TRYOUT 14

TEXT 1

1. What is primarily discussed in the forum above?

A. Whether or not Quora should forbid users who give short answers
B. Whether or not the quality of questions should be maintained
C. The disadvantages of having short answers in Quora forums
D. Quora’s new privacy policy about question length
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E. The consequences for users who give short answers

2. What is Nigel Shake complaining about?

A. Quora’s algorithm prevented users to give short answers
B. Easily answered questions should be encouraged in Quora
C. The inconsistency of Quora’s algorithm which collapses answers
D. Short answers would collapse over time if not monitored
E. Answers easily taken from Google should be forbidden

3. According to Charlie, what makes long answers not enough to get people to read?
A. The readers are not in the mood to read long answers
B. The answers might be difficult to comprehend
C. The first line of the answers should be attention-grabbing
D. Most readers in Quora has long attention span
E. Reading interests will be difficult to cultivate

4. Which is an effective sentence that best restates the main idea in Charlene’s response?
A. Quora should consider not collapsing short answers from now on
B. Question Askers should determine whether short answers are acceptable
C. It is hard to determine which short answers are acceptable in Quora
D. It needs to be noted that short answers should always be collapsed
E. Indicating that Question Askers only accept long answers is unacceptable

5. The word "insignificant" in Nigel’s response is closest in meaning to________

A. unsignaled
B. unimportant
C. incomprehensive
D. impolite
E. impossible

6. According to the discussion, the following are other problems related to questions and answers in Quora,
EXCEPT_______
A. Answers easily found on Google
B. Insignificant questions
C. Impossible-to-answer questions
D. Nonsense questions
E. Incomplete answers

7. It is implied in the discussion that short answers are________

A. not necessarily correct
B. acceptable
C. insignificant
D. often incorrect
E. better than long answers

TEXT 2
TEXT A
A new study that reconstructs the history of sea level at the Bering Strait shows that the Bering Land
Bridge connecting Asia to North America did not emerge until around 35,700 years ago, less than 10,000 years
before the height of the last ice age (known as the Last Glacial Maximum). The new findings indicate that the growth
of the ice sheets -- and the resulting drop in sea level -- occurred surprisingly quickly and much later in the glacial
cycle than previous studies had suggested.
"It means that more than 50 % of the global ice volume at the Last Glacial Maximum grew after 46,000 years
ago," said Tamara Pico, assistant professor of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Santa Cruz and a corresponding
author of the paper. "This is important for understanding the feedback between climate and ice sheets, because it
implies that there was a substantial delay in the development of ice sheets after global temperatures dropped."
Global sea levels drop during ice ages as more and more of Earth's water gets locked up in massive ice
sheets, but the timing of these processes has been hard to pin down. During the Last Glacial Maximum, which lasted
from about 26,500 to 19,000 years ago, ice sheets covered large areas of North America. Dramatically lower sea
levels uncovered a vast land area known as Beringia that extended from Siberia to Alaska and supported herds of
horses, mammoths, and other Pleistocene fauna. As the ice sheets melted, the Bering Strait became flooded again
around 13,000 to 11,000 years ago.
 TRYOUT 14

TEXT B
The interior of Central Asia has been identified as a key route for some of the earliest hominin migrations
across Asia in a new study led by Dr. Emma Finestone, Assistant Curator of Human Origins at the Cleveland
Museum of Natural History and Research Affiliate of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
The study's findings indicate that the steppe, semi-arid and desert zones of Central Asia were once
favorable environments for hominins and their dispersal into Eurasia. "Central Asia connects several zones that
played important roles in hominin dispersals out of Africa and through Asia" Dr. Finestone said. "Yet we know
comparatively little about the early occupation of Central Asia. Most of the archaeological material is not dated and
detailed paleoclimate records are scarce, making it difficult to understand early hominin dispersal and occupation
dynamics in that region."
The team compiled and analyzed paleoclimatic and archaeological data from Pleistocene (ca. 2.58 million
years ago to 11,700 years ago) Central Asia. This included building a dataset of Paleolithic stone tools and analyzing
a mineral deposit that formed in a cave (a stalagmite) in southern Uzbekistan. Tool-making and tool modification are
key to human ability to migrate to new environments and to overcome environmental challenges. "Interdisciplinary
works that bridge archaeology with paleoclimate models are becoming increasingly necessary for understanding
human origins" said Dr. Finestone. "In the future, the databases generated in this study will continue to allow us to
ask questions about the context of hominin dispersals."

