Comprehension [ 25 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

25 - ] 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 .

                     Every year , more people face poverty and hunger and more of the earth’s resources are ruined . The problems are enormous , but many experts believe that the situation is not hopeless . The solution will require big changes in how we think about agriculture , food , and our planet .

                     First of all , farmers everywhere need to develop methods that are less destructive to the environment . The change from single crop farming to a mixed crop system would be one important step . The planting of various crops improves the soil and helps prevent erosion . Erosion could further be prevented by planting trees to protect the fields from the wind . Another way farmers could improve their soil is to stop deep plowing . In fact , only a light plowing is necessary , or sometimes no plowing at all .

                    If the soil were treated better , farmers would not need to use chemical fertilizers . They could use natural animal and vegetable products instead . With mixed crops , farmers would also not need as much or any chemical insecticides . They could use other biological methods of controlling insects and disease .

                     Farmers could also help save some of the earth’s precious supplies of water and petroleum . To save water , they could plant less “thirsty” crops , instead of the standard types of wheat or corn . They could also use watering systems that are much less wasteful . To save petroleum , farmers could make use of bio-gas generators for energy .These generators could be fueled by the vegetable and animal wastes of the farms . In less-developed countries , bio-gas generators could reduce the need for firewood and so help save forests , as well .

                      In less-developed countries , the small farmers need help . They need to learn more about crops that are better suited to the local conditions . They need to learn how to limit erosion and make the best use of their resources . But these farmers will never be successful without land for themselves and economic aid . This should be the aim of governments and international agencies . The present policies of encouraging industry and cash crops are only making the situation worse. 

                        The industrialized countries could use their economic resources to help bring about these changes . They also could make some changes in their own policies . At present ,much food is wasted in these countries for political reasons . In Europe alone mountains of fruit and dairy products are thrown away every year . Eating habits , too , could change in these countries . For example ,people often eat from distant places instead of local foods . The transportation of the imported foods adds to the global pollution problem . People in the industrialized countries also eat a lot of meat , especially beef . In fact , a large percentage of the grain grown in these countries is used for feeding cattle . If people in these countries ate less meat , there would be more grain to feed the hungry people of the world .  

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

1 . This passage is about

( A ) biological methods of farming .

( B )  how we can change the way food is produced worldwide .

( C ) how millions of people are facing hunger and poverty .                 

( D ) farming around the world .

2 . We can infer from this passage that single crop farming

( A ) is destructive to the environment .

( B )  is good for the environment .

( C )  is cheaper for the farmer .               

( D ) does not cause erosion .

3 . Deep plowing of the soil

( A ) prevents erosion .

( B )  improves the soil .

( C )  causes erosion .               

( D ) helps the plants grow .

4 . Mixed crop farming

( A ) reduces erosion and the need for insecticides .

( B ) increases erosion and the need for insecticides .  

( C ) eliminates erosion and the need for insecticides .                

( D ) dopes not affect erosion and the need for insecticides .

5 . We can infer from this passage that farmers at present

( A ) use very little water on average .

( B )  are now very careful about their water use .

( C )  always use too much water .                 

( D ) often waste a lot of water .

6 . Bio-gas generators on farms would

( A ) mean an increase in the use of other fuels .

( B ) encourage farmers to raise cash crops .

( C ) reduce the need for other fuels .                

( D ) help farmers raise cattle .

7 . The governments of less-developed countries  

( A ) should encourage the growing of cash crops .

( B )  need to encourage people to eat less beef .

( C ) should increase the size of farms .                  

( D ) need to help small farmers .

8 . People in industrialized countries could help by

( A ) eating more meat .

( B ) raising more cattle .

( C ) reducing the amount of beef they eat .                  

( D ) reducing the amount of grain they eat .  

Answer Key

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

 

Comprehension [ 24 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

24 - ] 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 .

                       Two hundred years ago , passenger pigeons were the most numerous birds in the world . A flock of passenger pigeons might include over two million birds . When they flew overhead , they darkened the sky for hundreds of miles . Today , not a single one of these birds exists . Incredible as it may seem , all those millions of birds were hunted down for food , feathers , and sport .

                        The story of the passenger pigeon is just one of many sad stories about animals that have disappeared . At least 461 species of birds and mammals have become extinct in the past 400 years . Many more species - about 555 mammals and 1,073 birds - are now at risk of extinction . Among reptiles , fish , and invertebrates , at least 2,961 are at risk . And among plant species the number at risk reaches 25,000 .

                     The cause of this terrible destruction is always the same : humankind . Sometimes people have killed off species directly by hunting them , as with the passenger pigeon . In other cases , people have caused extinction indirectly , as with the dodo bird of Mauritius ( an island in the Indian Ocean ) . Though brutally hunted by the first European settlers , some dodos managed to survive in the interior forests . However , these were soon eliminated by the cats , dogs , pigs , and rats the European brought with them.

