A A A A A A A A A A

ITU/SFL PROFICIENCY EXAM July 26, 2016

SESSION I
SECTION I – LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION (15 x 1 = 15 points)
Which of the following sentences best expresses the meaning in the given sentence?
1. Tigers cannot outrun fast prey such as deer, so they catch their victims by attacking them unexpectedly.
A) Unable to run faster than the animals they eat like deer, tigers make use of surprise attacks to kill them.
B) It is surprising that tigers cannot keep up with animals like deer, which they attack so that they can eat them.
C) Despite having amazing running abilities, tigers catch prey like deer by attacking them when they’re not ready for it.
D) Tigers feed on fast animals like deer, so they cannot waste any time when deciding whether to make an attack on them
or not.

2. If you shaved the fur off both a lion and a tiger, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart because their body structure is so
similar.
A) Lions and tigers have similar body types, but you are able to identify each one even when they do not have fur.
B) A lion’s body looks nearly identical to a tiger’s when they do not have fur due to their resemblance in body structure.
C) Taking the fur off animals like lions and tigers makes them look amazingly similar despite their variety in body type.
D) Without fur, you could not figure out which animal was a lion and which was a tiger if they did not have different body
types.

3. There were once nine subspecies of tigers, but three are fully extinct while one is extinct in its natural habitat, and the
rest are endangered.
A) Five of the nine subspecies of tigers are still a source of danger in the wild, one has been limited to zoos, and three no
longer exist.
B) Of the nine subspecies of tigers that used to exist, five survive but are endangered, one survives in captivity, and the
others are extinct.
C) Three of the nine subspecies of tigers have gone extinct, one more will soon be, and the other five live in areas where
there is a lot of danger.
D) Three subspecies of tigers have become extinct and one cannot be found in the wild, while the remaining five have
managed to adapt to the struggles of modern life.

4. Less than 100 years ago, Asia had a large tiger population, but hunting and habitat loss have put this animal at risk.
A) Less and less area to hunt is the primary reason that the number of tigers has fallen so dramatically in the last century.
B) Asian tigers are hunted too much and have too little space, so they do not grow as large as they did 100 years earlier.
C) In less than a century, hunting and a decrease in places to live have reduced the number of Asian tigers so much that
they may not survive.
D) Pressure from hunters has resulted in fewer places for tigers to escape to, which has had a huge effect on their
population in the last century.

5. If a hurricane warning has been declared for your area, hurricane conditions are expected within 24 hours.
A) Once a hurricane warning is given for your area, you probably have less than 24 hours until it hits.
B) Your area will receive a hurricane warning if you have experienced a hurricane in the last 24 hours.
C) A hurricane is unlikely to strike your area until about 24 hours after a hurricane warning is announced.
D) Expect a hurricane to last up to 24 hours after a hurricane warning has been issued for the area where you live.

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ITU/SFL PROFICIENCY EXAM July 26, 2016
SESSION I
6. On Jupiter, a hurricane bigger in size than Earth has been going on for more than 300 years.
A) Jupiter, which is greater in size than Earth, has a 300-year-old hurricane that keeps gaining strength.
B) On Jupiter, there’s a hurricane still going on which started over 300 years ago and covers an area larger than Earth.
C) Jupiter has had many hurricanes throughout the last 300 years, one of which continues today and is greater in size than
Earth.
D) Jupiter, like Earth, has been having hurricanes for the last 300 years, and one has lasted longer than any hurricane we
have had on Earth.

7. Slow-moving hurricanes produce more rainfall and cause more damage from flooding than fast-moving hurricanes.
A) The faster a hurricane moves, the more rainfall it produces, but slow-moving hurricanes cause a great deal of flooding
too.
B) The greatest damage from hurricanes is due to flooding, and slow-moving hurricanes cause more floods than larger
ones.
C) The heavy rains from slow-moving hurricanes lead to floods, which cause many more deaths than fast-moving
hurricanes.
D) Hurricanes that move quickly bring about less rainfall and less damage due to flooding than hurricanes which proceed
at a slower rate.