8. The word “reconstructs” in Texts A is closest in meaning to ________

A. revises
B. reevaluates
C. reassigns
D. reanimates
E. rebuilds

9. What was more likely suggested by the previous studies compared to the study discussed in Text A?
A. The height of the last ice age was identified less than 10,000 years ago
B. The Bering Strait emerged as the sea levels rose and the ice sheets grew
C. The ice sheets grow more slowly and much earlier in the glacial cycle
D. There was a significant delay before the research was conducted
E. The global sea levels influenced the ice sheets growth significantly

10. Which of the paragraphs in either of the texts contain(s) the research method?
A. Paragraph 1 in Text A
B. Paragraph 2 in Text B
C. Paragraph 1 in Text B
D. Paragraph 3 in Text B
E. Paragraph 2 & 3 in Text A

11. Why do the researchers know very little about humans’ early occupation in Central Asia?
A. Only small numbers of areas could be explored
B. The archaeological material has no sign of date
C. The archaeological data from Pleistocene do not include occupation
D. Most paleoclimate records are rarely investigated in detail
E. The paleoclimatic records contain incomprehensible language

12. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the importance of tool-making and tool modification to humans?
A. They bridge archaeology with paleoclimate models
B. They become indicators of ancient human occupations
C. Upgrading tools allows humans to use the mineral deposit formed in caves
D. Tools always creates favorable environments for hominins
E. They help humans to adapt and survive in new places

13. What is the similarity of the findings stated in Text A and Text B?
A. Both studies have an unorthodox method to collect the data
B. Data collection in both studies are imperfect, but the studies went well.
C. The findings describe the conditions on earth a long time ago
D. Implications of the findings might be misinterpreted because of the data
E. The researchers have a great expectation based on the findings

14. In terms of text organization, unlike Text B, the author started writing Text A by ________
 TRYOUT 14

A. presenting the findings followed by interpretation and supporting description

B. briefly comparing the findings with future studies which alter the course of history
C. elaborating a statement from the key findings followed by research method
D. providing a claim by a researcher followed by objective data
E. pointing out a possibility based on the findings and the background

TEXT 3
Rising global temperatures, resulting from increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, are causing
sea levels to rise all over the world. Islands and coastal areas with low elevations are particularly impacted. Most
scientists believe that sea levels will continue to rise for hundreds of years.
The film Travina: A Paradise Lost is a popular documentary that examines the impacts of rising sea levels
on Travina, a small island nation that includes 12 low-lying islands and is home to about 20 000 inhabitants. The
country’s main industries are tourism, fishing and agriculture. Over the last decade, rising sea levels have forced
hundreds of Travinians to move to higher ground. Scientists estimate that unless world-wide carbon dioxide
emissions are drastically reduced, much of Travina will be underwater by 2075.
Some environmentalists worry that the attention Travina is receiving because of the film’s success could
have negative consequences. According to the filmmaker, the goal of the documentary was “to persuade audiences
that rising global temperatures are a threat by presenting the impact on people’s lives.” A number of projects,
including building a sea wall, are being considered to protect the most populated islands in Travina. These projects
are expensive and the country cannot afford to pay for them on its own.
One proposal by climate change organizations has been to create an international partnership of countries
to fund projects in Travina. However, this idea has been debated in the international press. In cases such as the one
in Travina, citizens may be forced to become “climate refugees”. Climate refugees are people who are forced to leave
their communities or countries because of environmental disasters. In order to deal with the threat of rising sea levels,
both short-term and long-term responses are needed. Short-term responses have an immediate impact or provide a
solution in a short period of time. Long-term responses require more time before they have an impact.
(Diadaptasi dari PISA 2018)

15. The word “persuade” in the third paragraph can be best replaced by _______
A. convince
B. command
C. consider
D. cooperate
E. concentrate

16. Based on the text, which causal conjunction is the most suitable for this statement: “_______ rising global
temperatures, sea levels rise all over the world.”
A. Causing
B. According to
C. Due to
D. However
E. In order to

17. What is the tone of the text?

A. Persuasive
B. Optimistic
C. Skeptical
D. Informative
E. Pessimistic

18. While Paragraph 1 introduces a global issue, Paragraph 2 _______

A. presents another global issue which is more urgent
B. provides a specific example and its impacts
C. considers the potential causes of an issue
D. offers solutions to an impact caused by global issue
E. gives an example of scientists’ contributions to solve an issue

