Comprehension , [ 20 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

20  - ] 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 .

               The population of the earth is growing fast . In 1950 , it was 2.5 billion . By 1992 ,it had jumped to 5.5 billion . By the year 2050 , it will probably reach 10 billion . The worldwide trend is clearly towards rapid population growth . However , it is not happening in all parts of the world .

                The population of industrialized countries has almost stopped growing . But in less-developed countries , it continues to grow at a very fast rate . Every year , about 97 million people are added to the world population . About 90 percent of these are in less-developed countries .

                 The reason for this difference in population growth lies in the birth rate . ( The birth rate is the average number of children per woman of child-bearing age . ) Population increases or decreases according to the birth rate .When the birth rate
is over 2.0 , the population grows . When it is less than 2.0 the population decreases .

               In industrialized countries , a very low birth rate has caused population growth to slow down or stop altogether . Italy has the lowest birth rate in the world - only 1.3 . In most European countries and in Japan , the birth rat is under 2.0 . The birth rate in the United States is just 2.0 .

While birth rates have been declining in these countries , life expectancy ha been increasing . ( Life expectancy is the average length of a person’s life . ) In almost all the industrialized countries , life expectancy is now well over 70 years of age . This means that the percentage of older people in the population is increasing . In Italy , for example , one quarter of the Italians was over 65 years old in the year 2015 .

                In less-developed countries , the situation is completely different . The birth rate in many places is extremely high . It is over 7.0 in many African countries and as high as 8.3 in Rwanda . At the same time , life expectancy in these countries is very low . For example , the life expectancy of an Ethiopian is less than 40 years . The population , on average ,is very young , which means a high percentage of women of child-bearing age . Thus , even if birth rates decline , the population will continue to increase for many years .      

                 Rapid population growth also partly explains why less-developed countries remain much poorer than industrialized countries . There is already an enormous difference in wealth . The average annual income per person in industrialized countries is about $ 16,500 . In less-developed countries , it is only $ 750 . As the population increases , so do the problems . Crowding on the land means that water , food , and firewood become ever more difficult to find . Hunger and disease kill millions , especially children . And , as a result , people flood to the cities , or to other countries to look for a better life .

                          Thus , the population explosion is another global problem that needs a global solution .

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

1. This passage s about

( A ) population growth in less-developed countries .

( B ) birth rates around the world .

( C ) population growth in different parts of the world .

( D ) life expectancy in industrialized countries .

2 . Population growth is

( A ) fastest in less-developed countries .

( B ) slowest in less-developed countries .

( C ) happening everywhere at the same rate .

( D ) slowing down around the world .

3 . Population generally grows fastest when

( A ) life expectancy increases .

( B ) the birth rate increases .

( C ) average income increases .

( D ) the birth rate declines .

4 . The birth rate in industrialized countries is  

( A ) about 1.3 .

( B ) generally high .

( C ) rapidly increasing .

( D ) around 2.0 or less .

5 . We can infer from this passage that life expectancy in Italy

( A ) is lower than in Japan .

( B ) is under 70 years .

( C ) is over 70 years .

( D ) will decline in a few years .  

6 . In some less-developed countries , the birth rate is

( A ) as high as 8.0 .

( B ) generally around 2.0 .

( C ) slowly decreasing .

( D ) lower than in the industrialized countries .

7 . The population in less-developed countries is very young because of a

( A ) high life expectancy and low birth rate .

( B ) low life expectancy and high birth rate .

( C ) low average annual income .

( D ) high percentage of women of child-bearing age .

8 . Many less-developed countries stay poor because of

( A ) their low annual income .

( B ) the crowded cities .

( C ) hunger and disease .

( D ) the rapidly increasing population .

Answer Key

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

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

Comprehension ( 18 ) Upper Intermediate & Advanced

18 - ] 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 .

            In present-day Hawaii , there are at least twelve different ethnic groups . None of these is large enough to form a majority of the population . The largest groups are The Japanese , the Europeans , the Chinese , the Filipinos , the part-Hawaiians , and the people from mixed families .