8. The center of a hurricane, called the eye, can be as large as 32 km across and usually has calm weather with low
winds.
A) The central part of a hurricane, known as the eye, may be 32 km long if the weather is mild and not windy.
B) The eye of a hurricane, extending at least 32 km from its center, generally has pleasant weather and little wind.
C) Typically, the weather is peaceful and there is light wind in the eye, that is, the center of a hurricane, an area up to 32
km from one end to the other.
D) The weather in the eye of a hurricane is neither stormy nor windy because the big 32-km area in the middle of a
hurricane has a significant effect on it.

9. Despite playing a minor role in World War I, planes were the most important weapons during World War II.
A) Even though planes were not as effective as other weapons in World War I, they had improved by World War II.
B) The planes which gained importance as World War II progressed did not have much significance in World War I.
C) Planes were never a key part of World War I, yet, just like other weapons, they were much stronger in World War II.
D) Unlike in World War I, when planes were not very important, during World War II they were a bigger factor than any
other weapon.

10. In the summer of 1940, Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) prevented the attacks of German planes, which was a factor in
the cancellation of German plans to invade the UK.
A) The RAF destroyed all German planes in the summer of 1940, so the Germans lost hope of gaining control over Britain.
B) German planes were unable to overcome the RAF in summer 1940, yet the Germans did not give up on their goal of
taking over the UK.
C) One reason that Germany gave up on trying to capture the UK was that the RAF defended it against German planes
during the summer of 1940.
D) The summer of 1940 was when the RAF prevented German planes from destroying the UK, and as a result the German
army delayed its attack on the UK.

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ITU/SFL PROFICIENCY EXAM July 26, 2016
SESSION I
11. During World War II, pilots of Hurricane planes had to use oxygen masks as the
plane’s exhaust system allowed carbon monoxide into the cockpit.
A) Since Hurricane planes flown in World War II did not keep carbon monoxide out of
the cockpit, pilots of these planes needed to wear oxygen masks.
B) In World War II, Hurricane pilots must have put on oxygen masks when the carbon World War II Hurricane plane
monoxide levels increased due to problems with their planes’ exhaust system.
C) Although oxygen masks were difficult to get used to, World War II Hurricane pilots used them because of the carbon
monoxide the exhaust system let into the cockpit.
D) Making use of oxygen masks was necessary for pilots of Hurricane planes during World War II whenever they tried to
fix the exhaust system, which allowed carbon monoxide into their planes.

12. Many Hurricane pilots were seriously burned as a consequence of a poor design which caused their aircraft to go up in
flames quickly.
A) Maneuvering Hurricane aircraft was difficult, and when hit, resulting fires often severely burned the pilots.
B) Because of a bad design, fires on Hurricane aircraft spread fast, causing pilots to get life-threatening burns.
C) The design of Hurricane planes made them fast but also dangerous, and fires on board led to serious burns and death.
D) The unfortunate layout of a Hurricane plane prevented pilots from escaping rapidly, so when a fire took place, pilots
were often killed.

13. The word “salary” must have been derived from the word “salt” because salt was highly valued and used as a form of
currency in ancient times.
A) “Salt” used to be even more valuable than “salary”, so it seems it was even used in many financial transactions.
B) Salt was once considered very valuable and used as money; thus, it can be said the word “salary” comes from “salt”.
C) As ancient people liked using salt and were willing to pay a high price for it, the word “salary” could be related to “salt”.
D) Many years ago people couldn’t have been aware of how common salt was, so it was costly and even used as money
to pay a person’s “salary”.

14. In the 16th century, the salt made in Poland brought about a strong kingdom, but it fell when Germans produced better
quality salt.
A) The salt made in Poland in the 1500s helped their nation develop, but Germans conquered them and started making
better salt.
B) Poland became powerful in the 1500s due to salt production, but Germans took control of their land and then started
making higher quality salt.
C) In the 1500s, Germans began making better salt than the Polish and caused Poland’s empire, which had grown strong
because of salt, to be conquered as a result.
D) The salt made by the Germans in the 1500s was even higher in quality than the salt made in Poland, and Germany built
up an even larger empire than Poland did.

