READING PAPER 1

Time permitted: 60 minutes

Number of questions: 40
_________________________________________________________________________
Directions: In this section you will read FOUR different passages. Each one is followed by
10 questions about it. For questions 1-40, you are to choose the best answer A, B, C or D, to
each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill in the
space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen. Answer all questions
following a passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage.
You have 60 minutes to answer all the questions, including the time to transfer your answers
to the answer sheet.
PASSAGE 1 – Questions 1-10
Social Networks
Do the names MySpace, Facebook, Orkut, etc. ring a bell? They probably do because
they are some of the most popular sites on the internet today. These sites are all called
'social networking' sites because they help people meet and discuss things online.
Each of these social networking sites has its own strengths: MySpace is especially
popular among teenagers, Facebook is popular with college age people, Orkut is especially
loved in Brazil, and CyWorld is the site to visit in South Korea. The common thread
between all of these social networks is that they provide a place for people to interact, rather
than a place to go to read or listen to 'content'.
Web 2.0
Social networks are considered to be web 2.0. What does this mean? To understand
this, it's important to understand what the original web did (often called web 1.0). Back in
the nineties, the internet - or web - was a place to go to read articles, listen to music, get
information, etc.
Most people didn't contribute to the sites. They just 'browsed' the sites and took
advantage of the information or resources provided. Of course, some people did create their
own sites. However, creating a site was difficult. You needed to know basic HTML coding
(the original language the internet uses to 'code' pages). It certainly wasn't something most
people wanted to do as it could take hours to get a basic page just right.
Things began to get easier when blogs (from web log) were introduced. With blogs,
many more people began writing 'posts', as well as commenting on other people's blogs.
MySpace Surprises Everybody
In 2003 a site named MySpace took the internet by storm. It was trying to mimic the
most popular features of Friendster, the first social networking site. It quickly became
popular among young users and the rest was history. Soon everyone was trying to develop a
social networking site. The sites didn't provide 'content' for people to enjoy, they helped
people create, communicate and share what they loved including music, images and videos.
Key to Success
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 Relying on users to create content is the key to the success of web 2.0 companies.
Besides the social networking sites discussed here, other huge success stories include:
Wikipedia, Digg.com and the latest success - Twitter. All of these companies rely on the
desire of users to communicate with each other, thereby creating the 'content' that others
want to consume.
1. Which social networking site was NOT mentioned in the reading?
A. MySpace
B. LinkedIn
C. Facebook
D. Friendster
2. Where is Orkut especially popular?
A. In Japan
B. In South Korea
C. In the United States
D. In Brazil
3. Why does the writer mention CyWorld in paragraph 2?
A. to give an example of a strong point of a social networking site
B. to emphasize the importance social networking sites
C. to demonstrate the popularity of social networking sites
D. to express the common feature of social networking sites
4. Which phrase best describes what people do at social networking sites?
A. They comment other people’s blog.
B. They code pages in HTML.
C. They browse articles and other content.
D. They interact with other people.
5. What was the original web mainly used for?
A. Interacting with other people
B. Browsing content
C. Creating pages in HTML
D. Writing on blogs
6. What does the word they in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. resources
B. the sites
C. most people
D. social networks
7. The world mimic in paragraph 6 could be best replaced by:
A. imitate
B. imagine
C. eliminate
D. utilize
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8. What does the writer imply about MySpace?
A. It was the first social networking site.
B. It was successful.
C. People could enjoy the content it provided.
D. It destroyed the internet like a storm.
9. What is most important for web 2.0 companies to be successful?
A. Users' desire to communicate with each other
B. Users' desire to read interesting content written by professionals
C. Users' desire to learn coding
D. Users' intelligence
10. What is the writer’s purpose?
A. to advertise for web 2.0 companies
B. to persuade people to develop social networking sites
C. to give information about social networking sites
D. to criticize social networking sites

