NAME:

PRACTICE TEST 2- (TIME 120 MINUTES)

PAPER ONE: READING

PASSAGE 1 (25 points): Read the following passage then choose the best answer to each question

The modern comic strip started out as ammunition in a newspaper war between giants of the
American press in the late nineteenth century. The first full-color comic strip appeared January 1894
in the New York World, owned by Joseph Pulitzer. The first regular weekly full-color comic
supplement, similar to today’s Sunday funnies, appeared two years later, in William Randolph
Hearst’s rival New York paper, the Morning Journal.
Both were immensely popular and publishers realized that supplementing the news with comic
relief boosted the sale of papers. The Morning Journal started another feature in 1896, the “Yellow
Kid”, the first continuous comic character in the United States, whose creator, Richard Outcault, had
been lured away from the World by the ambitious Hearst. The “Yellow Kid” was in many ways a
pioneer. Its comic dialogue was the strictly urban farce that came to characterize later strips, and it
introduced the speech balloon inside the strip, usually placed above the characters’ heads.
The first strip to incorporate all the elements of later comics was Rudolph Dirks’s
“Katzenjammer Kids”, based on Wilhelm Busch’s Max and Moritz, a European satire of the
nineteenth century. The “Kids” strip, first published in 1897, served as the prototype for future
American strips. It contained not only speech balloons, but a continuous cast of characters, and was
divided into small regular panels that did away with the larger panoramic scenes of earlier comics.
Newspaper syndication played a major role in spreading the popularity of comic strips
throughout the country. Though weekly colored comics came first, daily black-and-white strips were
not far behind. The first appeared in the Chicago American in 1904. It was followed by many
imitators, and by 1915 black-and-white comic strips had become a staple of daily newspapers around
the country.
1. In what order does the author discuss various comic strips in the passage?
A. According to the newspaper in which they appeared.
B. In the order in which they were created.
C. From most popular to least popular.
D. In alphabetical order by title.
2. According to the passage, the “Yellow Kid” was the first comic strip to do all of the following
EXCEPT __________.
A. include dialogue inside a balloon
B. feature the same character in each episode
C. appear in a Chicago newspaper
D. characterize city life in a humorous way
3. The word “prototype” is closest in meaning to __________.
A. humor B. drawing C. story D. model
4. The word “staple” is closest in meaning to __________.
A. regular feature B. new version C. popular edition D. huge success
5. The word “incorporate” is closest in meaning to __________.
A. affect B. combine C. mention D. create
6. Why does the author mention Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst?
A. They published comic strips about the newspaper war.
B. They established New York’s first newspaper.
C. Their comic strips are still published today.
D. They owned major competitive newspapers.
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7. The word “it” refers to __________.
A. dialogue B. balloon C. farce D. the “Yellow Kid”
8. The passage suggests that comic strips were popular for which of the following reasons?
A. They were about real-life situations.
B. Readers could identify with the characters.
C. They provided a break from serious news stories.
D. Readers enjoyed the unusual drawings.
9. To say that Richard Outcault had been “lured away from” the World by Hearst means which of the
following?
A. Hearst wanted Outcault to work for the World.
B. Hearst warned Outcault not to leave the World.
C. Hearst convinced Outcault to leave the World.
D. Hearst fired Outcault from the World.
10. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A. The effects of newspapers on comic strip stories.
B. The differences between early and modern comic strips.
C. A comparison of two popular comic strips.
D. Features of early comic strips in the United States.

PASSAGE 2 (25 points): Read the following passage then choose the best answer to each question
You can usually tell when your friends are happy or angry by the looks on their faces or by
their actions. This is useful because reading their emotional expressions helps you to know how to
respond to them. Emotions have evolved to help us respond to important situations and to convey our
intentions to others. But does raising the eyebrows and rounding the mouth say the same thing in
Minneapolis as it does in Madagascar? Much research on emotional expression has centered on such
questions.
According to Paul Ekman, the leading researcher in this area, people speak and understand
substantially the same “facial language”. Studies by Ekman’s group have demonstrated that humans
share a set of universal emotional expressions that testify to the common biological heritage of the
human species. Smiles , for example , signal happiness and frowns indicate sadness on the faces of
people in such far - flung places as Argentina, Japan, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Sumatra, the United
States, Vietnam, the jungles of New Guinea and the Eskimo villages north of the Artic Circle. Ekman
and his colleagues claim that people everywhere can recognize at least seven basic emotions: sadness,
fear, anger, disgust, contempt, happiness, and surprise. There are, however, huge differences across
cultures in both the context and intensity of emotional displays - the so called display rules. In many
Asian cultures , for example , children are taught to control emotional responses - especially negative
ones - while many American children are encouraged to express their feelings more openly .
Regardless of culture, however, emotions usually show themselves, to some degree, in people’s
behavior. From their first days of life, babies produce facial expressions that communicate their
feelings.
The ability to read facial expressions develops early, too. Very young children pay close
attention to facial expressions, and by age five they nearly equal adults in their skill at reading
emotions on people’s faces. This evidence all points to a biological underpinning for our abilities to
express and interpret a basic set of human emotions. Moreover, as Charles Darwin pointed out over a
century ago, some emotional expressions seem to appear across species boundaries. Cross -cultural
psychologists tell us that certain emotional responses carry different meanings in different cultures.
For example, what emotion do you suppose might indicate disgust, while in China it can signify
surprise. Likewise, a grin on an American face may indicate joy, while on a Japanese face it may just
as easily mean embarrassment. Clearly, culture influences emotional expression.

