MANDIRI E-2

B.INGGRIS

Passage 1
The 44.5 carat Hope Diamond is the world’s largest blue diamond. It is also one of the most popular
attractions in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. The Hope
Diamond is flawless and priceless. However ownership of this gem has not always been a stroke of great
fortune.
The Hope Diamond is a remnant of a 112-carat Indian diamond stolen from a statue of the Hindu
goddess. Sita. The angry goddess cast a spell of misfortune on anyone who acquired the gem. The spell
began to work when the stone arrived in France. It was sold to the French King. Louis XIV. Louis had the
gem cut into a 67-carat jewel. After wearing it once. He became sick and died of smallpox. Next the stone
was passed down to Louis XVI and his wife. Marie Antoinette. Their bad misfortune was to lose their heads
in the French Revolution.
1. The main topic of the whole text is ___. (E) the kings who were at one time owners
(A) the Smithsonian National Museum of of the Hope Diamond
Natural History
2. “To cast a spell of misfortune on someone
(B) the diamond on the statue of the Hindu
in paragraph 2 means ___.
goddess
(A) to wish someone bad luck
(C) the cutting of the Hope Diamond into
(B) to do magic by saying special words
smaller carats
(C) to put a curse on someone
(D) the history of the world s largest blue
(D) to throw bad words to someone
diamond
(E) to look at something quickly
Passage 2
General Appliance Company guarantees the product to be free from manufacturing defects for one year
___(3___ .If the product should become defective within the warranty period, General Appliance will repair
or replace it free of charge,____(4)____ . Deliver the product to any one of the authorized service facilities
___(5)___ . Direct any questions regarding the warranty to consumer service division, General Appliance
Company,1621 bergen Street,Newark,New Jersey 07102.
3. Which option best completes (3)? (D) if there appears a new models
(A) After the original date of purchase (E) if it still works well
(B) After one years of use
5. Which option best completes (5)?
(C) Before the original date of purchase
(A) Whose identities are still being
(D) After the buyer felt bored of the
investigated
product
(B) whose names and addresses are listed
(E) When the buyer do not like it anymore
in the accompanying brochure
4. Which option best completes (4)? (C) who has authority in the government
(A) in case that the product is defected (D) who will likely buy a product
intentionally (E) who cannot afford the product
(B) if the product is damaged on purpose
(C) provided that damage to the product
has not resulted from accident or
misuse
Passage 3
Light from a living plant or animal is called bioluminescence, or cold light, to distinguish it from
incandescence, or heat-generating light. Life forms could not produce incandescent light without being
burned. Their light is produced by chemicals combining in such a way that little or no measurable heat is
produced.
Although bioluminescence is a relatively complex process, it can be reduced to simple terms.
Living light occurs when luciferin and oxygen combine in the presence of luciferase. Fireflies require an
additional compound called ATP.
Much remains unknown, but many scientists who study bioluminescence believe that the origin of
the phenomenon goes back to a time when there was no oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere. When oxygen
was gradually introduced into atmosphere, its was poisonous to life forms. Plants and animals produced
light to use up the oxygen. Millions of years ago, all life produced light to survive. As the millennia passed,
life forms on earth became tolerant of, and finally dependent on oxygen, and the adaptation that produced
bioluminescence was no longer necessary, but some primitive plants and animals continued to use the
light for new functions such as mating or attracting prey.
6. With what topic is the passage primarily 9. The word “primitive” in paragraph 2 is
concerned? closest in meaning to___
(A) Bioluminescence (A) very large
(B) Luciferase (B) very important
(C) Primitive plants and animals (C) very common
(D) The earth’s atmosphere (D) very tiny
(E) Incandescence (E) very old
7. According to the author, why has 10. The word “it” in line 1 of paragraph 1 refers
bioluminescence continued in modern to____
plants and animals? (A) a plant
(A) For survival (B) an animal
(B) For mating or attracting prey (C) bioluminescence
(C) For producing heat (D) incandescence
(D) For burning excess oxygen (E) heat
(E) For producing chemicals
11. The paragraph following the passage most
8. Bioluminescence is described as all of the probably discusses_____
following EXCEPT____ (A) incandescence in prehistoric plants and
(A) a complex chemical process animals
(B) an adaptation of early plants and (B) incandescence in modern plants and
animals to the environment animals
(C) a form of cold light (C) bioluminescence in prehistoric plants
(D) a poisonous substance and animals
(E) an user up the oxygen (D) bioluminescence in modern plants and
animals
(E) chemicals produced by plant and
animal
Passage 4
Because geologist have long indicated that fossil fuels will not last indefinitely, the U.S.
government finally acknowledged that sooner or later other energy sources would be needed and, as result,
turned its attention to nuclear power. It was anticipated that nuclear power plants could supply electricity
in such large amounts and so inexpensively that they would be integrated into an economy in which
electricity would take over virtually all fuel-generating functions at nominal costs. Thus, the government
subsidized the promotion of commercial nuclear power plants and authorized their construction by utility
companies. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the public accepted the notion of electricity being generated by
nuclear reactors, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission proceeded with plans for numerous nuclear
power plants in or near residential areas. By 1975, 54 plants were fully operational, supplying 11 percent
of the nation’s electricity, and another 167 plants were at various stages of planning an construction.
Officials estimated that by 1990 hundreds of plants would be on line, and by the turn of the century as
many as 1,000 plants would be an working order.
Since 1975, this outlook and this estimation have changed drastically, and many utilities have
canceled existing orders. In same cases, construction was terminated even after billions of dollars had
already been invested. After being completed and licensed at a cost of almost $6 billion, the Shoreham
Power Plant on Long Island was turned over to the state of New York to be dismantled without ever having
generated electric power. The reason was that residents and state authorities deemed that there was no
possibility of evacuating residents from the area should an accident occur.
Just 68 of those plants under way in 1975 have been completed, and another 3 are still under
construction. There fore, it appears that in the mid 1990s 124 nuclear power plants in the nation will be in
operation, generating about 18 percent of the nation’s electricity, a figure that will undoubtedly decline as
relatively outdated plants are shutdown.
12. What was initially planned for the nation’s (D) Resentful
fuel supply In the 1960s and early 1970s? (E) worried
(A) Expansion and renovation of existing 14. In paragraph 1, the word “notion” is closest
fuel generating plants
in meaning to____
(B) Creation of additional of additional (A) Nonsense
storage capacities for fossil fuels (B) Notice
(C) Conversion of the industry and (C) Idea
economy to nuclear power (D) Consequence
(D) Development of an array of alternative (E) command
fuel and power sources
(E) Evacuation of residents from nuclear 15. In paragraph 2, the phrase “this outlook”
power plants areas refers to____
(A) the number of operating nuclear plants
13. How does the author describe the attitude (B) the expectation for increase in the
of the population in regard to nuclear number of nuclear plants
power as fuel in the early to mind 1970s? (C) the possibility of generating electricity
(A) Apprehensive at nuclear installations
(B) Ambivalent (D) the forecast for the capacity of the
(C) Receptive nuclear plants
(E) the assumption of state authorities that
there was no possibility