PASSAGE 2 – Questions 11-20

Floods are second only to fire as the most common of all natural disasters. They occur
almost everywhere in the world, resulting in widespread damage and even death.
Consequently, scientists have long tried to perfect their ability to predict floods. So far, the
best that scientists can do is to recognize the potential for flooding in certain conditions.
There are at least a number of conditions, from deep snow on the ground to human error, that
cause flooding.
The first cause of flooding is deep snow on the ground. When deep snow melts, it
creates a large amount of water. Although deep snow alone rarely causes floods, when it
occurs together with heavy rain and sudden warmer weather, it can lead to serious flooding. If
there is a fast snow melt on top of frozen or very wet ground, flooding is more likely to occur
than when the ground is not frozen. Frozen ground or ground that is very wet and already
saturated with water cannot absorb the additional water created by the melting snow. Melting
snow also contributes to high water levels in rivers and streams. Whenever rivers are already
at their full capacity of water, heavy rains will result in the rivers overflowing and flooding
the surrounding land.
Secondly, rivers that are covered in ice can also lead to flooding. When ice begins to
melt, the surface of the ice cracks and breaks into large pieces. These pieces of ice move and
float down the river. They can form a dam in the river, causing the water behind the dam to
rise and flood the land upstream. If the dam breaks suddenly, then the large amount of water
held behind the dam can flood the areas downstream too.
Broken ice dams are not the only dam problems that can cause flooding. Those
carelessly constructed by humans can also result in floods. When a large human-made dam
breaks or fails to hold the water collected behind it, the results can be devastating. Dams
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contain such huge amounts of water behind them that when sudden breaks occur, the
destructive force of the water is like a great tidal wave. Unleashed dam waters can travel tens
of kilometres, cover the ground in metres of mud and debris, and drown and crush every thing
and creature in their path.
Although scientists cannot always predict exactly when floods will occur, they do
know a great deal about when floods are likely, or probably, going to occur. Deep snow, ice-
covered rivers, and weak dams are all strong conditions for potential flooding. Hopefully, this
knowledge of why floods happen can help us reduce the damage they cause.
11. What is the most common natural disaster?
A. flood
B. fire
C. tidal wave
D. rain
12. What does the word they in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. floods
B. disasters
C. scientists
D. conditions
13. Which of the following best describes how deep snow causes flooding?
A. melting snow that creates a large amount of water causes flooding.
B. freezing water causes flooding.
C. melting snow combining with considerable amount of rain and sudden increase in
temperature leads to flooding.
D. snow that melts in wet weather causes flooding.
14. Why does saturated ground contribute to flooding problems?
A. the ground cannot absorb more water
B. the ground is too hard, so the water runs off
C. the ground forms a kind of dam
D. it remains frozen
15. How can a frozen river cause a flood?
A. The ice in the river melts too quickly and causes a flood.
B. The ice in the river cracks causing the water to overflow.
C. The ice in the river cracks into pieces that eventually create a dam causing the water
to overflow.
D. The water behind the ice dam collects and when the dam breaks, it causes flooding
upstream.
16. Why does the writer mention tidal wave in paragraph 4?
A. to compare the force of a broken human – made dam
B. to introduce another natural disaster
C. to emphasize the effects of natural disasters
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 D. to criticize dam designers
17. How far can dam water travel when it is unleashed from a broken dam?
A. less than 10 kilometres
B. tens of kilometres
C. thousands of kilometres
D. tens of thousands of kilometres downstream
18. The word devastating in paragraph 4 has the closest meaning to
A. fabulous
B. uncountable
C. priceless
D. disastrous
19. Which of the following is NOT MENTIONED as a cause for flood in the reading
passages?
A. melting snow
B. ice covered rivers
C. broken dams
D. poorly built roads
20. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Scientists know very little about floods.
B. Potential flooding cannot be predicted.
C. Consequences of flooding can be reduced if its causes are identified.
D. There are only three conditions for potential flooding.