           No other state in the United States gas such a mixed population . However , in many other states the ethnic groups are growing . Soon those states may be like Hawaii , with many cultural groups living together . Hawaii is thus a good example of how people from different ethnic groups can get along .

           In Hawaii , in fact , the lack of an ethnic majority means that people from different ethnic groups must work together .One result is that everyone has more opportunities to meet people of other ethnic groups and to learn about their cultures . With this experience , people can learn to respect each other’s ideas and ways of life . Children can grow up to be more tolerant as adults , more willing to accept differences . This tolerance can have obvious benefits for society as a whole . In the long run , it can mean less social tension , and probably less poverty and violence .

          One way to measure the level of tolerance in Hawaii is by the percentage

of mixed marriages . In fact ,over 45 percent of the marriages in Hawaii are between people from different ethnic groups . Children from mixed marriages are called “hapas” . The children from these marriages may marry people from yet other ethnic groups . Their children may have quite a complex ethnic mixture in their blood . Here are some real examples of the many possible cultural mixtures : Irish , Portuguese , Japanese , German , Spanish , and other East Indian .

            The special mixture of cultures that is Hawaii also gives the individual more opportunities for different cultural experience . Hawaiians , in general , take good advantage of these opportunities . Each ethnic group keeps its traditions - its style of cooking , its costumes and music . But many people also participate in some way in the traditions of other groups . Frequent ethnic festivals give everyone a chance to learn about the traditions of other groups . These events are usually well-attended , and not just by the ethnic group in question .

            Many different ethnic foods are available everywhere . Restaurants serve dishes from all corners of the earth . In every supermarket , you can find a wide variety of food specialties : noodles from the Philippines , fish from Portugal , special snacks from Japan , and vegetables from China . And , of course , the traditional Hawaiian dish called “poi” is in every shop , too .

         As some Hawaiians like to say , Hawaiian society is like a rainbow . Each ethnic group brings its color to the rainbow , because each group has something important and beautiful to offer . But what is really special is the way the people are living side by side , creating a beautiful whole .

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

1 . This passage is about

( A ) mixed marriages .

( B ) Hawaii’s majority culture .

( C ) rainbows in Hawaii .

( D ) the mixture of cultures in Hawaii .

2 . Hawaiian society is unusual because

( A ) there are few mixed marriages .

( B ) all Hawaiians have the same beliefs .

( C ) it is a mixed society .

( D ) there are many Japanese families .

3 . In Hawaii there is no majority culture , so

( A ) problems are never solved .

( B ) people don’t get along .

( C ) different groups must work together .

( D ) people are afraid of other cultures .

4 . One advantage of a mixed society is that

( A ) people have many choices .

( B ) people do not have to make many choices .

( C ) ethnic groups do not have to mix .

( D ) people have “hapas” .

5 . Mixed marriages in Hawaii

( A ) are not accepted by most Hawaiians .

( B ) make up almost half the marriages .

( C ) cause prejudice and unhappiness .

( D ) are not permitted .

6 . Hawaiians use the word “hapa” for

( A ) a person who marries someone from another ethnic group .

( B ) someone who is part-Hawaiian .

( C ) the child of a mixed marriage

( D ) any child who is born in Hawaii .

7 . You can infer that everyone who lives in Hawaii  

( A ) eats the same kind of food .

( B ) marries someone from another ethnic group .

( C ) is uninterested in ethnic traditions .

( D ) learns something about native Hawaiian traditions .

8 . Some Hawaiians say that the ethnic groups in Hawaii

( A ) are all becoming the same .

( B ) are like a colorful rainbow .

( C ) will never get along .

( D ) are unimportant .

Answer Key

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

Comprehension - Upper Intermediate , Advanced [ 17 ]

17 - ] 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 .

             The first people to settle in the Hawaiian Islands were the Polynesians.