19. The sentences below make a paragraph following the text. Arrange these sentences into the correct order.
1) One short-term response that has been implemented in Travina is the construction of temporary housing on
higher ground for those displaced by rising sea levels.
2) In the meantime, the government of Travina has launched an awareness campaign to motivate residents
and businesses to take action to reduce their carbon footprint.
 TRYOUT 14

3) Long-term responses, such as relocating the entire population to a different island, are also being
considered.
4) This proposal has received mixed reactions, as some residents are reluctant to leave their homes and
livelihoods behind.
5) However, this solution is only a band-aid fix, as the residents cannot stay in temporary housing indefinitely.

A. 2-3-1-5-4
B. 1-5-3-4-2
C. 2-3-4-5-1
D. 2-5-4-3-1
E. 1-3-2-5-4

20. Which of the following are the true reasons in the table below explain the filmmaker’s decision to focus specifically on
Travina?

No. Statement TRUE FALSE

1. Viewers who know people in Travina will appreciate the goal of the documentary.

2. Climate change has already affected the people of Travina in ways that can be clearly v
documented.

3. Travina is an example of how rising sea levels might affect other locations worldwide. v

4. The government in Travina wants its citizens to learn all they can about carbon dioxide
production.

PEMBAHASAN

1. Jawaban: A
Topik untuk teks dapat dilihat dari subjek atau kata kunci yang repetitif dalam keseluruhan teks. Dalam
forum ini, kata kunci yang sering muncul adalah “short answer”. Kemudian dapat dilihat pula para user yang
memberikan pendapatnya pada setiap ruang baris. Dari beragam respons tersebut, dapat disimpulkan
bahwa mereka mendiskusikan apakah jawaban pendek diperbolehkan di Quora atau tidak.

2. Jawaban: C
Complain berarti keluhan. Selain mengemukakan pendapat, Nigel juga mengeluh di akhir komentarnya .
Opsi A salah karena algoritma Quora tidak melarang jawaban pendek. Opsi B salah karena meski jawaban
pendek diperbolehkan, tetapi itu tidak disarankan oleh Nigel. Opsi D salah karena yang memonitor jawaban
adalah algoritma Quora dan informasi tersebut tidak ada dalam teks. Opsi E juga salah karena tidak ada
larangan mengambil jawaban dari Google. Maka dari itu, opsi C benar karena algoritma Quora otomatis
melipat jawaban tetapi tidak konsisten.

3. Jawaban: C
Charlie mengatakan bahwa Quora salah paham dengan cara usernya membaca. Ia lanjut menjelaskan
bahwa “If your first line doesn’t grab attention, and your first paragraph doesn’t make them want to read
more, you lose the casual reader.” Artinya, para penulis jawaban panjang akan kehilangan pembacanya jika
apa yang mereka tulis di awal tidak menarik minat baca. Maka dari itu Charlie berpendapat tulisan di awal
jawaban panjang harus bisa menarik perhatian pembaca.

4. Jawaban: B
Kalimat efektif adalah kalimat lengkap yang harus memiliki setidaknya Subject dan Verb. Selain itu,
pernyataan dalam opsi harus relevan dengan teks. Opsi B benar karena Subject-nya adalah Question Asker
dan Verb-nya adalah determine. Pernyataan ini juga relevan, karena pada paragraf 1 dari respon-nya,
Charlene menyarankan untuk menyerahkan keputusan diterima atau tidaknya jawaban pendek pada
Question Asker, seperti yang tertera pada “After all, Who better to judge the answers than the Question
Asker?”.
TRYOUT 14

5. Jawaban: B
Kata “insignificant” memiliki imbuhan in- yang biasanya berarti tidak atau negatif. Sementara kata
“significant” berarti signifikan, besar, atau penting. Maka dari itu, insignificant berarti tidak penting atau
“unimportant”

6. Jawaban: E
Selain masalah tentang jawaban-jawaban pendek, terdapat masalah-masalah lain yang dikemukakan oleh
para user di forum ini. Di antaranya ada pertanyaan yang jawabannya dapat dengan mudah ditemukan di
Google (A) dan pertanyaan yang tidak penting (B), keduanya dikemukakan oleh Nigel. Sementara itu, ada
pula pertanyaan yang tidak mungkin dijawab (C) dan pertanyaan omong kosong (D) yang keduanya
dikemukakan oleh Andrew. Maka dari itu, masalah yang tidak tertera pada teks forum tersebut adalah
pertanyaan yang tidak lengkap (E).