PASSAGE 3 – Questions 21-30

Musical Talents
Among all the abilities with which an individual may be endowed, musical talent
appears earliest in life. Very young children can exhibit musical precocity for different
reasons. Some develop exceptional skill as a result of a well – designed instructional regime,
such as the Suzuki method for the violin. Some have the good fortune to be born into a
musical family in a household filled with music. In a number of interesting cases, musical
talent is part of an otherwise disabling condition such as autism or mental retardation. A
musically gifted child has an inborn talent; however, the extent to which the talent is
expressed publicly will depend upon the environment in which the child lives.
Musically gifted children master at an early age the principal elements of music,
including pitch and rhythm. Pitch – or melody – is more central in certain cultures, for
example, in Eastern societies that make use of tiny quarter – tone intervals. Rhythm, sounds
produced at certain auditory frequencies and grouped according to a prescribed system, is
emphasized in sub – Saharan Africa, where the rhythm ratios can be very complex.
All children have some aptitude for making music. During infancy, normal children
sing as well as babble, and they can produce individual sounds and sound patterns. However,
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individual differences begin to emerge in young children as they learn to sing. Some children
can match large segments of a song by the age of two or three. Many others can only
approximate pitch at this age and may still have difficulty in producing accurate melodies by
the age of five or six. However, by the time they reach school age, most reasonably accurate
imitation of the songs commonly heard in their environment.
The early appearance of superior musical ability in some children provides evidence
that musical talent may be a separate and unique form of intelligence. There are numerous
tales of young artists who have a remarkable “ear” or extraordinary memory for music and a
natural understanding of musical structure. In many of these cases, the child is average in
every other way but displays an exceptional ability in music. Even the most gifted child,
however, takes about ten years to achieve the levels of performance or composition that
would constitute mastery of the musical sphere.
Every generation in music history has had its famous prodigies – individuals with
exceptional musical powers that emerge at a young age. In the eighteenth century, Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart began composing and performing at the age of six. As a child, Mozart could
play the piano like an adult. He has perfect pitch, and at age nine he was also a master of the
art of modulation – transitions from one key to another – which became one of the hallmarks
of his style. By the age of eleven, he had composed three symphonies and 30 other major
works. Mozard’s well – developed talent was preserved into adulthood.

21. The word precocity in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to

A. strong interest
B. good luck
C. advanced skill
D. personal style
22. Which sentence below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence
in paragraph 1?
A. Children may be born with superior musical ability, but their environment will
determine how this ability is developed.
B. Every child is naturally gifted, and it is the the responsibility of the public schools
to recognize and develop these talent.
C. Children with exceptional musical talent will look for the best way to express
themselves through music – making.
D. Some musically talented children live in an environment surrounded by music,
while others have little exposure to music.
23. What is pitch?
A. rhythm
B. a principal element of music
C. tone
D. frequency
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24. According to paragraph 2, how are principal elements of music emphasized in Sub –
Saharan Africa?
A. Melody is the most important element.
B. Rhythm with complicated ratios is emphasized.
C. Rhythm is not significant.
D. These elements are totally ignored.
25. According to the passage, when does musical talent usually begin to appear?
A. When infants start to babble and produce sound patterns
B. Between the ages of two and four months
C. When children learn to sing at two or three years old.
D. Between ten years old and adolescence.
26. What does the word others in paragraph 3 refer to?
A. children
B. differences
C. segments
D. melodies
27. According to the passage, which of the following suggests that musical talent is separate
form of intelligence?
A. Exceptional musical ability in an otherwise average child.
B. Recognition of the emotional power of music.
C. The ability of all babies to acquire core elements of music.
D. Differences between learning music and learning language.
28. Why does the author discuss Mozart in Paragraph 5?
A. To compare past and present views of musical talent
B. To give an example of a well – known musical prodigy
C. To list musical accomplishment of the eighteenth century
D. To describe the development of individual musical skill
29. In music, the change from one key to another is known as
A. rhythm
B. prodigy
C. perfect pitch
D. modulation
30. What can be inferred from the passage about exceptional musical ability?
A. It occurs more frequently in some cultures than in others.
B. It is evidence of a superior level of intelligence in other areas.
C. It has been documented and studied but is little understood.
D. It is the result of natural talent and a supportive environment.
PASSAGE 4 – Questions 31-40