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1. Smiles and frowns _________.
A. are not popular everywhere
B. have different meanings in different cultures
C. are universal expressions across cultures
D. do not convey the same emotions in various cultures
2. The biggest difference lies in _________.
A. how emotional responses are controlled
B. how intensive emotions are expressed
C. how long negative emotions are displayed
D. how often positive emotions are shown
3. Paul Ekman is mentioned in the passage as an example of _________.
A. investigators on universal emotional expressions
B. researchers on universal language
C. researchers who can speak and understand many languages
D. lacked many main ingredients
4. The best title of the passage is _________.
A. Ways to control emotional expressions
B. A review of researcher on emotional expressions
C. Human habit of displaying emotions
D. Cultural universals in emotional expression
5. Young children _________.
A. make amazing progress in controlling their emotions
B. take time to control their facial expressions
C. spend a long time learning to read others’ emotions
D. are sensitive towards others’ emotions
6. Unlike American children, Asian children are encouraged to _________..
A. display their emotions openly B. control their emotions
C. conceal their positive emotions D. change their behaviour
7. Many studies on emotional expressions try to answer the question whether _________.
A. raising the eyebrows has similar meaning to rounding the mouth
B. rounding the mouth has the same meaning in Minneapolis and Madagascar
C. Eyebrow raising means the same in Minneapolis and Madagascar
D. different cultures have similar emotional expressions
8. The phrase “This evidence” in line 3 of the third paragraph refers to _________.
A. A biological underpinning for humans to express emotions
B. The fact children can control their feelings
C. The fact that children are good at recognizing others’ emotions
D. Human facial expressions
9. The word “evolved” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to_________.
A. developed B. reduced C. simplified D. increased
10. According to the passage, we respond to others by _________.
A.by observing their looks B. watching their actions
C. looking at their face D. observing their emotional expressions
PASSAGE 3 (25 points): Read the following passage then choose the best answer to each question
Recent technological advances in manned and unmanned vehicles, along with breakthroughs in
satellite technology and computer equipment, have overcome some of the limitations of divers and
diving equipment for scientists doing research on the great oceans of the world. Without a vehicle,
divers often became sluggish, and their mental concentration was severely limited. Because undersea
pressure affects their speech organs, communication among divers has always been difficult or