They came from the Marquesa Islands , many thousands of miles to the southeast . In about 500 A.D. , the Polynesians on the Marquesa Islands were facing many problems . They had lost a war with other Polynesians . On their islands there were too many people and not enough food . So some of them decided they wanted to start a new life somewhere else .

             The Polynesians had learned songs and poems about a wonderful place far to the north . We do not how know this knowledge became a part of their culture . Maybe they had guessed it from the birds that flew to the north and never returned . Or perhaps they had seen bits of wood arrive with the north winds . We do know that the Polynesians were excellent sailors . They

had no instruments to help them . Instead , they used the sun , the stars , the ocean currents , and the wind to guide them . They managed to travel to many distant places in the Pacific Ocean .

              The people from the Marquesa Islands filled their boats for a long journey . They used large double canoes , about 80-100 feet long . In these canoes , they put food , water , goats , pigs , chickens , and plants . They carried everything they needed for their way of life , even statues of their gods. Many of the canoes were probably lost at sea . But a few did find their way to the Hawaiian Islands .

               These early settlers were a very fierce and warlike people . They practiced cannibalism ( eating people ) . However , in Hawaii they lost their violent ways and lived peacefully . Over the next few centuries , more Polynesians joined them in Hawaii . The many different tribes lived together quietly for about 500 years . For a period of several hundred years they had no contact with other people .

                 Then , in about 1200 A.D. , a new group of people arrived from Tahiti . These people introduced a very different way of life . Their religion was full of strict rules and angry gods . Anyone who broke the rules could be put to death . They might be killed and sometimes even eaten by other people . However , the newcomers , too , because less violent after a while .They did continue to fight among themselves ,but they no longer practiced cannibalism.

                  No one knows what happened to the first settlers on the island . They may have mixed in with the invaders . Or they may have died or moved to other islands . For the next 500 years , the people on the islands again had no contact with anyone from the outside world . Each island had its own king and chiefs , and for many centuries no single ruler was successful in controlling all the islands .

                 Then in 1800 , a king - Kamehameha - managed for the first time to gain power over all of the Hawaiian Islands . But this event now seems of little importance in the history of the islands . Another event was much more important in the long run : in 1778 Captain James Cook’s ships landed in Hawaii . With the arrival of the Europeans , Hawaii was changed forever .

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

1 . This passage is about

( A) the Polynesian people .

( B ) The Marquesa Islands .

( C ) how people sailed to Hawaii .

( D ) early settlers in Hawaii .

2 . In order to find the way to Hawaii , the Polynesians

( A) took statues of their gods .

( B ) used the sun and the stars .

( C ) watched the birds .

( D ) fought a war with Tahiti .

3 . The Polynesians from Marquesa came to Hawaii with

( A) lots of food and supplies .

( B ) Tahitian gods .

( C ) a peaceful spirit .

( D ) Captain James Cook .

4. You can infer from this passage that

( A) sailing to Hawaii was difficult and dangerous .

( B ) all of the Marquesans arrived safely in Hawaii .

( C ) the Marquesans were better warriors than the Tahitians .

( D ) the Marquesans faced many problems in Hawaii .

5 . When the first Marquesans arrived in Hawaii , they probably found  

( A) many Polynesians .

( B ) a rich , fertile land .

( C ) the first settlers .

( D ) a new god .

6 . The Tahitians who arrived in 1200 A.D.   

( A) lived in peace with the people already in Hawaii .

( B ) became the rulers of the Hawaiian Islands .

( C ) had no gods .

( D ) believed that all people were equal .  

7 . The Original Marquesan settlers in Hawaii

( A) are still living in Honolulu .

( B ) were killed by Captain Cook .

( C ) have disappeared .

( D ) became the rulers of the Tahitians .

8 . The first person to control all of the islands was  

( A) King Kamehameha 1 .

( B ) a Polynesian leader .

( C ) Captain James Cook .

( D ) a European .  

Answer Key

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

Comprehension , Upper Intermediate & Advanced [ 16 ]

Comprehension 

16 - ] 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 .