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 The UH-1 Helicopter: Icon of the Vietnam War
Every modern war has its icon, the technological development essential to the
conflict, the one that changes the course of battle and becomes, ever after, symbolic of the
time. The Civil War’s cannon, World War I’s machine gun, World War II’s tank — each
left its mark on the landscape and the soldier. Vietnam’s icon was the helicopter,
specifically the UH-1 utility helicopter soldiers referred to as “the Huey.”
The geographic and political realities of Vietnam called for a new kind of warfare,
one the U.S. Army termed “Airmobile.” Remote battle zones, mountains topped in old-
growth hardwood jungles, and poorly developed roads eliminated motor vehicles as a means
of quickly moving masses of troops and supplies. Helicopters took over. In Airmobile
warfare, flocks of helicopters took troops and supplies to strategic locations, monitored
operations from the air, engaged in battle, and evacuated forces. The famed U.S. Army 1st
Cavalry joined aviation units already in Vietnam to pioneer Airmobile operations, trading
its horses for helicopters and creating an archetype followed by the 101st Airborne, the 1st
Aviation Brigade, and several other aviation units and smaller detachments.
Many helicopters were used in Vietnam, but none was as widely employed as the
Huey. The UH-1 “Iroquois,” popularly dubbed the Huey, is known as “the workhorse of the
Vietnam War,” used by all military forces for troop transport, medical evacuation, and
combat assault. Hueys transported soldiers and supplies to the lines as the horses for a
modern cavalry. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps made them into gunships, modifying
them with machine guns and air-to-ground rocket pods and putting them to work in frontal
assaults. Hueys carried officers to develop battle plans, soldiers to battle, nurses to
orphanages, and “Donut Dollies” to entertain troops. Outfitted with broadcasting systems,
they ferried Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) messengers.
And, perhaps most significantly, Hueys were the technology behind “Dustoffs,”
evacuations of the wounded so-named by a pilot who gave his life doing it. The ability to
swoop into the battle, load the Huey with wounded, and fly to evacuation hospitals, started
in Korea and refined in Vietnam, has been called “one of the major medical innovations of
the Vietnam War.” This quick transport meant that more than 90 percent of wounded
soldiers who reached a medical facility survived. The medical evacuation technology
gained in the Huey experience of Vietnam came home to become the air rescue operations
we today take for granted.
The Huey is an enormously versatile helicopter, easily modified for various missions.
The interchangeable interiors of the Huey allowed for easy conversion from troop carrier to
ambulance. It was also an amazing machine, capable of flying in extreme stress and
relatively easy to get in and out quickly–a feature crucial in troop extraction and rescue
missions. Those who flew and maintained them, the pilots and crew chiefs, are fiercely
loyal to the Huey, even though many have flown many other aircraft.

8
 More than 7,000 Huey helicopters served in Vietnam and nearly half were
lost. 2,177 Huey crew members were killed in action. Because the Huey was always there
for them, for soldiers on the ground, the distinctive WHOP WHOP of the Huey’s 48-foot
rotor blades slapping the air was the sound of their lifeline.

31. What is the best synonym for the word icon as it is used in the first paragraph?
A. helicopter
B. symbol
C. aircraft
D. tool
32. Why does the writer mention cannon, machine gun, and tank in paragraph 1?
A. to give examples of war symbols
B. to emphasize the power of U.S Army
C. to express the variety of U.S weapons and military equipment
D. to compare different weapons
33. Which list best describes the conditions that necessitated the use of the helicopter in
Vietnam?
A. strategic operations, supply routes, troop movements
B. large rivers, vast shoreline, marshy rice paddies
C. dense jungles, remote battle sites, bad roads
D. rapid transport, medical evacuation, soldier resupply
34. According to paragraph 2, which of the following was first implemented in Vietnam
war?
A. 101st Airborne
B. 1st Cavalry
C. 1st Aviation Brigade
D. UH-1 “Iroquois”
35. Which of the sentences below best expresses the information in the highlighted
statement in the passage?
A. The Huey was the least efficient among helicopters used in Vietnam
B. No helicopter was as big as the Huey.
C. The Huey was the most widely used helicopter in Vietnam.
D. Many helicopters were used in Vietnam, but none was helpful.
36. According to paragraph 3, which of the following was NOT carried by the Huey?
A. soldiers
B. officers
C. supplies
D. orphans
37. What name was given to helicopter ambulance missions?
A. Dustoff
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 B. PSYOP
C. Donut Dollies
D. Cavalry
38. The word evacuation in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to
A. hospitalization
B. increase
C. treatment
D. removal
39. Read the sentence below from paragraph 5, then answer the question.
The interchangeable interiors of the Huey allowed for easy conversion from troop carrier to
air ambulance.
Which of these is the best category for this fact?
A. Safety features of the Huey
B. Huey crew members
C. Versatility of the Huey
D. Effects of the Huey on the enemy force
40. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Flying a Huey in Vietnam was dangerous work.
B. The Huey helicopter was extremely versatile.
C. Other helicopters were safer than the Huey.
D. Most military personnel preferred a motor vehicle to a Huey.