15. It is a common misconception that sea salt has a lower sodium content than table salt as they are both made up mainly
of sodium chloride.
A) Despite what many people think, sea salt has as much sodium as table salt since it consists mostly of sodium chloride
just like table salt.
B) As most people have learned, the high amount of sodium chloride found in sea salt and table salt leads to an equal
amount of sodium in each.
C) Although there is a widespread belief that sea salt has less sodium than table salt, the truth is that there is some degree
of sodium chloride found in both of them.
D) There has been little research done about whether the sodium content of sea salt and table salt are equal due to the
similar amounts of sodium chloride which they contain.
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ITU/SFL PROFICIENCY EXAM July 26, 2016
SESSION I
SECTION II – READING COMPREHENSION (30 x 1.5 = 45 points)
Read each text and choose the best alternative that answers each question.

Text 1 Hurricanes

1 The words "hurricane" and "typhoon" are often used

interchangeably. However, they describe regionally specific phenomena
which are identical. Both are a type of tropical cyclone, which is a generic
term for a low pressure system that generally forms in the tropics. When
tropical cyclones have maximum sustained surface winds at about 63
kilometers per hour (kph), they are called tropical storms and they are
assigned a name at that point. Above 120 kph, they are called hurricanes if occurring in the North Atlantic Ocean,
Caribbean Sea, and central and northeast Pacific and called typhoons if taking place in the northwest Pacific Ocean.

2 Their location is crucial as knowledge about these disastrous storms enables people to prepare for them. Occurring
in the Atlantic Basin and affecting the United States or neighbouring regions, hurricanes receive more publicity than tropical
storms and typhoons. They get more attention than any other natural disaster. This may be because storms and disasters in
developed countries receive more media coverage than those that take place in other countries.

3 Not only the media but also hurricane scales tell us a lot about hurricanes. Hurricanes are classified according to
wind strength using the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Scale, which uses five categories. Category 1 has winds between 120-150
kph, which means that it is unlikely to cause real damage to buildings but leads to some coastal flooding and minor pier
damage. Category 2 (winds between 154 and 177 kph) will cause damage to roofs, doors, and windows and some trees will
be blown over. From Category 3 up to Category 5, structural damage will occur. Category 3 is highly likely to cause slight
damage to houses but could significantly escalate if large trees are blown over. Flooding deep inland is usual. Category 4
will see some complete roof structure failure while Category 5 hurricanes (winds in excess of 251 kph) will cause the
removal of roofs from many buildings, both residential and industrial. Flooding will be very severe, causing major damage to
lower floors of all structures near the shoreline. It is also likely that extensive evacuation of residential areas will result.

4 The naming system of hurricanes and typhoons is a particularly important feature giving a certain personality to the
winds. Names alternate between male and female first names and are drawn from a large number of racial groups.
Experience shows that the use of short, distinctive names in written as well as spoken communications is quicker and less
subject to error than the older, more cumbersome latitude-longitude identification methods. These advantages are
especially important in exchanging detailed storm information between hundreds of widely scattered stations, coastal bases,
and ships at sea. The use of easily remembered names greatly reduces confusion when two or more hurricanes or
typhoons occur at the same time. In the past, confusion and false rumors arose when storm advisories broadcast from radio
stations were mistaken for warnings concerning an entirely different storm located hundreds of miles away.

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ITU/SFL PROFICIENCY EXAM July 26, 2016
SESSION I
16. It is stated in paragraph 1 that ----.
A) typhoons have been spotted in all seas and oceans except the Caribbean Sea
B) the only difference between a hurricane and a tropical storm is the location where they occur
C) the wind speed of typhoons reaches more than 120 km per hour
D) the conditions for the possibility of a tropical cyclone can be predicted

17. What does the word they refer to in paragraph 2?

A) typhoons B) tropical storms C) hurricanes D) neighbouring regions

18. One can understand from paragraph 3 that the Saffir Simpson Hurricane Scale ----.
A) is less accurate than the media when assessing the damage caused by hurricanes
B) helps estimate potential property damage
C) provides forecasts of hurricane activity
D) classifies hurricanes based on rainfall and windspeed