                      The formation of the Hawaiian Islands was very different from the formation of the continents . Geologists ( scientists who study the earth ) believe that the islands appeared separately and more recently . According to the geological evidence , they were formed by volcanoes only about 30 million years ago .

                        These volcanoes began when some cracks appeared on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean . Deep under the earth’s surface , the rocks are very hot , so hot that they are in a liquid form called lava . This lava can sometimes come up through openings on the surface of the earth . The piles of lava slowly build up and become mountains . When the openings are on the ocean floor , the mountains are at first underwater . They may eventually become tall enough to rise above the water and form islands . This is how the Hawaiian Archipelago was created . This archipelago , or collection of islands , consists of 132 points of land . The larger points of land of the archipelago are the Hawaiian Islands .

                          According to geologists , the islands in the Hawaiian Archipelago are still changing like living things . The oldest islands , such as the Kure Atoll , are slowly disappearing under the sea . Over thousands of years , they have gradually been worn down by storms and the ocean waves . Now nothing is left but a semi-circle of coral reef ( rock-like forms made by tiny sea animals ) .

                            Other , younger islands , however , are still growing . The Big Island of Hawaii has two active volcanoes which are still adding new lava to the island . There are also new islands in the archipelago in the process of formation . Geologists have found an underwater volcano about 30 miles south of the island of Hawaii . Now about 3,000 feet below the surface of the ocean , it will probably rise above the water . Someday , this volcano could become another Hawaiian island .

                             The islands at first were bare rock and empty of all life . They remained this way for millions of years . The first kinds of plant life were probably carried there as seeds by the wind or by the ocean . Plants grew well in the rich , volcanic dirt and birds were attracted to the islands . Birds may then have brought more seeds from faraway places , and so introduced other new plants .

                             All this took a very long time . Scientists believe that at the most , one new plant arrived very 20,000 years ! But slowly the plants and the birds on the islands became more numerous and more varied . They also gradually evolved , changing to adapt themselves to their conditions . That is why the islands are home to so many plants and birds that can be found nowhere else .

                                The plants on the islands also attracted insects , which may have been blown there by storms . With just a few exceptions , plants , birds , and insects were the only forms of life . Then , about 1,500 years ago , the first humans arrived , bringing other animals with them . It was the beginning of an era of change for the Hawaiian Islands .

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

1 . This passage is about

( A ) geologists at work .

( B ) underwater volcanic eruptions in the Pacific Ocean .

( C ) the age of the Hawaiian Archipelago .

( D ) the formation of the Hawaiian Islands .

2 .  The Hawaiian Islands

( A ) are older than the continents .

( B ) are younger than the continents .

( C ) have more birds than the continents .

( D ) have more volcanoes than the contents .

3 . Lava is very hot melted rock found

( A ) under the sea .

( B ) deep under the surface of the earth .

( C ) on coral reefs .

( D ) only on the top of volcanic mountains .

4 . When lava comes through cracks in the earth’s surface   

( A ) islands are formed .

( B ) the ocean becomes warmer .

( C ) mountains of lava are formed .

( D ) coral reefs are formed .

5 . The Hawaiian Islands are like living things because  

( A ) plants grow there so easily .

( B ) they grow , change , and disappear .

( C ) many coral reefs are forming there .

( D ) the islands are made of hot lava .

6 . You can infer from this passage that

( A ) some day all the islands could disappear .

( B ) there will always be new islands .

( C ) the Big Island of Hawaii may get a new volcano .

( D ) the first trees were planted by geologists .

7 .  Thje Big Island of Hawaii will probably

( A ) become an archipelago .

( B ) get more volcanoes .

( C ) become larger .

( D ) be the next island to disappear .

8 .  The first plants in Hawaii

( A ) were brought there by the geologists .

( B ) were carried to the islands by the wind and the sea .

( C ) grew out of the hot lava .

( D ) came from another archipelago .

Answer Key

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