10
 READING PAPER 2
Time permitted: 60 minutes
Number of questions: 40

________________________________________________________________________
Directions: In this section you will read FOUR different passages. Each one is followed
by 10 questions about it. For questions 1-40, you are to choose the best answer A, B, C or
D, to each question. Then, on your answer sheet, find the number of the question and fill
in the space that corresponds to the letter of the answer you have chosen. Answer all
questions following a passage on the basis of what is stated or implied in that passage.
You have 60 minutes to answer all the questions, including the time to transfer your
answers to the answer sheet.

PASSAGE 1: 1-10
COKETOWN
(from Hard Times by Charles Dickens)
It was a town of red brick, or of brick that would have been red if the smoke and ashes
had allowed it; but as matters stood, it was a town of unnatural red and black like the painted face
of a savage. It was a town of machinery and tall chimneys, out of which interminable serpents of
smoke trailed themselves forever and ever, and never got uncoiled. It had a black canal in it, and
a river that ran purple with ill-smelling dye, and vast piles of buildings full of windows where
there was a rattling and a trembling all day long, and where the piston of the steam-engine
worked monotonously up and down, like the head of an elephant in a state of melancholy
madness.
It contained several large streets all very alike one another, and many small streets still
more like one another, inhabited by people equally like one another, who all went in and out at
the same hours, with the same sound upon the same pavements, to do the same work, and to
whom every day was the same as yesterday and tomorrow, and every year the counterpart of the
last and the next… All the public inscriptions in the town were painted alike, in severe characters
of black and white. The jail might have been the infirmary, the infirmary might have been the
jail, the town hall might have been either, or both, or anything else, for anything that appeared to
the contrary in the graces of their construction.
Fact, fact, fact, everywhere in the material aspect of the town; fact, fact, fact, everywhere
in the immaterial. The M’Choakumchild school was all fact, and the school of design was all
fact, and the relations between master and man were all fact, and everything was fact between the
lying in hospital and the cemetery, and what you couldn’t state in figures, or show to be
purchasable in the cheapest market and saleable in the dearest, was not, and never should be,
world without end, Amen.
1. The smoke from the chimneys was…
A. incessant
B. invigorating
C. unimaginable

11
 D. untwisted
2. The black colour of the town is due to:
A. paint
B. smoke from the factories
C. coloured bricks
D. dye
3. The impact on the local environment is:
A. not described
B. unpopular with local people
C. beneficial
D. destructive
4. The noise in the buildings was caused by:
A. conversation
B. machines
C. a circus
D. building work
5. In the first paragraph, which two words most closely describe Coketown?
A. vivacious and colourful
B. noisy and dismal
C. silent and mysterious
D. majestic and magnificent
6. Lives for most people in the town are:
A. monotonous
B. varied
C. frightening
D. short
7. Which of the following words best describes the main idea of the second paragraph?
A. diversity
B. unreality
C. nonconformity
D. uniformity
8. Coketown is a town without
A. invention

