KEMENTRIAN PENDIDIKAN DAN KEBUDAYAAN RI

UNIVERSITAS SULTAN AGENG TIRTAYASA

FAKULTAS KEGURUAN DAN ILMU PENDIDIKAN

STUDY PROGRAM : English Education

SEMESTER : The third semester

LECTURER : Dr. H. Masrupi,M.Pd.

SUBJECT : Academic Reading

Read the passage and choose the best answer to each question.

Questions no. 1-10

SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM

For 150 years scientists have tried to determine the solar constant, the amount of
solar energy that reaches the Earth. Yet, even in the most cloud-free regions of
the planet, the solar constant cannot be measured precisely. Gas molecules and

Line dust particles in the atmosphere absorb and scatter sunlight and prevent some

wavelengths of the light from ever reaching the ground.

(5) With the advent of satellites, however, scientists have finally been able to measure

the Sun’s output without being impeded by the Earth’s atmosphere. Solar Ma, a
satellite from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has been
measuring the Sun’s output since February 1980. Although a malfunction in the
satellite’s control system limited its observation for a few years, the satellite was
repaired in orbit by astronauts from the space shuttle in 1984. Max’s observations

(10) indicate that the solar constant is not really constant after all.

The satellite’s instrument have detected frequent small variations in the Sun’s
energy output, generally amounting to no more than 0,05 percent of the Sun’s
mean energy output and lasting from a few days to a few weeks. Scientists
believe these fluctuations coincide with the appearance and disappearance of
large groups of sunspots
(15) on the Sun’s disk. Sunspots are relatively dark regions on the Sun surface that
have

strong magnetic fields and a temperature about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit cooler
than the rest of the Sun’s surface. Particularly large fluctuations in the solar
constant have coincided with sightings of large sunspot groups. In 1980, for
example, Solar Max’s instruments registered a 0,3 percent drop in the solar
energy reaching the Earth. At that time a sunspot group covered about 0,6
percent of the solar disk, an area 20 times larger

(20) than the Earth’s surface.

Long-term variations in the solar constant are more difficult to determine.

Although Solar Max’s data have indicated a slow and steady decline in the Sun’s output,
some scientists have thought that the satellite’s aging detectors might have become
less sensitive over the years, thus falsely indicating a drop in the solar constant. This
possibility was dismissed, however, by comparing Solar Max’s observations with data
from a similar instrument operating on NAS’s Nimbus 7 weather satellite since 1978.

1. What does this passage mainly discuss?

(A) The launching of a weather satellite
(B) The components of the Earth’s atmosphere
(C) The measurement of variations in the solar constant
(D) The interaction of sunlight and air pollution
2. Why does the author mention “gas” and ‘dust” in line 3?
(A) They magnify the solar constant.
(B) They are found in varying concentrations.
(C) Scientific equipment is ruined by gas and dust.
(D) They interfere with accurate measurement of the solar constant.
3. Why is not possible to measure the solar constant accurately without a satellite?
(A) The Earth is too far from the sun.
(B) Some areas on Earth receive more solar energy than others.
(C) There is not enough sunlight during the day.
(D) The Earth’s atmosphere interferes with the sunlight.
4. The word “scatter” in line 4 is closest in meaning to….
(A) Emit
(B) Capture
(C) Transform
(D) Disperse.
5. The word “it” in line 8 refers to the …
(A) Orbit
(B) Atmosphere
(C) Satellite
(D) Malfunction
6. The word “detected” in line 11 is closest in meaning …..
(A) Estimated
 (B) Disregarded
(C) Registered
(D) Predicted
7. According to the passage, scientists believe variations in the solar constant are
related to …..
(A) Sunspot activity
(B) Unusual weather patterns
(C) Increased levels of dust
(D) Fluctuations in the Earth’s temperature
8. The word “decline” in line 22 is closest in meaning to ….
(A) Fall
(B) Reversal
(C) Release
(D) Fluctuation
9. Why did scientists think that Solar Max might be given unreliable information?
(A) Solar Max did not work for the first few years
(B) The space shuttle could not fix Solar Max’s instruments
(C) Solar Max’s instruments were getting old
(D) Nimbus 7 interfered with Solar Max’s detectors
10. The phrase “This possibility” in line 24 refers to the likelihood that the…..
(A) Solar constant has declined
(B) Nimbus 7 satellite is older than Solar Max
(C) Solar constant cannot be measured
(D) Instruments are providing inaccurate data