19. Which category of wind will most likely require many people to leave their homes according to paragraph 3?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5

20. The word cumbersome in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ----.

A) complicated
B) appropriate
C) convenient
D) unnatural

21. Which of the following statements is FALSE according to paragraph 4?

A) Naming hurricanes helps people communicate about them more effectively.
B) Giving hurricanes short names leads to fewer errors.
C) Names are assigned to hurricanes according to their location.
D) People seeking storm information used to get confused due to the naming system.

22. According to the whole text, names are given to ----.

A) only hurricanes
B) only typhoons and hurricanes
C) only tropical storms and hurricanes
D) typhoons, tropical storms, and hurricanes

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ITU/SFL PROFICIENCY EXAM July 26, 2016
SESSION I
Text 2 Saving Tigers
1 At last, some good news for tigers. Because of conservation
successes in India, Russia, and other countries, the global population
of tigers in the wild has shown a significant increase in the past few
years according to a new survey by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The study estimates that there are now 4,400 wild tigers, up from a low
of 3,200 in 2010 survey. After the 2010 figures were announced,
countries made a historic commitment to double the population by
2022. Right now reaching this target appears likely, and this is the first
time tiger numbers have been increasing globally in more than a
hundred years. "We're positively surprised by this gain of 1200 tigers,
which encourages us to keep going on conservation efforts,"
says Ginette Hemley, senior vice president for conservation at the
WWF. However, another expert emphasizes the need to keep being
vigilant: "Unless all these countries keep watching their tiger
populations and continue improving their conditions, all our efforts will be wasted," says Luke Dollar, manager of the Big
Cats Initiative.

2 Two of the countries with the most significant growth are India and Russia, which are also places where Dollar
says the Big Cats Initiative has been conducting studies and sponsoring conservation projects. Two-thirds of the world's
tigers live in India, where they’ve increased in number from 1,706 to 2,426 during the past six years. The country has
increased anti-poaching efforts to reduce the illegal killings of tigers. It also offers compensation to farmers who show
some of their animals have been injured or killed by tigers. This money they receive prevents farmers from killing tigers.
India has also invested in sustainable tourism around tiger reserves, a project that has increased the number of people
who want to see a healthy tiger population. That seems to be working so well that officials have begun talking about
expanding the reserve system. "India has invested more resources in tigers, and the positive results are enabling them to
convince people to provide the funds needed for new projects," Hemley says.

3 Authorities continue to struggle against the trade in tiger products. It is finally banned in almost every country, yet
the black market has not been eliminated. For tigers to continue their increase in population, demand for their skins and
other body parts must be further curtailed throughout southeast Asia. To accomplish this, the WWF has been working
with local law enforcement groups to help capture traffickers. India has shown considerable progress in reducing the
number of tigers taken out of the country, in part by sharing resources across borders, Hemley says. Conservationists
have also worked with leaders of Traditional Chinese Medicine and managed to decrease the amount of tiger products in
medical treatments, which scientists say don't work anyway. At the same time, however, new black markets have
emerged in China for shampoos and tonics made from tiger products. 

4 According to Dollar, India is also a leader on development that benefits people while minimizing impacts on
tigers. Roads have been routed around reserves, and engineers are designing tunnels and overpasses to help tigers
move through the landscape with fewer risky interactions with people. The next step, Dollar says, is integrating the
conservation efforts in countries with significant tiger populations. Cooperation on tigers between countries is a must, he
says, because it serves as a bridge toward cooperation on other issues. "In saving nature, we are often saving
ourselves."  