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 B. imagination
C. civilisation
D. design
9. Coketown's residents value what above all else?
A. religion
B. hard work
C. profit
D. happiness
10. Which of the following best sums up the writer’s attitude towards industrialization?
A. Industrialization is a necessary evil
B. Industrialization encourages competition
C. Industrialization is detrimental to individuality
D. Industrialization is immaterial
PASSAGE 2: 11-20
THE MAIL
(from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens)
It was the Dover road that lay, on a Friday night late in November, before the first of the
persons with whom this history has business. The Dover road lay, as to him, beyond the Dover
mail, as it lumbered up Shooter's Hill. He walked up hill in the mire by the side of the mail, as the
rest of the passengers did; not because they had the least relish for walking exercise, under the
circumstances, but because the hill, and the harness, and the mud, and the mail, were all so
heavy, that the horses had three times already come to a stop, besides once drawing the coach
across the road, with the mutinous intent of taking it back to Blackheath. Reins and whip and
coachman and guard, however, in combination, had read that article of war which forbade a
purpose otherwise strongly in favour of the argument, that some brute animals are endued with
Reason; and the team had capitulated and returned to their duty.
With drooping heads and tremulous tails, they mashed their way through the thick mud,
floundering and stumbling between whiles, as if they were falling to pieces at the larger joints. As
often as the driver rested them and brought them to a stand, with a wary "Wo-ho! so-ho then!" the
near leader violently shook his head and everything upon it - like an unusually emphatic horse,
denying that the coach could be got up the hill. Whenever the leader made this rattle, the
passenger started, as a nervous passenger might, and was disturbed in mind.
There was a steaming mist in all the hollows, and it had roamed in its forlornness up the
hill, like an evil spirit, seeking rest and finding none. A clammy and intensely cold mist, it made
its slow way through the air in ripples that visibly followed and overspread one another, as the
waves of an unwholesome sea might do. It was dense enough to shut out everything from the
light of the coach-lamps but these its own workings, and a few yards of road; and the reek of the
labouring horses steamed into it, as if they had made it all.
Two other passengers, besides the one, were plodding up the hill by the side of the mail.
All three were wrapped to the cheekbones and over the cars, and wore jack-boots. Not one of the
three could have said, from anything he saw, what either of the other two was like; and each was
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hidden under almost as many wrappers from the eyes of the mind, as from the eyes of the body,
of his two companions. In those days, travellers were very shy of being confidential on a short
notice, for anybody on the road might be a robber or in league with robbers. As to the latter,
when every posting-house and ale-house could produce somebody in "the Captain's" pay, ranging
from the landlord to the lowest stable nondescript, it was the likeliest thing upon the cards. So the
guard of the Dover mail thought to himself, that Friday night in November, one thousand seven
hundred and seventy-five, lumbering up Shooter's Hill, as he stood on his own particular perch
behind the mail, beating his feet, and keeping an eye and a hand on the arm-chest before him,
where a loaded blunderbuss lay at the top of six or eight loaded horse pistols, deposited on a
substratum of cutlass.
The Dover mail was in its usual genial position that the guard suspected the passengers,
the passengers suspected one another and the guard, they all suspected everybody else, and the
coachman was sure of nothing but the horses; as to which cattle he could with a clear conscience
have taken his oath on the two Testaments that they were not fit for the journey.
11. Travelling by mail coach at the time the story is set is presented as:
A. exhilarating and adventurous
B. cheap and good value
C. uncomfortable and frightening
D. efficient and friendly
12. The passengers were walking in paragraph 1:
A. because the coach was uncomfortable
B. to show the horses the way
C. to get exercise
D. in order to lighten the load for the horses
13. The coach had come from:
A. Dover
B. Blackheath
C. Shooter‟s Hill
D. the sea
14. The horses were:
A. strong and energetic
B. unwilling and exhausted
C. hard-working and obedient
D. content and in good physical shape
15. “It was dense enough to shut out everything”. What does “It” refer to?
A. the sea
B. the mist
C. the coach
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 D. the smell of the horses
16. What adjective best describes the main character, the passenger?
A. confident
B. nervous
C. weak
D. rude
17. The weather is best summarized as:
A. chilly and foggy
B. torrential rain
C. howling gales
D. dry and bright
18. The coach was protected against robbers by:
A. its speed
B. the number of passengers
C. a heavily-armed guard
D. bribes to the robbers‟ Captain
19. Which of the following does NOT describe the attitude of the people in the extract towards
each other?
A. distrustful
B. reserved
C. fearful
D. courteous
20. What discourages the passengers from greater intimacy?
A. fear that the others might be thieves
B. they are too covered up by clothing
C. the thickness of the fog
D. shyness

PASSAGE 3: 21-30
REALITY TELEVISION
Reality television is a genre of television programming which, it is claimed, presents
unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary
people rather than professional actors. It could be described as a form of artificial or "heightened"
documentary. Although the genre has existed in some form or another since the early years of
television, the current explosion of popularity dates from around 2000.