Read the passage carefully and answer the question 11 - 20

The Congress of Vienna

The Congress of Vienna (1814-15), convened after Napoleon's defeat, sought to

restore order to a Europe disrupted by revolutionary and imperial France. Its
members' objective was a constellation of states and a balance of power that
would ensure peace and stability after a quarter-century of revolution and war.
In addition to the delegates of many small states, the congress included
representatives of five large European states: Austria, Prussia, Russia, Britain,
and France. After months of deliberations, the congress established an
international political order that was to endure for nearly 100 years and that
brought Europe a measure of peace.
The congress made no effort to restore the Holy Roman Empire and its 300-odd
states. Instead, it accepted the disappearance of many small states that had
occurred since 1789 and created the German Confederation. The confederation
consisted of thirty-eight sovereign states and four free cities and included the
five large kingdoms of Austria, Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria, and Writtemberg. The
confederation met at a diet in Frankfurt, with an Austrian always serving as
president.

Prince Clemens von Metternich, who directed Austria's foreign policy from 1809
until 1848, was the dominant political figure within the confederation. He waged
a decades-long campaign to prevent the spread of revolution in Europe by
seeking to restore much of the political and social order that had existed before
the French Revolution. Metternich's Carlsbad Decrees of 1819 established a
pervasive system of press censorship and regulation of the universities that
dampened German intellectual life and hindered the publication of writings
advocating the principles of liberalism. In the 1820s, he engineered the
formation of the Holy Alliance of the monarchs of Austria, Prussia, and Russia to
quash political, social, and economic developments within Central and Eastern
Europe thought to threaten political stability.

11. Where was the Congress of Vienna held?

(a). Holy Roman Empire 
(b). Vienna 
©. France

12. What was the purpose of the Congress of Vienna?

    (a). to spread revolution

     (b). to restore the Holy Roman Empire

    ©.  to restore order in Europe

13. What large kingdoms were included in the German Confederation?

     (a). Austria, Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria, and Writtemberg

     (b). Austria, Vienna, Prussia, Bavaria, and Writtemberg

    ©.  Austria, Prussia, France, Bavaria, and Writtemberg

14. Who directed Austria's foreign policy?    

(a).  Napoleon

     (b). Holy Roman Empire

     ©. Metternich

15. In the second paragraph, which of these is NOT the meaning of 'odd'?

     (a). strange

     (b). about

     ©. approximately

16. When was the Congress of Vienna held?

    (a).  1809-1848

     (b). 1819      

©. 1814-1815

17. What year were the Carlsbad Decrees issued?

     (a). 1809

     (b). 1819

     ©. 1814

18. Who always served as president of the German Confederation?

    (a).  a Bavarian

     (b). a Prussian

    ©.  an Austrian

19. In the last paragraph, what does the word "dominant" mean?

    (a).  ineffective      

(b). controlling

     ©. elected

20. In the first paragraph, what does the word "convened" mean?   
(a). met

     (b). adjourned

     ©. called

Questions 21 – 30

It is a fact that almost 70 of the energy released from fuel by a car

engine is lost, mostly in the form of heat. Also, the turbines that
generate most of the word’s electrical power manage to convert
only about one-third of their energy into electricity. Sadly, energy is
Line “wasted” like this everywhere, or, more accurately, ends up in a
form

(5) that is not useful to humans. All mechanical systems produce heat
as a by-product, but most of the time valuable energy is just throw
away, or written off as a loss. But thermoelectric materials have
been hailed as one solution to this energy problem-they can take
heat and convert it into useable electricity. Assembled into so-called
thermoelectric generators, or TEGs, they can soak up heat that
would otherwise be wasted and produce an electrical current.
Critically, they can do it without the requirement for any moving
parts. How do they actually work?