                    The most frequent cause of extinction , however , is the human destruction of the environment . On the Hawaiian Islands , for instance , European and American settlers cut down the forests for farmland . This killed off many of the Hawaii’s unique species of birds and plants . Even more dramatic , today , is the situation in the Amazon rain forest . Here , each square mile of the forest contains thousands of plant and animal species . These species depend on each other and on their special environment . When the trees are cut down , the environment changes or is destroyed altogether . And many species disappear forever .

                     Scientists are very concerned about the many species that are disappearing around the world . The loss of our fellow creatures is a loss for us as well . Not only do we lose the chance to learn more about ourselves and our environment . We also lose valuable economic or scientific resources . Many wild plants , such as the wild tomato and the wild sunflower , are useful in genetically improving food crops . Other plants or animals are useful in medical research . In this way , medicines have been found to help fight leukemia , cancer , and many other diseases .

                       Aside from the uses that research has already discovered , there may be countless more . Who knows what we are losing in the forests that are being cut down ? Every year , as more plants and animals disappear , we lose opportunities for science and medicine . That means opportunities to improve our lives . The loss of species also means a narrower range of genetic possibilities in the world . Scientists do not know what that will mean , but they are worried .

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

1 . This passage is about

( A ) many kinds of plants and animals .

( B ) the extinction of plants and animals .

( C ) how Europeans destroyed species on Mauritius .

( D ) how hunting causes animals to become extinct .

2 . The passenger pigeon became extinct because

( A ) there were too many of them .

( B ) people destroyed its environment .

( C ) there was not enough food for it .

( D ) people killed them all .

3 . In the past 400 years ,

( A ) only a few kinds of animals have become extinct .

( B ) millions of animals have become extinct .

( C ) over 461 species of birds and mammals have become extinct .

( D ) no new kinds of birds or animals have become extinct .

4 . The importation of animals by humans may cause

( A ) some native species to become extinct .

( B ) those animals to die .

( C ) some native species to increase in number .

( D ) hunters to kill native species .

5 . The Hawaiian Islands are a good example of how

( A ) cutting down forests causes extinction .

( B )  people have taken care to save plants and animals .

( C )  native plants and animals can be killed by imported species .

( D ) islands make good farmland .

6 . When people cut down large areas of rain forest they

( A ) are likely to kill the dodo birds . 

( B ) help many species of plants and animals .

( C ) discover useful species of plants and animals .

( D ) eliminate many species of plants and animals .

7 . We can infer from this passage that people

( A ) have often been concerned about the survival of species .

( B ) have rarely been concerned about saving species .

( C ) have eliminated species whenever possible .

( D ) do not like wild animals very much .

8 . Scientists believe that many species  

( A ) are useless for humans .

( B ) are genetically unable to survive .

( C ) could be useful to humans .

( D ) are useful only after they are extinct .

 Answer Key         

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

Comprehension [ 23 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

23 - ] 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 .

                From 1950 to 1980 , the so-called “Green Revolution” swept the world . World food production doubled with the introduction of a new approach to agriculture . It involved the large-scale cultivation of new types of grain ( wheat , corn , and rice ) , and the extensive use of chemicals and farm machinery .

                 These features were the cause of the early , enormous success of this “revolution” . However , the “Green Revolution” methods no longer appear to be so successful . Though the population continues to grow , food production has failed to keep up with it .

                There are a number of reasons for this . One reason lies in the expense of the new farming methods . The new kinds of grain produce much more than traditional grains , but only under certain conditions . In order to get maximum production , farmers must use large amounts of expensive chemical fertilizers . They also need to use expensive chemical insecticides since the new grains are more easily damaged by insects . Expensive watering systems are also necessary for these grains , especially in drier areas . Many farmers cannot afford to buy all the chemicals and equipment .

                  Erosion is another reason for the lower grain production . The large-scale farming of a single crop creates the perfect conditions for erosion . In dry areas , especially , the loss of top soil has lowered the productivity of the land . In these areas , also , grain production has been limited by the lack of water . The new types of grain , in fact , require much more water than the grains people used to grow .

                   Yet another reason for lower production lies in the nature of the chemicals that farmers have used . Though these fertilizers and pesticides raise production levels at first , they must be used in increasing amounts after that . Many farmers cannot afford to buy more , and so production decreases . These chemicals have other effects that are expensive in the long run . They flow into the ground water , causing pollution and health problems . As people learn about these problems , they put pressure on farmers to further limit their use of chemicals .

                 Finally , the Green Revolution has brought about social and political conflict that has interfered with food production . The problem lies in the cost of the new agricultural methods . Only the larger landowners can afford to make the necessary investments for maximum production of the new grains . With their profits , the large landowners then buy land from the smaller farmers . This way , the large landowners become ever richer and the number of landless poor people increases . Social tensions naturally increase in this situation .