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 Reality television covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game or
quiz shows which resemble the frantic, often demeaning programmes produced in Japan in the
1980s and 1990s (a modern example is Gaki no tsukai), to surveillance- or voyeurism focused
productions such as Big Brother.
Critics say that the term "reality television" is somewhat of a misnomer and that such
shows frequently portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put
in exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-screen
handlers, and with events on screen manipulated through editing and other post production
techniques.
Part of reality television's appeal is due to its ability to place ordinary people in
extraordinary situations. For example, on the ABC show, The Bachelor, an eligible male dates a
dozen women simultaneously, travelling on extraordinary dates to scenic locales. Reality
television also has the potential to turn its participants into national celebrities, outwardly in
talent and performance programs such as Pop Idol, though frequently Survivor and Big Brother
participants also reach some degree of celebrity.
Some commentators have said that the name "reality television" is an inaccurate
description for several styles of program included in the genre. In competition-based programs
such as Big Brother and Survivor, and other special-living-environment shows like The Real
World, the producers design the format of the show and control the day-to-day activities and the
environment, creating a completely fabricated world in which the competition plays out.
Producers specifically select the participants, and use carefully designed scenarios, challenges,
events, and settings to encourage particular behaviours and conflicts. Mark Burnett, creator of
Survivor and other reality shows, has agreed with this assessment, and avoids the word "reality"
to describe his shows; he has said, "I tell good stories. It really is not reality TV. It really is
unscripted drama."
21. In the first line, the writer says “it is claimed” because
A. they agree with the statement.
B. everyone agrees with the statement.
C. no one agrees with the statement.
D. they want to distance themselves from the statement.
22. Reality television has
A. always been this popular.
B. has been popular since well before 2000.
C. has only been popular since 2000.
D. has been popular since approximately 2000.
23. Japan
A. is the only place to produce demeaning TV shows.
B. has produced demeaning TV shows copied elsewhere.
C. produced Big Brother.
D. invented surveillance focused productions.
24. People have criticized reality television because
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 A. it is demeaning.
B. it uses exotic locations.
C. the name is inaccurate.
D. it shows reality.
25. Reality TV appeals to some because
A. it shows eligible males dating women.
B. it uses exotic locations.
C. it shows average people in exceptional circumstances.
D. it can turn ordinary people into celebrities.
26. Pop Idol
A. turns all its participants into celebrities.
B. is more likely to turn its participants into celebrities than Big Brother.
C. is less likely to turn its participants into celebrities than Big Brother.
D. is a dating show.
27. The term “reality television” is inaccurate
A. for all programs.
B. just for Big Brother and Survivor.
C. for talent and performance programs.
D. for special-living-environment programs.
28. Producers choose the participants
A. on the ground of talent.
B. only for special-living-environment shows.
C. to create conflict among other things.
D. to make a fabricated world.
29. Paul Burnett
A. was a participant on Survivor.
B. is a critic of reality TV.
C. thinks the term “reality television” is inaccurate.
D. writes the script for Survivor.
30. Shows like Survivor
A. are definitely reality TV.
B. are scripted.
C. have good narratives.

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 D. are theatre.