(10) TEGs depend upon a temperature difference to “drive” the device -

so one side needs to be hot and the other side cold. This
temperature difference makes the electrons on the “hot” side
vibrate more vigorously, so they tend to move towards the colder
side where the electrons are moving more slowly. This movement
gives rise to a current that can be tapped off as electricity. This
phenomenon is know as the Peltier-Seebeck effect after its 19 th
century discoverers, Jean Charles Athanase Peltier and Thomas
Johann Seebeck. Seebeck

(15) showed that linking up two different conductors that are at different
temperatures results in a voltage being produced between them.
Petter’s contribution was the discovery that the junction between
two conductors develops a temperature difference when a current is
applied. And in a further “effect”, Lord Kelvin (alsoknown as William
Thomson) demonstrated that the size of this voltage is related to
the difference between the two temperatures. Hence, taken
together
(20) these effects mean that connecting the right materials together in
the presence of a temperature difference converts heat energy into
electrical energy, and the bigger the temperature difference, the
more electrical power one produces.

However, there are complications. The trick with thermoelectrics is

that the heat needs to stay at the hot end for as long as possible,
keeping the temperature gradient in place, yet still allowing the

(25) electrons to flow freely. Nevertheless, this flies in the face of what is
understood about thermodynamics because materials that allow
electricity to flow also generally allow heat to flow. Thus, finding a
material that does one but not the other is a huge challenge. That
said, materials with high electrical conductivity but low thermal
conductivity do exist. In fact, most commercial TEGs contain the
rather exotic-sounding bismuth telluride (Bi2 Te
), which is about 4%
3

efficient at 2500C. For higher temperatures silicon and germanium

(30) need to be used. These are more common materials but are much
less efficient at turning heat into electricity. Thankfully, scientists
are confident that, by resorting to “nanosculpture” to craft the
structures of the materials in just the right way, it is possible to
create substances that simultaneously impede the flow of heat but
are very permissive for the flow of electrons, and this will
dramatically improve the efficiency.

21. The author’s main purpose in writing this passage is to

(A) inform that TAGs can turn wasted energy into wanted electrical
energy.
 (B) convince researchers to study the potential electricity created
by TEGs.

(C) illustrate the importance of finding materials for developing

thermoelectrics.

(D) describe why energy is often wasted instead of being fully used
as electricity.

22. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE about

thermoelectric materials?

(A) Researchers believe that they are very rare materials.

(B) They can use and change heat into useful electricity.

(C) They need a constant flow of energy to produce power.

(D) Most thermoelectric materials are effective for generators.

23. The word “vigorously” in line 12 means

(A) torpidly

(B) dynamically

(C) languorously

(D) enthusiastically

24. The word “them” in line 16 refers to

(A) 19th century discoverers

(B) two different conductors

 (C) different temperatures

(D) thermoelectric links

25. it can be inferred from the passage that William Thomson

(A) created thermoelectric generators with Peltier and See back in the
19th century.

(B) collaborated with Lord Kevin to the study the size of voltage and
level of temperatures.

(C) made contribution that led to better understanding of the Pielter-

See back effect.

(D) was an active participant in the original discovery of the Pielter-

See back effect.

26. According to the passage, the following are complications of TEGs

EXCEPT

(A) Electric power currently produced by TEGs is costly and relatively

unstable.

(B) Thermoelectric materials presently available for TEGs do not work

efficiently.

(C) The structures of thermoelectric materials need modifying to

increase efficiency.

(D) Materials with suitable electrical and thermal conductivities are

very hard to find.
27. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the trick of
thermoelectric?

(A) The temperature difference between both ends should be low.

(B) Electrons can flow freely from the hot side to the cold side.

(C) The heat has the remain at the hot side for a long time.

(D) The temperature gradient needs to be kept in place.

28. Which of the following best expresses the meaning of the word “impede”
in line 33?

(A) Contrive

(B) Facilitate

(C) Alleviate

(D) Hinder

29. The author’s attitude toward TEGs is generally

(A) critical

(B) ignorant

(C) skeptical

(D) optimistic

30. How is the information in the passage organized?

(A) The life history of thermoelectric generator inventors is described.

 (B) The roles of thermoelectric generators in current research are
presented.

(C) Arguments for scientists to use thermoelectric generators are

elucidated.

(D) The work process of thermoelectric generators and their obstacles

are explained.

Reading Test, Questions no. 31 - 39

Read the passage and choose the best answer to each question.