                 Clearly , it is time to question the methods of the Green Revolution . Governments and farmers need to look at the overall picture and long-term effects . They need to find new methods that will better meet the needs of the world’s hungry people and will also be less destructive .

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

1 . This passage is about

( A ) how the Green Revolution increased grain production .

( B ) the environmental effects of the Green Revolution .

( C ) some negative aspects of the Green Revolution .

( D ) the success of the Green Revolution .

2 . The production of grain worldwide has

( A ) not kept up with the world population .

( B ) increased faster than the population has increased .

( C ) more than doubled in recent years .

( D ) decreased by half in recent years .

3 . The new types of grain are  

( A ) easier to cultivate than the traditional kinds .

( B ) more expensive to cultivate than the traditional kinds .

( C ) cheaper to cultivate than the traditional kinds .

( D ) better tasting than the traditional kinds .

4 . Erosion is often the result of

( A ) traditional methods of farming .

( B ) the costliness of farm equipment .

( C ) the use of too much water in farming .

( D ) single crop farming on a large scale .

5 . Chemical fertilizers and insecticides

( A ) rarely have any effect on people .

( B ) can cause large-scale erosion .

( C ) are both expensive and damaging .

( D ) are not always necessary with the new types of grain .

6 . In some regions , the new farming methods have

( A ) increased the differences between rich and poor .

( B ) increased the size of the middle class .

( C ) encouraged small farmers to produce more .

( D ) increased the profits of both rich and poor .

7 . We can infer from this passage that traditional farming methods were probably

( A ) more expensive .

( B ) less damaging to people and the environment .

( C ) preferred by the large landowners .

( D ) the cause of many social problems .

8 . The Green Revolution methods are

( A ) the most productive that we know .

( B ) damaging only to farmers .

( C ) often unproductive and destructive .

( D ) the only way to solve the problem of world hunger .

Answer Key

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

Comprehension [ 22 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

22 - ] 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 .

                   It doesn’t take long to turn farmland into desert . American farmers found this out in the 1930s . They planted wheat in large areas of grassland in the south central United States .For a few years there was plenty of rain and lots of wheat . Then the rains stopped , as they often do in this dry region . The wheat dried up and the top soil turned to dust . Before long , it had all blown away in great dust storms . The area became known as the “Dust Bowl” .

                  What happened in the Dust Bowl is a perfect example of erosion caused by modern farming methods . ( Erosion is the loss of top soil . ) Top soil blows away more easily when it is no longer protected by grasses or trees . In ten years or less , several feet of good soil can disappear . And once it is gone , there is no way to get it back quickly . It may take from one hundred to a thousand years for new top soil to form .

                  Unfortunately , it seems that farmers have not learned from the example of the Dust Bowl . In the United States alone , five billion tons of top soil are lost every year . Farmers continue to use the same destructive methods . They plant the same crops and use tons of chemical fertilizers .

                   The situation in other parts of the world is even more serious . The total loss of top soil worldwide is 24 billion tons a year . Areas of the earth with a dry climate ( about one third of the planet ) are hit worst . In these areas , about 12 million hectares of land are lost to agriculture per year because of erosion .

                    In developing countries , this often leads to hunger and death . The recent history of one part of Africa , the Sahel , is a good example . In the 1960s and 197much good farmland was taken over for export crops , such as sugar and cotton . Many people moved into the drier interior areas to grow their food . During that period , there was more rain than usual . Food and cattle production increased and so did the population .

                    Before long , there were too many people in these areas . The land began to suffer the effects . It was no longer protected by trees , which had been cut down for firewood . The grass and bushes were gone , eaten by the cattle , sheep , and other animals . Animal manure was used for burning instead of fertilizing the soil .

                   Then came a long period of no rain . The ruined top soil quickly blew away . The Sahara Desert advanced in some areas as much as 100 kilometers . In other areas , the semi-desert land became completely unproductive . Now millions of people have no way to make a living . Many have dies of hunger , while others have moved to the already crowded cities .

                      The events in the Sahel were an important lesson for government officials and farmers around the world . But again , the lesson has been ignored . More and more people are hungry on our planet , but farmland continues to be ruined .

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

1 . This passage is about

( A ) the “Dust Bow” .

( B ) how farmers can ruin the land .

( C ) the problem of erosion around the world .

( D )  the loss of top soil in the African Sahel .

2 . The “Dust Bowl”  

( A ) is a naturally dusty area .

( B ) used to be desert .

( C ) was always green farmland .

( D ) used to be grassland .

3 . The dust storms    

( A ) started after farmers planted wheat .

( B ) were always present in that area .

( C ) stopped when it rained .

( D ) brought lots of good top soil .