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ITU/SFL PROFICIENCY EXAM July 26, 2016
SESSION I
23. The word vigilant in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ----.
A) careful
B) critical
C) dangerous
D) expensive

24. From paragraph 1, the reader can understand that ----.

A) the WWF is opposed to having tigers in captivity in places like zoos
B) the WWF was not expecting an increase of 1200 tigers since the previous survey
C) reaching the 2022 target is proving more difficult than most people expected
D) Hemley believes it is unlikely that people will continue to show so much concern about the tiger population

25. In paragraph 2, which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor that has already led to the significant increase in
the number of tigers in India?
A) More efforts to prevent the illegal killing of tigers
B) Payments to farmers whose animals are killed or injured by tigers
C) More money used for tourism projects related to tigers
D) Increasing the size of the tiger reserves

26. The word curtailed in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by ----.

A) reported
B) discussed
C) reduced
D) reinforced

27. The main idea of paragraph 3 is that ----.

A) despite authorities best efforts, they have not been able to limit the increasing trade in tiger parts
B) increased awareness is the key to putting an end to the tiger trade
C) while other countries are reducing their trade in tiger parts, China refuses to make serious efforts
D) there have been both positive and negative developments in efforts to limit the trade of tiger parts

28. In Paragraph 4, Dollar points out that ----.

A) people need to greatly limit new projects if they hope to see an increase in tiger population
B) recent development in India separates tigers and people and reduces problems between them
C) each country must further develop its own conservation efforts before working more closely with other countries
D) although saving nature is certainly important, a country’s first priority is to look after its citizens

29. Which of the following facts is NOT TRUE according to the article?
A) The tiger population has always remained above 3,000.
B) A majority of the world’s tigers live in India.
C) India is having difficulty finding money for new conservation projects.
D) Scientists believe tiger parts are ineffective at curing medical problems.

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ITU/SFL PROFICIENCY EXAM July 26, 2016
SESSION I
Text 3 The Guinea Pig Club

1 The Guinea Pig Club was made up of

British WWII pilots who had at least two
reconstructive surgeries by plastic surgeon
Archibald McIndoe. Before WWII, severe burns
were rare and mostly due to household
accidents, but the war changed that. Flying
dangerous planes like Spitfires and Hurricanes
that were prone to accidents resulted in young
men getting serious burns all over their bodies.
During the war, McIndoe pioneered many
techniques to treat severe burns which are still
used today. He also recognized that when treating the trauma on the outside, you also have to treat the trauma on the
inside, which was the reason for the Guinea Pig Club.

2 Previous to WWII, plastic surgery was undeveloped. Even something as simple as healing burns before
reconstructive surgery needed to be improved. At the time, a special chemical coating was applied to minor burns in order
to form a protective layer and allow the burns to heal. However, this proved disastrous when McIndoe tried it to treat severe
burns over large areas. The chemical coating dried out the skin and caused great pain when removed. After trying the
coating with little success, McIndoe observed that the burns of patients who crashed into water healed the fastest, so he
decided to use salt baths to encourage healing.

3 When it came to reconstructing lips, noses or large patches of skin on faces, no one had even tried to do it before.
McIndoe learned that a large sheet of skin taken from the upper leg did not survive transplantation. He figured out that he
could leave the skin attached to the leg at one end and roll the skin into a tube. Next, he attached it to another site closer to
the face, like the arm. Once this skin started to draw its blood supply from the arm, he would disconnect it from the leg and
attach it to the face. After this skin had a good blood supply from the face, he would then disconnect it again and use it to
reconstruct facial features.

4 Although these medical procedures were great improvements, McIndoe realized something else was needed, too.
One of the unique features of the Guinea Pig Club was the way its members were dealt with emotionally. McIndoe insisted
doctors and nurses took pains to create a cheerful and normal environment. The patients were often suicidal when they
arrived at the hospital. They thought their lives were over because of their horrible appearance. To help patients gain
confidence that they could still talk to pretty girls, showgirls from London were brought in, which also added to the positive
atmosphere. McIndoe also got patients invited to tea at the homes of local families, where they felt welcomed. He let them
wear their uniforms in the hospital. He even allowed beer and parties.

5 McIndoe’s approach to healing the patients focused on both physical and psychological recovery. Before then,
people with injuries that damaged appearance were usually made to stay at home and were treated as people who needed
pity. McIndoe, however, presented them as heroes to be honored for their courage. If a play was opening or a movie
premiering in town, McIndoe got his patients invited as guests of honor.

