Bilkent University English Language Preparatory Program

Pre-Faculty Reading Practice Material

Read the following passage. Give only one answer to each question.

CHARLES DARWIN

Charles Darwin was one of the most influential scientists of his time and his observations
changed the way in which life itself was understood. When Darwin died in 1873 at the age of 64,
the scientific world recognized that it had lost one of its greatest thinkers, and Darwin was buried
among the illustrious in Britain's burial-place of honour, Westminster Abbey in London. Darwin
—biologist, botanist, and geographer—was a scientist whose influence places him in the
company of other greats such as Copernicus and Einstein, men whose perseverance and
convictions led them to see great new truths, to understand whole new domains of existence. Yet
Darwin did not invent; he did not even propose a totally new theory. Rather, through years of
careful observation, painstaking study, and analogical deductions, he managed to formulate in
a coherent and scientific fashion a theory which rapidly gained credibility as the most logical
explanation of the diversity of life on earth. It was in November 1859 that Darwin published this
theory in his fundamental work:
The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

Charles Darwin was born into a family of thinkers. His father was a Fellow of the Royal Society -
the elite circle of top British scientists - while his mother was the daughter of Josiah Wedgwood,
the man who founded the famous Wedgwood Potteries. His grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, was a
famous physician, radical thinker and philosopher who, like his grandson, spent much time
studying the evolution of life. After a childhood in the town of Shrewsbury, where he was
educated at the local Grammar School, Darwin entered Edinburgh University at age 16 to study
medicine and natural history. When he was 18, he left Edinburgh and went to Cambridge
University, planning to enter the church. However, he was more interested in science than in
religion and in the end, he abandoned theology.

Shortly after graduating from Cambridge, he got a job as a naturalist on the ship H.M.S. Beagle,
which was about to start on a scientific and cartographic survey of the South American coast. The
journey started in December 1831 and was to last almost five years, during which time
he amassed considerable documentation that would feed into his studies. Darwin was particularly
struck by the fauna of the south seas, notably by the tortoises he found on the Galapagos Islands,
a group of Pacific Islands where nature seemed different from nature in other lands. The
Galapagos tortoises, Darwin observed, differed from island to island, and this, he deduced,
implied different forms of evolution, since the animals obviously came from the same origins.
Darwin was also struck by the iguanas he found, and observed that those which lived in water
had heads suitable for finding food among stones, whilst those that lived on land had a sharper
profile, more fit for a herbivorous animal. All these observations helped him to develop the
theory for which he is famous.

Darwin developed his theory of evolution over many years, but it was not until 1859 that he
actually published it. It was instantly seen as a great milestone in scientific thought, and
precipitated violent argument all over Europe. Many found fault in it, and Darwin spent the rest
of his life modifying aspects of his theory in the light of other people's observations. As for his
theory, Darwin noted that in any species, no two examples are identical. There are always great
or small differences between specimens: he also observed, like Thomas Malthus, a cleric and
economist, that in all living species, some specimens reach maturity while others do not. This
came to be known as “the survival of the fittest". From this, Darwin concluded that life evolves
along different lines in different circumstances, according to what is fittest in each particular
situation. He called this the principle of natural selection. He proved his theory by observing the
process of artificial selection: the way animal or plant breeders produce new varieties by
carefully selecting and breeding specimens which show the desired qualities. He also wrote a
dozen or so other books on aspects of botany and biology, including his Descent of Man (1877).
The debate has continued ever since; contested for a while in the Soviet Union, because of its
anti-egalitarian implications, Darwinism, or Neo Darwinism, which is the Darwinian theory
modified by Mendelian genetic theory, is now accepted by almost every scientist.
2021-2022 Fall Semester Adapted from https://linguapress.com/advanced/darwin.html
Prepared by M.D

1 It can be inferred from paragraph 1 that Charles Darwin was a very important figure in
the history of human kind
A as he was a successful biologist, botanist, and geographer.
B since his convictions have led humanity to see great new truths.
C even though he did not make any inventions or propose a totally new theory.
D because his fame has spread all around the world very quickly.
E though it took a long time for people to accept the correctness of his theory.

2 Darwin decided to leave Edinburgh to go to Cambridge because

A he was going to study theology there.

B he was more interested in medicine.
C he got tired of studying natural history.
D his grandfather encouraged him to do so.
E it was a family tradition for them to study evolution of life.
3 The main idea of paragraph 3 is that Darwin came up with his theory of evolution

A after he was particularly struck by the fauna of the south seas.

B when he was observing iguanas on the Galapagos Islands.
C through his real life experiences and observations as well as his studies.
D before he got a job as a naturalist on the ship H.M.S. Beagle.
E during a scientific and cartographic survey of the South American coast.

4 The word ‘amassed’ in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to

A revealed
B collected
C suppressed
D related
E anticipated

5 It can be inferred mainly from the last paragraph that Darwin’s theory of evolution

A has received a lot of opposition from the other scientists in the science world.
B concluded that life evolves along the same lines in different circumstances.
C was published as soon as it was developed and changed people’s views.
D cannot be supported by other books written on aspects of botany and biology.
E argues that in all living species all specimens reach maturity no matter what.

6 The purpose of this text is to

A describe the features of a good scientist.

B provide an overview of Darwin’s life and emergence of his theory.
C show that Darwin’s life was not an easy one compared to other scientists.
D give some brief information about the theory Darwin introduced.
E encourage people to further research Darwin’s life.
ANSWER KEY- CHARLES DARWIN
1.C
2.A
3.C
4.B
5.A
6.B