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impossible. But today, most oceanographers avoid the use of vulnerable human divers, preferring to
reduce the risk to human life and make direct observations by means of instruments that are lowered
into the ocean, from samples take from the water, or from photographs made by orbiting satellites.
Direct observations of the ocean floor can be made not only by divers but also by deep-diving
submarines in the water and even by the technology of sophisticated aerial photography from vantage
points above the surface of more than seven miles and cruise at depths of fifteen thousand feet. In
addition, radio-equipped buoys can be operated by remote control in order to transmit information
back to land-based laboratories via satellite. Particularly important for ocean study are data about
water temperature, currents, and weather. Satellite photographs can show the distribution of sea ice, oil
slicks, and cloud formations over the ocean, Maps created from satellite pictures can represent the
temperature and the color of the ocean’s surface, enabling researchers to study the ocean currents from
laboratories on dry land. Furthermore, computers help oceanographers to collect, organize, and
analyze data from submarines and satellites. By creating a model of the ocean’s movement and
characteristics, scientists can predict the patterns and possible effects of the ocean on the environment.
Recently, many oceanographers have been relying more on satellites and computers than on
research ships or even submarine vehicles because they can supply a greater range of information
more quickly and more effectively. Some of humankind’s most serious problems, especially those
concerning energy and food, may be solved with the help of observations made possible by this new
technology.
1. With what topic is the passage primarily concerned?
A. Communication among drivers B. Direct observation of the ocean floor
C. Undersea vehicles D. Technological advances in oceanography
2. The word “sluggish” is closest in meaning to __________.
A. very weak B. nervous C. confused D. slow moving
3. This passage suggests that the successful exploration of the ocean depends upon __________.
A. vehicles as well as divers B. controlling currents and the weather
C. radios that divers use to communicate D. the limitations of diving equipment
4. Divers have had problems in communicating underwater because __________.
A. they did not pronounce clearly
B. the water destroyed their speech organs
C. the pressure affected their speech organs
D. the vehicles they used have not been perfected
5. The word “cruise” could best be replaced by __________.
A. travel at a constant speed B. function without problems
C. stay in communication D. remain still
6. Undersea vehicles __________.
A. have the same limitations that divers have B. are too small for a man to fit inside
C. make direct observations of the ocean floor D. are very slow to respond
7. The word “information” is closest in meaning to __________.
A. samples B. photographs C. data D. articles
8. How is a radio-quipped buoy operated?
A. by operators outside the vehicle on a diving platform
B. by operators outside the vehicle in a laboratory on shore
C. by operators inside the vehicle in the part underwater
D. by operators outside the vehicle on ship
9. Which of the following are NOT shown in satellite photographs?
A. The location of sea ice B. Cloud formations over the ocean
C. The temperature of the ocean’s surface D. A model of the ocean’s movements
10. The words “those” refers to __________.
A. vehicles B. problems C. ships D. computers
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PASSAGE 4 (25 points): Read the following passage then choose the best answer to each question
Tomatoes are probably the most popular garden vegetable grown in the United States. This can
be attributed to their unique flavor, attractiveness, richness as a source of vitamins C and A, and
versatility as a food. The popularity of peppers as a garden plant can be attributed to the same factors,
although they are usually not consumed in large enough quantities to make them an important
nutritional factor in the diet.
The cultivated tomato originated in the Andes mountains of South America. It was introduced
to other areas of the world by Indians and European travelers. Its seeds were taken to Europe, where a
superstition soon arose that the tomato stimulated love. Because of this, the tomato was called the
“love apple”. The first report of the tomato in North America was in 1710, where it was grown
primarily as an ornamental plant. Early colonists brought the seeds to Virginia and grew tomatoes in
flower gardens.
Tomatoes, actually a fruit that is used as a vegetable, began gaining wide acceptance as a food
plant in the United States between 1820 and 1850. Modern plant growers have done much to improve
the tomato and add to its usefulness. Its yields have been doubled, and varieties with larger, smoother,
more even shapes and meatier pulps have been developed. The tomato is the leading crop canned in
the United States today.
Peppers are also native to America and were grown by American Indian tribes in both North
and South America over 2,000 years ago. The small red hot peppers were discovered by Columbus in
the West Indies and introduced into Europe, where they became popular before gaining widespread
acceptance in the United States. Peppers became one of the first New World foods used commercially
in Europe. Botanists class the fruit of the bush-type garden pepper as a berry. Although most varieties
of peppers produce red fruits (which are green in their immature stage), there are some yellow-fruited
varieties, and peppers are of both mild and pungent types. Peppers enjoy warm climates, and young
plants can be injured by frosts. Seasonings such as paprika and chili powder and food products such as
canned pimentos are commercial uses of garden peppers that are grown in the United States today.
The familiar spice black pepper known in households throughout the world is the product of a
trailing or climbing shrub grown in Indonesia and other hot countries. The islands of Java and Madura
furnish most of the black pepper used in American homes. The United States buys almost 25,000 tons
of this spice annually.
1. The topic of this passage is _________.
A. food discoveries of early Europeans
B. the nutritional value of garden vegetables
C. tomatoes and peppers
D. why tomatoes are more popular than peppers
2. The word “versatility” in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _________.
A. economic value B. range of uses
C. tastiness D. marketability
3. According to the passage, why are peppers not an important nutritional factor in a diet?
A. People don’t eat enough of them.
B. They lack the necessary vitamins.
C. They are less tasty than tomatoes.
D. Peppers are found in tropical climates.
4. It can be inferred from the passage that tomatoes were first used in North America _________.
A. for food B. for nutritional purposes

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 C. as decoration D. in place of peppers
5. It can be inferred from the passage that the tomato was called the “love apple” because _________.
A. its fruit was heart-shaped
B. it supposedly aroused affectionate feelings
C. people liked to eat it
D. it is beautiful to look at
6. The word “native” in the passage is closest in meaning to _________.
A. indigenous B. legendary
C. colorful D. located
7. The phrase “mild and pungent types” in the passage refers to _________.
A. size B. botanical classification C. taste D. color
8. All of the following can be inferred from the passage about peppers EXCEPT _________.
A. peppers became popular in the United States later than in Europe
B. peppers were bought and sold in Europe
C. red peppers are highly spiced
D. peppers originated fairly recently in North and South America
9. The phrase “this spice” in the passage refers to _________.
A. paprika B. chili powder C. pepper berries D. black pepper
10. Which of the following best describes the format of this passage?
A. A series of conjectures
B. A general introduction followed by elaboration
C. A response to a criticism
D. A question and subsequent answers

PAPER TWO: WRITING

WRITING 1 (30 points)
Your English-speaking friend, Natalie, sent you an email. Read part of her email below.
Thanks for inviting me to stay with you when I visit your country next month.
I’m not sure how to get to your apartment from the airport. Could you write back giving me some
simple directions? What’s the cheapest mean of transport?
What will the weather be like when I get there? I’ll need to know which clothes to pack.
Hope to get your early reply.
Write a reply to Natalie. In your email, you have to express your excitement of her trip to your
country, tell her how to get to your apartment from the airport and what the cheapest mean of transport
is, and tell her about the weather next month.
You should write at least 120 words. You are not allowed to include your name or address.

WRITING 2 (70 points)

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
In order to solve traffic problems, the government should tax private car owners heavily and use the
money to improve public transportation.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a solution?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or
knowledge. You should write at least 250 words.

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