Economic and Political Trends toward Unification in 19th

Century Germany
It was not possible for Metternich and his allies to suppress completely
the desire for liberal reforms, including the establishment of
constitutional parliamentary government, economic freedom, and civil
liberties. Some of these reforms had already been under discussion
during the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, and awareness of their
desirability had spread during the Napoleonic era. In addition, the
economic reforms introduced into the Rhineland by France had taken
hold. The business class that formed after 1815 pressed for abolition
of restrictive trade practices favoured by traditional handicraft guilds.
Businessmen also sought a common currency and system of
measurements for Germany.
Among those groups desiring reform, there was, ironically, little unity.
Many businessmen were interested only in reforms that would
facilitate commerce, and they gave little thought to politics. Political
liberals were split into a number of camps. Some wished for a greater
degree of political representation, but, given a widespread fear of what
the masses might do if they had access to power, these liberals were
content to have aristocrats as leaders. Others desired a democratic
constitution, but with a hereditary king as ruler. A minority of liberals
were ardent democrats who desired to establish a republic with
parliamentary democracy and universal suffrage.
Many members of Germany's aristocratic ruling class were opposed to
national unity because they feared it would mean the disappearance of
their small states into a large Germany. Metternich opposed a united
Germany because the Habsburg Empire did not embrace a single
people speaking one language, but many peoples speaking different
languages. The empire would not easily fit into a united Germany. He
desired instead the continued existence of the loosely organized
German Confederation with its forty-odd members, none equal to
Austria in strength. Prussia's kings and its conservative elite
sometimes objected to Austria's primacy in the confederation, but they
had little desire for German unification, which they regarded as a
potential threat to Prussia's existence.
31. What country introduced economic reforms into the Rhineland?

    a. Metternich

     b. Germany

    c. France
32. Was Metternich able to stop completely the desire for liberal
reforms?

    a. yes

     b. no
33. Did all political liberals want the same reforms?

     a. yes

     b. no
34. What did businessmen NOT want?

     a. reduction of tolls

     b. restrictive trade practices

     c. common system of currency and measurements

35. Why was Prussia against German unification?

     a. Unification was seen as a threat to Prussia's existence.

     b. Too many languages were spoken.

     c. Unification would mean the disappearance of small states.

36. In the first paragraph, what is the meaning of the word
"reforms"?

    a. revolutions

     b. referendums

     c. changes to improve the situation

37. In the second paragraph, what is the meaning of word
"liberals"?

     a. progressives

    b. conservatives

    c. aristocrats
38. In the second paragraph, what is the meaning of the word
"camps"?

    a. sites

     b. factions

     c. lodging

39. Where does the sentence -- "They also wanted a reduction of
the numerous tolls that made road and river travel expensive and
slow." – best belong?

     a. start of second paragraph

     b. end of first paragraph

     c. end of second paragraph

Reading Comprehension Test
Read this passage and answer the questions no 40 - 50
 "The evolution of the banana, star of the Western fruit bowl" By Rosie Mestel
Did you hear? The genome of the banana has been sequenced, an important
development in scientist's efforts to produce better bananas. A look at that genome
has revealed curious things, said Pat Heslop-Harrison, a plant geneticist at the
University of Leicester in England who was a co-author of the report published
this week in the journal Nature. For example, there are regions of the banana
genome that don't seem to be involved in making proteins but are shared by many
different species of plants, far beyond bananas. What, he wonders, are they doing?

There are remnants of bits of banana streak virus spliced into the banana genome
Line (10) (too broken-up to cause disease, however). There are whole sets of
DNA repeats that plants normally have but bananas do not. And, intriguingly,
three times since this genus of giant herbs took an evolutionary turn away from its
relatives -- the grasses -- it has duplicated its entire set of chromosomes. Two of
the doublings took place at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary 65 million years ago,
back when the dinosaurs and lots of other species went extinct, Heslop-Harrison
noted. Duplications like this are known to have happened in other plant groups at
this same time but haven't occurred since, Heslop-Harrison said. Scientists don't
know why, but they believe having extra copies of genes may have imparted some
stability to plants during a time of rapid climate change after an asteroid hit Earth.

Line (20) Having more than one gene of each type means that if one gene of a set
loses function, the plant still has another one that works. And there's more room
for adaptability to new circumstances, because one gene could be altered and co-
opted for new purposes and there would still be the other one left to perform the
original job.