4 . We can infer from this passage that chemical fertilizers    

( A ) help keep the top soil .

( B ) help destroy the soil .

( C ) do not have any effect on the soil .

( D )  are not used much by American farmers .

5 . The problem of erosion is worst in   

( A ) the central United States .

( B ) the desert .

( C ) Africa.

( D ) the dry regions of the world .

6 . We can infer from this passage that one important factor in the Sahel disaster was the    

( A ) international demand for export crops .

( B ) expansion of the Sahara Desert .

( C ) worldwide change in climate .

( D ) lack of good top soil in Africa .  

7 . The top soil in the Sahel was ruined by    

( A ) the planting of export crops .

( B ) the effects of too many people and animals .

( C ) too much manure from cattle and sheep .

( D ) too much rain for too many years .

8 . Many people in the Sahel died of hunger because     

( A ) there were too many sheep and cattle .

( B ) there were terrible dust storms .

( C ) there were no trees for firewood .

( D ) the land was no longer any good for farming .

Answer Key  

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

Comprehension [ 21 ] Upper Intermediate & Advanced

21- ] 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 .

             There is nothing new about people cutting down trees . In ancient times , Greece , Italy , and Great Britain were covered with forests . Over the centuries those forests were gradually cut back , until now almost nothing is left .

             Today , however , trees are being cut down far more rapidly . Each year , about 42 million acres of forest are cut down . That is more than equal to the area of the whole of Great Britain . While there are important reasons for cutting down trees , there are also dangerous consequences for life on earth .

            A major cause of the present destruction is the worldwide demand for wood . In industrialized countries , people are using more and more wood for paper , furniture , and houses . There is not enough wood in these countries to satisfy the demand . Wood companies , therefore , have begun taking wood from the forests of Asia , Africa , South America , and even Siberia .

              Wood is also in great demand as firewood in developing countries .  In many areas , people depend on wood to cook their food . As the population grows , the need for wood grows , too . But when too many trees are cut at once , forests are destroyed . A future source of wood is destroyed as well . When some trees in a forest are left standing , the forest can grow back . But only if it is not cut again for at least 100 years . In reality , it usually has no chance to grow back . Small farmers who are desperate for land move in . They cut down the rest of the trees , and burn them . In this way , many millions of acres of forest are destroyed every year . Unfortunately , the forest soil is not good for growing food . Thus , these poor farmers remain as poor and desperate as before . They have also lost the resources of the forest .

            However , the desperate and poor people are not the only ones to cut and burn forests . In Brazil and Central America , large landowners want to raise lots of cattle for export . They put too many cattle on too little land . When that land has been ruined , they burn parts of forests . Then they move the cattle into the forest land . This way both land and forest are destroyed .

           The destruction of forests affects first the people who used to live there . However , it also has other effects far away . For example , on the mountainsides , trees help to absorb heavy rains . When the trees are cut down , the rain pours all at once into the rivers and there are terrible floods downstream . This has happened to the Ganges , the Mekong , and other major rivers in Asia .

              But finally , the loss of forests may have an effect on the climate of our planet . Together with increasing pollution , it could cause temperatures to rise and the climate to change around the world . No one knows exactly what effects this would have on our lives . For many people , however , the effects would probably be destructive .

***************

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

1 . The passage is about

( A ) the tropical forests .

( B ) how landowners cut down trees in Brazil . 

( C ) the destruction of forests .

( D ) why people are cutting down so many trees .

2 . Greece , Italy , and Great Britain

( A ) are all covered by forests .

( B ) never had any forests .  

( C ) have growing populations .

( D ) used to be covered by forests .

3 . These days , forests are being cut down in

( A ) Asia , Africa , and South America .

( B ) Australia , New Zealand , and Tanzania .

( C ) Greece , Italy , and Great Britain .

( D ) the industrialized countries .

4 . The demand for wood in industrialized countries

( A ) is helping to save the forests .

( B ) is one cause of the forests’ destruction .

( C ) is easily satisfied by the United States .

( D ) has declined in recent years .

5 . We can infer from this passage that poor people generally

( A ) do not like living in the forests .

( B ) make a lot of money from the forests .

( C ) do not benefit from cutting down the forests .

( D ) want the forest to grow back again .

6 . Large landowners in Brazil and Central America

( A ) use the forests for hunting .

( B ) worry about the effects of cutting down the forests .

( C ) use a lot of wood to build their houses .

( D ) destroy forests to raise beef cattle .

7 . When trees are cut down on mountainsides ,

( A ) the wood is usually of poor quality .

( B ) they grow back quickly .

( C ) there are floods downriver .

( D ) cattle come in to eat the grass .

8 . The cutting down of forests

( A ) could improve the climate .

( B ) could cause heavy rains .

( C ) has no effect on people in cities .

( D ) could affect the climate .

Answer Key

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