6 And it worked. Grinstead, the town where the hospital was based, became known as “the town that did not stare.” A
number of the Guinea Pig Club members married women they met in the town while recovering. The Air Force was also
quick to allow them to take any role they could if they wanted to return to active duty. This was a big change in attitude for
society and the military. The Guinea Pig Club demonstrated that in order to recover, soldiers needed not only high quality
medical care but also social acceptance and the knowledge that they were not alone.
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ITU/SFL PROFICIENCY EXAM July 26, 2016
SESSION I
30. The main topic of the text is that ----.
A) soldiers in the Guinea Pig Club were provided both physical and emotional healing
B) McIndoe created the Guinea Pig Club so that recovering pilots could encourage each other
C) both physical recovery and emotional recovery were extremely painful for members of the Guinea Pig Club
D) the emotional problems of Guinea Pig Club members even caused some of them to commit suicide

31. In paragraph 1, the writer implies that ----.

A) most soldiers looked much better after two reconstructive surgeries
B) the number of household accidents increased significantly during World War II
C) fewer pilots would have been injured if they had flown their planes more carefully
D) McIndoe was amazingly innovative in the surgery techniques he came up with

32. According to paragraphs 2 & 3, which of the following statements is TRUE about plastic surgery during WWII?
A) Part of plastic surgery at that time was putting a coating on patients’ skin that caused lots of pain.
B) It was especially difficult for pilots whose planes had crashed into the sea.
C) McIndoe invented a multi-step method to use a piece of skin from the leg for plastic surgery on the face.
D) Over time, McIndoe understood that skin from the arm worked better for plastic surgery than skin from the leg.

33. The phrase take pains to in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ----.

A) found it impossible to
B) made a great effort to
C) searched for money to
D) suffered themselves in order to

34. In paragraph 4, why does the writer mention showgirls from London?
A) To give an example of how much money McIndoe was willing to spend to help the soldiers recover
B) To show the great importance that McIndoe gave to physical appearance
C) To illustrate one of the methods McIndoe used to help soldiers emotionally
D) To contrast the showgirls with the local families

35. Paragraph 5 focuses on ---- psychological healing.

A) the importance of being shown respect during
B) the role of entertainment in
C) the way that close friends facilitate
D) the relationship between improved physical appearance and

36. The word it in paragraph 6 refers to ----.

A) a play opening or a movie premiering
B) treating patients as people who needed pity
C) making patients stay at home
D) McIndoe’s approach

37. From paragraph 6, it can be understood that ----.

A) the town of Grinstead did not focus on the physical appearance of recovering soldiers
B) soldiers in the Air Force who had plastic surgery could not serve as effectively as they had in the past
C) soldiers in the Air Force who had plastic surgery faced more problems in the Air Force than in society in general
D) for a successful recovery, psychological support is much more important than physical care
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ITU/SFL PROFICIENCY EXAM July 26, 2016
SESSION I
Text 4 To Salt or Not To Salt?

1 Fortunately there are still a few tasty things for food lovers to enjoy in relative security.
However, their numbers are reduced almost daily by regulations from the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and our doctors. Their latest victim is the salt of life, sodium chloride.
Sodium chloride is an ionic compound found in various foods and medical treatments. More
commonly referred to as “salt” or “table salt,” sodium chloride is used as a seasoning in many
foods. Recently, the FDA has been employing strategies to reduce the consumption of sodium,
one of the ingredients of food that makes it great.

2 A few years ago, anti-salt campaigners made a huge fuss, so salt was banned from baby food. Then they organized
huge campaigns against food manufacturers that don’t provide the sodium content of their products, and the FDA supported
them. In order to force food manufacturers to show the sodium content on the package, the FDA applied pressure on them.
Because doing so would cost manufacturers money, manufacturers argued that they had no idea how much salt remains on
such things as potato chips and how much sticks to the bag. Furthermore, salt isn’t the only harmful ingredient in food. The
debate at the time was if manufacturers must provide sodium content, why not require them to list every ingredient and
specify which are detrimental to our health? Cigarettes have a warning printed on them. Shouldn’t the same type of warning
appear on canned foods that contain too much sugar or fat?