"Perhaps it's the reason [bananas have] done so well in the subsequent millions of
years," Heslop-Harrison said. "One can ask, will changes occurring in the world's
climate now mean there's going to be a whole set of new genome duplications that
will enable plants to survive? We don't know that, but it's interesting to consider."
The banana genome sequenced by the French scientists was from the Pahang, a
wild Line (30) Malaysian banana of the species Musa acuminata. It's a key species
in the complicated evolution of the bananas and plantains people eat around the
world, including the Cavendish banana that we buy at the supermarket.

The sterile Cavendish is a so-called triploid: It has three sets of chromosomes

instead of the normal two. One of those genomes came from Pahang. The others
came from other subspecies of Musa acuminata.

The changes occurred stepwise, and went something like this:

  Thousands of years ago, two wild banana species from different parts of the
islands of Southeast Asia were brought into the same range by people. They
formed hybrids. A bit like mules, the hybrids were vigorous but fairly sterile.
Line (40). The hybrids were kept going without sex through propagation of
their shoots.
 At some point, the hybrids developed the ability to set fruit without being
fertilized.
 Then (for most bananas, including the Cavendish) came another chance event
that caused the hybrids to end up with three sets of chromosomes. Every now
and again, the few viable eggs and pollen that they made would mistakenly
contain two sets of chromosomes instead of just one.

When a double-chromosome pollen combined with a single-chromosome egg (or

vice versa), the result was a hopelessly sterile plant with even more vigorous fruit.

Line (50) Events like this happened more than once and sometimes included other
types of ancestral banana species.

Some scientists, in fact, have made a whole study of banana domestication and
movement around the world. They've pieced the story together using quite different
Line (55) strands of information, including the genomes of wild and cultivated
bananas, the microscopic relics of banana leaf material found at archaeological sites,
and even the word for "banana" in different languages.

40. In paragraph 2, the word "curious" is closest in meaning to

A) inquisitive
B) peculiar
C) nosy
D) intricate

41. What does paragraph 2 suggest about bananas?

A)The banana genus may not yet be classifiable into a traditional category
B)Bananas are actually a species of grass
C)Bananas may now be categorized as "herbs" in supermarkets
D)Because banana chromosomes duplicate themselves, they have better potential for
successful cloning

42. Why does the author use "intriguingly" to describe the phenomenon in
paragraph 3?
 A) To imply that bananas are far more interesting than other fruits
B) To make readers doubt the claims scientists are making about bananas
C) To suggest that duplication of chromosomes is a rare and interesting occurrence in
the plant world
D) To encourage questions about whether bananas are grasses or herbs

43. Why is the observation in paragraph 5 important?

A) It suggests that the banana mutated its genetic structure for survival
B) It shows that bananas can be traced as far back as dinosaurs
C) It suggests that bananas were fatal to dinosaurs and other species
D) It proves that bananas are immune to atmospheric changes

44. The word "co-opted" in paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to

A) decided upon together
B) argued against
C) removed from the study
D) adopted

45.The quote in paragraph 8 most closely suggests

A) Bananas may be an example of ways that species might alter their genetics to
survive changes in the earth's climate and atmosphere
B) That the genetic mutations of bananas have no implications for other species
C) That genetic structure is the only factor that should be considered when predicting
survival
D) Though bananas have made it this far, there is no proof that they will survive the
next wave of significant atmospheric changes.

46. According to the article, all are steps in the evolution of the banana EXCEPT
A) Some banana hybrids began to develop three sets of chromosomes
B) The merging of two different banana species
C) Bananas reproduced widely and easily through fertilization
D) Bananas developed the ability to develop fruit without fertilization

47.The word "chance" in paragraph 9 is closest in meaning to

A) random
B) gamble
 C) risky
D)opportune

48. All are variations of banana mentioned in the article EXCEPT

A) the Cavendish
B) Dolus mundi
C) Musa acuminata
D) plantains

49. The word "domestication" in the final paragraph is closest in meaning to….
A) housebroken
B) well-controlled
C) adapted for human consumption
D) accepted within the culture
50. The word “wild” in line (55) is closest in meaning to…
A) growing in natural condition
B) living in natural condition
C) not cultivated
D) unusual

DO YOUR BEST AND GOOD LUCK. The Time allocation is 55 minutes. Please send
your work sheet via email address: masrupi@untirta.ac.id or drmasrupi05@gmail.com