7. Jawaban: B
Pertanyaan yang menggunakan kata “implied” menanyakan informasi yang tersirat dari teks yang ada, dan
seringkali merupakan kesimpulan dari beberapa pendapat user yang terlibat. Opsi A salah karena hanya
ada Charlie yang mengatakan bahwa “a long answer is not necessarily a better answer”, sementara
pernyataan tersebut tidak dinyatakan oleh user lainnya. Opsi C salah karena walaupun Nigel mengatakan
insignificant answers adalah masalah, tetapi tidak semua short answers bersifat insignificant. Opsi D dan E
pun salah karena tidak ada pernyataan jawaban pendek sering salah maupun lebih baik daripada jawaban
panjang. Maka dari itu, jawaban yang benar adalah opsi B karena secara tersirat semua user mengatakan
“jawaban pendek tidak seharusnya dilarang”. Hal ini terlihat dari jawaban “No” yang mengawali beberapa
respons mereka. Sehingga, jawaban pendek seharusnya diperbolehkan (acceptable) di Quora.

8. Jawaban: E
Kata “reconstructs” berarti merekonstruksi. Biasanya makna kata ini akan lebih jelas untuk ditebak jika kita
melihat benda yang menjadi targetnya. Di sini, kata benda “history”-lah yang menjadi targetnya. Maka dari
itu pasangan frasa kata yang tepat bisa “disusun ulang” atau “dibangun kembali”, sehingga jawabannya
adalah opsi E, “rebuilds.”

9. Jawaban: C
Penelitian saat ini yang dibahas di Teks A, memiliki temuan yang berkebalikan dibandingkan dengan
beberapa penelitian sebelumnya. Hal ini terlihat pada “The new findings indicate that the growth of the ice
sheets -- and the resulting drop in sea level -- occurred surprisingly quickly and much later in the glacial
cycle than previous studies had suggested.” Untuk memprediksi hasil riset sebelumnya, karena yang
dibahas di sini adalah lembar es dan tingkat lautnya, maka apa yang terjadi pada kedua subjek tersebut
dibandingkan secara berlawanan menggunakan antonim kata sifat yang mendeskripsikannya, yaitu slowly
dan earlier di opsi C.

10. Jawaban: D
Pada teks ilmiah, bagian research method biasanya membahas tentang metode, cara, atau proses yang
dilakukan para peneliti dalam melaksanakan risetnya. Maka dari itu, kata kunci yang berkaitan dengan
metode seperti technique, test, experiment, investigate, sample, data, team, dsb dapat menjadi penanda di
mana penulis membahas research method-nya. Pada opsi D, Paragraf 3 di Teks B dimulai dengan kalimat
“The team compiled and analyzed paleoclimatic and archaeological data from Pleistocene…” Kalimat ini
menunjukkan bagaimana cara dan dari mana peneliti mendapatkan data untuk penelitiannya.

11. Jawaban: B
Pada Teks B, kesulitan para peneliti dalam mengidentifikasi pekerjaan awal manusia yang di Asia Tengah
pada zaman dahulu adalah tidak adanya data waktu pada bahan arkeologis yang ditemukan di tempat
penelitian. Hal ini ditunjukkan pada kalimat, “Yet we know comparatively little about the early occupation of
Central Asia. Most of the archaeological material is not dated and detailed paleoclimate records are
scarce, making it difficult to understand early hominin dispersal and occupation dynamics in that region."

12. Jawaban: E
Di paragraf terakhir Teks B, dijelaskan bahwa “Tool-making and tool modification to humans are key to
human ability to migrate to new environments and to overcome environmental challenges.” Dengan kata
lain, sinonim dari fungsi dan tujuan pembuatan dan modifikasi alat adalah untuk “pindah ke lingkungan baru”
dan “melalui tantangan lingkungan”. Maka dari itu kata kunci “adapt” dan “survive” pada opsi E dapat
menjadi sinonim yang sesuai untuk “pindah” dan “melalui” yang terdapat pada fungsi dan tujuan pernyataan
tentang pembuatan dan modifikasi alat.
TRYOUT 14

13. Jawaban: C
Kemiripan antara temuan pada studi di Teks A dan B adalah kedua studi meneliti kejadian di masa lalu di
planet bumi. Hal ini dapat terlihat dari prediksi tanggal terjadinya sebuah fenomena di masing-masing teks
(cth. 35,700 years ago di Teks A; 11,700 years ago di Teks B) dan pembahasan mengenai makhluk dan
fenomena di permukaan bumi (Teks A tentang lembar es dan permukaan air di zaman es serta para
binatang di zaman tersebut; Teks B tentang penyebaran manusia di Asia Tengah di zaman dahulu). Maka
dari itu, jawaban yang betul adalah opsi C.

