way of saving resources .

( B )  a very complicated process .

( C ) dangerous to human health .

( D ) a major source of water and soil problem .               

6 . Using recycled tires to make everyday products is

( A ) a new idea .

( B ) a cause of pollution .

( C ) not a new idea .

( D )  not possible .               

7 . When workers use tires to build roads they

( A ) spread a layer of tire pieces first .

( B ) fill all the holes with tire pieces .

( C ) often work in freezing weather .

( D ) check carefully to be sure that no dangerous gases are formed .               

8 . Using old tires for building roads in the state of Maine can result in

( A ) warmer roads .

( B ) more expense to the state .

( C ) less expense to the state

( D ) bumps and holes in some roads .

Answer Key

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