PASSAGE 4: 31-40
THE DEATH CAR
It was a cold night in September. The rain was drumming on the car roof as George and
Marie Winston drove through the empty country roads towards the house of their friends, the
Harrisons, where they were going to attend a party to celebrate the engagement of the Harrisons'
daughter, Lisa. As they drove, they listened to the local radio station, which was playing classical
music.
They were about five miles from their destination when the music on the radio was
interrupted by a news announcement:
"The Cheshire police have issued a serious warning after a man escaped from Colford
Mental Hospital earlier this evening. The man, John Downey, is a murderer who killed six people
before he was captured two years ago. He is described as large, very strong and extremely
dangerous. People in the Cheshire area are warned to keep their doors and windows locked, and
to call the police immediately if they see anyone acting strangely."
Marie shivered. "A crazy killer. And he's out there somewhere. That's scary."
"Don't worry about it," said her husband. "We're nearly there now. Anyway, we have
more important things to worry about. This car is losing power for some reason - it must be that
old problem with the carburetor. If it gets any worse, we'll have to stay at the Harrisons' tonight
and get it fixed before we travel back tomorrow."
As he spoke, the car began to slow down. George pressed the accelerator, but the engine
only coughed. Finally they rolled to a halt, as the engine died completely. Just as they stopped,
George pulled the car off the road, and it came to rest under a large tree.
"Blast!" said George angrily. "Now we'll have to walk in the rain."
"But that'll take us an hour at least," said Marie. "And I have my high-heeled shoes and
my nice clothes on. They'll be ruined!"
"Well, you'll have to wait while I run to the nearest house and call the Harrisons.
Someone can come out and pick us up," said George.
"But George! Have you forgotten what the radio said? There's a homicidal maniac out
there! You can't leave me alone here!"
"You'll have to hide in the back of the car. Lock all the doors and lie on the floor in the
back, under this blanket. No-one will see you. When I come back, I'll knock three times on the
door. Then you can get up and open it. Don't open it unless you hear three knocks." George
opened the door and slipped out into the rain. He quickly disappeared into the blackness.
Marie quickly locked the doors and settled down under the blanket in the back for a long
wait. She was frightened and worried, but she was a strong-minded woman. She had not been
waiting long, however, when she heard a strange scratching noise. It seemed to be coming from
the roof of the car.
Marie was terrified. She listened, holding her breath. Then she heard three slow knocks,
one after the other, also on the roof of the car. Was it her husband? Should she open the door?
Then she heard another knock, and another. This was not her husband. It was somebody -- or

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something -- else. She was shaking with fear, but she forced herself to lie still. The knocking
continued -- bump, bump, bump, bump.
Many hours later, as the sun rose, she was still lying there. She had not slept for a
moment. The knocking had never stopped, all night long. She did not know what to do. Where
was George? Why had he not come for her?
Suddenly, she heard the sound of three or four vehicles, racing quickly down the road. All
of them pulled up around her, their tires screeching on the road. At last! Someone had come!
Marie sat up quickly and looked out of the window.
The three vehicles were all police cars, and two still had their lights flashing. Several
policemen leapt out. One of them rushed towards the car as Marie opened the door. He took her
by the hand. "Get out of the car and walk with me to the police vehicle. miss. You're safe now.
Look straight ahead. Keep looking at the police car. Don't look back. Just don't look back."
Something in the way he spoke filled Marie with cold horror. She could not help herself.
About ten yards from the police car, she stopped, turned and looked back at the empty vehicle.
George was hanging from the tree above the car, a rope tied around his neck. As the wind
blew his body back and forth, his feet were bumping gently on the roof of the car -- bump, bump,
bump, bump.
31. Where were the Winstons going when this incident happened?
A. home
B. to Colford Mental Hospital
C. to a party
D. to the police station
32. What was the reason for the news announcement on the radio?
A. Six people, including John Downey, had been murdered.
B. A dangerous prisoner had escaped.
C. The police were warning of accidents on the roads in the bad weather.
D. Some people had been seen acting strangely in the Cheshire area.
33. What did George think was causing the trouble with the car?
A. the carburetor
B. the rain drumming on the roof
C. the accelerator
D. he had no idea
34. Why did he pull the car off the road?
A. to have a rest
B. to go for a walk
C. to walk to the nearest house
D. it broke down

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35. Why did Marie stay in the car when George left?
A. She was afraid to go out in the dark.
B. So no-one would steal the car.
C. Her clothes weren't suitable for the rain.
D. She wanted to get some sleep.
36. Where did George set off to walk to?
A. the Mental Hospital
B. the nearest house
C. the Harrisons' house
D. the police station
37. What made Marie so frightened as she waited in the car?
A. There was a strange sound coming from the roof.
B. She could see a man acting strangely outside the car.
C. Some police cars came racing down the road.
D. She was afraid of the rain and the dark.
38. Why did the policeman tell her not to look back when he brought her out of the car?
A. He didn't want her to see the body of her husband.
B. The killer was waiting behind her.
C. He wanted her to forget everything that had happened during the night.
D. He didn't want her to see the damage done to the car.
39. Marie says, "There's a homicidal maniac out there!" What does "homicidal maniac" mean?
A. terrible storm
B. busy road
C. crazy killer
D. policeman
40. In "Several policemen leapt out," "leapt" means
A. threw
B. jumped
C. shouted

D. drove

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