3 There are endless ifs and buts in the controversy, and this is best illustrated by the controversial proof of salt’s
effect upon blood pressure. It is true that people who cut their salt intake lowered their blood pressure, but where is the
scientific proof that something other than salt didn’t do the trick? The most common means of providing some kind of proof
that salt causes hypertension is to compare societies that use little salt with those that use mountains of salt in their daily
diets. Studies of Japanese salt-intake indicated that as the world’s greatest salters, they suffer the most from hypertension.
On the other hand, the simple, salt-free cuisine of several tribes in the Solomon Islands has kept older members of the tribe
from developing hypertension and high blood pressure. However, these studies do not consider the effects of inflation,
pollution, crime, and various sicknesses to which the Japanese, unlike people on underdeveloped islands, are exposed.

4 Experts recommend Americans to cut down on their salt consumption in order to reduce their risk of heart attack
and stroke. However, significant reduction of sodium can cause spasms and irregular heart rhythms, and it can even
increase the risk of heart attack and sudden death in hypertensive patients. According to a new study, reducing salt in our
diet also may lead to a slight boost in cholesterol, a separate risk factor for heart disease.
People who cut dietary salt saw a 2.5% increase in cholesterol levels and a 7% boost in
triglycerides, which is a type of fat in blood. Cutting back on salt does more harm than good
because without salt you could not exist for a moment. Like true lovers, the relationship
between salt and your health is so close that it makes them impossible to be disentangled or
untied. It has been found that in our blood, all of us have the exact same percentage of salt
that exists in the ocean. So, at the fundamental level of the physical body, you are a walking
and breathing salty ocean.

5 To salt or not to salt? That is the question. Now that the question has arisen, it must not be treated with levity but,
rather, with searching scientific investigation so that those of us who are preoccupied with both tasty food and longevity may
decide which of the two is worth its salt.

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ITU/SFL PROFICIENCY EXAM July 26, 2016
SESSION I
38. One can understand from paragraph 1 that according to the author, the Food and Drug Administration ----.
A) approves of the use of sodium chloride as long as it is used as a seasoning
B) announced a proposal to ban sodium chloride but allows salt in moderation
C) discourages the eating of many delicious foods and now targets salt
D) aims to forbid doctors from using sodium chloride for medical purposes

39. What does the phrase “doing so” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A) applying pressure on them
B) showing the sodium content on the package
C) forcing food manufacturers
D) paying off

40. One can infer from paragraph 2 that ----.

A) even the FDA was against banning salt from baby food
B) the amount of salt packaged foods contain depends on the other ingredients they include
C) food manufacturers did not list every ingredient their products contained
D) cigarettes shouldn’t have a warning label on them

41. In paragraph 3, in contrast to the claims in several studies, the text mentions that one factor that causes hypertension
for the Japanese may be ----.
A) diseases
B) climate
C) salt-free cuisine
D) too much salt

42. Which of the following is TRUE according to paragraph 4?

A) Cutting down on salt causes sodium deficiency, which is a major problem in the US.
B) People, especially hypertensive patients, have been advised to start a low sodium diet.
C) Americans have been suffering from heart attacks due to a drastic reduction in salt intake.
D) A dramatic reduction in salt consumption could even lead some people to die instantly.

43. The word levity in paragraph 5 could best be replaced by ----.

A) inattention
B) concentration
C) purpose
D) improvement

44. Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the information in the text?
A) Sodium chloride is the chemical name for salt.
B) Some researchers compared societies to determine the dangers of salt consumption.
C) Even people in the Solomon Islands develop hypertension due to inflation and pollution.
D) Like the ocean, blood consists of a specific percentage of salt.

45. The author’s attitude towards the advice not to use salt is ----.
A) angry
B) unconvinced
C) aggressive
D) worried

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