14. Jawaban: A
Perbedaan susunan ide dan struktur teks pada Teks A dan B dapat dilihat pada gagasan utama di setiap
paragrafnya. Opsi B salah karena yang dibandingkan di Teks A adalah penelitian sebelumnya. Opsi C salah
karena itu menjelaskan struktur paragraf yang benar untuk Teks B. Opsi D salah karena sebuah klaim dari
peneliti disajikan di awal paragraf 1 di Teks B. Opsi E salah karena Teks A tidak menjelaskan kemungkinan
yang diikuti oleh latar belakang di paragraf selanjutnya. Maka jawaban yang benar adalah opsi A karena
Teks A dimulai dengan penyajian hasil-hasil temuan penelitian diikuti dengan interpretasi dari peneliti, serta
dilengkapi deskripsi pendukung di paragraf akhirnya.

15. Jawaban: A
Kata “persuade” memiliki arti “mengajak”. Opsi B salah karena ajakan bukanlah perintah. Opsi C salah
karena “consider” berarti “mempertimbangkan”. Opsi D salah karena bekerjasama belum tentu mengajak.
Opsi E salah karena penonton filem tidak diminta untuk berkonsentrasi. Maka dari itu, makna yang paling
dekat adalah “meyakinkan”, yaitu “convince”.

16. Jawaban: C
Kalimat yang ditanyakan memiliki frasa benda yang mengikuti setelah konjungsi kausalnya. Maka dari itu,
konjungsi kausal yang cocok adalah konjungsi langsung yang membutuhkan kata atau frasa benda sebagai
objeknya, seperti konjungsi due to atau because of.

17. Jawaban: D
Teks ini termasuk bernada informatif karena memberikan informasi faktual tentang dampak pemanasan
global pada kenaikan permukaan laut dan bagaimana ini memengaruhi negara kepulauan seperti Travina
tanpa disertai bias atau mendukung pihak atau solusi manapun yang ada.

18. Jawaban: B
Dalam teks yang baik, paragraf-paragraf harus diatur secara teratur dan dengan topik yang berkaitan,
sehingga informasi dapat disampaikan dengan jelas dan efektif. Dalam hal ini, paragraf 1 memberikan
gambaran tentang isu global mengenai naiknya permukaan laut akibat peningkatan kadar karbon dioksida di
atmosfer, sedangkan paragraf 2 memberikan contoh spesifik mengenai dampak dari isu tersebut pada
Travina.

19. Jawaban: B
Urutan kalimat yang benar adalah 1-5-3-4-2. Kalimat 1 menghubungkan salah satu aspek dari paragraf
sebelumnya, yaitu short term solution. Kalimat 5 berisi konjungsi however yang menindaklanjuti solusi di
Kalimat 1. Kalimat 3 menyajikan long term solution sebagai ide kedua dalam paragraf yang merupakan sisi
lain Kalimat 1 dan masih berkaitan dengan paragraf sebelumnya. Kalimat 4 merupakan respons masyarakat
dari solusi yang ditawarkan dari Kalimat 3. Terakhir, Kalimat 2 membahas apa yang dilakukan pemerintah
sementara solusi-solusi tersebut dijalankan.

20. Jawaban: Statement 2 dan Statement 3

Pernyataan 1 salah, karena tidak ada jaminan bahwa penonton yang mengetahui keadaan Travina akan
menghargai filem dokumenternya. Pernyataan 4 pun salah, karena tidak ada imbauan dari pemerintah untuk
mempelajari karbon dioksida sebagai solusi untuk masalahnya. Pernyataan 2 benar, karena jelas fenomena
tersebut telah berhasil didokumentasikan dengan adanya filem dokumenter. Sementara itu, Pernyataan 3
benar, karena sang filmmaker ingin menunjukkan bahwa Travina adalah contoh tempat yang terkena
dampak naiknya permukaan air.